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STATE PROBES 'KID' LOAN TO LEFTY RADIO By / New York Post — Permalink State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer yesterday opened an investigation into the Bronx social-services agency that made $875,000 in bizarre loans to Air America radio, The Post has learned. "We are looking into it in consultation with the city's Department of Investigation,"... | |
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John @PowerLine: (Not about Air America, of course; even though Eliot Spitzer has announced that he is launching an investigation into... Captain Ed: Air America: Spitzer's Difference — Today's New York Post reports that New York's headline-grabbing Attorney General... Pejman Yousefzadeh: And now that the investigation of the Air America scandal appears to be crossing partisan lines, it may be high time... |
Brian Maloney: That's one of the major revelations contained in today's New York Post. Avedon Carol: Reason #2 why right-wingers hate the mainstream media — Conservo-hacks are still going bonkers over the machinations of... Michelle Malkin: AIR ENRON: SPITZER STEPS IN — DarleenClickAAR1.jpg This morning's New York Post is reporting that New York State... |
| Also: Glenn Reynolds | |
Why America Is More Dependent Than Ever on Saudi Arabia By / NYT — Permalink President Bush might not have turned up personally in Riyadh yesterday but he certainly sent a high-powered delegation to pay his respects to the new leader of Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah. | |
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Michael Stickings: As oil and gas prices continue to soar (here in Toronto, regular unleaded is fast approaching $1.00/liter — which... James Joyner: Why America Is More Dependent Than Ever on Saudi Arabia — Jad Mouawad and his editors find the fact that the U.S. sent... Stirling Newberry: As even the New York Times can figure out Saudi Arabia is more powerful than ever. |
David Sirota: Bush Ignoring Domestic Alternatives to Saudi Oil — The New York Times today reports that Bush officials, supposedly... Juan Cole: US Dependent on Saudi Arabia — The Bush administration and its Neocons have shot themselves in the foot big time if... Steve M.: From today's New York Times article on the relationship between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia: "As the world's largest... |
| Also: Steve Soto, Ed Cone, Glenn Reynolds, Oliver Willis | |
More Americans are questioning U.S. strategy in Iraq. Newsweek — Permalink Aug. 6, 2005 - As U.S. troops endured a deadly week in Iraq, 61 percent of Americans polled say they disapprove of the way President George W. Bush is handling the war in Iraq, according to a new NEWSWEEK poll. Thirty four percent say they approve. | |
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Joe @AmericaBlog: Newsweek has the latest numbers: "As U.S. troops endured a deadly week in Iraq, 61 percent of Americans polled say they... Michael Stickings: Bush's approval numbers continue to slide According to Newsweek, Bush's approval rating on Iraq is down to 34 percent — his disapproval rating is 61 percent. |
Atrios: America Hates America — Newsweek: Aug. 6, 2005 - As U.S. troops endured a deadly week in Iraq, 61 percent of Americans... |
Police 'warned on London suspect' CNN — Permalink LONDON, England (CNN) — A leader at a mosque visited by one of the London July 21 bombing suspects says he warned police that Hamdi Issac was dangerous more than two years ago. | |
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Captain Ed: Muslim Elder Warned British Authorities About London Bomber — An elder at a London mosque tried to involve British... |
Glenn Reynolds: But implicit in that is the notion that authorities will act when someone tells them about threats, and that hasn't... |
Some Caveats on Job Growth NYT — Permalink With yesterday's announcement that 207,000 new jobs were created in July - nearly 30,000 more than had been forecast - Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao took to the airwaves to repeat the administration's mantra about the economy being "strong and getting stronger." | |
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Captain Ed: All of this happy news for Americans just seems to bring out the inner pessimist at the Paper of Record, however: "Still, it's not robust. Orrin Judd: THE CHAMPAGNE BOTTLE IS HALF FULL: Some Caveats on Job Growth (NY Times, 8/06/05) [snipped quote] If George W. Bush... |
Jason Van Steenwyk: Remember Eeyore the Editor? I first blogged about Eeyore the Editor at the New York Times here. He's baaaaaaaaack. Splash out |
Council hopeful doomed by Web By / AP — Permalink CHARLOTTE — A city council candidate dropped out of the race Friday after it was disclosed that he posted comments to a white supremacist Internet bulletin board more than 4,000 times. | |
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Roger Ailes: Here's the story of Doug and his pals at stormfront.org: "Doug Hanks said the postings on the site were fictional and... Steve Bainbridge: Especially if you're a nasty little white supremacist. |
TChris: Racist Drops Out of Council Election — Doug Hanks abandoned his race for a city council seat in Charlotte after a... |
Dear Judge Roberts: By / LAW.com — Permalink Congratulations on your nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. I wish you well in the confirmation proceedings and, since I have no doubt you will be confirmed, I wish you a long, enjoyable and rewarding tenure. | |
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Patterico: Judge Patel's Open (and Hypocritical) Letter to Judge Roberts Leftist Northern California federal district judge Marilyn Hall Patel has written an open letter to John Roberts. |
