January 31, 2008

Army Still Lags On Mental Health Help For Soldiers

The Army's suicide rate jumped 20 percent in 2007, an apparent indicator that the military's efforts to provide adequate mental health assistance to soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan are still falling short.

According to internal reports, there were 89 confirmed suicides and 32 suspected suicides last year, which was also the deadliest year for U.S. troops in Iraq so far. AP reports that about 34 of the suicides took place in Iraq.

The number of suicide attempts and self-inflicted injuries also spiked dramatically. About 2,100 soldiers tried to kill or injure themselves last year, compared with about 350 in 2002, the Washington Post reports.

Military health care specialists have openly admitted that they were unprepared for the length and scope of the war in Iraq. The nearly five-year-long war entered a crunch phase last year, when DOD ordered longer deployment schedules with shorter breaks in between. Some soldiers are on their fourth tours in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003.

Continue reading "Army Still Lags On Mental Health Help For Soldiers"

Posted at 6:43 PM
Posted to: Bush Administration, Congress, David Petraeus, Iraq, Middle East, Military, Robert Gates
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Deficits Could Force Domestic Spending Freeze

UPDATED.

President Bush is seeking a freeze on nearly all domestic spending along with a plan to squeeze savings out of entitlement programs in his 2009 budget, AP reports.

Federal deficits are approaching the $400 billion mark this year, in part because of ongoing spending in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and in part because of a pending economic stimulus package, which is expected to cost around $150 billion and double this year's deficit.

When Bush presents his budget on Monday, he will call for $178 billion in savings from Medicare and $17 billion for Medicaid. Much of the Medicare savings would come from freezing reimbursement rates to health care providers for three years, according to AP.

The overall slowdown of the economy and an onslaught of negative economic indicators mean lower revenues this year, and the White House is expected to deliver a worse revenue prediction than a recent forecast from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

Bush's budget is not likely to be well received in Congress, this being an election year. As the ripple effects of the housing bust continue to be felt in households, the new deficit estimates put Republicans running for re-election at a real disadvantage.

Meanwhile, Senate Democrats appear ready to slash the price tag on their economic stimulus proposals. A stimulus package is expected on Bush's desk by Feb. 15.

Posted at 4:05 PM
Posted to: Bush Administration, Congress, Economy, Iraq, Middle East, President Bush, Taxes
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Reports: Top Al-Qaida Operative Killed

One of al-Qaida's top commanders in Afghanistan, Abu Laith al-Libi, has been killed, reportedly near the Afghan-Pakistan border, several sources confirm. However, the details of his death are still fuzzy.

The news first appeared on Ekhlaas.org, a Web site used by Islamist groups, BBC News reports. It has since been confirmed by the Washington-based SITE Institute and various news organizations.

Al-Libi, a senior leader of the terrorist organization, served as a "key liaison" with the Taliban, according to AP. Citing Pakistani intelligence officials and locals, AP reports that "a missile hit a compound in a village about 2.5 miles outside Mir Ali in North Waziristan late Monday or early Tuesday, destroying the facility." Pakistani officials said they did not know the source of the missile. BBC News reports that about a dozen militants were killed in the attack, including al-Libi.

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Posted at 3:15 PM
Posted to: Afghanistan, Al-Qaida, Pakistan, Terrorism
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Senate Panel Sends Stimulus Bill To Floor

The Senate Finance Committee voted 14-7 Wednesday to send a roughly $157 billion economic stimulus package to the floor, adding tax breaks for alternative energies and homebuilders and disqualifying upper-income taxpayers -- including members of Congress -- from getting rebate checks. Initially the proposal had no upper-income caps at the behest of Finance Committee ranking member Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and other Republicans who considered such limits an unfair redistribution of wealth.

Under pressure from Democrats, Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., agreed to phase out eligibility for rebates beginning at $150,000 of adjusted gross income per single filer and $300,000 for couples filing jointly. Those limits are twice those in the House version, which costs $117 billion over 10 years.

Unlike the House bill, Baucus' proposal also provides rebate checks to about 20 million low-income retirees dependent on Social Security benefits. "They have worked hard all their lives. They have paid taxes for a lifetime," Baucus said. "The House-passed bill would not give a stimulus check to seniors who were scraping by on Social Security income alone and had no tax liability." Baucus also agreed to a proposal by Sens. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., and Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, making about 250,000 veterans on disability benefits eligible for rebates.

The measure faces an uncertain future as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid as early as today plans to queue the House version. Supporters of the Baucus measure would need to get 60 votes to substitute it for the House version.

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Posted at 8:53 AM
Posted to: Congress, Economy, Senate
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Earlybird Roundup: Levee Damage Suit, Budget Preview, Security Contractors In Iraq

Nation. A federal judge ruled that the Army Corps of Engineers was not liable for damages caused by the New Orleans levee system during Hurricane Katrina, protecting the agency from nearly half a million claims against it.

Washington. President Bush will unveil a budget Monday that will probably contain a $400 billion deficit.

Administration. During his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday, Attorney General Michael Mukasey hinted that the probe into the CIA's destruction of interrogation videotapes could be expanded.

Iraq. Security contractors in Iraq were asked yesterday by the Pentagon to start operating under stricter rules.

Afghanistan. A suicide bomber killed the deputy governor of Helmand province and five others in a mosque today.

See Earlybird (subscription) for more of this morning's headlines.

Posted at 8:46 AM
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January 30, 2008

McCain Wins Giuliani Nod, Puts Entire Field On Notice

UPDATED.

"I made it clear at different times in this campaign that if I had not decided to run -- I believe I even said it at a debate -- the only person in the country that I clearly would've supported for the president of the United States would be John McCain. And that came from the heart.

