The Archives: February 2004

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The Archives: February 2004

Saturday, February 21, 2004 - Thursday, March 11: A long break caused by workload and travel. Hope to be back soon.

Friday, February 20, 2004

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics / Election 2004
CIA Struggles to Spy in Iraq, Afghanistan Greg Miller and Bob Drogin The Los Angeles Times Current and former CIA officers say a series of stumbles and operational constraints have hampered the agency's ability to penetrate the insurgency in Iraq, find Osama bin Laden and gain traction against terrorism in the Middle East Plan for Caucuses In Iraq Is Dropped Robin Wright and Colum Lynch The Washington Post The decision, forced by rejection of the caucus system by a wide range of Iraqis, means that the Coalition Provisional Authority led by the U.S. administrator, L. Paul Bremer, will instead hand over authority to a caretaker government until direct elections can be Americans in Iraq keep a safe, but isolated, distance Georgie Anne Geyer Universal Press Syndicate The Chicago Tribune "June? It's going to be the Iraqi `government,' with the U.S. military all around them--sort of like Vichy, France. Nobody thinks June will end things: Everybody thinks we will have to be there for many years in order to keep it all propped up" Garbage in, Garbage Out Christopher Dickey Newsweek At the Taji dump you realize how much we’re living on the surface of this society, not in it. You can picture the bored bureaucrats and contractors trying to amuse themselves with this garbage, flipping through Maxim, munching Goldfish … wondering if they’ll be next to come under fire when they emerge from their concrete-insulated compounds Iran, Iraq, and two Shiite visions Nicholas Blanford The Christian Science Monitor Amid preparations for pivotal elections Friday in Iran - and later this year in Iraq - analysts see two Shiite visions of democracy vying for dominance Faulty Intelligence Nat Parry In These Times Rather than allowing Congress to name the members and determine the scope of their investigation, the intelligence commission was established by executive fiat and is a mixture of centrists and right-wing ideologues Soldier for the Truth Marc Cooper LA Weekly Though a lifelong conservative, Kwiatkowski found herself appalled as the radical wing of the Bush administration, including her superiors in the Pentagon planning department, bulldozed internal dissent, overlooked its own intelligence and relentlessly pushed for confrontation with Iraq Illusions of Empire: Defining the New American Order G. John Ikenberry Foreign Affairs From Washington to Baghdad, the debate over American empire is back. Five new books weigh in, some celebrating the imperial project as the last best hope of humankind, others attacking it as cause for worry. What they all fail to understand is that U.S. power is neither as great as most claim nor as dangerous as others fear No rights, no charges, no lawyers ... life in the Cuban camp beyond the law Vikram Dodd and Michael White The Guardian (UK) Each cell, 8ft by 6ft 8in, is surrounded by mesh, to ensure that the detainees can be seen at all times. Lights burn into the cells through the night. On the floor, a painted white arrow points to Mecca Why Russians look to Putin Fred Weir The Christian Science Monitor A growing number of observers say the majority of Russians have good reason to believe in Putin as the man who turned his country's fortunes around, spinning stability out of chaos	Good visibility is essential to navigate 10-state fog Walter Shapiro USA Today Each candidate will have to decide whether the benefits of scheduling an extra trip to, say, Cleveland or Atlanta outweighs the risks of making an epic blunder in a sleep-deprived fog Dean's Rough Ride William Greider The Nation In forty years of observing presidential contests, I cannot remember another major candidate brutalized so intensely by the media, with the possible exception of George Wallace Labor Supporter Says Dean Ignored His Entreaties to Quit Adam Nagourney The New York Times "I have to vent," Mr. McEntee, the often blunt leader of the nation's largest public service union, said in a leisurely interview in his office here. "I think he's nuts." Kerry: He's Peaking Already! Alexander Cockburn and Jeffrey St. Clair CounterPunch So did Kerry have the jaunty mien of triumph, that night in Madison? Not that we could see. His long face, albeit abbreviated by corrective surgery, remained lugubrious and he stumbled his way tiredly through Bob Shrum's phrases Kerry's Past to Star in Bush's Ads Howard Kurtz The Washington Post "The beauty of John Kerry is 32 years of votes and public pronouncements," said Mark McKinnon, the chief media adviser. McKinnon suggested a possible tag line: "He's been wrong for 32 years, he's wrong now." The privilege of a 'war president' Daniel Schorr The Christian Science Monitor The real issue, painful in a society that prides itself on being egalitarian, is privilege - who got to serve in the Guard's "champagne unit" as his unit was called, and who went to Vietnam, perhaps to die Has Bush's running mate gone lame? Julian Borger The Guardian (UK) In the past two months so much ground has fallen from under his feet that some Republicans are quietly musing whether his cardiac record might provide a suitable cover for his eventual withdrawal from the Bush ticket Republicans waiting for Bush to sharpen his focus Wayne Washington The Boston Globe "There is an increasing wonder in Republican circles about why the administration has been so ham-handed in getting their message out" Evangelicals frustrated by Bush Ralph Z. Hallow The Washington Times Their list of grievances is long, but right now social conservatives are mad over what many consider the president's failure to strongly condemn illegal homosexual "marriages" being performed in San Francisco Lucrative Deals for a Daughter of Politics Ken Silverstein, Chuck Neubauer and Richard T. Cooper The Los Angeles Times Karen Weldon, whose dad is a Pennsylvania congressman, is a lobbyist for three foreign clients who need his help, and get it
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
Max Cleland, Liberal Victim Rich Lowry National Review If John Kerry wants to surround himself with veterans like Max Cleland, fine — their country owes them a lot. But, please, stop the whining Delivering ourselves from evil Rep. Henry J. Hyde (R-Ill.) The Chicago Tribune The next time the United States, or at least this president, warns some foreign despot to cease actions we believe are threatening to our security, my hunch is that he will listen, and listen carefully Kerry and Jane Robert Novak CNN Navy Lt. Kerry returned from heroic wartime service to help lead the radical Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW), whose diatribes against flag and country are shocking from the distance of three decades Editorial: The Novak Exception The Wall Street Journal Journalists abandon their principles in the Plame kerfuffle The Democrats' Smear Race Charles Krauthammer The Washington Post After six weeks of carpet-bombing Bush, the Democrats are shocked -- shocked! -- that the Republicans might answer back with "negativity."	Phun List Phriday! McSweeney's Possible Good Rock Band Names Inspired By the Korean Central News Agency's Press Release Entitled "DPRK, Dignified Powerful Nation" Saddam Hussein Was Stockpiling Couscous Rob Palowski BBSpot David Kay told members of the Senate that the discovery of large stockpiles of couscous may have been a sign the former Iraqi leader was preparing for war

Thursday, February 19, 2004

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics / Election 2004
Suicides in Iraq, Questions at Home Theola Labbé The Washington Post The rate of military suicides is traditionally lower than that in the general population when looking at comparable age groups. And it usually decreases during wartime. A spike in the number in July prompted the military to send a mental health team to Iraq U.S. Presidential Politics and Self-Rule for Iraqis Steven R. Weisman The New York Times Many in the administration say that while they have no proof that the urgency to install a government is politically motivated, it feels to them like part of a White House plan to permit President Bush to run for re-election while taking credit for establishing self-rule Annan To Back U.S. on Iraq Plan Colum Lynch and Robin Wright The Washington Post Annan's decision is a major boost for the Bush administration, which has struggled to address the demand of Iraq's leading cleric that direct elections be used to select an interim government, rather than the complex system of regional caucuses that the United States had proposed Green Berets take on spy duties Rowan Scarborough The Washington Times In all, the new spy training will enable more Green Berets to enter countries undercover to survey urban or rural settings and set up networks of informants, missions normally executed by CIA paramilitaries Jihad on the Cards Tony Karon Time The reason the CPA has decided to mint a playing card depicting Zarqawi, however, has nothing to do with the administration's prewar claim of a Saddam-bin Laden link. Instead, it aims to use Zarqawi as an explanatory device for the ongoing violence How the Home Front Can Help Tom Brokaw The New York Times It's unfair to put all the burden, and the risks, on the military. A United States general told me he was worried that Americans back home didn't appreciate the challenges and sacrifices of his troops. "Where are the victory gardens?" Nuclear machinery found in Iran Barbara Slavin and John Diamond USA Today United Nations inspectors have found sophisticated uranium-enrichment machinery at an air force base outside Iran's capital Roots of Pakistan Atomic Scandal Traced to Europe Craig S. Smith The New York Times The records show that industry scientists and Western intelligence agencies have known for decades that nuclear technology was pouring out of Europe despite national export control efforts to contain it Haiti situation may force U.S. to step in Robert Collier The San Francisco Chronicle While U.S. officials have downplayed the chances of any military intervention, some observers say the Bush administration's hand may be forced if things deteriorate further A political awakening The Economist Poverty and a new ethnic politics have spawned radical Indian movements in the Andean countries. Are these a threat or a boost to democracy?	The Tragedy of Colin Powell Fred Kaplan Slate As George Bush's first term nears its end, Powell's tenure as top diplomat is approaching its nadir Time for him to go? The Economist (UK) The idea that Mr Cheney might also be a “drag on the ticket” was unthinkable a year ago. Now it has begun to seep into the more hard-headed, vote-scrounging parts of the Republican Party Kerry Lobbied for Contractor Who Made Illegal Contributions Lisa Getter and Tony Perry The Los Angeles Times Sen. John F. Kerry sent 28 letters in behalf of a San Diego defense contractor who pleaded guilty last week to illegally funneling campaign contributions to the Massachusetts senator and four other congressmen Special K Peter Beinart The New Republic When you combine money from paid lobbyists and PACs--which makes sense, since they're both conduits for "special interests"--Kerry actually ranks ninety-second out of 100 U.S. senators The Edwards Surge Matthew Rothschild The Progressive Hey, we've got a race on our hands, albeit between two candidates who voted for the Iraq War, the USA Patriot Act, the Bush tax cuts, and No Child Left Behind The decline of Dean is a story of missteps Jill Lawrence USA Today The headstrong candidate was convinced the rules of politics did not apply to him. His disorganized campaign lacked solid information about how much money it had and did not do adequate research on his past Life without Dean Molly Ivins Creators Syndicate WorkingForChange.com A few days ago, a Respected Party Elder advised me to stop dissing John Kerry on account of, "He will be our nominee." He may be "our nominee," but he'll still be a boring stiff Restoring Scientific Integrity in Policymaking Union of Concerned Scientists On February 18, 2004, over 60 leading scientists–Nobel laureates, leading medical experts, former federal agency directors, and university chairs and presidents–voiced their concern over the misuse of science by the Bush administration The Salon Interview: Daniel Ellsberg David Talbot Salon.com Like Kerry, I won't condemn someone like Bush for going into the National Guard. But for someone like that to condemn someone like Kerry, who behaved so much better in every respect, is just revolting. It's just disgusting Whither the Nation? Ralph Nader CounterPunch The following letter is a response to "An Open Letter to Ralph Nader," which appeared in the February 16 issue of The Nation
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
Editorial: Betting on Bush National Review We hope that the current jitters motivate the president and his team to start making the case for a conservative second-term agenda. He is not guaranteed to win. But he's still the guy to root for, and bet on What Did You Do in the War, Dad? Max Boot The Los Angeles Times Its advocates seem to think that leaders (not to mention pundits) have no right to favor the use of force unless they have served in combat themselves. Oddly enough, many of those making this point are "chicken doves" who haven't served either Broken Glass Democrats Peggy Noonan The Wall Street Journal Mr. Bush is the triumph of the seemingly average American man. He's normal. He thinks in a sort of common-sense way. He speaks the language of business and sports and politics. You know him. He's not exotic. But if there's a fire on the block, he'll run out and help Candidates, 'start your engines' Suzanne Fields The Washington Times Conservatives are supposed to appeal to the NASCAR dad,the hard-drinking, hard-living good ol' boys in the stands at the Daytona 500. Democrats will get the vote of the softer, socially conscious liberal ladies Dean-O's Demise Fred Barnes The Weekly Standard What's Howard Dean's legacy? Embracing Bush hatred and moving the Democratrs to the left	Confessions of a New Coffee Drinker Jon Friedman McSweeney's The difference between tea and coffee is like a merry-go-round to a rocket ship! I like rocket ships! Coffee! Doonesbury Garry Trudeau The New York Times "I'll take a Halliburger with cheese." Sutton Impact Ward Sutton The Village Voice So the Republicans Are Claiming 2004 Will Be a Repeat of 1988?

