The Archives: January 1-15, 2004

Home

What is this?

Archives

Music reviews

The Archives: January 1-15, 2004

Thursday, January 15, 2004

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics / Election 2004
A new kind of empire? The Christian Science Monitor If America qualifies as an empire, it's a nontraditional one - US: a bigger stick - and no longer speaking softly - US financial power: a bang and a whimper - In 2,000 years, will the world remember Disney or Plato? America's Empire of Bases Chalmers Johnson TomsDispatch.com Due to government secrecy, our citizens are often ignorant of the fact that our garrisons encircle the planet Army's civil-affairs units stretched thin Rowan Scarborough The Washington Times The ongoing rotation of new ground forces into Iraq this year will leave the military with fewer civil-affairs soldiers the personnel who fix schools, buy textbooks, provide electric generators and build housing Policy may lead to danger, not safety Dianne Feinstein The Miami Herald Many of the Bush administration's actions and much of its rhetoric may actually be increasing the threat from nuclear weapons rather than making the world safer<> Bush Flees Iraq Mess On The Campaign Express Rick Perlstein The Village Voice Gone are his hard-liners' dreams of setting up a peaceful, prosperous, and democratic republic, a light unto the Middle Eastern nations. The decision makers in the administration now realize these goals are unreachable. So they've set a new goal: to end the occupation by July 1 Time for Reform? Mother Jones This time, the forces of conservatism in Iran may have gone too far The Appearance of Change in Iran Karl Vick The Washington Post The dramatic relaxation of the theocracy's strict official dress code is but the most visible aspect of a grudging yet steady expansion of what Iranians call "personal space." Objectivity Overruled Lee Smith Slate What happens when an Arab news network refuses to call dead Palestinians martyrs? A smaller intifada resumes Cameron W. Barr The Christian Science Monitor The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is heating up again, but the violence appears unlikely to reach the levels of 2002, when Palestinian suicide bombers sometimes killed scores of Israelis in single attacks Editorial: India and the US start stepping out Financial Times (UK) Washington's move can also be seen as the latest rebalancing of its alliances in south Asia Task force fosters alliances with locals to disrupt terror Chris Tomlinson Associated Press The Washington Times U.S. Marines and Army soldiers are assigned to the Djibouti-based Combined Joint Task Force — Horn of Africa, the U.S. operation assigned to detect, disrupt and defeat terrorists in northeastern Africa U.S. wages quiet battle in Africa Chris Tomlinson Associated Press The Washington Times The Joint Operations Center, tucked inside a former French Foreign Legion post, is the heart of the Bush administration's quiet battle against Islamist militants operating in six nations in East Africa and in Yemen	"America, Iraq and Presidential Leadership" Senator Edward M. Kennedy I believe that this Administration is indeed leading this country to a perilous place. It has broken faith with the American people, aided and abetted by a Congressional majority willing to pursue ideology at any price, even the price of distorting the truth Barely half say Bush should be re-elected Alex Johnson MSNBC Barely half of Americans say President Bush deserves to be re-elected, but they are even less enthusiastic about his Democratic challengers, any one of whom he would overwhelm GOP visits to key states might offer 2008 preview Carl P. Leubsdorf The Dallas Morning News Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee will headline a GOP team in Des Moines, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani will be in Cedar Rapids, and Gov. Bill Owens of Colorado is going to Council Bluffs GOP strategists wary of California Ralph Z. Hallow The Washington Times Some Republicans are counseling President Bush's re-election campaign to think twice before making a serious attempt to win California's 55 electoral votes in November Schwarzenegger to Back Jones Michael Finnegan and Joe Mathews The Los Angeles Times Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will back former Secretary of State Bill Jones for the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer Republicans air deficit worries Peronet Despeignes USA Today More than 90 House Republicans plan to meet Jan. 22-23 under the auspices of the House Republican Study Committee to discuss ways to stop what leaders call excessive government spending -- most of which has been initiated by the Bush White House The Green Elephant in the Room Amanda Griscom Grist Magazine A growing chasm divides moderate and right-wing Republicans over a broad range of issues -- environmental policy chief among them A rebel Republican Sidney Blumenthal The Guardian (UK) The former treasury secretary Paul O'Neill, fired and forgotten, mild-mannered and grey, appears an unlikely dissident. He was, after all, the CEO of Alcoa, a pillar of the Republican establishment What Now? Joanne Landy TomPaine.com U.S. anti-war activists should set their sites on achieving "regime change" at home Caucus quandary: Iowans like them all Liz Marlantes The Christian Science Monitor It's not just the size of the field. Many also see this as an exceptionally talented - and appealing - bunch, combining years of experience, impressive rhetorical skills, and likable personalities The hour of battle is at hand The Economist (UK) Howard Dean is under pressure in Iowa, particularly from Dick Gephardt, but he is still the only candidate with a national machine Time and Patience Grow Short in Iowa James Gerstenzang The Los Angeles Times The major Democratic presidential candidates descended on Iowa today, and the campaign for the support of the party's caucuses grew increasingly angry Despite Intense Courting, Some Can't Commit Ronald Brownstein The Los Angeles Times Surveys suggest that about one-third of Iowans likely to attend Monday's Democratic caucuses have not firmly settled on a Unions split into 2 camps as they help candidates in Iowa Jill Lawrence USA Today The top two Democrats running for president here have split the labor movement in Iowa into two factions Outside Campaigners Flood Iowa, Sharing Their Candidates' Styles Todd S. Purdum The New York Times The approaches of the armies of volunteers who have amassed in Iowa to get people to vote next week are as different as the candidates they work for In Search of the Elusive Swing Voter Joshua Green The Atlantic Monthly It almost doesn't matter who the Democratic candidate is. In terms of strategy, the road map for the coming presidential campaign was set long before the primaries After Stumbles, Dean Snaps Back to His Blunt Style Matea Gold and Mark Z. Barabak The Los Angeles Times His efforts at curbing his tongue left him frustrated so he's returning to the outspoken approach that served him well Perfect Storm sweeps into Iowa for Dean Flynn McRoberts Chicago Tribune Armed with cell phones, voter lists and political leaflets, they're part of what the Dean campaign calls the Perfect Storm, a corps of true believers hitting doorsteps from Council Bluffs to Davenport Question for Dean: How Solid a Base? Dan Balz The Washington Post His campaign is now less about cyber-innovation and more about delivering support from Democratic voters, and the question that will be answered in the days ahead is whether Dean has built his campaign on a solid foundation Dean urges a different direction from Clinton Susan Page USA Today In some conversations, Clinton has been ''ticked off'' by Dean's comments about him and ''new Democrats,'' according to three former White House aides who didn't want to be identified Catching votes Barry Casselman The Washington Times The reality is that Mr. Dean has an army of devotees marching toward the state this weekend. Other candidates will be bringing in volunteers, too, but the evidence is that they will not come close to matching Mr. Dean's efforts Dean's success weakens rivals Brian DeBose The Washington Times Howard Dean's success in Tuesday's D.C. primary may make it harder for those who didn't participate in the nonbinding contest to win next month's citywide caucuses Dean: No conflict in Iraq, Bosnia positions CNN A spokesman for front-running Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean says there's no contradiction between his opposition to the war in Iraq and his call for unilateral U.S. airstrikes on Serb forces in Bosnia in 1995 In Iowa, Gephardt's labor foothold firm Brian C. Mooney The Boston Globe Gephardt appears to have a decided advantage over his rival with organized labor in this state, where union members traditionally account for 30 percent of Democratic caucus-goers The warrior's big offense Steve Chapman The Chicago Tribune Had John Kerry been willing to stand firmly against the Iraq war from the start, Howard Dean might be considering practicing medicine full time Clark Tries to Shake Earlier Comments Paul Schwartzman The Washington Post Shortly after the new year, Wesley K. Clark told the editorial board at a local newspaper here that no terrorist attacks would occur in the United States if he is elected president. The next day, the retired Army commander scaled back his promise Karl Rove's Nightmare Richard Cohen The Washington Post Clark was prepared to go at President Bush in the one area where he once seemed unassailable: his leadership as a wartime president Dean Assailed By Gephardt Jim VandeHei and Ceci Connolly The Washington Post The Missouri Democrat's attack, in a state historically averse to negative campaigning, comes as Dean is showing signs of weakness and vulnerability Kucinich Blends New Age Aura With Old-School Grit Paul Farhi The Washington Post As becomes instantly clear as Kucinich traverses Iowa before Monday's first-in-the-nation Democratic caucuses, he, in many respects, is the Democrat for Democrats who would more likely vote for Ralph Nader Braun to drop out of race, will endorse Dean Jill Lawrence USA Today Former Illinois senator Carol Moseley Braun plans to drop out of the Democratic presidential race today and endorse Howard Dean
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
The Children’s Hour Jay Currie The American Spectator To attain power, the professionals know they have to keep the amateurs committed without actually inviting them to the table. Thus: Howard Dean `Hard line is the safe line,' Perle declares E.A. Torriero and Jim Kirk The Chicago Tribune Richard Perle, a neo-conservative adviser who urged the Bush administration to invade Iraq, said in Chicago on Wednesday that he has no regrets despite postwar difficulties for the American occupation and continuing U.S. military casualties Iowa May Be Howard's End Peggy Noonan The Wall Street Journal Can the Democratic establishment stop Dean? Let's hope so General Dud Doug Bandow National Review Clark, who has based his campaign on his foreign-policy credentials, actually has the strangest foreign-policy views of anyone in the presidential race Kucinich's own crusade Steve Miller The Washington Times Mr. Kucinich, 57, is a one-man outpost against even his own party, a faux Gandhi-like purveyor of peace, medicinal pot and alternative medicine Editorial: Influence vs. integrity The Washington Times The connection between Soros money and anti-Bush and anti-Republican rhetoric is not limited to the hysterical Web site Still Crazy . . . Hugh Hewitt The Weekly Standard The Democratic hopefuls can't keep their feet out of their mouths. Is anyone paying attention?	The Rovers Mark Fiore WorkingForChange.com Bush Wanted To Invade Iraq Back In College Andy Borowitz Borowitz Report “We had to talk him down from that,” Mr. Wiffington said. “We were like, let’s T.P. the Princeton bus instead.” President Bush To Send Man To The Moon - Apparently Not Briefed On Previous Moon Mission The Daily Farce "It was a very inspiring speech," stated one of the NASA engineers, "But I felt bad for the guy. I didn't have the heart to tell him we went there already in 1969" ENIAC Announces Extended Support For Windows 48 The Eschalot "We thought most users had since migrated to at least Windows 55, since it had paper-tape support. But our support teams in some smaller markets have indicated that Win48 is still alive and kicking for many of our customers"

Wednesday, January 14, 2004

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics / Election 2004
War's Preachers Robert Dreyfuss TomPaine.com The neocons were wrong on every front about Iraq—so why does the White House listen to them? Nation-Building 101 Francis Fukuyama The Atlantic Monthly The chief threats to us and to world order come from weak, collapsed, or failed states. Learning how to fix such states—and building necessary political support at home—will be a defining issue for America in the century ahead Follow the Money Martin Mayer The New York Times Tracing the United States currency that Saddam Hussein possessed might give us a better picture of the financial flow of terrorism Spies, Lies, and Weapons: What Went Wrong Kenneth M. Pollack The Atlantic Monthly How could we have been so far off in our estimates of Saddam Hussein's weapons programs? Weapons of Misperception Kenneth M. Pollack The Atlantic Monthly Kenneth M. Pollack, the author of "Spies, Lies, and Weapons: What Went Wrong," explains how the road to war with Iraq was paved with misleading and manipulated intelligence O'Neill and WMD: fallout beyond Iraq Howard LaFranchi The Christian Science Monitor In a Christian Science Monitor/TIPP poll conducted last week, 62 percent of Americans said US military action in Iraq is helping to make the world a safer place - down slightly from December but more than 10 points higher than in November Editorial: An Army Stretched Thin The Christian Science Monitor The limits of America's volunteer army are showing, revealing a need to rethink this country's troop levels Editorial: Overdue Reversal on Iraq The Los Angeles Times The White House's course reversal Tuesday to let Canadian firms bid on billions of dollars worth of construction contracts in Iraq was overdue Hussein Warned Iraqis to Beware Outside Fighters, Document Says James Risen The New York Times Saddam Hussein warned Iraqis to be wary of joining forces with foreign fighters entering Iraq to battle U.S. troops A year later, Sean Penn returns to Iraq and files a personal, candid report Sean Penn The San Francisco Chronicle Penn returned to Iraq to find out how life had changed after the American invasion. What follows is his account of what he saw Helicopter Crews Dread The Six O'Clock Shadow Daniel Williams The Washington Post It doesn't refer to the hour, but the angle of approach of a shoulder-launched missile fired from the ground directly behind his aircraft From Conqueror to Peacekeeper John Hendren The Los Angeles Times When Mongol troops entered Iraq in 1258, a grandson of Genghis Khan sacked Baghdad in a four-day siege so bloody that legend has it the rivers ran red for days. Eight centuries later, they're back, and they want to help Israel's demographic timebomb Jonathan Spyer The Guardian (UK) Jews risk becoming a minority in their own land. They should face up to this unpalatable truth Investigation of Attacks on Musharraf Points to Pakistani Group John Lancaster and Kamran Khan The Washington Post The bombings were partly orchestrated by militants associated with the radical Muslim group Jaish-i-Mohammed, a onetime ally of Pakistan's security services with links to al Qaeda Hurray! A Constitution! (Tell It to the Warlords) Carlotta Gall The New York Times The adoption of a Constitution was unquestionably a major step for Afghanistan. But the West should be under no illusions about the document's value to a nation bristling with arms Going in small in Afghanistan Ann Scott Tyson The Christian Science Monitor A Monitor reporter joins with small teams of US troops that are trying to distance border villagers from insurgents in a key battle zone in the war on terror Editorial: Wrong Lesson The Washington Post North Korea, the most dangerous of the world's rogue states, may have taken a different lesson from the intervention in Iraq Bilateral session courtesy call only Nicholas Kralev The Washington Times The new U.S. envoy for talks with North Korea met with Pyongyang's ambassador to the United Nations last week, but the brief bilateral session was not an "alternative" to multinational efforts to resolve the nuclear standoff, the State Department said No More Orange, Yellow and Red? Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball Newsweek Some legislators and intelligence analysts believe that the color-coded terror alerts may be having perverse effects on both the American public and Al Qaeda US opens new front in war on terror by beefing up border controls in Sahara Rory Carroll and Suzanne Goldenberg The Guardian (UK) A small vanguard force arrived this week in Mauritania to pave the way for a $100m (£54m) plan to bolster the security forces and border controls of Mauritania, Mali, Chad and Niger Tiananmen slips into China media Jonathan Watts The Guardian (UK) China's 15-year long news blackout on the Tiananmen Square massacre slipped for a few hours yesterday when People's Daily, the mouthpiece of the Communist party, reported for the first time on its website that the authorities had carried out a "violent crackdown" on pro-democracy student activists Germany to Overhaul Military and Reduce Defense Spending Craig S. Smith The New York Times While most of the plans were widely expected, the reduced budget is likely to displease Washington, which has criticized Germany for not spending enough on defense Bush Meets Skepticism on Free Trade at Americas Conference Tim Weiner The New York Times The way in which the U.S. uses its money and power in this part of the world still makes some of its allies angry Scientists Suffer Nuclear Secrets' Fallout Paul Watson The Los Angeles Times A Pakistani researcher has been detained for six weeks amid suspicions the regime transferred technology to Iran. His family thinks the U.S. may be involved Two join missile defense program Tom Carter The Washington Times Australia and India said yesterday they would join the Bush administration in developing a missile defense	Are We Still a Middle-Class Nation? Michael Lind The Atlantic Monthly It's no accident that the United States has always been an economic paradise for the middle class—that class was invented and reinvented by the government. Now the government needs to reinvent it again—before it's too late The Chieftains and the Church Ted Halstead The Atlantic Monthly An intellectual audit of the Democrats and the Republicans The Angry American Paul Starobin The Atlantic Monthly Social rage as a measure of the country's moral and political well-being Bush’s Press Problem Daniel Cappello The New Yorker This week in the magazine, Ken Auletta writes about the George W. Bush Administration’s relationship with the American press, and about how the President manages to keep reporters at a distance Bush visit to King tomb decried Jeffrey Gettleman The New York Times The Houston Chronicle "It's the epitome of insult," said the Rev. Timothy McDonald, one of the organizers of the birthday celebrations. "He's really coming here for the fund-raiser. The King wreath was an afterthought." Bush Budget May Be Squeezed in Middle Janet Hook The Los Angeles Times Bush will propose limits on popular programs like highway construction and energy subsidies — programs that congressional Republicans may be loath to curb Paul O'Neill, Unplugged, or What Would Alexander Hamilton Have Done? Andrés Martinez The New York Times Mr. O'Neill was a Nixonian Republican caught up in a Reaganite restoration Aiming for the Hill John J. Miller National Review It's still very early in the cycle, but I'm ready to begin making a few guesses: three GOP takeovers, one Democratic takeover, and four tossups Georgia Democrat to stump for Bush Bill Sammon The Washington Times Sen. Zell Miller, Georgia Democrat, plans to introduce President Bush at a Bush-Cheney fund-raiser in Atlanta tomorrow and actively campaign for the Republican president Race gets even tighter in Iowa, poll shows Reuters MSNBC Democratic presidential front-runner Howard Dean held a shrinking three-point lead and John Kerry moved into a dead heat with Richard Gephardt for second place in Iowa Clean Gene Calvin Tomkins The New Yorker Former Senator Eugene J. McCarthy, the paladin of the antiwar movement in the nineteen-sixties, is not encouraged by the current crop of Democratic candidates for President Dean Defeats Sharpton In D.C. Protest Primary Craig Timberg The Washington Post Former Vermont governor Howard Dean beat Al Sharpton in yesterday's nonbinding D.C. primary, an election that for many participants was more about protesting the city's lack of congressional representation than electing the next president The Iowa effect Karen Tumulty Time The caucuses make and unmake candidates — and this time is no different. Can Dean beat Gephardt — and the expectations too? Types of voters that candidates attract hint at Dem strategies Susan Page USA Today An analysis of about 3,200 Democrats polled nationwide by USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup since September shows the choices that voters are making. Their responses were sorted into the 14 demographic categories A Democratic cliffhanger? Robert Kuttner The Boston Globe THIS COULD BE the first year since 1960 that the Democratic nomination contest goes all the way to the convention The No-Shows of Madison County John M. Glionna The Los Angeles Times Fewer than 20% of the state's 550,000 registered Democrats are expected to take part in the political process. This means that four out of five Iowans won't even be on hand come caucuses night Bush leading Dean in Illinois Rick Pearson The Chicago Tribune Though nearly half of Illinois voters say they don't want to see President Bush re-elected, they have their doubts about Democratic front-runner Howard Dean and give the Republican incumbent a narrow edge Required Reading On Dean David S. Broder The Washington Post The Dean who emerges from these pages is a more complex and interesting politician than the man on the stump this past year -- less strident and in many respects more impressive The media vs. Howard Dean Eric Boehlert Salon.com Democrats haven't voted yet, but reporters have got the story: The former Vermont governor is angry, gaffe-prone and unelectable. How do they know? Republicans, and anonymous Democrats, told them so Hard-Headed Howard William Saletan Slate Is Howard Dean electable? Should you vote for him? My answers, after watching him for a year, are: 1) theoretically, yes; and 2) tentatively, no Howard Reagan? Jonathan Zimmerman The Christian Science Monitor Reagan faced precisely the same charges from the mainstream of his own party in 1980 Dean parlays attacks into funding Amy Fagan The Washington Times Howard Dean raised roughly $1 million last week after using his opponents' attacks as fodder to rally support Carter to offer Dean 'words of praise' Glen Johnson The Boston Globe Howard Dean will visit Plains, Ga., on Sunday for appearances with former president Jimmy Carter Gov. Dean aimed to avoid conflict Sarah Schweitzer and Michael Kranish The Boston Globe Dean made a name for himself in Vermont by focussing on budget and health care issues and by avoiding divisive social issues Center Stage Jon Margolis The American Prospect The political center, where Dean feels most comfortable, is precisely where he intends to move Dean Airs Tough TV Ad Against Top Rivals Ronald Brownstein and Nick Anderson The Los Angeles Times With Iowa contest tightening in the polls down the homestretch, he attacks Edwards, Gephardt and Kerry by name for Iraq stands Speech: Reconciliation and Renewal: A Vision of a Positive Agenda for U.S. Global Rep. Dick Gephardt DickGephardt2004.com We're deciding whether American foreign policy is reduced to bluster and recycled Cold War taunts or whether we have a real and sustained commitment to break the cycle of poverty and ignorance Consistency means never having to clarify Walter Shapiro USA Today Gephardt is a candidate who never tires of repeating the same focus-group-tested lines, and this dogged self-discipline means that he almost never has to issue clarifications or apologize for gaffes Trailing Edwards undaunted by bleak Iowa poll numbers Julie Mason The Houston Chronicle While his lagging numbers calcified into a disappointing fourth place in the polls, Edwards has insisted he felt a surge of support that polls couldn't measure Hitting His Stride, Edwards Is on Heels of Front-Runners Randal C. Archibold and Adam Nagourney The New York Times Mr. Edwards is forcing opponents who had once paid little mind to his candidacy to factor him into their calculations A Legal Star Who Burned for Politics David G. Savage The Los Angeles Times After his son's death and two lucrative court wins, Edwards says he wanted a larger stage to do good Edwards, the Nice-Guy Candidate Vanessa Williams The Washington Post Edwards's effort to set himself apart from the contentious cacophony of the Democratic field appears to have resonated with many Iowans Commanding Presence Robert Lane Greene The New Republic The case for Clark begins with a simple comparison of two moments in recent history Kerry Turning Some Iowans Into Believers in His Cause David M. Halfbinger The New York Times There is little way to know whether there is a surge for Mr. Kerry, let alone how strong it may be. Polls of Iowa Democrats, which are notoriously unreliable, show him third Moseley Braun running campaign with a mission Edward Epstein The San Francisco Chronicle Former senator tries to represent those left out of politics in past Editorial: Assessing Mr. Lieberman The Washington Post IF THERE IS a candidate in the Democratic presidential field whose views align most closely with those of this page, it is Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
Editorial: The Mystery Democrats The Wall Street Journal What does it say about this proud political party that its most fervent voters are rejecting their biggest names for candidates who neither they nor the rest of the country know much about? Vote for Me, Here’s Why William F. Buckley National Review What the candidates are having to do is to mutate opposition to George W. Bush into a national cause. Everything else is — vanity In Search of Liberal Castaways George Neumayr The American Spectator Telling the pressies what they want to hear, the O’Neills and DiIulios become overnight heroes. But what if their critique of Bush were conservative? Plutonium Patsies Claudia Rosett The Wall Street Journal Some of the most innovative diplomats hail from Pyongyang, where they have just introduced an intriguing new twist in the war on terror: nuclear tourism Clueless Stephen Moore The Washington Times That was Paul O'Neil as Treasury secretary: clueless till the bitter end. And with his kiss-and-tell escapade, we might also say Paul O'Neil was classless till the bitter end	U.S. To Give Every Iraqi $3,544.91, Let Free-Market Capitalism Do The Rest The Onion At a Monday press conference, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld announced a "change of plans" for the $87.5 billion aid package Congress approved in October

