Top Items:
Wall Street Journal:
Times Reporter Tells Grand Jury About Talk With Top Cheney Aide — A New York Times reporter told a federal grand jury about a previously undisclosed conversation she had with a White House official, as attention continued to focus on possible early efforts by the Bush administration …
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Jim VandeHei / Washington Post:
Times Reporter Testifies Again in CIA Leak Probe — New York Times reporter Judith Miller testified for a second time in the CIA leak case yesterday, providing new details about a previously undisclosed conversation she had with Vice President Cheney's chief of staff about the diplomat at the center of the 22-month investigation.
centcom.mil:
What Extremists Are Saying — We note seven critical themes from the Zawahiri-Zarqawi letter. The first four confirm al-Qaida's long-term strategy and core beliefs; the latter three reflect new information about how senior al-Qaida leader Zawahiri views developments in Iraq - and elsewhere - turning against them.
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Athena / Terrorism Unveiled:A BALANCING ACT OF TACT AND REBUKE
Discussion:
Outside The Beltway, One Hand Clapping, CALIFORNIA YANKEE, Dr. Sanity and Gateway Pundit
Smash / The Indepundit:Al Qaeda's Woes
Discussion:
Don Surber, Donkey Stomp, Secular Blasphemy, Right Wing News and Political Satire Fake News
CNN:
Syrian leader denies role in Lebanese death — Al-Assad says United States should re-examine Iraq policy — DAMASCUS, Syria (CNN) — Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad denied Wednesday that he or his country was involved in the February assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Discussion:
WunderKraut.com, In the Bullpen, Basil's Blog, Across the Bay, chicagoboyz.net and Cox & Forkum Editorial …
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Athena / Terrorism Unveiled:SYRIAN MINISTER SUICIDE — QUESTIONABLE STABILITY OF ASSAD REGIME
Discussion:
Rantingprofs, Michael J. Totten, Publius Pundit, The Glittering Eye and The Counterterrorism Blog
Washington Post:
SEC Issues Subpoena To Frist, Sources Say — Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) has been subpoenaed to turn over personal records and documents as federal authorities step up a probe of his July sales of HCA Inc. stock, according to sources familiar with the investigation.
Discussion:
Patridiot Watch, The Huffington Post, Balloon Juice, Bark Bark Woof Woof, TalkLeft, The Democratic Party and Eschaton
John Fund / Opinion Journal:
How She Slipped Through — Harriet Miers's nomination resulted from a failed vetting process. — "There's a standard vetting process that we go through with all nominees." —White House spokesman Scott McClellan — "The president is very, very confident in his judgments about people, and he likes to reward loyalty."
Robin Toner / New York Times:
Democrats See Dream of '06 Victory Taking Form — WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 - Suddenly, Democrats see a possibility in 2006 they have long dreamed of: a sweeping midterm election framed around what they describe as the simple choice of change with the Democrats or more of an unpopular status quo with the Republican majority.
Discussion:
The Washington Monthly, The Next Hurrah, Taegan Goddard's …, BrothersJudd Blog, Althouse and NewsBusters.org
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Washington Post:
Role of Religion Emerges as Issue — President Bush said yesterday that it was appropriate for the White House to invoke Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers's religion in making the case for her to skeptical conservatives, triggering a debate over what role, if any, her evangelical faith should play in the confirmation battle.
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Richard Cohen / Washington Post:
Let This Leak Go — The best thing Patrick Fitzgerald could do for his country is get out of Washington, return to Chicago and prosecute some real criminals. As it is, all he has done so far is send Judith Miller of the New York Times to jail and repeatedly haul this or that administration high official …
Adam C. Smith / St. Petersburg Times:
Harris' magic touch for fundraising failing her … When U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris decided to take on Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, even the skeptics in her own party acknowledged her strengths as a candidate: a tireless worker, a celebrity to the Republican base, a renowned talent for raising big money.
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Mark Murray / MSNBC:
Bush approval dips below 40 percent — NBC-WSJ poll shows only 28 percent believe U.S. headed in right direction — WASHINGTON - It has been weeks since Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast; since gas prices began spiking to record highs; and since Cindy Sheehan …
Anthony Browne / Times of London:
Dutch unveil the toughest face in Europe with a ban on the burka — THE Netherlands is likely to become the first country in Europe to ban the burka, under government proposals that would bring in some of the toughest curbs on Muslim clothing in the world. — The country's hardline …
Jonathan Finer / Washington Post:
Iraq's Shiite Hub Awaits Its Day — Najaf Prepares to Endorse Charter, but Rifts Are Apparent — NAJAF, Iraq, Oct. 12 — Families gather in the festive streets after dark during the holy month of Ramadan, munching sweets after a day of fasting. Iraqi soldiers — who recently assumed control …
Discussion:
Rantingprofs
Jason Leopold / rawstory.com:
Vice President's role in outing of CIA agent under examination, sources close to prosecutor say — Cheney's role in CIA outing not known — Special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald is trying to determine whether Vice President Dick Cheney had a role in the outing of covert CIA operative Valerie Plame-Wilson …
Washington Post:
Steele Factor Looms In Md. — Democrats' Hold On Black Voters Could Be Tested — As parishioners swayed and clapped, women in festive red blouses huddled under the imposing front archway of St. Edward's Roman Catholic Church, waiting for Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele.
Kobayashi Maru:
A Dark Night (and Maybe Another) — My brother is still with us, though it's become harder and harder to tell how much he knows it. Occasionally he will make a small motion to indicate that he's heard us, including what I thought was a guffaw at one of my lame attempts at humor.
Jackie Spinner / Washington Post:
Iraq's Kurds Ambivalent On Charter — Already Semi-Autonomous, Region Is Wary of Change — IRBIL, Iraq, Oct. 12 — In the days leading up to Iraq's historic national elections nearly nine months ago, the streets of this Kurdish provincial capital buzzed with excitement.