Wednesday, February 18, 2004

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics / Election 2004
Missing in action in Iraq Naomi Klein The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada) All of the front-runners in the Democratic race borrow the language of pop therapy to discuss the war and the toll it has taken not on Iraq, a country so absent from their campaigns it may as well be on another planet, but on the American people themselves Administration Split Over Role Of U.N. in Iraq Robin Wright The Washington Post Key U.S. officials in the offices of Vice President Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld oppose handing over significant authority or control of the pivotal process, preferring to keep the United Nations in an advisory or support role 'Terrorism': A world ensnared by a word John V. Whitbeck The International Herald-Tribune The word is extremely dangerous, because people tend to believe that it does have meaning, and they use and abuse it by applying it to whatever they hate as a way of avoiding rational thought and discussion The Hollow Army James Fallows The Atlantic It's only a slight exaggeration to say that the entire U.S. military is either in Iraq, returning from Iraq, or getting ready to go The Man Who Would Be Khan Robert D. Kaplan The Atlantic A new breed of American soldier—call him the soldier-diplomat—has come into being since the end of the Cold War. Meet the colonel who was our man in Mongolia Dear Mr. Prosecutor Jim Lobe AlterNet If the Justice Department wants to know who leaked Valerie Plame's identity, all they have to do is talk to a longtime Republican operative named Clifford May Crude Awakening Brian Braiker Newsweek A prominent physicist warns in a new book that the world is running out of oil and we’re not doing anything to stave off the coming crisis Editorial: Reform dies in Iran Financial Times (UK) The current quiescence of Iranians is more like sullen alienation from the system as a whole. Mr Khamenei and his friends would be unwise to mistake it for acceptance, much less support Tokyo Lets Loose Lapdogs of War Chalmers Johnson The Los Angeles Times Japan may have regained its sovereignty in 1952, but the decision to dispatch Japanese troops to Iraq earlier this month has reminded many of its citizens just how little independence the country really has France, U.S. split on Haiti Stewart Stogel and Frank Davies The Miami Herald France wants the U.N. to send peacekeepers immediately, but Secretary of State Colin Powell says the U.S. won't be involved without a political settlement	In Polls, Kerry, Edwards Both Lead Bush Will Lester Associated Press Yahoo! Both John Kerry and John Edwards are ahead of President Bush by double digits when matched against him in hypothetical elections, says a poll Governor Dean's Remarks Today Howard Dean DeanForAmerica.com We have demonstrated to other Democrats that it is a far better strategy to stand up against the right wing agenda of George W. Bush than it is to cooperate with it Kerry's cautious side reemerges Scot Lehigh The Boston Globe That's a problem, for it has brought one of Kerry's worst weaknesses to the fore: his penchant for equivocation. That shortcoming was on full display in Sunday's Democratic debate in Milwaukee Dems stand to benefit with 2 candidates still in the race Zachary Coile The San Francisco Chronicle Wisconsin gave Democrats their best-case scenario: a competitive race for the nomination in which the party's top two candidates soak up media coverage while mostly praising each other and slamming the incumbent president Primaries show money isn't deciding factor Jim Drinkard USA Today John Kerry, the overwhelming favorite for the nomination, has ascended despite spending less on television ads than his top rivals Bush Officials Offer Cautions on White House Jobs Forecast Edmund L. Andrews The New York Times Treasury Secretary John W. Snow distanced himself on Tuesday from the Bush administration's official prediction that the nation would add 2.6 million jobs by the end of this year Shifting Gears Matt Thompson The American Prospect Bush's motorcade drove by. One middle finger went up in the crowd, then another, and soon they were everywhere Democrats Pick Up House Seat in Kentucky Carl Hulse The New York Times Ben Chandler, a Democrat from Kentucky, was elected Tuesday to a House seat, giving his party a rare victory in a special Congressional election and a psychological boost Vile Ann Coulter Smears a War Hero Joe Conason The New York Observer Her current target is Max Cleland, the former United States Senator who left three limbs in Vietnam The end of the world Jane Lampman The Christian Science Monitor As the religious right has become more prominent in political circles, critics say, they are influencing and even undermining US policy on the Israeli- Palestinian conflict
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
John Kerry’s Perfect Running Mate Stephen Moore National Review Specter is the last of a dying breed of left-wing northeastern big-government Republicans, who manages to only tilt the Republican Senate caucus further from its conservative base Mr. Magoo Bites Back Andrew Apostolou National Review Demonstrating the haughtiness of a man whose career has mostly been on the public payroll, Blix compared the two governments' arguments to misleading advertising The Bush Paradox Pete du Pont The Wall Street Journal Yes, a lot of Mr. Bush's spending is for the war and domestic security, but the increase in nondefense discretionary spending--spending on things that the Congress and the president do not have to do but have chosen do anyhow--has exploded Kerry's pre-emptive war policy Tony Blankley The Washington Times As Henry Kissinger has written, the advantage that critics after the event have over statesmen is that statesmen must act with inadequate information within an inadequate time The National Guard (again) Cal Thomas The Washington Times Mr. Bush should quickly change the subject. What signal would it send to our highly-motivated enemies should the United States change leaders in mid-war?	Gay Agenda Mark Fiore MarkFiore.com Doonesbury Garry Trudeau The New York Times Halliburton sure got a bargain when they made Cheney CEO What Do You Think?: Human Cloning The Onion "I applaud this scientific breakthrough, as long as they don't use it to clone more Hitlers. Maybe one Pol Pot, if they absolutely have to, but no Hitlers." I'll Tell You What I'd Do If I Were Gay Keith Whitlock The Onion If I were gay, I would be very well groomed. I'd purchase two high-quality suits, one nice suit jacket, and two pairs of wool trousers

Tuesday, February 17, 2004

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics / Election 2004
Democracy How? Robert Collier The American Prospect All the American proposals -- from Bush and the Democrats alike -- share a catch-22: Pacifying Iraq will require broadened international participation and elections, but both of these require a less violent Iraq to be effective Iraqi Body Pivots on U.S. Plan Rajiv Chandrasekaran The Washington Post Most members of Iraq's U.S.-appointed Governing Council no longer support the Bush administration's plan to choose an interim government through caucuses and instead want the council to assume sovereignty until elections can be held As US draws down, doubt over Iraqis Nicholas Blanford The Christian Science Monitor While the new Iraqi police, the civil defense corps, and Army will still receive backup from American-led coalition troops, Iraqi and US officials are voicing doubts about Iraq's ability to handle such hot spots as the volatile Sunni triangle Inside job suspected in Iraq attacks Rowan Scarborough The Washington Times U.S. officials in Baghdad said yesterday that sympathizers of Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath Party may have infiltrated the coalition's security forces and supplied inside information to insurgents Editorial: Indefensible Secrecy The Washington Post The CIA managed to convince a federal court in Washington that if the public learned the total amount the United States spent on intelligence in fiscal 2002, intelligence sources and methods could be compromised. The agency cares a lot about this pointless bit of secrecy George Bush, Make-Believe President Sydney H. Schanberg The Village Voice The president, with much bigger stakes, keeps moving his rationale for the war (as he rolls the dice)—to avoid getting caught playing with the truth Blue helmets as cannon fodder Linda Polman The Guardian (UK) Western nations are shunning UN peacekeeping and leaving developing countries to shoulder the burden Haiti's Embattled Leader Vows to Finish Term Lydia Polgreen The New York Times "We have had 32 coups in our history," Mr. Aristide said in an hourlong interview with The New York Times at the National Palace on Monday morning. "The result is what we have now: moving from misery to poverty" Confessions of former Afghan poppy grower Marwand Roghaniwal The Houston Chronicle If authorities and foreign agencies are serious about stemming poppy cultivation, and not just interested in safeguarding their own large salaries, they need to ensure that the money goes directly to the villagers Cold Political Wind Blows Across Russia Rajan Menon The Los Angeles Times The reality is that Russia's democracy is under severe strain, and the chances of its survival are beginning to look pretty bleak	How the Bush team will try to paint Kerry Judy Keen USA Today Already, Republicans are depicting Kerry as a product of Washington, beholden to special interests and out of touch with regular Americans Contesting Values Stanley B. Greenberg and Anna Greenberg The American Prospect Fortunately for Democrats, the America of 2004 is not the America of 1988. Democrats are in a better position to accept the values challenge and to take the offensive in their own kind of war For Kerry, a Tough Geography Test Dan Balz The Washington Post Kerry has yet to prove he can reach far enough beyond an obviously energized Democratic base to the swing voters in Ohio, West Virginia, Missouri, Florida or other states that Bush won narrowly and where the election is likely to be decided in November Not Quite A Dream Team Laura Flanders TomPaine.com Wilson may be a white hat, but it's hard to say the same about Richard Morningstar, Rand Beers and William Perry, three other members of Kerry's foreign policy team No Nomination Needed Art Brodsky TomPaine.com If the Democrats manage in November to knock off President Bush, let's make sure that the victory parties don't forget one pivotal figure who made it all possible—Howard Dean Bush's War Against Nuance Richard Cohen The Washington Post Once certainty is snatched from him, he seems in a state of vertigo where he grasps at certain words to steady himself. Dangerous. Madman Rifts widen in Bush's foreign policy team Howard LaFranchi The Christian Science Monitor Backers of Powell's multilateralism clash with go-it-alone conservatives over the administration's direction It May Look Like the Hustings, but It's a 'Policy Event' David E. Sanger The New York Times Taxpayers, rather than the Bush campaign, pay for such events, a perk of incumbency that President Bill Clinton often used in his 1996 re-election race And they're off! Molly Ivins Creators Syndicate WorkingForChange.com Coulter wrote a column distributed by the Heritage Foundation saying Cleland, a triple amputee, had showed "no bravery" in Vietnam, "didn't give his limbs for his country," is not a war hero Most Americans take Bible stories literally Jennifer Harper The Washington Times An ABC News poll released Sunday found that 61 percent of Americans believe the account of creation in the Bible's book of Genesis is "literally true" rather than a story meant as a "lesson."
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
Don’t Mess With Massachusetts Jim Geraghty National Review Is bashing the Bay State really going to help Bush? The Vietnam Syndrome, Again Christopher Hitchens Slate The mistake Democrats make when they compare Iraq to Vietnam Say Anything Andrew Sullivan The New Republic On foreign policy and gay marriage, John Kerry is still trying to have it both ways Reykjavic II Frank J. Gaffney Jr. The Washington Times By doing yet another deal with North Korea's dictator, the United States cannot help but confer legitimacy on what is, arguably, the world's most odious regime Testifying for the economy Lawrence Kudlow The Washington Times With a 2004 growth economy near 4 percent, low inflation and a rising jobs number, Mr. Fair's model predicts a Bush landslide with 58 percent of the popular vote	Polaroid Warns Film Users Not to 'Shake It' Reuters Yahoo! Outkast fans like to "shake it like a Polaroid picture," but the instant camera maker is warning consumers that taking the advice of the hip-hop stars could ruin your snapshots The Boondocks Aaron McGruder Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder Conan the Barbarian Carl Schrag Slate "So you're French and Canadian, yes?" the puppet said in one of the offending segments. "So you're obnoxious and dull." Doonesbury Garry Trudeau The New York Times Why would Mr. Cheney work for a company so disreputable? Sutton Impact Ward Sutton The Village Voice Bush Answers Questions With More Questions This Modern World Tom Tomorrow WorkingForChange.com How Conservatives See It

Monday, February 16, 2004

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics / Election 2004
Intercepted Plan Reveals al-Quaeda's Fear of Democracy in Iraq Coalition Provisional Authority Text of an intercepted letter written by Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi, a Jordanian terrorist with al-Quaeda affiliations, to al-Quaeda After Attacks, Iraqi Security Looks Unready Neela Bannerjee The New York Times "Everyone has rushed to prepare them for July 1, and that's exactly what we have gotten: a rush. They're trying to put a Band-Aid on something, rather than doing the surgery," the official said In Iraqi Towns, Electoral Experiment Finds Some Success Anthony Shadid The Washington Post At every turn, the elections have set precedents, some of them unanticipated. Voters have typically elected professionals rather than tribal or religious leaders, although the process has energized Islamic parties Now They Tell Us Michael Massing The New York Review of Books Beginning in the summer of 2002, the "intelligence community" was rent by bitter disputes over how Bush officials were using the data on Iraq. Many journalists knew about this, yet few chose to write about it The Ultimate Betrayal Howard Zinn The Progressive The newspapers on December 30 reported that 477 American GIs had died in the war. But what is not usually reported is that for every death there are four or five men and women seriously wounded Rebels plot Aristide's overthrow Paul Knox The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada) Welcome to Gonaïves, says the soda-pop ad on a billboard past the rebel-controlled barricade at the entrance to town. Life Tastes Good Out of the Nuclear Loop Stephen P. Cohen The New York Times Instead of asking whether Pakistan's president, Pervez Musharraf, knew about the sale of his country's nuclear technology, we should ask why he didn't Don't sacrifice civil liberties Nat Hentoff The Washington Times A number of prominent conservative organizations have joined with liberal groups to tell the president and the Republican congressional leadership to revise certain language in the Patriot Act Rosy Reports From Underlings Leave Chinese Leaders in the Dark Mark Magnier The Los Angeles Times China's systemic limits on telling the truth arguably result in a less solid foundation for making decisions and a longer lead time before the "Houston, we have a problem" message hits their desks Indian-Pakistani leaders begin crucial talks today Juliette Terzieff The San Francisco Chronicle With more than a billion constituents looking on with hope that an end to the subcontinent's bitter decades-long rivalry may be within reach, Indian and Pakistani leaders will meet today to begin the first substantive talks between the two nuclear-armed powers since 2001	Poll: Of Democrats, only Kerry tops Bush Associated Press The Boston Globe In the CBS News poll, Kerry had a lead of 48 percent to 43 percent over Bush. The president led John Edwards, 50-41 percent, and Howard Dean, 54-37 percent, in other matchups A Democratic World George Packer The New Yorker On one side, the urge to take cover under Republican policies in order not to be labelled weak; on the other, a rigid opposition that invokes moral principle but often leads to the very results it seeks to prevent. Neither posture shows a willingness to grapple with the world as it is, to do the hard work of imagining a foreign policy for the post-September-11th era Complete Transcript: Democrats Participate in Wisconsin Debate The Washington Post The following is a complete transcript of Sunday's Democratic presidential debate held at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin The Wisconsin Debate William Saletan Slate Ten thoughts on Sunday night's Democratic presidential debate in Milwaukee Kerry's Got Kennedy's Nod, if Not His Politics Janet Hook and Maria L. La Ganga The Los Angeles Times Kerry's record, while liberal, is laced with votes and views that depart from Kennedy's and demonstrate more centrist positions on trade, welfare and other issues Dean's Freewheeling Approach Is Double-Edged John F. Harris and Jonathan Finer The Washington Post He is traveling a trajectory blazed by other famous mind-speakers, from independent Ross Perot in 1992 to Republican Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) in 2000. Like those men, Dean looked for a moment as if he might shake the political universe with a blunt-spoken, nontraditional style. Like those men, he found the same freewheeling approach that drew such fanfare was an engine of his demise Why Bush stopped flying remains a mystery Dave Moniz and Jim Drinkard USA Today An examination by USA TODAY of all the Bush records released to the public and interviews with pilots, Bush's Guard comrades and military personnel experts suggests Bush was treated differently from most pilots The fear president Cynthia Tucker Universal Press Syndicate WorkingForChange.com Barring another attack on U.S. soil, the presidential election won't be won or lost on the war on terror. Bush beats the war drum too late; for the past two years, he has spent precious little time enlisting the average American in the war effort The Wars of the Texas Succession Paul Krugman The New York Review of Books Bush's motivations are dynastic—to secure his family's rightful place. While he may have some policy biases—like that "instinctive policy fealty" to the investment business—policy is basically there to serve the acquisition of power, and not the other way around Contract Sport Jane Mayer The New Yorker Cheney earned forty-four million dollars during his tenure at Halliburton. Although he has said that he “severed all my ties with the company,” he continues to collect deferred compensation worth approximately a hundred and fifty thousand dollars a year
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
The Right War for the Right Reasons Robert Kagan & William Kristol The Weekly Standard Critics of the war, and of the Bush administration, have seized on the failure to find stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. But while his weapons were a key part of the case for removing Saddam, that case was always broader Kerry Nation? Fred Barnes The Weekly Standard The key is not to scream, "Liberal, liberal, liberal." That rarely works anymore. What should work, though, is a TV spot with wit and subtlety that plays up a Kerry weakness. Take Kerry's insistence that the terrorist threat to this country is "an exaggeration." Too Much of Nothing Paul Beston The American Spectator Under the guise of defending President Bush, David mocks his own service during Vietnam in the Army Reserves, along with those who served with him. The piece is unrelentingly sarcastic, steeped in the winking cynicism of the cultural Left	Memories Of Vietnamese Meal Still Haunt Bush Chortler.com Those who were with the future president that evening say it was an experience they will never forget Doonesbury The New York Times Have you heard about the latest Halliburton scandal, sir?

