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Quoted in this edition:

Ace of Spades HQ
  LauraW
AMERICAblog
  Joe @AmericaBlog
  Michael @AmericaBlog
AMERICAN DIGEST Essays
  Vanderleun
American Thinker
The Anchoress
  TheAnchoress
Associated Press
  Slobodan Lekic
  Nedra Pickler
  David Ammons
  David Bauder
  Erica Werner
  Rose French
  Jamal Halaby
  Marc Humbert
Balloon Juice
  John Cole
Begging to Differ
  Hei Lun
THE BELGRAVIA DISPATCH
  Gregory Djerejian
Betsy's Page
  Betsy Newmark
Billmon
  Billmon
Brendan Nyhan
  Brendan Nyhan
Captain's Quarters
  Captain Ed
Chris C Mooney
  Chris Mooney
The Claremont Institute
  Richard Reeb
CNN
  Aaron Smith
The Corner
  Jonah Goldberg
  K-Lo
  Kathryn Jean Lopez
  Andy McCarthy
  Tim Graham
corrente
  Lambert @Corrente
COUNTERCOLUMN
  Jason Van Steenwyk
cut on the bias
  Susanna Cornett
Daily Kos
  Armando @DailyKos
  Kos @DailyKos
Daimnation!
  Damian Penny
Davenetics
  Dave Pell
DC Media Girl
  DC Media Girl
Dean's World
  Dean Esmay
  Scott Kirwin
DEBKAfile
Demagogue
  Frederick Maryland
Donklephant
  Justin Gardner
ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES
  Echidne
Ed Driscoll.com
  Ed Driscoll
EdCone.com
  Ed Cone
Fox News
Front Page Magazine
  Frank J. Gaffney Jr.
Gateway Pundit
  Gateway Pundit
gregransom.com/prestopundit/
  Greg Ransom
The Huffington Post
  Harry Shearer
  Hooman Majd
Hugh Hewitt
  Hugh Hewitt
Hullabaloo
  Digby
In the Agora
  Eric Seymour
Instapundit.com
  Glenn Reynolds
Israel news and commentary from IsraPundit
  Ted Belman
  IceViking
JustOneMinute
  Tom Maguire
Kesher Talk
  Judith Weiss
La Shawn Barber’s Corner
  La Shawn Barber
The Left Coaster
  Mary @LeftCoaster
  Steve Soto
The Light Of Reason
  Arthur Silber
Los Angeles Times
  Bill Richardson
Media Matters for America
mediabistro
  Garrett M. Graff
  Brian Stelter
MemeFirst
  Stefan @MemeFirst
Michael J. Totten
  Michael J. Totten
Michelle Malkin
  Betsy Newmark
  Michelle Malkin
The Moderate Voice
  Justin Delabar
  Joe Gandelman
MSNBC
MyDD
  Scott Shields
National Review
New York Times
  Damon Darlin
Newsday
  David Bauder
  Verne Gay
NewsHog
  Cernig
No More Mister Nice Blog
  Steve M.
Obsidian Wings
  Edward _
Oh, That Liberal Media
  John Rosenberg
Oliver Willis
  Oliver Willis
Outside The Beltway
  James Joyner
Pandagon
  Amanda Marcotte
  Jesse Taylor
Pejmanesque
  Pejman Yousefzadeh
The People's Republic of Seabrook
  Jack Cluth
PoliBlog
  Dr. Steven Taylor
PoliPundit.com
  Alexander K. McClure
  PoliPundit
  Lorie Byrd
  Jayson @PoliPundit
Power Line
  Paul @PowerLine
  Scott @PowerLine
  John @PowerLine
ProfessorBainbridge.com
  Steve Bainbridge
QandO
  Mcq
  Dale Franks
Rantingprofs
  Cori Dauber
RedState.org
  Mark Kilmer
  Adam C
Reuters
  Tabassum Zakaria
  Alan Elsner
rexblog.com
  Rex Hammock
Rising Hegemon
  DeDurkheim
  Attaturk
Romenesko
  Jim Romenesko
Secular Blasphemy
  Jan Haugland
The Sideshow
  Avedon Carol
Signifying Nothing
  Chris Lawrence
skippy the bush kangaroo
  Pudentilla
Slate
  Christopher Hitchens
Southern Appeal
  Steve Dillard
Steve Clemons
  Steve Clemons
Suburban Guerrilla
  Susie Madrak
Talking Points Memo
  Josh Marshall
TalkLeft
  Jeralyn Merritt
  TChris
TAPPED
  Matthew Yglesias
»«TBogg»«
  Tbogg
Terry Heaton's Pomo blog
  Terry Heaton
Think Progress
  Conor @ThinkProgress
Times of London
  Richard Beeston
Townhall.com
  Jennifer Roback Morse
  Charles Krauthammer
  Matthew Yglesias
USS Neverdock
  Marc @USSNeverdock
The Volokh Conspiracy
  Jim Lindgren
Vox Popoli
  Vox Day
Wampum
  Dwight Meredith
War and Piece
  Laura Rozen
The Washington Monthly
  Kevin Drum
Washington Post
  Dana Milbank
  Dan Eggen
  David Ignatius
  Edward M. Kennedy
  Fred Barbash
  Charles Krauthammer
Washington Times
  Donald Lambro
White House
Wizbang
  Rob @Wizbang



US concedes ground to Islamists on Iraqi law
  Reuters   —   Permalink 
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. diplomats have conceded ground to Islamists on the role of religion in Iraq, negotiators said on Saturday as they raced to meet a 48-hour deadline to draft a constitution under intense U.S. pressure.
Billmon: And, according to Reuters, that moment now seems to have arrived: "U.S. diplomats have conceded ground to Islamists on...
Armando @DailyKos: The Noble Cause — Via Billmon, whose post is a must read, this: "Sunni Arab negotiator Saleh al-Mutlak also said a...
Dwight Meredith: Update: From Reuters: "U.S. diplomats have conceded ground to Islamists on the role of religion in Iraq, negotiators...

