memeorandum: Clintons Disagree Over a Free-Trade Pact With Colombia (Wall Street Journal)

10:50 AM ET, April 9, 2008

Top Items:

FBI probe: Lieberman campaign to blame for crashing own Web site — A federal investigation has concluded that U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman's 2006 re-election campaign was to blame for the crash of its Web site the day before Connecticut's heated Aug. 8 Democratic primary.

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, The Carpetbagger Report, Talking Points Memo and BlondeSense

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:

Not guilty — One of the stranger episodes of the Lieberman-Lamont primary in 2006 was the Lieberman campaign's charge that supporters of his rival (whose web guy, Tim Tagaris, is above) “attacked” Lieberman's website. — Anyway, the FBI has finally gotten to the bottom of it, in case you were wondering.

Discussion: Paul Krugman

Joseph Abrams / Fox News:

Report: Jimmy Carter to Meet With Hamas Leader in Syria — NEW YORK CITY — Former President Jimmy Carter is reportedly preparing an unprecedented meeting with the leader of Hamas, an organization that the U.S. government considers one of the leading terrorist threats in the world.

Discussion: Fausta's blog, Middle Earth Journal, The Other McCain, On Deadline, Gateway Pundit and THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS

The One True Tami / Tami, the One True:

Carter Criticism Connundrum — (via Memorandum) — Carter to meet with Hamas Leader (possibly) — Wow, people judge Jimmy Carter pretty harshly. Personally, I was quite young when the whole Egypt/Israel Camp David peace treaty thing happened, but I remember how happy it made my parents.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and Macsmind

Allahpundit / Hot Air: Jimmy Carter to meet with ... Hamas?

Washington Post:

Frustrated Senators See No Exit Signs — Asked repeatedly yesterday what “conditions” he is looking for to begin substantial U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq after this summer's scheduled drawdown, Army Gen. David H. Petraeus said he will know them when he sees them. For frustrated lawmakers, it was not enough.

Discussion: Washington Wire, Times of London, Christian Science Monitor, Los Angeles Times, MSNBC, Real Clear Politics, New York Times, SWJ Blog, Sister Toldjah, New York Post, Connecting.the.Dots, Intel Dump, Abu Aardvark and The Moderate Voice

Julia Hoppock / ABCNEWS:
Exclusive: Ambassador Crocker Says Ready to Talk to Iran Again

Discussion: Think Progress

Speaker Pelosi / The Gavel:
We Need a New Direction in Iraq, But Petraeus and Crocker Offered …

Discussion: Crooks and Liars and BLACKFIVE

Wall Street Journal:

The New Liberal Taboo — What a spectacle. It is now respectable for Democrats to assert, even to welcome, military defeat (see here). But if a Presidential campaign functionary so much as hints at support for free trade, he's banished to policy exile. — That's the meaning …

Discussion: The Other McCain, Booman Tribune, Commentary, Daimnation!, Washington Post, The Foundry and Guardian Unlimited

Wall Street Journal:

Clintons Disagree Over a Free-Trade Pact With Colombia — Mark Penn, who lost his job as chief strategist to the Clinton campaign because of his work for the Colombian government on a controversial trade pact, wasn't her only adviser with such ties. Another is Bill Clinton.

Discussion: Swampland, New York Post, The Caucus, Wonkette, MSNBC, Real Clear Politics and Time

USA Today:
Our view on free trade: Pass the Colombia pact

Discussion: Hot Air and Betsy's Page

The Politico:
Venezuela scolds Bush over Colombia deal

Discussion: The Swamp and Don Surber

The Politico:

Clinton leadership a study in missteps — Hillary Rodham Clinton wants voters to decide the nomination based on who can coolly and competently run the country. She had better hope they don't study her recent campaign too closely for the answer. — Clinton has overseen two major staff shake-ups in two months.

Confederate Yankee:

Biden PWN3D Crocker! ... In the Community-Based Reality — For reasons rational people will never fathom, lefty bloggers and blog readers are filled with glee over, well, this: … Biden “forced him down” how, exactly? — Clearly Ackerman, the flickering bulbs at Think Progress …

Discussion: Locomotive Breath 1901, Outside The Beltway, Jules Crittenden and Right Wing News

Dday / Hullabaloo:
Joe Biden Just Obliterated Every Administration Argument About Iraq

Discussion: The Lede, Firedoglake, Washington Post, Buck Naked Politics, New York Times, democracyarsenal.org, Crooks and Liars, Think Progress, The Carpetbagger Report, Open Left, Comments from Left Field, Wonk Room, PoliGazette and Newshoggers.com

Agence France Presse:
Obama calls for talks with Iran over Iraq

Discussion: Jules Crittenden, Political Machine and Stop The ACLU

Marc Ambinder:

More Cowbells? More White People! — Overzealous event coordinators? A rare, unforced error committed by the Obama campaign's site advance teams. — From an article in the Tartan, the daily newspaper Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

Discussion: The New Republic, protein wisdom, Ben Smith's Blogs and The Tartan Online

Patrick / FishBowlDC:

NYT Mag On Matthews: The Excerpts — Earlier: Forthcoming? NYT Mag Piece on Matthews. — Earlier: Leibovich Dishes On Matthews — Earlier: NYT Mag On Matthews: NBC Forced Chris To Apologize. — We've got an advanced copy of Mark Leibovich's piece on Chris Matthews, entitled “Chris Matthews, Seriously.

Discussion: Firedoglake, Newshoggers.com, NO QUARTER and Althouse

Lanny J. Davis / Wall Street Journal:

Obama's Minister Problem — I have tried to get over my unease surrounding Barack Obama's response to the sermons and writings of his pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. But the unanswered questions remain. — I am a strong supporter …

Discussion: American Power, Below The Beltway and Real Clear Politics

Jack Shafer / Slate:

Two Cheers for Newsroom Buyouts — THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE BAD NEWS COMING OUT OF NEWSROOMS. — Advertising revenue at newspapers has fallen off a cliff and may tumble all the way to the bottom of the Marianas Trench if the promised recession arrives. Average circulation is down, too …

Discussion: The Daily Dish, Achenblog and FishBowlDC

Eli Saslow / Washington Post:

The Gospel, According to Luke — Pittsburgh's Young Mayor Wants City to Line Up Behind Clinton — Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, center, participates in the Pittsburgh's St. Patrick's Day Parade with, from left, Pennsylvania Gov. Edward G. Rendell, Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato …

Discussion: MSNBC and The Confluence

Zzaki / Political Punch:

Obama Prepares Argument to Discard Public-Financing Principle — Despite his previous pledge to enter into the public financing system should he be the Democratic presidential nominee,* Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., has recently been reluctant to re-commit to entering the system.