Sunday, February 15, 2004

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics / Election 2004
Why Democracy Defies the Urge to Implant It Steven Erlanger The New York Times It can't be inserted like a silicone implant or put on like a new hat. Nor can it be imposed, even by the most well meaning or well armed The Permanent Scars of Iraq Sara Corbett The New York Times The wounded soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division contend with sleepless nights, restless days, fractured relationships and vials of pills that help with the pain — but not enough British spy op wrecked peace move Martin Bright, Peter Beaumont and Jo Tuckman The Observer (UK) A joint British and American spying operation at the United Nations scuppered a last-ditch initiative to avert the invasion of Iraq A Countdown to What In Iraq? Kevin Whitelaw, Bay Fang and Mark Mazzetti U.S. News and World Report Why the U.S.-drafted transition timetable is in greater doubt with each passing day The Thief of Baghdad Maureen Dowd The New York Times The propaganda program was underwritten by U.S. government funds. So Americans paid Ahmad Chalabi to gull them into a war that is costing them a billion a week — and a precious human cost. Cops dealing with their snitches check out the information better than the Bush administration did Raid Causes Experts to Question Readiness of Iraqi Security Forces Neela Bannerjee The New York Times Much of the American rationale for turning over policing rapidly is that the Iraqis are infinitely better able to recognize the terrorists, many of them foreigners, who weave through Iraqi society. But Falluja dealt a blow to such faith in Iraqi intelligence-gathering Fed by Anger, Undercurrent of Nationalism Flows in Serbia Nicholas Wood The New York Times As much as anything, analysts here say, the vote's outcome reflected disappointment with an elected government that failed to live up to its promises to bring about economic and political change, and to crack down on rampant cronyism and racketeering Negotiating With a Nation That's Really Gone Nuclear James E. Goodby The Washington Post Negotiations are not an assured way of rolling back North Korea's nuclear ambitions but they are the only way that has a real chance, short of a serious war In Iran, a Quiet but Fierce Struggle for Change Elaine Sciolino The New York Times Even if ordinary Iranians are in a quiescent mood, many still resent the idea of one-man rule - rule by a cleric rather than a shah, but one man just the same It's official: Latin America not a top priority Andres Oppenheimer The Miami Herald The Bush administration's repeated claims that Latin America is one of its highest foreign policy priorities pretty much fizzled last week when Secretary of State Colin Powell admitted to Congress that U.S. foreign aid to Latin America will suffer larger-than-average cuts in the 2005 fiscal year budget Haiti's Man of the People Lost His Way Amy Wilentz The New York Times Without a force of order to fall back on, it has been impossible for Mr. Aristide to carry out any social agenda, and for a long time now he has not seemed to have the inclination or the budget to try An Interview With Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf Amy Waldman and David Rohde The New York Times Here we are dealing with a national hero. And domestic environment, first of all, they had to be told that he has done something wrong. But since he had acquired a larger-than-life figure for himself, one had to pardon him to satisfy the public Bhutto skeptical military innocent in nuke ring Desikan Thirunarayanapuram The Washington Times Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto says it is highly unlikely that Abdul Qadeer Khan, the father of Pakistan's atom bomb, sold nuclear secrets without the knowledge of the military Bush to Limit 9/11 Panel Session Dan Eggen The Washington Post President Bush plans to meet only with a limited number of representatives from the commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, despite a statement issued Friday that suggested he would meet with the whole panel Editorial: Here's Looking At You, America The Washington Post Last year the U.S. Park Police installed video cameras in four of the monument's eight windows to keep watch on the people on the Mall below -- a purpose never envisioned by the monument's designers and builders	War Stories Evan Thomas Newsweek Vietnam may be the crucible that matters more. How two sons of privilege confronted the conflict—and the ways those choices have colored their divergent paths What Did Bush Do in the Guard? Richard A. Serrano The Los Angeles Times Bush signed in "probably from four weekends to six weekends" and usually spent his time in Calhoun's upstairs office reading flight magazines and pilot accident reports — which was considered acceptable duty Why the president's record matters Clarence Page The Chicago Tribune I'd like to know what Powell thinks these days about those sons of the powerful and well placed. Maybe we'll have to wait for his next book From Some Democrats, Caution on Bush Allegations John F. Harris The Washington Post A Washington Post-ABC News poll showed that 66 percent of all voters believed the questions about Bush's Guard service were "not a legitimate issue" Bush's Records: All In The Timing Bob Schieffer CBS News The government's view is that the best time to announce bad news, news it doesn't want the public to dwell on, is late on a Friday when it will wind up in the Saturday papers, which have fewer readers than the weekday editions Why the "War President" Is Under Fire Joe Klein Time President Bush once famously told Senator Joe Biden, "I don't do nuance." But the struggle against Islamic radicalism is a festival of nuance Super-Sizing the President Jonathan Alter Newsweek Despite a few fine speeches to Congress, he has never fully inhabited the role of president of the United States. He still often seems to be impersonating a commander in chief Electoral arithmetic that binds Bush to bin Laden Henry Porter The Observer (UK) The demographics never look good for Republicans, but there are three factors that make George W. Bush a regrettably good bet for November A Bush-Kerry Fight to Define Populism Ronald Brownstein The Los Angeles Times At stake as these strategies evolve is whether swing voters will cast their ballots primarily along lines of economic interest, as Democrats hope, or cultural allegiance, as Republicans generally prefer Democrats Will Try a Hybrid of Old, New Policies Jim VandeHei The Washington Post Democrats are essentially splitting the ideological difference between the centrist policies of President Bill Clinton in the 1990s and the liberal impulses of many party officials and activists today Democrats warned on GOP, Hispanics Donald Lambro The Washington Times Democrats must step up the courting of Hispanics who have voted Republican in recent years or risk losing this year's presidential election, states a Democratic campaign strategy memorandum Democrats hoping for reprise of how the West was won Yvonne Abraham The Boston Globe While they should concentrate on holding the states Vice President Al Gore won in 2000, and on states in the industrial Midwest (like Ohio, which Gore lost narrowly), the edge for Democrats lies in the West My Hero, Janet Jackson Frank Rich The New York Times The "folks," as Bill O'Reilly is fond of condescending to them, are always the innocent victims of the big, bad cultural villains. They're never complicit in the crime. The idea that the folks might have the free will to tune out tasteless TV programming or do without TV altogether — or that they might eat up the sleaze, with or without young 'uns in the room — is almost never stated on The Very, Very Personal Is the Political Jon Gertner The New York Times Over the past few years, thanks to technological advances and an escalating arms race between the parties, Republicans and Democrats have gone to great lengths to make campaigning more like commercial marketing Kucinich Reaches Out to the Neglected Evelyn Nieves The Washington Post He was launching his "Other America Tour" here, an effort, he said, to spotlight the poorest, most neglected neighborhoods in the country
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
The 1st 28 Questions For Kerry George F. Will The Washington Post You say the rich do not pay enough taxes. In 1979 the top 1 percent of earners paid 19.75 percent of income taxes. Today they pay 36.3 percent. How much is enough? The Democrats Have Had Their Fun. Now It's Time to Rumble Peggy Noonan The Washington Post Will people buy George W. Bush as a shirker and an operator? Those who hate him will. But the rest -- that would be the majority -- have watched him for three years in dramatic circumstances, and they know who he is	My War Larry David The New York Times It began to dawn on me that perhaps my country needed me more at home than overseas. Sure, being a reservist wasn't as glamorous, but I was the one who had to look at myself in the mirror I'll do it yooooour wayyyyyy Dave Barry The Miami Herald When I'm campaignin' in the South, I leave the 'g''s off the ends of words, and I use old country expressions that express the homespun wisdom acquired by rural people over years of drinkin' contaminated groundwater, such as: 'Don't light a match 'til you know which end of the dog is barkin.'

Saturday, February 7 - Saturday, February 14, 2004:
A brief hiatus - sorry for the inconvenience...

Friday, February 6, 2004

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics / Election 2004
Bush to name Iraq weapons panel Friday MSNBC The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the nine-member panel would likely include Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who broke ranks with his party and joined Democrats in demanding an investigation, and David Kay, the former chief U.S. weapons inspector Tenet Concedes Gaps in C.I.A. Data on Iraq Weapons Douglas Jehl The New York Times The director of central intelligence said that U.S. spy agencies may have overestimated Iraq's illicit weapons capacities Intelligence under investigation Daniel Schorr The Christian Science Monitor The presidentially appointed independent commission is a time-tested tool for taking the heat off the CIA and the administration. It hasn't always worked Not everyone got it wrong on Iraqi WMDs Scott Ritter The Houston Chronicle The fact is, regardless of the findings of any commission, not everyone was wrong. I, for one, wasn't, having done my level best to demand facts from the Bush administration to back up its unsustained allegations regarding Iraq's weapons of mass destruction A Modest Proposal Chalmers Johnson TomDispatch Let me propose that if the Bush administration really wants to find out what went wrong with our pre-war intelligence on Iraq, it should appoint a commission consisting of first-class investigative reporters, including first and foremost the New Yorker magazine's Seymour Hersh and the Atlantic Monthly's James Fallows Editorial: The Administration's Scramble The New York Times In the most ballyhooed presentation of all, Mr. Tenet made a spirited but ultimately inadequate defense of the prewar intelligence estimates in a hurriedly arranged appearance at Georgetown University Dems Dissatisfied With Tenet Intel Explanations Fox News George Tenet may have provided reasonable explanations as to the nature of intelligence gathering, but the CIA director's claims are not the ones used by the Bush administration to sell Congress on war with Iraq, several Democrats said Committee: No politics in prewar intelligence CNN Democrats have complained repeatedly that the committee has focused on rank-and-file intelligence officers rather than how the information they processed was used to build support for last year's U.S.-led invasion Missed Signals On WMD? David Ignatius The Washington Post U.N. inspectors -- under apparent pressure from the United States and Britain to continue looking for weapons that had actually been destroyed -- kept asking for more time to conduct further searches. The Iraqis were never able to prove the negative Making Money on Terrorism William D. Hartung The Nation The nation's "Big Three" weapons makers--Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Northrop Grumman--are cashing in on the Bush policies of regime change abroad and surveillance at home U.S. Plan to Transfer Power In Iraq May Shift Drastically Colum Lynch and Robin Wright The Washington Post The U.S. plan to hand over power in Iraq is increasingly likely to undergo major changes rather than merely "refinements" because of increasing skepticism about the June 30 deadline Top Iraqi Cleric Said to Survive Attempt on Life Anthony Shadid The Washington Post Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, Iraq's most influential religious leader, survived an assassination attempt Thursday in the sacred Shiite Muslim city of Najaf Inside the Green Zone Jen Banbury Salon.com For Iraqis living in the surreal city within a city from which the U.S. runs Iraq, the invasion is already ancient history. What they want is electricity, water and a social life Iraq's insurgents are more nihilist than nationalist Martin Woollacott The Guardian (UK) Both Irbil and the unsuccessful attempt on the life of Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani yesterday could be examples of insurgents beginning to target the leaders of other communities as well as the US military and the Iraqi security forces Secret network passed on nuclear design Ian Traynor, James Astill and John Aglionby The Guardian (UK) Taken out of Libya a fortnight ago and flown to the US, a crate of documents which detail how to build a nuclear bomb was being scrutinised yesterday by international nuclear experts in Washington 'Supermarket' trade in nuclear technology alarms UN inspector Ian Traynor, James Astill and Ewen MacAskill The Guardian (UK) The UN's top nuclear official called for a new international regime to destroy the flourishing black market in nuclear technology yesterday, describing current controls as "kaput" Editorial: Giving Pakistan a Pass The Washington Post Now that their cover has been blown by evidence supplied to the United Nations by Libya and Iran, they are attempting to pin all the blame on a single scientist while stonewalling any international investigation Pakistan and its proliferator Owais Tohid The Christian Science Monitor Musharraf pardons Khan, but US worries about spread of dirty-bomb expertise Pakistan's Dr. No Arnaud de Borchgrave The Washington Times Islamabad's behind-the-scenes whispers say Mr. Musharraf , when he was army chief of staff, then chief executive before he became president, also was fully in the picture Faulting U.S., Germany Frees a 9/11 Suspect Desmond Butler The New York Times Citing a refusal by the United States to allow testimony from a suspected member of Al Qaeda in its custody, a German court on Thursday acquitted a former roommate of Mohamed Atta Ex-Judge vs. the Government's Law-Free Zone Chris Hedges The New York Times John J. Gibbons, a former chief judge, will go before the Supreme Court and challenge the government's continued detention of some 660 men at Guantánamo Pentagon to Alter Military Tribunal Rules John Mintz The Washington Post Under the new rules, attorneys for the defendants who will be tried before the special military courts at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, will be notified when their conversations with clients are electronically monitored by military officials For This Palestinian Family, No Place Is Quite Home Laura King The Los Angeles Times The Rahals are in many ways a microcosm of the soaring aspirations of the Palestinian people — but they also reflect the wellsprings of anger and bitterness that time and again have helped to thwart peacemaking efforts Syria Said to Send Arms Again to Lebanon Guerrillas Christopher Marquis The New York Times Syria has resumed weapons transfers to anti-Israel guerrillas based in Lebanon, including a covert shipment of weapons from Iran smuggled aboard a Syrian cargo plane that had delivered earthquake relief Japan redefines 'self-defense' Bennett Richardson The Christian Science Monitor Its first ground troops left for Iraq this week, despite Japan's 'no-war' Constitution Philippine peace bid takes aim at rebel-terrorist nexus Simon Montlake The Christian Science Monitor Seven months into a nervous cease-fire on the troubled island of Mindanao, government negotiators are desperately hoping for a breakthrough Grammy nominees denied U.S. visas Associated Press The Miami Herald Cuban musicians invited to attend this weekend's Grammy Awards in Los Angeles have been denied U.S. visas needed to attend the ceremony	AP Poll Notes Decline in Support for Bush Will Lester Associated Press The Chicago Tribune Bush's approval rating stood at 47 percent in the AP-Ipsos poll taken in early February, down from 56 percent approval just a month ago. Half, or 50 percent, said they disapproved in the latest poll Poll shows Kerry is trusted over Bush on war Ron Hutcheson Knight-Ridder The Miami Herald In a clear sign of potential political damage, a Gallup poll released this week shows that voters trust Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts -- the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination -- more than Bush to decide when U.S. troops should go to war Grand Old Pragmatism Michael Kinsley The Washington Post No swooning is allowed this presidential primary season. "I only care about one thing," they all say. "Which of these guys can beat Bush?" Secretly, they believe none of them can, which makes the amateur pragmatism especially poignant Competition Becomes Democrats' Elixir John F. Harris and Mike Allen The Washington Post As the Democratic presidential race enters its closing phase, the party finds itself facing prospects for the fall election that are vastly improved from just two months ago State of the Asylum Kurt Vonnegut In These Times Only a nut would run for president. As far as that goes, only disturbed people ran for president of my class in high school Veteran Operative Jonathan Cohn The New Republic If Bush was able to savage Cleland despite his honorable military record, is there any reason to think he won't be able to do the same to Kerry? Actually, there are three Kerry Loosens Dean's Grip on Washington State Tomas Alex Tizon The Los Angeles Times The former governor was favored in the liberal region, where some backers now are wavering and others say it's do or die Gephardt to Support Kerry David M. Halfbinger The New York Times The endorsement gives Senator John Kerry a powerful boost with blue-collar workers important in the Michigan caucuses Edwards Struggles to Compete With Rivals in Raising Money Glen Justice The New York Times Dr. Dean, by contrast, has yet to win a primary but raised more than $540,000 on the Internet on Thursday alone after he announced that he must win in Wisconsin To Dean, Now It's Wisconsin or Bust James Rainey and John M. Glionna The Los Angeles Times Howard Dean said Thursday that he would be forced to quit the Democratic race if he did not win the Feb. 17 Wisconsin primary Dean's antiwar boom goes bust Jessica Kowal Salon.com As Washington Democrats caucus, opposition to the Iraq war already feels like yesterday's passion The vice presidential dance has begun Josh Benson Salon.com Wesley Clark has gravitas and charm but seems like a closet Republican. John Edwards is bright and articulate and really, really youthful. Who'd be the best V.P.? Bush to Defend Record on TV Howard Kurtz The Washington Post President Bush suggested to his staff that he appear on "Meet the Press" on Sunday as a way of answering questions about Iraq after a barrage of Democratic criticism against him An Experiment in Transparency Ron Suskind These documents are drawn from a collection of 19,000 files of Paul H. O'Neill, the U.S. Treasury Secretary for the first two years of the Presidency of George W. Bush Did Bush drop out of the National Guard to avoid drug testing? Eric Boehlert Salon.com The young pilot walked away from his commitment in 1972 -- the same year the U.S. military implemented random drug tests Editorial: Bush's service record The Boston Globe Bush should offer whatever evidence he can of his participation at Guard meetings during a year-long period when there is no record of his attendance. Bush should also explain why he let his flight status as a jet pilot lapse in 1972 The veteran factor: how it might play Brad Knickerbocker The Christian Science Monitor With Vietnam combat vet John Kerry now leading the pack of Democratic presidential hopefuls, the question of one's military history forces itself into the political consciousness of the nation as never before GOP slams Bush policies at retreat Ralph Z. Hallow and James G. Lakely The Washington Times Growing frustration over President Bush's immigration plan and lack of fiscal discipline came to a head behind closed doors at last weekend's Republican retreat in Philadelphia Scrutiny hasn't hurt Halliburton shares Jim Landers The Dallas Morning News Halliburton Co.'s troubles with auditors and investigations continue to pile up, but the company's shares are trading near a 30-month high Editorial: Scalia's Blind Eye The Los Angeles Times The judge was the vice president's official guest. Yet Scalia still declines to recuse himself from a case before the court involving Cheney. This is a serious ethical issue that Scalia clearly wants to minimize Another Clash on a Judicial Nominee, but the Issue Is New Neil A. Lewis The New York Times Mr. Myers once said, for example, that environmental regulations were akin to King George's tyranny over the American colonies Get Me Rewrite! Paul Krugman The New York Times Can all these awkward facts be whited out of the historical record? Probably. Almost surely, President Bush's handpicked "independent" commission won't investigate the Office of Special Plans Two Americas, One Deficit E. J. Dionne Jr. The Washington Post From those words, you would think that Bush has specific cuts in mind to pay for the new benefit. But no, the budget simply promises that "the administration will work with the Congress to offset this additional spending." No specifics. No nothing Democrats attack Tauzin over drugs lobbying job Demetri Sevastopulo Financial Times (UK) "I think it answers the question very clearly for seniors: if you want to know the price of selling seniors down the river, it's approximately about $2m a year if you want to hire the manager of the bill on the floor of the House of Representatives," added Ms Pelosi GOP firing draws conservatives' wrath Charles Hurt The Washington Times Conservatives yesterday accused the Senate Republican leadership of betrayal for forcing the top Republican strategist for judicial nominations to resign amid an investigation into how internal Democratic memos found their way into print We Import Cars and Stereos, So Why Not CEOs? Jesse Kornbluth The Los Angeles Times With some CEOs earning roughly 500 times the salary of their average worker, the most efficient way a company can save millions is with a single stroke of the downsizing blade right at the top of the org chart
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
What Would President Jesus Drive? Henry Payne National Review Dean apparently favors government regulation of autos because he himself is incapable of self-restraint. Dean admits he owns "two Ford Explorers." Miles per gallon: 15. Stop me before I SUV again! Behind Bush's Numbers David Hogberg The American Spectator Right now the polls aren't much use in determining Bush's weaknesses, or Kerry's strengths. We won't know how the race is shaping up until Kerry is finalized as the nominee (if and when), voters have gotten to know him better, and the Bush ad campaign begins Editorial: WMD Breakthrough The Wall Street Journal Post-Iraq, the world's proliferators are on the run Weapons of Mass Hysteria Victor Davis Hanson National Review The United States has lost less than 350 American dead in actual combat in Iraq, deposed the worst tyrant on the planet, and offered the first real hope of a humane government in the recent history of the Middle East — and is being roundly condemned rather than praised Democrats Taste Blood Ben Stein The American Spectator The whole thing is just too rich for words: the Democrats, the anti-war, anti-military party, now say that only a military man can lead them and the nation and that those not in combat are dirt. No one could make these things up Truth goes AWOL Sam Johnson, Steve Pearce and Mark Kirk The Washington Times To imply that the National Guard is not "military service" is to dismiss the sacrifices of the tens of thousands of National Guardsmenand-women presently serving and is a slap in the face to their service and their families	Who and What Was Most Likely Responsible for the Births of Our Current Candidates Adam Brown McSweeney's Dennis Kucinich: A less-than-pure encounter between M. Gandhi and Linda Hunt while reliving her Academy Awardwinning gender-bending role in The Year of Living Dangerously A Victim's Tale Joe Keohane Alternet I am here to tell you, as a Massachusetts resident, that judicial activism is not only extant in my state, but utterly rampant. And I am one of its victims