Tuesday, January 13, 2004

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics / Election 2004
Secrecy Allowed On 9/11 Detention Charles Lane The Washington Post The Supreme Court yesterday declined to hear an appeal by civil liberties groups seeking access to basic data about hundreds of individuals detained by the federal government after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks Independent Body Needed to Investigate Intelligence 'Failures' in Iraq George Perkovich Foreign Affairs George Perkovich, a co-author of a new study on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, discusses the intelligence "failures" that preceded the war What, We Worry? Yes. William H. Gross The Washington Post China's willingness to buy our bonds, and its philosophy of fixing its currency to the U.S. dollar, will one day be tested. And should it lose patience, all its neighboring Asian states will move in near unison Bush-Cheney Energy Strategy: Procuring the Rest of the World’s Oil Michael Klare Foreign Policy in Focus Knowing that nothing can reverse the long-term decline in domestic oil production, and unwilling to curb the country’s ever-growing thirst for petroleum products, he elected to continue down the existing path of ever-increasing dependence on foreign oil Fueling Conflict Michael Renner Foreign Policy in Focus To an extent unrivaled by any other nation on earth, the United States is addicted to oil The Global Record Terry Lynn Karl and Ian Gary Foreign Policy In Focus This briefing paper examines the disturbing record of oil-exporting developing countries and their failure to reduce poverty and deliver on the promises of oil U.S.: Fewer Attacks Since Saddam Capture Jim Krane Associated Press The Chicago Tribune Guerrilla attacks on the 150,000 U.S.-led coalition soldiers in Iraq have dropped sharply since the Dec. 13 capture of Saddam Hussein, and the number of troops killed and wounded has plummeted as well Coalition and Iraqi Allies Go Slow on Elections Patrick J. McDonnell and Alissa J. Rubin The Los Angeles Times Despite pressure from a Shiite leader, the U.S. and the Governing Council stick to the plan for a 2005 vote Bush Team Revising Plans for Granting Self-Rule to Iraqis Steven R. Weisman The New York Times The Bush administration, seeking to overcome new resistance on the political and security fronts in Iraq, is revising its proposed process for handing over power to an interim Iraqi government by June 30 Iraqis Get a Taste of Democracy at a Lively Town Hall Meeting Neela Bannerjee The New York Times The town hall meeting is one of hundreds that the occupation forces and Iraqi politicians will hold in the coming weeks, from the provincial to the neighborhood levels, to explain to Iraqis the nuts and bolts of the transition to self-rule and to hear their concerns about the process In Sunni Triangle, Loss of Privilege Breeds Bitterness Daniel Williams The Washington Post Hundreds of thousands of men from this area, now known as the Sunni Triangle, joined Hussein's extensive security apparatus, including the army and multiple police and intelligence agencies. As such, they are mostly outcasts Cheney v. Powell Stephen F. Hayes The Weekly Standard The vice president and the secretary of State appear to have conflicting opinions of the Iraq-al Qaeda connection U.S. military deaths at 100 in Afghanistan Associated Press The Chicago Tribune The toll pales in comparison to the tally of U.S. military deaths in Iraq, which is approaching 500. But it is still a striking number in a force of 9,000 Moderation rising in the Mideast Cameron W. Barr The Christian Science Monitor This week Israel debates Syria's offer of peace talks, while relations thaw between Egypt and Iran, Turkey and Syria Arab leaders see democracy ascendant John R. Bradley The Washington Times Addressing the San'a Inter-Governmental Regional Conference on Democracy, Human Rights and the Role of the International Criminal Court, the biggest gathering of its kind ever held in the Middle East, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh hailed democracy as a "rescue ship." Editorial: Shadows of Dictatorship The Los Angeles Times Revolution may not be in the air, but there is no doubting that many Iranians despise the hard-line clerics as much as their parents did the shah Editorial: Rigged Ballots in Iran The New York Times Iran's religious establishment is trying to grab full control of the next Parliament by arbitrarily disqualifying thousands of candidates, many of them leading reformists N. Korea Denies It Has a Warhead Barbara Demick The Los Angeles Times Officials tell a U.S. delegation that claims about their nuclear weapons and uranium enrichment program were exaggerated China Authorities Battle Hard to Tighten the Web Mark Magnier The Los Angeles Times A shy college student is among those caught up in a bid to keep millions of Internet users in line U.S. May Widen Technology Contacts With India Christopher Marquis The New York Times The proposal was directed toward three areas: civilian nuclear activity, with an emphasis on safety and regulatory issues; civilian space programs and peaceful uses of space technology; and improved conditions for trade in sensitive technologies Inequity within Reserves at issue Guy Taylor The Washington Times The Pentagon is reshaping the role reservists play in the war on terror to address what senior defense officials call a "poor balance" between the military's citizen soldiers and active-duty troops	Opportunity knocks Stanley Greenberg The Guardian (UK) With the election debacle of 2000 seemingly well behind us, 46% of the American electorate still aligned with the Democrats and 46% with the Republicans The Awful Truth Paul Krugman The New York Times These irrational Bush haters are body-piercing, Hollywood-loving, left-wing freaks who should go back where they came from: the executive offices of Alcoa, and the halls of the Army War College Former Treasury chief's darts not expected to hurt Bush Carolyn Lochhead The San Francisco Chronicle Former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill's scathing insider critique of the Bush administration provides a rare glimpse inside a secretive administration, but is unlikely to change public opinion much, political analysts said High Price For Bad Advice William D. Hartung TomPaine.com As he roams the airwaves plugging his new book, giving aggressive prescriptions for American policy at every stop, we would all be well advised to take a closer look at Richard Perle's recent counsel. If you want bad advice at a high price, Perle is your man Come Together Mary Lynn F. Jones The American Prospect Democratic Party unity is more important than ever on Capitol Hill Dixie Trap for Democrats in Presidential Race Norman Solomon AlterNet For a Democratic presidential campaign in 2004 – in terms of money, travel time, rhetoric and espoused ideology – Dixie is a sinkhole Worlds Apart Richard Wolffe Newsweek Not surprisingly, Iraq is dominating the political debate in Iowa. But how much will foreign policy drive the 2004 White House race? The Brown and Black Debate William Saletan Slate On Sunday, all the major Democratic presidential candidates except Wes Clark debated in the Iowa Brown and Black Presidential Forum. Here are the awards Terrorism is not key issue for Iowans Flynn McRoberts The Chicago Tribune Iowans likely to attend next week's Democratic caucuses have found homeland security buried beneath a host of other worries Billionaire Foe of President Sees 3 Potential Democratic Victors Michael Janofsky The New York Times George Soros said on Monday that he believed three of the Democrats running for president — Howard Dean, John Kerry and Gen. Wesley K. Clark — could generate enough support to defeat Mr. Bush in November Surges by Rivals Put Dean on the Defensive in Iowa Adam Nagourney and Jodi Wilgoren The New York Times It was the latest in a series of difficulties Dr. Dean has encountered at the very moment his competitors — in particular, Senators John Edwards and John Kerry — have made an aggressive late-campaign push for support among undecided voters The Muzzling of Howard Dean Sheri Annis National Review Advisers rein in the Democratic frontrunner Surprise Governorship Changed Dean Stephen Braun The Los Angeles Times Until that morning, Dean had been an ambitious Democrat mired in the caretaker's post of lieutenant governor. Suddenly, he was saddled with a Republican administration and a budget emergency Dean says he stands up to Bush when rivals won't Susan Page USA Today In Iowa, a tracking poll by Reuters/MSNBC/Zogby conducted Friday through Sunday showed Dean with a narrow edge among likely caucusgoers, 26% to 23%, over Missouri congressman Gephardt Being a doctor shapes Dean's politics, manner Jill Lawrence USA Today Patients, aides, friends and critics see self-assurance and impatience in the Democrat Dean's Iowa TV Ads May Set Spending Record Ronald Brownstein The Los Angeles Times He has used $2.4 million after forgoing public money. This could increase pressure on future candidates to decline such funds Dean Goes on Offensive in Iowa John F. Harris and Dan Balz The Washington Post Dean explained his new, more aggressive posture by saying, "I'm tired of being a pincushion here" Bible Belt wary of Dean 'conversion' Charles Hurt The Washington Times Many South Carolina Democrats believe presidential hopeful Howard Dean's promise to talk about his relationship with Jesus is a calculated ploy to pander to Southerners — in particular blacks What the general owes the doctor Nancy Gibbs Time If you want to understand why General Wesley Clark is causing heartburn in the Dean camp, it's worth studying how much the guy who is running as the un-Dean actually resembles him Clark's N.H. progress dogs Kerry Patrick Healy The Boston Globe Kerry has left the New Hampshire turf to Clark, with only his high-profile supporters to battle for him. Furthermore, he has had no personal presence recently in the seven states that hold a crucial round of nominating contests Feb. 3 No Delegates, but Status for Sharpton in Washington Michael Slackman The New York Times For the Rev. Al Sharpton, the Washington primary is an important step that he hopes will help elevate him to a role as a kingmaker in the Democratic Party The Politician Of Protest Michael Powell The Washington Post His self-appointed role as a tribune for victims of police brutality, he says, is inseparable from his candidacy Challenged by his past, Sharpton makes changes, strides Susan Milligan The Boston Globe Sharpton has clearly toned down his act in the past 10 to 15 years, evolving from a rabble-rouser to a sometimes self-deprecating civil rights leader and politician Edwards struggles to convince voters he's No. 1 Zachary Coile The San Francisco Chronicle Many Dems want him for vice president The Dennis Kucinich Polka Stephen Elliott The Village Voice What's so funny about peace, love, and the Dems' Great Ignored Candidate? Kennedy at his side, Kerry makes a push Thomas Oliphant The Boston Globe It is Kerry and (surprisingly for the moment) Edwards who can claim movement in the numbers while Dean and Dick Gephardt struggle to hold on to a slightly stronger position
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
Patriot Games Rich Lowry National Review Clark isn't much of a substantive or tonal alternative to the former Vermont governor. He's just Dean with medals Iraqi Goose, U.N. Gander Andrew Apostolou National Review It is not just that Annan famously called Saddam Hussein in February 1998 somebody "I can do business with." It is that the U.N. secretary general has persistently put the interests of Saddam's victims last General Disqualification Frank J. Gaffney Jr. National Review Anyone who pledges that, if elected, he will ensure the American people are never exposed to future terrorist incidents — including ones vastly more destructive than those that befell us 27 months ago — is sufficiently delusional or dishonest, or both, to be disqualified for the Oval Office A Blind Man? No, This President Is Clear-Eyed Max Boot The Los Angeles Times Bush definitely must have been asleep on the job to have hired a whiny back-stabber like the former Alcoa chief as his Treasury secretary and have waited two whole years before canning him The Bush Democrats David Brooks The New York Times The events of the past three years have brought to the foreground issues that divide Democrats, and pushed to the background issues that divide Republicans Angry White Man Jason L. Riley The Wall Street Journal Will Howard Dean, the third-generation Yalie from Vermont by way of Park Avenue, have a problem ginning up enough black support if he wins the Democratic nomination for president? A Nation Divided? Daniel Casse The Wall Street Journal Right or wrong, the conservative base of the Republican Party sees the Bush presidency not as a continuation of Reaganism but as a deviation from it--indeed, as a betrayal of Mr. Reagan's legacy The politics of necessity Tod Lindberg The Washington Times Mr. Bush means to minimize the influence of the social-issues wing of the Republican Party A disillusioned dog ponders the party Wesley Pruden The Washington Times The Sunday night "debate" in Des Moines, the last before the Iowa caucuses Monday, continued the familiar tank-town vaudeville that began almost a year ago History justifies war powers Bruce Fein The Washington Times Contrary to the fearful voice of Associate Justice Robert Jackson dissenting in Korematsu vs. United States (1944), emergency powers asserted by presidents in times of war have not turned into loaded guns lying around for misuse by any zealous official	This Modern World Tom Tomorrow WorkingForChange.com Reference Sources of Terror Palestinians Caught Funneling Stones to Iraqi Insurgents Robert Krupto BrokenNewz The CIA, in conjunction with the Iraqi Police (IP), seized a shipment of Palestinian stones yesterday as it came over the Syrian border into Iraq