Ken Masugi: Patterico points out how embarassing her letter is—not only is it a call for Roberts to allow himself to be smeared by... |
C.I.A. Leak Case Recalls Texas Incident in '92 Race By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 - These hot months here will be remembered as the summer of the leak, a time when the political class obsessed on a central question: did Karl Rove, President Bush's powerful adviser, commit a crime when he spoke about a C.I.A. officer with the columnist Robert D. Novak? | |
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Nico @ThinkProgress: The New York Times' Elizabeth Bumiller provides an answer in the lede of her article today: "These hot months here will... Joe Gandelman: Hot On The Trail Of The Novak-Rove Connection — Don't you get the sensation now that the coming months may not be happy... Tom Maguire: An "Aggressive Partisan And Hothead" — The NY Times delves into the long friendship bewtween Karl Rove and Robert... |
John Cole: Daily Plame Flame Thread Almost forgot: Whatever a federal grand jury investigating the case decides, a small... James Joyner: C.I.A. Leak Case Recalls Texas Incident in '92 Race (NYT | RSS) "These hot months here will be remembered as the summer... Steve Soto: I do find it curious that the Times' biggest Bush ass-kisser, aside from Judy Kneepads, buries in Saturday's edition a... |
| Also: Jay Rosen, Justin Gardner, Pudentilla, Joe @AmericaBlog | |
President's Radio Address White House — Permalink THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. As families across the country enjoy the summer, Americans can be optimistic about our economic future. In the past four years, our economy has been through a lot: we faced a stock market decline, a recession, corporate scandals, an attack on our homeland, and the demands of an ongoing war on terror. | |
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Billmon: President's Radio Address — Crawford,Texas THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: It is nice to see that President Bush is touting the strength of the economy but for whatever reason, the White House... |
Shortages Stifle a Boom Time for the Solar Industry By / NYT — Permalink With a bill in California that aims to put solar power in half of new homes within 13 years, and with installation incentives in the federal energy legislation passed last week, the future of solar energy in the United States would seem all the brighter. | |
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Juan Cole: Go to solar panels , as Germany and Japan are doing, and now California. |
Orrin Judd: SUNNY SIDE UP: Shortages Stifle a Boom Time for the Solar Industry (CHRIS DIXON, 8/05/05, NY Times) "With a bill in... |
Former minister Robin Cook dies BBC — Permalink Former Cabinet minister Robin Cook, 59, has died after collapsing while hill walking in north-west Scotland. It is believed he was taken ill while walking with his wife Gaynor near the summit of Ben Stack, at around 1420 BST, Northern Constabulary said. | |
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Chris Bertram: Robin Cook is dead Robin Cook, former Labour Foreign Secretary and prominent critic of the Blair government over Iraq, has died suddenly at the age of 59 . |
Kathryn Jean Lopez: FROM BRITIAN — Robin Cook, the official who famously resigned during the run-up to the Iraq war, has died. RIP |
40 Years After Passage, Voting Law Is in Dispute By / WaPo — Permalink Today marks the 40th year of the Voting Rights Act, and civil rights activists poured into sticky-hot Atlanta for a march that harks back to the thunderous demonstrations and rallies that led to the act's signing on Aug. 6, 1965. | |
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Avedon Carol: (Speaking of which, the pretence that racism has been wiped out is now playing a starring role in the fight to renew the Voting Rights Act. Pudentilla: oh, honey, voting rights are so last-century — [snipped quote] the republicans got diebold now, why worry your pretty little heads about jim crow? |
Edm Staff: The WaPo wrap-up on the Voting Rights Act anniversary adds: "...efforts to dilute the minority vote by redrawing... |
US terror prisoners to be sent home Guardian — Permalink The United States is negotiating the transfer of nearly 70% of the prisoners held at Guantánamo Bay back to their home countries in an attempt to dramatically reduce the number of "enemy combatants" in US custody, it emerged yesterday. | |
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Natasha @PacificViews: The US government is negotiating the release of almost 70% of Guantanamo's prisoners to their home countries to be detained there. |
Jeralyn Merritt: Guantanamo Prisoner Transfer Under Negotiation — The Guardian reports on the negotiations underway to send many... |
Nuclear energy is an undeniable right of nation: students Tehran Times — Permalink TEHRAN - Nuclear energy is an undeniable right of the Iranian nation which cannot be compromised, a group of students from the Central Province said in a statement on Saturday. | |
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Roger L. Simon: Simultaneously, the Mullahs are orchestrating their propaganda campaign via their mouthpiece the Tehran Times: Nuclear... |
Juan Cole: India going in same direction as South Korea. Iran, too. Germany going in opposite direction? Wind turbines: Wind turbine vibrations. |
Emptying Guantanamo WaPo — Permalink THE AGREEMENT announced this week to repatriate 110 Afghan detainees from Guantanamo Bay Naval Base is a breakthrough of sorts in the thorny problem of managing captives in the war on terrorism. Unlike previous detainees to be sent home, this group is still deemed of considerable risk, not eligible for release. | |
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Captain Ed: UPDATE: The Washington Post editorial board sounds a bit more supportive of the concept, and points out the hypocrisy of... |