Thursday, February 5, 2004

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics / Election 2004
Iraq and Weapons of Mass Destruction George J. Tenet CIA They never said there was an “imminent” threat. Rather, they painted an objective assessment for our policymakers of a brutal dictator who was continuing his efforts to deceive and build programs that might constantly surprise us Transcript: Senate Armed Services Committee Federal Document Clearing House The Washington Post Testimony of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld Don't blame the spies Elizabeth Sullivan The Cleveland Plain-Dealer Spies don't fail. Their political bosses fail by not giving them the money they need or by pigeonholing the facts they uncover into boxes of preconceptions that distort their meaning There was no failure of intelligence Sidney Blumenthal The Guardian (UK) US spies were ignored, or worse, if they failed to make the case for war Rumsfeld and Tenet Defending Assessments of Iraqi Weapons Douglas Jehl and Eric Schmitt The New York Times After months of silence, George J. Tenet, the director of central intelligence, has decided to mount a strong public defense of the prewar judgments made by American intelligence agencies about Iraq and its illicit weapons stockpiles Groupthink and Iraq David I. Levine The San Francisco Chronicle How could the president, a generation after the debacles at the Bay of Pigs and in Vietnam, once again fall prey to the well-documented problem of groupthink? The answer, in the language of former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill, is that Vice President Dick Cheney and his allies formed "a praetorian guard that encircled the president" War Without Weapons Ray McGovern TomPaine.com Today marks the first anniversary of what history will say was a sad day for our country—the day on which Secretary of State Colin Powell peddled corrupt intelligence to "prove" that Iraq posed a military threat that required a "preemptive" attack U.S. Image Abroad Will Take Years to Repair, Official Testifies Christopher Marquis The New York Times Margaret D. Tutwiler, in her first public appearance as the State Department official in charge of public diplomacy, acknowledged Wednesday that America's standing abroad had deteriorated to such an extent that "it will take us many years of hard, focused work" to restore it Less Bush translation, more process, please, Condi Pat M. Holt The Christian Science Monitor It is worth asking what has happened to the role of the vice president and the secretaries of State and Defense. It is odd that a president would need somebody to interpret his own instincts A Tragedy of Errors Michael Lind The Nation About a decade ago, I invented a game with a colleague of mine who, like me, had once worked for Irving Kristol. We called it neoconservative bingo Bush, in Reversal, Supports More Time for 9/11 Inquiry Philip Shenon The New York Times The White House reversed itself on Wednesday and said it would support a request from the independent commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks to extend its deadline until late July N.Y. City Council Passes Anti-Patriot Act Measure Michelle Garcia The Washington Post New York City, site of the country's most horrific terrorist attack, Wednesday became the latest in a long list of cities and towns that have formally opposed the expanded investigatory powers granted to law enforcement agencies Ridge Believes Holiday Security Averted Attack John Mintz The Washington Post Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said yesterday that he believes security crackdowns over the Christmas holidays, including the cancellation of some passenger flights into the United States, averted a terrorist attack Terror alert system riles House committee Shaun Waterman UPI The Washington Times Homeland-security officials got a tongue-lashing yesterday in a House committee hearing about the nation's color-coded terror alert system, but defended the system as a work in progress Rumsfeld to bolster overtasked military Michael Kilian The Chicago Tribune Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told senators Wednesday that the U.S. military is so overstressed that he is using emergency powers to expand it by 33,000 troops and that he will increase it further if required Editorial: Misspending Military Dollars The New York Times The Defense Department budget that the Bush administration sent to Congress is inaccurate, anachronistic and laden with pork Democrats Criticize Defense Budget Vernon Loeb The Washington Post Democrats in Congress took aim yesterday at the Bush administration's proposed $401.7 billion defense budget in what promises to be a contentious election-year debate, faulting Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld for trying to hide the cost of the war in Iraq NATO plans special brigade to fight terror risks Bruce I. Konviser The Washington Times NATO is creating a special rapid-reaction brigade in response to fears that its military units as well as civilians could be attacked by terrorists with nuclear, chemical or biological weapons U.S. Team Hunts Lethal Low-Tech Insurgency Daniel Williams The Washington Post Along with car bombs, the signature weapon of the Iraqi insurgency has been what the military calls an improvised explosive device, or IED Gear slow to arrive for Iraqis Evan Osnos The Chicago Tribune The U.S. military has trained and deployed the 160-member force, but, officers say, has not given their civil defense unit material support it needs 'Kurdish Sept. 11' boosts resolve Dan Murphy The Christian Science Monitor Kurdistan's two main political parties, rivals who had fought long and bloody civil wars for local dominance in the 1990s, were on the cusp of setting old animosities aside when terror returned to Arbil Iraqis don't need more propaganda Mark Leonard and Rouzbeh Pirouz The International Herald Tribune Accusing the Arab media of colluding with terrorists has become something of a regular habit for the Bush administration Iraqi Officials Wage Political War in U.S. Paul Richter The Los Angeles Times While ordinary Iraqis argue in dusty streets over the shape of their country's new order, leaders of their provisional government are battling for power where it already exists — in Washington A Rude Awakening Thomas L. Friedman The New York Times You could wake up in November and find that while Mr. Bush focused on the home front, his foreign policy created the "Islamic Republic of Iraq" and the "Islamic Republic of Palestine." Imagine defending those on the campaign trail? Editorial: For Israel: Peace or Security? The Christian Science Monitor Merely disengaging from the Palestinians is hardly a formula for peace Alleged Nuclear Offer to Iraq Is Revisited Joby Warrick The Washington Post The confession yesterday by scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan that he provided Pakistan's nuclear secrets to other countries has rekindled interest in one of Khan's alleged ventures: an attempt to sell designs for a nuclear bomb to Iraq on the eve of the 1991 Persian Gulf War Editorial: Pakistan's Nuclear Crimes The Washington Post WHILE WASHINGTON has been debating the failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, an extraordinary series of revelations has confirmed that Pakistan has been guilty of some of the worst crimes of nuclear weapons proliferation ever committed Afghan Leader Removes Chief of Intelligence Carlotta Gall The New York Times The appointments, coming soon after the approval of a new constitution, are part of a drive to improve efficiency and governance, aides to the president said, as well as an indication of Mr. Karzai's increasing influence Kosovo says U.N. frustrates progress David R. Sands The Washington Times The U.N. administration has overstayed its welcome in Kosovo and now is hurting the province's ability to attract investment, fight corruption and adopt needed economic reforms, Kosovo's prime minister said Talking with Americans Leon Panetta The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada) Canada, you need to lobby more loudly and consistently if you want Washington to listen. Embassy-party chat is not enough Kirchner's challenge: Sustain growth, create jobs Marifeli Pérez-Stable The Miami Herald In his first eight months, Kirchner has exercised forceful leadership. Yet there are reasons to doubt his ability to tackle the tough economic tasks ahead	MSNBC/Reuters Zogby Poll — Michigan MSNBC Complete results of a poll conducted Feb. 3 to Feb. 4, 2004 Bush's leadership called into question Ron Hutcheson The Miami Herald President Bush has seen his popularity fall, particularly in relationship to Democratic front-runner John Kerry, as questions arise about the Iraq war and Bush's military service As probes mount, Bush has allies Gail Russell Chaddock The Christian Science Monitor President Bush faces a daunting accretion of investigations - but he has a resource many of his embattled predecessors did not possess: a Congress controlled by his own part Christian soldier Bush swears by the Lord Lawrence Martin The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada) Mr. Martin was somewhat taken aback by what he heard. After the meeting, he was barely out the door before he was asking someone in his entourage what was to be made of all the God stuff Bush's Guard service: What the record shows Walter V. Robinson The Boston Globe A detailed Globe examination of the records in 2000 unearthed official reports by Bush's Guard commanders that they had not seen him for a year Bush's missing year Eric Boehlert Salon.com In 1972, George W. Bush dropped out of his National Guard service and later lied about it. With the media finally paying attention, will he now come clean? Scalia Was Cheney Hunt Trip Guest; Ethics Concern Grows David G. Savage and Richard A. Serrano The Los Angeles Times Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia traveled as an official guest of Vice President Dick Cheney on a small government jet that served as Air Force Two when the pair came here last month to hunt ducks How Kerry turned the corner Peter Grier, reported by Alexandra Marks and Sara B. Miller The Christian Science Monitor How John Kerry went from laggard to likely nominee in under four weeks Leading Democrat fails to unite party Julian Borger The Guardian (UK) The Democratic party was yesterday facing a north-south divide in its ranks after Tuesday's primary elections failed to resolve the contest for the presidential nomination Amid the victories, Kerry's one big loss Robert D. Novak The Houston Chronicle While Kerry backers publicly called South Carolina a hill too steep to climb, a key adviser confided to me in New Hampshire a week ago, amid the euphoria of Kerry's victory there, that a clean sweep of this week's seven states was possible AP Exclusive: Kerry Blocked Law, Drew Cash John Solomon Associated Press Yahoo! John Kerry intervened in the Senate to keep open a loophole that had allowed a major insurer to divert millions of federal dollars from the nation's most expensive construction project, then received tens of thousand of dollars in donations from the company G.O.P. Revives Line of Attack Against Kerry Robin Toner The New York Times Republicans are calling Senator John Kerry a Massachusetts liberal, a charge that proved devastating to Michael S. Dukakis in 1988 As Money Flows to Kerry, Challengers Must Scrimp Thomas B. Edsall The Washington Post This is the stage in the presidential nomination fight in which money flows to winners and steadily dries up for the rest of the field. For challengers, the less money they have, the more states they must skip In the Midst of a Kerry Juggernaut, Edwards Can Glimpse Some Daylight Todd S. Purdum and Janet Elder The New York Times Mr. Edwards has already moved to exploit those openings with his emotional declaration Tuesday night that he is the candidate who cares most about "the Americans no one pays attention to." He is hoping to make that case again next week Dean will leave the presidential race if he does not win Wisconsin, he says Glen Johnson The Boston Globe Howard Dean told his supporters today that he must win the Feb. 17 Wisconsin primary or else he will drop out of the Democratic presidential race Losing my religion Katy Butler Salon.com A novice political volunteer explores what went wrong with Howard Dean's campaign and, with guarded optimism, looks to a future without him Dean's latest strategy: Play possum Marc Sandalow The San Francisco Chronicle The former Vermont governor and once-mighty Democratic presidential front- runner has pulled his ads off the airwaves, pared down his staff and played down expectations that he can win a single primary or caucus for another two weeks Dean Bandwagon Has Lost Its Luster Johanna Neuman and Nick Anderson The Los Angeles Times Politicians who endorsed the former governor express regrets, albeit privately Nearer, My Dean, to Thee Jonathan V. Last The Weekly Standard Every campaign has an internal rationale for why victory is inevitable; it goes with the territory. So too, do the last holdouts for Howard Dean Democrats Get Quick Lesson on Early Calendar Ronald Brownstein The Los Angeles Times The first rounds of Democratic primaries and caucuses have taught one lesson above all: In the party's compressed nomination calendar, momentum trumps money and organization Party Crasher Mother Jones Why is Terry McAuliffe so eager to drop the curtain on the Democratic drama? Republicans in Michigan vent anger Tim Jones The Chicago Tribune Everyone runs on job creation. No one, it seems, has an answer to the relentless search for cheap labor Plutocrats And Populists Harold Meyerson The Washington Post Democrats' populism isn't a matter of genetics, of a nostalgic reversion to a century-old battle against the House of Morgan. It is, to the contrary, a specific response to immediate policies of the House of Bush Hopefuls put their faith in campaigns Julia Duin The Washington Times In an attempt to compete with President Bush's unabashed discussion of religion while in office, Democratic presidential candidates are making similar stabs at God-talk Pelosi steps up criticism of war, intelligence Hans Nichols The Hill Returning from a two-day trip to Iraq, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) stepped up her criticism of the Bush administration’s handling of the war Sen. Boxer's Recipe for Success: Start With a Far-Right Opponent Bill Press The Los Angeles Times How does Boxer do it? It's a combination of hard campaigning, Republican incompetence and uncanny good luck Brad's Little Problem Timothy Noah Slate Why give now to Smith's son's campaign if it makes you look like a criminal? GOP plays catch-up for veterans’ support Alexander Bolton The Hill Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill are waging a fierce behind-the-scenes battle for the support of the nation’s more than 25 million military veterans Some Pet Programs Are Targeted for Cuts Dana Milbank and Dan Morgan The Washington Post Among the dozens of programs marked for elimination or reductions in a list the White House issued this week are programs in homeland security, housing, education, the environment and international aid that the administration had previously labeled important Editorial: Unsustainable Secrecy The Washington Post If you thought the new campaign finance law ended such huge "soft money" contributions, think again; they can't go to political parties, and they can't be solicited by politicians, but they are flowing freely to these outside groups The 10 Worst Corporations of 2003 Russell Mokhiber and Robert Weissman CommonDreams.org 2003 was not a year of garden variety corporate wrongdoing. No, the sheer variety, reach and intricacy of corporate schemes, scandal and crimes was spellbinding
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
Editorial: Wretched Excess National Review Conservatives are, and should be, willing to tolerate some excess spending today if they can look forward to reforms that will constrain the growth of government tomorrow. But there is no substitute for political leadership that is willing, sometimes, to say no Budget myths and mischief Donald Lambro The Washington Times Deficit hawks ascribe all sorts of horrible things to the budget deficit without providing any evidence to back up their claims In a Mideast Version of 'Let's Make a Deal,' the Prize Is More Terror Max Boot The Los Angeles Times Israel's lopsided prisoner exchange with Hezbollah only strengthens the militant Islamic group U.S. alliance with Musharraf still the best course Patrick W. Gavin and Thomas G. Ruth The Miami Herald President Bush's decision to appoint Baker (a firm believer in realpolitik) as special envoy for Iraqi debt is certainly a reflection of the administration's new understandings and evolving rejection of simple ''good vs. evil'' answers	Rudy Park Comics.com The White House isn't trying too hard John Kerry exudes enthusiasm after winning 5 primaries Tony Auth The New York Times US bans timed-honored typeface from diplomatic correspondence Agence France Presse Yahoo! In an internal memorandum distributed on Wednesday, the department declared "Courier New 12" -- the font and size decreed for US diplomatic documents for years -- to be obsolete and unacceptable after February 1