Twin Cities turning deaf ear to political talk radio shows
  AP   —   Permalink 
Twin Cities listeners have been tuning out political talk radio.
Locally, conservative-talk icon Rush Limbaugh's show has lost 43 percent of its audience among 25- to 54-year-olds in the past year. Sean Hannity's show is down a whopping 63 percent.
Cernig: I suspect Georgie-boy's audience figures are heading in the same direction as Rush Limbaugh's.
Attaturk: Let me be diplomatic... Fat, Fatuous, F**k losing audience share in droves, and so is another major jackass This is one city only, but I would bet it's part of an overall trend.
Justin Gardner: Let's Tune Out Talk Radio — Is this story from the Star Tribuen a sign that people are getting sick of partisan hacks?
Jesse Taylor: Because The Market Always Bears Out What People Want To Listen To — I'm sure the Powerline boys already have an answer for this one.

Roberts's Rules of Decorum
  By / WaPo   —   Permalink 
Now it's getting personal.
Last week, researchers found several memos from the summer and fall of 1984 in which future Supreme Court nominee John Roberts, working as a Reagan White House lawyer, argued against sending presidential thank-you notes to Michael Jackson for his charitable works.
Jan Haugland: There is only one Dana Milbank — Supreme Court nominee John Roberts was quite prescient, objecting to Michael Jackson...
K-Lo: IT MUST BE AUGUST — WPost is just getting around to Michael Jackson and Roberts now?
John Cole: Only One James Bond More Judge Roberts memos released, including him (almost obsessively) ripping into Michael...
Scott @PowerLine: Only one Dana Milbank — Drudge flags Dana Milbank's mocking Washington Post article on John Roberts: "Roberts's rules of decorum."
Betsy Newmark: If you weren't already impressed with John Roberts, this should do it for you.
Dean Esmay: Wow by Dean Wow. Just.... wow. I really couldn't care less about Roberts, but wow.

Police foil gas attack on Commons
  Times of London   —   Permalink 
SCOTLAND YARD believes it has thwarted an Al-Qaeda gas attack aimed at ministers and MPs in parliament. The plot, hatched last year, is understood to have been discovered in coded e-mails on computers seized from terror suspects in Britain and Pakistan.
Jim Lindgren: According to the Times of London, British intelligence cracked Al Qaeda codes and believes that it prevented a...
Hugh Hewitt: The Times of London is reporting that al Qaeda's plot ot has Parliament has been stopped due to codebreakers.

President's Radio Address
  White House   —   Permalink 
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. In a few weeks, our country will mark the four-year anniversary of the attacks of September the 11th, 2001. On that day, we learned that vast oceans and friendly neighbors no longer protect us from those who wish to harm our people.
Cernig: However, I did happen to read the transcript of Bush's latest effort, if only because Wampum has a revealing take on the progression of the Coward-In-Chief's rhetoric.
Mark Kilmer: A thought from President Bush's Weekly Radio Address [transcript] this morning struck me as particularly relevant: Our...
Dwight Meredith: In his radio address, Mr. Bush said: "We have combated terrorists on the home front by disrupting terror cells and their financial support networks.

In New Mexico ...
  By / LAT   —   Permalink 
MASKED MEN KIDNAP three teenage girls. A sniper fires shots at the local sheriff. Property is destroyed at homes and businesses. Mexican cattle suspected of carrying bovine tuberculosis are found on ranches. Seven people reportedly are attacked and robbed at gunpoint.
DeDurkheim: Immigration Wakey Wakey — Published today in the LA Times is an interesting editorial from New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson.
Greg Ransom: Gov. Bill Richardson on the border emergency — It seems Gov. Richardson has had something of a conversion on the...

Iraq's Kurds May Drop Secession Demand
  By / AP   —   Permalink 
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Talks on Iraq's new constitution have stalled over the role of Islam and the distribution of the country's oil wealth, negotiators said Saturday. The leadership of the country's Kurdish minority said it may drop its contentious demand for the right to secede.
Justin Delabar: Kurds May Drop Secession Demands — Iraqi president Jalal Talabani's PUK is suggesting that the Kurds may drop the...
Dr. Steven Taylor: Via the AP: Iraq's Kurds May Drop Secession Demand [snipped quote] Unfortunately, that is the same list they have been...
Steve M.: IRAQI CONSTITUTION — AP reports on something I didn't know was being seriously considered: Shiite lawmaker Saad Jawad...
Justin Gardner: Kurds Dropping Independence Demands? This possible compromise could mean very good news for a free Iraq.

Armstrong, Bush Ride 'Tour De Crawford'
  By / AP   —   Permalink 
WACO, Texas (AP) — It's no yellow jersey, but President Bush on Saturday presented Lance Armstrong with another shirt to show off his biking experiences - a red, white and blue T-shirt emblazoned "Tour de Crawford."
Lambert @Corrente: Anyhow, in a well-timed pre-Sabbath Day gasbag move, Bush, in a pathetic attempt to gain a little lustre by associating...
Joe @AmericaBlog: After the ride, Bush presented Armstrong with a "Tour de Crawford" t-shirt.