Jeralyn Merritt: These countries are known for human rights violations. The Washington Post has an editorial noting this today. |
Some Bombs Used in Iraq Are Made in Iran, U.S. Says By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 - Many of the new, more sophisticated roadside bombs used to attack American and government forces in Iraq have been designed in Iran and shipped in from there, United States military and intelligence officials said Friday, raising the prospect of increased foreign help for Iraqi insurgents. | |
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Susie Madrak: The New York Times with a story from an unnamed source, linking Iran to new weapons in Iraq - why, it's almost a neocon... Pudentilla: you go to war with the army you draft — [snipped quote] joltin' bolton's in the u.n., congressional elections are around... |
Steve Soto: Friday Night Wrap Up — As we head into a weekend, here are some short hits for you to comment on: Yup, as if on cue,... Cliff May: AN ACT OF WAR? From the New York Times: [snipped quote] I think Dr. Ledeen will agree: A robust response is required. |
Military Says Troops Demanded 'Rent' From Iraqi Vendors By / LAT — Permalink California Army National Guard troops charged unauthorized, off-the-books "rent" to Iraqi-owned businesses inside Baghdad's Green Zone in Iraq to raise money for a "soldier's fund," military officials and sources within the troops' battalion said Friday. | |
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Natasha @PacificViews: An investigation into a California National Guard unit has found that at least one officer was participating in illegally charging rent to Iraqis in the Green Zone. |
Pudentilla: hey, what d'ya want - freedom is messy already — [snipped quote] we'd prefer rummy ran a military that offered iraqis a... |
A Glimmer of Hope NYT — Permalink It may be only a few more days before the world finds out whether Iran and North Korea are willing to give up nuclear weapons in exchange for broad economic incentives and firm security guarantees. | |
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Hooman Majd: It cannot come as a surprise to the Europeans that Iran has indicated that it will reject the proposal, even if the Bush administration and the New York Times think it a fair one. |
John Cole: They might start by getting the NY Times in line and on message. |
Blair Moves to Isolate, Expel Extremists By / LAT — Permalink LONDON — With his nation shaken by last month's bombings, British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Friday announced tough anti-terrorism measures that include shutting down radical mosques and deporting Islamic clerics who preach violence and hatred. | |
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Orrin Judd: SWEET ISOLATIONISM: Blair Moves to Isolate, Expel Extremists: In wake of July's transit attacks, the British leader... |
Pudentilla: so much for "the answer to bad speech is more speech" — [snipped quote] welcome to the era of "we have to sacrifice our... |
Fighting Back By / Newsweek — Permalink Aug. 5, 2005 - No fewer than three esteemed political reporters from The Washington Post were in the audience taking notes on a steamy Thursday afternoon at a forum called "Reflections of a Blogger," sponsored by the New Politics Institute, a progressive think tank. | |
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Kos @DailyKos: I'm not the gatekeeper — Ack! "Two days earlier, an antiwar Democrat had come close to winning a special election in... Skippy: pause for the kos eleanor clift on newsweek's site sings the praises of the daily kos: leading the charge was markos... |
Jeralyn Merritt: Clift Profiles Markos and the Hackett Race — Eleanor Clift profiles Markos of Daily Kos and the Hackett race in Newsweek... an inspiring article, go read. Jerome Armstrong: Then Clift gives Markos credit (he'd be the first to admit he didn't do squat) for leading the charge for Hackett, so does kos too get a whipping from the Dtrippers? |
Guantánamo Detention Site Is Being Transformed, U.S. Says By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 - In a few years, Pentagon officials say, the detention center at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, will have undergone a radical transformation. The sprawling detention site known as Camp Delta, with its watchtowers, double-wide trailers housing rows of steel cells and interrogation rooms will be mostly demolished. | |
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Captain Ed: After announcing the approval of a new facility for Gitmo detention based on a model county jail system in Michigan to... Jeralyn Merritt: The New York Times reports: [snipped quote] Amnesty International has released this statement of concern. |
Steve Soto: The Bush Administration is planning to modernize and make less inhuman Guantanamo, which is a tacit admission that the Geneva Convention protocols were being flouted there. |
Why I Don't Trust Readers By / Slate — Permalink Oh, not you, dear Slate reader! The readers I distrust are the ones who, in survey after survey, tell pollsters how much they don't trust the press. My distrust is instinctual, but thanks to a June 8, 2004, survey study by the Pew Research Center for the... | |
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Armando @DailyKos: Kevin Drum, agreeing with Jack Shafer, says the mainstream American press is better than it has ever been (Kevin jokes... John Cole: Jacked Up Jack Shafer is shrill: The larger point that the boneheads who so despise the media need to appreciate is... Terry Heaton: Jack Shafer doesn't trust readers — The Slate media critic does a nice job of articulating his point — that mainstream... |