Monday, January 12, 2004

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics / Election 2004
Bounding the Global War on Terrorism Dr. Jeffrey Record Strategic Studies Institute U.S. Army War College The author examines three features of the war on terrorism as currently defined and conducted: (1) the administration's postulation of the terrorist threat, (2) the scope and feasibility of U.S. war aims, and (3) the war's political, fiscal, and military sustainability Where's the outrage? Ruth Rosen The San Francisco Chronicle The Carnegie report -- a serious indictment of the Bush administration's credibility -- instantly became the lead story on the British Broadcasting Corporation report and front-page news in newspapers around the world. Not so in the United States Editorial: Planning for peace The Boston Globe A NATION'S birthrate isn't the first thing that comes to mind when predicting whether a country is likely to be at war. But associations between bloody civil conflict and the poverty, youth, and instability linked to population surges are more than just Justices to Weigh Presidential Powers David G. Savage The Los Angeles Times Five cases on issues from detaining terror suspects to White House secrecy will test Bush's reach Waiting for Gitmo Nicholas M. Horrock and Anwar Iqbal Mother Jones Inside Guantanamo, where some 660 detainees of questionable intelligence value await a judgment that may never come Hussein's hometown 'between two hells' Matthew B. Stannard The San Francisco Chronicle Tikrit presents U.S. troops with one of their most complex challenges: how to establish calm and security in a place still proud of its native son and resentful of its new occupiers U.S. Firm to Run Iraqi TV Walter Pincus The Washington Post The Pentagon has awarded a $96 million contract to a U.S. communications equipment maker to run Saddam Hussein's old television and radio network, now called al-Iraqiya, for the next 12 months Overnight, a Towering Divide Rises in Jerusalem James Bennet The New York Times With a towering concrete slab lowered almost tenderly into a ragged street, Israel began drawing a hard line around Jerusalem on Sunday, walling it off from Abu Dis, an Arab village joined to the city for generations Musharraf at risk over war on terror Dan Morrison The Washington Times Never mind Osama bin Laden: The most wanted man in Pakistan may be President Pervez Musharraf U.S. seeks to block terrorists in Sahara Associated Press The Washington Times A U.S. anti-terror team arrived Saturday in the arid, Arab-dominated Islamic republic of Mauritania Mugabe of the Caribbean Isabel Hilton The Guardian (UK) Haiti's president may be turning into the sort of dictator he once resisted, but this change wasn't inevitable Child of the Coca Culture T. Christian Miller The Los Angeles Times Her name is Disney, and her ordeal through the drug trade, war and prostitution symbolizes the perilous plight of Colombia's young Expectations Are Low at Americas Conference Tim Weiner and Elisabeth Bumiller The New York Times President Bush and 33 elected leaders of the Americas will meet here on Monday without a common vision for the future of the Western Hemisphere The Long Arm of International Law Enrique Rangel The San Francisco Chronicle Hussein trial could help Latin America deal with its past Fox Struggles For Relevance As Americas Summit Opens Kevin Sullivan The Washington Post Bush comes to Mexico this week as the most dominant political leader in the world, while Fox is struggling for relevance halfway through a lackluster presidency	39% See Bias In Reporting On Campaign Howard Kurtz The Washington Post Among people younger than 30, one in five reports regularly learning about the campaign from such comedy programs as Jon Stewart's "Daily Show" and "Saturday Night Live" Interview with Charles 'Chuck' Lewis Bill Moyers Public Affairs Television WorkingForChange.com At the onset of this important election year, a new book from the Center for Public Integrity unmasks the powerful special interests behind our national politics today Editorial: America's Red Ink The New York Times In most countries, the I.M.F. is often viewed as America's agent, preaching the inconvenient gospel of fiscal discipline and austerity. There is a certain poignancy now in having the I.M.F. preach the so-called "Washington consensus" to Washington The Vital Republican Center Christie Whitman The New York Times Because we disagree on a few issues, most notably a woman's right to choose, many conservatives act as if they wish we moderates would just disappear Sowing the Seeds of GOP Domination Laura Blumenfeld The Washington Post Conservative Norquist Cultivates Grass Roots Beyond the Beltway Border council calls Bush plan 'slap in the face' Jerry Seper The Washington Times The National Border Patrol Council, which represents all 9,000 of the Border Patrol´s nonsupervisory agents, has told its members to challenge President Bush´s proposed guest-worker program, calling it a "slap in the face to anyone who has ever tried to enforce the immigration laws of the United States." Arab-Americans take second look at Bush support Steve Miller The Washington Times In 2000, President Bush won over the Arab-American community here by criticizing the Clinton administration for using ethnic profiling at airports, but September 11 means things will not go so smoothly for the president with Arab-Americans in 2004 Revenge of the Clintonites Foreign Policy They’re back! Find out which of Bill Clinton’s former foreign-policy aides are advising the Democratic candidates who seek to unseat President George W. Bush in November The Doctor Is In Jann S. Wenner and Will Dana Rolling Stone The Rolling Stone Interview with Howard Dean What Party Elders Overlook in Dean Howard Gleckman BusinessWeek Dem bigwigs may scorn his campaign, but his ability to attract young and other disenfranchised voters could be just what the party needs Dean rebukes a GOP questioner Glen Johnson The Boston Globe Dean, who listened quietly, immediately replied, "George Bush is not my neighbor." When Ungerer tried to interrupt, the former governor shouted: "You sit down! You had your say, and now I'm going to have my say." Dean, Party of One Hanna Rosin The Washington Post Stop by the Strange Brew or the Wild Rover in downtown Manchester late on a Friday or Saturday night and you're likely to find any combination of Democratic staffers drinking, letting off steam, talking about anything other than work. But to the great annoyance of everyone else, the Dean people are almost never there Election 2004 Nat Hentoff The Washington Times If Mr. Dean's army of true believers suffers the similar unmasking of their leader, I hope they will not lose faith in having faith, provided they temper righteousness with judgment Dean looks to Iowa but may have to turn back to face Clark Walter Shapiro USA Today Not only does Howard Dean boast a potent lead in the polls, he also has an organization that seems capable of tracking every trace of doubt or reaffirmation of commitment in the minds of potential supporters Edwards seeks elusive spark amid criticism Raja Mishra The Boston Globe His appearance and relative inexperience have led many Democrats, like Landman, to discount his candidacy. His lack of military and foreign policy experience has caused some to doubt whether he can beat President Bush Impassioned orator in for the long haul Jeremy Lennard The Guardian (UK) Political veteran Dick Gephardt is no stranger to the campaign trail Challenges, Defeats Made Gephardt Stronger Janet Hook The Los Angeles Times After a big Super Tuesday loss in 1988, he reshaped his political career and learned to raise money Gephardt's Revolution Begins With a Global Minimum Wage Ronald Brownstein The Los Angeles Times Gephardt says that as a condition of membership in the World Trade Organization, every nation should be required to adopt a minimum wage Tape Shows General Clark Linking Iraq and Al Qaeda Edward Wyatt The New York Times Less than a year before he entered the race for the Democratic nomination for president, Gen. Wesley K. Clark said that he believed there was a connection between the Iraqi government and Al Qaeda Paper's Endorsement Heartens Edwards Vanessa Williams The Washington Post Sen. John Edwards said Sunday that the endorsement of his presidential bid by Iowa's largest newspaper came as a "complete surprise," and the delight clearly shone on his face A Journey From a Mill Town Ends With a Run for President James C. Mckinley Jr. The New York Times Senator Edwards's campaign for president, which won the coveted endorsement of The Des Moines Register yesterday, hinges on the notion that he has not forgotten where he comes from Editorial: Up for Grabs The Progressive The Democratic race for the Presidency has been a triumph of progressive politics On a Winter Night in Iowa, Democracy Gets Personal James Rainey The Los Angeles Times In caucuses like the one in Waverly's Ward 4, a neighbor's soft sell can win that decisive vote For Top Candidates, TV Ads Smile, but Mailings Snarl Jim Rutenberg The New York Times The heavy dose of hard-hitting mailings, primarily from Mr. Gephardt and Dr. Dean, who lead in the polls here, has created a two-tiered media campaign Cheerful Warriors Jennifer Nagorka The Dallas Morning News U.S. House Majority Leader Tom "the Hammer" DeLay didn't just win, he pulverized the party and the previous congressional district lines. The federal judges who upheld Texas' new districts last week only threw a little more dirt on the corpse
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
Think Again: Neocons Max Boot Foreign Policy Tales of the “neocon” ascendancy within the Bush administration—and the group’s insidious intent to wage preemptive wars across the globe—have been much exaggerated The WMD Road to Damascus Jim Geraghty National Review Are Iraq's missing weapons in Syria? An exiled Syrian journalist says "yes." 'Spinning Into Control' William Safire The New York Times This phased array of fallout to our decision to lead the world's war against terror makes the case that what we have been doing is strategically sound as well as morally right Rage of a Relic John Fund The Wall Street Journal Paul O'Neill is angry that the world has passed him by	Instructions to Everything Gabriel Kuris The New Yorker Just say “No!” If you speak Spanish, say “¡No!”

Sunday, January 11, 2004

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics / Election 2004
Professor Nagl's War Peter Maass The New York Times Nagl is now the third in command of a tank battalion in the heart of the so-called Sunni Triangle, which extends north and west of Baghdad. The counterinsurgency expert is, for the first time in his life, practicing counterinsurgency The Struggle to Rebuild Matthew B. Stannard The San Francisco Chronicle Kirkuk coming apart in a tense scramble for power, land, oil In a Logistical Ballet, U.S. Is Bringing In Fresh Forces to Iraq Eric Schmitt The New York Times More than 240,000 troops are to move into and out of Iraq, testing the military's ability to handle a major logistical feat while battling the Iraqi insurgency Challenge for Bootstrap General Is Winning Over the Wary Iraqis John F. Burns The New York Times Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez is into his eighth month of the most coveted and challenging field command for any U.S. officer since the Vietnam War Ex-general warns of purge fallout Stephen Franklin and Evan Osnos The Chicago Tribune Nine months after the regime's fall, some Iraqis are beginning to publicly urge a tempering of the de-Baathification program. They say there are Baathists with skills needed to rebuild Iraq Kurds' Soft Sell for a Hard-Won Autonomy Brendan O'Leary The Los Angeles Times U.S. officials are reluctantly accepting a long-oppressed minority's right to self-rule Prisoner-of-War Designation Soothes, Angers Iraqis Nicholas Riccardi The Los Angeles Times Some are anguished, though others say Hussein deserves to be treated well. Many suspect that Washington is somehow up to no good Free-Market Iraq? Not So Fast Daphne Eviatar The New York Times While potential investors have applauded the new rules for helping rebuild the Iraqi economy, legal scholars are concerned that the United States may be violating longstanding international laws governing military occupation The World Just Got Safer. Give Diplomacy the Credit Joseph Cirincione The Washington Post It is unclear whether these breakthroughs, which are still tentative but hold extraordinary promise, are the result of the American success in Iraq or of our failures there Editorial: The Faulty Weapons Estimates The New York Times Last week three new reports cast further doubt on the administration's reckless rush to invade Iraq Editorial: Truth and Consequences The Washington Post Accountability here is crucial to preserving the ability of the United States to discover the most serious threats to its security -- and to be believed when it does Guantanamo Bay: Two years too many Kate Allen The Observer (UK) As the Guantanamo Bay detention centre marks its second anniversary Kate Allen, director of Amnesty International UK, calls for immediate closure Millions Fingerprinted But Who Is Served? Joshua Kurlantzick The Washington Post The United States doesn't have the fingerprints of bin Laden, or of virtually any other members of al Qaeda, so U.S. VISIT and other new programs designed to monitor foreign arrivals won't help find them Editorial: The dignity of a constitution The Chicago Tribune In Afghanistan, as now in Iraq, the aspirations of long repressed peoples are gradually yielding constitutions--statements of the elemental principles and laws that will determine how these lands will be governed Afghan Path to Peace Goes Through India, Pakistan Paula R. Newberg The Los Angeles Times Afghanistan's new constitution could mean that the country stands a chance of triumphing over South Asia's divisive history — if durable peace comes to the region Keeping a Nuke Peddler in Line Jon B. Wolfsthal The Los Angeles Times Islamabad has felt no significant U.S. pressure to impose tighter controls on Pakistani nuclear experts, expertise or equipment. But as evidence of Pakistan's role in nuclear proliferation mounts, that's no longer an acceptable trade-off A 'Syria-First' Peace Plan Can Only Be a Distraction Aaron David Miller The Los Angeles Times Not only is there much less possibility in the Syrians' signal than meets the eye, but the allure of a peace-with-Syria-first strategy can only distract attention from the real strategic threat to the region: the bitter and bloody Palestinian-Israeli confrontation War of Ideas, Part 2 Thomas L. Friedman The New York Times Turkey's membership in the E.U. is so important that the U.S. should consider subsidizing the E.U. to make it easier for Turkey to be admitted. If that fails, we should offer to bring Turkey into Nafta U.S. Gives Uzbekistan Failing Grade on Rights Peter Slevin The Washington Post In Uzbekistan's case, money will continue to flow to ensure the security of weapons materials. President Bush waived the human rights certification requirement Georgian Leader on Precarious Pedestal David Holley The Los Angeles Times President-elect Mikheil Saakashvili won 96% of the vote, and hopes for him are so high that some analysts fear they can only be crushed N. Korea Says It Displayed Deterrent Barbara Demick The Los Angeles Times Pyongyang gives private U.S. group 'opportunity to confirm the reality' at nuclear site. Americans say they need time to analyze their data Terrorism, migration may get center stage at summit Associated Press CNN Leaders from throughout the Americas will try to map out a common vision this week on how to make the region safer, balancing concerns about security in the hemisphere with alarm over an increasingly aggressive U.S. response to terror threats China Makes Itself Clear on Hong Kong Philip P. Pan The Washington Post Minutes after Hong Kong's chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa, finished his annual policy address Wednesday, mentioning in passing that he had postponed setting a timetable for democratic reform, the Chinese government made certain everyone understood what had just happened Indonesian Artists Test New Freedoms Ellen Nakashima The Washington Post For many filmmakers and writers, Suharto's fall has marked the beginning of a new era of artistic experimentation. In print and on celluloid, they are testing boundaries, exploring themes of politics and sexuality and reexamining history Zimbabwe jails 3 for report critical of Mugabe jet trip The Washington Times Police arrested the editor of Zimbabwe's leading independent weekly and two of his reporters yesterday after the paper purportedly insulted President Robert Mugabe in a story about his vacation	The Barreling Bushes Kevin Phillips The Los Angeles Times Between now and the November election, it's crucial that Americans come to understand how four generations of the current president's family have embroiled the United States in the Middle East through CIA connections, arms shipments, rogue banks, inherited war policies and personal financial links Aides Say Bush Is Already Absorbed in 2004 Race Elisabeth Bumiller and Richard W. Stevenson The New York Times He talks daily to Karl Rove, his chief political aide, about the ups and downs of his Democratic competitors The new shoe-leather politics Michael Barone U.S. News and World Report For the past 30 years, the staples of presidential campaigning have been: Raise money from lots of rich people, and spend most of it on television advertising. Now there's a new staple: personal contact The GOP Problem With Women Richard Morin The Washington Post Female candidates don't seem to do as well as similarly qualified men in GOP primaries. On the other hand, the researchers found, political independents and Democrats seem to prefer Republican women running for office over GOP guys Candidates lack courage not to get religion Susan Jacoby The Houston Chronicle Americans tend to minimize not only the secular convictions of the founders, but also the secularist contribution to later social reform movements Poll: Dean holds edge on Gephardt in Iowa Reuters MSNBC The former Vermont governor led Gephardt 25-23 percent in the three-day tracking poll, with Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry in third place at 14 percent and North Carolina Sen. John Edwards moving up to a close fourth at 13 percent Dean Ahead, but Iowa Still Up for Grabs Ronald Brownstein The Los Angeles Times Dean led Gephardt 30% to 23%, a difference just within the poll's margin of error. Massachusetts Sen. John F. Kerry, with 18%, remained within reach of Gephardt, while North Carolina Sen. John Edwards attracted 11% Pumping Up the Volume Howard Fineman Newsweek The blog has its uses. But it's trench-warfare time now. Down and dirty with the Democrats as Iowa and New Hampshire loom Expectations blowin' in Iowa wind Dan Payne The Boston Globe What do Dennis Kucinich and Joe Lieberman have in common? Only white men not droppin' their g's to sound more like regular guys Democrats' Big Guns Are Called In Nick Anderson, Maria LaGanga and Matea Gold The Los Angeles Times Kennedy campaigns across Iowa for Kerry. Gore gives a booming endorsement of Dean Gore Gladly Stumps Again -- for Someone Else Paul Farhi The Washington Post Gore's appearance in behalf of Dean -- the first since Gore endorsed him last month -- came at an opportune time for Dean, who lately has been doing damage control Fla. summer taught Dean of diversity Peter Wallsten The Miami Herald Doctor in the House? Paul Harris The Observer (UK) Driven by the net, buoyed by an army of evangelical 'Deaniacs' and powered by a fervent anti-war message, Howard Dean's campaign could yet seize the presidency Gephardt labors for blue-collar support John Wildermuth The San Francisco Chronicle For Rep. Dick Gephardt, it's all about the hard hats The Democratic front-runner for president, criticized for lack of experience with racial and ethnic diversity, often cites his summer as a teenager working beside Cubans and blacks on a Florida ranch Gephardt's do-or-die Iowa campaign Tom Curry MSNBC Once again Gephardt is making the issue of trade and low wages in foreign countries his rallying cry Clark Schedules More Time in New Hampshire Eric Slater The Los Angeles Times With donations pouring in, according to aides, Clark's scheduling changes reflect the increasing importance his campaign attaches to New Hampshire Clark's Cash Came Quickly Glen Justice The New York Times General Clark's late-blooming candidacy, which began in September, may have worked to his advantage when it comes to raising money Clark Focuses on N.H. as Momentum Grows Paul Schwartzman The Washington Post With the retired Army commander's poll numbers climbing steadily in New Hampshire -- from 12 to 20 percent in five days, according to one survey -- Clark and his advisers abruptly changed direction Kerry Is a Fan of a Kennedy Who Is Also a Fan of Kerry David M. Halfbinger The New York Times That Mr. Kennedy, 71, is working so hard for Mr. Kerry, 60, speaks volumes about how far their relationship has come Iowa Paper Endorses Edwards The Los Angeles Times The Des Moines Register, Iowa's dominant newspaper, endorsed Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina as the best choice in the state's Democratic presidential caucuses The road to the nomination Peter Wallsten The Miami Herald The key number: It takes 2,158 delegates to win Wanted: A Campaign of Ideas Jim Hoagland The Washington Post Democrats must lay out clear and practical alternatives to Bush's policies on the two greatest challenges that will face the next president: the greater Middle East and a global economy All Tax Talk, No Action? John Tierney The New York Times So how much chance would any Democratic president have of persuading a Republican majority in either chamber to increase taxes next year? Democrats give voters a political goulash Marc Sandalow The San Francisco Chronicle A review of the nine candidates' policy papers, stump speeches, appearances in more than a dozen debates, and almost hourly e-mails to reporters reveals a dizzying hodgepodge of positions Democrats Flood Iowa With Ground Troops Dan Balz The Washington Post Iowans have never seen a political battle like the one that has begun to unfold here, a massive voter mobilization operation that will decide the outcome of the Jan. 19 Democratic caucuses This Primary's a Joke. It Could've Been Great Joe Davidson The Washington Post The idea of holding the D.C. Democratic presidential primary in January was always something of a gimmick Remap bolsters GOP power play R.G. Ratcliffe The Houston Chronicle The Republican redistricting victory is about more than gaining a few additional congressional seats -- it's about consolidating GOP power and building roadblocks to a Democratic comeback House Democrat's exit likely a first, not a last Todd J. Gillman The Dallas Morning News Rep. Jim Turner's retirement is the first in a series of blows House Democrats can expect this year. The East Texan's decision to avoid a hopeless re-election contest will leave the party without its leading voice on homeland security Daschle, Democrats' Leader, Faces Tough Race in South Dakota Sheryl Gay Stolberg The New York Times Tom Daschle, the Democratic leader of the Senate, is facing a challenge from John Thune, a former Republican member of the House and a close ally of the president Hill Cool to Bush Immigration Plan Helen Dewar The Washington Post President Bush's proposal to give temporary legal status to millions of undocumented immigrants is running into stiff resistance from both left and right on Capitol Hill and stands little chance of enactment this year
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
The Soft-Line Ideologues David Frum and Richard Perle The Wall Street Journal It is the soft-liners who are driven by ideology, who ignore or deny inconvenient facts and advocate unworkable solutions. It is the hard-liners who are the realists, the pragmatist Courting black vote a bad idea La Shawn Barber The Washington Times Regardless of how blacks self-identify, however, Democrats consistently get 90 percent of their vote. Why? Years of damage from liberal ideology and misinformation pumped into the black community for the past 25 years Economists chide Dean on jobs Charles Hurt The Washington Times A standard pitch former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean makes on the campaign trail is that as president he would stop the outflow of manufacturing jobs to countries that have lower environmental and employment standards	Merry Prankster Pagan Kennedy The Boston Globe Performance artist Vermin Supreme lives to mock the political system, sometimes by running for the office of tyrant or mayor of the United States