Wednesday, February 4, 2004

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics / Election 2004
Doubt grows over preventive war Howard LaFranchi The Christian Science Monitor Intelligence lapses over Iraq raise skepticism among allies and others about the Bush doctrine on when to wage war Bush wants aid reward for allies in terror war Salamander Davoudi Financial Times (UK) Several of these countries, which have long been recipients of US aid, have poor records of governance and observance of human rights Gun-Barrel Democracy Has Failed Time and Again George W. Downs and Bruce Bueno de Mesquita The Los Angeles Times Between World War II and the present, the United States intervened more than 35 times in developing countries around the world. But our research shows that in only one case — Colombia after the American decision in 1989 to engage in the war on drugs — did a full-fledged, stable democracy with limits on executive power, clear rules for the transition of power, universal adult suffrage and competitive elections emerge within 10 years Oil and Democracy Don’t Mix Frida Berrigan In These Times Bush administration policies guarantee a constant flow, no matter what the human cost The Vision Men Traci Hukill AlterNet A new book by William Hartung offers a portrait of an entrenched cadre with an agenda of lasting American global dominance through overwhelming military might Finding of Deadly Poison in Office Disrupts the Senate David Johnston and Carl Hulse The New York Times No illnesses were reported, but Senator Bill Frist said that the ricin found in his office suite represented an act of terrorism Bioterror back, but panic is not Faye Bowers and Liz Marlantes The Christian Science Monitor As the nation's capital once again responds to what may have been a bioterror attack, one element from the anthrax scare that surfaced two years ago is largely missing: panic Terror inquiry hampered by White House Suzanne Goldenberg The Guardian (UK) An independent commission on the September 11 terror attacks, established along similar lines to the intelligence inquiry announced by the White House this week, has been dogged by a constant struggle between the investigators and the Republican Troubled 9/11 Tales Chitra Ragavan U.S. News and World Report A review of the major terrorism investigations of the past decade shows that many of the plotters had ties to one another and that federal investigators were repeatedly hanging around in the right investigative neighborhoods watching the right guys Iraqi Insurgency Is as Lethal as Ever Since Hussein's Capture Patrick J. McDonnell The Los Angeles Times Nearly two months after the capture of Saddam Hussein, the casualty rate among U.S. soldiers and Iraqis in insurgent attacks has accelerated, and much of this nation's Sunni Muslim heartland remains a perilous zone of conflict Powell and White House Get Together on Iraq War Richard W. Stevenson The New York Times The White House and Secretary of State Colin L. Powell scrambled on Tuesday to present a united front about the war in Iraq, a day after Mr. Powell said he was not sure if he would have recommended an invasion had he known Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Husaini Sistani Ed Finn Slate Why we'd better listen to Iraq's influential cleric Annan: U.N. To Help End Iraq Impasse Robin Wright The Washington Post The United Nations is committed to helping end the crisis over how to transfer political power in Iraq so the U.S.-led occupation can end as scheduled on June 30, Secretary General Kofi Annan said Builders in Iraq must factor in cost of security Sharon Behn The Washington Times U.S. companies bidding for massive reconstruction contracts in Iraq will spend more than $1 billion and employ up to 200,000 people to protect their staff and work sites Notion of rights is new terrain Stephen Franklin The Chicago Tribune One of the first visitors to the newly opened human-rights center here was a homemaker thrilled that her dream finally had come true. Unable to have children, she thought the center would help her Workers get oil to near prewar production Matthew B. Stannard, Verne Kopytoff The San Francisco Chronicle Most observers blame the damage on oil smugglers and insurgents who hope to hamstring an economic recovery overseen by the U.S. occupation Administration hides reality of war Daniel A. Weiner The Seattle Post-Intelligencer Unlike most of his predecessors, President Bush has yet to attend a funeral for a soldier or formally receive their remains upon landing on home soil Despite Scrutiny of Iraq Data, It's Business as Usual for Tenet Walter Pincus and Dana Priest The Washington Post Working Relationship With Bush Still Solid, Officials Say Rudman, Foley eyed for panel on Iraq Joseph Curl The Washington Times Lawmakers have begun suggesting names of respected national security figures for a new presidential commission to investigate the intelligence community and mistakes that occurred in the run-up to war with Iraq A desert mirage: How U.S. misjudged Iraq's arsenal John Diamond USA Today One year before President Bush ordered the invasion of Iraq, a U.S. spy satellite over the western Iraqi desert photographed trailer trucks lined up beside a military bunker Editorial: The use of intelligence The Boston Globe If Bush believes he can hide from questions about his use and misuse of intelligence by creating a commission that reports its findings after Nov. 2, he is deluding himself Blair faces questions on Iraq war intelligence Financial Times (UK) Tony Blair faced tough questioning in parliament about the validity of the intelligence the government relied upon to justify its decision to go to war in Iraq Weapons-Gate is bigger than 'breast-gate' Bill Berkowitz WorkingForChange A series of steps should be taken so that an independent international commission can be put in place. In the end, "Weapons-Gate" is a scandal that could rock the vote Flat Earth politics Geov Parrish WorkingForChange.com The notion that "it was all the fault of the intelligence services" cannot be even remotely plausible unless we put on our size 20 cowboy boots and stomp like hell Warhead Blueprints Link Libya Project to Pakistan Figure William J. Broad and David E. Sanger The New York Times U.S. officials have obtained warhead designs they believe were sold to Libya by a network linked to the creator of the Pakistani U.S. to adjust tactics in fight against Taliban Liz Sly The Chicago Tribune America's top general in Afghanistan on Tuesday promised a renewed focus on the hunt for Osama bin Laden and a new strategy for dealing with a revitalized Taliban insurgency Shift on Settlements: Sharon's 'Painful' Course James Bennet The New York Times Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has undermined the ideological pillars he himself helped put in place for the settlement movement A Gaza without settlers? Ilene R. Prusher The Christian Science Monitor Sharon's plan would evict all 7,500 Israeli settlers from 17 Gaza settlements Showdown or backdown? The Economist (UK) The battle between reformists and religious hardliners in Iran has intensified, with the main reformist group announcing a boycott of this month’s elections. But have the pro-democracy campaigners the will to defeat the conservatives? Editorial: The Pakistan tightrope The Chicago Tribune Ever since it conducted its first nuclear test in 1998, Pakistan has posed a threat to the peace of the world. Only now is it becoming clear how large and grave the threat was--and still is A change of Arab hearts and minds Fawaz Gerges The Christian Science Monitor Amid gloom, a scholar glimpses signs of democratic awakening In the embrace of Islam Fuad Nahdi The Guardian (UK) Despite 250 deaths in a tragic accident, this year's hajj returned pilgrims to a less disturbed, less totalitarian age Wahhabism splits Saudis John R. Bradley The Washington Times The fact that 15 of the 19 suicide hijackers on September 11, 2001, were Saudis shook the historic oil-for-security deal, which had stood since Feb. 14, 1945 N. Korean Move Spurs Hopes on Nuclear Issue Barbara Demick The Los Angeles Times Agreement on talks may indicate a high-level decision to dismantle weapons program Auschwitz Under Our Noses Anne Applebaum The Washington Post Look, for example, at the international reaction to a documentary, aired last Sunday night on the BBC. It described atrocities committed in the concentration camps of contemporary North Korea, where, it was alleged, chemical weapons are tested on Jihad in Central Sulawesi International Crisis Group Recent violence in Central Sulawesi suggests the nature and gravity of the terrorist threat in Indonesia must be reassessed Indonesia's expanding spy network alarms reformers Kelly McEvers The Christian Science Monitor President Megawati Sukarnoputri is poised to authorize the expansion of Indonesia's national intelligence agency, a plan that will post new agents in all of this sprawling country's provinces and municipalities A Cult of Reluctant Killers Kim Murphy The Los Angeles Times The 'black widows' of Chechnya -- suicide bombers who stalk Russia -- are driven by hatred, ideology, coercion and fear Trimming the Fat Fred Kaplan Slate How to put the military budget on a diet Defense Mechanism William New The American Prospect The president's budget gives a lot to the Pentagon -- but little to programs with long-term benefits White House seeks to loan U.N. funds for renovations Betsy Pisik and David R. Sands The Washington Times The Bush administration's new budget includes a $1.2 billion, 30-year loan to renovate the aging United Nations headquarters and build a new annex, although U.N. officials expressed disappointment that Washington will charge interest	Edwards Takes South Carolina; Clark Claims Win in Oklahoma Adam Nagourney The New York Times Senator John Kerry won substantial victories in Missouri, Delaware, Arizona, New Mexico and North Dakota The Race Is Lopsided, but It's Not Over John F. Harris The Washington Post Sen. John Edwards (N.C.) earned survival yesterday with an impressive victory in South Carolina, as did retired Gen. Wesley K. Clark with a slim win in Oklahoma. But neither they nor any of the remaining rivals to front-running Sen. John F. Kerry (Mass.) can yet boast of anything like robust political health Another Halliburton Probe Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball Newsweek Already under fire for its contracts in Iraq, the company now faces a Justice Department inquiry about business done during Dick Cheney’s tenure The Democrats' secret weapon Arianna Huffington Salon.com Loose-lipped loose cannon Dick Cheney threatens to torpedo the Bushie ship of state every time he half-opens his mouth Military Service Becomes Weapon in a Kerry-Bush Race Elisabeth Bumiller and David M. Halfbinger The New York Times Democrats hope to use the contrast between the military service of Senator John Kerry and President Bush to undermine Mr. Bush's record on national security Bush in Alabama, Kerry in Vietnam Cragg Hines The Houston Chronicle By 41-33, the combat veteran beat the wartime president in the whom-would-you-trust question. That's the part that will have attracted Rove's attention -- as well it should have Endgame for the president? Robert Kuttner The Boston Globe Before the New Hampshire primary, Bush's reelection seemed assured. It's funny how the conventional wisdom sometimes turns abruptly, even though the basic facts were hidden in plain view all along Blocking Back William Saletan Slate Thoughts on Tuesday night's results and speeches in the Democratic presidential race Race moves on to Mich., Wash. Mary Leonard The Boston Globe The race for the Democratic presidential nomination shifts next to delegate-rich Michigan and Washington, where Howard Dean will be back in the ring and fighting to recapture the support and momentum he has lost in both states to John F. Kerry Lieberman, Unable to Parlay National Profile, Quits Race Diane Cardwell The New York Times Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, the Democrats' 2000 vice-presidential nominee, ended his candidacy for the presidential nomination on Tuesday night in a small, nondescript ballroom Kerry's problem with black voters Derrick Z. Jackson The Boston Globe As the debate wore on, a group of African-American women from the Greenville area said Kerry was a long way from convincing them he had enough soul to trust him Exit Polls Spot Vulnerabilities in Kerry's Show of Strength Ronald Brownstein The Los Angeles Times His breadth of support is clear, but numbers also show opportunities for challengers remain Front-runner's appeal stretches far and wide Michael Tackett The Chicago Tribune Perhaps the most surprising aspect of Tuesday's seven contests that spread almost from coast to coast--with iconic Missouri in the middle--was the degree to which Democrats said they were satisfied with Sen. John Kerry Now Comes the Tough Part For Kerry: Tying It All Up Jim VandeHei and Ceci Connolly The Washington Post Now comes the hard part, Democratic officials say: transforming himself into a steady and unifying front-running presidential candidate who can avoid the errors of his political past The View From Purgatory William Safire The New York Times Kerry came back because he's an homme serioux — that's French for a man with gravitas — which is what people want, and it doesn't matter that he has a face like a horse Win Some Garance Franke-Ruta The American Prospect With a win and two more seconds under his belt, John Edwards is still going strong the day after his must-win primary. But can he be what he wants to be? How will Edwards run against Kerry? Tom Curry MSNBC Are there significant differences between Edwards and Kerry on the issues, differences that Edwards could use as the lever to pry Democratic voters away from Kerry? Hitting the Right Notes Arian Campo-Flores Newsweek John Edwards clearly has found a message that resonates. His campaign, however, remains vulnerable Edwards leads Dems in Texas funding Julie Mason The Houston Chronicle If dollars were votes, Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina would be winning the Texas Democratic primary race Clark Back in Race With Win in Okla. Eric Slater The Los Angeles Times The retired general runs second in three other states, breathing life into his campaign. His next challenge is to generate momentum Son of Clark Calls Politics Dirty Business, Faults Media Edward Wyatt The New York Times Wesley Clark II, 34, a screenwriter who lives in California and who has campaigned for his father, said, "It's been a really disillusioning experience, you know." Flight of the Bumblebee Rick Perlstein The Village Voice He might not get there. But if the Democrats make it to that Promised Land on Pennsylvania Avenue, Dean will have been the one who led us out of the desert in the first place Dean gambles with Hail Mary pass Doug Saunders The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada) In one of the most risky and surprising strategies in American politics, Howard Dean deliberately turned himself last night into the Invisible Candidate Focus Shifts to Contest In Washington State Jonathan Finer The Washington Post Unable to halt his once high-flying campaign's rapid downward spiral, Howard Dean suffered lopsided losses in the seven states that voted Tuesday, leaving him the distant contender in the race for the Democratic nomination Sleeping With the GOP Wayne Barrett with Adam Hutton and Christine Lagorio The Village Voice Roger Stone, the longtime Republican dirty-tricks operative who led the mob that shut down the Miami-Dade County recount and helped make George W. Bush president in 2000, is financing, staffing, and orchestrating the presidential campaign of Reverend Al Sharpton Rising Anti-Bush Sentiment Driving Democrats to Polls David Von Drehle The Washington Post The Democratic presidential contest went national yesterday, and what was true in Iowa and New Hampshire proved true coast to coast: Voters in these elections are deeply dissatisfied with President Bush A Campaign Fiasco That Wasn't George S. McGovern The Washington Post Isn't the big lesson of 1972 this: Beware a president whose campaign dishonesty got him expelled from office shortly after his landslide win? Is winning an election worth dishonoring the nation? Am I the one who should be ashamed about 1972? Reich’s Reprimand Brian Braiker Newsweek A former Clinton official believes the Democrats have failed as a party. He explains what they need to do to get back on track Letter From South Carolina Bruce Shapiro The Nation If primary politics in the Palmetto State is any indication, the greatest threat to hopes of defeating President Bush remains Democratic business as usual For Dems, it's a selection stampede Walter Shapiro USA Today Why should it matter so much whether front-runner John Kerry was narrowly edged in Oklahoma -- or, for that matter, romped in North Dakota -- states that last went Democratic in the 1964 presidential election? Editorial: Keep the Primaries Going The New York Times A few more weeks of campaigning for the Democratic nomination would give Senator John Kerry useful preparation for the rigors of the race against President Bush History Channeling Daniel W. Drezner The New Republic Bush has repeated Reagan's mistakes on foreign policy and the economy. But history forgave Reagan; it may yet forgive Bush The Monday Meeting, A Right-Wing Cabal Ready to Convert N.Y. Ben Smith The New York Observer Founded by Mallory Factor and investment adviser James Higgins, it’s called, simply, the Monday Meeting. And it has turned into the conservative movement’s preeminent beachhead in the hostile territory of New York City Sex, Lies and Bush on Tape Nicholas D. Kristof The New York Times If Mr. Bush were a genuine conservative, he might cut taxes, but he would cut spending to match. If he were an honest liberal, he might increase spending, and taxes as well. Instead, the president is inviting us out for a wild night on the town Nixon's Children Stephen Pizzo TomPaine.com Those closest to George W. Bush—notably Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld—learned some valuable lessons from the Nixon presidency and the events that led to its downfall Tauzin May Become Pharmaceutical Lobbyist H. Joseph Hebert Associated Press The Miami Herald Rep. Billy Tauzin of Louisiana is stepping down as chairman of one of the most powerful committees in Congress, and is considering an offer to become the top lobbyist for the pharmaceutical industry GOP lawmakers plan cuts in Bush budget Ralph Z. Hallow and Amy Fagan The Washington Times Congressional Republicans, in an extraordinary break with the White House in an election year, say President Bush's 2005 budget proposal "doesn't go far enough" to restrain government spending The Debt No One Wants to Talk About David M. Walker The New York Times Long-term simulations from the legislative agency I head, the General Accounting Office, paint a chilling picture The Breast and the Brightest Richard Blow TomPaine.com Alternet This is what semioticians would describe as a "dense" cultural moment, so let us unpack some of its ironies
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
A Snapshot in Time Robert Moran National Review Are the results predictable? Yes. Most incumbents have a rough patch when their challenger is introduced, and the Bush team has warned all along that this is likely The Know-'Em-All Michael Segal The Wall Street Journal How President Bush is smarter than the intellectuals who disdain him Elections in the age of terror Tony Blankley The Washington Times Countries that have the capacity, and are reasonably suspected of potentially being willing to transfer them to terrorists, number only six: Iraq, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Libya and Syria Editorial: Kerry's inconsistencies The Washington Times With a pattern of self-contradictory statements, unscrambling what Mr. Kerry might actually believe is no easy task Two John Night George Neumayr The American Spectator The strong showing of Kerry and Edwards suggests the two may form a ticket, a ticket of two immensely rich insiders from North and South campaigning on behalf of outsiders. It could be a happy reunion for establishment liberals Terrorism? What Terrorism? Byron York National Review A look at exit polls from the five states in which such polls were conducted on Tuesday suggests that few Democratic voters — especially those who voted for Edwards — care much about terrorism and national security Woolsey: Overthrow of Saddam Justified, Whatever Status of WMD Foreign Affairs R. James Woolsey, director of central intelligence in 1993-1995 and a longtime advocate of the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, argues that some biological and chemical agents may still exist in small quantities in Iraq Stampede in WMD corral Cal Thomas The Washington Times Let us consider that David Kay, the former chief weapons inspector in Iraq, may have reached the wrong conclusion, or at least a partially wrong conclusion	New Anger-Powered Cars May Revolutionize The Way We Drive The Onion "By drawing a significant percentage of its motive power from the unbridled temper of the American motorist, the new anger-powered car will change, or at least take mechanical advantage of, the way Americans drive" John Kerry Promises Executive Order Outlawing Personalities Broken Newz Crowds looked somewhat pleased as Kerry campaigners tossed slices of white bread at Democrats across New Hampshire, chanting slogans like “Bland Across the Land”, and “Color Me Gray, JFK” Camouflage idea grows on troops Rhiannon Edward Reuters The Scotsman (UK) JAPAN’S soldiers are experimenting with a new form of camouflage - troops heading for Iraq over the next few months are being advised to grow moustaches to fit in with the locals Janet Jackson's breast tops Internet searches Reuters Yahoo! On Monday, Jackson received 60 times as many searches than perennial chart topper, the "Paris Hilton sex tape," and 80 times as many as singer Britney Spears

