memeorandum: A New Commander, in Step With the White House on Iraq (Michael R. Gordon/New York Times)

7:00 AM ET, January 6, 2007

Top Items:

Tom Curry / MSNBC:

McCain calls for substantial, sustained surge — Cites Lieberman's re-election as proof Americans don't want Iraq exit — WASHINGTON - The 2006 election has not changed Sen. John McCain's support for victory in Iraq one iota. — While some Democrats have interpreted their party's triumphs …

Discussion: Hullabaloo, TPMmuckraker, The Reaction, Think Progress, Taylor Marsh, Brilliant at Breakfast and jules crittenden

speaker.gov:

Congressional Leaders Call on President to Reject Flawed Iraq Troop Surge — Washington, DC—Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Speaker Nancy Pelosi today sent the following letter to President Bush urging him to reject his reported plan to escalate the war in Iraq by increasing troop levels …

Discussion: Washington Post, Outside The Beltway, DownWithTyranny!, State of the Day, Macsmind, Wake up America, The Impolitic, The Democratic Daily, The Carpetbagger Report, jules crittenden, BobGeiger.com and AMERICAblog

David Stout / New York Times:

Top Democrats Oppose More Troops in Iraq — As President Bush prepares to present his new strategy on Iraq to the American people, Democratic Congressional leaders said today they will fight any approach that calls for deploying more United States troops there.

Discussion: TalkLeft and On Deadline

Fox News:

PELOSI ELECTED SPEAKER, FIRST WOMAN TO LEAD HOUSE — WASHINGTON — In an historic vote lawmakers on Thursday formally named California Rep. Nancy Pelosi as the first female speaker of the House, making her next in the presidential line of succession after the vice president.

Discussion: unfutz

Hindrocket / Power Line:

SURGE LITE? — There has been considerable speculation that President Bush's new strategy for Iraq, to be announced in a televised speech next week, will feature a "surge" of additional troops on a temporary basis. This Associated Press story suggests that the increment will be far fewer …

Discussion: Associated Press, Fox News, Riehl World View, Daily Pundit and Middle Earth Journal

Bill Brubaker / Washington Post:

Democrats Urge Bush Not to Increase Troops in Iraq — A day after Democrats took control of Congress, Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi today urged President Bush not to prolong the 46-month-old Iraq war by increasing the number of U.S. troops in the country.

Discussion: Daily Kos

Oliver North / Human Events:
More Troops = More Targets

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Kiko's House, Taylor Marsh, PoliPundit.com, Reason Magazine and Stop The ACLU

AJStrata / The Strata-Sphere:
Democrats Complete First Item On Their Contract With Al Qaeda - Surrender Iraq

Discussion: Don Surber and Wizbang

Glenn Reynolds / Instapundit.com:

ARE TODAY'S ELECTRONIC GADGETS WORTH THE MONEY? USA Today says that some are and some aren't: … I'm going to be attending the Consumer Electronics Show myself, as part of the Popular Mechanics contingent — and yes, it was awfully nice of the PM folks to invite me along.

Discussion: USA Today and The Reaction

Ann Althouse / Althouse:
In which I annoy you once again with the asssertion that I'm a moderate.

Discussion: TalkLeft and Transterrestrial Musings

Bryan / Hot Air:
The Lonely Senator, Update

Discussion: Captain's Quarters, The Horse's Mouth, Little Green Footballs, The American Mind and The Democratic Daily

Eugene Volokh / The Volokh Conspiracy:
TRUST TEST: Andrew Sullivan, InstaPundit, and Ann Althouse link …

Discussion: StephenBainbridge.com and Daily Pundit

Rasmussen Reports:

Pelosi: 43% Have Favorable Opinion of New House Speaker — Forty-three percent (43%) of Americans have a favorable opinion concerning the nation's new Speaker of the House. The first woman to serve in that role, Nancy Pelosi (D) earns favorable reviews from 45% of women and 41% of men.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Wake up America and SevenStripes.com