Saturday, January 10, 2004

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics / Election 2004
Tom Friedman's Scary Plan for World War III Ira Chernus CommonDreams.org Tom is the influential foreign affairs columnist for the New York Times. He takes the ideas of the liberal foreign policy elite and turns them into simple words that anyone can understand. "Simple" is the operative word here, as in "simplify," "simplification," "over-simplification." Guantanamo Bay: a global experiment in inhumanity Louise Christian The Guardian (UK) Worldwide, the experiment is becoming the norm. It has been estimated that at least 15,000 people are being held without trial under the justification of the "war on terrorism" Editorial: A puzzling bout of secrecy The Chicago Tribune The case of an Algerian-born waiter in Florida who was locked up for more than five months in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks offers a troubling glimpse into the unusual secrecy that shrouds the government's terror-related arrests and detentions National Press Club Protests New Pentagon Policy Restricting Information National Press Club In a strongly worded letter to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the National Press Club is protesting a new Pentagon information policy that the club's president says is unnecessary and "susceptible to abuse." Soft treatment fails to get Saddam to talk Jonathan Steele and Luke Harding The Guardian (UK) Saddam Hussein has been formally declared an enemy prisoner of war, but is still resisting pressure to help his American interrogators after three weeks in custody U.S. Says It Has Proof of Sales to Iraq Paul Richter and Kim Murphy The Los Angeles Times Officials give no details but say evidence supports claims that Russian companies sold military equipment used in the war Governing Council Parties Are Said to Back Broad Autonomy for Kurds Edward Wong The New York Times The issue has emerged as the most volatile one confronting officials as they try to create a transitional government by July The Year of Living Obliviously Christopher Dickey MSNBC There's every reason to believe that in the weeks and months to come, the Baghdad press corps will be targeted directly by home-grown guerrillas and foreign terrorists, and will come under fire from American troops, too For Tony Blair, a new year delayed Michael Moran MSNBC Personally, Blair’s reputation with the British public remains severely damaged by the inconsistencies and outright mistakes he and his ministers and intelligence agencies made in the run up to the war Wishful Thinking on Korea Nicholas D. Kristof The New York Times The place we should really lose sleep over is North Korea, not Iraq. President Bush is acquiescing as North Korea builds its nuclear arsenal Pyongyang asserts hard arms stance Jae-suk Yoo Associated Press The Washington Times North Korea yesterday said it would be foolish for the United States to expect it to follow the example of "some Middle East countries," an apparent reference to Libya's decision to renounce weapons of mass destruction Beijing Leaders' Populist Touch Is Not Being Felt by Rural Poor Joseph Kahn The New York Times China's new leaders are finding that the Communist Party and government apparatus sometimes pay only lip service to their demands Phillips: 'Openings Right Now' for U.S.-Iranian Dialogue Foreign Affairs David L. Phillips, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and the deputy director of its Center for Preventive Action, visited Iran in December Editorial: Testing Israel's neighbors The Boston Globe INTRIGUING overtures to Israel recently from Libya and Syria are worth pursuing Syria Role On Iraqi Arms Is Studied Mike Allen The Washington Post National security adviser Condoleezza Rice reeled off a list of White House grievances against Syria yesterday and said the administration is investigating a report that Iraq stashed weapons of mass destruction across the border in Syria Syria's charm offensive Claude Salhani The Washington Times Caught between Iraq and a hard place, Syria's young president, Bashar Assad, has been feeling the heat from Washington lately and began his own offensive — albeit one of charm and diplomacy	Bush in 30 Seconds BushIn30Seconds.org (MoveOn.org) The 15 finalists for Bush in 30 Seconds are posted below. The winning commercial will be announced at an event on January 12th at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City Saddam's Ouster Planned In 2001? CBS News O'Neill, fired by the White House for his disagreement on tax cuts, is the main source for an upcoming book, "The Price of Loyalty," authored by Ron Suskind 2004 New Hampshire Democratic Tracking American Research Group Many Iowa voters not ready to commit Jeff Zeleny The Chicago Tribune After a year during which Iowans were bombarded by mailings, television ads and other entreaties, campaign officials say an unusually large number of those expecting to attend the Jan. 19 caucuses are undecided Candidates' Ads Aim For the High Road Paul Farhi The Washington Post What is remarkable about the blizzard of political advertising blowing across Iowa in the final days before its first-in-the-nation Democratic caucuses on Jan. 19 is not the sheer volume but its relatively elevated tone Harkin's Backing Gives Boost to Dean Campaign Jim VandeHei and John F. Harris The Washington Post Former Vermont governor Howard Dean won one of the most coveted endorsements a candidate could hope for at this stage of a nomination contest Howard's Web David Skinner The Weekly Standard IF HOWARD DEAN'S VAUNTED Internet campaign has a guru, it's arguably Howard Rheingold, author of "The Virtual Community," "Smart Mobs," and other works of techno-sociology The Dean Dilemma Richard Blow TomPaine.com But as much as I like Howard Dean, I want to beat Bush more—and over the past few weeks, I've reluctantly come to admit that Dean cannot do that It's Dean against his party David Jackson The Dallas Morning News Dr. Dean's disparagement of the Democratic establishment – the "Washington Democrats," as he scornfully calls them – is a big part of his appeal Dean's Faith-Based Folly Colbert I. King The Washington Post Dean captured the suck-up prize with his revelation that -- praise the Lord -- he has finally found a way to talk about his deeply held religious faith Wesley Clark Buys a Sweater Chris Suellentrop Slate With the candidate in the dressing rooms of New Hampshire Clark makes inroads on N.H. trail Joanna Weiss The Boston Globe This was once Howard Dean turf, the southwestern New Hampshire landscape of maple trees and pacifists. But here at a midday meet-the-candidate event, some 600 people overstuffed Town Hall and cheered retired Army General Wesley K. Clark Warm Iowa Embrace May Help Kerry Thaw N.H. Chill Scott Martelle and Maria La Ganga The Los Angeles Times Kerry, hoping to get back in the good graces of his New Hampshire neighbors, is counting on support from Iowans who, from a distance of 1,000 miles, perceive him as a national figure rather than the politician next door Kerry shrugs off fortunes of rival Patrick Healy The Boston Globe Kerry and his advisers have expressed irritation at times that outside events often save Dean when the going gets tough. Harkin proved the rule For Gephardt, Staid's the Course Lois Romano The Washington Post Neither charismatic nor flashy, the Missouri congressman is taking the "turtle" route to the caucuses, as he methodically plods through the small towns of Iowa day after day, delivering his stump speech verbatim Gephardt's plan to 'win' Iowa Thomas F. Schaller The Boston Globe Gephardt is relying on the fact that caucuses operate differently from primaries -- and in ways that could work in his favor Lieberman Gains Votes, but Not the Best Kind Diane Cardwell The New York Times Independents, who can vote in either party's primary here, are considered crucial, and Mr. Lieberman has courted them aggressively Ex-senator seeking vindication Alaina Sue Potrikus The Miami Herald Today Braun insists she did no wrong -- and she's using her campaign to restore luster to her reputation Sharpton Shrugs Off Issues About His Tangled Finances Michael Slackman The New York Times The Rev. Al Sharpton's struggling campaign has paid thousands of dollars for him to stay in luxury hotels and to travel around the country with his own personal filmmaker Nader Says a Run Would Benefit Democrats Michael Janofsky The New York Times Three years after the election in which Democrats say he cost Al Gore the White House, Ralph Nader is considering another campaign, and says he will decide shortly Bush Seeks Ways to Create Jobs, and Fast Edmund L. Andrews The New York Times The problem confronting the president is that there is little he can do before the elections to improve the employment picture Same Folks, Different Strokes Laura Flanders TomPaine.com Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney have not spent their entire lives fighting foreign wars. They cut their warrior teeth on the domestic front, fighting a war on a war at home: the War on Poverty Michigan's Online Ballot Spurs New Strategies for Democrats Katharine Q. Seelye The New York Times The candidates have embraced the process, devising innovative ways to track their supporters and prompt them to vote online Editorial: Left-Wing Radio: A tantalizing idea, but will it fly? The Dallas Morning News But even if it brings much-needed levity to the liberal line, left-wing radio faces a fundamental difficulty: Where will its audience come from?
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
Primary Mission Michael Graham National Review If you're a Democrat running for president, South Carolina isn't a battlefield: It's a minefield From Gene to Dean Andrew Ferguson The Weekly Standard Hoary ruminations on McCarthy may well become unavoidable in the next few weeks with the appearance of a new biography by a British historian named Dominic Sandbrook Fill in the blank and blame Bush Jennifer Harper The Washington Times Various critics recently have blamed Mr. Bush for mad cow disease, influenza, increased oil prices, poverty, water shortages, unemployment, the September 11 attacks and the potential extinction of Alaska's Inuit people Fighting for Clark's soul Paul Greenberg The Washington Times This year, the political operatives around him are out to present a new model of Bill Clinton — a Hummer in camo colors instead of a tricky little pickup outfitted with Astroturf Political bacillus Austin Bay The Washington Times For years, leftish poohbahs have dubbed W. a "moron." Will the poohbahs ever tell us what kind of imbecile these gaffes make Mr. Dean? Or will they excuse him as a victim?	Street Mimes Join The Fight Against Terrorism In Project MOBAD The Eschalot Each foreign visitor is assigned a mime, who walks around with the individual, mocks their behavior, waves at them at inappropriate times, and generally makes the visit unpleasant Boondocks Aaron Mcgruder WorkingForChange.com Mad Cow Coverup

Friday, January 9, 2004

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics / Election 2004
Editorial: Intelligence abuse is a dangerous game Financial Times (UK) Nine months on from the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime, it is becoming ever more clear that the intelligence used to justify war against Iraq was moulded around decisions that had already been all but taken in Washington Damning Evidence Jim Lobe TomPaine.com The administration of President George W. Bush "systematically misrepresented" the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction (WMD), three non-proliferation experts from a prominent Washington think tank charged In world's hot spots, forward steps Howard LaFranchi The Christian Science Monitor From Pakistan to Sudan to North Korea, problems may be starting to yield to economic imperatives and global pressure U.S. foreign policy on hot streak Bill Nichols USA Today From Iran to North Korea, from Libya to the surprising new consensus on writing off much of Iraq's $150 billion foreign debt, the administration has either achieved or appears on the verge of significant foreign policy successes Intelligence Winning the battle against terror, losing the war of ideas Ferry Biedermann Salon.com The Bush administration is good at bombing terrorists back to the Stone Age, but terrible at bringing Arabs and Muslims into the modern age Following the nuclear trail Daniel Schorr The Christian Science Monitor History may record that the early 21st century witnessed the breakdown of the three-decade-long effort to halt the spread of nuclear weapons. And much of the responsibility for that will go to the father of the Pakistani bomb, Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan Pakistan's Nuclear Metastasis: How Widespread is the Cancer? Mansoor Ijaz The Weekly Standard The time has come to find out how much damage Pakistan's nuclear program has done--and how many rogue countries are closing in on the bomb Powell Admits No Hard Proof in Linking Iraq to Al Qaeda Christopher Marquis The New York Times The secretary of state conceded that before the Iraq invasion he had no "smoking gun" proof of a link between Saddam Hussein's government and Al Qaeda Editorial: Kurdish Autonomy in Iraq The New York Times Washington needs to do all it can to block the radicals' path — and postpone the handover if certain conditions are not met The Shape of a Future Iraq: U.S. Entangled in Disputes Steven R. Weisman The New York Times After insisting for months that Iraqis must determine their future under a kind of passive American supervision, the Bush administration is being forced to take sides in several Iraqi disputes Kurds' Wariness Frustrates U.S. Efforts Robin Wright and Alan Sipress The Washington Post The United States faces the prospect of two governments inside Iraq -- one for Kurds and one for Arabs -- after so far failing to win a compromise from the Kurds on a formula to distribute political power Iraqis Want Annan to Mediate With U.S., Ease Transition Pangs Maggie Farley The Los Angeles Times Iraqi leaders have been urging U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan to oversee parts of the country's political transition and even help override U.S. plans for transferring power "I killed people. I did it for my country" Christopher Farah Salon.com A former revolutionary and star of the newly rereleased "The Battle of Algiers" talks to Salon about that film's influence on the Pentagon -- and says he supports Iraqis who attack Gis U.S. Talks Possible, Iranian Aide Says Karl Vick The Washington Post Iran's foreign minister held out the possibility Thursday of a new dialogue with the United States in guarded remarks that analysts said kept alive the prospect of a warmer relationship Palestinians Must Do More, Powell Says Glenn Kessler The Washington Post Secretary of State Colin L. Powell put the onus for the failure of a U.S.-backed Middle East peace plan on the Palestinian Authority After half a century, a moment for optimism Martin Woollacott The Guardian (UK) This attempt may fail, as earlier efforts did. But what has changed, and which may this time increase the chances of success, is that the stakes have mounted and continue to mount Latin American Allies of U.S.: Docile and Reliable No Longer Christopher Marquis The New York Times The United States, which has often viewed most nations of Latin America as reliable and docile allies, is increasingly facing resentment over security and trade policies	Iowa Sen. Harkin Endorses Howard Dean Mike Glover Associated Press Yahoo! Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin endorsed Howard Dean for president on Friday, giving a key boost to the embattled front-runner 10 days before the state's kick-off caucuses Creative Class War Richard Florida The Washington Monthly As talented individuals, eager for better career opportunities and more adventurous, diverse lifestyles, move to the innovative cities, the hinterlands become even more culturally conservative. Now, the demographic dynamic which propelled America's creative economy has produced a political dynamic that could choke that economy off Going after the D'oh! vote David Tarrant The Dallas Morning News Along with a voter registration blitz and Internet-savvy political campaigns, the heightened interest could produce a spike in young voters this year Candidates: "Who were you when you were 20 years old?" The Dallas Morning News Tide of Second Thoughts Rises Among Democrats Adam Nagourney and Carl Hulse The New York Times Democrats are taking a second look at the doctor from Vermont whose candidacy has transformed the Democratic presidential contest The Myth of the Democratic Establishment Nicholas Confessore The Washington Monthly Howard Dean's grassroots rebellion against the power that isn't Managing Primary Expectations Mitch Frank Time As primary season begins, how the Democratic candidates stand depends very much on the groundwork they've laid Dean in the danger zone Howard Fineman MSNBC For the first time, I’m seeing the Dean Team off its stride, behaving like mere mortals Tape Shows Dean Maligning Iowa Caucuses Jodi Wilgoren and Rachel L. Swarns The New York Times Four years ago, Howard Dean denounced the Iowa caucuses as "dominated by special interests," saying on a Canadian television show that they "don't represent the centrist tendencies of the American people, they represent the extremes." Tale of the tape on Howard Dean Mark Murray MSNBC Old episodes of the “The Editors” might soon become must-see TV for followers of the 2004 presidential race. While governor of Vermont, Howard Dean was a regular guest on the show The Balance Sheet for Dean E. J. Dionne Jr. The Washington Post Nor, as Dean's most passionate supporters would have it, is opposition to Dean confined to "the Democratic establishment." Anyone who thinks there is an effective Democratic establishment probably also believes there are people on Mars Caucus-night vote-swapping could tilt Iowa Anne E. Kornblut The Boston Globe For the first time in decades, a quirk in the Iowa nominating contest on Jan. 19 -- vote-swapping on caucus night -- could determine the outcome of the Democratic presidential contest here On Gun Control, Dean Aims for the Center Jonathan Finer The Washington Post As governor of Vermont -- a small, rural state whose gun laws are among the least restrictive in the country -- Dean earned a national reputation as an opponent of gun control and worked closely with the NRA Gephardt-Dean feud escalates David Jackson The Dallas Morning News The Democratic Party's internal tension burst into the open Thursday as Dick Gephardt's campaign manager accused Howard Dean's team of planning to import non-Iowans Kerry is 'bringing it on,' his staff asserts Patrick Healy The Boston Globe From Elks clubs to cramped diners across Iowa, John F. Kerry seems a changed man these days Kerry Seeks Momentum From Focus on Experience David M. Halfbinger The New York Times He bellows in outrage at what has become of his country in three short years, at the upside-down ethos of cronyism and unfairness that he says has taken hold in the White House Kerry Supporters in N.H. Feel Adulation and Anxiety Ceci Connolly The Washington Post With less than three weeks left until the voting (and less than two weeks until the Iowa caucuses), Kerry's troops have been voicing a mixture of frustration, confusion and desperation Clark Push in N.H. Is Gaining Momentum Eric Slater and Mark Z. Barabak The Los Angeles Times Howard Dean still holds a substantial lead, according to recent polls of likely primary voters. But his numbers have dipped and Clark's have improved Seeking Women's Votes, Clark Changes His Style Edward Wyatt The New York Times Even as he is rising in national and New Hampshire polls, his advisers say women significantly trail men in support for the four-star general and former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO Sharpton stumps for D.C. primary Brian DeBose The Washington Times The Rev. Al Sharpton yesterday said that regardless of whether he wins the Democratic presidential nomination, the goals of his campaign are to make a positive influence on black culture and values and to reform the Democratic Party Poll: Hispanic support of war, Bush increases Madeline Baro Diaz The Houston Chronicle The polls showed that 46 percent of those polled in December said Bush was doing an "excellent" or "good" job. That went up to 54 percent in January Republicans Divided in Effort to Unseat Boxer Michael Finnegan The Los Angeles Times The GOP primary race is becoming a classic contest between party's moderate and conservative wings Edwards picks Waco over Ft. Hood Todd J. Gillman and Robert Garrett The Dallas Morning News Rep. Chet Edwards decided Thursday to take his chances for re-election in the district that includes his hometown of Waco, rather than the one with Fort Hood
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
The battle has only just begun David Frum and Richard Perle MSNBC New book lays out a bold program to defend America — and win the war on terror Try convincing Dean that we are succeeding in Middle East William Murchison The Dallas Morning News President Bush's anti-terrorist policy is such a smashing, crashing, slobbering, falling-down failure that ... that ... Afghan women are about to gain equal rights with men Why We Are Safer Charles Krauthammer The Washington Post From Libya to India, ice is breaking and the region is changing Dennis the Little Menace Shawn Macomber The American Spectator The congressman from Ohio may be floundering at around two percent in most statewide polls, but if you dropped in on him at the New England College Convention Wednesday night, you'd think he had the nomination in the bag Mutually Assured Frustration Doug Bandow The American Spectator Both Japan and South Korea promised cooperation in the midst of America's swift victory. But as the situation in Iraq turned ugly both began a backward tango	Whither the 'left-wing freak show'? Bob Baker The Los Angeles Times Memo to Club for Growth: Buy this woman a Volvo and make her Public Enemy No. 1. Take it from me, you'll never come this close again Incoming! Tom Toles The New York Times Man's Apartment Encased in Aluminum Foil Associated Press Yahoo! Chris Kirk found his downtown Olympia apartment encased in aluminum foil when he returned home Monday night from a trip to Los Angeles

