meme orandum
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Fallaci charged in Italy with defaming Islam By / Reuters — Permalink ROME (Reuters) - A judge has ordered best-selling writer and journalist Oriana Fallaci to stand trial in her native Italy on charges she defamed Islam in a recent book. | |
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McQ: Well the cradle of the Enlightenment is now taking people to trial because they may have offended a religion. Amanda Marcotte: In reference to this article, which details a judge arguing that someone should be held legally accountable for... John Cole: Maybe this is what he is hoping for, his vision for America: "A judge has ordered best-selling writer and journalist... |
Cori Dauber: Now I see via Instapundit that, given from the threats (not only of legal action), the harassment, the ugliness, came a... Jeff Goldstein: Freedom's just another word for nothing left — From Reuters: [snipped quote] Another victory for the leftist gold... Joe Gandelman: When in Rome don't do like the Roman-descended judges do: don't go after Italian journalists who dare to write things about Islam that Muslims don't like. |
| Also: Glenn Reynolds | |
FBI memo reports Guantanamo guards flushing Koran Reuters — Permalink WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An FBI agent wrote in a 2002 document made public on Wednesday that a detainee held at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, had accused American jailers there of flushing the Koran down a toilet. | |
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Kevin Aylward: More Koran Flushing Reports — The ACLU released a FBI memo that contains a prisoners report of a Guantanamo guard... Tom Tomorrow: Here's one more they got wrong: [snipped quote] Of course, the Pentagon denies it, and that'll be the spin (if they even acknowledge the story at all). Magpie @PacificViews: From a Reuters report on the release of previously classified documents to the American Civil Liberties Union:... |
Charles Johnson: Mainstream media is determined to give the jihadis a weapon they can exploit to the fullest, and the ACLU is right with them: FBI memo reports Guantanamo guards flushing Koran. John Cole: Right now, Isikoff and some folks at Newsweek are ordering a big glass of STFU for their critics: [snipped quote] I guess that means we need a talking points update: 1.) Kos @DailyKos: FBI: Newsweek was right — Turns out Newsweek was wrong about its source, right about the story. [snipped quote] Darn it. |
FBI Records Cite Quran Abuse Allegations By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON (AP) - Terror suspects at the Guantanamo Bay prison told U.S. interrogators as early as April 2002, just three months after the first detainees arrived, that military guards abused them and desecrated the Quran, declassified FBI records say. | |
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Acidman: read the headline... ...and then read the article. I don't believe that the two actually go together. John Cole: 4.) You can't trust Newsweek and the Washington Post Reuters. 5.) What about the children? More here. Steve Soto: Bush Administration Has Known About Koran Desecration Stories Since Early 2002 — Gee, now that nobody is paying... |
Judd @ThinkProgress: If they didn't investigate, how do they know his allegation isn't credible? UPDATE: AP just filed a story. Captain Scarlet: Liberal Media Wagon Circling 101 — This is how it is done. 1. Big alphabet network publishes story. 2. |
Gitmo Guards Accused of Mistreating Koran By / WaPo — Permalink Nearly a dozen detainees at the Guantanamo Bay military prison in Cuba told FBI interrogators that guards had mistreated copies of the Koran, including one who said in 2002 that guards "flushed a Koran in the toilet," according to new FBI documents released today. | |
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John Podhoretz: LET'S BELIEVE THE AL-QAEDA TERRORISTS — The Washington Post has a big story about the charges of Koran desecration at Guantanamo and how they appear in an FBI report. Oliver @LiquidList: Isikoff and Co. should have talked to the FBI. Their mistake was not that they reported as fact events that had not happened. Garance Franke-Ruta: Now that Newsweek's Mike Isikoff has been forced to eat large amounts of crow for reporting a source's allegation that a... |
Phillip Carter: Was Newsweek right all along? FBI documents released to the ACLU and reported on by the Los Angeles Times and Washington Post corroborate Newsweek's original 10-sentence report. Jack Balkin: Apparently Newsweek Should Have Just Cited The Washington Post JB who in turn got their information from FBI documents. |
Priscilla Owen Confirmed As Federal Judge By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - Texas Supreme Court Justice Priscilla Owen won Senate confirmation as a federal appeals judge Wednesday after a ferocious four-year battle, a personal triumph that also marked a victory for President Bush in his drive to install conservatives on the nation's highest courts. | |
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Jesse Taylor: Bunch of idiots give the finger to justice and even the idea of competence — Unsurprisingly, the Senate confirmed... C. D. Harris: Priscilla Richman Owen was finally confirmed today to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals seat for which she was nominated on 9 May 2001. Scott Elliott: The first dividend — Welcome to the Appeals Court, Justice Owen. Do us proud. |
Captain Ed: Priscilla Owen Confirmed — The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Priscilla Owen to the Fifth US District Court of Appeals after four years of Democratic obstructionism. Echidne: Too bad, as Owen surely is an extraordinarily wingnutty judge: [snipped quote] Owen is going to sit on the 5th U.S... |
Guantanamo Detainees Had Alleged Koran Desecration By / LAT — Permalink WASHINGTON — FBI interviews at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility in 2002 and 2003 reflected allegations by detainees that guards desecrated the Koran on numerous occasions, and that perceived abuses of the Muslim holy book triggered unrest and even a possible suicide attempt, newly released government documents revealed today. | |
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Charles Johnson: (Hat tip: Amy.) And so does the Los Angeles Times: Guantanamo Detainees Had Alleged Koran Desecration. (Hat tip: Roger L. Simon.) Roger L. Simon: Here we ago again... Now the Los Angeles Times is citing (big surprise) unnamed sources alleging that US servicemen "flushed a Koran in the toilet" at Guantanamo. |
Phillip Carter: [Update: the L.A. Times has the story too. ] These records include allegations of Koran desecration, including but not... |
Unintelligent Design By / Reason — Permalink Who needs to make monkeys out of the Kansas Board of Education when its members are doing such a good job of it themselves? Members of the Kansas board convened hearings this month to hear testimony from proponents of the theory of intelligent design that the theory of evolution is bunk. | |
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Roger L. Simon: William Jennings Bryan — He's bad and he's back. (ht: Charles Martin) Glenn Reynolds: RON BAILEY REPORTS on the Kansas Intelligent Design hearings: [snipped quote] Personally, I'm a Tiplerite. |
John Cole: Creationism Update — Reason (via Instapundit): [snipped quote] "Heh." |
Controversy colors teen book By / USA Today — Permalink A battle could be brewing in the book stacks over a new novel about teens and oral sex. The editor of Rainbow Party hopes the book about teens and oral sex will 'scare' young readers. | |
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Harkonnendog: For the USATODAY review, which I'll be talking about, click here. A couple things about the USATODAY review/article pissed me off. |
Michelle Malkin: USA Today's coverage of the book—aimed at 14-year-olds—is here. So, what's a rainbow party? |
For the Benefit of Others By / Slate — Permalink Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed legislation to expand federal funding of human embryonic stem-cell research. President Bush said he would veto the legislation because it "violates the clear standard I set four years ago. | |
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Eugene Volokh: The Innocent and the Guilty: Slate's Human Nature says, under the subhead "Bush's hypocrisy on stem cells and the death... Ramesh Ponnuru: STEM CELLS AND THE DEATH PENALTY — William Saletan notes that President Bush argues against embryo-destroying research... |
Matthew Yglesias: Take A Life, Save A Life — Will Saletan says it's inconsistent to say you shouldn't take life to save life in the... |
A food fight in the Big GOP Tent By / MSNBC — Permalink WASHINGTON - I'm wondering if we haven't just witnessed a turning point in politics. Years from now, when we look back on the "Gang of 14" deal, will we see it as the moment when the tide of conservative Republicanism crested? American public life moves in cycles. | |
