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Bush will 'go on with life' By / al.com — Permalink CRAWFORD, Texas - President Bush, noting that lots of people want to talk to the president and "it's also important for me to go on with my life," on Saturday defended his decision not to meet with the grieving mom of a soldier killed in Iraq. | |
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MarkInMexico: Main Page Cindy Sheehan's impact Joe Gandelman over at The Moderate Voice has a long post on the Cindy Sheehan bruhaha and its latest developments. Cernig: He says "it's also important for me to go on with my life" as if he had no idea when he ran for his second term that this was the life of the nation's leader. Arthur Silber: BUSH GETS ON WITH HIS BALANCED LIFE — I truly wonder if Bush has any soul at all: [snipped quote] Well, isn't that lovely. |
Avedon Carol: Have I mentioned lately that Bush thinks it's all about him? You know, I never cease to be shocked by the rubbish he says. Atrios: Bush To Go On With His Life — Oh, f**knuts. Joe Gandelman: UPDATE: Bush responds with a new comment that will likely hurt his image even more with those who disagree or don't totally agree with him. |
| Also: Digby, Jeralyn Merritt | |
What Now, Karl? By / Village Voice — Permalink Rove consulted on three of Ashcroft's political campaigns, earning $746,000. PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images Murray Waas will be writing more about the latest in the Plame affair at www.whateveralready.blogspot.com. | |
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The Poor Man: Via AmericaBlog, Murray Waas may have the answer: Justice Department officials made the crucial decision in late 2003... Joe @AmericaBlog: Thanks Ed N Sted for pointing us to this piece in the Village Voice by Murray Waas. Laura Rozen: Murray Waas has the latest on the Plame investigation, and interestingly, the decision to appoint a special prosecutor in the first place: [snipped quote] Go read. |
Eriposte @LeftCoaster: Ashcroft's role in Treasongate: New story from Murray Waas — Investigative reporter Murray Waas kindly tipped me (and Jeralyn at Talk Left) to his new story in the Village Voice. Jeralyn Merritt: Ashcroft, Fitzgerald and Rove: New From Murray Waas — Investigative journalist Murray Waas who has broken some of the... Judd @ThinkProgress: In a Fall 2003 interview, Karl Rove didn't tell investigators |
Was Mohammed Atta Overlooked? Time — Permalink Just how damning are allegations by Congressman Curt Weldon that a secret Pentagon intelligence operation pegged hijacker Mohammed Atta as a threat nearly two years before he led the 9/11 attacks? | |
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Steve Soto: Sure enough, Time magazine reports today that when they pressed Weldon on the matter, his own book doesn't stand up to scrutiny now. Captain Ed: UPDATE II: John Podhoretz notes this passage from Time Magazine: "In a particularly dramatic scene in Weldon's book,... Laura Rozen: Kevin Drum has all the latest "much ado about nothing," as one source characterized the Congressman's claims to Time. |
Kevin Drum: WELDON'S CHART...Time magazine has more about Curt Weldon's famous "Able Danger" chart: "In a particularly dramatic... Michelle Malkin: Via Time magazine... "In a particularly dramatic scene in Weldon's book, Countdown to Terror, the Pennsylvania... Roger Ailes: You Eeediots! The man wrote a book for Regnery. What more do you need? |
Someone Tell the President the War Is Over By / NYT — Permalink LIKE the Japanese soldier marooned on an island for years after V-J Day, President Bush may be the last person in the country to learn that for Americans, if not Iraqis, the war in Iraq is over. "We will stay the course," he insistently tells us from his Texas ranch. | |
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Steve M.: Yaphe [a former CIA Iraq analyst at the National Defense University] said... Frank Rich in The New York Times: WHAT... Steve Bainbridge: No Cuts, No Runs — Frank Rich in the NYT: "LIKE the Japanese soldier marooned on an island for years after V-J Day,... The Mock Turtle: Frank Rich — He does a very good, and very depressing, round-up of the war situation: [snipped quote] Worth reading the whole thing. |
Cernig: The Democrat's Strategic Class are being kind enough to give them one - declare the war over and leave. They must think us fools. Avedon Carol: "— Phil Ochs, 1968" [end quote] Someone Tell the President the War Is Over: LIKE the Japanese soldier marooned on an island for... Patrick: And Frank Rich on an Administration trapped in that bright moment when it first learned its doom. "Tort reform" |
BUSH PROTESTING MOM CALLS FOR 'ISRAEL OUT OF PALESTINE'; VOWS NOT TO PAY TAXES Drudge Report — Permalink Anti-war protestor Cindy Sheehan, whose soldier son Casey was killed in Iraq, is calling for Bush's "impeachment," and for Israel to get out of Palestine! "You get America out of Iraq and Israel out of Palestine and you'll stop the terrorism," Sheehan declares. | |
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Judith Weiss: Cindy Sheehan's fellow travellers — The longer Cindy Sheehan sits by the road in Crawford, the more of her questionable political views and associations will come to light. Ann Althouse: Drudge is getting awfully mean about Cindy Sheehan. There's a real danger to centering your political argument on one individual. Megan McArdle: TAX PROTESTING: It's not just for libertarian nutjobs any more. [snipped quote] Somehow, I don't think the loss of this woman's taxes is going to force the US out of Iraq. |
Forkum: Show of Grief — From Drudge Report: Bush Protesting Mom Calls for 'Israel Out of Palestine' (via Little Green Footballs who first noted this story last week). Jeff Goldstein: Probably just an oversight...but you forgot to mention that this kitten thinks a cabal of neo-cons, Zionists, and... |
'I'm So Sorry' Newsweek — Permalink Aug. 22, 2005 issue - The grieving room was arranged like a doctor's office. The families and loved ones of 33 soldiers killed in Iraq or Afghanistan were summoned to a large waiting area at Fort Bragg, N.C. For three hours, they were rotated through five... | |