Bush invokes Sept 11 to defend Iraq war
  By / Reuters   —   Permalink 
CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - President George W. Bush launched a counter-offensive against growing public discontent over Iraq on Saturday, when he defended the war as a way of protecting Americans from another September 11 attack, a message he will reinforce when he takes to the road next week.
Stefan @MemeFirst: President Bush, meanwhile, is still in denial, of course, continuing to link Iraq to 9/11: [snipped quote] Still, it's...
Oliver Willis: When All Else Fails — Your president will lie.

U.S. concedes ground to Islamists on Iraqi law
  Reuters   —   Permalink 
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. diplomats have conceded ground to Islamists on the role of religion in Iraq, negotiators said on Saturday as they raced to meet a 48-hour deadline to draft a constitution under intense U.S. pressure.
Stefan @MemeFirst: Reuters quotes a secular Kurdish official, no doubt one of Hitchens' friends: "It's shocking. It doesn't fit American values.
Arthur Silber: For this: "BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. diplomats have conceded ground to Islamists on the role of religion in Iraq,...

Krugman's Big Lie
  American Thinker   —   Permalink 
Paul Krugman, the former Enron advisor, New York Times op ed columnist, and presumably in his spare time, "educator" at Princeton, has made a habit of distortion, and half truths in his twice-weekly columns in the "paper of record."
Betsy Newmark: Richard Baehr has a good, long look at Paul Krugman's claim that two media consortiums found that Gore should have won the 2000 election.
Greg Ransom: "Paul Krugman" + dishonest = 34,700 hits "Paul Krugman" + false = 104,000 hits "Paul Krugman" + liar = 41,400 hits "Paul...

Falling Costs of Big-Screen TV's to Keep Falling
  By / NYT   —   Permalink 
In consumer electronics, as in much of life, good things happen to those who wait - good things as in plunging prices.
The cost of big-screen televisions, which have been steadily dropping by about 25 percent a year, are now expected to fall even more sharply this autumn, according to industry analysts.
Rex Hammock: Time to reflect on the important things in life, like news in the New York Times that the prices of big screen TVs "are pretty much in a free fall."
Chris Lawrence: I want my HDTV — Good news for all those planning to replace a wall with a television screen: prices for large-screen TVs are expected to continue to free-fall.

Judge berates US failures as 9/11 supporter is convicted
  By / Times of London   —   Permalink 
A GERMAN court yesterday convicted a Moroccan student of belonging to the al-Qaeda cell responsible for the attacks on America of September 11, 2001, but acquitted him of direct involvement in the murder of nearly 3,000 people.
Jeralyn Merritt: German Court Criticizes U.S. for Withholding Evidence — Mounir al-Motassadeq, 31, was convicted yesterday in a German court of being a member of an al-Qaeda cell.
Susie Madrak: Justice with a Blind Spot Silly man! Isn't justice supposed to be blind?

Roberts Was Not Strictly Conservative
  LAT   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON — Supreme Court nominee John G. Roberts Jr. made it clear in his days as a Reagan administration lawyer that he did not share the traditional conservative fear of the U.S. government creating national identification cards for American citizens.
Hugh Hewitt: The Los Angeles Times is sifting through the documents as well, and found a Roberts memo blasting Bob Jones III for his "petulant paranoia."
PoliPundit: Roberts on Immigration — Some reassurance on John Roberts: [snipped quote] Now that's my kind of Justice!

Did the FBI Ignore 9/11 Warnings?
  Fox News   —   Permalink 
This is a partial transcript from "Hannity & Colmes," August 18, 2005, that has been edited for clarity.
ALAN COLMES, CO-HOST: Welcome back to a special edition of "Hannity & Colmes." I'm Alan Colmes. Sean reporting live tonight from Sunland Park, New Mexico, on the outskirts of El Paso.
Captain Ed: Col. Tony Shaffer's appearance on Hannity and Colmes last night on Fox has people on all sides of the Able Danger thread scratching their heads.
Tom Maguire: Shaffer Named Terrorists On A No-Name Basis [See UPDATE 2 - the transcript *may* tell a different story] Lt. Col...

3 Sunni Activists Killed In Iraq
  WaPo   —   Permalink 
MOSUL, Iraq, Aug. 19 — Gunmen in this northern city Friday abducted and publicly executed three Sunni Arab activists who had been working to draw the disgruntled Sunni minority into Iraq's political mainstream, and then draped their bodies in a get-out-the-vote banner, officials and witnesses said.
Cori Dauber: We Need More of the Post's Idea of "Tension" — What I described yesterday as a "race" continues today, as the Post describes it.
LauraW: Bad news/ Good news — Sunnis who support the democratic process are publicly assassinated; then we pick up this tidbit...

In 1980s, Roberts Criticized The Court He Hopes to Join
  WaPo   —   Permalink 
When John G. Roberts Jr. accepted President Bush's nomination to the Supreme Court last month, he spoke with awe about the high court. He had argued 39 cases before the justices, but he said he "always got a lump in my throat whenever I walked up those marble steps."
Adam C: Roberts' Documents Paint Good Picture — Each day or two, the Washington Post prints an article trying to knock Roberts down a notch.
Armando @DailyKos: Roberts: His View of the SCOTUS — From WaPo: [quote] "The federal judiciary today benefits from an insulation from political...[end quote]
Hugh Hewitt: (Duane is assigning the virtual boxes over at Radioblogger.com) The Post's headline baldly states that "In 1980s,...