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Cernig: Update 9.10am Central It looks like Harold Fineman has much the same thoughts on the split in the GOP, and sees the... Glenn Reynolds: HOWARD FINEMAN SUGGESTS — perhaps a bit hopefully — that the filibuster compromise represents a political turning... David Cohen: A food fight in the Big GOP Tent: The week conservative Republicanism lost some traction (Howard Fineman, MSNBC,... |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: OH, STOP IT — This editorial is not even worth reading. Tim Graham: Newsweek's Howard Fineman wonders: "I'm wondering if we haven't just witnessed a turning point in politics. |
After 4 Years, Senate Votes to Confirm Owen for Federal Bench By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, May 25 - Justice Priscilla R. Owen of the Texas Supreme Court was confirmed by the Senate today for a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit after four years of frustration. | |
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James Martin Capozzola: The New York Times reports Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R.I.) was the only Republican to vote against the nomination. David Cohen: PRISCILLA OWEN CONFIRMED 56-43 We congratulate Judge Owen, President Bush and all those whose hard work and dedication have made this possible. |
James Joyner: After 4 Years, Senate Votes to Confirm Owen for Federal Bench (NYT | RSS) [snipped quote] Finally. |
The Senate's Real Leader By / WaPo — Permalink The Monday night agreement to avert a showdown vote over judicial filibusters not only spared the Senate from a potentially ruinous clash, but also certified John McCain as the real leader of that body. | |
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Red @ScaredMonkeys: Who could not have guessed that the media would gush over Senator John Mc Cain as the real leader of the Senate? Avedon Carol: I see Atrios got to Broder before I did, and of course Broder is as usual doing his "common wisdom" trip that is really... Atrios: Broder Examines His Colon — The Dean goes in deep: [snipped quote] Um, no. No one gives a s**t. |
Nick Gillespie: First up is the David Broder's extended brain fart regarding John McCain (aka "the Senate's real leader"). Brendan Nyhan: Goo-goo watch: David Broder — More McCain fetish nonsense from David Broder, dean of the "can't we all get along" wing... Orrin Judd: THE ONE WHO GOT IT DONE: The Senate's Real Leader (David S. Broder, May 25, 2005, Washington Post) [snipped quote] The... |
| Also: K. J. Lopez | |
Press Briefing by Scott McClellan White House — Permalink The James S. Brady Press Briefing Room Iraq and Afghanistan/ U.S. there by invitation? MR. McCLELLAN: Good afternoon, everybody. I want to begin with one statement by the President. And then I have an announcement to update you on for the President's schedule. | |
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Judd @ThinkProgress: BREAKING: New Evidence of Koran Desecration and Administration Deception — From today's White House press breifing:... |
Magpie @PacificViews: Check out the following exchange from today's White House press briefing conducted by Scott McClellan |
Fox Freudian slip: Asman asked Lott why a compromise was needed when "we" had the votes for the nuclear option Media Matters for America — Permalink Responding to Sen. Trent Lott's (R-MS) suggestion that Senate Republicans had the necessary votes to invoke the so-called nuclear option and that such a step was necessary, Fox News anchor David Asman asked Lott why Republican senators had compromised on the issue. | |
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Josh Marshall: MediaMatters catches Fox News David Asman in this exchange with our man Trent Lott ... [snipped quote] We, indeed ... |
Atrios: I Wish I Could Say "Only on Fox" — But, at least, it's only on Fox that they don't even bother to pretend to pretend... |
For GOP, Deeper Fissures and a Looming Power Struggle By / WaPo — Permalink The fallout from the Senate compromise that averted a showdown over judicial filibusters fell most heavily on the Republican Party yesterday, signaling intraparty warfare that is likely to shape the battle for the party's 2008 presidential nomination and further strain the unity the GOP has enjoyed under President Bush. | |
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Faiz @ThinkProgress: If senators who are inclined to demonstrate their independence for justified and conscientious reasons are treated as... Bill @INDCJournal: Related: For GOP, Deeper Fissures and a Looming Power Struggle |
Jo Fish: Oxymoron — Heart of the republican party. Jumbo Shrimp. Military Intelligence...you get the idea. Taegan Goddard: As a result, the Washington Post notes that "by leaving open the option for Democrats in the Gang of 14 to filibuster... |
Democrat Says Bolton May Have Mishandled Classified Data By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, May 25 - The top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee said today that John R. Bolton might have mishandled classified information by sharing with another State Department official details about a communication intercepted by the National Security Agency. | |
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Laura Rozen: See this for more, and stay tuned. Bolton's nomination is now being debated on the Senate floor. |
Praktike: He begins by reading his letter. And Rockefeller has come out somewhat agressively after all. Good work, Steve! |
Letters Salon — Permalink [Read "Friend Fatale," by Rebecca Traister.] I could not agree more with Rebecca Traister in "Friend Fatale." I "lost" a female friend of mine several years ago and was completely devastated. I had been with her through grad school, the death of her mother, a bad marriage, a good divorce. | |
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Amanda Marcotte: What about MEN?! I wrote about Rebecca Traister's article on female friendships in Salon when it came out over the weekend. |
Tim Cavanaugh: Last week a Salon letter-writer dropped a factoid that set me back on that analogy: Using the World War II schedule, if... |
Senate Confirms Owen Fox News — Permalink WASHINGTON — The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Priscilla Owen (search) as a federal judge, ending a four-year effort by Democrats to derail one of President Bush's prime judicial nominees. The vote was 56-43 in favor of sending Owen to the federal bench. | |
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Joe Gandelman: UPDATE: But, even as the confirmation seemingly showed the moderates' compromise as putting the Senate back in... Dale Franks: Owen Confirmed — Dangerous right-wing extremist Priscilla Owen has been confirmed by a vote of 56-43 in the Senate, after a brief confirmation period that lasted only four years. |
Paul @PowerLine: At long last — After four years of mostly needless delay, the Senate has confirmed Priscilla Owen by a vote of 56-43. |
AC Milan 3-3 Liverpool (aet) BBC — Permalink Liverpool beat AC Milan 3-2 in a penalty shoot-out to win the Champions League after sensationally coming from three goals down at half-time. Paolo Maldini gave Milan a first-minute lead and Hernan Crespo's double gave Milan a seemingly unassailable lead. | |
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Jan Haugland: This year's Champions League final in Istanbul will go down in the history books of football as the greatest comeback ever. |
Chris @CrookedTimber: Unbelievableâ One of the best comebacks ever, dead and buried at half-time, Champions of Europe…. |
Listen to My Wife By / NYT — Permalink "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world," wrote George Bernard Shaw. "The unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man." Note: Maureen Dowd is on book leave. | |
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Gary Farber: Matt Miller pleads from the Op-Ed page of the NY Times (which, incidentally, doesn't make it an editorial! It isn't! LeanLeft: He has a column that he apparently thinks is groundbreaking on . . . the fact that corporations pressure people to sacrifice their personal lives and goals. |
Matthew Yglesias: Matt Miller drops his facade of moderation and comes out as a pretty hardcore feminist, arguing (rightly!) that the... |
French fries protester regrets war jibe Guardian — Permalink It was a culinary rebuke that echoed around the world, heightening the sense of tension between Washington and Paris in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq. But now the US politician who led the campaign to change the name of french fries to "freedom fries" has turned against the war. | |
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Avedon Carol: French fries protester regrets war jibe: Walter Jones, the Republican congressman for North Carolina who was also the... |
Kehaar: Can we call them french fries again? Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Freedom fries protester regrets war jibe. |
