Tuesday, January 2, 2007

Amid claims that 'Bush Silences a Dangerous Witness,' through what Riverbend calls 'A Lynching,' it's also argued that "this isn't an execution, it's a cover-up."

After reporting that U.S. officials were "privately incensed at the dead-of-night rush to the gallows," John Burns said that he "could hardly imagine an event more emblematic, of what America has accomplished or failed to accomplish here than the final chapter of Saddam Hussein."

With Iraq's prime minister now reportedly ordering a probe into how the execution of a 'model prisoner' became "a televised spectacle," it's recalled that 'Saddam Was Right and Bush Was Wrong' about WMD.

Six demands were reportedly made by Iraqi insurgents during Secretary of State 'Rice's stillborn talks with the Iraqi resistance.'

The military says 'NOK, PNOK' in delivering hard-hitting news, although 'Much of U.S. Is Largely Unaffected,' as the AP asks, 'Why So Many Upset ...?'

It's reported that 'Few Iraqis Are Gaining U.S. Sanctuary,' despite Sen. Ted Kennedy's argument that "America bears heavy responsibility for their plight."

Tariq Ali explains why "these are refugees who do not excite the sympathy of western public opinion."

'Where's Obama?' asks a CNN "Situation Room" report on the hunt for Al Qaeda's leadership, while an "exit strategy" is proposed for 2007's 'Banished Words.'

With Washington seen as 'Blundering into Somalia Yet Again,' one observer finds it "nice to see good old Somalia back in the news."

With global hotspots 'poised to get hotter' in 2007, This Modern World is grateful that 'Young Republicans want to help.'

Grand Canyon National Park turns 'Agnostic on Geology,' as a struggling tribe's elders hold a debate over sacred ground.

The Washington Post obtains an NRA fundraising pamphlet "designed to send its members into fits of paranoid rage," despite the group's crowing that "Americans cast their votes for record numbers of pro-gun candidates, both Democrat and Republican."

Daivd Corn finds that the ascension of one conservative commentator -- and former Ken Lay adviser -- to the role of "star" Time columnist demonstrates that "the market doesn't work."

An op-ed argues that a 'Tiny share of West's wealth could save millions of lives,' but the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is more interested in heading off a "constitutional crisis."

The year 2007 sees "The Truly Truest Truth" about 'zany' Adolf Hitler heading for German movie houses, and French protesters just say 'non' to leaving 2006 behind.

Thank you to everyone who answered our year-end fundraising call. If you missed the party, begin 2007 with a wise investment of $50 or more and spend the rest of the year in style.

December 28-January 1

Wednesday, January 3, 2007

As an op-ed by President Bush cites the Patriot Act and No Child Left Behind as models of bipartisan cooperation, it's predicted that Bush will 'Knock Our Socks Off' at the State of the Union.

According to Robert Parry, 'Operation: Save Bush's Legacy,' which has "the goal of postponing the inevitable until 2009 when American defeat can be palmed off on a new President," includes giving "the bum's rush" to Gen. George Casey.

"The most blistering indictment of a sitting President in the history of broadcast television" is said to reflect "the overriding mood of the nation ... that we should take away the car keys."

'We Have a Sociopath as President,' the author of a book on 'The Inner W' says in an interview.

"Senior officers and defense executives" in "Defense World" are said to have "confided" that "the time may come when we will have to kill millions of Muslims."

The Wall Street Journal reports that the "emergency-funding request for operations in Iraq ... is being used to acquire future weapons," but Kathy Kelly acknowledges that "it's hard to put your foot down over something called a 'supplemental spending bill.'"

While news editors chose to focus on 'The Noose or the Suit' in covering the execution of Saddam Hussein, a U.S. military spokesman says that "we" would have hanged him differently.

Responding to a challenge by Iraq Slogger's Eason Jordan, the AP stands by its use of a controversial source, but CJR Daily's Paul McLeary argues that it's time to 'Produce the Phantom.'

The priorities of 'Activists on the Left' reportedly "will not be in evidence inside the Capitol," when Democrats take control of Congress tomorrow, and a '10-Step Program' takes no position on Iraq or Afghanistan.

As a Washington Post editorial appeals for 'A Fairer House,' David Sirota accuses Democrats of effectively pushing 'Green M&Ms As A Cure for Cancer.'

Consideration of the 'Effect of Obama's Candor' prompts memories of Trudeaumania, and the days when Canada had 'A Swinger for Prime Minister,' but Dick Morris concedes that Sen. Obama 'can be whatever he wants to be.'