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Lorie Byrd: I was planning on getting all caught up with my blog reading and catching up on recent news stories before getting back... MarkInMexico: And Bush weeps — Read this and I don't think I will ever need to hear any more s**t about how George W. Bush takes a... |
TheAnchoress: Newsweek's glimpse of Bush w/ War Families Newsweek is certainly to be commended for this piece, which allows some... |
Iraqi Sunnis Battle To Defend Shiites WaPo — Permalink BAGHDAD, Aug. 14 — Rising up against insurgent leader Abu Musab Zarqawi, Iraqi Sunni Muslims in Ramadi fought with grenade launchers and automatic weapons Saturday to defend their Shiite neighbors against a bid to drive them from the western city, Sunni leaders and Shiite residents said. | |
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Pejman Yousefzadeh: In light of this, I naturally found this article to be quite interesting: [snipped quote] On the downside, we have this... Juan Cole: The Washington Post reports that the Sunni tribal leaders and the remnants of the Baath Party (Jaish Muhammad or... Bill Roggio: Sunnis have taken up arms against al Qaeda to protect their Shiite neighbors [hat tip Rantburg]. In Ramadi. |
Orrin Judd: The Sunni may choose failure for themselves, but not necessarily, Iraqi Sunnis Battle To Defend Shiites: Tribes Defy an... Cori Dauber: So it's a rarity to see this story about Sunnis in Ramadi taking up arms to protect their Shia neighbors against... James Joyner: Iraqi Sunnis Battle To Defend Shiites — Amidst reports of inter-sectarian quabbles that are making a constitution that... |
| Also: FrancoAlemán | |
Bush Approval a Low for Recent 2-Termers By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - President Bush's standing with an American public anxious about Iraq and the nation's direction is lower than that of the last two men who won re-election to the White House — Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton — at this point in their second terms. | |
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Chris Bowers: However, today I am abandoning that hope (emphasis mine): [snipped quote] Bush cannot fall any further unless Republicans and Republican-leaning independents start to abandon him. John @AmericaBlog: Bush polls at all-time low for 2d termer - but the GOP borg still support him 90% of Republicans still approve of him, fine. |
Norbizness: Finally, in the shadow of every non-registered Republican mistrusting and being disappointed in the current abortion of... |
One rule for Peloton One: Don't pass the president By / USA Today — Permalink CRAWFORD, Texas — The leader of the free world is now leading a Boomer Generation fitness trend. At age 59, President Bush is ripping around on a mountain bike, beating stress — and his fellow riders — with aplomb. | |
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Taegan Goddard: The Biker-in-Chief — President Bush took a group of journalists on a mountain bike ride, USA Today reports. |
Orrin Judd: HILL SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT BILL A BIKE: One rule for Peloton One: Don't pass the president (Sal Ruibal, 8/13/05, USA TODAY)... |
U.S. Lowers Sights On What Can Be Achieved in Iraq WaPo — Permalink The Bush administration is significantly lowering expectations of what can be achieved in Iraq, recognizing that the United States will have to settle for far less progress than originally envisioned during the transition due to end in four months, according to U.S. officials in Washington and Baghdad. | |
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Steve M.: Robin Wright and Ellen Knickmeyer in The Washington Post: The Bush administration is significantly lowering expectations... Joseph Britt: The Washington Post goes anonymizing in Sunday's edition, citing several administration sources who decline to be named... Steve Bainbridge: Oh well, it seems the old agade about mules and two-by-fours really is true; at leats, if one can believe the WaPo... |
Jim Henley: Robin Wright and Ellen Knickmeyer, today: "The United States no longer expects to see a model new democracy, a... Cernig: According to the Washington Post: The Bush administration is significantly lowering expectations of what can be achieved... Dan Darling: Weak and Strong Horses — Via War and Piece, I see this article from the Washington Post entitled "U.S. Lowers Sights On... |
| Also: Pejman Yousefzadeh, Justin Gardner, John Cole, Lambert @Corrente, Orrin Judd, James Joyner, Juan Cole, Brendan Nyhan, Ed Cone, Jack Balkin, PGL, Jason Van Steenwyk, Digby, Atrios, Pudentilla, Taegan Goddard, Laura Rozen, Orin Kerr, Joe @AmericaBlog, Susie Madrak, Randy Paul, Coldblue Steele, Josh Marshall, Jeralyn Merritt, Kevin Drum | |
Germany's conservatives attack Schroeder on Iran Reuters — Permalink Aug 14, 2005 — BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's conservative opposition said on Sunday Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's warnings against using military force to make Iran give up its nuclear program risked undermining international solidarity for electoral gain. | |
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Gateway Pundit: The conservatives in Germany attacked Schroeder on his approach to Iran. There was a similar protest for nukes in Tehran on Friday after prayers. |
Orrin Judd: UNIVERSALLY STUPID PARTY: Germany's conservatives attack Schroeder on Iran (Reuters, Aug 14, 2005) |
A New New Democrat Looks West and Forward By / LAT — Permalink SANTA FE, N.M. — Bill Richardson is holding court, seated at the far end of a shiny table in his modest Albuquerque office. It is Thursday, and the governor is hosting one of his regular open-door sessions — a chance for citizens to walk off the street and avail themselves of an audience with New Mexico's chief executive. | |