Costas refuses to host show about Holloway
  MSNBC   —   Permalink 
NEW YORK - While some cable TV hosts are making their living off the Natalee Holloway case this summer, Bob Costas is having none of it.
Costas, hired by CNN as an occasional fill-in on "Larry King Live," refused to anchor Thursday's show because it was primarily about the Alabama teenager who went missing in Aruba.
DC Media Girl: Good for him for refusing to pander: While some cable TV hosts are making their living off the Natalee Holloway case this summer, Bob Costas is having none of it.
Attaturk: Costas refuses to host show about Holloway [snipped quote] Costas, Olbermann, Lampley amazing how the sports guys don't buy into the bulls**t.

Sen. John Kerry Blisters Republicans
  By / AP   —   Permalink 
SEATTLE - Sen. John F. Kerry (news, bio, voting record) told state legislators Friday the Democratic Party doesn't need to undergo an extreme makeover, saying "the last thing America needs is a second Republican Party."
Mcq: Now he figures it out ... well almost — After spending the '04 Presidential campaign essentially saying 'me too, but...
Marc @USSNeverdock: America - John Kerry Blisters Republicans — That headline leaves no doubt as to AP reporter, David Ammons', bias in this Guardian report.
Glenn Reynolds: JOE GANDELMAN thinks that John Kerry is giving bad advice to the Democrats.
Joe Gandelman: Kerry Blasts GOP And Says Democratic Party Doesn't Need Much Change — John Kerry's latest salvo delivered to state...
Jayson @PoliPundit: Clueless — John Kerry Heinz. P.S. - I could not help but notice that Kerry Heinz made that rant before a confab of state legislator types.

What Cindy Sheehan Really Wants
  By / Slate   —   Permalink 
When are the bureau chiefs of our newspapers and networks going to snap out of their own vacation-induced trances and send some grown-up correspondents down to Crawford, Texas? For weeks now, Cindy Sheehan has not been asked a single question that is any tougher than "How does it feel?"
Michael J. Totten: Hitchens explains: [snipped quote] UPDATE: There's an argument in the comments about whether the "chickenhawk" brigade...
John Cole: Hitchens Throws Another Haymaker This one is going to give the left the vapors: When are the bureau chiefs of our...
Stefan @MemeFirst: Bush: Making Iraq safe for Islamism — In Slate yesterday, Christopher Hitchens savaged Cindy Sheehan for wanting US forces to capitulate in Iraq.

Costas Refuses to Host Show on Holloway
  By / AP   —   Permalink 
(08-19) 18:11 PDT New York (AP) —
While some cable TV hosts are making their living off the Natalee Holloway case this summer, Bob Costas is having none of it.
Jonah Goldberg: IT'S A LOW BAR... But Bob Costas counts as a media hero. He refuses to exploit Aruba. Via Drudge.
Betsy Newmark: Kudos to Bob Costas. [quote]Costas, hired by CNN as an occasional fill-in on "Larry King Live," refused to anchor Thursday's...[end quote]

Costas Refuses to Host Show on Holloway
  By / Newsday   —   Permalink 
NEW YORK — While some cable TV hosts are making their living off the Natalee Holloway case this summer, Bob Costas is having none of it.
Costas, hired by CNN as an occasional fill-in on "Larry King Live," refused to anchor Thursday's show because it was primarily about the Alabama teenager who went missing in Aruba.
Harry Shearer: Harry Shearer: The Slow News Movement — The most interesting thing about the story that Bob Costas begged off hosting a...
Brian Stelter: AP Picks Up The Bob Costas Refusal costasaugust192.jpgFollow ing up on TVNewser's exclusive about Bob Costas, the...

Frist voices support for 'intelligent design'
  MSNBC   —   Permalink 
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Echoing similar comments from President Bush, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said "intelligent design" should be taught in public schools alongside evolution.
Jesse Taylor: Stupid Statements In ID Today...This Morning...Between 9 And 1 — Bill Frist: [snipped quote] I also believe that...
Edward _: In explaining his position he said: [quote] "I think today a pluralistic society should have access to a broad range of fact, of science, including faith," Frist said. [end quote]
Ed Cone: Frist on ID — Frist on teaching "Intelligent Design": "I think today a pluralistic society should have access to a broad range of fact, of science, including faith."
Steve Soto: In his continuous effort to pander to the American Taliban, Frist saw an opportunity to move rightward of Little Ricky...
James Joyner: Frist voices support for "intelligent design" (MSNBC) [snipped quote] Quite right.
Justin Gardner: Frist Backs Intelligent Design *sigh* [snipped quote] I agree that people should be exposed to many different ideas, but teaching this stuff in science class is just plain wrong.
Also: John Cole, Jan Haugland, Attaturk, Betsy Newmark, Joe @AmericaBlog, Josh Marshall

Roberts Resisted Women's Rights
  WaPo   —   Permalink 
Supreme Court nominee John G. Roberts Jr. consistently opposed legal and legislative attempts to strengthen women's rights during his years as a legal adviser in the Reagan White House, disparaging what he called "the purported gender gap" and, at one point, questioning "whether encouraging homemakers to become lawyers contributes to the common good."
Echidne: For example "Supreme Court nominee John G. Roberts Jr. consistently opposed legal and legislative attempts to...
John Rosenberg: Biased Washington Post Headline — The headline of today's continuing Washington Post alarming series about shocking...
Betsy Newmark: How deceptive is this headline on the front page of the Washington Post?
Adam C: Yesterday, they maligned him with an article incorrectly titled "Roberts Resisted Women's Rights."
Paul @PowerLine: The Washington Post takes a cheap shot — Today's frontpage headline in the Washington Post proclaims, "Roberts Resisted Women's Rights."
Hei Lun: ROBERTS TO WOMEN: GET BACK IN THE KITCHEN — Here's how today's front page Washington Post story on John Roberts titled...
Also: Julian Sanchez, Michael @AmericaBlog, Tim Graham, Stuart Buck, Captain Ed, Jo Fish, DC Media Girl, Dr. Steven Taylor, Brad DeLong, Hugh Hewitt, Zoe Kentucky, Liesa @LeftInTheWest, Cookie Jill