Thursday, January 8, 2004

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics / Election 2004
Still out there The Economist (UK) Some victories have been won in the West's war against al-Qaeda. But the danger persists He won the battles, but lost the wars Sidney Blumenthal The Guardian (UK) Colin Powell accepted policies on Iraq that he believed were calamitous. He is diminished as a result Breathlessly to victory The Economist (UK) George Bush has been accused of letting his foreign policy be steered by super-hawks such as Mr Perle. Yet this book also shows the limits of their influence WMD in Iraq: Evidence and Implications Joseph Cirincione, Jessica T. Mathews, George Perkovich, with Alexis Orton Carnegie Endowment for International Peace The report distills a massive amount of data into side-by-side comparisons of pre-war intelligence, the official presentation of that intelligence, and what is now known about Iraq's programs U.S. Withdraws a Team of Weapons Hunters From Iraq, Saying That Its Work Is Done Douglas Jehl The New York Times The step was described by some as a sign that the caches of weapons that were cited as a principal reason for going to war will not be found For Many Iraqis, U.S.-Backed TV Echoes the Voice Of Its Sponsor Alan Sipress The Washington Post The Pentagon-sponsored station has not won the trust of many Iraqis. By seeking to cast the U.S. occupation in the most favorable light, al-Iraqiya may actually be losing the war for viewers' hearts and minds The Domination Effect David Miller CommonDreams.org In the past, propaganda involved managing the media. Information dominance, by contrast, sees little distinction between command and control systems, propaganda and journalism Unfinished business full-time job in Iraq Evan Osnos The Chicago Tribune With security threats keeping aid groups and the United Nations from assuming the humanitarian and reconstruction role U.S. war planners had imagined, that work falls largely on soldiers such as Direct Support Team 3 Iraqis Are Bitter Over U.S.-Held Prisoners Jeffrey Fleishman The Los Angeles Times Coalition prepares to free 506 men as anger grows. Many detainees have yet to be charged In an Oil-Rich Land, Power Shortages Defy Solution Neela Banerjee The New York Times Frequent breakdowns in supplies of fuel and electricity, especially in Baghdad, are defying attempts to stitch together something resembling normalcy Iraqis push for U.N. role, return Betsy Pisik The Washington Times Members of the Iraqi Governing Council have stepped up demands that the United Nations return to Iraq quickly and assist the battered nation in its quest for stability and reconstruction Dem Senators Question Iraq Rifle Purchase Larry Margasak Associated Press Yahoo! Two Democratic senators asked the U.S. occupation authority in Iraq on Wednesday to explain its intended purchase of up to 50,000 AK-47 assault rifles for Iraq security forces, when they said the country is filled with such weapons Rebuilding Afghanistan Ahmed Rashid The Nation The underlying reason ethnic tensions still exist two years on is the utter and irresponsible failure of the international community to live up to the promises made at Bonn in December 2001 How an Al Qaeda hotbed turned inhospitable Faye Bowers The Christian Science Monitor When Al Qaeda attacked Saudi Arabia on May 12 - and again on Nov. 8 - it brought home a cold, hard truth for the rulers of Riyadh: the house of Al Saud was now its primary target - even more so than the United States Lebanese chafe under Syria's quiet occupation John Thorne The Christian Science Monitor More than a decade after Syria agreed to withdraw, its armed forces and political influence remain Editorial: Sanctions on Libya: U.S. needs proof before lifting them The Dallas Morning News President Bush's renewal of economic sanctions against Libya may seem an odd reward for the country's promise to disarm, but it was the right call Sense of Mortality Gave Push to India-Pakistan Talks Amy Waldman The New York Times The determination to agree on new talks was sealed with the second of two attempts on Gen. Pervez Musharraf's life last month India-Pakistan Pact Reflects a New Mood John Lancaster The Washington Post The single biggest reason for that improved outlook, by all accounts, is the changed political climate in Pakistan since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 Interruption of Effort to Down Drug Planes Is Disclosed James Risen The New York Times A United States program to shoot down airplanes in Latin America that are suspected of ferrying drugs was suspended this fall for a second time, after the Colombian military forced down a plane and then strafed it without United States approval U.S., Britain meet about flights Mimi Hall USA Today Bush administration officials worked on two fronts Wednesday to smooth over international dust-ups caused by new U.S. security policies	For a Price, Writing Congress's 'To-Do' List Brian Faler The Washington Post For $3,000 (payable to the Western GOP Majority Committee), companies could send two representatives each to yesterday's "Mulligans and Margaritas" event: a golf tournament and "private dinner with members of Congress." Remap could create an endangered species Robert T. Garrett The Dallas Morning News A term of art in political circles, it refers to white male Democrats over 40 – the kind who are running for their political lives after federal judges on Tuesday approved a new GOP congressional map aimed at cleansing the state's delegation to Congress of WD-40s Harris to Decide on Senate Bid Next Week Associated Press The Dallas Morning News U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris has decided whether she will run for retiring Sen. Bob Graham's seat and plans to reveal her plans next week, Gary Hart Said to Be Mulling Senate Bid Robert Gehrke Associated Press Yahoo! Former Colorado Sen. Gary Hart is seriously considering a challenge to Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, according to party sources Senator stays neutral -- for now Brian C. Mooney The Boston Globe Harkin's intentions have been the subject of a loud buzz in Iowa now for several weeks, and his Hamlet-of-the-heartland angst is now playing out in public Security Credibility Eric Alterman TomPaine.com Republicans pursue faulty national security policies, so why are Democrats the ones with a credibility problem? As Economy Revs Up, Democrats Shift Rhetorical Gears Jonathan Weisman The Washington Post Democratic presidential hopefuls are shifting their economic messages from a broad indictment of President Bush's economic stewardship to more targeted appeals to what they call stretched and struggling Americans Clark closes in on Dean's lead as many consider switching votes Andrea Stone USA Today Dean, the former Vermont governor, still leads among Democrats polled nationally with 24%. But Clark is close behind at 20%. That's a change from three weeks earlier, when Dean had 31% to Clark's 10% Democrats need to get over their anger Michael O'Hanlon The Dallas Morning News The modern masters of presidential politics, Mr. Reagan and Mr. Clinton, voiced broad and inspired visions of the future to appeal to partisans, independents and even political opponents. Mr. Dean may be capable of such a vision. But in his anger over Iraq, he is failing to articulate it Why Dean needs to win big now Josh Benson Salon.com If the former Vermont governor doesn't overwhelm his opponents in Iowa and New Hampshire, some analysts say, he may face a long, draining campaign fight Howard Dean's incomplete damage control William Saletan Slate Howard Dean tried to patch up his weak spots. Here's a look at how he did A new reality for Democrats Joan Vennochi The Boston Globe Like Godzilla, says political consultant Dan Payne, Dean just got stronger, although new polls show some weakening in the wake of all the attacks Unlikely scenarios: How Dean could lose primaries Liz Marlantes The Christian Science Monitor He looks less invincible as polls show rivals rising with the approach of Iowa and N.H. Insiders boost `outsider' Genaro C. Armas Associated Press The Miami Herald The former Vermont governor holds endorsements or pledges of support from 86 Democratic ''superdelegates,'' elected officials and other Democratic leaders who will help nominate a candidate Butching up for Victory Richard Goldstein The Nation Look beneath the surface of Dean's plucky, peppery attitude and you'll find the underlying reason for his success. He's butch--and many Democrats are convinced that's what it takes to beat George Bush Dean campaign's architect a risk taker Jill Lawrence USA Today Dean and Trippi are both blunt, prickly men. Both are drawn to aggressive, unconventional politics, and both like to take chances In Shift, Dean Starts Watching His Words Jodi Wilgoren and Edward Wyatt The New York Times With a wary eye on Gen. Wesley K. Clark's rise in national and New Hampshire polls, Howard Dean's campaign has begun to limit his availability to the press and the candidate himself is watching his words Dean Says Faith Swayed Decision on Gay Unions Jim VandeHei The Washington Post Democratic front-runner Howard Dean said Wednesday that his decision as governor to sign the bill legalizing civil unions for gays in Vermont was influenced by his Christian views Dean Considers Middle-Class Tax Help Matea Gold The Los Angeles Times Possible policy change comes after he takes hits from his Democratic rivals for saying he would repeal all of Bush's rollbacks Stephen Moore's right-wing freak show Joe Conason Salon.com There's nothing Middle American about the wealthy ideologues who financed the latest attack ad against Dean Alexander awed by Dean campaign Ralph Z. Hallow The Washington Times Sen. Lamar Alexander, Tennessee Republican, yesterday tipped his hat to Democrat Howard Dean, calling him an extraordinary fund-raiser who would make a formidable challenger to President Bush Staffers for Front-Runner Dean Seen Chasing After Clark Eric Slater The Los Angeles Times In a sign that Wesley K. Clark's presidential campaign may be gaining ground in New Hampshire, Howard Dean's staffers on Wednesday staked out Clark's campaign appearances Clark Discovers Inroads on Campaign Trail Paul Schwartzman and John F. Harris The Washington Post With his poll numbers inching steadily upward here in New Hampshire and nationally, retired Gen. Wesley K. Clark on Wednesday received the most sincere compliment front-runner Howard Dean's campaign can give to a presidential rival: pointed barbs Dean's gaffes yield dividends for Clark Amy Fagan The Washington Times Wesley Clark has gained ground on front-runner Howard Dean in the fight for the Democratic presidential nomination, apparently the result of Mr. Dean's recent gaffes Kerry's new vigor in Iowa may help him stay in race Julie Mason The Houston Chronicle After Kerry mortgaged his home to fund the campaign, diverted staff and spending from New Hampshire to Iowa and intensified his advertising in Iowa, internal polls by the Dean campaign showed Kerry overtaking Gephardt Kerry announces plan for workers Raja Mishra The Boston Globe Senator John F. Kerry castigated corporate "Benedict Arnolds" during a campaign swing through New Hampshire yesterday in which the presidential candidate cast himself as an economic populist Labor Connections Working Hard for Gephardt Campaign Nick Anderson The Los Angeles Times But relying on unions and emphasizing his opposition to free trade now could cost the Democratic hopeful broader support later Congressman Dennis Kucinich, Candidate for the Democratic Presidential Nomination Buzzflash We sent out invitations for interviews to several of the candidates and Kucinich was the only one who responded -- and his staff was tenacious in ensuring that this interview took place George Bush's big-government conservatism The Economist (UK) Between 1998 and 2001, America's federal government ran a surplus on its accounts. The prospect now is of years, even decades, of deficits. Is that scary? Bush Took in $130.8 Million in Political Contributions in 2003 Richard W. Stevenson and Glen Justice The New York Times The campaign said it had spent $31 million, leaving it with $99 million in the bank as it prepares to unleash an advertising campaign in the next month or two Incumbent Reaches Beyond His Base Dan Balz The Washington Post President Bush demonstrated the advantages of incumbency yesterday with a proposal for undocumented workers aimed squarely at the Latino community Worked Over Maria Echaveste The American Prospect How Bush's immigration proposal would turn workers into quasi-indentured servants Bush's proposal for immigration reform misses the point Andres Oppenheimer The Miami Herald Instead of wasting his time and our money on more Band-Aid efforts to fix the U.S. immigration quagmire, Bush should have proposed a push to revamp the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement with new provisions to aid Mexico's most neglected states President's prospects rise with nation's mood Richard Benedetto USA Today The poll finds Bush preferred among likely voters over an unnamed Democrat, 55%-38%. In October, he held a 45%-43% edge What a Difference a Digit Makes - The No. 1 Rule of American Politics Marc Cooper CommonDreams.org Ninety percent of money contributed by individuals to federal campaigns and parties (of contributions more than $200) in the 2000 and 2002 elections came from majority non-Latino white ZIP codes, yet nearly one out of three Americans is a person of color Sorrows of Empire: Dr. King's Speech on War and Peace Paul Rockwell CommonDreams.org Thirty-six years ago, Dr.Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a speech that changed my life One Nation, Under Secularism Susan Jacoby The New York Times On a deeper level, the notion that elected officials should employ a religious rationale for policy decisions is rooted in the misconception, promulgated by the Christian right, that the American government was founded on divine authority rather than human reason
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
Editorial: The New Multilateralism The Wall Street Journal The media have barely noticed, but the Bush Administration has embarked on a burst of "multilateral" cooperation. It's called the Proliferation Security Initiative The Dean Disappointment Peggy Noonan The Wall Street Journal I want to like Howard Dean. I don't mean I want to support him; I mean I want to like him, or find him admirable even if I don't agree with him Regime change in Iran Roger D. Carstens The Washington Times Considering Iran's support for terror, its pursuit of WMD and its record of human rights abuses, the policy of the United States should be one of regime change Trifecta of losers David Limbaugh The Washington Times It has been almost comical to watch the other eight candidates criticizing Dr. Dean for his antiwar stances when they barely have more credibility on national defense	Records Show Dean Flip-Flopped On 1996 Pizza Topping Decision Chortler.com Fresh evidence emerged today which proves that back in 1996 -- during his tenure as governor of Vermont -- Howard Dean repeatedly changed his mind regarding the type of toppings he wanted to choose for a take-out pizza

Wednesday, January 7, 2004

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics / Election 2004
A Partner in Shaping an Assertive Foreign Policy Elisabeth Bumiller The New York Times Condoleezza Rice's interactions with President Bush have developed into a fulcrum for the development of foreign policy Iraq Blotted Out Rest of the World in 2003 TV News Jim Lobe Inter Press Service Yahoo! AIDS killed three million people around the world last year, more than two million of them in Africa. The three major U.S. television networks' evening news programs devoted a combined total of 39 minutes to the issue Is the US ready for democracy? David Newsom The Christian Science Monitor Democratic regimes in the region would face populations feeling humiliated by the West and vulnerable to politicians who would seek to exploit the deep-seated resentments relating to Israel; ethnic and religious divisions; and the intrusion of foreign, particularly Western influence Put Spotlight on Bin Laden Russ Baker The Los Angeles Times Well, he's back. Another audiotape from Osama bin Laden has just been aired — and the speaker's identity confirmed Iraq's Arsenal Was Only on Paper Barton Gellman The Washington Post In public statements and unauthorized interviews, investigators said they have discovered no work on former germ-warfare agents such as anthrax bacteria, and no work on a new designer pathogen Marines to Offer New Tactics in Iraq Thomas E. Ricks The Washington Post As the Marine Corps prepares to take over occupying much of western Iraq from the U.S. Army, it is planning a fresh approach that emphasizes restraint in the use of force, cultural sensitivity and a public message that the new troops aren't from the Army Pentagon eyes Iraq command split Rowan Scarborough The Washington Times Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said yesterday he and the Joint Chiefs chairman are discussing a plan to put a four-star officer in charge of military operations in Iraq as the country moves to self-rule Assessing the war Harlan Ullman The Washington Times Iraq is burning. Putting the fire out now will be far cheaper than waiting until it is too late even if all of the money is not spent as wisely as we would like In Iraq, an Army Day for No Army Nicholas Riccardi The Los Angeles Times A once proud national holiday is filled with bitter reminiscing for former soldiers of the dissolved military In Hussein's Shadow, New Iraqi Army Strives to Be Both New and Iraqi John F. Burns The New York Times Around 700 recruits of the new Iraqi Army marched in a graduation parade, nearly 60 percent of them soldiers in Saddam Hussein's army Time to talk to the Taliban Jonathan Steele The Guardian (UK) The latest atrocity in Afghanistan - a dozen children killed by a "bicycle bomb" in Kandahar yesterday - is a reminder that Iraq is not the only place where US-sponsored regime change has not produced peace Transparent Move Daniel W. Drezner The New Republic Dealing with strategically located, non-democratic countries ruled by vulnerable elites-- countries like Pakistan and Saudi Arabia--has always been a complicated chore Secret Israel-Libya meetings reported Associated Press MSNBC In signs of a potential thaw in relations between Israel and one of its historic enemies, Libyan and Israeli officials have held at least two meetings, one involving a high-ranking Israeli diplomat last month in Europe Syrian Leader's Visit Highlights Shift in Relations With Turkey Amberin Zaman The Los Angeles Times Former enemies have mutual concerns over the U.S. occupation of Iraq, Kurdish issues and regional instability The Battle for Iran's Future Bagher Asadi The New York Times The nuclear issue is diverting attention from the burning issues Iran has been grappling with, such as parliamentary elections Top Bush administration official warns Castro Associated Press The Miami Herald The U.S. administration's point man on Latin America accused Fidel Castro on Tuesday of promoting ''provocative'' policies to destabilize democratic governments and warned the Cuban leader that he was ``playing with fire'' N. Korean 'good guys' require U.S. assistance Selig S. Harrison USA Today In contrast with its monolithic image, the country is divided into two camps: hard-liners who favor nuclear weapons and believe reconciling with the U.S. is impossible, and pragmatists ready to dismantle their nuclear weapons program In Cambodia, an Anniversary Renews Call for Genocide Trials James Brooke The New York Times Twenty five years after the end of the murderous Khmer Rouge regime, a top Cambodian government official said today that the time had come to put surviving leaders on trial Snatching Defeat in The Balkans Morton Abramowitz The Washington Post A rabid nationalist party led by an indicted war criminal emerged as Serbia's leading political party in last month's elections. It is just the latest manifestation of how badly things are deteriorating in the Balkans World Opinion Is Fragmented on Tighter Security for Visitors Elaine Sciolino The New York Times The new security measures imposed on travel to the U.S. have sparked strong and starkly different reactions around the world Dirty Bomb Was Major New Year's Worry John Mintz and Susan Schmidt The Washington Post With huge New Year's Eve celebrations and college football bowl games only days away, the U.S. government last month dispatched scores of casually dressed nuclear scientists with sophisticated radiation detection equipment hidden in briefcases	This business cycle could get vicious Robert Kuttner The Boston Globe Incumbent presidents often used their influence with Congress and the Federal Reserve to artificially pump up the economy for their reelections and dealt with the resulting damage once they were safely returned to office Bush is in strong position Going into election year, his approval rating is up Susan Page USA Today To the disappointment of many Democrats, this year's presidential election no longer looks like a replay of 1992 Bush's next moves: still big Linda Feldmann The Christian Science Monitor As the Democratic candidates claw for the president's post, Mr. Bush and his top advisers are contemplating possible grand ideas to put forth in the Jan. 20 State of the Union message Bush hasn't needed veto with Republican Congress Jim Abrams Associated Press The South Florida Sun-Sentinel Aided by a Republican-controlled Congress, President Bush is on track to become the first chief executive since John Quincy Adams in the 1820s to complete a full term without vetoing one bill Reasons to Hope Cynthia Moothart In These Times Bush has galvanized the left and enabled the political activists to lay down their differences and figure out how to work together Republicans would be smart to woo black voters and non-voters Clarence Page The Chicago Tribune The most accurate definition of a swing voter, Todd wrote, "is a person who swings between voting and not voting." That also describes a lot of black voters John Zogby and Brad O'Leary David T. Cook The Christian Science Monitor We are looking at probably the most partisan election we have had in years. I think the broad appeal by the candidates is going to be get out their core The God Gulf Nicholas D. Kristof The New York Times This campaign could end up as a tug of war over Jesus Resolution no. 1: Oust BushCo Mark Morford The San Francisco Chronicle For 2004, it ain't all just eating better and exercising. We've got some mandatory purging to do Free Falling Ruy Teixeira TomPaine.com This relatively low rating may reflect the public's growing realization that the capture of Saddam Hussein did not, in fact, end the war in Iraq, nor even appreciably reduce the amount of violence directed at U.S. Troops Clark closes in on Dean in poll Bush still beats Democratic field Susan Page and Richard Benedetto USA Today Dean still tops the Democratic field in the national survey, at 24%, but the 21-point lead he held over Clark less than a month ago has narrowed to just 4 percentage points Unifying beleaguered Democrats is nasty business Walter Shapiro USA Today The opening notes of Tuesday afternoon's NPR radio debate underscored the surprising degree of Democratic harmony on most domestic issues Ads that scare Karl Rove Charles Taylor Salon.com MoveOn's contest to come up with the best Beat Bush ad campaign produces some fire-breathing doozies -- and the Democrats should pay attention Middle-Class Tax Cuts Emerge as Dividing Line Adam Nagourney The New York Times In an intense series of exchanges, Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts and Senator Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut— talking from under a set of radio headphones — hammered Howard Dean and Representative Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri for proposing to reverse middle-class tax cuts Moral Center Jonathan Cohn The New Republic Dean has proved more resourceful than I ever imagined. And the fundamental rationales for his candidacy--his accomplishments in Vermont and proposals for the United States--are as compelling today as they were two years ago Unelectable, My Ass! Arianna Huffington AlterNet I swear, if I hear one more Democratic honcho say that Howard Dean is not electable, I'm going to do something crazy (maybe that's what happened to Britney in Vegas this weekend) Dean: Dominator or Detonator? David S. Broder The Washington Post It is hard to recall another challenger who has simultaneously outdistanced, out-organized and outmaneuvered the other candidates as thoroughly and swiftly as Dean has done, and at the same time has so thoroughly demonstrated a penchant for embarrassing himself Dean takes more fire from media as he leads the Democratic pack Jennifer Harper The Washington Times The press has gone on patrol, tweaking the former Vermont governor over his rhetoric and his past Dean says there's no "war' on terror - and he's right! Matthew Miller TMS Features Howard Dean's most unique contribution - the place he departs from every other Democrat and all the major news media - is his correct refusal to accept George Bush and Karl Rove's language defining the post-9/11 struggle against terrorism as a "war" on Dean Rivals Accused of Harassment by Phone Rachel L. Swarns The New York Times Joe Trippi, Dr. Dean's campaign manager, said that dozens of Dr. Dean's fervent supporters had each received as many as 20 computerized phone calls over the past weekend Dean Fundraising Sets Party Record Thomas B. Edsall The Washington Post Howard Dean has shattered all Democratic presidential fundraising records, but he will have to quadruple the rate at which he is collecting money to achieve his goal of matching President Bush dollar for dollar Gore and Others Fan Out to Back Dean in Force Jodi Wilgoren The New York Times While endorsements, even of high-profile politicians, may not move large numbers of votes, the growing list of names on Dr. Dean's roster does provide a set of surrogates allowing him to, in effect, campaign in several places at once Editorial: The Hunt Through Dr. Dean's Past The New York Times Whatever the public response to the muckraking of Gov. Howard Dean's record in Vermont, Dean has made things worse with his own actions Democrats’ Attacks on Dean Enhance Bush’s Re-election Prospects Stephen Zunes CommonDreams.org As Dick Gephardt, John Kerry and Joe Lieberman see themselves lagging in the polls running up to the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary later this month, their campaigns are engaging in increasingly desperate attacks Remove arrows from Dean's back Helen Thomas Hearst Newspapers Seattle Post-Intelligencer Dean's rivals seem to have forgotten the maxim "divide and conquer." They should be guided by the maxim: "United we stand. Divided we fall." N.H. voters eyeing two non-Deans Scot Lehigh The Boston Globe A SENSE of skittishness about Howard Dean is beginning to stir in New Hampshire Dean Is Targeted by Ad Campaign Nick Anderson and Janet Hook The Los Angeles Times Howard Dean's economic policies — as well as his "latte-drinking, sushi-eating" supporters — will come under a round of withering fire starting today from a group that supports conservative Republican candidates Opponents Lob Few Shells at Dean on War Ronald Brownstein The Los Angeles Times The main Democratic contenders except Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut have declined to challenge him over his opposition to the war with Iraq, the cause at his candidacy's core Credible Threat J. Peter Scoblic The New Republic Clark is the best solution for a Democratic Party struggling to prove it can protect the United States from terrorists and weapons of mass destruction The Second-Place Candidate Chris Suellentrop Slate When I last saw Wesley Clark, I called him "Howard Dean with flags." Since then, he's reinvented his candidacy and made himself an even bigger threat to the former Vermont governor Clark's decision is debated Joanna Weiss The Boston Globe These days, when the political universe seems headquartered in Des Moines, retired Army General Wesley K. Clark, campaigning far away in New Hampshire, is getting a lot of questions about Iowa The Wonk Michelle Cottle The New Republic Democrats should take care not to dismiss John Edwards as just another pretty face. Beneath that attractive facade beats the political heart of a Clintonesque New Democrat Edwards Promises a Positive Vision and to Change the 'Two Americas' Randal C. Archibold The New York Times Senator John Edwards takes a very personal approach in his stump speech, which is tinged with anger about the power of the privileged and, lately, leavened with optimism Old Faithful Michael Crowley The New Republic Gephardt is the most qualified person running Editorial: Our Choice The New Republic For Joe Lieberman and a renewed Democratic Party Editorial: Assessing Mr. Kerry The Washington Post Though he often comes across better on the trail than on television, and though he's sharpened his stump speech recently, Mr. Kerry has had a hard time connecting with voters Hillary apologizes for Gandhi remark Associated Press The Washington Times During an event here for Senate candidate Nancy Farmer, Mrs. Clinton introduced a quote from Gandhi by saying, "He ran a gas station down in St. Louis." GOP Remap Of Districts In Texas Can Stand Lee Hockstader The Washington Post A three-judge federal panel, divided along partisan lines, on Tuesday let stand a new Republican-drawn congressional district map for Texas designed to shift six or seven seats currently held by Democrats into the GOP's control
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
Semi-Semites Julia Gorin The Wall Street Journal A Jew in the White House would not be good for the Jews. Because the tendency of Jews in power is to bend over backwards to prove evenhandedness--an opportunity that most often presents itself in the context of the Middle East Disqualifying Remarks Andrew C. McCarthy National Review A President Dean would let a jury fight the war on terror Conservative's case for Dean nomination Jonah Goldberg The Washington Times The unofficial Conservative Pundit Full-Employment Act -- aka the Howard Dean presidential campaign -- currently working its way through the democratic process in Iowa and New Hampshire looks pretty much unstoppable Of Course They Think Bush Is a Nazi Byron York National Review Referring to President Bush as a Nazi, or comparing the president to Hitler, are nothing new in the world of MoveOn. They are, in fact, a common mode of expression of some of the people associated with the website and its brand of political activism Global elections Tony Blankley The Washington Times Americans, of course, have the right to contribute to an election effort to defeat an American president during wartime. But if it is not yet against the law, then it should be made so soon to bar even a single foreign dollar from influencing an American presidential election Syria Mouths Off Jim Geraghty National Review Eventually, America must address those other Baathists Iraq goals Paul Greenberg The Washington Times In place of old rhetoric about democracy, let us opt for a new realism in foreign affairs. Because the overriding objective of any national security policy should be national security	Spaghetti-Os Discontinued As Franco-American Relations Break Down The Onion With talks collapsing at the 11th hour, Franco-American relations hit an all-time low Monday, casting the future of Spaghetti-Os-brand canned pasta in serious doubt How to Be an Iowan for a Day Dan Savage The New York Times Licking doorknobs is not a crime in Iowa. No, Iowa tried to send me to prison for six years because I registered to vote while I was in Iowa. I did this even though — I mean, come on — I had no intention of ever living there Spirit Rover's first transmissions from the surface of Mars Ben Sargent The New York Times Least Recommended Toilet-Training Books for Children The Onion Third World Debt Relief The Onion "I'm doing my part to relieve Third World debt: I always order the Botswana Breakfast Blend at Starbucks."