Tuesday, February 3, 2004

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics / Election 2004
Senate Powder Tests Positive for Ricin Siobhan McDonough Associated Press Yahoo! Preliminary tests of a white powder discovered in a Senate office building Monday were positive for the potentially deadly poison ricin, the U.S. Capitol Police chief said Intelligence Panel Will Cast Net Beyond Iraq Dana Priest and Dana Milbank The Washington Post The commission that President Bush will appoint to investigate the failures of prewar intelligence on Iraq will also review the CIA's misjudgments about weapons programs in Iran, Libya and North Korea Commission to Decide Itself on Depth of Its Investigation Douglas Jehl and David E. Sanger The New York Times White House officials said Monday that the commission being created to investigate intelligence shortcomings would decide for itself if it would examine a highly charged political issue: whether President Bush and other senior administration officials exaggerated the evidence Powell Says New Data May Have Affected War Decision Glenn Kessler The Washington Post Secretary of State Colin L. Powell said yesterday that he does not know whether he would have recommended an invasion of Iraq if he had been told it had no stockpiles of banned weapons 'The Right Thing to Do' The Washington Post Excerpts from an interview yesterday with Secretary of State Colin L. Powell by Washington Post reporters and editors Halliburton Will Repay U.S. Excess Charges for Troops' Meals Joel Brinkley and Eric Schmitt The New York Times The Pentagon said Monday that the Halliburton Company would repay the government for overcharges estimated at $27.4 million for meals served to American troops at five military bases in Iraq and Kuwait last year Army Study of Iraq War Details a 'Morass' of Supply Shortages Eric Schmitt The New York Times Logistics problems, which senior Army officials played down at the time, were much worse than have been previously reported The Colas of Iraq Jonathan E. Kaplan & Hans Nichols National Review The origin of a cola product, he explains, is a useful metric for judging which of Iraq's neighbors has the most influence The awful truth about Iraq James Carroll The Boston Globe Such is the climate of chaos that the Bush aggression has created that there is no clear way forward, and bad things are going to happen in Iraq -- no matter what Washington does now Grief and Anger Overwhelm the Kurds of Northern Iraq Jeffrey Gettleman and Edward Wong The New York Times The bombings, which killed several top Kurdish officials, will resonate during the debates on the two most contentious political issues in Iraq: the drive for Kurdish autonomy and the process for handing over sovereignty to a new Iraqi government by June 30 Wolfowitz Gets an Earful on Ethnic Tensions Thom Shanker The New York Times Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz, on a mission to highlight successes in Iraq, heard firsthand of the ethnic and religious tensions that are vastly complicating American efforts for an orderly turnover of sovereignty Blame, Blindness . . . Richard Cohen The Washington Post It would be instructive to examine the yahoo mood that came over much of the nation once Bush decided to go to war Iraq Intelligence Failure John Prados TomPaine.com The evidence is that unknown rebel forces are becoming more effective, inflicting equivalent casualties in fewer attacks while also achieving results against Iraqis who ally themselves with the occupation authorities. By any measure, the intelligence effort in Iraq needs improvement Japan's troop deployment stirs debate Arata Yamamoto MSNBC After months of national debate and parliamentary deliberations, Japan this week will begin sending more than 500 of its Ground Self Defense Forces to southern Iraq in what will be the nation's largest military deployment since World War II Time to vet CIA spies Richard L. Russell The Washington Times Partisan politics aside, a fair and hefty share of accountability for Iraq intelligence shortcoming should be placed at the door of the CIA's Directorate of Operations Tenet's tenure in question Bill Gertz The Washington Times Accusations that U.S. intelligence agencies were wrong about Iraq's illegal weapons programs are fueling speculation that CIA Director George J. Tenet will step down in coming months Data sought on secret spending Richard Benedetto USA Today Only a handful of people know precisely how much the federal government spends each year to gather intelligence -- and they're not allowed to tell Our True Intelligence Failure, or, Don't Throw Me in That Briar Patch Rahul Mahajan CommonDreams.org George W. Bush is right in the middle of the briar patch: a "bipartisan commission," appointed by himself, that will investigate those intelligence failures The Bellicose Curve Matthew Wall Slate Faulty intelligence has catapulted the United States into war all too many times before The C.I.A.: Method and Madness David Brooks The New York Times False scientism was bad enough during the cold war, when the intelligence community failed to anticipate seemingly nonrational events like the Iran-Iraq war or the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. But it is terrible now in the age of terror, because terror is largely nonrational Chutzpah, Thy Name Is Perle Jim Lobe TomPaine.com Their campaign now—and there is an orchestrated campaign underway, make no mistake—is to blame the CIA for exaggerating the Iraqi threat must rank right up there with parenticidal orphans "A democracy well worth taking back" Geov Parrish WorkingForChange.com Interview with Joseph Wilson, former ambassador who debunked story of Iraq’s having purchased yellow cake uranium from Africa The 'everybody was wrong' excuse Molly Ivins WorkingForChange.com Neither the Bush administration nor the Democrats seem much interested in getting to the bottom of why American intelligence was so bad on Iraq Musharraf Named in Nuclear Probe John Lancaster and Kamran Khan The Washington Post Pakistan's top nuclear scientist, Abdul Qadeer Khan, has told investigators that he helped North Korea design and equip facilities for making weapons-grade uranium with the knowledge of senior military commanders, including Gen. Pervez Musharraf Pakistanis Question Official Ignorance of Atom Transfers David Rohde The New York Times Experts dismissed Pakistan's assertion that the founder of the country's nuclear program had shared technology without telling his superiors Pakistani opposition calls for strikes Juliette Terzieff The San Francisco Chronicle Leaders of opposition religious parties have called for nationwide strikes Friday in the wake of the government's announcement that Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, the revered founder of Pakistan's nuclear program, has confessed to selling nuclear secrets Iranians Don't Want To Go Nuclear Karim Sadjadpour The Washington Post Most of the Iranians surveyed said they oppose the pursuit of a nuclear weapons program because it runs counter to their desire for "peace and tranquility." What's Sharon's motivation? Tom Aspell NBC MSNBC Why is the "'father of the settlement movement" making such a sharp shift in strategy? Editorial: Reformers' End Game in Iran The New York Times With the country's conservative mullahs excluding reformers from the next parliamentary elections, Iran's brief reform era seems about to close U.S. asks access to terror figure Paul Martin The Washington Times The mullah was arrested after Attorney General John Ashcroft urged during a visit in August that Norway revoke his asylum status and allow U.S. officials access to him Major overhaul eyed for Army Rowan Scarborough The Washington Times A U.S. Army that for decades has fought in brigades and battalions is taking on new-age terms such as "units of action" and "modules."	Kerry leading Bush in new poll President vulnerable on economy and Iraq Susan Page and Richard Benedetto USA Today Kerry defeated Bush 53% to 46%, a lead outside the poll's margin of error. North Carolina Sen. John Edwards edged Bush at 49%-48%, a statistical tie Poll captures a bad moment for Bush Susan Page and Richard Benedetto USA Today This has not been a happy new year for President Bush Running the political numbers Judy Keen USA Today Bush campaigned as a 'compassionate conservative' in 2000, but big deficits rankle fiscal conservatives; others question the compassion of his priorities Budget of the United States Government: Fiscal Year 2005 The White House Bush Sends Congress $2.4 Trillion Budget Amy Goldstein and Mike Allen The Washington Post President Bush sent Congress a $2.4 trillion spending plan yesterday that would reduce next year's funding for nearly half the federal government's agencies while funneling large sums toward the anti-terrorism and military programs that have dominated the administration's agenda Bush Bets America Agrees With His Fiscal Priorities Elisabeth Bumiller The New York Times The president is betting that voters will care far more about protecting the nation than about cuts to popular programs Editorial: The Pinocchio Budget The New York Times The president's new budget proposal is an exercise in election-year cynicism, full of fairy-tale elements designed to shore up his political capital Editorial: Bogus Budgeting The Washington Post THE BUSH administration's 2005 budget is a masterpiece of disingenuous blame-shifting, dishonest budgeting and irresponsible governing Another Bogus Budget Paul Krugman The New York Times The budget released yesterday, which projects a $521 billion deficit for fiscal 2004, is no more credible than its predecessors. When the administration promises much lower deficits in future years, remember this: two years ago it projected a fiscal 2004 deficit of only $14 billion Plan Omits Costs in Iraq and Afghanistan Eric Schmitt and Robert Pear The New York Times Bush administration officials said on Monday that the cost of United States military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan had been omitted from President Bush's budget request for 2005. But they said the White House would make a separate supplemental request, after this year's elections Alan Greenspan and the D-Word Ian Williams AlterNet The lifelong critic of budget deficits has been mysteriously silent on the Bush administration's fiscal policies. Guess whose term runs out this year That Was Then Joseph E. Stiglitz The American Prospect Deficit reduction worked for Clinton, but circumstances were different in 1993. Today's Democrats mustn't think they can merely mimic him Decoding Dubya David Kusnet In These Times Until now, all Bush had to do was read a prepared text without stumbling and the press would applaud and the public would breathe a sigh of relief Republican Campaign Preview Chris Suellentrop Slate The Republicans want the threshold question of this election to be: On Sept. 11 and Sept. 12, 2001, would you rather have had George W. Bush as president or his Democratic opponent? Bush Reaches Back to His Conservative Base Jonathan Weisman The Washington Post President Bush has drafted an election-year budget that shows considerably more political concern for his conservative base, which is upset over the government's steady growth, than for any need to assuage moderate voters A Winning Kerry Loosens Up, and Crowds React Todd S. Purdum The New York Times To see John Kerry on the stump these days is to conduct a revealing study in candidate development and crowd psychology Will bounce help Kerry seal the deal? Thomas Oliphant The Boston Globe So high was the bounce that the major question to be answered this week is whether any other presidential campaign will remain standing credibly after it ends Kerry races ahead of Dean in Michigan poll Kathy Kiely and Jill Lawrence USA Today A new poll shows John Kerry with a large lead over Howard Dean among likely voters in Michigan, a state Dean has been counting on to revive his Democratic presidential campaign For Edwards, It All Comes Down to South Carolina David S. Broder The Washington Post If the native son of South Carolina loses the presidential primary here to John F. Kerry -- a possibility that his entourage nervously acknowledges is real -- the decision will be simple. Edwards will congratulate Kerry, quickly endorse the Massachusetts senator Black Voters in S.C. Look to Electability Dan Balz The Washington Post "Electability is what's on black people's minds, too," Clyburn said. "Black folks to a much greater degree want to see Bush out of the White House. Black people aren't crazy." Dean's dizzying descent Thomas F. Schaller Salon.com Trippi's final error -- and the one that Dean loyalists at the highest level of the campaign forgive the least -- was his decision to use negative television ads to revive Dean's plummeting fortunes in the final days before the Iowa caucuses Where can they go from here? Tim Russert MSNBC There’s been a sense in the Democratic Party that they’ve been too passive in responding to Republican attacks Democrats' memo Mark Shields CNN Now it is the Democratic presidential candidates' chance to listen to the advice from someone who has spent days and weeks listening to them Return of the populist campaign Brad Knickerbocker The Christian Science Monitor A recent Time/CNN poll has 57 percent of the public (and 63 percent of independents) agreeing that Mr. Bush "pays too much attention to big business." Democrats' populist message catching on with many voters Carolyn Barta The Dallas Morning News Indicators suggest that Mr. Bush may be more vulnerable than he would like to believe. While plenty of polls show the president still leading, others suggest trouble Reading between Democratic primary lines Godfrey Sperling The Christian Science Monitor It's again time for some questions and answers on the political scene Biggest question for Tuesday: Who drops out? Linda Feldmann The Christian Science Monitor If Kerry wins most of the seven states holding primaries and caucuses, several of the contenders could withdraw When the Long Haul Is No Longer an Option Rick Lyman The New York Times There is a moment when presidential candidates must ask themselves whether dwindling resources and repeated defeats leave any hope alive The Truth About Massachusetts E. J. Dionne Jr. The Washington Post The demonization of Massachusetts is really about the southernization of the Republican Party Bush's Guard Service In Question Lois Romano The Washington Post In recent days, a one-year gap in President Bush's Texas Air National Guard service during the height of the Vietnam War has been raised by Democrats White House defends Bush's military record Megan Shattuck and Dana Bash CNN The White House on Tuesday called the questioning of President Bush's record while in the Texas Air National Guard in the Vietnam War as "outrageous and baseless." Embracing the Common Man in a Time of Recovery Robin Toner The New York Times The election is becoming a struggle over the economy, whose interests the Bush administration has at heart and how the broad middle class sees its future Getting out the Muslim vote Kari Huus MSNBC A survey commissioned by the Arab American Institute and conducted by Zogby International showed that among this constituency, Bush's favorability rating declined to 38 percent in January 2004, from 83 percent in October 2001 Hispanic voters in the Southwest are a coveted prize Yvonne Abraham The Boston Globe With Arizona and New Mexico figuring more prominently than ever in this year's nominating process, the large Hispanic populations of each state could make the difference today for a candidate Congressman Urges Vote-Buying Inquiry R. Jeffrey Smith The Washington Post A House Democratic leader said yesterday that he plans to press for an investigation by the chamber's ethics committee of alleged Republican vote-buying during deliberations on a new Medicare drug plan last November Boxer raises $8.8 million for Senate re-election campaign Mark Simon The San Francisco Chronicle Bill Jones, her main GOP challenger, collects $516,000
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
