Finally! The Pentagon Is Keeping Us Safe from Quakers! — “Secret database obtained by NBC News tracks ‘suspicious’ domestic groups” … via MSNBC… Astute blogger Demagogue uncovered this shocker about Quakers from the MSNBC story …
In the weeks after 9/11, there was a lot of talk about America’s intelligence failures — the information we weren’t collecting. Unfortunately, the Pentagon seems to have concluded that it wasn’t collecting enough intelligence on the Quakers. […]
A secret 400-page Defense Department document obtained by NBC News lists the Lake Worth [Quaker] meeting as a “threat” and one of more than 1,500 “suspicious incidents” across the country over a recent 10-month period.
Is the monster flap over Dan Froomkin’s column a side show to distract us from the WaPo’s Bob Woodward embarrassment? … just a paranoid thought … Memeorandum has a fine list of the bloggers, but our favorite is Jane Hamsher’s pissed-off rant.
Fire in the Cat House — Holy s**t some people just don’t know when to shut up. I mentioned yesterday that the Washington press corps has no idea of the smoldering public rage that threatens to engulf them, but I had no idea that it was about ready to immolate WaPo’s National politics editor John Harris so quickly. … (There’s a long list of more blog posts at Memeorandum.)
And Jay Rosen interviewed two key players — John Harris and Jim Brady — in the dispute at the Washington Post over Dan Froomkin’s Web column, White House Briefing. …
John nails the WaPo’s bottom line at Crooks & Liars:
In an interview today, Post executive editor Leonard Downie Jr. made clear that the top concern of the paper’s editorial team wasn’t regular readers after all — it was the Bush administration
Kos chimes in:
The reason Washington Post political editor John Harris is so concerned about Froomkin’s column is because … Republicans have been whining about it.
Oh, and my little paranoid thought about how convenient it is that the Woodward embarrassment is taking a back seat to the Froomkin flap? Turns out I may be at least half right, as Crooks & Liars notices:
Tom Oliphant on with Imus yesterday, really took a shot at his industry: (loose transcript)
Imus: “The Woodward thing has kinda disappeared-isn’t it?”
Tom: “Yes, but now we have another one.”
Imus: What’s this?
Tom: “Now we have the reporter from TIME magazine-(Viveca) who has gone on leave-
Imus: “Oh, tell me about this.” … (Read all)
Meanwhile, back in the unsexy world of news that’s syrupy quaint because it actually matters and affects real people’s lives, the New Standard News plugs along:
Proposed Welfare Overhaul Targets Single Moms, Kids: As is traditionally the case with “welfare-reform” proposals, legislation under consideration by Congress is set to slash benefits for those who need them most. …
Farmers, Communities Benefit Little from ‘Bio-pharming’: Small farmers and small Midwestern towns looking to prime the economic pump are unlikely to do so by growing genetically engineered crops for use in drug production, despite pharmaceutical pharmaceutical marketing claims stating otherwise, an academic study released last week said.. …
Yawners … it’s a lot more interesting to get in a fuss over “DANIEL [Froomkin] IN THE WRITERS DEN.”
M O ‘ T I D B I T S . . .
Prosecutor Issues Subpoenas in DeLay Case
A Texas prosecutor has issued subpoenas for bank records and other information of a defense contractor involved in the bribery case of a California congressman as part of the investigation of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. … A.P.
Oopsie! Zogby Reports That Bush’s Job Approval is at 38% after edging above 40% … More.
Only one-fifth of the 1.8 million people made homeless by last December’s tsunami will be in permanent homes by the end of this year, British-based aid group Oxfam International said on Wednesday to the AP/Yahoo. Meanwhile, reports the Seattle Times/AP, “A federal judge ruled Monday that a program that is housing tens of thousands of Hurricane Katrina evacuees in hotels must be extended until Feb. 7, a month beyond the cutoff date set by FEMA.” The 41,000 hotel rooms in 47 states and the District of Columbia have cost an estimated $350 million so far.
Let me begin to count my blessings: I have a roof over my head … Ronnie Earle hasn’t indicted me … John Harris isn’t back-stabbing me all over D.C. … and I’m not a subversive terrorist Quaker.