Tuesday, January 6, 2004

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics / Election 2004
A Caucus of Democracies Max M. Kampelman The Wall Street Journal At a minimum, it is essential that the U.S. take the lead in establishing and strengthening a Caucus of Democratic States committed to advancing the U.N.'s assigned role for world peace, human dignity and democracy Fighting By the Rules, Not Against Them Col. Dan Smith, (Ret.) Foreign Policy in Focus The guiding maxim of medicine, "Do no harm," has a common-sense counterpart in anti-guerrilla military operations Army revamps training Dave Moniz USA Today The Army is overhauling its basic training to help recruits survive the particular dangers of missions in Iraq and Afghanistan Army Orders More Troops To Remain In Service Associated Press The Washington Post About 7,000 U.S. soldiers in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan who were planning to retire or otherwise leave the service in the next few months are getting new marching orders: Stay put Flawed Charter for a Land Ruled by Fear John Sifton International Herald Tribune CommonDreams.org A Sordid Tale of Vote-Buying, Death Threats and Naked Power Politics Lies Behind Afghanistan’s Flawed New Constitution Afghans' first stab at democracy Dan Morrison The Christian Science Monitor The new constitution grants more women's rights than expected, challenging Islamic beliefs of warlords British general may become UN's man in Afghanistan Jonathan Steele The Guardian (UK) A British army officer may become the UN's top administrator in Afghanistan, in a highly unusual move which reflects international concern at mounting threats to security in the war-torn country Editorial: Islamic Democracy The New York Times Afghanistan's Constitution, like all such documents, is really a catalog of promises, a framework for the dreams of a new and better government. This one provides an excellent foundation for creating a better Afghanistan Afghanistan's Milestone Zalmay Khalilzad The Washington Post Afghans have seized the opportunity provided by the United States and its international partners to lay the foundation for democratic institutions and provide a framework for national elections in 2004 Trips to Iraq reshape war views on Hill Gail Russell Chaddock The Christian Science Monitor One-third of lawmakers have now been to Iraq. Many returning voice stronger support Tackling The Strawman Juan Cole TomPaine.com I have never been able to understand how anyone thought Saddam—the clearly addled leader of a small, weak, battered third world country, who did not even have the support of his own people—posed an active threat to the world's sole remaining superpower Saddam's Arrest Raises Troubling Questions Stephen Zunes Foreign Policy in Focus An even bigger reason why more Iraqis are not cooperating with Washington is simply their widespread opposition to the U.S. occupation itself. Saddam's capture will not likely change that situation On edge, Shiites and Sunnis in Iraq try to talk it out Dan Murphy The Christian Science Monitor A meeting Saturday of Sunni and Shiite clerics revealed a possible piece of common ground: distrust of the US Editorial: The Iranian Seesaw The Washington Post A U.S.-Iranian conversation may indeed be worth pursuing. But its proper scope and goals don't match what was suggested, even if obliquely, by the star power of the proposed American visitors Deal can be struck without regime change Patrick J. Buchanan The Miami Herald Will George Bush seek to reach an accommodation with Iran along the lines of his deal with Libya, which protects U.S. vital interests but suspends his crusade for ``regime change''? Pakistan Called Libyans' Source of Atom Design Patrick E. Tyler and David E. Sanger The New York Times Pakistan was the source of the centrifuge design technology that made it possible for Libya to make major strides in the last two years in enriching uranium for use in nuclear weapons Egypt Muzzles Calls for Democracy Glenn Frankel The Washington Post U.S. aid -- nearly $2 billion per year over the past two decades -- has propped up an unpopular government, its army and police, and helped suppress democracy Israeli 'water for arms' deal with Turkey John Vidal The Guardian (UK) Israel and Turkey have agreed an extraordinary "water for arms" deal which will see millions of gallons of fresh water shipped in giant tankers across the eastern Mediterranean and into Israeli ports N. Korea Offers U.S. a Deal Barbara Demick The Los Angeles Times Regime says it would halt nuclear activities in exchange for economic concessions US privatises its military aid to Georgia Nick Paton Walsh The Guardian (UK) Their employer, a Washington security firm, Cubic, has a three-year $15m contract with the Pentagon to support all aspects of the Georgian ministry of defence Chill Persists Between Leaders of India, Pakistan Paul Watson and Mubashir Zaidi The Los Angeles Times Talk of restarting peace process remains just that, though meeting's atmosphere was 'good.' The Broken Promise of Nafta Joseph E. Stiglitz The New York Times Nafta does give Mexico a slight advantage over other trading partners. But with its low tax base, low investment in education and technology, and high inequality, Mexico would have a hard time competing with a dynamic China	But George McGovern was right James Carroll The Boston Globe Here's the problem: In 1972, McGovern was right. If there is shame attached to that election, it is America's for having so dramatically elected the wrong man Bush's Shrewd Budget Strategy E. J. Dionne Jr. The Washington Post Down the line, the continuing deficits will inevitably force either the tax increases conservatives abhor or the program cuts liberals fear. Bush says they won't, and he only has to make that argument hold up for the 10 months between now and Election Day Terrorism alerts 'no-win' for Bush James G. Lakely The Washington Times A country on "orange alert" is a no-win political situation for President Bush, who can't take credit for the absence of terrorist attacks and must watch Democrats running for president argue that all his efforts to thwart domestic carnage are doomed to fail Democrats Make North Dakota a Primary Priority Nick Anderson and Matea Gold The Los Angeles Times A victory in the state's Feb. 3 contest is seen by candidates as a way to help build momentum Cover the debate, not the fight Robert Steinback The Miami Herald The news media do a disservice to consumers to cover this campaign as if it were a horse race -- who's ahead, who's behind? -- instead of detailing the positions, character and impact of the candidates Bradley Adds to Dean's Support From Democrats Jodi Wilgoren The New York Times Former Senator Bill Bradley of New Jersey today endorsed Howard Dean for president, adding to the lengthening list of marquee Democrats backing Dr. Dean Dean Calls 9-11 James Ridgeway The Village Voice The Washington press corps have come to the conclusion that they must intervene in the national interest to rout out a man they have decided is a wacko Dean Works To Smooth The Edges Jim VandeHei The Washington Post Former Vermont governor Howard Dean is campaigning like a candidate who appears increasingly confident of winning the Democratic presidential nomination, striking a more conciliatory tone and signaling how he would run in the general election Dean Starts Testing The Tightrope Richard S. Dunham BusinessWeek Can he bash business and tax cuts -- and still woo the Investor Class? Foes' criticism rolling off Dean Glen Johnson The Boston Globe Dean's resilience stems in part from inner determination, in part from toughening on the campaign trail Howard Dean, 'ho hum' front-runner? John Mercurio CNN Dean has established himself as such an indisputable front-runner at this point, and has run such a shockingly successful campaign, that we're numb. He can surprise us no more Dean Hasn't Got a Prayer in Dixie James P. Pinkerton The Los Angeles Times The Democrat is wasting his time trying to appeal to the Southern Christian voting bloc; most have already cast their lot with Bush Son of a Milieu Worker William Saletan Slate Howard Dean's scorecard in the Iowa debate Edwards's obstacle is his youthful looks Joan Vennochi The Boston Globe Still, when a presidential candidate is compelled to remind voters that he is older than he looks, it's a pretty good bet that that presidential candidate is not going to be the next president of a post-9/11 United States Clark Offers 'Simple' Yet Sweeping Tax Reform Eric Slater The Los Angeles Times Retired Gen. Wesley K. Clark on Monday unveiled the most sweeping tax-reform plan of any of the Democratic presidential hopefuls
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
The enormity of war Tod Lindberg The Washington Times The Bush administration seems collectively tired, in the manner of someone who has just run a marathon Some unhelpful free-lancing Frank J. Gaffney Jr. The Washington Times The Bush administration takes a dim view of the free-lance diplomacy that will inevitably attend current visits to North Korea by several former government officials and congressional staffers	The S Factor Explains Bush's Popularity Neal Starkman Seattle Post-Intelligencer CommonDreams.org It's the "Stupid factor," the S factor: Some people -- sometimes through no fault of their own -- are just not very bright Mars Rover Looks for Signs of Past Life Tom Toles The New York Times This Modern World Tom Tomorrow WorkingForChange.com Nuthouse or White House?

Monday, January 5, 2004

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics / Election 2004
"A great country is being propelled by the wrong forces" Laura Miller Salon.com John le Carre talks about his new war-on-terror novel, the "medieval stupidity" of the Bush administration's misuse of intelligence, and why he wound up marching against the war in Iraq The Next War Doug Ireland TomPaine.com Published the day before 2004 by Random House, An End to Evil: How to Win the War on Terror bears the signature of two of Washington’s most influential ideologues Military Split On How to Use Special Forces In Terror War Gregory L. Vistica The Washington Post With Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld pressuring the Pentagon to take a more aggressive role in tracking down terrorists, military and intelligence officials are engaged in a fierce debate over when and how elite military units should be deployed Terror still a no-show on US soil Faye Bowers The Christian Science Monitor Is Al Qaeda more of a paper tiger than people thought? Has it decided to focus on overseas targets instead? Is it just waiting for the right moment to hit here? Protect us from the protectors Peter Preston The Guardian (UK) Pour many more billions into the CIA. Pour extra billions into the FBI. Pour in shedloads of cash everywhere, and what have you got? A beast with a life and dynamic of its own. But also, significantly, a beast beyond question or criticism Cities in revolt over Patriot Act Audrey Hudson The Washington Times The number of Americans coming under scrutiny of the Patriot Act is growing significantly, and so is the number of Americans calling on Congress to repeal or modify the law Editorial: Silence on the Hill . . . The Washington Post Ever since it passed the USA Patriot Act after the events of Sept. 11, 2001, Congress has stood by in an alarming silence while a fabric of new law governing the balance between liberty and security has been woven by the other two branches of government Editorial: . . . While Abuses Are Confirmed The Washington Post THE LATEST REPORT from the Department of Justice's inspector general on the treatment of immigration detainees rounded up after Sept. 11, 2001, is among the most disturbing to date Editorial: Unfair assault on Greenpeace The San Francisco Chronicle Although the organization cannot serve time in prison, it can be placed on probation and required to report its activities to the government. Greenpeace could also lose its tax-exempt status, which would destroy the public interest organization Justices to Plunge Into Legal Issues Raised by War on Terror Charles Lane The Washington Post After a month-long holiday break, the justices of the Supreme Court will gather in their private conference room Friday to resume what has quietly developed into a potentially historic term CIA plans new secret police to fight Iraq terrorism Julian Coman The Daily Telegraph (UK) Nine months after the demise of Saddam Hussein's regime and his feared mukhabarat (intelligence) operatives, Iraq is to get a secret police force again - courtesy of Washington Envoy predicts 'bigger bangs' Luke Harding The Guardian (UK) Britain's top envoy to Iraq last night admitted that the Iraqi resistance was getting "more sophisticated" in its attacks and predicted even "bigger" attacks in future against coalition forces Information Is Flowing After Hussein's Arrest Patrick J. McDonnell The Los Angeles Times Although insurgency has not lost momentum, U.S. says more Iraqis have come forward with details of its structure and command chain Changing arguments in midstream Sean Gonsalves Cape Cod Times WorkingForChange.com It's one thing to say that the doctrine of pre-emption is a policy required of imperial powers, but it's downright dishonest to argue that Iraq was invaded to free the Iraqi people Free Expression Has Costs, Many Iraqis Say Ann M. Simmons The Los Angeles Times Collapse of controls has brought pornography and other vices. But artists, academics and spiritual leaders savor their newfound Foresight Was 20/20 Jackson Diehl The Washington Post It's not that these predictions weren't heard inside the administration; some were echoed by the State Department's own postwar Iraq project. But the small group of Pentagon civilians who monopolized control over the occupation chose to ignore the expert Afghan Council Gives Approval to Constitution Carlotta Gall The New York Times The approval of a Constitution heralded a new era of democracy after a quarter-century of war For Afghans, words must silence guns Sima Wali The Boston Globe So what then is America to do? Continue to legitimize a splintered and extremist warlord class that has already lost the support of the Afghan people? Or help the Afghans build a model 21st century democratic nation by listening to Afghan women Saudi nukes Richard L. Russell The Washington Times Much like the movie Casablanca, the "usual suspects" are more readily trotted because they are at odds with American national interests nearly across the board, while Saudi Arabia shares many interests with the United States Editorial: A constructive role for Assad? The Washington Times Having witnessed the demise of the Ba'athist dictator next door, Syrian President Bashar Assad clearly senses that he's in trouble With the Vote in Georgia, a Dynamic Young Leader and a New Era Seth Mydans The New York Times Almost everybody in this troubled nation voted for Mikhail Saakashvili, the 36-year-old lawyer who six weeks ago led what he called the Rose Revolution — the peaceful ouster of Eduard A. Shevardnadze Pyongyang visit highlights US-S. Korea divide Donald Kirk The Christian Science Monitor The visit this week of a high-level US delegation to Pyongyang strikes at the differences between the Bush administration and critics, including many South Korean offiicals, who prefer a more conciliatory tack in dealing with the government of Kim Jong Il Colombians, With U.S. Aid, Tracked Rebel for Months Juan Forero The New York Times Colombian agents, working with American intelligence operatives, tracked a top Colombian guerrilla commander for months before he was arrested Friday on a busy street in Quito, the capital of neighboring Ecuador Editorial: A glimmer of peace Financial Times (UK) The leaders of India and Pakistan have a chance today to bring the prospect of peace in Kashmir a fraction closer, when they meet for a "courtesy call" in the wings of the South Asia summit in Islamabad	Dean to make surprise visit to N.H. Glen Johnson The Boston Globe Howard Dean, whose presidential campaign has already won the backing of former vice president Al Gore, is planning a surprise visit to New Hampshire Tuesday in expectation of receiving the endorsement of the other leading Democratic contender from the 2000 race, former US senator Bill Bradley Transcript: Democratic Presidential Debate in Iowa The Washington Post Analysis: Non-combustible Dean foils rivals Tom Curry MSNBC The most remarkable aspect of the Democratic presidential contenders’ debate in Johnston, Iowa, on Sunday was how much rhetorical kindling Howard Dean’s rivals piled up, and how doggedly he kept himself from reaching the combustion point Dean Still Standing After Foes Take Shots David S. Broder The Washington Post At the end of the two-hour debate, sponsored by the Des Moines Register, Dean was still standing, and no visible damage showed Iowa votes in 2 weeks; can anyone stop Dean? Jill Lawrence and Susan Page USA Today Dean's success on so many fronts, including money, polls, prominent endorsements and grass-roots supporters, makes their task daunting Longtime listeners, first-time players: Dems find radio voice Colleen McCain Nelson The Dallas Morning News From North Dakota to New York City, the push is on by left-leaning broadcasters who aim to take back the airwaves Bush & Democracy Hypocrisy Part 2: The Hypocrisy at Home Nat Parry ConsortiumNews.com From the start, Bush’s plan for winning support for the Iraq War was all about baiting, not debating. Rather than a shining moment for American democracy, the Bush administration turned the life-and-death decisions of war and peace into a mockery of democracy As 2004 Begins, Team Bush Is Relaxed, in a Focused Way Elisabeth Bumiller The New York Times Members of President Bush's re-election team say that Howard Dean may not be another Michael Dukakis — an easy rout — but they do not seem worried about him With no primary challenger, Bush can court mainstream Bill Sammon The Washington Times The absence of Republican primary challengers is allowing President Bush to campaign for centrist swing voters with a freedom that he lacked in 2000, when he ran to the right of rival Sen. John McCain U.S. economy's pep may help Bush avoid his father's fate Barrie McKenna The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada) The economic stars seem to be aligning as if Mr. Bush had plotted them himself
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
Memo to Terry McAwful Zell Miller The Wall Street Journal Here are some recent headlines as I see them from the Democratic demolition derby: (1) Sharpton "feels good," could feel better; (2) Kerry cusses; (3) Dean gets "help" from Gore; (4) Democrats ask: "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the angriest one of all?" Electoral vote advantage Donald Lambro The Washington Times By my reckoning, if President Bush simply carries the same 30 states he won in 2000 against Al Gore, that would give him 278 electoral votes — eight more than he needs to win a second term International scoreboard Mark Steyn The Washington Times Anyone who goes goo-goo at the mention of the words "international tribunal" — i.e., Gen. Clark, John Kerry, Howard Dean and the rest of the multilateralist establishment — should look at what it boils down to in practice Inquiring Minds Want to Know Rich Lowry National Review The other Democratic candidates for president are beginning to challenge front-runner Howard Dean daily, asking questions about his positions and fitness for office. Here are the questions that they're not asking Dean Lieberman vs. Dean Byron York National Review Joe Lieberman surely wouldn't want the endorsement of National Review, but it's hard to deny that he makes a lot of sense for a member of the current field of Democratic presidential contenders Latin America unraveling gets ignored Robert D. Novak The Houston Chronicle The problem with the program, begun by the Clinton administration and continued under President Bush, is focusing South America entirely on counter-drug objectives rather than counter-insurgency concerns	The WitchFondler 2004 Presidential Candidate Poll WitchFondler.com Cast your vote below for the candidate you would most like to see go up for President of the United States in 2004!