Spent Argument Andrew Sullivan The New Republic The real reason for worry in President Bush's camp is that conservatives have begun to turn on him The Vaguely Dissatisfied Rich Willliam Tucker The American Spectator The rise of John Edwards, the multi-millionaire Populist trial lawyer, highlights a phenomenon that is common enough to deserve a name. I propose LIFAE -- a "Leader in the Fight Against the Establishment." Edwards may say he's a moderate, but look at his votes Terry Eastland The Dallas Morning News Mr. Edwards may try to describe himself as a moderate, but his record in the Senate locates him well within the liberal mainstream of his party Class warfare isn't classy Neil Cavuto The Washington Times Most rich people I've known are good, hard-working, start-from-scratch people Writ large for terror Bruce Fein The Washington Times According to United States District Judge for the Central District of California, Audrey B. Collins, citizens enjoy a constitutional right to provide "expert advice or assistance" to fortify foreign terrorist organization	Philip Colavito, Mob Accountant McSweeney's You would ask for some simple paperwork from the Don and he would say "I will do you this favor, but someday I will call on you to do a favor for me." And this would happen like six times a week. The Boondocks Aaron McGruder It's his parents' fault The Condensed Joe Eszterhas Bryan Curtis Slate Slate reads Hollywood Animal so you don't have to Six more weeks of winter... Glenn McCoy The New York Times Editorial: A not-so-sacred Sunday The San Francisco Chronicle IT'S A GOOD THING that CBS, strict arbiter of taste and sensibility, spared us from political advocacy ads on Super Bowl Sunday, such as the anti- Bush spot by MoveOn.org that the network refused to air

Monday, February 2, 2004

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics / Election 2004
All this jaw about jihad is just tosh Peter Preston The Guardian (UK) Al-Qaida, Todd concludes, "is a band of mentally disturbed but ingenious terrorists". No more; no less Absent Moral Authority Tom Malinowski The Washington Post Moral clarity about human rights in the Middle East is not enough. The United States needs moral authority to promote its goals. If President Bush will not restore it, let's hope the Supreme Court will Bombings Cripple More Than Civilians Alissa J. Rubin The Los Angeles Times When two suicide bombers blew themselves up inside the offices of the two main Kurdish political parties Sunday, they not only killed scores of civilians but further crippled Iraq's move toward self-governance Saddam helping U.S. with details Matt Kelley Associated Press The Washington Times The United States has used information gained during interrogations of Saddam Hussein to help round up insurgents and identify false leads, a senior military official said Attacks expected to rise Sharon Behn The Washington Times Attacks on U.S. forces and their allies, already numbering dozens a day, are expected to increase ahead of a handover of power to an interim Iraqi administration this summer Bush and Bremer Blinked Ian Williams Foreign Policy In Focus The meeting between the UN, the Coalition, and the Iraqi Governing Council on 19 January suggests that the harsh realities of an election year in the U.S. may be making elections more feasible in Iraq U.N. Election Team Seeks Order in Iraqi Chaos Warren Hoge The New York Times A senior United Nations official who has recently met with top Bush administration officials said he had told them that their belief in the power of quick elections to bring stability to countries with no history of democracy was "simplistic." For Bush, a Tactical Retreat on Iraq Dana Milbank The Washington Post President Bush is implicitly conceding what he cannot publicly say: that something appears to be seriously wrong with the allegations he used to take the nation to war in Iraq Truth or dare George Perkovich The Washington Times Truth be told, I would sleep much better if lying explained how we got the WMD and terrorist threat so wrong in Iraq. Unfortunately, the situation is much worse Ex-Arms Inspector Now in Center of a Political Maelstrom Christopher Marquis The New York Times David A. Kay, the arms inspector who changed his mind about the existence of unconventional weapons in Iraq, is perplexed by all the fuss he has caused. The weapons are simply not there, he says; it is empirical An Intelligence Inquiry That's Awash in Disputes at the Outset Douglas Jehl The New York Times Intelligence officials have long been wary of outsiders' second-guessing. But they have reluctantly begun to acknowledge that a major overhaul could be in order after what may be two of the greatest intelligence setbacks in decades Restoring Trust in America Zbigniew Brzezinski The Washington Post U.S. credibility worldwide has been badly hurt by the WMD affair, and U.S. intelligence capabilities have been exposed as woefully inadequate The WMD Blame Game Mark Engler AlterNet Early indications suggest that the commission is being crafted by the White House primarily to deflect blame for its deceptions about the threat posed by Iraq Blame Game John Cassidy The New Yorker Intelligence, by its very nature, is usually uncertain and often wrong. It should always be treated with skepticism and caution, two attributes that were, and are, conspicuously missing from the Bush White House Can Team Bush Contain the Iraq WMD Fallout? Tony Karon Time The administration's strategy has one potentially fatal flaw: the situation in Iraq 'Dirty Bomb' a Fear in Scrubbed Flights Sebastian Rotella Los Angeles Times Intelligence pointed to a possible Al Qaeda use of unconventional arms, a U.S. official says Editorial: Safer Option for Civil Rights The Los Angeles Times Many members of Congress supported the Patriot Act only because it required renewal in 2005, after lawmakers had a chance to judge the law's success and its effect on civil liberties Key Pakistani Is Said to Admit Atom Transfers David Rohde and David E. Sanger The New York Times The founder of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program, Abdul Qadeer Khan, has signed a detailed confession admitting that during the last 15 years he provided Iran, North Korea and Libya with the designs and technology to produce the fuel for nuclear weapons Pakistan's nuclear hero, world's No. 1 nuclear suspect Peter Grier, Faye Bowers, and Owais Tohid The Christian Science Monitor Revered as the father of the Pakistani nuclear weapons program, Abdul Qadeer Khan has confessed to sharing weapons secrets with regimes around the world Libyan Disarmament a Positive Step, but Threat of Proliferation Remains Stephen Zunes Foreign Policy In Focus In a world seemingly gone mad, it is ironic that one of most sane and reasonable actions to come out of the Middle East recently has emanated from the government of Muammar Qaddafi Editorial: Committing to Afghanistan The Washington Post Two years ago the United Nations and Afghan government pleaded for a modest deployment of peacekeeping forces from the capital to the provinces that might have ensured security around the country. But the Bush administration resisted, and no other country volunteered U.S. Pacific Command facing sweeping changes Richard Halloran The Washington Times Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld is planning a sweeping revision of the command apparatus through which U.S. military forces are controlled in Asia U.S. Missile Defense Set to Get Early Start Bradley Graham The Washington Post The Pentagon plans to begin operation of a national missile defense system this summer, putting the first missile interceptors on alert weeks ahead of a previous autumn deadline U.N. Dissolves Panel Monitoring Al Qaeda Colum Lynch The Washington Post The move comes six weeks after the panel, headed by Michael Chandler of Britain, concluded in a stinging report that a number of Security Council sanctions against al Qaeda had failed to constrain the terrorist network To Understand North Korea, Toss Out Old Assumptions Philip W. Yun The Los Angeles Times Former chief weapons inspector David Kay's criticism of U.S. intelligence on Iraq underscores the limits of our ability to collect and interpret such data. It should also caution neocons in Washington not to be smug about the depth of U.S. understanding of North Korea U.S., China Are on Collision Course Over Oil Gal Luft The Los Angeles Times Superpowers find it difficult to coexist while competing over scarce resources. The main bone of contention probably will revolve around China's relations with Saudi Arabia Liberia Needs $500 Million, Report Says Somini Sengupta The New York Times Liberia will need nearly $500 million in stabilization aid after 14 years of nearly relentless war, the United Nations and the World Bank reported	The Shakeout Philip Gourevitch The New Yorker Kerry, a high-toned Brahmin, is the stiffest candidate in a generally humorless Democratic-primary field. Yet his campaign rallies consistently muster a fuller and more complex emotional charge than those of his rivals How Kerry could beat Bush Ruy Teixeira Salon.com To close the sale with the public, the Democratic front-runner should can the populist rhetoric and talk to Americans about an "opportunity society." Treating Kerry With Kid Gloves Can Only Boost Momentum Ronald Brownstein The Los Angeles Times Has a frontrunner at the height of the race for a party's presidential nomination ever had an easier two weeks than John F. Kerry since the Iowa caucuses last month? Kerry Fends Off Finance Questions Nick Anderson and Matea Gold The Los Angeles Times As the frontrunner watches the Super Bowl in North Dakota, his rivals fan out across the country Kerry's surge gives Romney a new role Frank Phillips The Boston Globe Pressures from the Bush White House and the national Republican Party to knock down Kerry could land heavily on Romney, possibly colliding with his own political interests and his carefully crafted reputation as a clean-cut reformer Eager to Face Any Jury — and the Voters Dale Russakoff The Washington Post Lawyers across North Carolina had the same rule of thumb for going up against their colleague John Edwards: Never let him near a jury New Dean strategy raises eyebrows Glen Johnson The Boston Globe Dean's sole focus is on accumulating delegates, primarily enough to win the convention's nomination, but if not, then to shape the Democratic platform heading into a fall showdown with President Bush Fervor for Dean starting to wane Sarah Schweitzer The Boston Globe There is a sense among some potential voters in Washington that Dean may not be the strongest of the Democratic presidential candidates, and perhaps not the best to go up against Bush in November Howard Dean strikes back Sandeep Kaushik Salon.com In a candid interview, the former front-runner goes after his two main adversaries -- George W. Bush and John Kerry -- and says they're a lot alike Campaign Vanities Steven Rosenfeld TomPaine.com Oddly, the Dean campaign now seems on an arc that Brown travelled in 1992, possibly winning some of the later primaries—in Jerry's case, California and its 600-plus delegates—and then going to the party's convention with the intention of delivering a message Sharpton's admirers faced with a quandary Peter Wallsten The Miami Herald Black Democrats have to decide whether to vote for Al Sharpton, a voice for minorities, or a candidate with a better chance of defeating Bush The Democrats' Southern paradox Tim Grieve Salon.com In the South, black voters may want Anybody but Bush, but whites like what they see in the president -- themselves. It's up to the Democrats to convince them otherwise Left at the Altar, Missouri Seeks New Groom at the Last Minute R.W. Apple Jr. The New York Times The candidates had only a week for campaigning between the voting in New Hampshire and the voting here, and many of them had already committed much of that time to South Carolina when Representative Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri pulled out So Far, Candidates' Show-Biz Reviews Are Lukewarm John M. Broder and Bernard Weinraub The New York Times While a number of celebrities and tycoons have lent their names and modest financial support to the various Democratic candidates, Hollywood, long a Democratic stronghold, is barely engaged in the party's contest this year A window into discontent in Dixie Patrik Jonsson The Christian Science Monitor South Carolina exemplifies the widening gap between rich Americans and those clinging to the middle class Candidates Face First Test Among Latinos John M. Glionna The Los Angeles Times Democrats reach out to a key voting bloc for contests in Arizona and New Mexico on Tuesday Vote, and the Pols Will Listen Bob Herbert The New York Times One of the biggest reasons politicians continue to trample on issues of crucial importance to low-income Americans — issues like jobs, education and access to health care — is the traditionally poor voting habits of that segment of the population Cheney Sees His Shadow Tom Engelhardt tomdispatch.com AlterNet Like Punxsutawney Phil, Vice President Cheney emerged recently from his bunker in Washington. What is the significance of these suddenly prolific sightings? Bush builds grass-roots machine Bill Sammon The Washington Times President Bush's re-election campaign, taking advantage of the protracted Democratic primary process, is assembling a massive grass-roots political machine months earlier than usual Bush Earned Our Hate Harley Sorensen San Francisco Chronicle CommonDreams.org Acting dumb is Bush's style. He likes to sandbag people. He plays dumb, people underestimate him and, all of a sudden -- wap! He nails them Bush Moves to Defuse Environmental Criticism Eric Pianin The Washington Post Polls reflect public unease with President Bush's handling of the environment, and some Democrats see an opening in this year's congressional and presidential elections
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
Time for the Change, Again Roger D. Carstens National Review Massive air power — using stealth and precision weapons — could effectively neutralize North Korea's antiquated artillery and destroy its nuclear capability. Such a campaign — combined with a U.S./South Korean ground offensive — would likely result in rapid victory Moore Trouble John Fund The Wall Street Journal But Roy Moore, the ousted Alabama Supreme Court justice who made headlines last year by refusing to remove a Ten Commandments monument he placed on public property, could make a difference in a close race. And just last week, he refused to rule out a presidential candidacy 343 Michael Novak National Review These 343 (not 500) combat deaths, furthermore, need to be set in context. During 2003, the number of homicides in Chicago was 599, in New York City 596, in Los Angeles 505 An Army of One Jim Geraghty National Review As NATO commander, Wesley Clark had problems with the Pentagon's chain of command. When Clark's bosses didn't agree with him, he just went around them Kerrying On Regardless Jed Babbin The American Spectator Kerry's slip into the "cultural" causes of terrorism is as revealing as it is wrong. Poverty and lack of social spending do not cause terrorism. If they did, the world's poorest nations would be the primary sources of terrorism. But they are not Editorial: Brainwashed? The Wall Street Journal The Occam's Razor explanation, it seems to us, is that the former Naval Lieutenant tacks with the political winds--and not just over the course of years and months but of days The Senator as Author David Skinner The Weekly Standard "The New War" reads not (as it supposed to) like a policy professional's distillation of years' worth of investigation into a matter of grave importance (and whose attendant problems legislation has been loath to solve), but like a clip job glued together by a shop of research elves	Why won't this man blink? Anna Holmes Salon.com Rapid blinking suggests nervousness, or deceitfulness. So what does it mean when someone -- like Gen. Wesley Clark -- rarely bats an eye? Bushism of the Day Jacob Weisberg Slate "I was a prisoner too, but for bad reasons." For once, the ads were worse than the game Seth Stevenson Slate Over all, Cialis' branding seems more woman-friendly, with a lot of tender scenes and intimate looks and not a lot of Mike Ditka shouting, "You gotta love that!"