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Scott Shields: Bill Richardson Generating Buzz For 2008 — The LA Times and Salon.com have both run very favorable profiles of New... Orrin Judd: NEVERMIND HIS PROBLEMS ON THE LEFT: A New New Democrat Looks West and Forward (Mark Z. Barabak, August 14, 2005, LA... |
Joshua Claybourn: Early Horserace — The Los Angeles Times runs a good profile of New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) and his political ambitions. Taegan Goddard: The New New Democrat — The Los Angeles Times runs an excellent profile of New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) and his political ambitions. |
Atta way to blow 9/11 panel's credibility By / Chicago Sun Times — Permalink If you want to know everything wrong with the 9/11 Commission in a single sound bite, consider this from Al Felzenberg, its official spokesman, speaking Wednesday: ''There was no way that Atta could have been in the United States at that time, which is why the staff didn't give this tremendous weight when they were writing the report. | |
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Captain Ed: Also, Mark Steyn has thoughts on relying on INS records to categorically state when Atta first came to the US and how. Betsy Newmark: Mark Steyn, in his usual style, points out exactly what was wrong with the 9/11 Commission approach to the information they got from Able Danger. |
Tom Maguire: However, this is what we have a blogosphere for... Mark Steyn notes that the US border is semi-permeable, and that Atta may have been in the US even if INS records don't say so. Orrin Judd: ABLE WAS I ERE I SAW BEN VENISTE: Atta way to blow 9/11 panel's credibility (Mark Steyn, August 14, 2005, Chicago... |
Former Members of the Taliban Turn Their Backs on Insurgency By / WaPo — Permalink KABUL, Afghanistan — A cartoon flickered on a television set in Abdul Samad Khaksar's living room as he took a drag from a cigarette and considered the merits of Afghanistan's former Taliban government. | |
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Orrin Judd: MORE: Former Members of the Taliban Turn Their Backs on Insurgency: Among Hundreds Returning From Exile, Some Running... Pejman Yousefzadeh: GOODBYE TO ALL THAT — Slowly but surely, Afghanistan is joining the 21st Century: [snipped quote] I wonder if a similar program can be tried in Iraq. |
Captain Ed: Not only have large numbers of former Taliban supporters surrendered themselves to the new, democratic Karzai... |
Death in Stockwell: the unanswered questions Observer — Permalink When armed police surrounded the home of Muktar Said-Ibrahim in London's north Kensington earlier this month and ordered him outside, the 27-year-old had only one question: 'How do I know you're not going to shoot me like that guy at Stockwell tube station? | |
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Avedon Carol: Actually, George, you're being paid to work for people like Cindy Sheehan right now. (via) More reasons to shoot... Gary Farber: Many questions. (de Menzes was, you'll recall, the Brazilian electrician shot seven times in the head at the Stockwell... |
David Cohen: BAD TRAINING (From Bruce Cleaver) Death in Stockwell: the unanswered questions: He wasn't wearing a heavy jacket. |
Evolution vs. Religion By / Slate — Permalink Listen to a podcast interview with Jacob Weisberg here, or sign up to get all of Slate's free daily podcasts. President Bush used to be content to revel in his own ignorance. Now he wants to share it with America's schoolchildren. | |
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Orrin Judd: THEIR END OF THE WEDGE DOESN'T GET MUCH NARROWER: Evolution vs. Religion: Quit pretending they're compatible. |
Anonymousliberal: Why Evolutionary Biology is so Threatening — From: Top Reader Blogs Cross-posted at www.anonymousliberal.com Jacob... |
Annan's brother in oil scandal inquiry By / Times of London — Permalink THE official investigation into corruption in the £20 billion United Nations oil for food programme is now looking at the brother of Kofi Annan, the UN secretary-general. Kobina Annan, the Ghanaian ambassador to Morocco, is said by investigators to be "connected" to an African businessman at the centre of the scandal. | |
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Jan Haugland: A brother of the UN Secretary General is under investigation for links to UNSCAM. Roger L. Simon: But according to the London Times: The official investigation into corruption in the 20 billion United Nations oil for... FrancoAlemán: Ta-daaaa! Enter Kobina Annan, Kofi's brother: [snipped quote] Click here to send me an email |
Captain Ed: Investigators have discovered financial connections between Kobina, Kofi's brother, and one of the central OFF figures... Pejman Yousefzadeh: OH, BROTHER — More on the oil-for-food scandal: [snipped quote] Once again, much of the news appears to be coming from anonymous sources. Marc @USSNeverdock: Iraq - Annan's brother in UN oil scandal inquiry — The net is closing in on Koffi. [snipped quote] And sooner or later they'll get around to George Galloway. |
Liberal talk radio has values of Enron Arizona Republic — Permalink When I asked, "Where is Mr. Spitzer going with the Gloria Wise Boys and Girls Club investigation?" bells didn't quite ring for the young spokesman for New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer. Then I said the magic words: "You know . . . the Air America thing?" | |
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Avedon Carol: Even if i didn't know that the so-called "Air America scandal" is really about Republican operative Evan Cohen, I... Michelle Malkin: Read the whole thing. |
Brian Maloney: In a blunt, knock-'em-dead op-ed column by Doug MacEachern, we see what was once a given in New York City journalism,... |
Walesa backs Belarus revolution By / BBC — Permalink The former leader of the Solidarity movement in Poland has said he would support a people's revolution in neighbouring Belarus. Lech Walesa who won a Nobel Peace Prize and went on to become Poland's president, was speaking on the 25th anniversary of the union's founding. | |