As a 'Fox News reporter says Bush admitted using cocaine, then retreats,' Media Matters finds that ABC News apparently single-sourced a story on the rivalry between Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton, and the National Journal's Chuck Todd handicaps the candidates going into "the busiest off-year in presidential campaign history."

After Rep. Virgil Goode declared that "I have no intention of displaying the Quran in my office," Rep.-elect Keith Ellison opted for a book with "an unassailably all-American provenance."

An appeal to 'Come and Join' a 'Party of One' is successfully answered in Connecticut.

A consideration of 'John Lennon's Born-Again Phase' includes excerpts from the former Beatle's correspondence with televangelist and faith healer Oral Roberts.

Homeland Security ranks the best places to live, assuming Pat Robertson is right this time, and Robertson loses the mentor who helped him start speaking in tongues. Plus: Grading 'Nostradumbass.'

"You just can't buy a way of life," says a resident of Briny Breezes, in explaining why he's thumbing his nose at a developer's offer of more than $1 million for his slice of the trailer-park town described as "a down-market relic of old Florida."

January 2

Thursday, January 4, 2007

With the 'Old Guard' pushing escalation and arguing that "if we surge and it doesn't work, it's hard to imagine what we do after that," Dan Froomkin asks, 'Where's the Outrage?'

Robert Dreyfuss tackles 'The Surge to Nowhere,' other than to the prospect of an insurgent government, but a State Department spokesman reframes the strategy, explaining that "instead of a surge, it is a bump."

A new Gallup poll finds widespread belief that media coverage of the war in Iraq has "painted too negative a picture" of what is going on there.

When 'The Law Catches Up to Private Militaries,' thanks to "five words, slipped into a Pentagon budget bill," Defense Tech reports that it will catch up to embedded reporters, as well.

Saddam Hussein's 'Ugly Death' prompts 'new look at Iraqi leadership,' and gratitude that 'our leaders are completely different.'

With bidding underway for Saddam's noose, rumored to be in the hands of Muqtada Al-Sadr, at least three children reportedly hang themselves after watching video of the execution.

Before claiming to have slept through the hanging, President Bush reportedly went postal in another signing statement.

A New York Times report describes how Jose Padilla went "from Al Qaeda's dirty bomber to foot soldier" while becoming a "piece of furniture" in the government's case against him, without losing his spot in the top 10.

The WSWS reports on a 'Hunger strike' by "security certificate" detainees being held at "Canada's Guantanamo," pending deportation to countries whose use of torture is said by Immigration Canada to have been "overstated."

As Cindy Sheehan feels the love from the right, progressives are urged not to help her 'drown out the message.'

Vanity Fair's Todd Purdum profiles "the American media's favorite politician," while momentum builds for one potential presidential rival, who sees 'A Chance To Change The Game,' as another gets "a cute little warning from the Grey Lady."

House Democrats were reportedly for a 'Quick Ban on Travel Paid for by Corporations,' but 'Rep. Frank Opens Door to Business' by proposing a "grand bargain."

Appearing on "Countdown," Frank told Keith Olbermann that "when the Republican administration of George Bush tells me not to use legislation to make political statements, it's kind of like being accused of being silly by the Three Stooges."

ExxonMobil's $16 million 'Disinformation Campaign on Global Warming' is described as "a relatively modest investment" -- and others were happy to help.

It is reportedly "not clear how quickly" intelligence czar John Negroponte will be able to assume "a lower-ranking position" at the State Department, because "there is no deputy ready to take over" his current responsibilities.

January 3

Friday, January 5, 2007

As Democrats kick off their first 100 hours, the passage of House rule changes "designed to sever the cozy links that have developed between lawmakers and lobbyists," is called "a positive first step," and Sen. Patrick Leahy introduces a bill targeting fraud by government contractors.

Amid widespread calls for "bipartisanship," a White House spokesman suggests that the GOP can work with House Majority Leader Pelosi "regardless of gender," a Fox News banner warns of "100 Hours To Turn America Into San Francisco," and right-wing bloggers launch "Red Scare 2007."

Read what Pelosi said, that led the Washington Times, followed by The Drudge Report, Fox News and others, to amplify the claim that she called herself "the most powerful woman in America."

Rep. Charlie Rangel gets the office he's been dreaming of, while 'suddenly righteous Republicans' submit "a minority bill of rights."

In the fight against the "gratuitous privatization" of Medicare, Paul Krugman argues that the Democrats should go beyond allowing Medicare "to negotiate prices on behalf of the private drug plans" and force it "to offer direct drug coverage that competes on a financially fair basis with the private plans."