Sunday, February 1, 2004

National Security / Foreign Affairs	U.S. Politics / Election 2004
Bush to Back Probe of Iraq Data, Officials Say Dana Milbank and Dana Priest The Washington Post President Bush has agreed to support an independent inquiry into the prewar intelligence that he used to assert that Saddam Hussein was stockpiling weapons of mass destruction A Flawed Argument In the Case for War Glenn Kessler and Walter Pincus The Washington Post The story of the UAVs -- just one part of the vast array of claims made by the Bush administration about Iraq's alleged weapons programs -- is emblematic of how U.S. intelligence on Iraq was often wrong US officials knew in May Iraq possessed no WMD Peter Beaumont, Gaby Hinsliff and Paul Harris The Observer (UK) Senior American officials concluded at the beginning of last May that there were no weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in Iraq, The Observer has learnt What Went Wrong John Barry and Mark Hosenball Newsweek Saddam's real masterwork—the edifice of fear that had ensured his power for decades—was decaying beneath him. An air of decadence and decline had spread among the elite, and small to middling officials were trying to take what they could for Powell's Case, a Year Later: Gaps in Picture of Iraq Arms Douglas Jehl and David E. Sanger The New York Times A year ago this weekend, Secretary of State Colin L. Powell holed up in a conference room next to George J. Tenet's office at Central Intelligence Agency headquarters, applying a critical eye to the satellite photos, communications intercepts and reports that would form the basis for the Bush administration's most comprehensive — and carefully worded — public case The Cupboard Was Bare Barbara Hatch Rosenberg The Los Angeles Times As Hans Blix, who headed the pre-war inspections told reporters in Stockholm last week: "We were not wrong. Most others were wrong. We were looking at the matter with a critical mind." Leaders Sought a Threat. Spies Get the Blame Patrick E. Tyler The New York Times Many experts believe the failure to find Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction was one of politics rather than of Twin Bombings in Northern Iraq Kill at Least 56 Jeffrey Gettleman and Edward Wong The New York Times The bombers killed several top Kurdish leaders and wounded other senior officials in the explosions, which came 10 minutes apart and constituted the worst attack in Iraq since late August Soldier's Story Matthew B. Stannard The San Francisco Chronicle "Was that a 'f -- you?' " he asked. "Or a 'thank you?' " The Shiite Surge David Rieff The New York Times The clerics in Najaf say they don't want a secular, Westernized Iraq. So what do they want? Call of History Draws Iraqi Cleric to the Political Fore Anthony Shadid The Washington Post From his biography and in interviews with fellow clerics, his staff and Iraqis who have met him, a complex picture emerges of a man whose exercise of power is as much a consequence of time and place as of his personality Iraqi Army Can Ride to the Rescue Anthony C. Zinni The Los Angeles Times I was surprised when the Iraqi army was disbanded after the invasion. This decision, along with the complete "de-Baathification" of the government, has proved a miscalculation Revealed: the gas chamber horror of North Korea's gulag Antony Barnett The Observer (UK) A series of shocking personal testimonies is now shedding light on Camp 22 - one of the country's most horrific secrets Activity Heats Up as U.S. and Iran Flirt With Closer Ties Robin Wright The Washington Post In a major diplomatic shift, Iran and the United States are seriously probing whether to reengage now that they have overlapping interests in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to officials and analysts from the two nations Editorial: More cheating by Tehran The Washington Times Just a few weeks ago, Tehran acknowledged that it is continuing to build uranium-enrichment centrifuges, which are needed to make nuclear weapons Al Qaeda keeps off Israel for now Jay Bushinsky The Washington Times Israeli intelligence officials believe that al Qaeda has largely spared the Jewish state from terrorist attacks as part of a global plan to first destroy the United States and establish an Islamic empire Afghan Prisoners on Cusp of Freedom, and a Choice Hamida Ghafour The Los Angeles Times Hundreds of Taliban fighters behind bars are to be released; will they go home in peace or pick up their weapons again? Gripe And Grin Thomas Omestad U.S. News and World Report The smiles are still there, but tensions are creeping into the U.S.-Russia relationship The Coming Battle Of The Ages David J. Rothkopf The Washington Post That problem is a clash of generations -- in which the interests of an aging, developed world are pitted against those of a developing world that is young and increasingly frustrated	Why Bush Isn't a Shoo-In Joe Klein Time Isolated for much of the past three years, the President needs to reacquaint himself with the American people Budgets of Mass Destruction Thomas L. Friedman The New York Times Please don't tell me the tax cuts are working. Of course they're working! If you put this much stimulus into our economy — three tax cuts, loose monetary policy and out-of-control spending — it will produce a boom. Eat 10 chocolate bars at once and you'll also get a rush Bush to Back Off Some Initiatives for Budget Plan Robert Pear and Edmund L. Andrews The New York Times Constrained by big budget deficits and political realities, the officials said they would retreat on some of their own ideas and oppose others favored by Republicans in Congress GOP Focus Is Already Fixed on Endgame Maura Reynolds and Doyle McManus The Los Angeles Times Strategists' grass-roots plans to reelect Bush are well ahead of schedule. The emphasis is not on swing voters, but loyal Kerry Strong In All 7 Races On Tuesday Dan Balz The Washington Post Riding the momentum from his recent victories in Iowa and New Hampshire, Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) is leading or competitive in all seven states with primaries or caucuses on Tuesday Confidence in Kerry Increases in Key States Ronald Brownstein The Los Angeles Times Sen. John F. Kerry, propelled by his victories in the first round of Democratic contests, has established a huge advantage in Missouri, but leads only narrowly in Arizona and trails native son Sen. John Edwards in South Carolina Interview with John Kerry Douglas Waller and Eric Roston Time TIME sat down with the Senator to talk politics, the Bush Administration and the campaign trail Kerry seeks to detach from Kennedy's coattails Brian C. Mooney The Boston Globe "In the shadow of Ted Kennedy." It's been written so often that it has become synonymous with the name of John F. Kerry Clark Steps Up Criticism of Kerry Paul Schwartzman The Washington Post The shift in tone is not the only new wrinkle in Clark's quest to salvage his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, a campaign that has sputtered even before his narrow third-place finish in New Hampshire Dean's Loss Of Nerve Marjorie Williams The Washington Post Dean's campaign was doomed from the day in December when he won the endorsement of former vice president Al Gore He was too good to be true Gloria Borger U.S. News and World Report Dean began like gangbusters, but pretty soon he wasn't the only guy out there calling to take the country back. Establishment candidates excel at sailing with the prevailing winds Editorial: Come Back, Little Deaniacs The New York Times That is the way politics, at its best, works. First you discover that your paragon of a candidate is all too deeply human. Then you realize that the real heroics come from you and your friends with the pamphlets, stolidly going door to door Dean's Fundraising Matched by Spending Thomas B. Edsall The Washington Post By the time polls closed on Jan. 27 in New Hampshire, Howard Dean had spent roughly $40 million, setting a presidential campaign record and leaving his campaign close to broke Dean: Special interests have hold over Kerry CNN Howard Dean lashed out Saturday at Democratic presidential front-runner Sen. John Kerry with some of the harshest rhetoric of the campaign, calling Kerry "another special interest clone." National ID card remarks haunt Dean Audrey Hudson The Washington Times Presidential hopeful Howard Dean has styled himself as a champion of liberty and privacy, but six months after the September 11 terrorist attacks, he called for standardized, computer-chip identification cards Black and Bruised Joann Wypijewski The New York Times The African-American vote could make all the difference in South Carolina. But given the way three local Democratic activists are feeling, the party might be in big trouble Job loss No. 1 topic in South Carolina primary Zachary Coile The San Francisco Chronicle Democrats running in Tuesday's first-in-the-South contest are seizing on voter anxiety about the economy and blaming President Bush for the state's loss of 66,000 jobs in the past three years
The Right Wing	Funny stuff
Women In the New Iraq Paul D. Wolfowitz The Washington Post My second trip to Iraq since the liberation of Baghdad grabbed some headlines because of a rocket attack on our hotel. But a visit to a new women's center in the city of Hillah said more about Iraq's future than did that act of violence See Bush's Strong Hand -- and Raise the Ante Walter Russell Mead The Los Angeles Times To win the White House back, it may not be enough for Democrats to go along more or less reluctantly with Bush's war policy. They may need to articulate an even tougher policy against our terrorist enemies and the countries that aid them Clinton & Clinton R. Emmett Tyrell, Jr. The Wall Street Journal To maintain the Clintons' hold on their party, Howard Dean had to be destroyed Angst on the right Cal Thomas The Washington Times There is a heated debate in the ranks of President Bush's most ardent supporters about whether they should go public with their concerns and risk hurting his re-election chances Democrats for Bush Oliver North The Washington Times Mr. Clark, who friends say would be a Republican had Karl Rove only returned his phone calls, called the Bush administration "the most closed, imperialistic, nastiest administration in living history" — which just shows that hell hath no fury like a washed-up general scorned How to control the habit Richard W. Rahn The Washington Times Republicans claim to be fiscal conservatives who believe in smaller government. But the latest spending binge has occurred under a Republican President and a Republican Congress. Only under Lyndon Johnson did the budget grow faster than under President Bush	Cruising all the way to the buffet Dave Barry The Miami Herald Eat more! There's a midnight buffet. Plus, if you pay a little extra, your cabin attendant will come around and stuff food into your mouth while you sleep