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Gateway Pundit: (AP) Former Polish President Lech Walesa spoke out against the current regime in Belarus: Lech Walesa who won a Nobel... |
Orrin Judd: COLD WAR TAKEAWAY: Walesa backs Belarus revolution (Jonathan Charles, 8/14/05, BBC) [snipped quote] Nice that the main... |
Legal Urban Legends Hold Sway By / LAT — Permalink Tall tales of outrageous jury awards have helped bolster business-led campaigns to overhaul the civil justice system. Merv Grazinski set his Winnebago on cruise control, slid away from the wheel and went back to fix a cup of coffee. | |
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John Cole: Legal Urban Legends Via Ezra Klein, this LA Times piece on what they call 'legal urban legends': Merv Grazinski set... Patrick: Los Angeles Times, August 14, 2005 The proposal of any new law or regulation of commerce which comes from... |
Susie Madrak: The Hot Coffee Case I like to remind people occasionally how the famous McDonald's burn case is a lot more egregious... Ezra Klein: Journalisming Done Right — By Ezra This LA Times debunking of mythical lawsuits is the best piece on tort issues I've read in a major paper in the last year. |
TSA May Loosen Ban on Razorblades, Knives By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal agency in charge of aviation security is considering major changes in how it screens airline passengers, including proposals that an official said would lift the ban on carrying razorblades and small knives as well as limit patdown searches. | |
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TChris: Responding to demands for faster lines at airport terminals, TSA officials are considering changes in airline passenger screening rules. |
Jeff Jarvis: Now the Transporation Safety Administration suggests it might stop checking for razor blades, "small" knives, and explosive shoes. |
Saudi exile runs urban warfare website in UK Times of London — Permalink A PROMINENT London-based Saudi dissident, Muhammed al-Massari, is running a website that features a guide to urban warfare for potential terrorists. In a series of video and audio clips, the Beginner's Guide for Mujahed gives detailed advice on physical training, the surveillance of enemy targets and operational tactics. | |
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Harry @HarrysPlace: A few more facts — From the Sunday Times: A PROMINENT London-based Saudi dissident, Muhammed al-Massari, is running a... |
Marc @USSNeverdock: Britain - British Resident Runs Terror Website — Oddly, The Sunday Times (UK) calls it an "urban warfare website", despite the fact that it is clearly aimed at Muslim terrorists. |
Apple blunder gives Gates iPod royalty By / Independent — Permalink Apple Computer may be forced to pay royalties to Microsoft for every iPod it sells after it emerged that Bill Gates's software giant beat Steve Jobs' firm in the race to file a crucial patent on technology used in the popular portable music players. | |
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John Cole: Apple V. Microsoft If you listen to my friends who use Macs, this story is the Apple v. Microsoft story in a... Steve Bainbridge: Bummer — And here I thought my beloved iPod was the one thing in my life that didn't make Bill Gates richer. Shoot. |
Paul @Wizbang: Katherine Griffiths writing for The Independent: Apple blunder gives Gates iPod royalty Apple Computer may be forced to... |
Bakiev sworn in as Kyrgyz leader BBC — Permalink Kurmanbek Bakiev has been officially inaugurated as president of Kyrgyzstan, a month after winning the Central Asian state's elections. Mr Bakiev scored a landslide victory in the poll, winning 89% of the votes. | |
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Captain Ed: Winning Wars That Lose Battles — The people of Kyrgyzstan have successfully and formally completed their first clean... |
Gateway Pundit: New Krygyz Leader Bakiev is Inaugurated — A month aftr his landslide election win, Kurmanbek Bakiev was sworn in as the... |
U.S. Struggling to Get Soldiers Updated Armor By / NYT — Permalink For the second time since the Iraq war began, the Pentagon is struggling to replace body armor that is failing to protect American troops from the most lethal attacks by insurgents. Workers assembled body armor made of ceramic plates at ArmorWorks in Tempe, Ariz. Specially treated plates give troops extra protection. | |
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Cernig: Still no decent body armor for the troops on the front line though. Cori Dauber: Let's Go Again — The Times starts a new round of recriminations regarding body armor. Paul @Wizbang: But of course this is the New York Slimes we're talking about... U.S. Struggling to Get Soldiers Updated Armor For the... |
Hilzoy @ObsidianWings: Nickel And Dimed To Death by hilzoy From the NYTimes: "For the second time since the Iraq war began, the Pentagon is... Rob @Wizbang: But listen to how this is being spun by The New York Times: For the second time since the Iraq war began, the Pentagon... |
Belief isn't everything By / Observer — Permalink During the election campaign, I was stuck for a few hours at the London Muslim Centre in the East End. I was there to hear a press briefing from Oona King who was fighting George Galloway. I was early and she was late so I killed time by sitting in on a conference with the vibrant title of 'Women and Entrepreneurial London'. | |
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Marc @USSNeverdock: Britain - Where Are The Feminists? What happened to the feminist movement and why aren't feminist up in arms over this? |
Brownie @HarrysPlace: An innocent person in Tel Aviv is the same as an innocent person in Baghdad or London.' Also, read Nick Cohen's column in todays Observer: Belief isn't everything . |
Bush motorcade passes anti-war mom's protest AP — Permalink CRAWFORD, Texas (AP) — President Bush's motorcade, en route to a political fund-raiser near his ranch, passed Friday by the site of Cindy Sheehan's Iraq war protest where more than 100 people had gathered to support her. | |
