A short recon of what’s out there that might draw your attention.
In the News: (Registration may be required to read some stories)
Senate votes to lift stem-cell ban - The Senate yesterday passed a bill to lift a Bush administration ban on federal funding for research on new lines of human embryonic stem cells, disregarding the president's vow to veto it again.” (READ MORE)
Ex-players cleared in Duke rape case - All charges against three former Duke University lacrosse players were dropped yesterday by the North Carolina Attorney General's Office, which took over the investigation into rape accusations... (READ MORE)
Iraqi hopes tied to summit - The United Nations' new point man on Iraq reconstruction said Iraqi hopes are soaring over a planned international conference next month on the country's beleaguered economy, putting pressure on neighboring Arab governments to offer up real debt relief... (READ MORE)
Democrats will meet Bush on war funds - Democratic leaders last night accepted President Bush's offer to discuss the war-funding standoff, capitulating to the White House request after a day of alternately snubbing the invite and proposing meetings on their own turf. (READ MORE)
Stem Cell Bill Easily Clears Senate But Lacks Votes to Override a Veto - For the second time in nine months, the Senate yesterday passed a bill that would loosen President Bush's restrictions on human embryonic stem cell research -- but once again fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to override a promised veto. (READ MORE)
Strained Army Extends Tours To 15 Months - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced yesterday that all active-duty soldiers currently deployed or going to Iraq and Afghanistan will see their one-year tours extended to 15 months, acknowledging that such a strain on the war-weary Army is necessary should the ongoing troop increase be... (READ MORE)
Librarian Who Resisted FBI Says Patriot Act Invades Privacy - A librarian who fended off an FBI demand for computer records on patrons said Wednesday that secret anti-terrorism investigations strip away personal freedoms. (READ MORE)
Iran Giving Arms To Iraq's Sunnis, U.S. Military Says - The chief U.S. military spokesman in Iraq asserted Wednesday that Iranian-made arms, manufactured as recently as last year, have reached Sunni insurgents here, which if true would mark a new development in the four-year-old conflict. (READ MORE)
McCain Calls War 'Necessary and Just' - Sinking in polls and struggling to reinvigorate his foundering presidential campaign, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) delivered a robust defense of the war in Iraq on Wednesday, declaring that President Bush and the conflict's supporters are on the right side of history in the struggle against terrorism and extremism. (READ MORE)
From the Front:
Tully Mars: Military Brotherhood “The other nite I witnessed an awesome display of military brotherhood. I had the sad privilege of attending a ceremony to witness a Soldier's casket being placed into a C-17 for transport to the mortuary at Dover AFB. While it was not mandatory the attendance was high and I wouldn't have missed it for anything.” (READ MORE)
Michael Yon: British Forces at War: As Witnessed by an American “The explosions from enemy rockets and mortar fire have been constant companions for the small contingent of Coalition forces based at the former Basra Palace, on the banks of Shatt al Arab River. In the past five months, more than a thousand bombs have been fired at this small base, all while these British combat troops, Romanian soldiers and a small contingent of Americans continue their attempts to stabilize Iraq. The nearby US Regional Embassy office also is frequently targeted.” (READ MORE)
Badger 6: Riding the Storm Out "BOOM! My head said thunder; my gut said bomb. That is how strange being in Iraq is; a loud boom back home would be presumed to be thunder, it would be surprising and disturbing to find out later that it was a bomb. Here I presumed it was a bomb and was relieved to find it was in fact thunder. Following that thunder clap a small squall moved through the are and seemed done by 1700. I assumed the worst of it had passed.” (READ MORE)
On the Web:
Tom DeLay: Tom DeLay's Action Points: If the Left Takes Imus, We’ll Take Rosie “At some point in the next few days, Don Imus may be fired from his nationally syndicated radio show and television simulcast. He will become that radio guy who got fired for saying something racist. But that won't be the real reason. Yes, his comments were deplorable, and, especially for a broadcaster of his experience, truly odd. He says it was a misfired joke, and he has apologized, several times, and seems genuinely sorry for letting such a joke cross his lips. But that's not enough - the liberals, true to form, want him publicly and professionally destroyed.” (READ MORE)
