memeorandum: BEST CARE EVERYWHERE....As regular readers may know … (Kevin Drum/Washington Monthly)

7:10 AM ET, September 14, 2007

Top Items:

Text of the President's Address — Following is the prepared text of President Bush's address on Iraq, as provided by the White House: — THE PRESIDENT: Good evening. In the life of all free nations, there come moments that decide the direction of a country and reveal the character of its people.

Discussion: Associated Press, The Moderate Voice, Brilliant at Breakfast, The Van Der Galiën Gazette, Yahoo! News, The Politico, Los Angeles Times, Truthdig, Flopping Aces, AlterNet.org, About.com U.S. Politics, Editor and Publisher, Right Wing Nut House, PoliBlog (TM), Salon, All Spin Zone and Time

The Politico:

Bush speech to the nation: advance excerpts — Here are excerpts of the prepared text of President Bush's 9 p.m. Iraq address from the Oval Office, as released by the White House for use on dinnertime newscasts: — On keeping us safe here at home: — In Iraq, an ally of the United States is fighting for its survival.

Discussion: Think Progress, The Reaction, FP Passport, The Huffington Post, Taylor Marsh, AMERICAblog, Truthdig and Sister Toldjah

Washington Post:

Sen. Jack Reed Responds to President Bush's Address on Iraq — Senate Democratic Communications Center — Senator Jack Reed tonight delivered the Democratic response to the President Bush's address to the nation on Iraq. — Text of Reed's speech follows: — MR: REED: Good evening.

Discussion: The Gavel, The Corner, Daily Kos, DownWithTyranny! and Gateway Pundit

Think Progress:

Matthews: Bush's claim of '36 countries' in Iraq is 'ludicrous.' — In his address to the nation tonight, President Bush said, "To the international community: The success of a free Iraq matters to every civilized nation. We thank the 36 nations who have troops on the ground in Iraq …

Discussion: Associated Press, Talking Points Memo, The Democratic Daily and Liberal Values

Washington Post:

Bush Tells Nation He Will Begin to Roll Back 'Surge' — Gen. Petraeus Says U.S. Is Projecting 'Sustainable Security' in Iraq in 2009 — President Bush tried to turn a corner in the fractious debate over Iraq last night by ordering the first limited troop withdrawals since voters elected an antiwar Congress last year.

Discussion: The Gun Toting Liberal™

Fox News:

Bush to Order 5,700 Troops Home from Iraq by End of Year — WASHINGTON — President Bush plans to reduce troop levels in Iraq by 5,700 by the end of December, and wants to draw down from 20 combat brigades there now to 15 brigades there by next summer, Bush said in a preview of his speech with network anchors Thursday.

Mark Silva / The Swamp:
Bush: 'Success' means some soldiers come home

Discussion: New York Times

ABCNEWS:
Bush Appeals to Nation on Iraq

Discussion: MSNBC, On Deadline, Guardian and Think Progress

CNN:
Bush: A fight we can win

Discussion: The Gavel, The Democratic Daily and Firedoglake

Democrats.senate.gov:
Senator Jack Reed Responds To President Bush's Address On Iraq

Discussion: MyDD

Sam Dagher / Christian Science Monitor:
SHEIKH'S DEATH THREATENS US SUCCESS IN ANBAR PROVINCE

Discussion: Guardian, The Mahablog, Easter Lemming Liberal News and unbossed.com

Obama'08:
Obama Responds to President Bush's Address on Iraq

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, MyDD, Taylor Marsh and Gateway Pundit

Allahpundit / Hot Air:
Open thread: Bush's speech on Iraq; Update: "An enduring relationship" …

Discussion: michellemalkin.com and Riehl World View

The Corner:
Speech Excerpts

Discussion: Vox Popoli

Pundit Review Radio / BLACKFIVE:

COMPLAINT FILED WITH FEC OVER BETRAY US AD — Guess what I did at lunch? That's right, I petitioned my government for redress of grievances, specifically illegal political advertising practices by the New York Times and MoveOn.org. We are all well aware of the sorry political advertisement calling the General a traitor.

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, Hot Air, TBogg, Liberal Values, Flopping Aces, rubber hose, The Democratic Daily, The Politico, Wake up America, The Carpetbagger Report, protein wisdom, Rook's Rant, NewsBusters.org, Oliver Willis, Gateway Pundit, The Nose On Your Face, TPM Election Central and The Huffington Post

Katharine Q. Seelye / New York Times:
Angered by an Antiwar Ad, Giuliani Seeks Equal Space

Discussion: Betsy's Page

Sam Youngman / The Hill:
Giuliani demands MoveOn's New York Times ad rate

Discussion: New York Times, Gawker and Chronicle of the Conspiracy

Kathryn Jean Lopez / The Corner:
MoveOn Story Doesn't Pass the Smell Test

Discussion: BLACKFIVE and Romenesko

John Bresnahan / The Politico:

Boehner hammered over Iraq 'small price' comment — Democrats, anti-war groups and liberal bloggers are pounding on House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) for saying U.S. military deaths in Iraq are "a small price" to pay to stop al Qaeda from carrying out more terrorist attacks and stabilizing the Middle East.

Discussion: TPM Election Central, Horses Mouth and Talking Points Memo

Matt / Think Progress:
Boehner misleadingly responds to 'small price' criticism.

Discussion: Right Wing News and TIME: Swampland

John DiStaso-Union Leader / The Politico:

Shaheen to run for Senate, N.H. paper says — Former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen will be a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2008, the New Hampshire Union Leader has learned. — The Democratic former three-term chief executive is expected to issue a statement soon addressing her political plans.

Discussion: TIME, Wizbang and The Democratic Daily

Hindrocket / Power Line:

WOULD-BE TERRORIST CAPTURED IN DEARBORN — In a story that has gotten amazingly little national publicity, a medical student at Wayne State University named Houssein Zorkot was arrested in Dearborn Saturday night, dressed for combat and armed with an AK-47: … This report by a local television station is also interesting:

Discussion: Atlas Shrugs and Dearborn Press …

RIA Novosti:

U.S. develops 14-ton super bomb, bigger than Russian vacuum bomb — The U.S. has a 14-ton super bomb more destructive than the vacuum bomb just tested by Russia, a U.S. general said Wednesday. — The statement was made by retired Lt. General McInerney, chairman of the Iran Policy Committee …

Discussion: Op For

Kevin Drum / Washington Monthly:

BEST CARE EVERYWHERE....As regular readers may know, Phil Longman thinks the VA model of healthcare is the best around. In the October issue of the Monthly, he takes his admiration to another level, suggesting that the best way to provide healthcare to the 45 million uninsured in America is via — what?

Discussion: Outside The Beltway and Pacific Views

The Atlantic Online:

A Tale of Two Maps — I've lifted both of the graphics you'll see below and the core of the argument from this Ilan Goldenberg post, so all credit for the work is due to him, I just don't think he made the point as clearly as he should have. To get to the heart of the matter …

Discussion: democracyarsenal.org, Middle Earth Journal, Los Angeles Times and Beautiful Horizons