Kevin Drum: WATCHING THE WATCHMEN...Jack Shafer, Slate's media critic, takes on the free floating media contempt that's now endemic... James Joyner: Why I Don't Trust Readers - I'm sad to report that their credibility has fallen to an all-time low [snipped quote] Shafer is at least partly correct. Jan Haugland: Well, that's fine, says Slate editor Jack Shafer, I don't trust the readers, either. |
| Also: Jim Romenesko | |
Benon Sevan's Finest Hour NRO — Permalink Late in the day, former Oil-for-Food chief demands the U.N. open its books. It's rich that the former head of the United Nations Oil-for-Food program, Benon Sevan, is now protesting the secrecy surrounding U.N. records that he himself set up as confidential. | |
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Jan Haugland: Sevan suddenly wants UN transparency — Claudia Rosett on UNSCAM and Benon Sevan. Roger L. Simon: Had the UN come clean years ago, this colossal scandal might never have happened. Quote-unquote... Claudia Rosett. Who else? Kathryn Jean Lopez: BENON SEVAN'S FINEST HOUR — Claudia Rosett has a new piece just up: Late in the day, former Oil-for-Food chief demands the U.N. open its books. |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: SORT OF Claudia Rosett continues to do the Lord's work in covering the UN oil-for-food scandal: [snipped quote] All of... Glenn Reynolds: CLAUDIA ROSETT: [snipped quote] Read the whole thing. UPDATE: Austin Bay has more thoughts on the unfolding UNSCAM scandal. Marc @USSNeverdock: Iraq - UN Oil For Food Scandal Update — NRO has the latest on the UN scandal. |
Novak Apologizes for Swearing on CNN Air By / AP — Permalink NEW YORK - Robert Novak apologized Friday for swearing on the air and walking off a CNN set, but said it had nothing to do with the federal probe sparked by his revelation of a CIA officer's name in a 2003 column. "I apologize for my conduct and I'm sorry I did it," he said in an interview. | |
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Jay Rosen: Now the network has been embarrassed by a live crack up of its own on-air talent, and Novak (who did apologize) is suspended. Michael Stickings: The Political Teen has a great video too... UPDATE II: (by TMV) Novak has apologized but in media terms the damage is... Brian Stelter: But "that had nothing to do with it, absolutely nothing," Novak tells the Associated Press. "I was sorry he said that." |
Skippy: there are plenty of rational minded, decent conservatives out there that cnn could use in place of him..." meanwhile,... Captain Ed: Novak Apologizes — Robert Novak apologized to CNN viewers today, for storming off the set of Inside Politics and using an expletive in response to an exchange with James Carville. Michelle Malkin: Here's the latest AP dispatch on the B.S. brouhaha: [snipped quote] Every political figure in Washington should commit... |
| Also: Orrin Judd, Dr. Steven Taylor | |
US scientists find flexible stem cells in placenta Reuters — Permalink WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Scientists looking for easier and less-controversial alternatives to stem cells from human embryos said on Friday they found a potential source in placentas saved during childbirth. | |
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Betsy Newmark: Some researchers think they have made a promising finding. John Cole: Update #2 *** Via Instapundit, this: Scientists looking for easier and less-controversial alternatives to stem... Glenn Reynolds: THIS SOUNDS PROMISING: [snipped quote] I hope it works out, but the state of scientific knowledge is still rather limited. |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: That's why I am glad to read this: "Scientists looking for easier and less-controversial alternatives to stem cells... Justin Gardner: From Reuters comes good news on stem cell alternatives: [snipped quote] (Hat Tip: Instapundit) Kathryn Jean Lopez: ETHICAL STEM-CELL POTENTIAL in the placenta |
Will Blogs Go Bust? By / Editor and Publisher — Permalink There are ten million blogs on the internet — no, fifty million. Soon everybody, from peasants in Kyrgyzstan to the Pope, will have their own blog. Blogs, as voices of the people, will replace the mainstream media, it is said. | |
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McQ: Then we have the professor of mass communication at LSU, David D. Perlmutter , weighing in via Editor and Publisher. La Shawn Barber: Peasants Don't Blog — Mass communication professor David Perlmutter asks, "Will blogs go bust?" Joe Gandelman: UPDATE: Journalism professor David Permultterr asks whether blogs will go bust and tempers the view of blogs a bit — but he may be a bit overly pessmistic. |
Marc @USSNeverdock: There are three attacks on blogs out today. See here, here and here. Jeff Jarvis: David Perlmutter, a professor of mass communications at LSU, hocks up the same furballs all the old cats do about blogs in the house organ of the old, Editor & Publisher. Terry Heaton: This time it's David D. Perlmutter in a column in Editor&Publisher. Perlmutter is a mass communications professor at LSU, and he's writing a book about political blogs. |
| Also: Ed Cone, Jim Romenesko | |
Cussing, walking off show gets Novak suspended by CNN By / Chicago Sun Times — Permalink Chicago Sun-Times columnist Robert Novak swore and then stormed off the set of CNN's "Inside Politics" Thursday, prompting CNN to suspend him indefinitely. The suspension comes after prolonged pressure on Novak, who is at the center of a federal probe into the leaking of a CIA officer's identity. | |
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Joe Gandelman: After all, he's gotten it from liberals and moderates a zillion times before.But in case you were on Mars and missed it,... James Joyner: Update: It's all over the papers, too: Novak Walks Off Live CNN Program (NYT) CNN Suspends Novak for 'Inexcusable'... Josh Marshall: Says the Chicago Sun-Times ... [snipped quote] Maybe this is all just an ingenious guerilla marketing campaign by Who's Who. |
