memeorandum: How a Bill Doesn't Become a Law 101 (Carpetbagger/The Carpetbagger Report)

12:00 PM ET, October 18, 2007

Top Items:

Senate and Bush Agree On Terms of Spying Bill — Some Telecom Companies Would Receive Immunity — Senate Democrats and Republicans reached agreement with the Bush administration yesterday on the terms of new legislation to control the federal government's domestic surveillance program …

Glenn Greenwald / Salon:

AT&T, other telecoms, buy victory in lawsuits — The fact that this was completely predictable does not make it any less reprehensible: … Let's just describe very factually and dispassionately what has happened here. Congress — led by Senators, such as Jay Rockefeller …

Discussion: Crooks and Liars and The Heretik

Carpetbagger / The Carpetbagger Report:
How a Bill Doesn't Become a Law 101

Discussion: Weekly Standard, The Mahablog, Election Central, Conservative Belle, The American Street and EricCantor.com

Atrios / Eschaton:
Leadership — One frustrating thing about the current crops …

Discussion: Firedoglake

Big Tent Democrat / MyDD:
Senator Dodd: Lead The Resistance To The Dem Senate CaveIn On FISA

Discussion: Daily Kos and Wake up America

Associated Press:

Republican Sam Brownback to Leave Race for Presidency, Sources Say — WASHINGTON — Republican Sam Brownback will drop out of the 2008 presidential campaign on Friday, people close to the Kansas senator said Thursday. — Brownback, a longshot conservative contender, had trouble raising money to compete in the race.

Discussion: Comments from Left Field, National Review, TIME, Shakespeare's Sister, PrairiePundit and TIME: Swampland

Libby Quaid / Associated Press:

Brownback to withdraw from GOP race — WASHINGTON - Republican Sam Brownback will drop out of the 2008 presidential campaign on Friday, people close to the Kansas senator said Thursday. — Trouble raising money was a main reason for his decision, said one person close to Brownback …

Discussion: The Fix, Captain's Quarters, The Carpetbagger Report, Outside The Beltway and Reason Magazine

Robert Wilonsky / Unfair Park:

KDFW Suspends Rebecca Aguilar After Controversial "Ambush" — Monday night, KDFW-Channel 4 ran a piece about 70-year-old James Walton, owner of Able Walton Machine & Welding in West Dallas, who, early Sunday morning, shot and killed and man trying to break into his business.

Discussion: Captain's Quarters, Ed Driscoll.com, michellemalkin.com, Confederate Yankee, BitsBlog, Conservative Belle and NewsBusters.org

Dan / Riehl World View:
Senior Reduced To Tears By Reporter After Shooting

Discussion: media.www.bgnews.com, The Jawa Report, Instapundit.com, Hot Air and Unfair Park

Andrew Malcolm / Los Angeles Times:

Breaking News: Former Speaker Hastert to resign — The Roll Call newspaper in Washington reported on its website this evening that former House Speaker Dennis Hastert of Illinois intends to resign his House seat later this year. — The subscription-only site said Hastert …

Discussion: Think Progress, The Politico, The Swamp, Swing State Project, BitsBlog, CANNONFIRE, DownWithTyranny!, The BRAD BLOG, Salon and ArchPundit

CNN:

GOP sources: Hastert won't serve out his term — WASHINGTON (CNN) — Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert will resign his congressional seat rather than serve out the rest of his term, two GOP congressional sources told CNN. — The Illinois Republican said in August he would not seek re-election in the state's 14th District.

Discussion: DownWithTyranny! and Conservative Belle

Michelle Malkin:

House showdown: The S-CHIP veto override vote; Update: Crazy Pete Stark accuses President Bush of blowing Iraqis and American troops up "for his amusement" — Update 11:57am Eastern. Rep. John Lewis sounds like he is going to collapse: "HEEELP THE CHILDREN! SUFFER THE CHILDREN!!" How embarrassing.

Discussion: Bluey Blog, Riehl World View and Don Surber

Ed Morrissey / Captain's Quarters:
S-CHIP Override Debate: Live Blog

Discussion: Associated Press and Assorted Babble

Arthur Martin / Daily Mail:

Father delivered baby after partner was turned away from NHS hospital - TWICE — During a difficult pregnancy, Elizabeth Jones was monitored every day because doctors were worried about the health of her baby. — But on the day of the birth, she was twice turned away from the hospital …

Discussion: The Mahablog, Flopping Aces, Don Surber, Right Wing News, Wizbang, PrairiePundit and Hot Air

Jeff G. / protein wisdom:

BREAKING: Pelosi working on Bush Impeachment? (UPDATED) — Via Richard M, who attended a meeting of anti-war activists in Los Angeles on Sunday: … Sadly, each of these explanations seems equally plausible. Which — equally sadly — speaks volumes about today's Congressional Democrats.

Discussion: Redstate

Lisa Lerer / The Politico:

Rangel launches tax war — House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel had one message for the tax world: Rest up now, because next week a two-front war will begin. — Rangel said on Wednesday that he'll introduce not just one, but two, major tax proposals.

Discussion: The Swamp and Liberty Pundit

Washington Post:

Tough Punishment Expected for Warhead Errors — Officers May Lose Commands After Nuclear Missiles Were Flown on Bomber — The Air Force has decided to relieve at least five of its officers of command and is considering filing criminal charges in connection with the Aug. 29 "Bent Spear" …

Discussion: In From the Cold, contentions and Op For

USA Today:

Military inadvertently recruits gays — The Army, Navy and Air Force unwittingly advertised for recruits on a website for gays, who are barred from military service if they are open about their sexual orientation. — When informed Tuesday by USA TODAY that they were advertising on GLEE.com …

Discussion: contentions, Outside The Beltway, Think Progress and The Bilerico Project