With President Bush's approval rating tanking, Sen. Chuck Schumer issues a warning about hubris, and a "rough draft" of Bush's Wall Street Journal op-ed is discovered.

According to the Washington Post, the resignation of Harriet Miers was prompted by administration insiders who felt that she was not the kind of "tough street fighter" needed for the coming war over "congressional demands for information on politically sensitive topics."

As 'Bush shuffles the neocon deck,' John Negroponte moves down a chair, to be replaced as intelligence czar by a "leading figure in outsourcing U.S. intelligence operations to private industry."

Named the "most annoying person on the right" by a national conservative weekly, Sen. John McCain appears to have forgotten his earlier assessment of how easy the Iraq war would be, and apparently doesn't have his facts straight about his campaign manager's involvement with a controversial ad.

Aiming at a "clean sweep," the president is replacing the top military commander in Iraq and will appoint an admiral as head of central command, a decision that, the New York Times suggests, "reflects a greater emphasis on countering Iranian power."

Given how much the American invasion of Iraq has strengthened the Iranian position in the region, Slavoj Zizek imagines that, facing the right judge, President Bush could be "condemned as an Iranian agent."

As the U.S. 'Army digs deep to get strong,' a former top general does an about face on "don't ask, don't tell," and a new poll shows the military looking a little less like "a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Republican Party."

As Senate Majority Leader Reid and House Speaker Pelosi 'Criticize possible Iraq troop surge,' the White House is simply postponing disaster in Iraq, says Sen. Joseph Biden, who is considering introducing a congressional resolution opposing a surge in order to split Republicans from the president. Plus: A call to 'End the Crusade.'

In his diary, the director of the Iraq National Library and Archive details his struggle to keep the institution operating in the face of bombings, snipers and the assassination of members of his staff.

After the Iraqi Interior ministry acknowledges the existence of a disputed AP source , the source is arrested for talking to the media, but there are few signs of regret from the conservative bloggers who denounced the AP's reporting, and Eason Jordan spreads the blame around.

A raid into the West Bank city of Ramallah, which killed 4 Palestinians and wounded many others, is described as "routine arrest activity" by an Israeli army spokeswoman, but its timing leads to controversy.

A statue of Saddam Hussein standing on the gallows is reportedly to be erected in Libya, his final poems bid 'a florid farewell to the Iraqi people,' and David Letterman considers a commercial angle.

January 4

Monday, January 8, 2007

After Democratic leaders in Congress sent President Bush a letter rejecting a surge and calling for an end to the war in Iraq, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi threatened not to fund escalation unless the president justifies it.

Advocates of escalation warn Bush that anything less than 18 months just won't do, 'Sen. Lieberman goes his own independent way,' saying that a troop increase "must be substantial, and it must be sustained," and Sen. McCain presents Lieberman as evidence of the war's popularity.

Queegmire? Paul Krugman considers how surge proponents appeal to the president's ego in suggesting that "that he might yet be able to rescue his signature war," as what Krugman calls "the president's Captain Queeg-like inability to own up to mistakes" seems to find an echo in Sen. McCain.

The war in Iraq doesn't play as well as it used to even in Utah, as Oliver North argues that McCain and Lieberman are wrong, and George Will joins all seven regular New York Times opinion columnists in opposition to escalation, but one key 'surge pusher' remains at the Times.

The marathon of "Ford obsequies," Frank Rich contends, serves mainly as a "grim verdict" on Bush, with the "Hussein snuff film" a further reminder that our "long national nightmare in Iraq" is getting a second wind as the president prepares to overrule the electorate and escalate.

Inspired by the gargantuan P.R. disaster surrounding Saddam Hussein's hanging, Matt Taibbi reviews how Thomas Friedman played oracle to suburban supporters of a war cooked up by bureaucrats "who know an awful lot more about bowling than they do about Islam."

As Iraq rejects calls to halt the execution of his co-defendants, Saddam Hussein's execution video 're-ignites death penalty debates worldwide,' but Christopher Hitchens' denunciation of "the shameful hanging" is said to be tainted by the idiom of a "white man's burden."

Although a Washington Post report emphasizes that the new top U.S. military commander in Iraq "still sees peace as possible," the article notes that there is widespread skepticism about what General Petraeus can achieve, with one colleague suggesting that he has been dealt "a losing hand."

With Iraqi Health Ministry statistics showing a tripling of civilian and police deaths in '06, the No. 2 U.S. commander in Iraq concedes that a military surge "would not be enough," and that "under President Bush's new war strategy" gaining the upper hand might take another "two or three years."

