Top Items:
Doug Bandow / Los Angeles Times:
The lesson Jack Abramoff taught me — I'VE LONG BEEN involved in the public eye, but only as a largely unassuming policy nerd. A couple of weeks ago, however, I found myself spotlighted as a player in l'affaire Jack Abramoff — Abramoff is the lobbyist who pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiracy, fraud and tax evasion.
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Pete Yost / Associated Press:
Top Republicans Give Up Abramoff Donations — WASHINGTON - President Bush, former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and his successor Roy Blunt Wednesday joined the growing list of officials shedding political donations from Jack Abramoff, the once powerful lobbyist who has agreed to testify …
Howard Fineman / MSNBC:
Winners and losers in the Abramoff scandal — The GOP could suffer, opening the way for a third-party movement — WASHINGTON - — Howard Fineman — Forget the black hat. Everybody here is obsessed with Jack Abramoff's gangster-like attire as he came out of the federal courthouse.
Juan / Informed Comment:
Abramoff and al-Arian: Lobbyist's "Charity" a Front for Terrorism — The guilty plea of fabulously wealthy and highly corrupt lobbyist Jack Abramoff raised the question of whether he would roll over on congressmen involved in illegal fundraising and other crimes with him.
Discussion:
Kobayashi Maru, The American Street, 'Just World News …, Betsy's Page, Macsmind and Booman Tribune
Greg Mitchell / Editor and Publisher:
Media Reports Miracle Mine Rescue — Then Carries the Tragic Truth — NEW YORK In one of the most disturbing and disgraceful media performances of this type in recent years, television and newspapers carried the tragically wrong news late Tuesday and early Wednesday that 12 of 13 trapped coal miners …
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John Cole / Balloon Juice:
The Mining Tragedy — If there is any way to make a disaster worse, it happened last night. I went to bed listening to the general euphoria of Rita Crosby as she interviewed family members, and woke up this morning and listened to those same family members dealing not only with tragic loss, but anger and a sense of betrayal.
Discussion:
Washington Post, This isn't writing …, The Anchoress, Pajamas Media, Thespis Journal and Classical Values
Joby Warrick / Washington Post:
Safety Violations Have Piled Up at Coal Mine — Time and again over the past four years, federal mining inspectors documented the same litany of problems at central West Virginia's Sago Mine: mine roofs that tended to collapse without warning. Faulty or inadequate tunnel supports.
Maha / The Mahablog:Dark as a Dungeon — I come from a long line of stone cutters …
Discussion:
livejournal.com, Associated Press, Cafe Hayek, The Sundries Shack, Hullabaloo and The American Street
Haaretz:
Ehud Olmert taking over prime ministerial powers — Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suffered a "significant" stroke with "massive bleeding" in his brain late Wednesday night, according to a Hadassah University Hospital official, and Sharon's authority has been transferred to Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
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Steve Weizman / Associated Press:
Israel's Sharon Suffers Massive Stroke — JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suffered a massive stroke Wednesday and was on a respirator after falling ill at his ranch. Doctors operated to drain excess blood from his brain. — Powers were transferred to his deputy, Vice Premier Ehud Olmert.
Discussion:
ynetnews.com, Gateway Pundit, neo-neocon, Kesher Talk, All Things Beautiful, Yourish.com, Talking Points Memo, Bookworm Room and TigerHawk
Andrea Mitchell / MSNBC:
Reporter defends release of NSA spy program — James Risen says his sources are 'patriots,' CIA calls them 'unreliable' … Andrea Mitchell — New York Times reporter James Risen first broke the story two weeks ago that the National Security Agency began spying on domestic communications soon after 9/11.
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New York Times:
On the Subject of Leaks — Given the Bush administration's appetite for leak investigations (three are under way), this seems a good moment to try to clear away the fog around this issue. — A democratic society cannot long survive if whistle-blowers are criminally punished for revealing …
Discussion:
TigerHawk, Michelle Malkin, Right Wing Nut House, Media Blog on National …, The Heretik, Heard Here and AMERICAN FUTURE
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Noor Khan / Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
Taliban is blamed for beheading teacher — KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — Taliban militants beheaded a teacher in a central Afghan town while his wife and eight children watched, officials said Wednesday, describing the latest in a string of attacks targeting educators at schools where girls study.
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Crooks and Liars:
Letterman to O'Reilly: "60% of what you say is crap" — Letterman to O'Reilly: "60% of what you say is crap" — Bill joined David last night on the Late Show and found that Letterman wasn't buying his phony war on Christmas deal. David also wasn't happy about his attacking Cindy Sheehan …
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Ernesto Londoo / Washington Post:
Mooning Deemed 'Disgusting' but No Crime in Md. — Acquitting a Germantown man who exposed his buttocks during an argument with a neighbor, a Montgomery County Circuit Court judge ruled yesterday that mooning, while distasteful, is not illegal in Maryland. — "If exposure of half …
Discussion:
Norwegianity
Charlie Savage / Boston Globe:
Bush could bypass new torture ban — Waiver right is reserved — WASHINGTON — When President Bush last week signed the bill outlawing the torture of detainees, he quietly reserved the right to bypass the law under his powers as commander in chief. — After approving the bill last Friday …
Lyle Denniston / SCOTUSblog:
Court approves Padilla transfer — The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to permit the transfer of terrorism suspect Jose Padilla from military custody to civilian custody, but took no action on Padilla's appeal challenging his capture and detention as an enemy combatant.