Sunday, January 4, 2004

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics / Election 2004
Naked Terror Jeffrey Rosen The New York Times Public panic is overwhelming Americans' more reasonable wariness of laws and procedures that erode privacy America: The real danger lies within Eric Margolis The Toronto Sun (Canada) For America's hard right - a curious farrago of Armageddon-seeking southern Protestants; neo-conservative supporters of Israel's right-wing Likud party; and the military-industrial-petroleum complex - the Bush administration's aggressive foreign policy of world domination, and utter contempt for international laws and old allies, marks a new era of national greatness Hegemony or Survival: The Everything Explainer Samantha Power The New York Times Chomsky finds the Bush administration new in only two ways: the crassness of its motives is far more transparent, and it is now playing for far higher stakes Editorial: The Radicalization of American Foreign Policy Newsday His policy of unilateralism, pre-emption and regime change represents a dramatic and dangerous shift in emphasis away from more than 50 years of policy For G.I.'s, Pride in War Efforts but Doubts About Iraq's Future Eric Schmitt The New York Times American soldiers, from privates to generals, say they believe that their fight to restore security and stability in Iraq is winnable in the long run, but that an American military presence will be required for years Intelligence: Who's Fueling the Rumors That Just Won't Die? Mark Hosenball Newsweek A Washington, D.C., representative for Iyad Allawi, leader of the CIA/M.I.6- favored Iraqi National Accord, has confirmed that his group originated two fresh leaks about alleged prewar WMD New Iraqi factions struggle for a say in politics Anne Barnard The Boston Globe The 24-member Iraqi Governing Council will make the key initial decisions about how to set up the state. But it has little legitimacy among ordinary Iraqis because the council was appointed by the United States and is dominated by former exiles Iraq's boiling melting pot Stephen Franklin The Chicago Tribune Can minorities forget old wounds and live in peace? Can Iraq avoid splitting itself apart? Making Compromises to Keep a Country Whole Edward Wong The New York Times They are trying to walk a fine line between giving ethnic and religious groups the territory, resources and autonomy they demand, and ensuring that such power does not give rise to dangerous nationalisms Never Underestimate the Power of Ethnicity in Iraq Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld The Washington Post We may be the least well-equipped nation in the world to manage the kinds of group hatreds that threaten Iraqi society today Power Transfer in Iraq Starts This Week Robin Wright and Rajiv Chandrasekaran The Washington Post After eight months of debate and delay, the United States this week will formally launch the handover of power to Iraq with the final game plan still not fully in place `Unspecial' prosecutor will do fine Steve Chapman The Chicago Tribune Fitzgerald is a dogged career prosecutor who has proven himself willing to take on not only mob kingpins and terrorists but Republican politicians From Rogue Nuclear Programs, Web of Trails Leads to Pakistan David E. Sanger and William J. Broad The New York Times Pakistan — and those it empowered with knowledge and technology they are now selling on their own — has emerged as the intellectual and trading hub of a loose network of hidden nuclear proliferators Editorial: Our Man in Islamabad The Wall Street Journal The general's close-call survival of two assassination attempts in two weeks suggests the Bush Administration needs a strategy that looks beyond his strongman rule New Afghan army rejects trained professionals Dan Morrison The Washington Times Mr. Hakim is one of thousands of officers — graduates of military colleges and veterans of the decade-long fight against the Red Army — who will be forced from military life in the crucial effort to disarm Afghanistan's estimated 100,000 gunmen The hindering of U.S.-Iranian relations William O. Beeman The Chicago Tribune It seemed that the U.S. government was at last doing something positive for American-Iranian relations in the wake of the terrible human tragedy of the earthquake in Bam, Iran. Then President Bush opened his mouth, and in one offhand remark on New Year's Day, undercut almost every diplomatic gain Iranians Divided on U.S. Offer of Quake Relief Neil MacFarquhar The New York Times Hard-liners who have always viewed adverse relations with Washington as a pillar of the Islamic revolution are dismissing the American statements as just more "trickery from the Great Satan," while reformists fret aloud that Iran is about to miss yet another opportunity Pulling Punches William M. Arkin The Los Angeles Times The days of lethal force are certainly not over. But, boosted by the war on terrorism and the demands of the guerrilla war in Iraq, the development of new and exotic nonlethal weapons has gotten a huge lift If the Bomb Is So Easy to Make, Why Don't More Nations Have It? Gregg Easterbrook The New York Times Claims that bomb plans can be downloaded from the Internet, or that fissile material is easily obtained on the black market and slapped together into an ultimate weapon, seem little more than talk-radio jabber	The New American System Of Justice Jimmy Breslin Newsday In order to protect yourself from terrorism by politicians, you best pay attention to things like the American system of justice. We did pretty good with it. I'd hate to try it without it Reelection is main issue of '04 Thomas Oliphant The Boston Globe The country's post-World War II history demonstrates that "reelection elections" -- when there is a sitting president's name on the ballot -- are first about the condition of the country and secondarily about the record of that sitting president The Things They Carry James Traub The New York Times It's not just the war in Iraq that prompted these hopes of realignment; it's the Bush administration's penchant for bellicosity, its barely concealed contempt for the United Nations and for many of America's traditional allies, its apparent confusion about how to deal with North Korea The public spewing of insults Clarence Page The Chicago Tribune Angry Howard Syndrome is the latest manifestation of an ancient Democratic Party affliction, a divide between its sober pragmatists and its passionate idealists Fratricide Isn't Always Fatal Jonathan Alter Newsweek History affirms it: voters don't mind fight-night primaries as long as everyone in the party ultimately kisses and makes up The Fire This Time Joe Klein Time Why populism may be the last resort of desperate Democrats February Contests Shape Up as Pivotal Ronald Brownstein The Los Angeles Times Dean's apparent edge in those races could give him an insurmountable lead over rivals On the world front, candidate differences are matters of degree Anne E. Kornblut The Boston Globe Foreign policy specialists and campaign strategists agree that the distinctions between the two parties are more pronounced than among the Democratic candidates Running on Instinct Mark Singer The New Yorker Howard Dean's critics say that he is winging it. Can that get him to the White House? Inside the Mind of Howard Dean Karen Tumulty Time His opponents say he is unlikable and unelectable. The Democratic front runner explains why most of what you hear about him is dead wrong Dean fate hinges on expanding vote base Jeff Zeleny The Chicago Tribune Yahoo! Will the Village of Howard Dean grow or has it reached its peak? “I'm Feeling Like Job” Howard Fineman Newsweek Dean addressed the incoming fire, his latest thoughts on Osama bin Laden and his favorite Biblical passages in a conversation with NEWSWEEK's Howard Fineman The Dean Dilemma Howard Fineman Newsweek His blunt talk's propelled him to the top, but some Democrats worry that Dean's shoot-from-the-hip style and shifting views might doom him in November Dean Now Willing to Discuss His Faith Jim VandeHei The Washington Post Howard Dean, after practicing a quiet Christianity throughout his political career, said he is talking more about his faith because the presidential race has awakened him to the importance of religious expression, especially to southerners Dean Traveled Tangled Road to Self-Discovery Richard Serrano The Los Angeles Times Park Avenue scion's journey took him to ski slopes, Wall Street, medical school and eventually into government Yes, Howard Dean Can Be Toppled and How David M. Halfbinger The New York Times The major Democratic candidates chasing after Dr. Dean may be wondering what it will take to knock him from his pole position. Unfortunately for Messrs. Gephardt, Kerry, Lieberman, Edwards and Clark, history holds few clear answers to this riddle Clark closes on Dean in Democratic race Rupert Cornwell The Independent (UK) General Wesley Clark, the former Nato commander who entered the presidential race only four months ago, is emerging as the candidate most likely to upset Howard Dean's hitherto unstoppable drive towards the Democratic nomination The General's New Stripes Evan Thomas and Daniel Klaidman Newsweek He had a rough entry. But Wes Clark is a quick study. A rookie finds his stride Granite State's Shaheens put weight behind Kerry Patrick Healy The Boston Globe A great organization can add 3 to 5 percentage points to a candidate's vote total, Bill Shaheen says, and analysts concur. But with Kerry trailing Dean in polls and fund-raising, some Democrats and many political analysts are skeptical that the Shaheens have enough pull Edwards' 'Closing Statement' Aims to Boost Image Scott Martelle The Los Angeles Times The North Carolina senator lays his populist cards on the table in New Hampshire. Only an outsider can change America, he tells voters Editorial: Assessing Mr. Gephardt The Washington Post OUR VIEWS on Rep. Richard A. Gephardt (D-Mo.) can be divided into three parts: We applaud his consistent and responsible position on the war in Iraq; we have irreconcilable differences on the question of trade; and we are concerned about his free-spending approach to the federal budget Left-Wing Flutters Give Low-Flying Kucinich Some Thrust David Von Drehle The Washington Post Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich (Ohio) hasn't attracted much major media attention for his presidential campaign. But he has been steadily and effectively working the left wing of the Democratic base Clinton Enjoys Role as Adviser in Chief Katharine Q. Seelye The New York Times He left office nearly three years ago, but Bill Clinton, the youngest ex-president in modern times, is still the go-to guy in Democratic politics Govs 4, Senators 0. Tough Odds E.J. Dionne Jr. The Washington Post The very elements that are fundamental to serving in Congress -- the arts of compromise and cajoling, the finality of the yes or no vote -- leave members vulnerable as presidential candidates Bush aims to dodge tough poll issues Lawrence Donegan The Observer (UK) Bush is drawing up a positive, soft-focus and upbeat campaigning platform portraying him as the candidate of national unity Bush Bracing for Matchup Against Dean Tom Raum Associated Press Yahoo! The former Vermont governor has shown an ability to mobilize volunteers and raise cash, making him a formidable political force, Bush supporters acknowledge Bush Makes Time for 'Hook and Bullet' Set Elizabeth Shogren The Los Angeles Times Fishing and hunting groups have the administration's ear and are emerging as a lobbying force for environmental issues Like a sacred cow to the slaughter Amity Shlaes Financial Times (UK) A tax increase is coming in America - and Republicans will be among those who preside over that increase Black Votes -- No GOP Fantasy Jonetta Rose Barras The Washington Post The flexibility of the new generation of black leaders and the growing population of black independent voters has meant the development of unprecedented alliances with Republicans and conservatives Shrink Government, the Right Tells the Right Sheryl Gay Stolberg The New York Times Fiscal conservatives in the Republican Party are fighting to reduce government spending — a battle that pits them against their own party and president
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
A Farewell to Allies Charles Krauthammer Time These countries are not allies. It is sheer laziness now that counts France and Germany as old allies, sheer naivete that counts Russia as a new one Forward to the Past Dick Morris The Wall Street Journal So what have the Democrats got left to run on? The recession that used to be? The Iraq War and American casualties that, hopefully, will use to have been? Prescription drug benefits that didn't use to be available? Due Process for Terrorists? Thomas F. Powers The Weekly Standard The centerpiece of a Bush administration civil liberties offensive should be creative institutional reform. A new terrorism court is the place to start The Old-Fashioned Way Laura Houston Newsweek You can keep your 'Internet candidate.' At Ole Miss we still get excited about beauty queens, quarterbacks and Bush The Deadly Consequences of a Progressive Disease David Horowitz The Los Angeles Times The left's inability to understand the basic economic fact that people need an incentive to produce has caused the unnecessary deaths of tens of millions of people in the last 75 years Dean and the McGovern Thing Lawrence F. Kaplan The Washington Post That's the repeated complaint from a chorus of opinion-makers who, having uncovered in Dean's antiwar harangues evidence of "nuance" and "moderation," argue that comparisons to the hapless 1972 candidate mislead more than they clarify	American Public Almost Done Analyzing Hussein Footage Dan Kilian BrokenNewz.com The consensus is that soon the public at large will have gleaned all the information it can from this image, and the news corporations of America will have done its job Predictions from your financial cable station Jeff Danziger The New York Times

Saturday, January 3, 2004

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics / Election 2004
A new push to meet UN's antipoverty goals Gunnar Stalsett The Boston Globe Without question, Iraq and Afghanistan must be rebuilt, but other pressing human needs cannot be forgotten Flight Groundings Lead Allies to Query Washington Eric Lichtblau The New York Times The Bush administration faced questions about the reliability of the intelligence that has led to the recent rash of flight cancellations Editorial: Too Much Power The Washington Post THIS YEAR'S intelligence authorization bill provided a little-noticed and dangerous expansion of a peculiar and unaccountable FBI investigative power The CIA Agent Flap: FBI Asks for Reporters to Talk John F. Dickerson and Viveca Novak Time Investigators are pressing Administration officials to let journalists tell whatever they know about the leak of a CIA agent's identity Women at war in Iraq: `No big deal' Matt Kelley Associated Press The Houston Chronicle American women have participated more extensively in combat in Iraq than in any previous war in U.S. history. They've taken roles nearly inconceivable just a decade or two ago Female Officers Cross Cultural Frontier in Iraq Ariana Eunjung Cha The Washington Post Iraq's powerful religious leaders say the occupation authority's policy toward women is an example of how the United States is trying to impose its own values on a culture it doesn't understand or appreciate Iraqi schools offer frustrating lesson Christine Spolar The Chicago Tribune Bechtel has the power to make pivotal decisions about Iraq's recovery and the quality of life in communities such as Mosul U.S. Aids Security of Musharraf Dana Priest The Washington Post After two recent assassination attempts that bear the markings of al Qaeda, the U.S. government is stepping up efforts aimed at protecting Pakistan's president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf Religious police take after Barbie Paul Martin The Washington Times Stick-wielding Saudi religious police were raiding toy stores and gift shops in the desert kingdom to seize anything related to the Western holiday season, including flowers, candles, stuffed animals, Barbie dolls and other items considered evil Editorial: Well-advised on Iran The Boston Globe Instead of a policy that starts and stops with the goal of regime change in Tehran, the realists would explore the possibilities for dialogue and cooperation in areas of mutual interest Administration cool to experts’ N. Korea visit Associated Press MSNBC “Any efforts that complicate prospects or undertakings to reconvene six-party talks and to achieve forward movement in dismantling North Korea’s nuclear program aren’t helpful” N. Korea to Allow Look at Reactor Paul Richter The Los Angeles Times Pyongyang may want to show its nuclear gains before talks. U.S. hopes the private American delegation can glean new information The new cold war Jonathan Steele The Guardian (UK) The USSR's collapse did not end the rivalry. It merely recast it on a more complex stage which stressed deviousness rather than outright hostility India PM in historic Pakistan trip CNN Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has arrived in Pakistan for the first time in nearly five years ahead of a South Asian summit seen as a historic opportunity for the the rivals to build on peace moves	Rebranding Bush as man of peace Suzanne Goldenberg, Simon Tisdall and Nicholas Watt The Guardian (UK) The White House has retreated from its doctrine of regime change and pre-emptive military action and is returning to traditional diplomacy in an effort to repackage George Bush as a president for peace Democratic Lawmaker Switching to G.O.P. Sheryl Gay Stolberg The New York Times Representative Ralph M. Hall, a longtime Texas Democrat who once said it was his duty to remain in his party and pull it "back to the middle," announced Friday evening that he was becoming a Republican Political Fundraising in Texas Is Target of Probe Scott Gold The Los Angeles Times Authorities are conducting a criminal investigation into whether corporate money, including hundreds of thousands of dollars linked to U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, improperly financed the Republican Party's takeover of the Texas Capitol Edge in Iowa Rests in Senator's Hands Nick Anderson The Los Angeles Times Harkin's support could tip the balance in the first caucus race once he decides whom to back As the Race Turns Hot, What About Dean's Collar? Rick Lyman The New York Times His displays of temper are of a kind with political blunders he has made during the current campaign: in either case, they stem from what aides concede is an occasional tendency to speak his mind too quickly On filing deadline, Dean is state favorite Gromer Jeffers, Jr. The Dallas Morning News Texas Democrats are hoping that the grass-roots campaigns of Dr. Dean and retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark have at least brought a new enthusiasm to a state party that has lost every statewide office and the Legislature Democrats Keep Hammering Away at Dean John M. Glionna and Nick Anderson The Los Angeles Times Dean began what aides called a new strategy to avoid direct responses to the near-daily attacks on him by several of his Democratic opponents; he plans to leave that job to his campaign office Dean Wrestles With the Question of Faith Matea Gold The Los Angeles Times Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean, who rarely mentions religion and God on the campaign trail, said he was wrestling with how to talk about faith in parts of the country where it figured prominently in daily life Vietnam War, Peace Pivotal in Kerry's Life Edward Walsh The Washington Post More than any other member of Congress, it was Kerry, with his ally Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who cleared the way for normal diplomatic relations between the United States and Vietnam Clark maps plan to overtake Dean Will Lester Associated Press The Washington Times After separating from the pack with claims to be the only Democratic presidential candidate to give Howard Dean a run for his money, Wesley Clark is mapping his final sprint to become the Democrats' alternative to Mr. Dean
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
Running on Reform David Brooks The New York Times The Republican Party has a problem this election year. It's the governing party, but it lacks a governing philosophy Editorial: The Soros Agenda The Wall Street Journal The hedge-fund operator made his money practicing capitalism but now he spends it trying to give himself and his ideological allies an advantage over other voices Editorial: Noble and Knave of the Year The Washington Times With a total of 178 votes, Michael Moore is the Knave of the Year	You know those ads for the international star registry? Ted Rall The New York Times