Newsweek details 'how the U.S. is losing the P.R war in Iraq,' noting that U.S. officials believe that in some cases "insurgents attack American forces primarily to generate fresh footage" for propaganda videos.

The New York Times reports that the green light for Saddam to be turned over to the Iraqi government was given by Secretary of State Rice, "despite the reservations of the military commanders in Baghdad."

Tony Karon contends that the increasingly violent conflict between Hamas and Fatah is "the intended consequence" of 'Condi's savage war on the Palestinians,' as "the last neocon standing" appears to be organizing for a "hard coup" against the Hamas government.

"Twice a day, the clock strikes 11," observes Laura Rozen, pointing to the apparently recycled London Times headline 'Israel plans nuclear strike on Iran,' although it's noted that if such an attack did take place, "it would be hard to overestimate the geopolitical repercussions."

As Defense Tech highlights the 'new spy chief's total information ties,' the Democrats form an 'un-disappearing committee,' and a new Web site aims to become 'the Wikipedia of leaked documents.' Plus: 'Declassified in name only.'

The "lonely Kerry" photo story, which was heavily promoted by right wing bloggers, falls apart, but the promoters have trouble letting go, as former Democratic party boss Terry McAuliffe lambasts Kerry's presidential campaign in a new memoir.

In 'Working Harder for the Man,' Bob Herbert notes that while the CEO of Home Depot "began the new year with a pink slip and a golden parachute," and some Wall Street bonuses were "fabulous enough to resurrect an adult's belief in Santa Claus," increases in worker productivity received little reward.

A new study by the Congressional Budget Office finds that 'Bush Tax Cuts Offer Most for Very Rich,' with families earning more than $1 million a year seeing "their federal tax rates drop more sharply than any other group in the country."

As a 'Celebration of Courage' remembers six years of George W. Bush, people line up on a San Francisco beach to recommend a course of action for the new Congress.

January 5-7

Tuesday, January 9, 2007

As President Bush rallies the troops for a "daunting sales job," White House Press Secretary Tony Snow says that Americans "don't want another Sept. 11," and it's argued that "victory is ... at hand" in Iraq.

The Wall Street Journal raises the profile of deputy national security advisor J. D. Crouch, one of 'National Security's Hard Men,' who argued in 2005 that failure to find WMD "in no way minimizes the threat Saddam posed," and who is now 'Crafting an Iraq Plan.'

With 'Democrats Split Over Iraq Approach,' Rep. John Murtha is said to have offered "the clearest statement yet on how House Democrats may respond" to any proposed troop "surge."

'Get Real' A New York Times editorial stops "well short of opposing" an escalation of the Iraq War.

A House bill to implement 9/11 Commission recommendations reportedly 'Draws Doubts' from the Department of Homeland Security.

As the U.S. re-enters 'The Somalian Labyrinth,' Norman Solomon argues that while "Bush may be a headless horseman ... the biggest problem is what he rode in on."

A "successful" U.S. strike, followed by more attacks, has reportedly yielded 'many dead' in 'The New Iraq,' where U.S. ground forces are said to have been "active ... from the start."

Although PressThink's Jay Rosen finds the media situation 'Grave and Deteriorating For the Children of Agnew,' ABC's "Good Morning America" still taps "the perfect guest."

Former Sen. Rick Santorum lands a new job, as director of an "America's Enemies" program, after Sean Hannity names his first "Enemy of the State."

As Bush gets the fiscal year 2008 budget debate 'Off to a Bad Start,' Fair Trade Dems are seen as being "on the wrong side of history," and congressional 'staffers worry revolving door will slow down.'

The president's replacement for Harriet Miers as White House counsel is "clearly being brought in to draw legal lines in the sand," while the U.N. gets 'Good News and Bad.'

As Democrats again delay choosing between New York City and Denver for their 2008 convention, the Denver Post profiles a labor leader whose refusal to sign a no-strike contract may be a deal breaker for what is called the best place for Democrats to "stake a claim."

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposal to offer health care for all in California reportedly "gave virtual coronaries to leaders of California's hospitals, doctors' groups and insurers," and the Governator has already identified his next target.

Financial markets are described as being "caught off guard," after President Hugo Chavez accelerates 'Venezuela's socialist revolution' and vows to "dismantle the bourgeois state."

A conservative talk show host accuses The Weather Channel of having "succumbed to the cancerous spread of liberalism," and of catering to "the global warming crowd," while at ExxonMobil, the song remains the same.