Sen. Reid Reports Suffering Mild Stroke
  By / AP   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., saw a doctor after feeling light-headed Tuesday and learned he'd suffered a mild stroke, aides said Friday.
"Senator Reid feels fine. There are no complications or any restrictions on his activities.
Captain Ed: The Democratic caucus leader suffered a transient ischemic attack (TIA), a type of mini-stroke which usually leaves no...
Susie Madrak: Breaking News Oh dear: Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., saw a doctor after feeling light-headed Tuesday and learned he'd suffered a mild stroke, aides said Friday.
Kos @DailyKos: Reid suffers minor stroke — Praying for a speedy recovery.
Joe @AmericaBlog: Here's what AP has: "Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., saw a doctor after feeling light-headed Tuesday and learned he'd suffered a mild stroke, aides said Friday.

A Mighty Wind
  NRO   —   Permalink 
Where's the rich liberal sacrifice?
"The law, in its majestic equality" wrote Anatole France, "forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread."
But apparently not environmentalism.
Mcq: Environmentalism is for the masses, it seems, and not those who can afford, for instance, to live on Martha's Vinyard as...
Matthew Yglesias: Jonah Goldberg has a funny column about rich liberals on Martha's Vineyard trying to block the construction of an...
Ed Driscoll: A Mighty Wind — Jonah Goldberg has lots of fun with the ultimate not-in-my-backyard folks: [snipped quote] Read the rest.
Rob @Wizbang: Hell no. Which is really sort of amazing, isn't it?
TheAnchoress: It's been bugging me ever since Walter Cronkite suggested - not in so many words, but suggested it, nonetheless - that...
PoliPundit: Windmills — Jonah Goldberg notes an interesting story: "The basic situation is that some environmentalists and a...
Also: Ace

The Illusions of Reproductive Freedom: Part I
  By / Townhall.com   —   Permalink 
The asymmetry of reproductive freedom.
The feminist establishment is in an uproar over the appointment of Judge John Roberts to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. In their minds, the abortion license established by Roe v. Wade is sacrosanct.
Amanda Marcotte: And contrary to what you might think, puppies aren't cute either — God, I love it when anti-choicers just come right out against contraception.
Glenn Reynolds: YES, BIRTH CONTROL IS IMPERFECT: But I think that Jennifer Roback Morse would be even less happy if it worked flawlessly.
Steve Dillard: "The Illusions of Reproductive Freedom": I think this is a nice follow up to the recent debate I had over at Professor Volokh's place: [snipped quote] Spot on.
Richard Reeb: Abortion: Another Failed Attempt to Conquer Chance — Jennifer Roback Morse, a Research Fellow at the Hoover...

Republican senator calls for talks with Iran
  By / Reuters   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican Party foreign policy expert Sen. Chuck Hagel (news, bio, voting record) is calling for the United States to open talks with Iran's new president and has dismissed President George W. Bush's talk of a military option against Tehran as an empty and foolish threat.
Scott Shields: UPDATE: More from Chuck Hagel on Bush's comments on Iran: [quote] "Quite frankly, what is the military option, what are we talking about here?[end quote]
Hooman Majd: That's exactly what Senator Chuck Hagel suggested today, in an interview with Reuters.
Dave Pell: Republican Senator Chuck Hagel on talking to and about Iran: [snipped quote] Uh, yeah. permalink | politics | send
Steve Soto: Hagel Implies Bush Is A Fool Over Iran — Whatever GOP unity on foreign policy that existed on Iran evaporated today,...
Justin Gardner: From the AP: "In an interview with Reuters during a trip across his home state on Wednesday, Hagel said the United...
Kathryn Jean Lopez: CHUCK HAGEL wants us hanging with Iran.

Former aide: Powell WMD speech 'lowest point in my life'
  CNN   —   Permalink 
(CNN) — A former top aide to Colin Powell says his involvement in the former secretary of state's presentation to the United Nations on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction was "the lowest point" in his life.
Tbogg: Cry havoc and unleash the hounds on Colin Powell — So, how long before the 101st Fighting Keyboarders turn their, um,...
Josh Marshall: I should be getting a copy tomorrow of 'Dead Wrong — Inside an Intelligence Meltdown', a documentary CNN has on this Sunday about the Iraq intel failure.
Frederick Maryland: Former Aide Recalls Powell's UN Performance — From CNN.com: "A former top aide to Colin Powell says his involvement in...
Digby: Warm Feelings — [snipped quote] The president had no problems in that regard, did he? He still has warm feelings galore.
Dave Pell: Kung Pau Chicken with Shock and Awe Sauce — Former Colin Powell chief of staff Lawrence Wilkerson reflects on the...

Pentagon Probes Able Danger Claims
  Fox News   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is taking a hard look at the issue of whether a military intelligence group called Able Danger (search) had information that the lead hijacker in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks was in the United States more than a year before the United States.
Laura Rozen: Fox News seems to have the latest on the state of play of the Able Danger claims, and there do seem to be some important...
Kevin Drum: SHAFFER AND THE 9/11 COMMISSION...One of the key allegations made by Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer in the Able Danger affair is...