Bloggers Take Center Stage By / WSJ — Permalink This notebook contains highlights from The Wall Street Journal's D: All Things Digital conference, which was held Sunday through Tuesday. Paul Otellini, the new CEO of Intel Corp., showed off a number of whizzy demonstration products and discussed a... | |
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Kevin Aylward: Bill Gates Stars In Napoleon Dynamite Parody napoleondynamite_gates.jp g Poor Photoshopped approximation Jason Fry at The... |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: But even if I did have ambivalence regarding my desire to get a PowerBook, Intel's CEO, Paul Otellini, smashes said... |
Al-Zarqawi has Fled Iraq - Report PA — Permalink An Islamic website statement claimed today that Abu-Musab al-Zarqawi, al Qaida in Iraq chief, has fled to an unidentified "neighbouring country" with two Arab doctors treating him for gunshot wounds to his lung. There was no way to verify the authenticity of the claim. | |
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Red @ScaredMonkeys: Also from the Scotsman, [quote] Today's statement said al-Zarqawi "was secretly smuggled to a neighbouring country a few days ago in a complicated and organised operation."[end quote] Roger L. Simon: UPDATE: Now there are rumors that the wounded Zarqawi has "fled" Iraq. AND NOW: Some of his aides have apparently been arrested. |
Joe Gandelman: But here are the latest details, via The Scotsman: "An Islamic website statement claimed today that Abu-Musab... |
Statement on Maciel not issued by agency responsible for sex abuse cases By / National Catholic Reporter — Permalink In a potentially significant twist to the case involving the founder of the Legionaries of Christ, NCR has learned that the office that recently released a statement saying there is no case against Fr. Marcial Maciel regarding sex abuse accusations is not the office with responsibility for making that judgment. | |
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James Martin Capozzola: NCR Rome correspondent John L. Allen, Jr. reports ("New Legionaries Intrigue"): "In a potentially significant twist to... |
Andrew Sullivan: MACIEL UPDATE: This gets weirder and weirder. |
Was Canada Just Too Good to Be True? By / NYT — Permalink TORONTO, May 24 - The news from Canada has been very un-Canadian of late. Or has it? A government program sponsoring sporting and cultural events in Quebec has been tainted by allegations of millions of dollars in kickbacks and money laundering. | |
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Oldman @BOPNews: It's entitled "Was Canada Just Too Good to Be True?" . |
Orrin Judd: WASTED SPACE: Was Canada Just Too Good to Be True? (CLIFFORD KRAUSS, 5/25/05, NY Times) [snipped quote] Like John Merrick needed more tumors. |
Egyptians Vote on Reforms Amid Unrest By / AP — Permalink CAIRO, Egypt — Plainclothes government agents beat protesters Wednesday, then watched as President Hosni Mubarak's supporters punched other demonstrators in scattered violence that marred a referendum the 24-year ruler has called a crucial step toward democracy. | |
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Gene @HarrysPlace: The Associated Press reports: Police and plainclothes security men beat and arrested demonstrators calling for a boycott... |
Praktike: Damn. You're a hero, Alaa. ... this AP story confirms Alaa's tale of woe. |
Student in yearbook identified only as 'Black Girl' AP — Permalink WAXAHACHIE, Texas - A Texas school district has apologized to a student identified only as "Black Girl" in a high school yearbook photo. All the White students are identified by name in a photograph of the Waxahachie High School National Honor Society. | |
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Edward _: BFF — Via Sullivan Accepting their explanation at face value, it's still difficult to conclude the accidental labeling... |
Andrew Sullivan: And we have been hobbling ourselves with misguided decisions. "BLACK GIRL": Or whoever. (Hat tip: Boozhy.) |
A Matter Of Public Record By / WaPo — Permalink Betty (but call her BJ) Ostergren, a feisty 56-year-old from just north of Richmond, is driven to make important people angry. She puts their Social Security numbers on her Web site, or links to where they can be found. | |
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Avedon Carol: I like this story about how an "activist aims to scare officials into protecting personal data." Cori Dauber: But is it really necessary to get attention by posting the personal information of prominent political leaders? |
James Joyner: A Matter Of Public Record (WaPo, E1) [snipped quote] I applaud Ostergren's enthusiasm on this issue—my girlfriend's... Vox Day: If they're not doing anything wrong.... What's good for the goose is even better for the gander: [snipped quote] I'm all for this. |
C.E.O.'s, M.I.A. By / NYT — Permalink After six weeks of being a foreign correspondent traveling around America, the biggest question I have come home with is not "What's the matter with Kansas?" but rather, "What's the matter with big business?" Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times | |
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Tbogg: I've got a metaphor and dammit I'm gonna use it no matter how much you guys giggle Tom Friedman meets Product... Orrin Judd: I'M LEADING; WHY'S NO ONE FOLLOWING? : C.E.O.'s, M.I.A. |
Ed Cone: Multiple deficits — Friedman: "As a nation, we have a mounting education deficit, energy deficit, budget deficit, health care deficit and ambition deficit. |
NYT Co. to Axe 190 Jobs, Including Journos, at 'Times' and 'Globe' Editor and Publisher — Permalink CHICAGO The New York Times Co. will shed 190 employees, mostly at its flagship newspaper, the company announced Wednesday. In a statement, the company said the reductions will include "fewer than two dozen" employees in The New York Times newsroom. | |
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Tom @ScaredMonkeys: First announcing their web site will go from free to a pay site, now the announced staff reduction of 190 people has me wondering if the New York Times is in trouble. |
Roger L. Simon: It Depends on What Your Definition of "Voluntary" Is — According to Editor & Publisher: The New York Times Co. will... |
Media's lack of diversity is the enemy NY Daily News — Permalink It's official. Conservatives no longer have a monopoly on complaints about a liberal media bias. In the wake of Newsweek's bungled report that U.S. military interrogators "flushed a Koran down a toilet," here is Terry Moran, ABC's White House reporter, in an... | |
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Kos @DailyKos: Media bias against military? What a crock of s**t from John Leo. "It's official. |
James Wolcott: John Leo, and what a busted accordion he's become, pounces on this comment and carries it downfield into the end zone... |
Under Western Eyes By / Slate — Permalink Several weeks ago, during a debate in Lebanon's parliament, a Maronite Christian parliamentarian from the heartland launched a tirade against Syria. The speaker of parliament, a favored minion of Damascus, demanded that the offending words be stricken from the record. | |
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Glenn Reynolds: MICHAEL YOUNG: [snipped quote] Of course, the latter was made possible by the former. |
Ed Cone: Lebanon — Michael Young in Slate: [snipped quote] Encouraging, although he rushes by the problem of disarming Hezbollah. |
Car Bomb Explodes in Madrid; 18 Injured By / AP — Permalink MADRID, Spain (AP) — A powerful car bomb exploded in Madrid Wednesday after a warning call from the armed Basque separatist group ETA, police said, in the latest of a string of attacks since Spain's prime minister offered talks with the group if it renounces violence. | |
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Cori Dauber: But if I hadn't just now checked Yahoo's top stories, I would not have known that a car bomb had gone off in Madrid. Digger: Yahoo/AP [snipped quote] Originally posted at Diggers Realm Other Commentary: Speed of Thought |
Scott Sala: Well, today a car bomb exploded in Madrid, detonated by Basque, injuring 18 people. Zapatero was trying to be nice. |
Democrat Drops Hold on Bolton Nomination AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - John R. Bolton's prospects for winning Senate approval to become U.N. ambassador have brightened as a key Democrat abandoned her plan to try blocking debate on the confirmation. Republicans said they were confident they would prevail in a chamber they control 55-44, with a Democratic-leaning independent. | |
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Captain Ed: Next up for the Senate will be John Bolton, who got moved ahead of Janice Rogers Brown on the calendar. That's a mistake. |
Pessimist @LeftCoaster: It's almost too difficult to keep up with the furious flurry as agreements are being forged mostly out of the sight of... |