After getting the call to "come back to Fox News Channel," Geraldo Rivera calls out MSNBC's Keith Olbermann, in a style reminiscent of Geraldo's war coverage.

Black Agenda Report recalls 'The Man Who Named A People,' and whose message 'Challenges us from the grave,' while "the most intense place you could have been during the 20th century" is identified.

January 8

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

As White House spokesmen argue that "it's important to bring the public back to this war," and that "President Bush is in their camp," the media choose among a surge, an escalation, and a punt.

Mike Lupica observes that Bush will offer another in an "endless series" of plans for Iraq, after moving managers around "the way sports owners do it with bad teams, as a way of showing some kind of movement to the fans when there is none in the standings."

Amid reports of White House determination to "look distinctive" in presenting "the way forward," Mike Ferner asks, 'If Not Now, When?'

Sally Quinn urges President Bush to make 'The Least Immoral Choice,' rather than "to embark on a potentially disastrous escalation of the Iraq war, which was lost long ago."

Juan Cole rounds up coverage of 'Groundhog Day in Purple Heart Boulevard,' as U.S. warplanes turn a street in the heart of Baghdad into a 'new Fallujah.'

As Pratap Chatterjee investigates 'High-Tech Healthcare in Iraq, Minus the Healthcare,' Dahr Jamail finds press freedom in Iraq to be 'Under Growing Siege.'

Iraq's National Security Advisor expresses concern that "people around the world were distracted from the real issues" by negative coverage of Saddam's execution.

'They have made a killing,' argues Terry Jones, while spending "a million dollars for every dead Iraqi."

With SMU faculty reportedly "raising sharp questions" over the location of 'Dubya's Tower of Babel,' a suggestion is made for a more 'somber setting.'

'As the Dust Clears,' it's argued that the Islamists who have now been replaced "with Washington's connivance" were 'the one hope for Somalia,' where the issue remains, 'To bomb or not to bomb.'

"The Trial of Tony Blair," premiering January 15 on Britain's Channel 4, finds "ex-president Bush back in rehab" and a prime minister feeling the Sting.

Blair is also the intended beneficiary of "a political intervention from beyond the grave."

Dinesh D'Souza wants to debate the president of William & Mary over his decision to remove a cross from a campus chapel. It would be sponsored in part by the well-endowed Intercollegiate Studies Institute.

The appearance by D'Souza would come just two weeks after the mid-January release of his new book, in which he claims that "The cultural left in this country is responsible for causing 9/11."

Among those fingered by D'Souza are Bill Moyers, Britney Spears and Sen. Ted Kennedy, who was also described by a Fox News anchor as a "hostile enemy" of the U.S.

With former CIA director George Tenet's forthcoming memoirs reportedly 'under review,' former agency operative Valerie Plame balks at a "Don't Write, Don't Tell" directive.

Venezuela's Chavez takes the oath for another six year term, amid speedy criticism for a 'Bad Move' by a 'Repeatedly Re-Elected Autocrat.'

Patrick O'Connor explores the continuing "assault on Jimmy Carter" and his best-seller book, "led by powerful, mainstream institutions like the New York Times," but Carter gets 'An Israeli Defense.'

The debut of "Little Mosque on the Prairie" on CBC 'hits close to home' for Canadian Muslims, after drawing the attention of Paula Zahn and a CNN viewer who wrote, "I see a Muslim and I think 9/11."

January 9

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Weighing what President Bush said and didn't say in his address to the nation, the New York Times, seen as "more hawkish than Oliver North" on Tuesday, editorialized that "there is nothing ahead but even greater disaster in Iraq."

An AP analysis found 'Bush Rhetoric Hard to Square With Facts,' while the new strategy was seen as 'merely a tactical change' on 'the march of folly.'

As MSNBC's Keith Olbermann reviews 'the Commander's Credibility,' Will Bunch finds that the words of LBJ and GWB "pretty much speak for themselves" -- or was he channeling Nixon?

Presidential aides have reportedly "hinted that the administration had already come up with a 'Plan B' in case the latest strategy failed," and Chris Floyd argues that "the real Plan B" is all about Iran.

Analyzing "a surge of words, twenty-minutes worth, 2,898 of them," Tom Engelhardt sees Bush as "offering up human sacrifices ... on the altar of blind faith."

Urging readers to 'Stand up against the surge,' Molly Ivins argues that "We need people in the streets, banging pots and pans."

It's argued that Bush's speech contained "coded language ... calling for genocide against the Sunnis," while CNN reports that escalation is a two-way street, and Rudy Giuliani has a deja vu moment.