Frist Backs 'Intelligent Design' Teaching
  By / AP   —   Permalink 
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Echoing similar comments from President Bush, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said "intelligent design" should be taught in public schools alongside evolution.

"I think today a pluralistic society should have access to a broad range of fact, of science, including faith," Frist said.
Justin Gardner: Because faith and the scientific method simply don't mix. The AP also covered Frist and intelligent design. (HT: memeorandum)
Chris Mooney: Now Frist, like Bush, says that we should teach ID: [snipped quote] It's the same argument that Bush made, and it's wrong for the same reasons.
TChris: UPDATED: Frist and Intelligent Design — Update: The NY Times explores the Discovery Institute's impact on the...
Jayson @PoliPundit: Tracking Back to the Right — Bill Frist.

Officer Says 2 Others Are Source of His Atta Claims
  By / WaPo   —   Permalink 
The former intelligence officer who says that a Defense Department program identified Mohamed Atta and three other hijackers before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks said yesterday that many of his allegations are not based on his memory but on the recollections of others.
Jan Haugland: Able Danger story getting murky — Was the whole 'Able Danger knew Atta' claim based on hearsay?
Cernig: The Washington Post has this today: The former intelligence officer who says that a Defense Department program...
Steve M.: Washington Post, 8/19/05 In a particularly dramatic scene in Weldon's book, Countdown to Terror, the Pennsylvania...
Susie Madrak: At Least, I Think I Remember This is starting to sound like those stories about the anchorman with the gerbil up his...
Tom Maguire: In other stories, the WaPo tells us more emphatically today what the NY Post told us yesterday - Lt. Col. Shaffer is getting his information second-hand.
Cori Dauber: More on Able Danger — I do believe this is the first time the original source provides another name.

Vice President's Remarks at the 73rd National Convention of the Military Order of the Purple Heart
  White House   —   Permalink 
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you very much. At ease, please. (Laughter.)
Well, thank you very much. It's great to be back in Ozark Mountain country, and to join the 73rd National Convention of a great American organization, the Military Order of the Purple Heart.
Mary @LeftCoaster: Thursday, Dick Cheney spoke in Springfield, MO before a convention of military veterans about the glories of the Iraq war.
Conor @ThinkProgress: The speech was full of the usual pabulum and dishonesty about the conflict, and there were even some bad jokes ("at...
Jack Cluth: Hail the Chickenhawk-in-Chief — Cheney vs. the Peaceniks Vice President's Remarks at the 73rd National Convention of...

What Democrats Should Be Saying
  By / WaPo   —   Permalink 
This should be the Democrats' moment: The Bush administration is caught in an increasingly unpopular war; its plan to revamp Social Security is fading into oblivion; its deputy chief of staff is facing a grand jury probe.
Pejman Yousefzadeh: But a lot of people—like David Ignatius, for example—are asking for the existence of an actual Democratic Party.
Tbogg: Sweeping up behind the elephants — It's a dirty job, but a Democrat's got to do it... Posted by Picasa David Ignatius...
Dale Franks: The Problem with the Democrats — The Washington Post's David Ignatius surveys the political scene.
Armando @DailyKos: David Ignatius: Another D.C. Gasbag — More advice for Dems from a D.C. dimwit: "Rather than lead a responsible...
Matthew Yglesias: Party of Ideas Watch — David Ignatius offers up an example of my least-favorite theme: "Because they lack coherent...
Avedon Carol: And then there's David Ignatius, who writes Sheehan off as a "shrill" voice to whom the Democratic Party has ceded the...
Also: John @PowerLine, Laura Rozen, John Hawkins

Riding out the storms
  By / Newsday   —   Permalink 
We've heard all the arguments until they've come out of our ears. That network news is kaput ... That the Internet is king ... That the Big Three anchorman is a cobweb-draped relic ... That the audience for network news is grayer than Moses (as played by Charlton Heston) ... That an "Era Is Over" ...
Terry Heaton: Justifying the network news anchor — Verne Gay has penned a nostalgic and romantic piece for Newsday that offers ten...
Jim Romenesko: Ten reasons why network news anchors are here to stay — Newsday Here's one from Verne Gay: "The nation needs 'em.
Brian Stelter: Why We Need Anchors anchor.jpgForget all the blabber about the death of network news — Verne Gay lists ten reasons why...

Judge Crater Disappearance Possibly Solved
  Fox News   —   Permalink 
NEW YORK — The New York City Police Department's longest-running unsolved missing-persons case — the bizarre and legendary disappearance of Judge Joseph Force Crater — may finally be solved.
Vanderleun: ICE-COLD CASE FILE: Judge Crater Disappearance Possibly Solved: "The New York City Police Department's longest-running...
Susanna Cornett: I wonder if it's been optioned yet? This story would make an incredible movie, if done properly.
Scott Kirwin: Judge Crater Disappearance Finally Solved However, there is another mystery of more recent vintage that hasn't been solved.
Steve Bainbridge: Fascinating — The New York police think they have finally solved the missing persons case of Judge Joseph Force Crater.

Why Roberts's Views Matter
  By / WaPo   —   Permalink 
Before entrusting Judge John G. Roberts with a lifetime position on the Supreme Court, the Senate must be able to determine whether he will uphold the fundamental principles of our Constitution and laws to continue our nation's march of progress or whether he will adopt a cramped and contorted view of our Constitution that will turn back the clock.
Paul @PowerLine: Flabby thinking from Senator Kennedy — Ted Kennedy delivers a well-deserved insult to the intelligence of those who...
Captain Ed: Dogs And Cats, Living Together — A news report on John Roberts and an editorial by Ted Kennedy in today's Washington Post has Bench Memos rightly up in arms today.
Michael @AmericaBlog: And Ted Kennedy makes two very salient points: Kennedy makes clear the Senate MUST have relevant documents from 16 cases...
Steve Bainbridge: Ted for Lifeguard — In WaPo, Ted Kennedy is raising questions about SCOTUS nominee John Roberts: [snipped quote] If you...