Kevin Aylward: Joseph Wilson's "Who's Who In America" Entry — Many have wondered what was the purpose of the "Who's Who In America"... Tom Maguire: More: Wizbang has a photo of Wilson's Who's Who entry; a CNN spokesperson confirms to the Chicago Sun-Times that a Who's Who was on the table. |
Poll: Bush's Approval Rating on Iraq Drops By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - Americans' approval of President Bush's handling of Iraq is at its lowest level yet, according to an AP-Ipsos poll that also found fewer than half now think he's honest. A solid majority still see Bush as a strong and likable leader, though the president's confidence is seen as arrogance by a growing number. | |
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Joe Gandelman: Bush's Honesty Poll Ratings Nosedives — There's some not-too-bad news for and some not-so-hot news for President George... Steve Soto: Mr. 42%, Continued — Bush's approval rating in a new AP/Ipsos poll is at only 42%, against a 55% disapproval rating. John Cole: Bush's Poll Numbers A new AP Poll has Bush's overall approval rating holding steady (albeit extremely low), but... |
Gerry Daly: AP/Ipsos: No Change in Bush Approval — The latest AP/Ipsos survey finds Bush's job approval at 42% with 56% disapproving. Joshua Claybourn: Update: "Americans' approval of President Bush's handling of Iraq is at its lowest level yet, according to an AP-Ipsos poll that also found fewer than half now think he's honest." Faiz @ThinkProgress: THEN: Bush's Political Standing Slipping "During that month, Bush's top aides were concentrating on the president's... |
| Also: Ace, Jayson @PoliPundit | |
Measuring the Blogosphere NYT — Permalink Earlier this week, Technorati, a Web site that indexes blogs, released its semiannual "State of the Blogosphere" report. It records a steady, and astonishing, growth. Nearly 80,000 new blogs are created every day, and there are some 14.2 million in existence already, 55 percent of which remain active. | |
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McQ: This week, we had a story which touted the fact that a new blog is created every second. And that some 15 million of them exist. La Shawn Barber: Related: 'Manly' Maney Says Blog Novelty Will Wear Off Ken Fuson's Confusion Nick Coleman's Blog Envy The NYT may be coming around a little. Joe Gandelman: Meanwhile, a New York Times editorial looks at blogs proliferating at rabbit-like rates and notes its key value is in expanding the conversation. |
Jeff Jarvis: Keep reading until you get to the last graph: It's natural enough to think of the growth of the blogosphere as a merely technical phenomenon. Frank @AndrewSullivan: By the way, I'm disappointed by the New York Times editorial on blogging. It really says nothing. Terry Heaton: The editorial references Technorati's latest report on the state of the blogosphere, and concludes that, holy crap, this blogging thing is pretty big. |
| Also: Jim Romenesko, Matt Welch | |
A Roadblock for Reagan By / WaPo — Permalink A Republican congressman from South Texas has proposed renaming 16th Street NW as Ronald Reagan Boulevard. Rep. Henry Bonilla, co-chairman of the 2000 and 2004 Republican national conventions, quietly introduced the 106-word resolution before Congress adjourned for summer recess July 28. | |
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Daniel Koffler: Tom Davis (R-VA), perpetually aggrieved chairman of the House Government Reform Committee, doesn't win much praise round... John Podhoretz: RONALD REAGAN, THE 16TH STREET OF THE UNITED STATES — Rep. Henry Bonilla, a fine fellow, wants to rename Washington's 16th Street NW after Ronald Reagan. Josh Marshall: But, according to this morning's Post, Davis realizes what a ridiculous idea this is. And so that's probably the end of it. |
James Joyner: A Roadblock for Reagan (WaPo, B1) "A Republican congressman from South Texas has proposed renaming 16th Street NW as Ronald Reagan Boulevard. Dr. Steven Taylor: Tribute Overload — James Joyner reports on an attempt to rename a street in DC after President Reagan (the WaPo story is here). Matthew Yglesias: Quadrant Trouble — Officially, I agree that renaming West 16th Street in Washington, DC after Ronald Reagan is a stupid idea. |
| Also: Frank @AndrewSullivan | |
Cell Lines, Moral Lines By / WaPo — Permalink It is a good idea to expand federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. It is a bad idea to do that without prohibiting research that uses embryos created specifically to be used in research and destroyed. | |
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Betsy Newmark: I find that, as with so many issues, that I agree with what Charles Krauthammer has written. John Cole: The Stem Cell Debate I know you lefties hate Charles Krauthammer, but I continue to think he is one of the better... Bill @INDCJournal: And Krauthammer's column in today's WaPo is similarly agreeable, pointing out the flaws in both Bush's limit on federal... |
Kevin Drum: But then he sounds the alarm over the spectre of...spare body parts: "The real threat to our humanity is the creation... Leon H: The Line Between Evil and Monstrous — A friend of mine recently alerted me to this Charles Krauthammer piece on stem... Ramesh Ponnuru: CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION FOR TAXPAYERS — Charles Krauthammer writes today: [snipped quote] Krauthammer is right that the... |
The New New Deal TNR — Permalink President Bush's Social Security proposal looks to be dead in the water—and a good thing, too. The plan was half-baked and fiscally irresponsible. The American public took one look and realized it provided neither personal nor national financial security. | |
