A short recon of what’s out there that might draw your attention.
In the News: (Registration may be required to read some stories)
5 Palestinians Killed in Gaza Strip “JERUSALEM, Jan. 3 -- Renewed factional fighting Wednesday between the rival Hamas and Fatah movements in the Gaza Strip killed five Palestinians, including a 22-year-old woman. More than 10 others were wounded.” (READ MORE)
The Chairman's Turf “EL PASO Silvestre Reyes is straight out of Border Country, that place of lawmen and bandits, pluck and luck” (READ MORE)
Democrats Hope to Take From Oil, Give To Green Energy “House Democrats are crafting an energy package that would roll back billions of dollars worth of oil drilling incentives, raise billions more by boosting federal royalties paid by oil and gas companies for offshore production, and plow the money into new tax breaks for renewable energy sources.” (READ MORE)
Cindy Sheehan routs the Democrats “Cindy Sheehan, the ‘peace activist’ who famously besieged President Bush at Prairie Chapel Ranch, yesterday routed the leaders of the new House Democratic majority from their press conference where they attempted to present their legislative agenda.” (READ MORE)
Social Security for illegal aliens “An agreement the Bush administration reached with Mexico on Social Security benefits would allow illegal aliens granted amnesty in the future to claim credit for the time they worked illegally.” (READ MORE)
Bush warns Democrats on stalemate “President Bush yesterday reasserted his role in domestic policy as the spender in chief and ultimate legislative backstop, urging Democrats to cut pork-barrel spending in half and telling them they will take the blame for stalemate if they send him bills he has to veto.” (READ MORE)
News From the Front:
Bill Roggio writes Pakistan's Continuing Slide “The Pakistani government has finally admitted it has a Taliban and al-Qaeda problem, but refuses to take the needed action to confront the terrorist groups.” (READ MORE)
Bill Roggio writes Hunting the Islamic Courts on the Kenyan Border “Ethiopian armored an air formations continue to pursue the remnants of the Islamic Courts army that has fled the battlefield in southern Somalia. Fighting has been reported near the Kenyan border town of Liboi, where Ethiopian MiGs and Hind helicopters are said to be attacking Islamic Courts fighters.” (READ MORE)
Michael J. Totten writes Hanging With Hezbollah “BEIRUT – After Hezbollah mounted a protest aimed at bringing down Lebanon’s elected government, several thousand demonstrators remained downtown and camped out in tents, effectively occupying the center of the city. They first tried to seize and occupy Prime Minister Fouad Seniora’s office in the Ottoman-era Serail. But Seniora warned Hezbollah that if his office were taken he could not control his ‘street.’”(READ MORE)
Jack Army writes I Am At War. “I've never been to New York City. I laid over at JFK, didn't leave the gate area, closest I came to being there. I know what it looks like, though. I recognize Manhattan easily in TV programs and movies. I've studied maps of the place ranging from the American Revolution to the days after 11 September, 2001. I catch myself, these days, whenever I see Manhattan on the screen, big or small, searching for the twin towers of the World Trade Center. Squinting as the camera pans across the skyline. Sometimes, they're there.” (READ MORE)
Bill of INDCJournal writes Where in the... “I just got back from a first mounted patrol/IED hunt in and around Fallujah. It was interesting, long and uneventful in the violent sense, though another patrol was hit by two IED's as we headed back to base. No serious injuries, some rattled nerves and superficial damage to Humvees, thankfully.” (READ MORE)
On the Web:
George F. Will writing at The Washington Post writes The Right Minimum Wage “Today, raising the federal minimum wage is a bad idea whose time has come, for two reasons, the first of which is that some Democrats have an evidently incurable disease -- New Deal Nostalgia. Witness Nancy Pelosi's "100 hours" agenda, a genuflection to FDR's 100 Days. Perhaps this nostalgia resonates with the 5 percent of Americans who remember the 1930s.” (READ MORE) (READ it here with no registration)
Jules Crittenden writes Iran Wants War “Iran just doesn't want to fight it. The New York Sun reports that the U.S. military has captured documents providing evidence that Iran is backing Shiite militias and Sunni insurgents. Against each other.” (READ MORE)
Cal Thomas writing at Townhall.com writes Promises, Promises “In June of 2004, when then-House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was trying to put the best face on Democratic intentions should they win a majority in the 2006 election, she issued a ‘minority bill of rights.’” (READ MORE)
Ann Coulter writing at Townhall.com writes The Democratic Party: A Vast Sleeper Cell “Liberals spent the Vietnam War rooting for the enemy and clamoring for America's defeat, a tradition they have brought back for the Iraq war.” (READ MORE)
William Rusher writing at Townhall.com writes What did Berger destroy? “If you forgot to make a New Year's resolution, or are still trying to decide on one, let me suggest that you resolve to devote a little time this year to solving the mystery of Sandy Berger and the Destroyed Documents.” (READ MORE)
Victor Davis Hanson writing at Townhall.com writes A war of endurance “As we begin a new year, with a new Congress being sworn in Thursday, it’s a good time to take stock of the ‘global war on terror.’” (READ MORE)