Mortars Fired at U.S. Ship in Jordan
  By / WaPo   —   Permalink 
Two U.S. Navy ships docked in the port of Aqaba, Jordan were targeted in a rocket attack Friday morning. Neither ship was hit and no U.S. personnel were injured, the military said.
Jordanian and Israeli officials told wire services that three Katyusha rockets were fired in the direction of the ships from an industrial area.
Jan Haugland: Rocket attacks against US warships in Jordan — Mortar rockets were fired at two US Navy warships docked in Aqaba, Jordan, this morning.
Cori Dauber: This Is New — Rocket attack against US Navy ships in Jordan. No harm done. Update: Well, I'm busted. Of course, I hadn't had any coffee.
Jason Van Steenwyk: Do you really want to trust a newspaper's military analysis... ...when their editors don't know the difference between a rocket and a mortar?
La Shawn Barber: Other bloggers: Michelle Malkin, Lorie Byrd, Captain Ed… Other source: Attackers Fire Missiles at U.S. Navy Ship, Mortars Fired at U.S. Ships in Jordan… (AP Photo)
Pudentilla: not relenting — [snipped quote] someone needs to tell the dark lord that unlike his younger self, the jihadis don't appear to have other priorities.

Israeli withdrawal is correct and necessary
  By / Townhall.com   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON — The Israeli abandonment of Gaza is a withdrawal of despair. Unlike the Oslo concessions of 1993, there is not even the pretense of getting anything in return from the Palestinians. Nonetheless, unilateralism is both correct and necessary.
Damian Penny: Charles Krauthammer - who supports the withdrawal, but thinks it should be the last unilateral concession Israel makes -...
Judith Weiss: Disengagement isn't enough for some — Previous disengagement entries here, here, here, here, and here.

The Acid Libel
  DEBKAfile   —   Permalink 
The tale of the acid attack by disorderly evacuation resisters against Israeli troops and police was born on the spur of the moment amid the noise and clamor of the evacuation of the Kfar Darom synagogue in the Gaza Strip Thursday, Aug 18.
Vox Day: The government story is ALWAYS wrong — Debka investigates the "acid-throwing" by the protesting Jewish settlers:...
IceViking: From DEBKAfile: "None heeded the denials issued by the alleged acid-throwers or the testimony of the deputy director of Beersheba's Sorocca hospital, who treated the 75 policemen.

Senate Considers Hearing on Able Danger Findings
  Fox News   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON — The military intelligence official who first spoke publicly about Able Danger (search), the pre-Sept. 11 task force looking for terror threats to the United States, went to Capitol Hill Thursday to brief staffers who work for Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Andy McCarthy: Second, Democrat Commissioner Tim Roemer asks a reasonable question: How could Able Danger have gotten the photo of Atta...
Kevin Drum: Supposedly, the Able Danger team produced a chart that included Mohamed Atta's name and picture, but according to Fox...
Laura Rozen: Weldon's comments on Fox yesterday suggest he doesn't appreciate the focus turning now on what the Pentagon knew and whether it shared all it had with the 9/11 commission.
Tom Maguire: 9/11 Commissioner Tim Roemer asks a question about Able Danger that can actually be answered: "While making no judgment...
Captain Ed: Fox News reports that the Senate will consider open hearings on Able Danger as Col. Tony Shaffer traveled to Capitol...

Hagel: Iraq growing more like Vietnam
  CNN   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON (CNN) — Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska on Thursday said the United States is "getting more and more bogged down" in Iraq and stood by his comments that the White House is disconnected from reality and losing the war.
Lorie Byrd: McCain always makes those lists, as well, but at least he knows that statements like this recent one from Hagel do nothing to help the war effort.
Steve Clemons: Here is a clip from a CNN report: "But he said the United States risks losing more public support for the conflict amid a rising cost in blood and money.
Justin Gardner: Meanwhile… Hagel is saying that Iraq is becoming like Vietnam. Hmm…is somebody positioning themselves for 2008?
Jesse Taylor: Hunting The Common And Elusive Chickenhawk — Let us begin with Lorie Byrd on Chuck Hagel's recent comments about Iraq becoming like Vietnam.
Jack Cluth: "Iraq" really is Arabic for "Vietnam" — Hagel: Iraq growing more like Vietnam. Republican Senator says Bush should meet with protesting mom.

Limbaugh, Coulter, Liddy, Hitchens, Barone continue attacks on Cindy Sheehan
  Media Matters for America   —   Permalink 
Sheehan — whose son, Army Spc. Casey Sheehan, was killed in Iraq — began her anti-war protest outside President Bush's Crawford, Texas, ranch on August 7. Media Matters for America has compiled examples from the most recent wave of attacks.
Avedon Carol: The White House seems to have badly miscalculated on this story, thinking they can make an end-run around Sheehan by launching their attack machine against her.
Brendan Nyhan: More attacks on dissent against Sheehan — The smearing of Cindy Sheehan as a traitor continues, as Media Matters documents here and here.
Gateway Pundit: Limbaugh, Coulter, Liddy, Hitchens, Barone continue attacks on Cindy Sheehan In the liberals convoluted world of...
Kevin Drum: Meanwhile, Media Matters continues to document the almost unbelievable savagery of the ongoing conservative smears of Cindy Sheehan.