Austin Bay: A Quiet Step Forward for the Rule of Law “Arguably, Col. Mark Martins runs the most multifaceted, pressure-packed and press-scrutinized law practice in the Middle East. Martins serves as staff judge advocate for Multi-National Force-Iraq (MNF-I), which makes him Gen. David Petraeus' top legal adviser.” (READ MORE)
Cal Thomas: Free Speech Double Standard “Talk show host Don Imus has been suspended for two weeks from the CBS radio network and MSNBC's simulcast of that show because he touched the ‘third rail’ of free speech: he insulted African Americans, some of whose self-appointed "leaders" have a direct line to the media to express their outrage.In fact, outrage is the primary currency of the Reverends Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. Without it, no one would ask them to come on their programs.” (READ MORE)
George Will: The media and global warming “In a campaign without peacetime precedent, the media-entertainment-environmental complex is warning about global warming. Never, other than during the two world wars, has there been such a concerted effort by opinion-forming institutions to indoctrinate Americans, 83 percent of whom now call global warming a ‘serious problem.’” (READ MORE)
Cliff May: Shut up, They Explained “I enjoy a good debate as much as the next guy but, increasingly, the next guy doesn't want to argue - he wants to demonize me. He doesn't want to win the debate; he wants to shut it down. Whether the topic is global warming or Saddam Hussein's links to terrorists, daring to contradict the ‘consensus’ brings hoots and hollers and worse. My most recent experience with such intolerance of diversity of opinion may be instructive.” (READ MORE)
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: The Film P.B.S. Doesn't Want you to See “For decades, conservatives have been among the taxpayers whose money has been made available in immense quantities to underwrite public broadcasting. Over the years, they have justifiably felt considerable resentment about the fact that very little of that funding - by some estimates as much as $2.5 billion per year - has been expended on projects that warrant their support.” (READ MORE)
Terence Jeffrey: The Democrat Antiwar Fraud “Antiwar activists who believe the Democratic Congress is advancing their cause better look again. Read the fine print in the proposals Democratic leaders are promoting as legislation that would set a deadline for ending military intervention in Iraq, and you will find they do no such thing.” (READ MORE)
Daniel Henninger: The Rebirth of Civility? “A revolt against people who are behaving badly. And so it came to pass in the year 2007 that a little platoon came forth to say unto the world: Enough is enough. Two leading citizens of the Web, Tim O'Reilly and Jimmy Wales, have proposed a ‘Bloggers Code of Conduct.’ The reason for this code is the phenomenon of people posting extremely nasty verbal comments about other people on Web sites devoted to political and social commentary.” (READ MORE)
WSJ Review & Outlook: Green Light Districts “So the environmentalists have decided that light bulbs are the latest indicator of civilizational decline. Compared to ‘sustainable’ sources, conventional incandescent lighting uses too much electricity, and hence is responsible for emitting greenhouse gases and global warming. The only solution is for government to ban incorrect bulbs. The greens may believe themselves more enlightened than the rest of us, but honestly.” (READ MORE)
Bear Creek Ledger: Haditha Marine Case - Prosecutorial Mess? “‘The U.S. government’s prosecution against eight Camp Pendleton Marines in the deaths of 24 Iraqi civilians in the Iraqi city of Haditha in 2005 is fraught with problems, according to sources with intimate knowledge of the case.’” (READ MORE)
Blonde Sagacity: Iran, Syria and the Joke of a UN “Today is the day of crazier than fiction stories... ‘On April 9, 2007 there was a United Nations believe-it-or-not moment extraordinaire. At the same time that Iran’s President Ahmadinejad declared his country was now capable of industrial-scale uranium enrichment, the U.N. reelected Iran as a vice chairman of the U.N. Disarmament Commission.’” (READ MORE)
The Belmont Club: Is Iran More Than a Match for the West? “Winds of Change looks at two assessments of whether the West can pressure Iran. Foreign Affairs says 'no'. Iran is too powerful. One can only hope for detente. "In order to develop a smarter Iran policy, U.S. leaders must first accept certain distasteful facts - such as Iran's ascendance as a regional power and the endurance of its regime - and then ask how those can be accommodated." A less academically prestigious magazine, Azure, says, 'yes': that compared to taking on the old USSR, Iran is a pushover by comparison.” (READ MORE)
Ed Morrissey: Hoffa: We'll "Blow Up" Denver For Dem Convention (Updated) “The Democrats may stage an homage to Chicago 1968 in Denver for their 2008 convention. The AP reports that the party's union base objects strongly to the selection of the right-to-work city for the convention and are threatening to disrupt the proceedings if Denver doesn't start using closed shops:” (READ MORE)
