memeorandum: The House Tosses Softballs to Gen. Petraeus (Fred Kaplan/Slate)

10:20 AM ET, September 11, 2007

Top Items:

By Bush's Own Standard, Surge Has Failed — Before Gen. David Petraeus' report, and to give it a context of optimism, the president visited Iraq's Anbar province to underscore the success of the surge in making some hitherto anarchic areas less so. More significant, however, was the fact that the president did not visit Baghdad.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, QandO, New York Post, race42008.com, The Huffington Post, Washington Post, Jon Swift, The Galloping Beaver, Atlantic Free Press, RADAMISTO, Outside The Beltway, TPMmuckraker, The Raw Story, RIGHTWINGSPARKLE and Middle Earth Journal

McClatchy Washington Bureau:

What Crocker and Petraeus didn't say — WASHINGTON — The Bush administration's top two officials in Iraq answered questions from Congress for more than six hours on Monday, but their testimony may have been as important for what they didn't say as for what they did.

Discussion: Leader's Journal releases …, Shakespeare's Sister and The Gavel

New York Times:

Empty Calories — For months, President Bush has been promising an honest accounting of the situation in Iraq, a fresh look at the war strategy and a new plan for how to extricate the United States from the death spiral of the Iraqi civil war. The nation got none of that yesterday …

Discussion: Real Clear Politics, New York Post, Washington Post, The Peking Duck, Prairie Weather, SWJ Blog and Left in the West

Fred Kaplan / Slate:

The House Tosses Softballs to Gen. Petraeus — SIX HOURS OF LARGELY PREDICTABLE, PRO FORMA TESTIMONY. — Maybe Tuesday will be Congress' good news day. — Monday was mainly a disgrace. Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker made their eagerly awaited appearances …

Discussion: The Carpetbagger Report, New York Times, Crooks and Liars, All Spin Zone, Obsidian Wings, Washington Post and Think Progress

Paul Richter / Los Angeles Times:

Bush policy to bequeath Iraq to successor — The president plans to end his term with a strong U.S. military in the country and leave the issue of exiting to his successor. — WASHINGTON — The talk in Washington on Monday was all about troop reductions, yet it also brought …

Discussion: Washington Post and Middle Earth Journal

Washington Post:

The General's Long View Could Cut Withdrawal Debate Short — If Gen. David H. Petraeus has his way, tens of thousands of U.S. troops will be in Iraq for years to come. — Iraq's armed forces are improving, Petraeus told Congress yesterday. Overall violence is down.

Discussion: Democratic Strategist, Macsmind, Outside The Beltway, Pacific Views, The Reaction, RADAMISTO, Prairie Weather, CFR.org, The Mahablog, The Democratic Daily and New York Times

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
THAT FOX "EXCLUSIVE"

Discussion: Taylor Marsh and The Moderate Voice

Eugene Robinson / Washington Post:
'Six Months' Without End

Discussion: Firedoglake, The Next Hurrah and NO QUARTER

Bloomberg:
Petraeus's Credibility Wins Bush Extra Time for Iraq Strategy

Discussion: Reuters and Agence France Presse

Michael Hirsh / Newsweek:
Newsweek: Rating Petraeus' report

Discussion: Say Anything and Hot Air

Jackie Kucinich / The Hill:

Republicans introduce measure condemning MoveOn ad — House Republican leaders introduced a resolution Monday condemning a full-page newspaper ad from MoveOn.org that criticizes the character of Gen. David Petraeus, the commanding general of U.S. troops in Iraq.