Although the Chicago Sun-Times editorializes that "like it or not, Bush's strategy is America's," a Washington Post/ABC News poll conducted after the speech found 'Most Americans Opposed' to sending more troops to Bush's 'Private Fantasyland.'

"If we wind up losing the war in Iraq," Max Boot argues, conservatives will "know who to blame."

All three major networks reportedly declined to carry the Democratic response to Bush, attributed by Rush Limbaugh to "Senator Turban."

A New York Sun report suggests one reason why reporter Judith Miller may have been "effusive" in her praise of General David Petraeus, President Bush's new Iraq commander, who has argued that "everyone must do nation-building."

Arguing that Bush should 'Know when to fold 'em,' retired general William Odom calls for "a new poker game with more favorable odds."

Bush's plan for Iraq has reportedly united Democrats, with some notable exceptions, and left Republicans "edgy and either largely silent or outspoken in opposition to their own president."

Colmunist Robert Novak finds the 'State Department in Chaos,' but Secretary of State Rice declares her love for 'my Fox guys ... every single one of them."

The top Al Qaeda leaders are reportedly 'Still Alive' in Somalia, despite previous reports, although 'U.S. attacks may have killed Canadians' and more than 100 civilians, leaving Mogadishu 'Awash in Anger.'

Unraveling the common thread in 'Disasters in Iraq, Haiti and Jamaica,' John Maxwell argues that "in all of this it is the behavior of the American press that has been most disgraceful."

Storming the Gates In the wake of a Los Angeles Times investigatory series, described as "pretty damning stuff," the world's largest philanthropic organization has reportedly announced a decision to "review other strategies that can fulfill a social responsibility role."

January 10

Friday, January 12, 2007

As 'reporters quiz officials about new U.S. threats against Iran,' Steve Clemons reports on insider speculation about "a secret Executive Order ... to launch military operations against Syria and Iran" and Secretary of State Rice is warned that an attack on Iran would "generate a constitutional confrontation in the Senate."

The Washington Post quotes U.S. officials saying that yesterday's raids on Iranian targets in Iraq "are part of a new U.S. intelligence and military operation launched last month against Iran," but the regional Kurdish government protests a violation of its "internal sovereignty."

Grilled on escalation in Iraq by both Democrats and Republicans in the Senate, Rice becomes a 'uniter of the divided' in opposition to Bush's new policy, as she proposes a new label for the troop increase.

Lewis Lapham's Operation Iraqi Quagmire offers an annotated edition of the president's address to the nation, Keith Olbermann concludes that Bush's new strategy fails because it depends on his credibility, and a panel of commentators on Fox News leaves CJR Daily's Paul McLeary struggling to identify the weakest link.

A weekend P.R. blitz to sell the Bush Iraq plan faces a solid majority of Americans opposed to escalation according to two new polls, and even at a Georgia military base Bush is greeted with "little of the wild enthusiasm" ordinarily showered on the commander in chief.

In Baghdad, the response to Bush's speech is sufficiently "tepid" as to raise questions about "whether the government would make a good-faith effort to prosecute the new war plan."

A "lukewarm" endorsement from Britain, which is reportedly considering a withdrawal of up to a third of its troops from Iraq, is said to be among the most positive the Bush plan received in Europe.

A survey of Mideast media response to the Bush plan finds one political observer complaining that Iraq is being treated like a "banana republic," as Bush's comment to Maliki that "this has to work or you're out," raises questions about Iraqi sovereignty.

As neoconservatives clamor for Bush to take it to the next level, Rep. David Wu charges that there are "Klingons in the White House."

A plan for "gated communities" in Baghdad recalls a Vietnam war precedent, while U.S. Marines, adapting an idea from ancient history, build walls of sand to seal off "flashpoint towns" in western Iraq.

Robert Bryce finds that what is omitted from the "sanitized version of history" presented in James Baker's recent publications exposes their "fundamental dishonesty," but the president's reading of the ISG report is rumored to have been a bit more "scatalogical."

Worldwide protests and calls for closure mark the fifth anniversary of the Guantanamo detention center where, the Financial Times reports, the inmates are being "driven insane" by a detention policy said to have "done more to reverse 200 years of democracy than any other government act in US history."

Paul Krugman argues that a critical flaw in Gov. Schwarzenegger's universal health insurance plan, compared to a single-payer system like the one the governor vetoed last year, is its insistence on keeping insurance companies in the loop, while Joe Conason draws lessons for progressives from an untimely death.

Although the margin by which the House approved a stem cell research bill is not sufficient to override a promised White House veto, the measure's congressional supporters are considering a range of tactics to push the measure through by the end of the year.