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Joe Gandelman: There are all kinds of images that Mr. Bush's foes will be reminding voters of for several years, such as GWB's... |
Laura Rozen: Cindy Sheehan had some on a poster she held up as Bush drove by without stopping en route for a $25,000-a-plate fundraiser: "Why do you make time for donors and not for me?" |
Muslim leaders in feud with the BBC Observer — Permalink Britain's most powerful Islamic organisation was accused last night of failing mainstream Muslim Britain after it complained of a 'pro-Israel agenda' at the BBC in a Panorama programme on the faith to be aired next week. | |
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Jan Haugland: A regular reader sent me a link to this interesting article in the Observer, indicating, to put it mildly, that the MCB... Scott @PowerLine: In a companion piece, the Observer reports on the MCB's complaint that the BBC's Panorama program on MCB affiliates has a "pro-Israel agenda": "Muslim leaders in feud with BBC." |
Marc @USSNeverdock: This time Sacranie has gone around the bend and accuses The BBC of being pro-Israeli! The BBC's support of the Palestinians is well documented. Brownie @HarrysPlace: It has prompted the Council's media spokesman, Bunglawala, to write to the BBC, complaining of - don't laugh - a... |
Radical links of UK's 'moderate' Muslim group Observer — Permalink The Muslim Council of Britain is officially the moderate face of Islam. Its pronouncements condemning the London bombings have been welcomed by the government as a model response for mainstream Muslims. | |
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Jan Haugland: No kidding. Update: The Observer has more about MCB. Brownie @HarrysPlace: The lid comes off — And so do the gloves during the Observer's investigation of the Muslim Council of Britain. |
Scott @PowerLine: In search of moderate Islam — The Observer has published its investigation of the extremist links of Great Britain's... Marc @USSNeverdock: Britain - Muslim Groups Radical Links — File this under I told you so. "The Muslim Council of Britain is officially the moderate face of Islam. |
Suspected Chemical Weapons Plant Uncovered in Mosul By / WaPo — Permalink BAGHDAD, Aug. 13 — U.S. troops raiding a warehouse in the northern city of Mosul uncovered a suspected chemical-weapons factory containing 1,500 gallons of chemicals believed destined for attacks on U.S. and Iraqi forces and civilians, military officials said Saturday. | |
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Jan Haugland: Chemical weapons factory found in Mosul — Well, now there are WMDs in Iraq: U.S. troops raiding a warehouse in the... Bob Cesca: The fledgling weapons indsutry faced its first obstacle near Mosul Saturday as American forces discovered and seized 1,500 gallons of chemicals in a warehouse there. Cori Dauber: Chemical Weapons in Iraq — A huge cache of chemical weapons in Iraq, although the Post doesn't think it warrants mention until page A-18. |
Leon H: Iraqi Chemical Weapons Factory Found — Kudos to RedState poster rbdwiggins for finding this Washington Post article: ... TheAnchoress: WMD in Iraq WaPo reports: U.S. troops raiding a warehouse in the northern city of Mosul uncovered a suspected chemical... Andrew Cochran: (UPDATED 8-14) I know it's too early to go out on a limb, but the discovery of a chemical weapons factory in Mosul with... |
| Also: Richard Gardner, Captain Ed, Joe Gandelman, Jack Balkin, Marc @USSNeverdock, Atrios, Dr. Steven Taylor, Mcjoan @DailyKos, Orrin Judd | |
Democrats Conflicted on Playing Rough By / WaPo — Permalink The decision by the abortion rights group NARAL Pro-Choice America to pull an incendiary ad attacking President Bush's nominee to the Supreme Court has produced a fresh round of recriminations within the Democratic Party and a return to a nagging question: Has the opposition lost its nerve? | |
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David Adesnik: This morning, the WaPo ran an analysis column by Dana Milbank that asked whether Democrats lack the ability of the GOP to go for the jugular. John Podhoretz: Check out Dana Milbank in the WaPo today and listen to Bob (I've Lost 7 Presidential Elections!) DC Media Girl: From the Washington Post: The decision by the abortion rights group NARAL Pro-Choice America to pull an incendiary ad... |
Kevin Drum: AD WARS...Dana Milbank writes today about the liberal response to NARAL's recent ad attacking John Roberts:... Ken Masugi: Political Brawls: The Beltway Mentality — This is an almost perfect presentation of how Beltway politicians (and media)... Michelle Malkin: "The Washington Post reports that Democrat strategists are in whiny, chin-pulling mode: "Some Democratic operatives say their trouble is congenital. |
| Also: Orrin Judd, David, K-Lo, PoliPundit | |
Cindy Sheehan's Pitched Battle By / WaPo — Permalink CRAWFORD, Tex., Aug. 12 — Cindy Sheehan vaulted into national consciousness this month on the power of her story as the grieving mother of a fallen soldier. But what began as a solitary campaign to force a meeting with President Bush by setting up camp along the road to his ranch has quickly taken on the full trappings of a political campaign. | |
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Forkum: From The Washington Post: Cindy Sheehan's Pitched Battle. Michelle Malkin: YES, CINDY SHEEHAN CHANGED HER STORY — You have to scroll all the way down to the 18th paragraph in this front-page... Joe @AmericaBlog: Front Page of Wash. Post for Cindy Sheehan — Wash. Post has Cindy's story on the front page above the fold:... |
Joe Gandelman: According to the Washington Post, an extensive anti-war organization and mechanism is now in place behind her: "But... Cori Dauber: It's bereaved mother (and no one doubts the sincerity of her grief or her political attitudes) not quite alone, but... Michael Froomkin: Her campaign is getting lots of coverage in the press and a lot of national support. |
Experimental Hybrid Cars Get Up to 250 Mpg By / AP — Permalink CORTE MADERA, Calif. - Politicians and automakers say a car that can both reduce greenhouse gases and free America from its reliance on foreign oil is years or even decades away. Ron Gremban says such a car is parked in his garage. | |
