November 30, 2007
Hostage Situation At Clinton's N.H. Office Ends Peacefully
New Hampshire TV station WMUR is reporting that an armed man has taken people hostage at Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign office in Rochester, N.H. FOX News is reporting that the man claimed to have a bomb and walked into the office demanding to speak with the New York senator.
Clinton is scheduled to speak today at the DNC's fall meeting in Northern Virginia.
[UPDATE 2:03] Two campaign workers are being held hostage, WMUR reports. Police were alerted to the situation after the hostage-taker released a woman who was with her infant.
[UPDATE 2:06] The area surrounding the office is in lockdown and a nearby school is to be evacuated in a "soft lockdown" with buses on site in case an evacuation is ordered. You can watch WMUR's coverage here.
[UPDATE 2:14] Clinton has cancelled her speech at the DNC meeting, FOX News and CNN report. The former first lady's whereabouts are not being made public at the moment.
Continue reading "Hostage Situation At Clinton's N.H. Office Ends Peacefully"
Posted at 8:04 PM
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Reasons To Freak Out About The Economy
Ignore those FOX News chyrons -- today's Wall Street rally has nothing to do with how healthy the economy is, and everything to do with how unhealthy it is.
"The combination of higher gas prices, the weak housing market, tighter credit conditions and declines in stock prices seem likely to create some headwinds for the consumer in the months ahead," Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said yesterday. Stocks are up today because investors are relieved that there will probably be another rate cut when the Fed next meets on Dec. 11. No one is overjoyed at why that cut is needed.
The Bush administration still wears an upbeat face on the economy, trumpeting October as the 50th consecutive month of job growth and noting that GDP has grown an average of 2.8 percent every year since 2001. But behind the scenes, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson are negotiating a deal to freeze interest rates on certain subprime loans in order to help struggling borrowers fend off delinquency and foreclosure. Reports of the pending deal are also driving the surge on Wall Street, as the housing market crisis is one of the main forces pushing us close to a recession.
Former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers is one of the more prominent economists to predict the U.S. is now more likely than not headed for recession. In an op-ed published by the Financial Times on Sunday, he wrote of the housing freefall, "We do not have comparable experiences on which to base predictions about what this will mean for the overall economy, but it is hard to believe declines of anything like this magnitude will not lead to a dramatic slowing in the consumer spending that has driven the economy in recent years."
Continue reading "Reasons To Freak Out About The Economy"
Posted at 12:30 PM
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Earlybird Roundup: Mortgage Market Fix, War-Funding Compromise
Administration. The White House cut its forecast for economic growth yesterday and moved closer to a deal with financial institutions that would temporarily freeze interest rates in the troubled subprime mortgage market (subscription).
Economy. Meanwhile, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke last night signaled he is open to cutting interest rates further.
Congress. President Bush renewed his push for war funding without strings, as Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., said he is "optimistic" Congress and the White House will be able to reach a compromise.
Iran. As the European Union's top diplomat prepared to meet with Iran's chief nuclear negotiator in London, the Iranian foreign minister said late yesterday that Tehran would never abandon its nuclear ambitions.
Iraq. Newly elected Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said today he'd withdraw the country's combat troops from Iraq by mid-2008.
See Earlybird (subscription) for more of this morning's headlines.
Posted at 9:02 AM
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Schwab Hails China's Decision To Halt Contested Subsidies
China yesterday agreed to end subsidies challenged by the United States as a violation of world trade rules, a move touted by the Bush administration as proof that its policy of engagement is working. "I think this announcement makes clear that the administration's policy of serious dialogue and resolute enforcement is delivering real results," U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab said. "It clearly shows the wisdom of this approach over some legislative approaches that would simply impose retaliatory tariffs."
Schwab said the subsidies, which were the subject of a World Trade Organization case the United States filed in February, had provided significant benefits to China-based exporters across a range of industries, including steel, wood products and information technology. A U.S. official said the United States had made no concessions. China has agreed to terminate the subsidies by the end of the year.
Continue reading "Schwab Hails China's Decision To Halt Contested Subsidies"
Posted at 7:48 AM
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November 29, 2007
Republican Debate Postmortem: A Bad Night For CNN
CNN's sorry, so very sorry, for the Clinton plant at last night's debate.
"We regret this, and apologize to the Republican candidates. We never would have used the General's question had we known that he was connected to any presidential candidate," said CNN exec David Bohrman.