After a YouTube video deploys old debate footage to target Mitt Romney's flip-flopping on abortion, his media team mounts a rapid response on a talk show and on YouTube to shore up his conservative credentials.

Radar reports that Harold Ford has been offered the chairmanship of the Democratic Leadership Council, and publishes a memo suggesting that the DLC is writing off the presidential hopes of its former chair, Tom Vilsack.

As 'thousands gather in Memphis' for the National Conference for Media Reform, "Democracy Now!" talks to Jonathan Adelstein and Robert McChesney about the state of the U.S. media.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation 'declares war' on a San Francisco radio station that has been "threatening a blogger who posts clips of their reporting," as the station blames publicity generated by "very dangerous and frightening fringe-left groups" for its loss of advertisers.

Jamuary 11

Monday, January 15, 2007

In an interview with "60 Minutes," President Bush defends the decision to invade Iraq, arguing that the "Iraqi people owe the American people a huge debt of gratitude," and claims the authority "to send more U.S. forces, regardless of what lawmakers want."

With Bush's speech last Wednesday failing to sell even Peggy Noonan on the war, Frank Rich pictures the president as a "defeated Willy Loman," lacking even "the courage of his own disastrous convictions."

Although a majority of Americans oppose the Bush plan, a recent poll shows 67% of Republicans still favor committing more troops to Iraq, putting GOP presidential aspirants, such as John McCain, in a difficult position.

'On Hillary's Turf' John Edwards echoes Martin Luther King's speech denouncing the American campaign in Vietnam, while Democracy Now! interviews the Rev. Jesse Jackson about witnessing King's assassination.

In 'The Texas Strategy' Paul Krugman argues that, for the president and pundits still trying to sell the surge, the real aim is not the faint hope of victory, but prolonging their power and the illusion of their own importance for as long as possible.

The New York Times reports that the "American military's misgivings" about emboldening "a government that is actually part of the problem," have been compounded by the appointment of a virtually unknown Shiite officer as the Iraqi operational commander.

As the head of Saddam Hussein's half brother is reportedly "ripped off" during his execution, Conflicts Forum argues that Iran played the decisive role in the execution of Saddam Hussein, graphically demonstrating "that it is now the preeminent political force inside Iraq.

Among the "best case scenarios" for Iraq according to a survey of experts in the New York Times, are that "we'll be in Iraq for 15-20 years," or that it'll "turn into today's version of the Spanish Civil War," while Bush--and the mainstream media--are given credit for slaying the "last empire."

The Independent reveals how the "company appointed to advise the U.S. government on the economic reconstruction of Iraq" has helped fill "Republican Party coffers," while the global energy race appears to be fueling a "transformation of the U.S. military into a global oil protection service."

Amid plans to double the number of reconstruction teams in Iraq and moves to subject civilian contractors to military courts-martial, the Washington Post's Rajiv Chandrasekaran recounts the recent reversal of some de-Baathification and privatization commitments in place since the beginning of the war.

An op-ed in the New York Times explores how the salaries of "ghost" soldiers may be "siphoned off to support tribal and ethnic fighting, and even the insurgency itself," and a check of the Kalashnikov Index is seen as the most reliable indicator of what the future might bring to Iraq.

A contributor to the National Review explains how the president's conduct of the war has shaken up his core political beliefs, but Michael Ledeen persists in suggesting that "if we were successful in supporting democratic revolution in Tehran, we'd have unbelievable popular support."

Although Tony Snow dismisses expectations of war with Iran as an "urban legend," Robert Parry sums up a series of political and military moves that suggest the U.S. is heading toward a wider regional war, and a time line identifies windows of opportunity for an attack on Iran.

"There's nothing wrong with it or illegal," contends Vice President Cheney, confirming reports that the CIA and U.S. military have been accessing financial records of hundreds of Americans suspected of terrorism or espionage, as 'deletions in Army manual raise wiretapping concerns.' Earlier: 'A license to snoop on British air travelers?'

In his keynote address to the National Conference for Media Reform, Bill Moyers, warns of the dangers of media consolidation and corporate designs on the Internet, and it's announced that the first episode of the new "Bill Moyers Journal" will "examine the role of the press prior to the Iraq invasion."

With jury selection for the trial of "Scooter" Libby about to begin, Murray Waas reviews evidence that prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald is zeroing in on Cheney, who is expected to testify at the trial.

The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists will move the hands on the Doomsday Clock a little closer to midnight later this week to reflect "escalating terrorism, and new pressure from climate change for expanded civilian nuclear power that could increase proliferation risks."