Jury: Merck negligent
  By / CNN   —   Permalink 
NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Merck has been held liable by a Texas jury in the first lawsuit involving its former blockbuster drug Vioxx, in a case that could have a profound effect on thousands of other cases filed against the company.
Steve Bainbridge: Merck — Drug giant Merck lost the first of 4000-odd Vioxx suits pending against it.
Eric Seymour: And a Texas jury just awarded a quarter-billion-dollar verdict to a widow who claimed her husband died from taking Vioxx.

Jury Awards Widow $253.4M in Vioxx Trial
  AP   —   Permalink 
ANGLETON, Texas - A Texas jury found pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. liable Friday for the death of a man who took the once-popular painkiller Vioxx, awarding his widow $253.4 million in damages in the first of thousands of lawsuits pending across the country.
John @PowerLine: A state court jury in Angleton, Texas awarded a widow $253 million against Merck in the first Vioxx case to go to trial.
Jayson @PoliPundit: Lawsuit Mania is about to descend on Merck & Co. So, we've got a man with perhaps an 11-year expectancy remaining on his future working life.

Newshounds on the Paper Chase
  By / WaPo   —   Permalink 
The throng of journalists lined up outside the National Archives yesterday morning made the place look like the Uptown Theater on "Star Wars" opening night, without the storm trooper costumes.
Betsy Newmark: Today, he looks at the tedious time they're having going through the document dump of John Roberts' memoranda from his time working in Reagan's Counsel's office.
Garrett M. Graff: Dana Milbank relates the color of the event, from Anne Kornblut's nearly futile attempt to get a box to New York Sun reporter Josh Gerstein disappointment.
Jim Romenesko: National Archives looked like opening night for "Star Wars" — Washington Post "Without the storm trooper costumes," notes Dana Milbank.
Tim Graham: RUMMAGING THROUGH ROBERTS BOXES — Those of us still steaming at the Women's-Rights-Hater headline are a little stunned...

Attackers Fire Missiles at U.S. Navy Ship
  By / AP   —   Permalink 
AMMAN, Jordan - Unknown attackers fired at least three missiles from Jordan early Friday, with one narrowly missing a U.S. Navy ship docked in a Jordanian port and killing a Jordanian soldier. Another fell close to a nearby airport in neighboring Israel, officials said.
Captain Ed: Terrorist Attack On US Navy Misses Target — Terrorists launched a missile attack on American Navy amphibious craft from...
Michelle Malkin: THE JORDAN ROCKET ATTACK — The "Abdullah al-Azzam Brigades of the al Qaeda Organization" is claiming responsibility for the multiple rocket attack on a U.S. Navy ship in Jordan.

Democrats fail to gain traction from Bush slip
  By / Washington Times   —   Permalink 
Democrats hoped they would be scoring political points in this year's election cycle as a result of increasing terrorist violence in Iraq and skyrocketing gasoline prices that have combined to send President Bush's job-approval ratings plunging into the low 40s.
John @PowerLine: Democrats Failing to Capitalize — President Bush is having a tough summer, for reasons that are pretty much out of his...
Alexander K. McClure: Democratic Despair — Democrats who thought that President Bush's slipping poll numbers might translate in gains at the polls next year are likely to be disappointed.
James Joyner: Democrats fail to gain traction from Bush slip (Washington Times) [snipped quote] Greenberg is on the right track, I think.

New York Governor's Race Could Be a Battle
  By / AP   —   Permalink 
ALBANY, N.Y. - The race to replace Gov. George Pataki next year could be a battle between "Big Red" and "The Enforcer."
Bill Weld, a former Republican governor of Massachusetts, said Friday he would seek the GOP nomination to run for the same office in his native New York.
Scott Shields: Now it's official — Weld is in.
Betsy Newmark: So, William Weld is going to run for Governor of New York. While he might not be every conservative's cup of tea, our cup of tea wouldn't be elected in New York.

Settling In for a Long Wait
  By / WaPo   —   Permalink 
The Israeli abandonment of Gaza is a withdrawal of despair. Unlike the Oslo concessions of 1993, there is not even the pretense of getting anything in return from the Palestinians. Nonetheless, unilateralism is both correct and necessary.
Paul @PowerLine: We are the world — Charles Krauthammer on the Israeli abandonment of Gaza.
Gregory Djerejian: Hey, It's 'Auto-Rocket' Time! Charles Krauthammer: [snipped quote] Heh.

Who speaks for Casey Sheehan?
  LAT   —   Permalink 
THIS NATION respects and admires Cindy Sheehan on account of her son's heroic death in Iraq. But the Cindy Sheehan spectacle has been another thing altogether. It's on hold now; perhaps it's over. But the protest echoes.
Scott @PowerLine: The road is very narrow with no shoulders. crosses.jpg See also David Gelernter's Los Angeles Times column: "Who speaks for Casey Sheehan?"
Michelle Malkin: Check Austin's comments section as well. - The always trenchant David Gelernter examines Sheehan-mania.

The Enemy Within
  By / Front Page Magazine   —   Permalink 
One year ago, prisoners at the New Folsom State Prison - a maximum-security facility outside Sacramento, California - reportedly began plotting terrorist attacks against three National Guard facilities, the Israeli consulate and several synagogues in the Los Angeles area.
Greg Ransom: The result is a huge opening for the spread of Saudi-backed Wahhabist Jihad within the American prison system.
Ted Belman: The Enemy Within — By Frank J. Gaffney Jr. FrontPageMagazine.com One year ago, prisoners at the New Folsom State...