House Approves a Stem Cell Research Bill Opposed by Bush By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, May 24 - The House passed a bill on Tuesday to expand federal financing for embryonic stem cell research, defying a veto threat from President Bush, who appeared at the White House with babies and toddlers born of test-tube embryos and warned the measure "would take us across a critical ethical line." | |
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Barbara O'Brien: Reasonable and compassionate legislation on stem cell research from that Hanna-Barbera production known as the "U.S. House of Representatives" is a welcome surprise. Jo Fish: Preznit Equine Stroker yesterday: [snipped quote] Unlike of course, the "critical ethical line" that was crossed resulting in over 1600 American and an estimated 100,000 Iraqi dead. K. J. Lopez: FOR THE RECORD — Arlen Specter will be facing the president down on expanded stem-cell funding in the Senate. |
Cernig: Already, 50 Republican members of the House have voted for a bill to expand federal financing for embryonic stem cell research, defying a veto threat from President Bush. Chris Mooney: Who Was the One? New York Times: [snipped quote] Which lone rebel stood against the tide on this issue, I wonder. David Allan Pell: Despite threats of a presidential veto, the House approved a stem cell research bill on Tuesday. Does moderation have the momentum? |
Disarmament in the Senate NYT — Permalink If nothing else, the deal to end the Senate's "nuclear option" showdown was heartening in that it did demonstrate that moderates still exist in Washington, and actually have the capacity to work together to get things done. | |
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Arianna Huffington: Check out the lead line of today's lead NYT editorial:If nothing else, the deal to end the Senate's "nuclear option"... Captain Ed: The Gray Lady apparently took a day to mull it over, and came up with an unenthusiastic endorsement whose main... |
Ace: It ends oddly: "While the idea of letting the majority rule is at the heart of much in American democracy, it has little... |
NASA: Voyager I enters solar system's final frontier CNN — Permalink (CNN) — The Voyager I spacecraft has moved into the solar system's final frontier, a vast area where the sun's influence gives way to interstellar space, NASA's Web site reports. | |
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Brian Keegan: NASA: Voyager I enters solar system's final frontier If you don't get my title, check out here. Scroll down to Chuck Berry in Outer Space. |
Jonah Goldberg: ONE SMALL STEP... closer to that bald chick with the funny voice. Note: I am trying to see how many references I can sail over K-Lo's head. |
Lord Have Mercy; What About Lord Vader? By / TCS — Permalink 1983: after defeating Darth Vader in mortal combat, Luke Skywalker walks away from his cringing foe, casting his lightsaber away to confront the Emperor with his newly-found self-righteousness, all while ignoring the screams of a small boy in the theater: "Luke, you moron, pick up your lightsaber and stab the Emperor in the face!" | |
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Orrin Judd: WELL, HE DOES REEDEM HIMSELF: Lord Have Mercy; What About Lord Vader? (Douglas Kern, 05/24/2005, Tech Central Station) "Mercy is not a good unto itself. |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: NERD LIKE ME — Douglas Kern is a movie fan after my own heart. |
Mötley Crüe Files Suit Against NBC for Banning It Because of an Expletive NYT — Permalink In the latest twist in the broadening battle overdecency standards, the glam-metal band Mötley Crüe filed suit against NBC yesterday. The suit states that the network violated the group's free-speech rights and weakened its sales by banning it after... | |
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Jacob Sullum: Shout at the Network — Mötley Crüe is suing NBC for banning the band from its shows after lead singer Vince... |
Jeff Jarvis: Mötley suit : Motley is suing NBC for banning them after Vince Neal used the F word: [snipped quote] Well, too bad that the suit's absurd. |
Romney hints of a shift on abortion By / Boston Globe — Permalink Governor Mitt Romney said this week in a nationally published interview that he is ''in a different place" on abortion than at the time of his first run for public office in Massachusetts, when he pledged to keep abortion ''safe and legal in this country." | |
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Brian Keegan: Romney Says No to 2006 MA Gov Re-Election Bid — Well, no, not really, not just yet, but he might just as well have: [snipped quote] Yeah, he's in a different place all right. K. J. Lopez: ''IN A DIFFERENT PLACE" Mitt Romney sorta kinda addresses his abortion problem. |
Michelle Malkin: Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney is shifting his position on abortion, just as George H.W. Bush did prior to the 1980... |
Senate Truce Faces Test of Bush's Next Nominations LAT — Permalink WASHINGTON — The fate of Monday's agreement defusing the Capitol Hill confrontation over judicial nominations may now rest as much in the hands of President Bush as in those of the senators who crafted it. | |
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Kevin Drum: But speaking of that, Ronald Brownstein and Janet Hook make an awfully good point today: George Bush is now the man to watch. Taegan Goddard: A Los Angeles Times piece concurs, saying the deal "will face its greatest strain should a vacancy open on the Supreme Court." Orrin Judd: THEY GAVE HIM A SWORD: Senate Truce Faces Test of Bush's Next Nominations: A polarizing choice, especially for Supreme Court, could unravel the deal, both sides say. |
Red @ScaredMonkeys: Every body knows it will come to a head upon President Bush's Supreme Court nomination. Jeralyn Merritt: Republicans Think They Can Now Compromise Social Security — One day after the awful compromise on filibusters,... |
Here 'Today' gone tomorrow for NBC exec? NY Daily News — Permalink Is the decline of the "Today" show about to claim another scalp? The television-news rumor mill is in overdrive with the buzz that NBC News President Neal Shapiro will soon meet the same fate. | |
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Brian Stelter: > This morning Lloyd Grove said Jeff Zucker "has been actively seeking a replacement" for Shapiro. |
Jim Romenesko: Report: NBC is looking to replace news division boss Shapiro — New York Daily News Lloyd Grove hears that NBC-Universal... |
Are Germany and the US Heading for a Thaw? By / DER SPIEGEL — Permalink It's no secret that German Chancellor Schroeder and US President Bush don't get along. Schroeder, after all, has been a constant 'nein' to Bush's 'yup.' But with a new government under opposition leader Angela Merkel a serious possibility, are things about to change? | |
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Pejman Yousefzadeh: HERE'S ROOTING FOR ANGELA MERKEL . . . To replace Gerhard Schröder as Chancellor of Germany. |
Stanley Kurtz: What would that mean for America. Here's a good analysis. (Via Arts & Letters Daily) |
First Pipeline From Caspian Sea Opened AP — Permalink SANGACHAL, Azerbaijan (AP) — With speeches and a letter from President Bush, officials Wednesday opened the first section of a 1,100-mile pipeline that will carry Caspian Sea oil to Western markets, a project seen as an economic and political boon for the troubled Caucasus region. | |
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Praktike: The second major event is the opening of the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline, which has so far gone off without a hitch. |
Roger L. Simon: Here's a detailed report on the opening of the first pipeline from the Caspian Sea by the AP's Aida Sultanova (hand's... |
Prof's new 'super'-rant NY Daily News — Permalink A CUNY professor who called religious believers "moral retards" has gone on another Internet rant - calling himself a defiant "superman" and comparing religion to oppressive regimes. | |
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Tom @ScaredMonkeys: NY Daily News He also called himself and others who share his beliefs "bermenschen," a reference to German philosopher... |
Michelle Malkin: BROOKLYN COLLEGE'S BERMENSCHEN — Looks like Brooklyn College professor Timothy Shortell is off his meds again: [snipped quote] Related: Who's he calling a "moral retard?" |
Jennings returns, but off camera By / NY Daily News — Permalink Peter Jennings was back in the office Monday, but has yet to reappear on air since revealing he was battling lung cancer. According to a source, Jennings, who made the stunning health announcement on April 5, hadn't been in the office for a while as he underwent chemotherapy. | |
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Brian Stelter: "Peter Jennings was back in the office Monday, but has yet to reappear on air since revealing he was battling lung cancer," NYDN's Richard Huff notes. |
Jim Romenesko: Jennings returns to ABC News, but stays off camera — New York Daily News Richard Huff reports there's been no word on... |