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Avedon Carol: Via Kevin Drum, I learn that apples don't taste as good as they used to because they aren't, and The New Republic still... Susie Madrak: Once again, the economically privileged policy wonks who have no idea how anyone who didn't attend an Ivy League school... Orrin Judd: SAME PLAN, NEW WRAPPER: The New New Deal (Niall Ferguson & Laurence J. Kotlikoff, 08.04.05, New Republic) |
Kevin Drum: It's called "The New New Deal," and it presents a plan to deal with skyrocketing Social Security and Medicare costs in the future. Matthew Yglesias: When I saw that prophet of demographic doom Laurence Kotlikoff was teaming up with arch-imperialist Niall Ferguson to... |
Americans aren't all agog for blogs By / Boston Herald — Permalink To hear some folks tell it, the insomniac army of bloggers is already inheriting the Earth. Clad in pajamas and armed only with Pringles, cocoa and a keyboard, they sway millions and make the mighty tremble as they tap away into the night. | |
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McQ: Well according to the Boston Herald's Brett Arends, not much: "To hear some folks tell it, the insomniac army of bloggers is already inheriting the Earth. Terry Heaton: Steve Rubel shouts out the Boston Herald for an article today announcing that "Americans aren't all agog for blogs." Roger Ailes: You Didn't Hear It From Me — From the Boston Herald: [snipped quote] How is this surprising? |
Frank @AndrewSullivan: As this study shows, the audience for blogs is comparatively small for now. Therefore, I'm not so ready to say that this medium will revivify American democracy. Joe Gandelman: Americans Are NOT Addicted To Blogs — REALITY CHECK TIME: Many bloggers think their golden words influence our nation... Orrin Judd: THE BYTES ARE ON, BUT NOBODY'S HOME: Americans aren't all agog for blogs (Brett Arends, August 3, 2005, Boston Herald) [snipped quote] Is there an echo in here? |
King David's Palace Is Found, Archaeologist Says By / NYT — Permalink JERUSALEM, Aug. 4 - An Israeli archaeologist says she has uncovered in East Jerusalem what may be the fabled palace of the biblical King David. Her work has been sponsored by a conservative Israeli research institute and financed by an American Jewish... | |
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Pejman Yousefzadeh: INDIANA JONES WOULD BE ENVIOUS — It is amazing to find out that King David's palace may have been found. TheAnchoress: This is obviously a very exciting story: King David's Palace Is Found, Archaeologist Says So, why should I feel a little let down? |
Susie Madrak: Discovery This is fascinating: JERUSALEM, Aug. 4 - An Israeli archaeologist says she has uncovered in East Jerusalem what may be the fabled palace of the biblical King David. |
Assessments Find Threat of Suicide Attacks in U.S. By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Aug. 4 - Confidential government assessments say that Al Qaeda remains intent on attacking targets in the United States and that suicide bombings are clearly "a preferred method of attack among extremists" in the wake of last month's terror attacks in London. | |
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Fred Clark: Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S. Four years ago today President Bush received a daily brief warning him that terrorists planned to attack America. Faiz @ThinkProgress: In the midst of a New York Times warning today that al Qaeda is planning to hit the U.S. with suicide bombers, has Bush learned his lesson? |
Cori Dauber: So today, a story about the threat of suicide attacks in the United States is on page A-12. Cookie Jill: but awol's on vacation.... why can't those terrorists go on a 5 week vacation, too? don't think they'll hit crawford, (maybe that's the point, eh?) |
Approval of Bush's Handling of Iraq Drops By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - Americans' approval of President Bush's handling of Iraq is at its lowest level yet, according to an AP-Ipsos poll that also found fewer than half now think he's honest. A solid majority still see Bush as a strong and likable leader, though the president's confidence is seen as arrogance by a growing number. | |
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David Sirota: Meanwhile, Americans' view of President Bush's handling of Iraq is at its lowest level ever. The Farmer: Praise the conceptual design possibilities. 38% The chronic decline of the Texas Souffle. Via AP: [snipped quote] Delenda est ArbustoCo. Kos @DailyKos: DCCC post-mortem ignores Hackett war stance — David Sirota: [snipped quote] National Democrats have advised their... |
Brendan Nyhan: But when Bush's approval ratings drop to the low 40s (via Atrios) after the narrowest re-election since Woodrow Wilson, well, nothing happens. Atrios: America Thinks Bush is a Big Fat Liar — Internalize that, media. Oliver Willis: Can you imagine if a Democratic president had such poor approval numbers for the handling of a war? |
| Also: Armando @DailyKos | |
A scandal below the radar Arizona Republic — Permalink Especially in media hothouses like New York City, issues develop fast. Usually. One amazing New York-centric story, however, has been rumbling along the last week or so like a Mack truck in first gear: | |
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Leon H: In the first newspaper editorial I have seen on the Air America case that we have covered extensively here, the New York... Michelle Malkin: Related: David Lombino, New York Sun, "Boys & Girls Club May Vote To Drop Bronx's Gloria Wise Club Next Month" Doug... Marc @USSNeverdock: America - Pressue Continues on Air America and the New York Times for failing to report on a New York scandal. |