"The Most Trusted Name In News" protests that it checked out retired Brig. Gen. Keith Kerr, the gay serviceman who asked the Republican candidates about "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," to make sure he had not contributed to any of the candidates. But if CNN's producers had just, say, Googled the guy, they would have found that he is a member of Hillary Rodham Clinton's LGBT steering committee. Bloggers did, and they were alerting the media about it before the debate was over.
Let's assume that CNN tried its level best to ensure a fair and balanced debate for the Republicans. The network's defense of how it not only let the Kerr question through without full disclosure but gave him five minutes on the floor for follow-up rings pretty weak because of the swiftness and ease with which bloggers found him out. As I noted in my liveblog coverage yesterday, conservatives were already dubious about whether they would be treated fairly at last night's forum, and afterward, a few prominent bloggers agreed they were not.
What it comes down to is this: The debate last night was first and foremost about Republican primary voters, not the general electorate. The reasonable thing to have done was make sure there were plenty of questions being asked by Republicans on issues of primary concern to Republicans. Those illegal immigration questions were a good start, but the evening took several bizarre turns as the night went on. Since the debate ended, conservative bloggers have found out the following:
Continue reading "Republican Debate Postmortem: A Bad Night For CNN"
Posted at 5:58 PM
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Bill Richardson, Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, Media, Republicans, Ron Paul, WH 2008
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Purported Bin Laden Tape Addresses Europeans
UPDATED.
We can't get Al Jazeera English's livestream to work [UPDATE 3:04: It works in Internet Explorer, not Firefox], but according to Sky News, the new audio message purportedly from Osama bin Laden seeks to persuade Washington's NATO allies that the fight for Afghanistan is a losing proposition.
"The American tide is ebbing, so it is best for you to press your leaders to change their policies," the speaker says, addressing Europeans.
As per usual, the CIA and other intelligence agencies are working to verify that the speaker is indeed the fugitive al-Qaida figurehead. According to the SITE Institute, which monitors jihadist Web sites, the recordings were released by al-Qaida's media arm, indicating they probably are authentic. If that's the case, it would mean that bin Laden has been unusually chatty this fall.
Enthusiasm for the anti-Taliban effort in Afghanistan has been on the wane for some years. Washington has struggled to persuade its NATO partners to commit to more troops and funding for the military and reconstruction effort there as Taliban fighters and warlords seize ever-greater parcels of territory.
"Europe went along with [the invasion] because they had no other alternative, only to be a follower," the speaker continues. "It is better for you to stand against your leaders who are dropping in on the White House, and to work seriously to lift the injustice against the believers."
Posted at 2:29 PM
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Al-Qaida, Terrorism
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Former Rep. Henry Hyde Dead At 83
UPDATED.
Former Illinois Rep. Henry Hyde (R), best known for leading the impeachment proceedings against former President Bill Clinton and authoring an amendment banning federal funding for abortions, died at the age of 83. The House Republican leadership confirmed his death today, AP reports.
Hyde was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom earlier this month but was unable to accept it in person because he was recovering from surgery. According to The Swamp, Hyde "had triple bypass surgery on his heart in July and has been in failing health." Family members told the Chicago Sun-Times that Hyde died around 3 a.m. this morning at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. "I believe his heart just gave out," his stepdaughter, Sue Schiesser, told the Sun-Times.
The long-serving conservative representative of Chicago's western suburbs left the House last year, after 32 years in office. The Chicago Tribune reports that Hyde was "known for his courtly manners, oratorical skills and historical knowledge" and was "often seen as a throwback to a more genteel era in Washington."
Continue reading "Former Rep. Henry Hyde Dead At 83"
Posted at 10:30 AM
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Earlybird Roundup: Immigration's Rise, Sunni Pact, Mideast Envoy
Nation. Under President Bush, immigration has risen to its highest level in any seven-year period in U.S. history, according to a new study.
Iraq. Thousands of Sunnis yesterday agreed to a security pact with U.S. forces, promising to help fight al-Qaida in Iraq.
Terrorism. Saudi Arabia yesterday arrested more than 200 suspected terrorists.
Administration. In the wake of the Annapolis meeting, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice named retired Marine Gen. James Jones the new U.S. special envoy for Middle East security.
Transportation. Bush appointed an emergency board yesterday to help Amtrak avoid a strike and settle disputes with labor unions.