No apologies for sexy Paris Hilton ad CNN — Permalink NEW YORK (CNN) - Hamburger chain Carl's Jr. is making no apologies for its new Spicy Burger television commercial, which features Hilton hotel heiress and reality TV star Paris Hilton in a skin-tight swimsuit soaping up a Bentley and crawling all over it before taking a big bite out of the burger. | |
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Tom @ScaredMonkeys: The PTC is up in arms, well they are up in arms all the time. Spoons: Parents Television Council Threatens to Throw Restaurant into Briar Patch — The PTC is making a huge stink about a sexy... |
Tbogg: But I was pleased to see Carl's tell the Parents Television Council to blow it out their ass just as soon as they remove... John Cole: Paris Ad — I, too, am outraged by the Paris Hilton ad. |
House Defies Bush on Stem Cells WaPo — Permalink Defying President Bush's threat to impose his first veto, a broad swath of House Republicans voted with an overwhelming number of Democrats yesterday to repeal his restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research and plunge the government deeper into the controversial science that supporters say could lead to cures for debilitating diseases. | |
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Walter Shapiro: By threatening the first veto of his presidency (that's correct, no president in history has been nearly so docile in... Barbara O'Brien: Mike Allen and Ceci Connolly write in the Washington Post: "The 238 to 194 vote, unusual because 50 Republicans broke... Steve Dillard: It's just an embryo, right? : ("President Bush, holding Trey Jones as mother Tracy watches, underscored his opposition... |
Avedon Carol: And surely I must be dreaming when I see a story in the WaPo saying that Republicans "broke" with the White House on anything, even if it is stem cell research. Bill @INDCJournal: Everyone has their political tipping point, and Bush's promised veto of the new stem-cell bill approaches mine. Gary Farber: I CAN'T RECALL the last time the House of Representatives passed something I applauded, by this point. |
FBI asks Congress for power to seize documents By / Reuters — Permalink WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The FBI on Tuesday asked the U.S. Congress for sweeping new powers to seize business or private records, ranging from medical information to book purchases, to investigate terrorism without first securing approval from a judge. | |
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Gary Farber: We must fight terrorism! Eliminate people's freedom in order to save it! Jeralyn Merritt: Patriot Act Expansion Vote Coming — The Senate Intelligence Committee held a hearing Tuesday on expanding the Patriot Act. |
Lindsay Beyerstein: Patriot Act expansion vote coming — Via TalkLeft: "The Senate Intelligence Committee held a hearing Tuesday on expanding the Patriot Act. |
Senate Intelligence Committee Examines Controversial Patriot Act Expansion Bill; Closed Door Vote to Be Held This Week ACLU — Permalink WASHINGTON - The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence met today to consider legislation that would reauthorize - and expand - the Patriot Act. The American Civil Liberties Union denounced attempts to expand, rather than critically review and reform, the controversial provisions set to expire at the end of the year. | |
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Laura Rozen: Steve Clemons has a post you must read on the still outstanding unresolved matter of how Bolton was using requests for... Jeralyn Merritt: The ACLU outlines the provisions of the bill under consideration: [quote] The bill would grant so-called "administrative...[end quote] |
Lindsay Beyerstein: The vote will be Thursday, during a secret hearing. The ACLU outlines the provisions of the bill under consideration." |
Justice Choice Could Rekindle Filibuster Fight in the Senate NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, May 24 - For all the euphoria Monday night that the political center had held, the Senate compromise in the judicial filibuster fight did not noticeably de-escalate the ultimate battle now looming: that over a potential vacancy on the Supreme Court. | |
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Taegan Goddard: The New York Times reports "a new debate erupted almost immediately over the meaning of the agreement reached by seven Democrats and seven Republicans." James Joyner: Justice Choice Could Rekindle Filibuster Fight in the Senate — After a day of taking the accord at face value, the... |
Dr. Steven Taylor: Gee, Ya Think? (and Other Musings on the Compromise) Via the NYT: Justice Choice Could Rekindle Filibuster Fight in the Senate. Orrin Judd: THE HOUR OF THE MODERATES LASTED JUST THAT LONG: Justice Choice Could Rekindle Filibuster Fight in the Senate (ROBIN... |
Al-Qaida leader Zarqawi may be hurt WaPo — Permalink BAGHDAD, Iraq — Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the insurgent leader blamed for many of the suicide bombings in Iraq, has been wounded, one of the leaders of his organization said yesterday in a posting on a Web site. | |
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Juan Cole: The news that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi may have been wounded, reported at a jihadi web site, dominated US television news on Tuesday. |
Jim Henley: Possibly accurate reports from Islamist websites say that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is wounded, and urge us to pray. |
Syria's Voices of Change By / WaPo — Permalink DAMASCUS, Syria — Ayman Abdel Nour's contest with censorship began with a term not uncommon in Syria: "forbidden." Last spring, the word appeared on the screen of his Compaq computer, barring him entry to his Web site, all4syria.org. | |
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Cori Dauber: Progress in Syria — On the one hand, reports the Post's leading Arabic speaking reporter, there is new space opening up... Pejman Yousefzadeh: KEEP YOUR EYES . . . On the subject of this article: [snipped quote] Whoever thought I would approve of a troll? |
Gary Farber: A quite interesting look at Syrian internet debate and political agitation, with a particular focus on Abdel Nour, who is actually a Baathist. Smash: The Syrian Blogger — AYMAN ABDEL NOUR is a Syrian, a Baathist reformer, and a blogger. |
Syria halts cooperation with U.S. CNN — Permalink WASHINGTON (CNN) — The Syrian government has halted all cooperation with the United States in sharing information about the war on terror, Syria's ambassador said Tuesday. | |
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Tom @ScaredMonkeys: Syria halts cooperation with U.S. [snipped quote] Of course CNN is the news organization that covered up the atrocities committed by Saddam Hussien to maintain residency in Iraq. Norm Geras: Clear non-cooperation — According to this report, Syria is no longer cooperating with the US 'in sharing information about the war on terror'. Marc @USSNeverdock: Is it a coincidence that the Syrian government "has halted all cooperation with the United States in sharing information about the war on terror"? |
Blackfive: Syria Halts Cooperation with U.S. Praktike: Syria's cry for help — I'm still a little confused by what Syria is doing internally, but I think it's clear from what... Cookie Jill: syria to awol...."find your own damn information" syria halts cooperation with u.s. hey...here's an idea...let's send john bolton to smooth things over. |
| Also: Smash, Jeralyn Merritt | |
Peace in Iraq 'will take at least five years to impose' Guardian — Permalink It could take at least five years before Iraqi forces are strong enough to impose law and order on the country, the International Institute of Strategic Studies warned yesterday. | |
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Kevin Drum: From the Guardian: "It could take at least five years before Iraqi forces are strong enough to impose law and order on... Jeralyn Merritt: Here's more on the new detainee roundup. This doesn't sound promising for an exit strategy |
Cernig: I was planning a long post which would tie the recent hard-realist article by right-of-center historian Niall Ferguson... |
14 U.S. Soldiers Killed in 3 Days in Iraq By / AP — Permalink BAGHDAD, Iraq May 24, 2005 — A car bomb exploded next to a U.S. Army convoy in Baghdad on Tuesday, killing three soldiers, while another American died in a drive-by shooting a half-hour later. | |
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Juan Cole: 14 US Troops Dead in 3 Days — Civil War in Telafar The Associated Press reports that a car bomb in Baghdad killed 3 US troops, and a drive-by shooting killed a fourth on Tuesday. Jeralyn Merritt: 14 U.S. Soldiers Killed in Past 3 Days — The number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq is on the rise again - 14 in the past three days, 18 in the last week, 58 in the last month. |
Arianna Huffington: "58 Americans and over 500 Iraqis have been killed since April 28, when the new Iraqi government was installed. |