Discussion: TPM Election Central

ABCNEWS:

MoveOn.org Ad Takes Aim at Petraeus — Ad From Liberal Activist Group Takes on Petraeus and the GOP Finds a New Talking Point — A newspaper ad from the anti-war group MoveOn.org that attacks Gen. David Petraeus has prompted a Republican outcry in Washington, D.C., as supporters …

Discussion: The Democratic Daily, CNN Political Ticker, A Chequer-Board of Nights … and Los Angeles Times

Michael Yon / The Tank:
The Times Is a Terrible Thing to Waste

Discussion: Blogs for Bush

Michael D. Shear / Washington Post:

Romney Adviser Linked to Anti-Thompson Internet Site — A top adviser to former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney appears to be behind the launch of a new Web site attacking GOP presidential rival Fred D. Thompson during his first week on the trail. — The site, PhoneyFred.org …

Discussion: The State, MSNBC, Althouse and The Democratic Daily

CBS News:

Poll: Giuliani Tumbles, GOP Race Tightens — CBS News Poll: Thompson's Entry Vaults Him To A Close Second Place In Republican Contest — (CBS) Rudy Giuliani, after holding the front-runner spot in the race for the Republican presidential nomination for months, has seen his lead nearly evaporate …

Discussion: Right Wing Nut House, race42008.com and USA Today

The Washington Post / The Trail:
Anti-Thompson Site Connects to Romney Camp

Discussion: TIME, The Politico, The Caucus, Talking Points Memo, Captain's Quarters, DownWithTyranny!, race42008.com, eyeon08.com and The American Mind

New York Times:
In Poll, Voters See Strengths and Flaws in Giuliani

Discussion: MyDD, Los Angeles Times and Pollster.com

Patrick Healy / New York Times:

Clinton to Return Money Linked to Fund-Raiser — Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign announced last night that it would return about $850,000 to about 260 donors who had been recruited or tapped by Norman Hsu, the disgraced Clinton campaign fund-raiser who recently fled arrest …

Discussion: NewsBusters.org, TIME: Swampland, Los Angeles Times and Sunlight Foundation blogs

Los Angeles Times:
Clinton to cut ties with fundraiser

Discussion: Washington Post, MSNBC, Stop The ACLU, Wizbang and On Deadline

Patrick Healy / The Caucus:
Clinton to Return All Hsu-Tainted Money

Discussion: Captain's Quarters and A Blog For All

Flip / Suitably Flip:
Hillary's Massive Hsu War Chest: Abramoff Parity Nears

Discussion: Washington Wire, The Politico, Associated Press, Outside The Beltway, TalkLeft, Blue Crab Boulevard, JammieWearingFool and Hot Air

Alexandra Marks / Christian Science Monitor:

In 9/11 remembrance, a turning to good deeds — NEW YORK - On Sept. 11, Jacob Sundberg of San Antonio has pledged to make eye contact and smile at everyone he meets. Kaitlin Ulrich will bring goody baskets to the police and fire departments in and around Philadelphia.

Discussion: Firedoglake and Scared Monkeys

Amy Westfeldt / Associated Press:
Heads bow in memory of 9/11 victims

Discussion: Make Them Accountable

USA Today:
Is 9/11 becoming just another calendar date?

Discussion: The People's Republic … and CBS News

USA Today:

Colin Powell: Terrorists are not greatest threat to nation — In an interview with GQ magazine that's scheduled to be put online here at 11 a.m. ET, former secretary of State and one-time potential presidential candidate Colin Powell has this to say about terrorism and the threat it poses to the USA:

Discussion: Reason Magazine, Donklephant and JammieWearingFool

Baron Bodissey / Gates of Vienna:

Arrests in Brussels — Note: The earliest reports are at the bottom of this post. — Now that this story has made it to the MSM, I'm closing live-blogging. When I get audio-visual material and/or transcripts, I'll compose separate posts. — Many thanks to the readers who helped me, and to the CVF contingent in Brussels.

Discussion: Gateway Pundit

Norman Podhoretz / Opinion Journal:

'America the Ugly' — Six years after 9/11, it's notable how little the politics of the left have changed. — In the immediate aftermath of the attacks on us that took place on this very day six years ago, several younger commentators proclaimed the birth of an entirely new era in American history.

Discussion: Power Line, Pajamas Media, Commentary, alicublog and Daily Kos

Ed Morrissey / Captain's Quarters:

Strike Three? — A bomb-sniffing dog in Ankara helped Turkish authorities stop a massive terrorist attack on the anniversary of 9/11. A van full of explosives in a parking garage would have devastated the center of the large city, and it would have served as a counterpoint to the messages released by Osama bin Laden in the past week: