memeorandum: Al Qaeda claims deadly Algiers bombings (Reuters)

3:40 PM ET, April 11, 2007

Top Items:

Fred Thompson / Fox News:

FORMER SENATOR FRED THOMPSON IN REMISSION FOR LYMPHOMA — WASHINGTON — Former Tennessee Republican Sen. Fred Thompson announced Wednesday he's in remission from lymphoma. — Thompson, who is considering a run for the White House in 2008, told FOX News that the illness is treatable.

Discussion: WSJ.com, ABCNEWS, The Moderate Voice, The Caucus, Michael P.F. van der Galiën, Hotline On Call, Blue Crab Boulevard and TIME: Swampland

Redstate:

What You Need To Know — [Editorial Note: Thompson will be on Neal Cavuto's show at 4pm and with Sean Hannity at 4:30pm today to discuss this news. Given the morning outage, we're going to keep this up top for a while. Please scroll down for newer content.]

Discussion: IMAO

Bill Frist, M.D. / Senator Bill Frist: Fred Thompson Update

Nedra Pickler / Associated Press:
Fred Thompson Says He Has Cancer

Discussion: The Daily Dish and Ace of Spades HQ

Ed Morrissey / Captain's Quarters:
Fred Has Manageable Cancer (Update: Fred's Showing His Hand)

Discussion: Wizbang

Washington Post:

3 Generals Spurn the Position of War 'Czar' — Bush Seeks Overseer For Iraq, Afghanistan — The White House wants to appoint a high-powered czar to oversee the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with authority to issue directions to the Pentagon, the State Department and other agencies …

Kevin Drum / Political Animal:

OUT OF GAS....The Washington Post reports that the White House is casting about for a "high-powered czar" who would have authority over both military and civilian operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Only problem is, no one wants the job: … Sheesh. Even Keane doesn't want the job …

Discussion: The Carpetbagger Report, The Next Hurrah, TAPPED, The RBC, The Galloping Beaver and Whiskey Fire

Associated Press:

Iran may be helping Iraqis build bombs — BAGHDAD - Iranian intelligence operatives have been training Iraqi fighters inside Iran on how to use and assemble deadly roadside bombs known as EFPs, the U.S. military spokesman said Wednesday. — Commanders of a splinter group inside …

Discussion: WorldwideStandard.com, Pajamas Media, Argghhh!, Confederate Yankee, CorrenteWire, The Moderate Voice, Michael P.F. van der Galiën, Flopping Aces and Little Thom's Blog

Fouad Ajami / Opinion Journal:

Iraq in the Balance — In Washington, panic. In Baghdad, cautious optimism. — BAGHDAD—For 35 years the sun did not shine here," said a man on the grounds of the great Shia shrine of al-Kadhimiyyah, on the outskirts of Baghdad. I had come to the shrine at night, in the company of the Shia politician Ahmed Chalabi.

Discussion: The Daily Dish, Gateway Pundit and The Influence Peddler

Cernig / NewsHog:
Evolving EFP Hype

Discussion: The Impolitic and CJR Daily

Associated Press:

A.G.'s Statement Dropping Duke Rape Case — Statement from North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper on the Duke University lacrosse rape case. — Good afternoon, everyone. — On Jan. 13 of this year, I accepted the request of the Durham district attorney to take over three Durham cases.

Discussion: Armavirumque

Lara Setrakian / ABCNEWS:
Duke Lacrosse Case Charges to Be Dropped

Discussion: On Deadline, Durham-in-Wonderland, Captain's Quarters, Reason Magazine, Riehl World View, Power Line, JustOneMinute, Armavirumque, Sister Toldjah, Gateway Pundit, Betsy's Page, Outside The Beltway, Scared Monkeys, Redstate, The Strata-Sphere, Blue Crab Boulevard, Wizbang and PoliPundit.com

Aaron Beard / Associated Press:
Decision in Duke rape case awaited

Discussion: TalkLeft

Martin Stolz / New York Times:

Rare Protests at Brigham Young Over a Planned Cheney Appearance — The invitation extended to Vice President Dick Cheney to be the commencement speaker at Brigham Young University has set off a rare, continuing protest at the Mormon university, one of the nation's most conservative.

Discussion: Daniel W. Drezner, MyDD, The Carpetbagger Report, Matthew Yglesias and Middle Earth Journal

Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
Pariah — The Bush administration doesn't quite realize it yet …

Discussion: The RBC

Kevin Drum / Political Animal:

HOS AND BITCHES....Now that Don Imus has been universally condemned for calling the Rutgers women's basketball team "nappy-headed hos," the conversation is moving on, as conversations do, to broader questions. In the LA Times today, civil rights attorney Constance Rice joins in the condemnation …

Discussion: Unfogged, Matthew Yglesias, Eschaton and Argghhh!

Atrios / Eschaton:
Black People — This morning on CNN Howard Kurtz pulled the …

Discussion: ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES

Confederate Yankee:

Pelosi Diplomacy: Legitimizing Terrorism — When Democrat Presidential candidates Clinton, Obama and Edwards dropped out of the Congressional Black Caucus Institute debate that was going to be co-sponsored by Fox News, many liberals crowed over the decision.

Discussion: protein wisdom, GraniteGrok, Kesher Talk, EricCantor.com, Iowa Voice and Wizbang

Carla Marinucci / San Francisco Chronicle:
Pelosi is open to Iran trip

Discussion: Horses Mouth, Redstate, Needlenose, Kesher Talk, Dr. Sanity, theneweditor.com, Macsmind, Riehl World View and Blogs for Bush

Kate Phillips / The Caucus:
The C.B.C. Stands By Fox

Discussion: Washington Post, TIME and Think Progress

Phillip Rawls / Associated Press:

Republican candidate off the mark on cost of milk, bread — MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani hasn't done a lot of grocery shopping lately — at least based on his answers about the cost of milk and bread. — Campaigning in Alabama on Tuesday …

Discussion: TalkLeft, DownWithTyranny!, Daily Kos, Eschaton, TAPPED, Outside The Beltway, The Impolitic and Political Insider

This Is London:

I'M SORRY FOR SELLING MY STORY, SAYS IRAN HOSTAGE MR BEAN — Servicemen have rounded on the sailors who sold their stories of being held captive by Iran. — A series of messages on forces' websites ridiculed Arthur Batchelor and Faye Turney, who cashed in after being held prisoner for 13 days.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and Neocon Express

David Leonhardt / New York Times:

A Word of Advice During a Housing Slump: Rent — A promotional spot for the National Association of Realtors came on the radio the other day. The spot, introduced as something called "Newsmakers," was supposed to sound like a news report, with the association's president offering real estate advice.

Discussion: TAPPED, The RBC, The Big Picture, Outside The Beltway and KnoxViews

Howard Kurtz / Washington Post:

'Katie's Notebook' Item Cribbed From W.S. Journal — Katie Couric did a one-minute commentary last week on the joys of getting her first library card, but the thoughts were less than original. The piece was substantially lifted from a Wall Street Journal column.