See Earlybird (subscription) for more of this morning's headlines.
Posted at 8:49 AM
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Hennessey Named To Top Economic Post
President Bush's top economic adviser for the past three years, Al Hubbard, announced yesterday that he will leave his post by the end of this year, continuing an exodus of White House aides heading into the administration's final year.
Bush promptly named Keith Hennessey, a White House deputy economic aide for five years, to succeed Hubbard as assistant to the president for economic policy and director of the National Economic Council. Hennessey has also worked for Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., and the Senate Budget Committee.
Hubbard has been one of Bush's closest advisers and friends since the two earned their MBAs together at Harvard Business School in the early 1970s. Hubbard has been involved in tax policy, health care, Social Security reform and other economic issues, including the recent debate over the State Children's Health Insurance Program.
Hubbard, a native of Indiana and former president of an Indianapolis investment firm, has not revealed his plans.
- CongressDaily
Posted at 7:43 AM
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November 28, 2007
Liveblogging The CNN/YouTube Republican Debate
End note. I rode CNN pretty hard earlier, but overall this was a very good forum for these candidates. The producers did a better job than last time at picking interesting and varied questions (with the requisite gotchas, of course), and the holdouts for facing the YouTube Generation -- Romney, Giuliani -- probably did themselves a favor by deciding to show up.
What will get the most attention tomorrow is the knife-fight between Giuilani and Romney that kicked things off. Their cases against each other -- that Giuliani ran a liberal government in a crazy city and that Romney is a political changeling who accomplished little as governor -- went public only recently, and tonight is the first time we saw the candidates make their arguments mano a mano. Their squabbling produced a good moment for Thompson, who got to play the grown-up in the room as he methodically parsed what was wrong with both their records on immigration.
But as those anti-Huckabee press releases indicate, Thompson's camp realizes their man is in trouble. The "Law & Order" star was the one who was supposed to swoop in and rescue stranded GOP voters; now it looks like Huckabee's doing the rescuing, among evangelical Iowans, anyway.
Continue reading "Liveblogging The CNN/YouTube Republican Debate"
Posted at 11:22 PM
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Campaigns, Duncan Hunter, Fred Thompson, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani, Tom Tancredo, WH 2008
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Mideast: Bush Pledges Personal Involvement But Few Trips
The world was treated to the sight of a united President Bush, Mahmoud Abbas and Ehud Olmert once again today after more meetings following by a brief photo-op on the White House lawn.
"Yesterday was an important day, and it was a hopeful beginning," Bush said of Tuesday's Annapolis Conference on Israeli-Palestinian relations. "No matter how important yesterday was, it's not nearly as important as tomorrow and the days beyond."
The Israelis and Palestinians along with the U.S. have been emphasizing that the work ahead will be painful but necessary to reach the goal of final agreement on a two-state solution by 2009. Washington is taking on the main oversight role in the negotiations after years of what administration critics say was neglect of the region.
Continue reading "Mideast: Bush Pledges Personal Involvement But Few Trips"
Posted at 5:58 PM
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Debate Night: The GOP & The Snowman
Looking ahead to tonight's highly anticipated CNN/YouTube debate, we find ourselves pondering a few weighty matters.
How much representation will CNN give to questions about Iraq, now that coverage of the war has dropped off steeply on that network and elsewhere?
Will the format of tonight's debate prove more hostile to the Republican candidates than to the Democrats, as we suspected in July?
And finally: What are the chances Mitt Romney won't be asked to take a question from that Snowman?
These and other issues will be resolved starting at 8 p.m. EST tonight on CNN; The Gate will be liveblogging the action starting at 7:45. But first, some prognostication, after the jump.
Continue reading "Debate Night: The GOP & The Snowman"
Posted at 4:16 PM
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Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
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The Anti-War Movement Moves On
In the weeks and months following the much-anticipated congressional testimony from Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker on the progress of the Iraq war, the anti-war movement has been eerily silent.
Compared with the outcry that accompanied previous failed attempts by Congress to pass a timetable for withdrawal, the most recent vote came and went without much noise from MoveOn.org, Americans United for Change and the umbrella group Americans Against Escalation in Iraq. Aside from the occasional Code Pink outburst and angry op-ed, liberal activists seem to have refocused their energies on health care and other domestic issues.