Captain Ed: Arizona Republic columnist Doug MacEachern scolds the Exempt Media, especially the Gray Lady, in allowing this story to... Brian Maloney: Meanwhile, here's a great new op-ed in today's Arizona Republic on this story's amazing MSM non-coverage. Avedon Carol: (via) And speaking of ripoff artists, the wingers continue to be charmed by the story of Evan Cohen, who... |
| Also: Gerry Daly, Scott @PowerLine | |
Design for Confusion By / NYT — Permalink I'd like to nominate Irving Kristol, the neoconservative former editor of The Public Interest, as the father of "intelligent design." No, he didn't play any role in developing the doctrine. | |
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Avedon Carol: Paul Krugman on the deliberate conservative project of promoting fake science. Riggsveda @Corrente: In the meantime, following on the heels of my own post yesterday, it was interesting to see that Krugman, in today's... Brad DeLong: The Mighty Intellect of Irving Kristol — Paul Krugman writes: Design for Confusion - New York Times: Mr. Kristol... |
Tom Maguire: At The Risk Of Over-Generalizing... Paul Krugman sends a couple of strawmen into the fray today. Shawn @LiquidList: Business: ExxonMobil—A New Hope — Today Paul Krugman notes in his column about fake right-wing research: "The most... Orrin Judd: LONELY PARROT PERCH: Design for Confusion (PAUL KRUGMAN, 8/05/05, NY Times) [snipped quote] It's hardly surprising that... |
60 Years Later NRO — Permalink For 60 years the United States has agonized over its unleashing of the world's first nuclear weapon on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. President Harry Truman's decision to explode an atomic bomb over an ostensible military target — the headquarters of the crack Japanese 2nd Army — led to well over 100,000 fatalities, the vast majority of them civilians. | |
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Spoons: Hiroshima — Victor Davis Hanson discusses the day a million American (and other) lives were saved. Required reading. Scott @PowerLine: VDH: Why we dropped the big one — The new column by Victor Davis Hanson at NRO is in contemplation of the anniversary of Hiroshima: "Hirooshima sixty years later." |
Betsy Newmark: Victor Davis Hanson revisits us the arguments that went on at the time before Truman decided to drop the bomb on Hiroshima 60 years ago this week. |
Oxygen Dwindling for Seven in Russian Sub By / AP — Permalink PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, Russia - Russian, U.S. and British forces were scrambling to rescue seven Russian sailors trapped with dwindling oxygen supplies 600 feet under the Pacific on a mini-submarine caught on an underwater antenna. | |
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Baldilocks: UPDATE: Reports now say that the submarine's propeller was caught on an underwater antenna—a "Pacific Fleet coastal infrastructure object"—not fishing nets. |
Blackavar: To Russia, With Love — Dear Momma Rodina, I just wanted to let you know, we're praying for your boys in the sub, and we'll do everything in our power to help out. |
"I Have Rights" NRO — Permalink You're in with the wrong crowd, Mohammed. When Ramzi Mohammed, one of the failed bombers in the second wave of attacks on London, was surrounded by representatives of the decadent, infidel West, he didn't shriek, "Allahu Akbar!" and throw himself at his captors in a suicidal lunge for martyrdom. | |
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Ed Driscoll: Jonah Goldberg agrees: [snipped quote] Besides previous examples such as the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany, Mao's China,... Roger Clegg: PLUS, HE'S A COPYCAT — Re Jonah's column today, "'I Have Rights'": Clint Eastwood fans will recall that this was also... |
Stefan Beck: Why else, do you suppose, that [snipped quote] Jonah Goldberg cannot believe the chutzpah. All I can say is: ditto. Orrin Judd: THOUROUGHLY BRITISH: "I Have Rights": You're in with the wrong crowd, Mohammed. |
Jurors: Death Row Inmate Not Retarded By / AP — Permalink YORKTOWN, Va. - A death row inmate whose case led to the Supreme Court's ban on executing the mentally retarded was found mentally competent by a Virginia jury Friday. A judge immediately scheduled his execution for December. | |
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Leopold Stotch: Retarded Convict Not Retarded — Jurors: Death Row Inmate Not Retarded (AP) "YORKTOWN, Va. - A death row inmate whose... |
Jayson @PoliPundit: Federalism in Action — In Virginia. |
CNN Ponders Novak Status Broadcasting & Cable — Permalink CNN is still deciding on its future plans for syndicated columnist and political commentator Bob Novak after suspending him yesterday.. The conservative columnist, 74, stormed off the set of the network's Inside Politics yesterday after saying "That's bull----" during a debate with liberal political strategist James Carville. | |
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Jay Rosen: Broadcasting & Cable magazine got CNN/US President Jonathan Klein to comment. Did he plan to meet with Novak? |
Brian Stelter: > CNN/U.S. president Jon Klein hasn't talked to Novak yet: "At some point I'm sure we'll speak to each other but there's... |
Novak Apologizes for Swearing, Walking Out By / AP — Permalink NEW YORK - Robert Novak apologized Friday for swearing on the air and walking off a CNN set, but said it had nothing to do with the federal probe sparked by his revelation of a CIA officer's name in a 2003 column. "I apologize for my conduct and I'm sorry I did it," he said in an interview. | |
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Bill Diamond: Like journalism's Prince of Darkness, I too cursed while on the air and found myself similarly forced to issue an embarrassing and widely written about public apology. |
Lambert @Corrente: Novak apologizes, chortle — The apology is boring, but the incident must have been riveting. Always nice to watch a winger meltdown (back). |