Product Designers with a Clue By / TCS — Permalink I've written in the past about two problems: bad product design, and the tendency of companies to change user interfaces for no particular reason, leading to a phenomenon that I call "version fatigue" which sets in when you just can't bring yourself to learn... | |
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Ed Driscoll: Synthesizer Synchronicity — It must synthesizer day in the Blogosphere—this afternoon, I uploaded my review of two... |
Glenn Reynolds: PRODUCT DESIGN MEETS VERSION FATIGUE: My TechCentralStation column for tomorrow addresses this subject — but for you,... |
G.O.P. Senator Issues Letter Urging Vote Against Bolton By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, May 24 - The Ohio Republican whose opposition to John R. Bolton nearly stalled his nomination in committee circulated a letter on Tuesday urging colleagues to vote against Mr. Bolton when his name reaches the Senate floor, possibly this week. | |
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Captain Ed: No Filibuster On Bolton — In a report on the continuing opposition of George Voinovich to John Bolton for his... The Farmer: More at NYTimes (login not required) |
Jo Fish: Ohio Senator George Voinovich has taken a stand for principle over party and is urging other republicans to reconsider... |
Senate Clears Way for Vote on Judicial Nominee By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, May 24 - The Senate voted today to close its debate over one of President Bush's appeals court nominees, clearing the way for a vote on her confirmation as early as Wednesday. A vote on the first of the nominees, Judge Priscilla R. Owen, is expected in the next two days. | |
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Patterico: The filibuster deal is a disaster for Republicans. Kavanaugh will be thrown under the bus. Kavanaugh will be confirmed. |
Jeff Jarvis: The end of the filibuster standoff is a start. We know it worked because it pissed off people on both sides. |
Newspaper union leader: U.S. military targets journalists By / Chicago Sun Times — Permalink A public statement by Newspaper Guild President Linda Foley is reviving questions about the intentional targeting of journalists in Iraq by the U.S. armed forces. At a May 13 meeting in St. Louis, Foley said: "Journalists, by the way, are not just being targeted verbally or politically. | |
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Marc @USSNeverdock: Namely, Newspaper Guild President Linda Foley's, unsubstantiated charges that the US military targets journalists. Rick Brookhiser: EASON JORDAN, ROUND II — Newspaper union leader: U.S. military targets journalists |
Glenn Reynolds: EASONGATE II CONTINUES, with this observation: [snipped quote] Ouch. |
Death by 'Due Process' By / Opinion Journal — Permalink The battles in Congress over the appointment of even lower court federal judges reveal a recognition that federal judges are now, to a large extent, our real lawmakers. | |
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Thomas Krannawitter: Putting the Constitution back in Constitutional Law — Lino Gralia writes in today's Wall Street Journal that... |
Michael DeBow: All you ever needed to know about modern constitutional law in a short op-ed, courtesy of Professor Graglia. |
An Unwelcome Compromise By / WaPo — Permalink Yesterday's last-minute bipartisan compromise averting a historic clash on judicial nominations was just that: A compromise. But this White House isn't keen on compromises. It hasn't had to compromise much so far. And it doesn't want to compromise now. | |
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Attaturk: Cuckoo Bananas & the Chocolate Factory — Holden already came up with the better headline, but I'll endeavor anyway on this story about Commander Codpiece's Insanity Tour 2005. |
Barbara O'Brien: Dan Froomkin writes, "Yesterday's last-minute bipartisan compromise averting a historic clash on judicial nominations was just that: A compromise. |
Congressman Slams Maher Over Army Remark By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON (AP) - A congressman says comedian Bill Maher's comment that the U.S. military has already recruited all the ''low-lying fruit'' is possibly treasonous and at least grounds to cancel the show. | |
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Brendan Nyhan: Spencer Bachus, Bill O'Reilly and the anti-dissent brigade — In the long tradition of conservative attacks on dissent... Bill Maher: Bill Maher: Fruit — First, I had never heard of Congressman Bachus before this. Now lots of people have heard of him. Ramesh Ponnuru: TREASONOUS? No: just dumb, classless, and typical. (Via Huffington Post) |
Julian Sanchez: Via Morons.org, I learn that Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-Alab.) had this to say about some Bill Maher joke poking fun at the military: "I think it borders on treason. Seth Greenland: Rep. Spencer Bachus (R. Ala.) has accused him of treason for pointing out in a colorful way (I loved the low-lying... Acidman: But I wouldn't call him a traitor. He's just a loud-mouthed jerk. I refuse to watch his television show anymore. |
| Also: ArchPundit, Richard Bradley, Gary Farber, Captain Ed, Glenn Reynolds | |
What A Social Security Deal Could Look Like Business Week — Permalink For months, the Social Security debate has been stuck in an endless round of recriminations between President George W. Bush and Capitol Hill Democrats. But with House and Senate committees ready to start drafting a Social Security overhaul in June, partisan whining is likely to wind down. | |
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Chris Bowers: Here is why I am worried (emphasis mine): "Any compromise would fall far short of Bush's goal of fundamentally overhauling Social Security. Matthew Yglesias: Count me as very skeptical of Howard Gleckman's reporting in Business Week to the effect that there's an emerging deal on Social Security in the works. Taegan Goddard: Business Week reports "a framework for an agreement is — surprisingly — beginning to take shape... insiders see a quiet consensus developing around Reform Lite." |
Michelle Malkin: BusinessWeek says Congress and the White House are inching toward a compromise on Social Security. Josh Marshall: In Business Week , Howard Gleckman reports that behind the scenes Republicans and Democrats are moving toward a compromise on Social Security. Kos @DailyKos: But if those seven Democratic Senators turn around and make a deal on social security, expect all hell to break loose. |
| Also: Stanley Kurtz, PGL, Orrin Judd | |
Two hurt in mock light sabre duel BBC — Permalink Two Star Wars fans are in a critical condition in hospital after apparently trying to make light sabres by filling fluorescent light tubes with petrol. A man, aged 20, and a girl of 17 are believed to have been filming a mock duel when they poured fuel into two glass tubes and lit it. | |
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Red @ScaredMonkeys: In what can only be described as a thinning of the herd, two Star Wars fans are in a critical condition in hospital... TheAnchoress: Try to wrap your mind around this one: Two Star Wars fans are in a critical condition in hospital after apparently... Sandy Frank: In another, two geniuses made imitation Star Wars light sabers by filling glass tubes with gasoline and lighting them. |
Ace: Wouldn't that be an awful lot of fun? Well, actually, no. Not so much. Thanks to Fat Kid, Ogre Gunner, and Raymond. Smash: Stupid Geek Tricks — THE FORCE was not with these two morons: "Two Star Wars fans are in a critical condition in... Joe Gandelman: Star War Fans' Mock Duel Turns Deadly — We know that Star Wars is a great movie, etc. and etc. and some people say... |
| Also: Dale Franks, Gary Farber, Jonah Goldberg, Rex Hammock, Pejman Yousefzadeh | |
McClellan Backs Away from Claims that 'Newsweek' Story Cost Afghan Lives Editor and Publisher — Permalink NEW YORK At a White House press briefing Tuesday, Press Secretary Scott McClellan, pressed by reporters and with Afghan President Karzai in disagreement, retreated on claims that Newsweek's retracted story on Koran abuse cost lives in Afghanistan. | |
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Tom Maguire: Editor & Publisher thinks they have caught WH Spokesperson Scott McClellan backpedaling on the question of whether... Steve Soto: And not only was Scott McClellan full of sh*t about his calls for Newsweek to educate the Islamic world about how caring... Faiz @ThinkProgress: McClellan's Double-Talk on Newsweek Catches Up To Him — Editor and Publisher catches Scott McClellan in his web of... |
Harry Shearer: McLellan now comes close to denying that he ever said any such thing. Brendan Nyhan: McClellan disinformation watch — Via Atrios, here's Editor & Publisher on the latest nonsense from the White House... Atrios: Our Dear Scottie E&P: NEW YORK At a White House press briefing Monday, Press Secretary Scott McClellan, pressed by... |