Blue Crab Boulevard: A Brit Looks At Anti-Americanism “This is a very, very interesting article from the Guardian that should be worth a full read. Justin Webb, the BBC Radio's chief Washington correspondent, writes about the large number of people he has been interviewing about their views on America and Americans. He reaches a number of conclusions that will, frankly, shock a lot of people.” (READ MORE)
Crazy Politico: No Politics Involved “The Senate Democrats, now wanting to wring politics into any type of prosecution by anyone appointed by George W. Bush are asking for documents in a recent Wisconsin corruption trial. Georgia Thompson was found guilty by a jury of rigging the bidding for a state travel contract to go to a sizeable donor to Governor Jim Doyle's campaign fund. However, an appeals court overturned the conviction last week.” (READ MORE)
Dadmanly: A Look at McCain “Much will be said about Senator John McCain’s speech today at the Virginia Military Institute (prepared text here, courtesy of NRO). Many will quote possibly McCain’s best line in the speech, which spoke beyond the context of his but directly to his stand on Iraq: ‘I would rather lose a campaign than a war.’ But I read the whole thing, as should you. Here’s what I liked best:” (READ MORE)
Bill Whittle: SEEING THE UNSEEN, Part 2 “Occam’s Razor is the idea that when confronted with competing theories that explain certain data equally well, the simplest one is usually correct. It’s called Occam’s Razor, and not Occam’s Hypothesis, or Occam’s Theorem, or Occam’s Bit of Useful Advice, because it is a razor – it cuts cleanly and with great efficiency. And though it pains me to say so, this culture is in desperate need of a shave.” (READ MORE)
Don Surber: 5 in the morning “Am I alone in being disturbed by Barack Obama’s call for firing a broadcaster over something he said? This off-with-his-heads mentality is unpresidential. Imagine if President Bush said someone should be fired. He called Adam Clymer an asshole and that caused a stir.” (READ MORE)
Bill Roggio: Al Qaeda strikes in Algiers “Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb attacks Prime Minister's office, market - Al Qaeda's new regional affiliate in Northern Africa, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), conducted two major attacks in Algiers, the capital of Algeria. A powerful bomb, reported to be delivered by a suicide bomber, was detonated outside the headquarters of Prime Minister Abdelaziz Belkhadem.” (READ MORE)
Hugh Hewitt: A Very Long Fence, Very Stiff Employer Sanctions, No Citizenship, And... “I had Mickey Kaus and Glenn Reynolds on yesterday's program to explore the ‘floor’ that anti-amnesty legislators ought to mark as their minimum for accepting comprehensive immigration reform. The audio of that three segment discussion is here --Mickey calls it a ‘usefully sharp disagreement’ and he's right, though next time I have to include Tamar Jacoby just to remind my friends that the bulk of political power is on the side of amnesty-light…” (READ MORE)
Allahpundit: Suicide bomber infiltrates Iraqi parliament, kills three “Totally demoralizing, which of course was the point. They’re not sure yet what caused it, but:
‘One politician said the attack was carried by a suicide bomber. “I am standing now at the site of the explosion and looking at the severed legs of the person who carried out the operation,” he said…’” (READ MORE)
Kobayashi Maru: Loony Leftie Logic “I love San Francisco. I really do. In fact I'm heading there two weeks from now and staying for ten days. I'm really looking forward to the trip: the food, the wine, the climate, the scenery. I love San Francisco like I love sitting in a cafe on the Left Bank in Paris sipping a glass of Burgundy as the sun dips gently down on a long summer evening. I love it, that is, to the extent that I can avoid reading any local newspapers, listening to any local news reports on radio or television or engaging in conversations about politics with any locals.” (READ MORE)
Neptunus Lex: Indefensible “Among the many things I have resigned myself to not understanding is how someone like TBogg gets to be (not just by his own admission, but also by traffic count) ‘a somewhat popular blogger.’ His schtick is one of not particularly humorous but incessant snark targeted from a left/liberal standpoint at all the usual suspects. The most of it is not very much elevated above the ‘pull my finger’ level of infantilism, but the man has his admirers.” (READ MORE)
William Teach: Thursday Linkfest: Dems Won’t Meet Gold Star Dad “Remember all the Democrats screaming and clammoring for President Bush to meet (for a second time) with Cindy Sheehan? All the protests, all the sit ins, the camping out near Bush's private home? So, how do they react when the shoe is partially on the other foot? ‘Leading Democratic proponents of setting a timetable for pulling troops out of Iraq have refused to meet with the father of a dead soldier who believes a withdrawal would mean his son's life was “wasted.”’” (READ MORE)
