Cursor's Media Patrol - 01/06/06

After a press briefing where Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Peter Pace accused Rep. John Murtha of hurting troop morale and recruiting, Murtha observed that "the military had no problem recruiting directly after 9/11," adding that "Peter Pace told me this last night: They know militarily they can't win this."

After President Bush explained that "we need intelligence officers who, when somebody says something in Arabic or Farsi or Urdu, know what they're talking about," his administration's new $114 million initiative to reverse the brain drain was seen as "only four years late."

After Jack Shafer wondered why "no scathing 'Who Is Jack Abramoff?' editorial has appeared" in the Wall Street Journal, the paper's editorial page implores the GOP to "Banish the Abramoff crowd from polite Republican society..." Earlier: "Face Time" for sale.

Texas prosecutor Ronnie Earle 'Broadens DeLay Inquiry' to include election spending, reports the Washington Post, "demanding documents related to funds that passed through a nonprofit organization, the U.S. Family Network." Plus: How 'wired' was former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham?

The Tacoma News Tribunes reports that the IRS, through an outside contractor, has "routinely collected" data on political party affiliation of taxpayers in 20 states.