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Jeff Jarvis: Open-source life What's so great about guys hacking the Toyota Prius is not just that it shows the potential of fuel... Jayson @PoliPundit: Capitalism — I found this article about hybrid cars to be quite in-ter-es-ting. Certain prototypes get 250 mpg, huh? Orrin Judd: SPEAKING OF OIL BUBBLES...: Experimental Hybrid Cars Get Up to 250 Mpg (TIM MOLLOY, 8/13/05, Associated Press) |
Paul @Wizbang: "Experimental Hybrid Cars Get Up to 250 Mpg " bogusprius.jpg I want a modified Prius that gets 250mpg, don't you? James Joyner: Experimental Hybrid Cars Get Up to 250 Mpg (AP) [snipped quote] This is hardly a practical solution for a family vacation but would meet the needs of most commuters. |
Normal Life Ended for Protesting Mother By / AP — Permalink VACAVILLE, Calif. - Before her son was killed in Iraq, before she began a peace vigil outside President Bush's Texas ranch, before she became an icon of the anti-war movement and the face of grieving mothers, there was a time when Cindy Sheehan's life was, by all appearances, incredibly normal. | |
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Joe Gandelman: The AP has a great piece that explains Sheehan's transformation after her 24-year-old son Casey was killed in April 2005. |
Atrios: It's the Little Things — Reader b writes in about this AP story about the Sheehans: Normal life ended for Cindy Sheehan... |
U.S. Struggling to Get Soldiers Improved Armor By / NYT — Permalink For the second time since the Iraq war began, the Pentagon is struggling to replace body armor that is failing to protect American troops from the most lethal attacks by insurgents. The ceramic plates in vests worn by most personnel cannot withstand certain munitions the insurgents use. | |
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RJ Eskow: the turkey flies at dawn — Turkey official bird of the bush pentagon let's see: we still haven't got that whole body... Brad DeLong: U.S. Struggling to Get Soldiers Improved Armor - New York Times: MICHAEL MOSS: [T]he Pentagon is struggling to replace... Judd @ThinkProgress: Troops still don't have the armor they need |
Jason Van Steenwyk: Body armor: The goalposts move again — The New York Times finally acknowledges that the US had gotten body armor to... Joe @AmericaBlog: The NY Times just posted an article, "U.S. Struggling to Get Soldiers Improved Armor." That's right. |
Mother's war protest veers onto wrong path By / Seattle Post-Intelligencer — Permalink President Bush could end the shenanigans of the military mom turned antiwar poster child who is camped outside his Texas vacation ranch. All he has to do is meet with the grieving woman. | |
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Forkum: From The Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Mother's war protest veers onto wrong path by Robert L. Jamieson, Jr. (via Michelle... TheAnchoress: Still, his words are worth reading: Trouble is Sheehan is not sincerely interested in meeting Bush for a private,... |
Joe Gandelman: Meanwhile, Sheehan is being praised as a courageous, history-making grieving mother and being blasted by others such as... Michelle Malkin: On a related note, liberal Seattle Post-Intelligencer columnist Robert Jamieson candidly criticizes Mrs. Sheehan's... |
Iraqis: Constitution Will Beat Deadline By / AP — Permalink BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraqi leaders rushing to finish a constitution Saturday reported tentative agreements on distribution of oil wealth and other issues, but there was no deal on the main obstacle: federalism. | |
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Jason Van Steenwyk: But, you know, is it too much to ask that the editors of the Washington Post check the newswires? John @PowerLine: Iraqis Agree to Share Oil — Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said today that he expects a finished constitution to be... Ann Althouse: President Talabani predicts they'll be done Sunday, a day early: "We have reached agreements on many points but I am not... |
Robert Mayer: President Talabani thinks so. In fact, he's saying that it will be done early. Jayson @PoliPundit: Democracy in Action in Iraq. Dr. Steven Taylor: Iraqi Constitution Update — Iraqis: Constitution Will Beat Deadline [snipped quote] We shall see. |
No Evidence Pentagon Knew of Atta, Panel Says By / WaPo — Permalink Investigators for the Sept. 11 commission have found no evidence to support allegations by a House Republican that lead hijacker Mohamed Atta was identified by a classified Pentagon program before the 2001 attacks, according to a commission statement issued last night. | |
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Captain Ed: Able Danger 'Not Historically Significant': Commission — The Washington Post and the New York Times report extensively... Cori Dauber: The 9/11 Commission Hits Back — Their statement from last night: a review of their staff's notes from the relevant... Jeff Goldstein: Metaphorically speaking, of course. **** update: Jim Geraghty and Captain Ed take on emerging spin, proffered by 911... |
Tom Maguire: The stage is set for the Sunday talk-show brawls! [The NY Times and the WaPo pick this up. Focus on the Times, which buries two great tidbits. Betsy Newmark: Jim Geraghty isn't too impressed with the statement by Tom Kean and Lee Hamilton that the briefing they got on Able... Laura Rozen: Update: Here's a good analysis from Kevin Drum: [snipped quote] More from the Post's Dan Eggen. |
Many on Base-Closings Panel Question Estimate of Savings By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 - A majority of the members of the independent commission assessing the Pentagon's proposed list of domestic base closings say that the Defense Department probably overstated the nearly $50 billion in savings projected over 20 years, perhaps by nearly 50 percent. | |