Continue reading "The Anti-War Movement Moves On"
Posted at 4:01 PM
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Campaigns, Congress, Iraq
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Iraq: Got To Admit It's Getting Better
A lot of positive reports have come out of Iraq in recent weeks, and pro-war GOP senators don't appear to be the only ones who think the situation there is improving.
A new Pew Research Center poll [PDF] gauging public attitudes toward the war shows an increasing number of Americans see Iraq turning a corner, both in terms of reducing violence and reaching political accord. In an open-ended question that asked respondents to describe Iraq, "improving" was the word that came up most frequently -- in stark contrast to "mess," the word that came up most frequently in a September poll.
See today's Poll Track (subscription) for analysis of Pew's latest results on Iraq.
Posted at 12:29 PM
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Musharraf Resigns As Pakistani Army Chief
President Pervez Musharraf made good on one of his often-repeated promises today, stepping down from his post as the head of the country's military and taking off his ubiquitious uniform. Musharraf is set to be sworn in as Pakistan's civilian president tomorrow.
"The army has been my life. The army has been my passion. The army has been my pride. The system has to carry on; there is a time when everyone has to go," he said during an elaborate ceremony this morning. "Tomorrow I will no longer be in command, but I am happy I spent these 46 years in very excellent manner. What I am is just because of this force."
Gen. Ashfaq Kiyani, Musharraf's vice army chief, was promoted to the top spot. His predecessor leaves him a country in turmoil, still under the emergency rule imposed in early November.
The Post has a broader view on the army and more on Musharraf's legacy, and The Gate's previous coverage of Pakistan can be found here.
Posted at 8:56 AM
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Earlybird Roundup: Bush Economic Adviser To Resign
Administration. The Wall Street Journal (subscription) reports that Al Hubbard, President Bush's top economic adviser, will resign at the end of the year.
Washington. After lengthy negotiations yesterday, the Federal Communications Commission voted for watered-down regulations for cable companies.
Congress. The Senate is set to take up an intel bill when it returns from recess Monday, and negotiators are closing in on a deal to set higher fuel-economy standards.
Courts. Texas oil mogul Oscar Wyatt Jr. yesterday got half the maximum sentence -- a year and a day in prison -- for violating rules of the U.N. oil-for-food program.
Iraq. A federal judge in Chicago sentenced Sami Khoshaba Latchin to four years in prison yesterday for acting as a spy for the Iraqi government.
See Earlybird (subscription) for more of this morning's headlines.
Posted at 8:53 AM
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November 27, 2007
Red Cross Chief Ousted Over Affair
Mark Everson, president and CEO of the American Red Cross, was forced to resign today over what appears to have been an improper relationship with an employee.
Everson, who is married, had been on the job since May 29 of this year. In an unusually candid statement, the Red Cross announced, "The Board acted quickly after learning that Mr. Everson engaged in a personal relationship with a subordinate employee. It concluded that the situation reflected poor judgment on Mr. Everson's part and diminished his ability to lead the organization in the future."
The blunt language may be an indication that the organization, the nation's most prominent domestic humanitarian aid agency, is taking measures to shield itself from a harassment lawsuit. The statement also said that the board was forming a search committee for Everson's replacement, and that General Counsel Mary Elcano would serve as interim president and CEO.
Everson served as IRS commissioner from 2003 until he left in May to take the helm at the Red Cross.
Posted at 5:42 PM
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The Writers Strike: Good For Candidates, Bad For Voters
When the Writers Guild of America launched its nationwide strike four weeks ago, The Gate sort of joked that the extended hiatus for late-night talk shows and political satires would spell doom for Washington. But now that it's been nearly a month since the last new "Daily Show" episode, we're starting to get nervous... seriously.
With the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses and Jan. 8 New Hampshire primaries rapidly approaching, the presidential campaigns have shifted into high gear. And with at least eight debates scheduled between now and Christmas, the media's coverage of the campaigns has reached a fever pitch. Meanwhile, the candidates and those responsible for covering them in the press are going about their business free from the scrutinizing eyes of Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert and "Saturday Night Live." That's not just bad for comedy -- it's bad for democracy.
Continue reading "The Writers Strike: Good For Candidates, Bad For Voters"
Posted at 4:50 PM
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Mideast Summit: 'We Are Ready'
UPDATED.