Iraq Qaeda says Zarqawi wounded, urges prayers-Web Reuters — Permalink DUBAI (Reuters) - Al Qaeda's group in Iraq said on Tuesday its leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi had been wounded and urged Muslims to pray for him, according to a Web posting. | |
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RCox: Eager to Dismiss Citizen Journalists, Media Gleefully Jumps on "News" from al-Qaeda Blog — From Reuters to AFP, from... Marc @USSNeverdock: There are reports all over the internet by al Qaeda that their leader in Iraq is wounded. Why would they do that? FrancoAlemán: I'D LIKE THIS to be true, of course, but I'm not going to believe it just because the savages themselves are saying it: [snipped quote] What can I say: Heh. |
Roger L. Simon: Meanwhile, Al-Qaeda says Zarqawi himself is wounded. (ht: Soccer Dad) UPDATE: Now here's a terrific source from Iraq... Ace: Pray For al-Zarqawi — Wounded, an Al Qaeda website says. Michelle Malkin: ZARQAWI RUMORS FLOATING — Lots of readers e-mailing about new reports that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is wounded and possibly dying. |
| Also: Glenn Reynolds | |
'NIGHTLINE' KOPPEL TO READ NAMES OF SERVICEMEN KILLED OVER LAST YEAR Drudge Report — Permalink One year since honoring the American service men and women killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, Ted Koppel and ABC News "Nightline" will again pay tribute to the fallen by devoting an extended broadcast to reading the names and showing the photographs of more than 900 service members who have been killed in those countries over the last year. | |
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Tim Dunlop: If we don't think about them, they're not really dead — Dr Feelgood has a brilliant suggestion. Atrios: Treason Part Deux — Well, we can expect to be treated to another round of "acknowledging and honoring our fallen... |
Arthur Chrenkoff: From Drudge: [snipped quote] Make no mistake, tributes and remembrance of the ultimate sacrifice paid by the troops to... Praktike: Parody defied — Chrenkoff wants Nightline to showcase all of the American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan who haven't been killed. |
The caveat emperor By / Boston Globe — Permalink AT THIS POINT it comes as no surprise. John Kerry is releasing all his military records — but then again, he isn't. During an interview yesterday with Globe editorial writers and columnists, the former Democratic presidential nominee was asked if had signed Form SF 180, authorizing the Department of Defense to grant access to all his military records. | |
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Tom @ScaredMonkeys: Good Luck. "From Today's Boston Globe AT THIS POINT it comes as no surprise. John Kerry is releasing all his military records — but then again, he isn't. Captain Ed: Joan Vennochi reports in her Boston Globe column today that John Kerry has signed the SF-180 form that will release his entire military record. Tom Maguire: Kerry's Form 180 - Signed, Sealed, Not Delivered oFrom the Boston Globe we learn that John Kerry has signed the Form 180, and is now rummaging about for a postage stamp. |
Michelle Malkin: KERRY SIGNS SF-180 FORM — During an interview yesterday with Boston Globe editorial writers and columnists, John Kerry said he signed Form SF 180. Kevin Aylward: Kerry Says He Signed Form SF-180 — In a humorously titled Op-ed piece The caveat emperor, Boston Globe columnist Joan... Betsy Newmark: Joan Vennochi of the Boston Globe does what it seems no reporter has done before - actually pin John Kerry down on signing the release papers for his military records. |
| Also: Dean Esmay, Taegan Goddard, Lorie Byrd | |
Dean: Blacks Annoyed by Party's Outreach By / AP — Permalink (05-24) 14:33 PDT WASHINGTON, (AP) — Black voters are upset with the Democratic Party for coming around just weeks before elections seeking their votes, party chairman Howard Dean said Tuesday in an interview with The Associated Press. | |
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Red @ScaredMonkeys: Fresh off his weekend stint on Meet the Press comes Howard Dean; I understand the black people because I was governor of Vermont. Betsy Newmark: Howard Dean apparently realizes that he should talk about something other than Tom DeLay's imminent imprisonment. Orrin Judd: NEXT TIME CAN I TAKE THE HELM BEFORE WE HIT THE ICEBERG: Dean: Blacks Annoyed by Party's Outreach (WILL LESTER, 5/24/05,... |
Taegan Goddard: According to the AP, Dean noted that taking "black voters for granted is a long-standing problem for the party that dates to the 1960s." Jayson @PoliPundit: Political Cognitive Dissonance — So, with this report, you have the Associated Depressed outlining the latest ravings by Howard ("where did all that money go?") |
G.O.P. Senator Sends Letter to Colleagues Opposing Bolton By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, May 24 - The Ohio Republican whose opposition to John R. Bolton as United Nations ambassador nearly stalled his nomination in committee took a new swipe at him today, circulating a letter urging colleagues to vote against Mr. Bolton when his name reaches the Senate floor, possibly this week. | |
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Betsy Newmark: Does Voinovich want to compound his image as a nitwit? Now he's sent a letter to all the senators with his objections to Bolton's nomination to be ambassador to the UN. Pessimist @LeftCoaster: In doing so, he's put himself on the record - and in the crosshairs: G.O.P. Senator Sends Letter to Colleagues Opposing... |
Steve Clemons: Jehl's article begins: [snipped quote] Senator Frist has "hotlined" the Bolton nomination, calling for a vote with 40 hours of debate — 20 hours for each side. K. J. Lopez: AND NOW BACK TO THAT OTHER TRUSTY OHIO REPUBLICAN SENATOR — Voinovich sends colleagues an anti-Bolton letter. |
'Hardball with Chris Matthews' Special Edition 9 p.m. ET MSNBC — Permalink CHRIS MATTHEWS, HOST: Tonight, high drama as Senator McCain leads a big bipartisan deal to avoid a nuclear clash over the judicial filibuster. Let's play HARDBALL. Good evening, I'm Chris Matthews. I'm here with Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, one of the leaders of the dramatic events tonight. | |
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Chris Bowers: Extremely Worrying Developments On Social Security — Flush from the Gang of 14's victory on judges, Taegan Goddard... Matthew Yglesias: Via Josh Marshall I see that Lindsey Graham was on Chris Matthews' show last night speculating that the 14 compromisers... PGL: One of them is Senator Lindsey Graham: "[Hardball's Chris] MATTHEWS: Social Security, do you think the president's plans for some kind of personal accounts has a better shot now? |
Taegan Goddard: Meanwhile, last night on Hardball, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) suggested the filibuster deal may foreshadow bipartisan agreement on other issues. Josh Marshall: And along those lines, see this passage from the Matthews show last night sent to me by TPM Reader DL ... [snipped quote] On this, redoubled effort. |
House Votes to Ease Stem Cell Restrictions By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - Ignoring President Bush's veto threat, the House voted Tuesday to lift limits on embryonic stem cell research, a measure supporters said could accelerate cures for diseases but opponents viewed as akin to abortion. | |
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Pessimist @LeftCoaster: In fact, events seem to indicate he doesn't: House Votes to Loosen Stem Cell Restrictions Despite President Bush's... Tom Maguire: UPDATE: Both bills passed: "Ignoring President Bush's veto threat, the House voted Tuesday to lift limits on embryonic... |
Joe Gandelman: House Votes To Extend Stem Cell Funding Amid Certain Bush Veto — Coming on the heels of the surprise check-mate of the... Byron LaMasters: Forcing the Veto on Stem Cell Research — Good news from the U.S. House: [snipped quote] The bill has the votes in the... |
What Women Want By / NYT — Permalink Suppose you could eliminate the factors often blamed for the shortage of women in high-paying jobs. Suppose that promotions and raises did not depend on pleasing sexist male bosses or putting in long nights and weekends away from home. Would women make as much as men? | |
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Demimasque @ChicagoBoyz: Who'da thunk? The real surprise, though, was that the New York Times saw fit to publish a commentary on the study. Amanda Butler: Cutthroat — John Tierney, the new fellow over at the NYT op-eds, has written a column entitled What Women Want that... Jesse Taylor: I Don't Want To Add Your Damn Numbers — You know, I'd be a lot more receptive to this John Tierney article if I didn't... |
Venkat @BeggingToDiffer: WHAT WOMEN WANT — John Tierney penned an op-ed (thank god these will be behind subscription walls in the future)... Liesa @LeftInTheWest: Logical "Phallacy" in the NY Times — This bizarre attempt to argue that it's due to BIOLOGY that women earn an average... Ann Althouse: A typical example. |
