…at Captain’s Quarters, one of the must-read conservative weblogs on the Internet. The Captain, Ed Morrissey, has skyrocketed in popularity but it can’t just be explained by his being frequently linked to by InstaPundit and other big conservative sites. The fact is, Morrissey does a couple of things that sets him far apart from many weblogs — conservative, liberal and (we hate to say...

We wrote a lot already about the controversy surrounding Jack Murtha, the GOP and the Democrats and the fireworks in the House. But here are two more MUST-READS from Oxblog’s David Adesnik on this controversy. Adesnik does balance out some of the points in this story that have gotten lost amid the media coverage, the ‘vilify-him’ comments from the right and the ‘deify-him’ comments...

Legal history has repeated itself: actor Robert Blake, found not guilty of the murder of his wife in a criminal trial, has now lost a civil case — most likely putting on hold for a long time any hopes he had of returning to the show biz mainstream and perhaps the latest person to experience “celebrity justice.” It’s an interesting phenomenon: a high-profile gets acquitted who is the subject...

We feel your pain. We know we’ve been negligent in doing more of our highly popular Take A Peek mini-reviews of websites. So starting today, we’re going to be trying to more of them each week. A reminder that we ROTATE the kinds of sites we look at. One day you’ll see a liberal site, another a centrist site, another a conservative site — or even a nonpolitical (God forbid!) site. These...

A detailed review from Donald Sensing.

A NAACP official switches political parties…

Paradise Lost…

….from Tom Watson.

A new “luxury” wireless phone service is coming, from a Beverly Hills-based startup with an “industry-leading parent company.” The company is emphasizing quality of service and superior technical support, but it seems more likely to me this service will become a status symbol for spoiled celebrities that will overtake Sidekick-chic. Analysis here.

Right Thinking From The West Coast’s Lee: When Bush ran for president he presented himself as being a certain type of man, and once in office became something totally different, especially in his second term. (Who woulda thunk that the first MBA president could — up the deficit this badly.) McCain is, well, McCain. You know where he stands on things. And, like (Andrew Sullivan), I think I would much...

The GOP baited a political hook for the Democrats. The Democrats didn’t bite. And in the end independent voters who carefully watched it all unfold on C-SPAN may conclude that perhaps this was a case of the worms themselves baiting the hook… In one of the most clumsy, politically transparent and possibly counterproductive political operations since the GOP Congress inserted itself into the Terri...

If you’re new to the site, you may be one of the readers emailing us asking why we link to weblogs on the right and left. Readers on the left get mad sometimes if we link to a weblog on the right. Readers on the right get mad if we link to a weblog on the left. We also get questions (including one tonight) about why we don’t answer things written about TMV on other weblogs. So to restate it: This...

….are also apparently within the U.S. military: WASHINGTON (CNN) — The top U.S. commander in Iraq has submitted a plan to the Pentagon for withdrawing troops in Iraq, according to a senior defense official. Gen. George Casey submitted the plan to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. It includes numerous options and recommends that brigades — usually made up of about 2,000 soldiers each —...

Yes, it has been launched…but it remains in the center of controversy.

Is one of these guys Michael Brown?

The big story today is the House GOPers putting up for a vote the supposed Murtha Resolution calling for U.S. withdrawal from Iraq. Read the news story here. But then read this and you’ll see that the GOP won’t put up the original resolution — but one it has refurbished. Here’s another view of what’s happening, this one from a GOP perspective. This is all about trying to define...

Some people seem to forget that Jews have their own way of viewing the world. And it’s not necessarily covered by folks claiming to defend “Judeo-Christian” values.

The Democratic Representative from Arkansas (not to be confused with a certain DC mayor) has just become my new hero. H/T: The Plank

Reuters pretty much confirms what we’ve felt watching the White House and top GOPers turn what polls show is growing widespread across-the-boards disapproval of the war in Iraq into a sheer partisan issue — accusing Democratic critics of being terrorist sympathizers versus the old, out-dated standby, communist sympathizers: WASHINGTON, Nov 18 (Reuters) – Fighting a decline in public support...

That was always the question behind Georgia’s new “anti-voter fraud” bill. But thankfully, bill co-sponsor Rep. Sue Burmeister has answered that question beyond a shadow of a doubt.

The story seems to have lost some of its steam, but here’s an update of the latest developments and reaction from around the blogosphere. Key point: Arianna Huffington has 15 questions for Bobby W. (Answers would be nice.) And I have one of my own: How does it feel to be on the other end of the questioning, Mr. Woodward?

Administering the military oath. Read SMASH here.

An addendum to my post from yesterday evening and to Joe’s great round-ups (see links below): At AMERICAblog, John Aravosis reveals that the Pentagon (White House?) is already swift-boating Murtha. Not that we could honestly have expected anything else. This is how they deal with their opponents, with those who dare to question them. Digby responds here. ********** As some of you may know, Vice President...

Is polygamy one of the causes of the rioting in France? Well, that’s the astonishing claim being made by some high-ranking French leaders and public figures, including Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy.

So now the pivotal question becomes: will the dramatic anti-war comments of the top Democrat on military spending — a long-respected, decorated Vietnam veteran — prove to be a turning point in Congressional and public opinion on the Iraq war, or just another rhetorical blip on the media-saturated U.S. screen? At issue are the comments of Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.), hardly the kind of person that...