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Dr. Steven Taylor: Probably Wise — Via the NYT: Many on Base-Closings Panel Question Estimate of Savings. Stirling Newberry: The Welfare Program we Like — And how its constituents are striking back. Permalink Stirling Newberry - Comments (0) |
Pudentilla: dog bites man - pentagon lies to base closing commission — [snipped quote] why would rummy lie? the answer, mr... |
Bush hints at military option for Iran Herald Sun — Permalink US President George W Bush refused to rule out the use of force against Iran over the Islamic republic's resumption of nuclear activities, in an interview with Israeli television. When asked if the use of force was an alternative to faltering diplomatic efforts, Bush said: "All options are on the table." | |
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Pessimist @LeftCoaster: Cindy Sheehan traveled to Crawford, Texas to tell George W. Bush that it was time to admit the error and end the... Joe Gandelman: Bush Suggests Military Force Is Option For Iran — President George Bush has come out and said it: military force is an... Susie Madrak: Reassuring He's promising the same great strategy that worked so well in Iraq, and yet the U.S. press is still asleep: ... |
Arthur Silber: THE CHEAPEST DATE IN THE WORLD — Iran Watch continues: [snipped quote] And so the familiar dance is performed once again. Justin Gardner: Bush Talks Tough On Iran — From The Herald Sun: [snipped quote] Here's the problem with this. |
It is not only Iraq that is occupied. America is too By / Guardian — Permalink It has quickly become clear that Iraq is not a liberated country, but an occupied country. We became familiar with that term during the second world war. We talked of German-occupied France, German-occupied Europe. And after the war we spoke of Soviet-occupied Hungary, Czechoslovakia, eastern Europe. | |
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Avedon Carol: What do you mean we, white man? — Frank Rich, 2005 It is not only Iraq that is occupied. Oliver Kamm: It may be. The second example is an op-ed from today's Guardian, by the venerable radical historian Howard Zinn. Cookie Jill: "- the guardian" |
Mary @PacificViews: Living in an Occupied Country — Howard Zinn worries about the effect of the Bush administration on our country and our world. Norm Geras: Yesterday we had Howard Zinn telling us that America is under occupation. |
Burned, Baby, Burned By / WaPo — Permalink While many people this month are focused on the controversy surrounding the 40th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, I have another civil-rights-related 40th anniversary on my mind. On Aug. 11, 1965, the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles broke out in flames on the nation's television screens. | |
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Roger L. Simon: "Acting Out" on all sides — Most op-eds are as ephemeral as the wind... or should I say hot air?... and would be... Todd Gitlin: John McWhorter's Bad Dream — From: Society and Culture In a peculiarly phantasmagorical piece in today's Washington... |
Orrin Judd: THE FRANCOSPHERE: Burned, Baby, Burned: Watts and the Tragedy of Black America (John McWhorter, August 14, 2005,... |
U.S. Raids Suspected Chem Facility in Iraq By / AP — Permalink BAGHDAD, Iraq — U.S. troops raided a suspected insurgent chemical weapons factory in northern Iraq, finding about 1,500 gallons of dangerous substances, the U.S. military said Saturday. | |
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John @PowerLine: One can't help wondering, too, how long the facility has been there and whether it could have played a role in Saddam's chemical weapons program. |
Joe Gandelman: The AP also notes that there's no proof this facility is linked to Sadaam's departed regime: "U.S. troops, acting on a... |
No clear finish line in Iraq By / MSNBC — Permalink The Bush administration has sent seemingly conflicting signals in recent days over the duration of the U.S. deployment to Iraq, openly discussing contingency plans to withdraw as many as 30,000 of 138,000 troops by spring, then cautioning against expectations of any early pullout. | |
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Mark Kleiman: From today's WaPo: At his meeting with his war cabinet yesterday, Bush reviewed the latest developments but reported no new direction. |
Atrios: "The Wheels are Coming Off It" — McCaffrey: [quote] "It's a race against time because by the end of this coming summer we can...[end quote] |
Seebach: Radio's Hewitt has offer journalists must refuse Rocky Mountain News — Permalink Radio talk-show host Hugh Hewitt is also a lawyer, an author, a blogger and a former colleague of Supreme Court nominee John Roberts Jr. On July 29, he said on his blog Hugh Hewitt.com that he'd been called by a Washington Post reporter who wanted to interview him about Roberts. | |
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Patterico: Seebach has expanded her comments into a column for her paper. She kindly mentions this blog in the column, for which I thank her. Hugh Hewitt: Many of you have e-mailed me the column from the Rocky Mountain News' columnist Linda Seebach on my policy of giving John Roberts-related interviews only on air. |
Betsy Newmark: Well, not so to Linda Seebach of the Rocky Mountain News who says that no self-respecting journalist could accept such an offer. |
Court Finds Bias in Policy of Schools for Hawaiians By / NYT — Permalink The Kamehameha Schools in Hawaii are practicing unlawful race discrimination by restricting enrollment to Native Hawaiian children, a federal appeals court panel in San Francisco ruled yesterday. | |
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Nathan Newman: A bit late to strike down all the old Jim Crow institutions, but just in time to eliminate a program benefitting the native Hawaiian descendants of American colonialism. |
Julie Saltman: The other affirmative action case — I missed this last week, but the Ninth Circuit ruling on the Hawaiian school's race-based admissions policy came down. |
