Top Items:
David Ignatius / Washington Post:
Taste of the Future — "Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself." The acidulous wisdom of Mark Twain speaks to us across the ages, and never more than this week during the great congressional mobilization to save America's ports from the dreaded hand of Dubai.
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Tom Maguire / JustOneMinute:
Rally The Pundits! — Where is the clarity and vision in this Dubai Ports World debacle? On behalf of a troubled world (or punditry, anyway) I peeked behind the Great Wall to see what the Wise Folk on the other side were thinking. — The results were inconclusive, but interesting:
Discussion:
California Conservative, Air America Radio, The Anonymous Liberal, Decision '08 and King of Zembla
Charles Krauthammer / Washington Post:
A Dubai Finesse — If only Churchill were alive today, none of this would be happening. The proud imperialist would have taken care that the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co., chartered in 1840 by Victoria ("by the grace of God . . . Queen defender of the faith" on …
Pamela Hess / UPI:
SECURITY & TERRORISM — UAE terminal takeover extends to 21 ports — WASHINGTON, Feb. 24 (UPI) — A United Arab Emirates government-owned company is poised to take over port terminal operations in 21 American ports, far more than the six widely reported.
Rowan Scarborough / Washington Times:
Chertoff unaware of ports deal until after OK — Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff was not aware a Dubai-owned company was seeking to operate terminals in six U.S. ports and that his agency was leading the review until after the deal's approval, an administration official said yesterday.
Washington Post:
How to Lose Friends — AMONG MANY other things, the president's job description requires him to keep abreast of economic and political developments around the world; respond to disasters such as Hurricane Katrina; oversee the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; appoint people to run embassies …
PoliPundit.com:
Of Ports and Potty-Mouths — By now, hundreds of comments, of pretty much every conceivable opinion, have been posted here at Polipundit regarding the sale of P&O Ports to Dubai Ports World. Essentially, there have been two camps established in the main, with two additional camps playing …
Discussion:
Blogs for Bush, The Anchoress, Gateway Pundit, Hugh Hewitt, Macsmind, The RCP Blog, The Huffington Post, Daily Kos and The Liquid List
Vital Perspective:
A Rally for Freedom — Thanks to the inspiration of Christopher Hitchens, Washingtonians showed their peaceful solidarity on Friday with the people of Denmark. A sampling of the rally for freedom at the Embassy of Denmark below. — UPDATE: Video is now available.
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Greg Tinti / The Political Pit Bull:
Rallying For Denmark And Free Speech — I just got back from the Danish solidarity rally organized by Christopher Hitchens outside Denmark's Embassy in Washington. And let me just say, it was in every way the polar opposite of all the other "rallies" you have seen in reaction to the Mohammad cartoons.
Discussion:
sisu
Edelfenbein / Your Guide to Financial Success:
Danish Embassy Rally — A small, but spirited crowd rallied in support of Denmark today outside the Danish Embassy in Washington. — The festive crowd of about 200 broke into chants of "We're All Danes Now!" Lots of flag-waving and Danish-eating. — Here are a few photos:
Glenn Reynolds / Instapundit.com:
VITAL PERSPECTIVE has posted photos from the Danish Embassy march today. There are quite a few, but I thought that this one was the most emblematic. — We're promised video later; I'll let you know. — I hope that this event gets the attention it deserves; it would be a poor reflection …
Discussion:
Wonkette
Edward Wong / New York Times:
As Violence Ebbs, U.S. Envoy Warns of Danger to Iraq's Future — BAGHDAD, Iraq, Feb. 24 — The American ambassador to Iraq said today that sectarian violence this week was a threat to the future of Iraq, and that Iraqi leaders would have to come together and compromise if they wanted to save their homeland.
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National Review:
Standoff in Iraq — The insurgency in Iraq has no military capability either to drive the United States military from Iraq or to stop the American training of Iraqi police and security forces — or, for that matter, to derail the formation of a new government.
Andrew Cochran / The Counterterrorism Blog:
Terrorists Attack Saudi Oil Facility (updated) — LAST UPDATE AT 2:55 pm ET. One of the "nightmare scenarios" in the counterterrorism community almost happened, with an attempted terrorist attack on a major oil refinery in Abqaiq (a.k.a. Buqayq) in eastern Saudi Arabia today.
Discussion:
The Officers' Club, Suitably Flip, A Blog For All, The Moderate Voice, Macsmind and Hyscience
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Chris Tryhorn / Guardian:
Livingstone suspended over 'Nazi' jibe — Ken Livingstone was today suspended from office for four weeks by a disciplinary tribunal for likening a Jewish Evening Standard reporter to a Nazi concentration camp guard. — The three-man Adjudication Panel for England said the mayor of London should step down from his duties on March 1.
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Michael Barbaro / New York Times:
Wal-Mart to Expand Health Plan — Wal-Mart workers rallied before a new store opened near Chicago last month. Rules on company health insurance eligibility are being eased. — Wal-Mart Stores, facing a raft of state bills that would require it to increase spending on employee health insurance …
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Ellen Barry / Los Angeles Times:
Students Hail Harvard President — Their strong support for Lawrence H. Summers is seen by some as a sign of a shift in campus politics. — CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — If Harvard University President Lawrence H. Summers was worried about how the undergraduates would greet him Wednesday night …
Jane Hamsher / firedoglake:
Kansas Roots Action — Phase I — Today as part of our Roots project we're asking people from Kansas (or those with ties to Kansas) to write in to local papers regarding the Senate hearings into the illegal NSA wiretaps. Kansas is the home of both Pat Roberts, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee …
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Carl Chancellor / Knight Ridder:
Lawmaker's proposal: Bar Republicans from adopting — AKRON, Ohio - If an Ohio lawmaker's proposal becomes state law, Republicans would be barred from being adoptive parents. — State Sen. Robert Hagan sent out e-mails to fellow lawmakers late Wednesday night, stating that he intends to …
Kristen Mack / Houston Chronicle:
10 Texas GOP delegation members endorse DeLay — Ten Republican members of the Texas congressional delegation, including a few who owe their jobs to redistricting engineered by U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, came to Houston on Thursday to endorse the incumbent. — "We're not here because Tom DeLay …