Alan Reynolds writing at Townhall.com writes A 15-year debate on wealth “I wrote a Wall Street Journal op-ed in December showing that the top 1 percent did not receive 16.1 percent of personal income in 2004, but just 10.6 percent. Two ‘liberal’ blogs went predictably apoplectic, but in ways that had absolutely nothing to do with what I had written.” (READ MORE)
Don Surber writes Minnesota shoves back at the imams “Remember the 6 imams who held up a Minneapolis-Phoenix flight by acting like hijackers? Well, they may have pushed political correctness too far, as the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported today: 'Tighter airport cab rules proposed.'” (READ MORE)
Right Wing Nut House writes Iran Hawks: Shadow Boxing With Reality “I have nothing but the greatest respect for Michael Ledeen. He has proven himself one of the most plugged in analysts in the commentariat when it comes to all things having to do with Iran. I would take anything he says about Iran much more seriously than anything I’d hear from Juan Cole…” (READ MORE)
Paul Mirengoff of Power Line writes Surge Options “I favor neither the surge nor the exit. Keegan assumes that Iraq can be saved by winning a few decisive battles against the forces that are creating the instability. But it seems more likely that these forces would decline to engage us in true battle and instead would melt away for while, contenting themselves with acts of terror. Indeed, they seem already to be adopting this approach.” (READ MORE)
McQ of QandO writes Democrat supported PAYGO rule ‘Timid’ and ‘biased toward new taxes’ “Those are the conclusions which Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) reached after reviewing the new PAYGO rules the Democrats have been talking about as a part of their incoming Congressional agenda. Ryan, who is the incoming ranking minority member for the House Budget Committee, outlined 5 problems with the PAYGO rule the Democrats are proposing:” (READ MORE)
Curt of Flopping Aces writes Who Is Quais Abdul Raazzaq? “Michelle Malkin's latest on the trip to Iraq is great news. She will do a great job getting to the bottom of the Jamil Hussein story. There is one interesting aspect to her post tho. She linked to two articles written by Bill Ardolino who interviewed a Iraqi reporter named Quais Abdul Raazzaq.” (READ MORE)
Dan Riehl writes AP's Carroll Has Been Here Before “Michelle Malkin and Bryan Preston from Hot Air are heading to Iraq and could use your support, just as other blogger imbeds Michelle links could. While Jamil Hussein is only one issue she'll be pursuing, I came across something interesting regarding AP editor Kathleen Carroll. When it comes to a lack of attributed sources and bogus reports, apparently she's been there before.” (READ MORE)
Major Z writes Bad American “I Am Your Worst Nightmare. I am a BAD American. I believe the money I make belongs to me and my family, not some midlevel governmental functionary with a bad comb-over who wants to give it away to crack addicts squirting out babies.” (READ MORE)
MaryAnn of Soldiers Angels Germany writes Brothers in Arms “In April, I posted a story about a Soldier's extraordinary experience with a young Iraqi girl who ran up to him asking to be picked up - almost as if she knew him. Her father explained he had been rescued from prison shortly after the end of Saddam Hussein's brutal reign by soldiers of the 101st, and since then his daughter believed the Screaming Eagle patch represented angels sent to protect her family.” (READ MORE)
John Hawkins writes New Orleans: The City That Learns Nothing And Forgets Everything “New Orleans set new standards for incompetence during Hurricane Katrina...so, is it surprising, that the citizens of New Orleans, after reelecting America's most incompetent Mayor, Ray Nagin, are moving right back into the areas most prone to flooding?” (READ MORE)
Neptunus Lex writes That’ll Fix It “Hands up who likes criticism - even the constructive kind? But who thinks criticism - especially the constructive kind - is important to prevent stagnation, stultification and terminal self-satisfaction? Not the New York Times, apparently.” (READ MORE)
Captain Ed writes A Strange Change “John Negroponte has given up his Cabinet-level position in order to work for Condoleezza Rice at State. Replacing him will be another retired military officer, which may revive some of the concerns regarding military control of the intelligence community:” (READ MORE)
Dafydd writes Iran Strategies 6: Preparing For the ‘Herman Option?’ “We haven't had an installment of this popular (hah) series since April. (And I haven't noticed anyone screaming for its return...) But with the publication in November's Commentary of an article by historian Arthur Herman describing a new strategy for settling Iran's hash, I decided it was a good time to dust off the concept.” (READ MORE)
Wretchard writes Parthian Shot “Andrew Sullivan has a long post on what American strategy should be in Iraq. In brief, he thinks America should withdraw and leave the mess to Iran and in that way, turn defeat into a victory of sorts. He begins his argument by laying out his premises. The first is that a America has been defeated in its attempts to create a democratic Iraq; the second that a civil war is already under way; that America can't stop it and neither can it take sides. First, he paints the face of defeat.” (READ MORE)
Have an interesting post or know of a "must read?" Then send a trackback here and let us all know about it. Or you can send me an email with a link to the post and I'll update the Recon.
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