Reading a joint statement issued by the international participants of the Annapolis conference on Israeli-Palestinian relations, President Bush heralded what is widely seen as a last-ditch attempt to broker a lasting peace between the two Mideast parties.
"We express our determination to bring an end to bloodshed, suffering and decades of conflict between our peoples; to usher in a new era of peace, based on freedom, security, justice, dignity, respect and mutual recognition; to propagate a culture of peace and nonviolence; to confront terrorism and incitement, whether committed by Palestinians or Israelis," Bush said before representatives of the U.N., EU, G-8 and nearly every major Arab League nation. "In furtherance of the goal of two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security, we agree to immediately launch good-faith bilateral negotiations in order to conclude a peace treaty, resolving all outstanding issues, including all core issues without exception."
Seated on stage to the president's side were Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, the two leaders who will do the heavy lifting in the negotiations. The joint statement was, as expected, a declaration of support from the world community of the two-state solution advocated by both parties as well as the United States. The statement also included a recommitment to the 2003 road map established by the Quartet -- the U.S., EU, U.N. and Russia -- shepherding the peace process.
But Bush also clarified the role the U.S. will play during the coming stretch of talks. While Washington won't exactly be in the thick of negotiations, it will be overseeing and assessing Israel's and the PLO's progress on the road map requirements. Exactly how much of a taskmaster the U.S. is in the process will probably be determined by the depth of involvement by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the mastermind behind the new push for a two-state solution.
Continue reading "Mideast Summit: 'We Are Ready'"
Posted at 3:03 PM
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Bush Administration, Condoleezza Rice, Fatah, Hamas, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Middle East, Palestinians, President Bush, Saudi Arabia, Syria
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Earlybird Roundup: 'Soft Power' Options, Riots In Paris Suburbs
Administration. Defense Secretary Robert Gates noted yesterday that the U.S. cannot rely on military solutions alone and called for more "soft power" measures like diplomacy and economic help.
Congress. GOP Sens. Lindsey Graham and Saxby Chambliss threatened to cut funding for the Iraqi government unless Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki can produce political progress by January.
Iraq. The U.S. will negotiate a formal deal with Iraq to define the long-term relationship between the two countries that could keep American troops in Iraq indefinitely.
Courts. A judge upheld a ruling that five Muslim-American citizens' rights were not violated when customs officers detained and searched them at the Canadian border.
World. More than 70 police officers have been injured in the Paris suburbs during a second day of rioting.
See Earlybird (subscription) for more of this morning's headlines.
Posted at 9:15 AM
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Iranians Claim New Missile Can Reach Israel
Government officials in Iran announced today that the country has developed a new long-range missile that can hit a target more than 1,200 miles away -- far enough to reach Israel and U.S. military bases in the Middle East. Iran already possesses a fairly wide arsenal of missiles as part of its existing arms program, which was begun in 1992 to make up for a U.S. weapons embargo.
Although it's not part of the nuclear program that negotiators are trying to wrestle Tehran into dismantling, the announcement of a new missile (regardless of whether it can live up to the hype) is likely to be a source of friction between the U.S. and Iran. Rumblings about the U.S. taking military action against Iran have persisted for several months.
Agence France-Presse has a full rundown of Iran's missile capabilities.
Posted at 8:14 AM
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Rep. Carson Will Not Run Again After Cancer Diagnosis
Rep. Julia Carson, D-Ind., might return to Washington in January despite being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer last week, but the six-term member has ruled out a re-election bid next year, a spokesman said yesterday.
Len Sistek, Carson's chief of staff, said the 69-year-old lawmaker intends to return to work after the first of the year, but said he could not say whether she was considering resigning. "We are trying to stick with the facts and a lot is not known right now," said Sistek, explaining that Carson's staff in Washington learned of her diagnosis from media reports. He confirmed that Carson did "not intend at this point to seek re-election in 2008."
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Posted at 7:57 AM
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November 26, 2007
Mideast Summit: Can They Do It?
No doubt that helping forge an independent Palestinian state at peace with Israel would be the jewel in President Bush's pretty beat-up crown come 2009, hence his commitment to the Herculean task of getting the two parties to strike an accord before he leaves office. Analysts of the region are largely of two minds on whether Bush and his go-to on the issue, Condoleezza Rice, can get it done.