Text of Senate Compromise on Nominations of Judges NYT — Permalink Following is the text of the memorandum of understanding on judicial nominations: We respect the diligent, conscientious efforts, to date, rendered to the Senate by majority leader Frist and Democratic leader Reid. | |
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Jeffrey Dubner: Reading over the compromise for the umpteenth time, I understand why the deal's "advise and consent" clause (which I pooh-poohed yesterday) is so crucial. Ann Althouse: I feel that I can't even really see what the true agreement is: what's going to count as "extraordinary" in the future? Avedon Carol: All it says is that if Democrats find judges so extreme that they filibuster, the Republicans will break the rules to... |
Oliver @LiquidList: My main beef with the compromise - after a day of reading, discussing, and pondering - has less to do with the Three Loons that will now become judges. Joe Gandelman: UPDATE II: You can decide for YOURSELF it this is a solid agreement, weak agreement, favors the Demmies or the GOPers by reading the transcript here. Judd @ThinkProgress: But that's not what the agreement says. Section IIB provides: "In light of the spirit and continuing commitments made in... |
| Also: Forkum, Jeralyn Merritt | |
Report: Al-Zarqawi is injured; group calls for prayers AP — Permalink CAIRO (AP) — Al-Qaeda's branch in Iraq, blamed for numerous terror attacks on U.S. and Iraqi targets, said Tuesday in an Internet posting that its leader, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, had been wounded and called on supporters to pray for his recovery. | |
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Jan Haugland: Web site: Zarqawi injured — Al-ZarqawiAn Islamist website known for publishing al-Qaeda messages says that Abu Musab... Red @ScaredMonkeys: Sky News The terrorists even know how to spin a story. Jeralyn Merritt: Al-Zarqawi Injured? Al-Qaeda is reporting that Al-Zarqawi has been wounded. The U.S. has not been able to confirm. |
Joe Gandelman: The AP reports: "Al-Qaeda's branch in Iraq, blamed for numerous terror attacks on U.S. and Iraqi targets, said Tuesday... Norm Geras: Zarqawi wounded — The report I linked to last week here, that Zarqawi had been seriously wounded, has now been followed... |
As Congress Weighs Stem Cell Bills, Bush Urges Restraint By / NYT — Permalink Hours before the House was to vote on federal financing for embryonic stem cell research, President Bush forcefully denounced the practice today, saying that despite the potential for medical breakthroughs, that the use of human embryos in the studies was too high a cost to pay. | |
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Jeff Jarvis: Next comes an effort to find a middle ground on stem cell research — following the quite moderate opinions of Americans. |
Shawn @LiquidList: But how could I resist highlighting a gem like this? [snipped quote] Right on brother. |
Child Population Dwindles in San Francisco By / AP — Permalink SAN FRANCISCO - Anne Bakstad and Ed Cohen are starting to feel as if their family of four is an endangered species in San Francisco. Since the couple bought a house five years ago, more than a dozen families in their social circle have left the city for cheaper housing, better schools or both. | |
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Jack Cluth: Now we have proof positive that Da Gayz are succeeding in advancing their evil, insidious Homosexual Agenda: Child... Orrin Judd: PARIS ON THE PACIFIC (via Lisa Fleischman) Child Population Dwindles in San Francisco (LISA LEFF, 5/24/05, Associated... |
La Shawn Barber: Then read the story. Rocket science, it's not. |
The No-Nuke Deal The Nation — Permalink The Senate will not be nuked. As the doomsday clock ticked down, seven so-called moderates from each party concocted a deal that was more of a win for the Republicans than the Democrats. | |
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James Martin Capozzola: [Post-publication addendum: Don't miss David Corn's "The No-Nuke Deal," the core of which relays: "[T]he Democrats did... David Corn: He starts by noting that I had written that social con James Dobson decried the no-nuke compromise in the Senate as a... |
Chris Meserole: If you look at the filibuster issue exclusively, as I think Corn did in his editorial, then the Republicans did indeed win. |
Militant leader Zarqawi wounded in Iraq - Web By / Reuters — Permalink BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq and one of Washington's most wanted men, has been wounded, a web posting said on Tuesday in an announcement that could mark a breakthrough against the two-year insurgency. | |
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Commissar: Terrorist Website: al-Zarqawi Wounded — [snipped quote] I'll pray for him. ... Of course, I needn't say what I'd pray for him. |
Dr. Steven Taylor: May it Be So — Militant leader Zarqawi wounded in Iraq |
Iraq Qaeda says Zarqawi wounded, vows more attacks By / Reuters — Permalink DUBAI (Reuters) - Al Qaeda's group in Iraq said on Tuesday its leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi had been wounded but that would only serve as an inspiration to step up its attacks against "the enemy of God." Its authenticity could not be verified. | |
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Jan Haugland: PS: Reuters adds that this online group has not made such an annoucement before: It was the first such statement by the... Red @ScaredMonkeys: According to an Al Qaeda's group in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi had been wounded and urged Muslims to pray for him. |
Kevin Aylward: Athena, at Terrorism Unveiled, notes a new message on a terrorist-allied web site urging Muslim's pray for Abu Musab... |
Efforts of 2 Respected Elders Bring Senate Back From Brink By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, May 23 - In the end, it was the language of the Constitution itself and two old bulls of the Senate - Robert C. Byrd and John W. Warner - that averted a grim showdown over federal judicial nominees that had threatened to wreak lasting damage on Capitol Hill. | |
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Jeffrey Dubner: And barring a surprise decision by the moderates to start proposing nominees to the White House (thus getting the... |
Orrin Judd: Efforts of 2 Respected Elders Bring Senate Back From Brink (SHERYL GAY STOLBERG, 5/24/05, NY Times) "In the end, it... |
Study: Journos, Public Hold Divergent Views on Media By / Editor and Publisher — Permalink NEW YORK A major survey released Tuesday by the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center shows that the public and working journalists have sharply different views about press freedom, bias in news, and journalists' rights. | |
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Brendan Nyhan: Polling on non-"objective" journalism — Steve Lovelady at CJR Daily reports on an Annenberg Public Policy Center poll... |
Jim Romenesko: Journos, public have different views on press freedom, bias — Editor & Publisher | Annenberg Public Policy Center... |
Setback for China, Japan relations CNN — Permalink BEIJING, China — Relations between China and Japan appear to have suffered another setback following the surprise cancellation of a top-level meeting between political leaders. | |
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Smash: More on the Japanese reaction, from CNN: [quote] Some Japanese officials are now calling for a "fuller explanation" of the...[end quote] |
Robert Tagorda: It's touching on cultural sensibilities: Setback for China, Japan Relations (CNN) "This message was reinforced later by China's Assistant Foreign Minister Shen Guofang. |
RUDY & THE RIGHT New York Post — Permalink SOMETHING very interesting happened on Friday in Baltimore: Rudy Giuliani showed up and got a standing ovation. Now that doesn't sound surprising, given the wild popularity of the former New York mayor across the country. | |
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Jeff Jarvis: The majority of Americans, according to this poll, favor choice in abortions but compromise is rising there as the... Orrin Judd: COME TO JESUS TIME (via Daniel Merriman): RUDY & THE RIGHT (JOHN PODHORTEZ, 5/24/05, NY Post) [snipped quote] No one has... |
John Derbyshire: (2) John Pod says Rudy can square the social-conservative circle if he wants to run: "Such a shift in position needs to... |
Arabs in Foreign Lands Foreign Policy — Permalink What the success of Arab Americans tells us about Europe, the Middle East, and the power of culture. People of Arab descent living in the United States are doing far better than the average American. | |
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Daniel Drezner: Arabs at home and abroad — In Foreign Policy, Moises Naim makes an interesting point about Arab Americans: "People of... |
Glenn Reynolds: ARABS ARE DOING MUCH BETTER IN AMERICA than anywhere else. |