January 12-14

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

More than 34,000 Iraqi civilians were killed last year, according to a U.N. tally, which found "nearly three times the number reported ... by the Iraqi government," along with over 30,000 detainees being held "without charge or prosecution."

The U.N. also described "the largest refugee crisis in the Middle East since the Palestinian exodus from Israel in 1948," including violence against Syrian refugees in Iraq, and warned of a "looming crisis" in 'oil-rich Kirkuk.'

With analysts pondering the effect of 'Bush's "surge" on Iraq's oil,' an 'orgy of bombings' sweeps Iraq, with scores of students blown up at a university entrance, and 'The Planner' said to be 'Lost in the Woods.'

McClatchy reports that "the administration has continued to offer inaccurate information to Congress, the American people and sometimes to itself," and Newsweek's Fareed Zakaria argues that 'We Might "Win," But Still Lose.'

The WSWS analyzes the White House 'propaganda campaign' to 'smear opponents of U.S. war in Iraq,' and a 'very bad idea' gives way.

An official videotape shown to reporters "more than 13 hours after the hanging" of two Saddam Hussein aides, one of whom was decapitated, reportedly "did not depict the entire execution," or abate the 'Furor' sparked by Saddam's treatment.

Secretary of State Rice reportedly avoided "domestic concerns" such as torture and political repression while in Egypt, stressing "stability, not democracy," while Defense Secretary Gates accused Iran of "acting in a very negative way" as 'Iraq edges closer.'

With Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton calling for a surge in Afghanistan, after reportedly exchanging blows with John Edwards, Sen. Barack Obama announces that he's filing the papers to create a committee.

After Sen. John McCain spent MLK Day in Montgomery, Alabama, an old quote is said to show that he 'Was Against War In Iraq Before He Was For It.'

Democrats receive encouragement to acknowledge 'What Impeachment Was Designed For.'

Although President Bush's new Iraq strategy 'fails to rally public support,' Democrats are accused of being "combative and shifty at the same time," as 'troop "surge" shapes 2008 race.'

As 'Democrats Seek the Middle,' Sen. Charles Schumer is quoted as saying that "We are not a bunch of libertines who want to see the superego of society disappear."

A Washington Post report on one Gitmo inmate's '5 Years in Limbo' describes the U.S. government as "struggling to rid itself of roughly 200 of its 393 remaining detainees," having "found it difficult" to free them -- or to 'tell a combatant from a cook.'

With jury selection underway in what 'Could Be a High-Profile Bloodletting,' Truthout's Jason Leopold previews 'Fitzgerald's Case Against Libby,' and an old friend recalls 'Scooter and Me.'

Danny Schechter wonders 'What Next For Media Reform?' after feeling "the presence of Dr. King" in Memphis.

One day after reporting that "the drug lobby continues to wield tremendous power in the Democratic-controlled Congress," the Washington Post 'Pushes Drug Industry Line, Again' in an editorial, joining the 'All-Pharma Cheerleading Squad.'

January 15

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

After at least 70 college students were killed in bombings at a Baghdad university "under the sway of the Al Mahdi army," it's recalled that Prime Minister Maliki had threatened to dismiss any students who failed to attend lectures for fear of violence.

A United Nations report on Iraqi civilian deaths strikes Left I On the News as "simply not credible," and an Iraqi official agrees, but for different reasons.

As Maureen Dowd finds the "educator in chief" out making the rounds while engrossed in "A Savage War of Peace," Rigorous Intuition's Jeff Wells sees "a Mansonic logic at play here."

With the U.S. 'deferring war costs,' which are 'hitting historic proportions,' a consideration of 'What $1.2 Trillion Can Buy' is offered.

According to Gary Leupp's five year 'Regime Change Checklist,' Iran "was supposed to have been taken down by now," rather than buying U.S. army gear from the Pentagon.

Glenn Greenwald, finding "a strong presumption against war" lacking in current political discourse, argues that "it's almost as though there is a reverse presumption."

After watching "The Colbert Report," Carpetbagger finds it "refreshing to see a celebrated conservative ideologue stand up and explain how and why al Qaeda might be right."

An Iraqi academic accuses "the US, the IMF and their allies" of "using fear to pursue their agenda of privatizing and selling off Iraq's oil resources."

After attacking "lawyers who do pro bono work for terrorism suspects," a Pentagon official apologizes for being 'Clueless "Cully."'

Attorney General Gonzales blames defense lawyers for delaying justice for Gitmo de