Don Surber:
Don't quit the day job, Nancy

Discussion: The RBC, The Volokh Conspiracy and The World Wide Rant

Pete Yost / Associated Press:

White House visitor records closed — WASHINGTON - The White House and the Secret Service quietly signed an agreement last spring in the midst of the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal declaring that records identifying visitors to the White House are not open to the public.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Carpetbagger Report, TPMmuckraker, The Democratic Daily, The Hill, The RBC, Donklephant, Prairie Weather and Shakespeare's Sister

Dan Froomkin / Washington Post:
Purge of the Unbelievers

Discussion: New York Times

Tom Siebert / MediaPost Publications:

Media Critic's Blog Shuttered After Disney Complains — IN THE LATEST SKIRMISH BETWEEN big media and a blogger, The Walt Disney Company has succeeded in shutting down the Web site "Spocko's Brain." — On the site, blogger and media critic "Spocko" took issue with on-air comments …

TRex / Firedoglake:
Late Nite FDL: Spocko vs. The Rat

Discussion: Whiskey Fire

Aj Kandy / A.J. Kandy:
Bad Brand Stewardship: The Mouse and KSFO

Discussion: Dependable Renegade and skippy the bush kangaroo

Newsweek:

The Next Top Spy — Negroponte's likely replacement makes civil libertarians nervous. — Hand Off: Bush nominates McConnell (right) to replace Negroponte as director of national intelligence — John Michael McConnell, the retired vice admiral slated to become America's new top spy, is known as a consummate team player.

Discussion: Daimnation! and Defense Tech

Timothy J. Burger / Time: Where Does Negroponte Leave Intelligence?

Time:
Behind Negroponte's Move

Discussion: Times of London and Hot Air

Hassan M. Fattah / New York Times:

Images of Hanging Make Hussein a Martyr to Many — In the week since Saddam Hussein was hanged in an execution steeped in sectarian overtones, his public image in the Arab world, formerly that of a convicted dictator, has undergone a resurgence of admiration and awe.

Alexis Debat Reports / The Blotter:

American Passports Found on Bodies of Al Qaeda Fighters in Somalia — Alexis Debat Reports: — A senior official in the Somali government's new Ministry of the Interior told ABC News government forces had recovered "dozens of foreign passports," including several American passports …

Discussion: Associated Press, The Jawa Report, garoweonline.com, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, Wizbang, Blue Crab Boulevard, PrairiePundit, Times of London, United States Central Command and Hot Air

Bill Roggio / The Fourth Rail:
Al-Qaeda, Islamic Courts gather the new Somali Jihad

Discussion: Voice of America and PrairiePundit

Reuters:

Cleric gunned down in Gaza after plea for calm — GAZA (Reuters) - Unidentified gunmen shot dead a Muslim cleric after he delivered a sermon in the Gaza Strip on Friday calling for an end to fierce factional fighting between Hamas and Fatah, hospital officials and local residents said.

Associated Press:
Critic of Hamas gunned down near mosque

Discussion: Secular Blasphemy

John Amato / Crooks and Liars:

Scarborough challenges O'Reilly to a debate — O'Reilly has been trashing NBC news lately because he's mad at Olbermann and doesn't want to say his name on the air. How does Billy get back at Keith? He says everybody hates George on NBC. I know, it's stupid.

Discussion: MSNBC

Associated Press:

AP employee found shot to death in Iraq — BAGHDAD, Iraq - The body of an Associated Press employee was found shot in the back of the head Friday, six days after he was last seen by his family leaving for work. Ahmed Hadi Naji, 28, was the fourth AP staffer to die violently in the Iraq war …

Discussion: Patterico's Pontifications and Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler

Michael R. Gordon / New York Times:

A New Commander, in Step With the White House on Iraq — The selection of Lt. Gen. David H. Petraeus to serve as the senior American commander in Iraq signals an important turn in United States strategy. — As a supporter of increased forces in Iraq, General Petraeus is expected …

Discussion: neo-neocon and PrairiePundit