N.Y. Community Center Loan Investigated By / AP — Permalink NEW YORK - State and city officials are investigating how $875,000 from a community center funded largely by government grants and contracts wound up in the coffers of Air America, the liberal radio network. | |
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Michelle Malkin: AIR ENRON: THE DAM BURSTS — DarleenClickAAR1.jpg Despite liberals' insistence that the Air America / Gloria Wise story... Jayson @PoliPundit: The Media Discovers the Air America Scandal — Merely a couple of weeks after the blog-o-sphere had picked it up. |
Captain Ed: Air America: The Exempt Media Coverage — Remember that "phony", "undersourced" story that came from the overactive imaginations of the right wing blogosphere? |
Racism is the terrorists' greatest recruitment tool By / Guardian — Permalink Hussein Osman, one of the men alleged to have participated in London's failed bombings on July 21, recently told Italian investigators that they prepared for the attacks by watching "films on the war in Iraq", La Repubblica reported. | |
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Avedon Carol: Howard Zinn in the Guardian. Racism is the terrorists' greatest recruitment tool - Naomi Klein in the Guardian. Norm Geras: Today, it's the return of Naomi Klein. The 'two main causes' of terrorism, according to her? Racism and torture. Our fault. |
David T: Half Right — Naomi Klein's comment piece in the Guardian today contains much which is familiar. |
Vast Archive Yields New View of 9/11 By / NYT — Permalink Faced with a court order and unyielding demands from the families of victims, the city of New York yesterday opened part of its archive of records from Sept. 11, releasing a digital avalanche of oral histories, dispatchers' tapes and phone logs so vast that they took up 23 compact discs. | |
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Cori Dauber: So no real thought has been given to what the EMS people were doing and their experiences have in fact been cut out of... |
Ed Cone: 9/11 documents released, discussed — The New York Times has an archive of oral histories of 9/11 released by the City of New York, and a cache of audio files, too. |
London bombings: the truth emerges Independent — Permalink The suicide cell that killed 52 people on 7 July is not linked to those alleged to be behind the second London attacks on 21 July, according to the initial findings of the biggest anti-terrorist investigation held in Britain. | |
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Andrew Cochran: UK Paper: London Investigations Find 7/21 Cell Not Linked to 7/7 Cell — The UK Independent is reporting that "The... |
Felix @MemeFirst: The left is royally pissing me off right now - first Mark Green, then ever-more-ridiculous pieces elevating Cindy... |
Security Cameras Multiply in Manhattan By / AP — Permalink NEW YORK - Six surveillance cameras could be seen peering out from a chain drug store on Broadway. One protruded awkwardly from the awning of a fast-food restaurant. A supersized, domed version hovered like a flying saucer outside Columbia University. | |
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James Joyner: Security Cameras Multiplying in American Cities — Security Cameras Multiply in Manhattan (AP) [snipped quote] It's sad... |
Jeralyn Merritt: Smile: Manhattan is One Big Camera — ACLU interns this summer have been counting the proliferation of cameras taking... |
Career Lawyer Gets Oversight of CIA Probe By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - David Margolis, a lawyer at the Justice Department for 40 years, was named Friday to oversee a special prosecutor's investigation of who in the Bush administration disclosed the name of an undercover CIA officer. Comey will be Lockheed Martin's new general counsel. | |
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The Poor Man: And our Mr. Comey just assured that another hardass will take his place, instead of one of Dubya's frat brothers. John Cole: And Speaking of Paranoid and Delusional It looks like the previous speculation about the replacement of the overseer... Jeralyn Merritt: Comey himself made the designation today before he left...it will be David Margolis, who has been a Justice Department lawyer for 40 years. |
Tom Maguire: Tidbits On The Plame Investigation — Special Counsel Fitzgerald has a new boss, a forty year DoJ veteran; JeraLynn... Mark Kleiman: Career prosecutor to supervise Plame probe — On his way out the door, Deputy Attorney General James Comey, who chose... Joe @AmericaBlog: Career Lawyer, not Skull and Bones Pal, to head Plame Case — This is an interesting development. |
| Also: Laura Rozen | |
Dangerous Days WaPo — Permalink "The judicial court of the Organization of al Qaeda in Iraq has ruled that it is a duty to uphold God's law and kill those who have declared themselves God's partners in drafting this constitution." | |
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Armando @DailyKos: WaPo Ed Board: An Arm of BushCo — The WaPo Ed Board is shameless. Pejman Yousefzadeh: True Intentions — The Washington Post sees the terrorists in Iraq for what they are |
Cori Dauber: It's the Little Things — One of the most important news items of the last week finally appears — on the Washington Post editorial page. |
Top Calif. court revives Schwarzenegger ballot item By / Reuters — Permalink SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - In a victory for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, California's Supreme Court overturned two lower courts on Friday and put back on the ballot a voter initiative that will determine who draws up California's state legislative districts. | |
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Joe Gandelman: UPDATE: But now the state Supreme Court has handed Schwarzenegger a major victory: it has ordered his controversial... Jayson @PoliPundit: CA Re-Districting Back on Tap — So says the California Supreme Court. Hat tip: Jon Sandor. |
Betsy Newmark: The California State Supreme Court just handed Schwarzenegger a victory in getting his reform of redistricting procedures onto the ballot. |