Some have come to believe that the Bush administration, so heavily mired in Iraq, completely gave up on Mideast negotiations after the road map fell apart in 2003. "The Bush administration has hung a 'Closed for the Season' sign on serious Arab-Israeli diplomacy," Aaron David Miller declared in April. "The Rice initiative is almost certainly way too little, way too late."
As the Boston Globe reported today, that skepticism persists. But Miller, for one, hasn't written tomorrow's Annapolis summit off.
Both sides badly want an end to the bloody and costly conflict, and for the first time maybe ever, the Palestinians are being represented by a man the West views as an honest broker, President Mahmoud Abbas. The Palestinians and Israelis are still about as far apart as they ever were on their demands, yet the ground seems especially fertile for compromise -- the essential and long-missing component for these negotiations.
Continue reading "Mideast Summit: Can They Do It?"
Posted at 7:35 PM
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Bush Administration, Condoleezza Rice, Hamas, Israel, Middle East, Palestinians, President Bush
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The Photo-Op You've All Been Waiting For
We couldn't post this until now thanks to a certain ailing (current) vice president. What were you expecting, fisticuffs? Judging by these headlines, the MSM was really, really hoping for a slapfight -- tsk. These are probably the same guys who refuse to believe Al Gore isn't running for president next year, despite his repeated insistence he has no plans to do so. Note to pollsters: Maybe it's time to start leaving Gore off the matchups, hmm?
These Californians seem to get why Gore isn't running, anyway.
-JANE ROH
Screen shot: FOX News
Posted at 5:12 PM
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Al Gore, Bush Administration, Democrats, President Bush, WH 2008
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Cheney In Hospital For Irregular Heartbeat
Vice President Dick Cheney will be undergoing an evaluation for an irregular heartbeat later today in what his office describes as a routine test, FOX News is reporting.
Cheney will be examined at George Washington University Hospital, where he is regularly treated for his cardiovascular ailments. Cheney, who turns 67 in January, has had four heart attacks since 1978, and his semi-regular trips to GWUH are generally followed with close media interest as a result. In July, the vice president had minor surgery to replace a battery in his pacemaker. In March, Cheney was treated for a blood clot in his left leg.
FOX News reports that Cheney's office is downplaying the seriousness of his condition, as is usually the case when he makes a trip to the hospital. The vice president is expected back home this evening.
Cheney was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, which may be treated with a small electrical shock. According to the American Heart Association, Cheney's condition means that his heart's upper chambers "quiver instead of beating effectively."
Posted at 3:54 PM
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Bush Administration, Dick Cheney
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Lott: 'I Took A Few Licks, I Made Some Mistakes'
UPDATED.
Mississippi Sen. Trent Lott, longtime Senate majority leader and current minority whip, said he had no health problems when announcing his early retirement today.
"It is time for us to do something else," he said at a press conference in his hometown of Pascagoula.
The 66-year-old senator denied that he was stepping down early to get a jump on a lobbying career, a lucrative next step for many who leave Congress. Lott handily won re-election last November after previously stating he would not run; he attributed his change of heart to Hurricane Katrina. Today, Lott said that he had accomplished much in that regard but acknowledged that there was more work to do. He expressed confidence that his eventual successor would "pick up the flag and carry on."
"The legislation that we needed for the most part to be put on the books has been completed," Lott said, speaking of post-Katrina reforms. "We feel like it is time now, an opportunity to make this move," he said, speaking for himself and his wife, Tricia.
Continue reading "Lott: 'I Took A Few Licks, I Made Some Mistakes'"
Posted at 2:42 PM
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Annapolis Confab Begins After Syria Agrees To Participate
Officials got some optimistic news on the eve of the U.S.-hosted Mideast peace talks when Syria committed to attending. The two-day meeting begins today at the White House and then moves tomorrow to Annapolis, Md.
Negotiators are still scrambling to construct a larger framework for the talks. President Bush will meet separately with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert at the White House today; tomorrow will be the only time the three meet together for the now-obligatory handshake photo-op.
Syria's goals are focused on the Golan Heights, a small strip of land annexed by Israel when it won the Six-Day War in 1967. Israeli and Syrian officials tried to negotiate over the future of the land in 2000, but the talks fell apart.
Syria wants to regain control of the land and had said it would not come to Annapolis unless the Golan was on the agenda. Initially, U.S. brokers had said that only the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was on the table, but they later broadened their scope.
Continue reading "Annapolis Confab Begins After Syria Agrees To Participate"
Posted at 11:05 AM
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