Friday, January 2, 2004

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics / Election 2004
Editorial: The Pinochet parallel The Boston Globe The memory of Kissinger's fallacy should serve as an antidote to President Bush's error of assuming that to fight Osama bin Laden's terrorist gang Bush needs to back any dictator and human rights abuser who wants US solicitude for the crushing of his own local Islamists A Farce in Two Canvases Michael Kinsley The Washington Post It is no solution to say, as some do, that it is a journalist's job to protect the identity of his or her sources and it is the government's job to expose them. This isn't a game Editorial: Not far enough to assure integrity The San Francisco Chronicle The fine reputations of Comey and Fitzgerald notwithstanding, this is still a situation of the Bush team investigating the Bush team Flights axed 'due to mistaken IDs' CNN Mistaken identities led to last week's cancellation of three Air France flights from Paris to Los Angeles, with one of the suspect names belonging to a child The monster we helped create Robert Scheer Salon.com For the White House, a complete investigation into those who abetted Saddam's crimes against humanity would prove an embarrassing two-edged sword Fruitless hunt for illegal arms winding down Dafna Linzer Associated Press The Chicago Tribune In nine months, not a single item has been found in Iraq from a long and classified intelligence list of weapons of mass destruction that guided the work of dozens of elite teams from the military and the CIA Iraq in review: Confusion and lack of planning Georgie Anne Geyer The Chicago Tribune Let us review some of the recent articles on the war, which paint a quite different picture from the White House's sketches of "democratization" and "freedom" The Battle for Iraqi Oil Aram Roston The Nation Before the war, US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld famously announced that this war had "literally nothing to do with oil," while antiwar protesters chanted "no blood for oil," in the streets. Since then there has been very much blood, and surprisingly little oil The Trial of Hussein: Choosing the Evidence Peter Slevin The Washington Post U.S. intelligence officials have said they would like to have at least a year to interrogate Hussein before he is delivered to court. That could conflict with Iraqi ambitions to try Hussein faster Cracks Appear in U.S.-Trained Iraq Corps Jason Keyser Associated Press Yahoo! Some U.S. trainers in Tikrit say the Iraqi force is ill-equipped, prone to corruption and so trigger-happy that some have shot at their own comrades New Year's in Baghdad Joe Cochrane MSNBC The Iraqi people have seen few tangible benefits from last year's U.S.-led invasion and few feel as if they have anything to celebrate A path opens to elections in Iraq Dan Murphy The Christian Science Monitor A major roadblock to selecting a more representative government for Iraq by mid-2004 could soon disappear - if the UN becomes more involved in verifying the process that will determine Iraq's leaders Who's afraid of elections in Iraq? Laith Kubba The Guardian (UK) This is the right moment for the international community - and the UN in particular - to step in and lead the transition Editorial: A Wounded United Nations The New York Times America needs the United Nations as an effective partner in Iraq, not as a whipping boy for the administration's continuing problems there In Iraq's Murky Battle, Snipers Offer U.S. a Precision Weapon Eric Schmitt The New York Times As the counterinsurgency grinds into its ninth month, the Army is increasingly relying on snipers to protect infantry patrols sweeping through urban streets and alleyways Afghan Talks Adjourn, Deeply Divided on Ethnic Lines Carlotta Gall The New York Times The constitutional grand council adjourned in disarray Thursday, leaving the entire process of drawing up a new constitution badly damaged Gadhafi's secret message Arnaud de Borchgrave The Washington Times The collapse of the Soviet Union and America's total victory in the Cold War finally gave the colonel pause for thought U.S. worried about safety of Musharraf Bill Nichols USA Today Two assassination attempts last month against Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf have the Bush administration beginning to ponder the unthinkable -- a leadership vacuum in a nuclear nation in one of the world's most dangerous regions Pakistan Affirms Leader's Term Paul Watson and Mubashir Zaidi The Los Angeles Times Parliamentary approval allows Musharraf to keep his post until 2007 despite disputed vote Iranian hard-liners criticize U.S. earthquake aid Associated Press MSNBC Hard-liners in Iran’s government criticized U.S. relief efforts after the devastating earthquake that killed more than 30,000 people and flattened the ancient city of Bam, accusing Washington of trying to meddle in Tehran’s affairs Iran's quake: Nothing 'natural' about this disaster Brendan O'Neill The Christian Science Monitor Like the one in Bam, the California quake measured 6.5 and destroyed many buildings, especially in downtown Paso Robles - yet it killed only two people, not thousands. The difference between California and Bam is a difference of development Editorial: Democracy Sags in Serbia The Los Angeles Times Serbia's election last Sunday, in which nationalists garnered the biggest share of the vote, offers a fresh reminder that it's easier to champion than to create viable democratic societies Success In Georgia David Ignatius The Washington Post One bright spot this new year is the former Soviet republic of Georgia, where careful diplomacy appears to have defused a potentially dangerous flashpoint between the United States and Russia N. Korea OKs U.S. visit to complex Team may see key nuclear site Barbara Slavin USA Today North Korea has agreed to allow a U.S. delegation that includes a top nuclear scientist to visit its nuclear complex at Yongbyon next week ahead of likely negotiations with its neighbors and the United States Uzbek or Dari? Military learns new tongues Ann Scott Tyson The Christian Science Monitor Insurgencies in Afghanistan and Iraq, along with a broadening terrorist threat, are increasing demands on the ranks of US military linguists capable of gathering intelligence in foreign languages A continent at peace: five African hot spots cool down Abraham McLaughlin The Christian Science Monitor Motivated by antiterror fears and a need for oil, Africans are demanding warriors to beat their swords into plowshares Further thaw likely in India-China ties Krishnadev Calamur UPI The Washington Times Asia's two fastest-growing economies — India and China — are likely to continue edging closer in 2004 through recently improved diplomatic, defense and economic ties A world away, family remains at rebels' mercy David Adams The St. Petersburg Times With their son held hostage since February by Colombian guerrillas, a Bradenton couple is forced to hang their hopes on U.S. diplomacy Editorial: The EU leaps into the unknown Financial Times (UK) The European Union takes another leap into the unknown this year when its membership expands from 15 to 25	Hope Dies Last Studs Terkel In These Times Hope appears to be an American attribute that has vanished for many, no matter what their class or condition of life. The official word has never been more arrogantly imposed Liberals unable to capture talk-show audiences Reuven Frank The Miami Herald It is proposed that people such as Al Franken or Michael Moore wheedle such angry geezers away from right-wing talk radio, from Limbaugh and Hannity and O'Reilly and Schlesinger, from their anger and frustration. I don't think so Outfoxed Michelle Cottle The New Republic Liberal "haters" are giving Bill O'Reilly and Ann Coulter fits. Good for them Winner-take-all courtship Jill Zuckman The Chicago Tribune A candidate can have the best policies, a stellar resume and the most dashing of looks. But if he or she can't make a personal connection with the voters, the would-be president can forget about moving into the White House Reinventing triangulation Sidney Blumenthal Salon.com Every time Dean makes an artless comment his opponents see blood in the water. Paradoxically, their attacks only bolster his campaign Who's Nader Now? Paul Krugman The New York Times Some of Howard Dean's rivals have launched vitriolic attacks that may as well have been scripted by Karl Rove Rivals Hone Their Stop-Dean Strategies Jim VandeHei The Washington Post With Howard Dean rolling into the new year with a commanding edge in money and momentum, his rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination are adopting different -- and risky -- strategies to trip up the front-runner Editorial: Piling on Dean The Washington Times In all-out efforts to make up ground lost to the former Vermont governor, his fellow Democrats are now trying to convince the Democratic rank and file that Mr. Dean is unelectable — and that if elected he would be a disaster as president Democrats jostle to be the 'anti-Dean' David Jackson The Dallas Morning News Each of the candidates – Mr. Gephardt, Wesley Clark, John Kerry, Joe Lieberman and John Edwards – offers different reasons why he would be a better nominee. But their critiques largely boil down to taxes, terrorism, and temperament 'Man, That Dude Can Dance' Eleanor Clift Newsweek Howard Dean romances the crowd at Renaissance Weekend Dean supporters flock to Iowa finale Felix Schein MSNBC The campaign is in the process of unleashing as many as 3,500 supporters from all 50 states and beyond on the Hawkeye State’s voters Dean's blunt talk about race Derrick Z. Jackson The Boston Globe Dean said, "I suddenly realized I was the only white person in the room, and literally the hair went up in the back of my neck. 'Cause I thought, what if it was always like this? What if everywhere in your world you were the only white person and everyone else was black? For one instant I had some tiny inkling what it was like to be black in America." A Pragmatic Streak Colors Dean's Green Credentials Eric Slater The Los Angeles Times Dean's 11-year record as governor suggests he is much more a pragmatist on environmental issues than an ideologue, a centrist who often catered to business interests first After Halting Start, Clark Seems to Be Finding Legs Edward Wyatt The New York Times On a whirlwind tour that touched eight Southern states in two days this week, he practically bounded into the room at each event, increasingly energized by the growing crowds, by his improving standing in the polls and by a steadily rising cache of money Kucinich: fervently unconventional Harry Bruinius The Christian Science Monitor Like his nonconformist audience this evening, Mr. Kucinich is a candidate with quirks Past Defeat and Personal Quest Shape Long-Shot Kucinich Bid Sheryl Gay Stolberg The New York Times After a stunning political comeback from a career that was in tatters, Dennis J. Kucinich is seeking the White House on a platform of nonviolence A Candidate Looking for a Way to Win Scott Martelle The Los Angeles Times After an early flurry, Lieberman has failed to capitalize on his name recognition or tap Democratic anger. But he insists he has a plan Bush rides high as 2004 begins H.D.S. Greenway The Boston Globe Bush's would-be opponents suffer from the hoary old cliche that Americans trust Democrats with the mummy issues -- health, education, social welfare -- but look to the Republicans for the daddy issue of national defense Editorial: Getting Out the Singles Vote The Christian Science Monitor For the 2004 races, it turns out that unmarried women may be a choice target. At least that's the conclusion of a new study by Democratic pollsters Stanley Greenberg and Celinda Lake Thune edges closer to challenging Daschle Steve Turnham CNN Republicans believe Daschle is vulnerable over an issue of particular importance in South Dakota: ethanol, a corn-based product used as a fuel additive Republican Power Means Less for States Jim Abrams Associated Press Yahoo! The extent to which this administration has subordinated states' rights in carrying out its political agenda is "somewhat breathtaking," said Michael Greve, who heads the Federalism Project at the conservative American Enterprise Institute For Bush, readiness is key issue Wayne Washington The Boston Globe As the country moves from the holiday season into the political season, a terrorist attack on the US homeland is the biggest uncertainty for a Bush administration that has billed itself as the nation's chief protector
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
Guerrillas in the Mist Christopher Hitchens Slate Why the war in Iraq is nothing like The Battle of Algiers Take a Hike Stephen Moore The Wall Street Journal Recently, an organization I run, the Club for Growth, began airing TV ads in Iowa and New Hampshire telling voters about the specifics of Mr. Dean's tax proposals. The Dean plan, our ad notes, would raise taxes by $2,472 a year on a typical middle-income family of four Iraq through history's lens William Goldcamp The Washington Times The Iraqi people want a future worth having, and they know the only way to secure it is to fight for it. But they must also be sure we will fight at their side to destroy the last vestiges of the tyranny they were forced to endure One last nod to the whiners of old year Michelle Malkin The Houston Chronicle The whiners of 2003 embarrassed themselves -- and the nation -- with their unrivaled sense of entitlement, arrogance and shamelessness	Pat Robertson: God tells me it's Bush in a blowout Sonja Barisic Associated Press The South Florida Sun-Sentinel Pat Robertson said Friday that God told him President Bush will be re-elected in a landslide "This conversation has taken over a decade already" Tom Toles The New York Times Editorial: Fried day The Boston Globe People who are working today most likely had yesterday off, and maybe took Wednesday off, too, which makes this Friday feel more like a Monday, though not as bad as the real Monday is going to feel three days from now

Thursday, January 1, 2004 - Happy New Year

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics / Election 2004
A Visit With Castro Arthur Miller The Nation Brilliant as he is, spirited and resourceful as his people are, his endless rule seemed like some powerful vine wrapping its roots around the country and while defending it from the elements choking its natural growth Bush Faces a Challenging Year: The Turn From War to Peace Robin Wright The Washington Post The success or failure of Bush's diplomacy in 2004 will shape the world well beyond America's borders and will heavily influence global events for the next decade Hawks tell Bush how to win war on terror David Rennie The Daily Telegraph (UK) President George W Bush was sent a public manifesto yesterday by Washington's hawks, demanding regime change in Syria and Iran and a Cuba-style military blockade of North Korea In search of true 'security' Warren Goldstein The Minneapolis Star-Tribune Now, barely 15 years after the end of the Cold War, the fear is back. And our leaders seem energized by it Don't Be Fooled Ray McGovern AlterNet The appointment of US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald as 'special counsel' to investigate the Valerie Plame leak is too little, too late Large File of Evidence Is Available in C.I.A. Leak Case David Johnston The New York Times Investigators are said to doubt, at least for the moment, that anyone is likely to be prosecuted for disclosure of the identity of the officer even though the unauthorized disclosure of an undercover operative is a federal crime Head of Leak Probe Is Called Relentless David Von Drehle and Dan Eggen The Washington Post If Patrick J. Fitzgerald, the man chosen to investigate the leak of a CIA operative's identity to a prominent Washington journalist, is everything people say he is, there should be a nervous leaker out there today Editorial: Nuclear Naivete The Boston Globe Why is it the IAEA never seems to find out on its own about activities that treaty breakers such as Libya, Iraq, Iran, and North Korea wish to hide? Giving Up Those Weapons: After Libya, Who Is Next? Michael R. Gordon The New York Times North Korea and Iran are much tougher cases and ultimately a far more important test of the Bush administration's efforts to roll back weapon programs through a mixture of force and diplomacy 'The soldiers took him away. We haven't seen him since’ Luke Harding The Guardian (UK) After the capture of Saddam Hussein two-and-a-half weeks ago, 42 of the original 55 "most wanted" Iraqis have been killed or captured. But the status of those suspects now in custody is murkily unclear Number of reservists killed in Iraq jumped in December Robert Burns Associated Press The Houston Chronicle Citizen soldiers of the Army National Guard and Army Reserve are suffering an increasing share of American military deaths in Iraq, according to Pentagon statistics Guerrilla attacks drop since capture of Saddam Rowan Scarborough The Washington Times The top U.S. commander in Baghdad said yesterday that guerrilla attacks in his sector have dropped sharply since the Dec. 13 capture of Saddam Hussein Journalists Take Flak in Iraq Laura Rozen The Nation Journalists say that when there's bad news--a helicopter crash, a mortar attack--they are increasingly being blocked from covering the story by US soldiers, who frequently confiscate and destroy their film disks and videotapes Defence agency takes over oil supply Reuters The Guardian (UK) The US forces fuel agency is taking over the supply of oil products to Iraq, bringing to an end the controversial arrangement with Halliburton, the former company of Vice-President Dick Cheney Shoot to Ill Daniel Silverberg The New Republic Non-lethal weapons would make our job in Iraq a lot easier. So why aren't we using them? Ethnic Morass Bogs Down Afghan Talks on Charter Carlotta Gall The New York Times Members of the assembly, called the loya jirga, showed rising frustration and anger at the stumbling proceedings, and warned that ethnic divisions were being aggravated to a dangerous level The Afghan time bomb Maulen Ashimbayev The Washington Times Leaving Afghanistan to face its problems alone would be a huge gift to terrorists who thrive on conflict and lawlessness Old Enemies Enlist In U.S. Terror War Peter Baker The Washington Post U.S. authorities have quietly teamed up with their counterparts in Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and elsewhere across Moscow's onetime empire to go after these groups and try to deny al Qaeda and its affiliates haven from the main battlefields With Friends Like These Max Boot The Los Angeles Times Pakistan and Saudi Arabia profess to be cooperating in the war on terror, yet they have done a lot more than Libya to spread terrorism and weapons of mass murder around the world Without Musharraf Mother Jones Since September 11, Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf has been walking a delicate line between the demands of Washington and the increasingly influential fundamentalist powers at home Pakistani Leader's New Tactic: Persuasion Amy Waldman The New York Times Pakistan's president and army chief will face a vote of confidence by Pakistan's electoral college — members of Parliament and the four provincial assemblies — that would allow him to remain president until 2007 An Odd Sight in Iran as Aid Team Tents Go Up: The U.S. Flag Neil MacFarquhar The New York Times Iranians were astonished on Wednesday by its sudden unveiling in an official capacity — not fluttering in the frigid winter wind, exactly, but glued to the peaked roofs of the three tents housing the American earthquake relief team Thinking About Iran Thomas R. Pickering and John Newhouse The Washington Post Awaiting regime change in Tehran, or expecting it, amounts to an attitude, not a policy. The United States, together with major allies and other governments, needs to develop a policy that responds to our interests and, wherever possible, to Iran's as well Chasing Shadows Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball Newsweek U.S. officials acknowledge that so far they have come up with nothing to substantiate their fears Wall Nuts Stewart Baker Slate The wall between intelligence and law enforcement is killing us Military stalks terrorists in Africa Chris Tomlinson Associated Press The Washington Times The Joint Operations Center, tucked inside a former French Foreign Legion post, is the heart of the Bush administration's quiet battle against Islamic militants Cuban leader sees invasion risk as 'real' John Zarocostas The Washington Times Cuban National Assembly President Ricardo Alarcon, dismissing U.S. charges that Cuba is developing weapons of mass destruction as the words of a "liar," says Bush administration policies have made the risk of U.S. invasion "a real, present danger for us."	Minority party eyes a boost in discipline Susan Milligan The Boston Globe 2004 brings a new challenge: Can a party that many believe has spent nine years biding its time until it returns to the majority remake itself as an effective opposition? War in Iraq splits senior senators Associated Press The Dallas Morning News They sit elbow to elbow on the Senate Appropriations Committee, where Mr. Stevens is chairman and Mr. Byrd the top Democrat Democrats' Plan for Early Nominee May Be Costly Adam Nagourney The New York Times In a classic case of unintended consequences, a process intended to produce unity, a strong candidate, and a compelling platform to take against President Bush has so far produced a campaign that many Democrats describe as strikingly harsh Dean a Resounding Winner in 'Money Primary' Nick Anderson The Los Angeles Times Since 1980, no major-party candidate who led in donations received by Jan. 1 of an election year has failed to clinch the nomination Party Politics Ryan Lizza The New Republic Howard Dean's nationwide house party campaign, which culminated December 30, showcased both the strengths and the limits of the Dean movement Leftward, Ho? Hugh Hewitt The Weekly Standard The conventional wisdom is that Howard Dean is going to pivot to the center, but his best chance may be a lurch to the left Decisions involve diagnosis, intuition Howard Dean The Boston Globe Here we offer excerpts from discussions with the three strongest contenders in the New Hampshire primary: Howard Dean, John Kerry and Wesley Clark Clark Courts Veterans in Swing Through South Edward Wyatt The New York Times As he campaigned across the South this week, General Clark courted the military vote with broad talk of patriotism and support for the troops and a specific message of better health care and other benefits Leadership is about working with people Wesley Clark The Boston Globe Here we offer excerpts from discussions with the three strongest contenders in the New Hampshire primary: Howard Dean, John Kerry and Wesley Clark A response to cancer forged by Vietnam John Kerry The Boston Globe Here we offer excerpts from discussions with the three strongest contenders in the New Hampshire primary: Howard Dean, John Kerry and Wesley Clark Gephardt Says Bush 'Worries Me' Dan Balz The Washington Post Rep. Richard A. Gephardt (D-Mo.) said yesterday that President Bush lacks an understanding of the complexities of national security policy and has displayed a cowboy mentality toward the rest of the world Gephardt: 'I'm Going to Win Iowa' The Washington Post The following are excerpts from Rep. Richard A. Gephardt's interview yesterday at The Washington Post Bush Plans On Global Warming Alter Little Guy Gugliotta and Eric Pianin The Washington Post Two years after President Bush declared he could combat global warming without mandatory controls, the administration has launched a broad array of initiatives and research, yet it has had little success in recruiting companies to voluntarily curb their greenhouse gas emissions Bush aides look to put Dems on defensive Associated Press CNN With Democrats dominating the political landscape as the primaries approach, President Bush is staying above the fray publicly while his campaign quietly maps out ways to spend his unprecedented war chest 10 Good Things About a Bad Year Medea Benjamin AlterNet Though 2003 was a demoralizing year for many, a few bright spots set the stage for big victories in 2004 Editorial: New Year's Wishes, Revised The New York Times Last year, we offered wishes for the new year that seemed important and eminently doable. Alas, none of them came true. A few updates seem in order To tell the truth Ruth Rosen The San Francisco Chronicle 2003 was a year when our democracy was degraded by official deception. These are some of the more egregious lies promoted by our government
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
Dean's holiday gaffes Robert Novak CNN To characterize Dean's remarks as leftist tilt that can and will be corrected by a quick pivot to the center is a faulty diagnosis of the doctor's disease A Year To Clear The Decks George F. Will The Washington Post If this year the Democratic Party marginalizes itself, it will give Bush a chance to broaden his presidency Natural sovereigns of Iraqi oil Jack Kemp The Washington Times The privatization of Iraq's oil should be done immediately Carnivorous Prophets William F. Buckley Jr. National Review What is happening is that Howard Dean’s exhilarating nostrums have got the headier members of the young Democratic population absolutely carried away with enthusiasm. Is there any sound on earth more pleasing than END WAR? Or, ELIMINATE POVERTY? You Never Can Tell John Tabin The American Spectator A Dean victory would require a serious error on the part of the White House -- but that, too, is possible	‘Metrosexual’ is top language irritant of ’03 Associated Press MSNBC Term tops college’s list of words, phrases that should be banished 'My Lump in the Bed?' Matt Bivens The Nation This hardly qualifies as "an outrage." It's more just weird. Think about it. If George Bush didn't write that poem -- who did? Tom the Dancing Bug Ruben Bolling WorkingForChange.com Only Those Who Sacrificed Harper's Index for December 2003 Harper's Crystal-Ball Gazing Carl Leubsdorf The Dallas Morning News Four years ago, this column predicted this result for the 2000 election: George W. Bush, 271 electoral votes; Al Gore, 267