memeorandum: Jokers to the Right — P.J. O'Rourke takes liberties with Adam Smith. (Joseph Rago/Opinion Journal)

MTP Transcript for Jan. 7, 2007 — MR. TIM RUSSERT: Our issues this Sunday: Is the president on the verge of sending tens of thousands of more American troops to Iraq? How would this so-called surge change the situation on the ground? With us, for the Democrats, Senator Joe Biden of Delaware …

Discussion: Balkinization, LiberalOasis, Redstate, The American Mind, Talking Points Memo and Althouse

MSNBC:

Sen. Biden announces intent to seek presidency — Democrat from Delaware tells 'Meet the Press' he'll file paperwork in Jan. — Sen. Joe Biden on Sunday told NBC's "Meet the Press" that he will seek the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008. — "I am running for president," he told "Meet the Press" anchor Tim Russert.

Discussion: The American Street, The Democratic Daily, Iowa Voice and Decision '08

Associated Press: Biden says he can run with '08 rivals

New York Times:

Plan Sets Series of Goals for Iraq Leaders — President Bush's new Iraq policy will establish a series of goals that the Iraqi government will be expected to meet to try to ease sectarian tensions and stabilize the country politically and economically, senior administration officials said Sunday.

Discussion: Riehl World View, The Political Pit Bull, Daily Pundit and PoliPundit.com

John F. Burns / New York Times:

War Could Last Years, Commander Says — The new American operational commander in Iraq said Sunday that even with the additional American troops likely to be deployed in Baghdad under President Bush's new war strategy it might take another "two or three years" for American and Iraqi forces to gain the upper hand in the war.

Discussion: MyDD

Rick Weiss / Washington Post:

Scientists See Potential In Amniotic Stem Cells — They Are Highly Versatile And Readily Available — A type of cell that floats freely in the amniotic fluid of pregnant women has been found to have many of the same traits as embryonic stem cells, including an ability to grow into brain …

Discussion: Obsidian Wings, Mark My Words and Don Surber

Mary Carmichael / Newsweek:
A New Era Begins — Stem cells derived from amniotic fluid …

Discussion: Iowa Voice

Captain Ed / Captain's Quarters:
A New Source For Stem Cells?

Discussion: BBC and THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS

Brian Knowlton / New York Times:

Democrats Step Up Criticism of Iraq Plan — As the contours emerge of President Bush's expected plan to increase troop levels in Iraq, Congressional Democrats, who now hold the power to restrain military spending for the war, sharpened their opposition today — and revealed their internal divisions.

Discussion: The American Street and Decision '08

Hope Yen / Associated Press: Pelosi Hints at Denying Bush Iraq Funds

CBS News:
WHAT DO YOU THINK? — (CBS/AP) House Speaker Nancy Pelosi …

Discussion: The American Street, CorrenteWire and Middle Earth Journal

Sudarsan Raghavan / Washington Post:

War's Toll on Iraqis Put at 22,950 in '06 — Statistics From Health Ministry Official Show Tripling of Civilian, Police Deaths — More than 17,000 Iraqi civilians and police officers died violently in the latter half of 2006, according to Iraqi Health Ministry statistics …

Karen Robinson-Jacobs / Dallas Morning News:

Dallas-based food chain to accept Mexican pesos — Starting Monday, patrons of the Dallas-based Pizza Patrón chain, which caters heavily to Latinos, will be able to purchase American pizzas with Mexican pesos. — Restaurant experts and economists said they knew of no other food chain …

Times of London:

'We are on a knife edge - we have to engage Bush' — Bronwen Maddox, David Charter in Brussels and Tom Baldwin in Washington — Peter Mandelson says that a global trade deal is doomed unless the American President backs it today — Global trade talks that are intended to improve the lives …

Discussion: Captain's Quarters and Tim Worstall

Telegraph:

If the eco-snobs had their way, none of us would go anywhere — Is your journey really necessary? Who would have thought that, in the absence of world war and in the midst of unprecedented prosperity, the state would be telling us not to travel? — Just as ordinary working people had begun …

Discussion: Don Surber and Argus Leader

Michael Isikoff / Newsweek:

Intel: A Writer's Blocked — A CIA panel has told former officer Valerie Plame she can't write about her undercover work for the agency, a position that may threaten a lucrative book project with her publisher. Plame's outing as a CIA officer in July 2003 triggered a criminal probe …

Discussion: The Next Hurrah

Teresa Watanabe / Los Angeles Times:

Case tests officers' right to dissent — 1st Lt. Ehren Watada's lawyer likens his client's comments against the war and the administration to those of retired military officials. — Do military officers have the right to publicly voice dissent about their commander in chief and U.S. war policy?

Discussion: TalkLeft

Matt Schudel / Washington Post:

Maria Leavey, 52; Political Consultant — Maria Leavey, a behind-the-scenes media force for liberal causes who had an uncanny ability to bring opinion makers together with Washington's political elite, died of heart disease Dec. 31 at her apartment in Arlington. On Jan. 1 she would have turned 53.

Discussion: Majikthise

Nina Bernstein / New York Times:

First-Baby Sweepstakes Fuels Immigration Debate — It seemed like a perfect formula for good publicity: A national sweepstakes would award a $25,000 United States savings bond to the first American baby born in 2007, courtesy of the toy chain Toys "R" Us and its Babies "R" Us division.

Discussion: The Peking Duck and The Moderate Voice

Matt Stoller / MyDD:

I Just Don't Get It — This is discouraging. … There are several serious problems here. — Allowing Bush to escalate the war is unwise. (Note that Biden told Bush last month, after the election, that there was nothing the Democrats would do to stop him on the war.

Discussion: Wake up America

Matt Stoller / MyDD: No Escalation — Pelosi is standing firmly with the public …