Scott Johnson: Welcoming sharia in Minnesota “Three weeks ago Minneapolis Star Tribune columnist Katherine Kerstenook to the Wall Street Journal to explore the phenomenon of Sharia in Minnesota. Kathy's Star Tribune colleague Curt Brown subsequently reported: ‘Minneapolis Community and Technical College is poised to become the state's first public school to install a foot-washing basin to help the school's 500 Muslim students perform pre-prayer rituals. "We want to be welcoming," MCTC President Phil Davis said, noting a student was hurt trying to wash in a regular sink.’” (READ MORE)
Dan Reihl: Terrorism Apologist Helped Nix PBS Film “Charles has an item up regarding a member of a panel that reviewed Islam vs. Islamists prior to PBS shutting it down: ‘LGF reader Paul Green emailed some interesting information about one member of the five-member panel that reviewed the documentary, DePaul University Professor Aminah McCloud. McCloud apparently showed some footage from the film to members of the Nation of Islam, and has very close ties to the extremist group herself.’” (READ MORE)
Greyhawk: Biden Time “From reading Biden's own words on his declaration of American defeat in Iraq, his main problem with ‘the surge’ is that it hasn't accomplished it's goals yet - violence is only down where the surge troops have deployed. Apparently the other half of the troops shouldn't even bother deploying. Biden's key point - that the media is telling all the ‘good news’ possible from Iraq - is an absurdity. But it could seem plausible to the casual observer for the simple reason that they aren't. While he himself may or may not know the ‘rest of the story’, his best hope is that Americans remain woefully uninformed.” (READ MORE)
ShrinkWrapped: The Accelerating Clash: Part I “9/11 was an unmistakable clarification. It let the world know that the status quo, dysfunctional relationship between the Muslim World and Modernity was no longer a stable construct. The post-war bargain of oil in exchange for wealth and minimal Western intrusion into the Ummah was at an end. The West has been struggling to define a new rule set for dealing with Islam. The Iraq War was a fundamental part of the effort. Unfortunately a number of historical, cultural, economic, and demographic trends, both within the West and within Islam, are becoming clearer and the trend lines do not offer reason for optimism.” (READ MORE)
Technicalities: It IS a Conspiracy! “Not too long ago Rosie O'Donnell held forth on her "theories" about the collapse of the World Trade Center saying in part: 'I do believe that it’s the first time in history that fire has ever melted steel...' Popular Mechanics jumped in and (using scientific logic - how lame is that!) told Rosie she was wrong.” (READ MORE)
Jay Tea: Let's do it for the children! “One of the most disgusting trends in politics over the past few years has been the use of politicians' children -- especially by their opponents. And I, for one, have had enough of it. This was prompted by the latest column from Boston Globe liberal imbecile Derrick Z. Jackson, who just wanted to make damned sure everyone and their cousin knew that Dick Cheney's daughter, Mary, is a lesbian, and she and her partner are expecting a child soon.” (READ MORE)
Amy Proctor: America’s Insurgency is the Democratic Party “Bottom Line Up Front: Back from their controversial trip to Syria, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and fellow California Democrat Rep. Tom Lantos, are eyeing a trip to Iran to meet with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad while Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committee try to eliminate the phrase ‘global war on terrorism’ for the upcoming National Defense Authorization Act.” (READ MORE)
Greg Mills via ROFASix: Ten Counterinsurgency Commandments From Afghanistan "From Afghanistan to Sri Lanka, Colombia to Kashmir, Congo to Iraq, the question of how to deal with insurgency is being asked. Finding the answer has so far involved scrutinizing past campaigns from Algeria to Zimbabwe, and especially Malaya and Vietnam.These have produced a set of lessons, centering at their most creative on the importance of public diplomacy in winning hearts and minds, and the need to slowly extend governance and prosperity through "ink spots" of relative stability, employing unity of effort by nations and institutions. In Afghanistan, during the tenure of the ninth International Security Assistance Force (ISAF IX) deployed between May 2006 and February 2007, this evolved into Afghan Development Zones (ADZs), providing a focus of development spending and security effort." (READ MORE)
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