The Military’s Moral Blinders: Criminals Preferred to Fill Ranks Over Gays

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The New York Times ran a lead editorial today suggesting that to keep its ranks full, the US military is digging more deeply into the available American labor pool than it perhaps should and has already issued more than 125,000 “moral waivers” to new enlistees.

An Insider’s Insider: Richard Hohlt and the Plame Affair

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This is an intriguing story that hit Newsweek on the role and influence of a relatively unknown super lobbyist and former staffer to Richard Lugar, Richard Hohlt. Hohlt is one of the major heavyweights in Republican party fundraising. Check out how he has spread the wealth.

Andrea Mitchell Says Secret 2003 Iran Negotiations Proposal Will Be Topic of Concern in Main Stream Media

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This morning on The Chris Matthews Show, NBC Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Andrea Mitchell stated that she thought that discussion of the alleged May 2003 Iran proposal to the US would become more prominent in the main stream media.

Chuck Hagel’s Future: All Options on the Table

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Senators Chuck Hagel (R-RI) and Jack Reed (D-NH) just acquitted themselves very well on Tim Russert’s Meet the Press. Hagel made an articulate, compelling call for a new American comprehensive strategy in the Middle East that includes robust diplomacy, coordination with moderate Sunni regimes in the Middle East and new forms of economic engagement.

Senate Voting on Cloture to Move to Iraq Surge Resolution

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Cloture Vote to move to consideration of Iraq Surge Resolution fails in 56-34 vote, in which 60 votes were needed. The Senate vote on cloture to move to consideration of the House Resolution opposing the President’s escalation of troop deployments in Iraq is taking place now just took place.

The Actors in the Spring 2003 Iran Proposal to the U.S.

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To tell the full story of the Spring 2003 dance that Iran, the U.S., and Europe briefly engaged in regarding a set of proposals — allegedly from both sides that would have led to normalizing US-Iran relations — one has to set the parameters of both stage and performers in this drama.