Top Items:
Ellen Knickmeyer / Washington Post:
U.S. Has End in Sight on Iraq Rebuilding — Documents Show Much of the Funding Diverted to Security, Justice System and Hussein Inquiry — BAGHDAD — The Bush administration does not intend to seek any new funds for Iraq reconstruction in the budget request going before Congress in February, officials say.
Discussion:
Rantingprofs, Think Progress, 'Just World News …, The Left Coaster, IntoxiNation-News …, Simianbrain, Body and Soul, Comments From Left Field, The Heretik, www.AndrewSullivan.com, Left I on the News, Eschaton, Just a Bump in the Beltway, Upper Left, Prometheus 6, AMERICAblog and Air America Radio
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Fox News:
Transcript: McConnell, Schumer — The following is a transcript from "FOX News Sunday" on Jan. 1, 2006: — CHRIS WALLACE, HOST: I'm Chris Wallace. A new controversy about that NSA domestic spying program, next on "Fox News Sunday". — As we begin 2006, there's a growing debate …
Discussion:
New York Times, Power Line, The Washington Monthly, The Carpetbagger Report and The Heretik
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David D. Kirkpatrick / New York Times:
Alito Supporters Portray Nominee as Less Polished — WASHINGTON, Jan. 1 - As Judge Samuel A. Alito Jr. enters his final week of dress rehearsals for his Supreme Court confirmation hearings, participants say his performance has already made one thing clear: he will never be as polished …
Discussion:
Carol Platt Liebau, Althouse, A Chequer-Board of Nights …, The Corner on National … and Bench Memos …
Marty Lederman / Balkinization:
So Much for the President's Assent to the McCain Amendment — The President signed the Defense Appropriations bill on Friday. In his signing statement he did at least two notable things. — First, with respect to several provisions of the bill, the President signaled his intention …
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Peter Finn / Washington Post:
Russia Warned on Natural Gas Dispute — EU Plans Emergency Session to Address Sharp Drop in Gas Imports — MOSCOW, Jan. 2 — Several European countries reported sharp drops Monday in the level of natural gas they are receiving from Russia as a dispute over pricing between …
Discussion:
Rook's Rant
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Andrew Miga / Associated Press:
Kerry Positioned for '08 White House Bid — WASHINGTON - It's almost as if Sen. John Kerry never stopped running for president. He still jets across the country, raising millions of dollars and rallying Democrats. He still stalks the TV news show circuit, scolding President Bush at every turn.
Discussion:
Captain's Quarters, Shakespeare's Sister, The RCP Blog, The Florida Masochist and Dohiyi Mir
Hotline On Call:
Welcome To Oh...Six — The Hotline pauses for a bit and what happens? News still breaks out. Imagine that. So to catch you up, here's our summary of the past ten days, in it's-not-hackneyed-until-we-do- it "Best Of/Worst Of" form. — Best use of a college bowl game …
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TBogg:
Okay. Enough celebrating. Let's get started... It's 2006, wingnuttery abounds and time's a'wastin'.... First up, K-Lo rings in the New Year: … Unfortunately Mitt Romney was unavailable for smoochies (he must have been with one of his wives) and so K-Lo was forced to finish off her Zima alone …
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Cori Dauber / Rantingprofs:
Under What Definition Is This A Scandal? — The Times reports that the Lincoln Group in some fashion paid Sunni clerics to assist in bringing their constituencies over from the dark side, or at least to keep them from going that way. Were they paid for their advice, paid for their actions regarding …
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Kobayashi Maru:
The MSM Franchise - Erosion... and Backlash? — I find it tremendously ironic that during a period in which the blogsophere has enabled personal and political expression to flourish like no other in history (easier, cheaper, freer and more accessible) the anti-Bush crowd says that it is more concerned …
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Mark Ballard / 2theadvocate.com:
Blanco orders remodeling just after storms — Office tab: $564,838 — Some members of the governor's staff will return from the three-day holiday on Tuesday to newly renovated offices at the State Capitol. — Shortly after the two hurricanes, Gov. Kathleen Blanco decided to renovate some of her staff's offices.
Discussion:
Betsy's Page, A Blog For All, Gut Rumbles, Thespis Journal, Louisiana Libertarian, Taegan Goddard's … and Gina Cobb
John M. Broder / New York Times:
States Take Lead in Push to Raise Minimum Wages — Despite Congressional refusal for almost a decade to raise the federal minimum wage, nearly half of the civilian labor force lives in states where the pay is higher than the rate set by the federal government.
Telegraph:
Sniper shot that took out an insurgent killer from three quarters of a mile — Gazing through the telescopic sight of his M24 rifle, Staff Sgt Jim Gilliland, leader of Shadow sniper team, fixed his eye on the Iraqi insurgent who had just killed an American soldier.
Salman Masood / New York Times:
Pakistanis Back Off Vow to Control Madrasas — ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Jan. 1 - As the incendiary training at some of Pakistan's seminaries drew renewed focus in the weeks after the July 7 bombings in London, President Pervez Musharraf promised to bring the schools into the mainstream and expel …
Christopher Lee / Washington Post:
Alito Once Made Case For Presidential Power — As a young Justice Department lawyer, Supreme Court nominee Samuel A. Alito Jr. tried to help tip the balance of power between Congress and the White House a little more in favor of the executive branch. — In the 1980s, the Reagan administration …