INSIDE POLITICS CNN — Permalink THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. ANNOUNCER: Mourning in Ohio. This deadly week for U.S. forces in Iraq drives home the anguish on the home front, and it takes a political toll on President Bush. | |
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Kathryn Jean Lopez: AND FROM THE RIGHT? NOT QUITE. By the way, the other Inside Politics story this week comes from Wednesday's show. |
Brian Stelter: "Today is our last show in this current format," Candy Crowley told viewers this afternoon. But! |
U.S. Employers Added 207,000 in July, Better Than Expected Reuters — Permalink WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. job growth picked up last month as employers added 207,000 workers to their payrolls, a healthy gain that outstripped Wall Street expectations, a government report showed on Friday. | |
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42: Cowbell! More Cowbell For My Centurions! Golden diapahs, babies. Golden diapahs. Dr. Steven Taylor: Good Jobs News — Via Reuters/the NYT: U.S. Employers Added 207,000 in July, Better Than Expected "U.S. job growth... |
John @PowerLine: Economic, Job Growth Continue — More good news on the economy, as the Labor Department reports that employers added... Pejman Yousefzadeh: GOOD EMPLOYMENT NUMBERS — Here's the story: "U.S. job growth picked up last month as employers added 207,000 workers... |
In Private Practice, Roberts's Record Is Mixed WaPo — Permalink As a private lawyer, John G. Roberts Jr. represented homeless Washingtonians who had lost their government benefits because of city budget cuts. He advocated environmental protections for Lake Tahoe, Glacier Bay and the Grand Canyon. | |
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Nick S: From: Supreme Court Watch According to news reports over the past couple days, John Roberts was involved in several "liberal" cases during his tenure at Hogan & Hartson. |
John Rosenberg: And The Roberts Nomination According to an article in The Hill (HatTip: RealClearPolitics), the "revelation" (my... |
Intelligent Design: Why limit equal time to biology class? Salt Lake Tribune — Permalink President Bush has thrown in with those who think that an idea called "intelligent design" should be taught alongside evolution in the nation's schools. "I think that part of education is to expose people to different schools of thought," the president told some visiting newspaper reporters from his native Texas. | |
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Michelle Pilecki: Michelle Pilecki: Be Careful What You Wish For — I cheered when I read this editorial in the Salt Lake Tribune on the... Cookie Jill: and the winner of op-ed piece of the day goes to: the salt lake tribune and their intelligent rant against "intelligent... |
Oliver Willis: The Salt Lake Tribune suggests that we apply the same strict academic structure to other areas of study in our schools. |
GOP wants urban voters By / PittsburghLIVE.com — Permalink Republican leaders on Thursday used Pittsburgh — a city controlled by Democratic elected officials for seven decades — as an example of where the GOP hopes to expand its membership with minorities and inner-city voters who traditionally align more with Democrats. | |
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Gerry Daly: The Tribune-Review reports, "Republican leaders on Thursday used Pittsburgh — a city controlled by Democratic elected... Alexander K. McClure: It appears that the Party of Lincoln has grasped this point and is working to improve their outreach. |
Taegan Goddard: Meanwhile, Republican leaders in Pittsburgh used its host city as an example of "where the GOP hopes to expand its... Orrin Judd: STEALERS: GOP wants urban voters (David M. Brown, , August 5, 2005, Pittsburgh TRIBUNE-REVIEW) [snipped quote] It's a... |
Everything in the American garden is lovely. So why the long face, buddy? By / Times of London — Permalink THE AMERICAN model has taken a bit of a battering these past few years. The country's foreign policy is, to put it mildly, not much admired around the world. Domestically, the nation is believed by foreigners to be in the grip of a pre-Enlightenment rapture of fundamentalist bigotry and prudish repression. | |
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Orrin Judd: 23 YEARS AND STILL GOING: Everything in the American garden is lovely. So why the long face, buddy? |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: UPDATE: Gerard Baker celebrates: "THE AMERICAN model has taken a bit of a battering these past few years. |
Poll: Fewer Americans Think Bush Is Honest By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON — Less than half of Americans now say they think President Bush is honest, according to an AP-Ipsos poll taken at a time of increasing concerns about Iraq, a potential problem for a president who won re-election declaring that "people know where I stand." | |
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TChris: Now They Get It — It's difficult to believe that it took this long for most people to recognize the president's dishonesty. |
Matthew Yglesias: "The war in Iraq also could have an impact on more than elections," observes the Associated Press: [snipped quote] There's also, you know, the dead people. |
FCC Eases Broadband Service Rules By / LAT — Permalink The nation's telephone companies today won the right to kick off rival providers of high-speed Internet service from their networks in a move some industry observers fear will limit competition and raise prices for consumers. | |
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Jamie Court: On Friday the Federal Communications Commission reversed course and deregulated high speed Internet service. |
Mark Kleiman: Thank you, FCC — The FCC has moved to create a virtual duopoly in high-speed internet access, by deciding that local... |