"Today, I'm officially announcing my withdrawal as a candidate for president of the United States."

And with that, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani closed the chapter on his own presidential aspirations and opened a new one in this rollercoaster ride of an election cycle. McCain's victory in the Florida Republican primary yesterday was already validation that he's now the GOP front-runner. Giuliani's decision to ally himself with McCain today sent a strong message to the challengers in both fields: This election will once again center on security and defense.

"It will be a clear choice this November, and I believe that my life has prepared me. A life of service, and a life of dedication to lead this nation and the transcendent challenge of the 21st century: the great threat and evil of radical Islam," McCain said, accepting Giuliani's endorsement.

The person who should fear McCain's ascendancy most immediately is Mitt Romney, who's been pushed out of the headlines as the nation digests McCain's comeback, unthinkable just months ago. McCain not only has a delegates-count advantage going into next week's Super Tuesday contests, he also has a wide margin over Romney in national polling, which at this late date can be considered a fairly reliable indicator of how the big-prize states will vote.

Continue reading "McCain Wins Giuliani Nod, Puts Entire Field On Notice"

Posted at 7:04 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
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Mukasey Frustrates Again On Waterboarding

Attorney General Michael Mukasey fended off questions today on waterboarding, CIA destruction of interrogation tapes, the U.S. attorney firings and other high-profile issues in his first appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee since his contentious confirmation hearings three months ago.

Mukasey said the CIA does not conduct waterboarding now and that the committee would be privately informed should that change. Mukasey repeatedly declined to say if waterboarding -- an interrogation technique that causes suspects to believe they are drowning -- constitutes torture, or to confirm if it was used by the CIA.

"Given waterboarding is not part of the [interrogation] program and may never be added to the program, I don't think it's appropriate for me to comment on its legality," he testified. Mukasey did suggest a standard where the brutality of an interrogator's action would be weighed against the value of information elicited to decide if the act constitutes torture. That position drew rebukes from several committee Democrats.

Continue reading "Mukasey Frustrates Again On Waterboarding"

Posted at 5:48 PM
Posted to: Attorney Scandal, Bush Administration, CIA, Constitution, Michael Mukasey, President Bush, Terrorism
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Fed Watch: There Will Be Cuts

UPDATED.

A Wall Street rally following a 50-basis-points rate cut from the Fed today was not long for this world, as yet another negative economic report sent the Dow back down 37.47 points to close at 12,442.83. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq also pulled back from afternoon bumps.

Earlier in the afternoon, the Fed slashed interest rates to 3 percent, as was widely anticipated. The confirmation sent the Dow Jones industrial average and the S&P 500 ticking back up. But bad news from the bond sector sent those indexes sinking back down.

The brief rally may just have been a sigh of relief that the Fed had delivered as projected. New data released today show economic growth is grinding down, heightening fears of a recession this year.

"Financial markets remain under considerable stress, and credit has tightened further for some businesses and households. Moreover, recent information indicates a deepening of the housing contraction as well as some softening in labor markets," the Federal Open Market Committee said in a statement. "The committee expects inflation to moderate in coming quarters, but it will be necessary to continue to monitor inflation developments carefully."

Chairman Ben Bernanke joined in the near-unanimous decision. Voting against the cut was Richard Fisher, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. The Board left the door open to future reductions.

"It's great that they did it now. I wish they had done it earlier," said CNBC's Jim Cramer, who has been screaming -- sometimes literally -- about the Fed's slowness to act on the housing bust and credit crunch.

Continue reading "Fed Watch: There Will Be Cuts"

Posted at 5:04 PM
Posted to: Bush Administration, Congress, Economy, Federal Reserve, House, President Bush, Senate
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Virginia Rep. Davis Rules Out Re-Election

Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and a strong proponent of D.C. voting rights, this afternoon became the third Republican in two days to announce he will not return to the House next year.

"After much soul-searching and discussion with those closest to me, I have decided the time is right to take a sabbatical from public life," he said in a statement. "I will serve out the remainder of my term, and plan to remain an active contributor to Republican causes, but will not run for office in 2008."

His announcement, coupled with yesterday's retirement announcement from Rep. Ron Lewis, R-Ky., and Missouri Rep. Kenny Hulshof's decision to run for governor, now mean there are 24 Republicans and 29 House members overall who are either retiring or running for higher office this year.

CongressDaily has a full list (subscription) of departing lawmakers and will have more details on Davis' announcement later this afternoon.

Posted at 2:37 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Congress, House
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Edwards Ends WH Bid But Keeps Anti-Poverty Message Alive

UPDATED.

John Edwards ended his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination this afternoon during a stop in New Orleans, where he first announced his entrance into the race one year ago in order to punctuate the primary theme of his campaign: combating poverty.

"It's time for me to step aside, so that history can blaze its path," he told the assembled crowd against a backdrop of newly built homes in the hurricane-ravaged Ninth Ward. "We do not know who will take the final steps to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, but what we do know is our Democratic Party will make history."

Edwards, surrounded by his wife, Elizabeth, and three children, said he had spoken with the two remaining Democrats in the race -- Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama -- who both pledged to him that they'd make "ending poverty central to their campaign" and, if elected, their presidency. However, he did not formally endorse either candidate.

"America's hour of transformation is upon us," Edwards told the crowd, returning to the message of "change" that has dominated the Democratic primary race. He evoked numerous images of the kinds of struggling Americans -- the homeless, the hungry, the uninsured, neglected veterans and working people -- that he has pledged to fight for, and he promised to continue that fight even as he exits the White House race. "It's hard to speak out for change when you feel like your voice isn't being heard," but "the Democratic Party hears you," he said.

"It's time for all of us together to make the two Americas one," he concluded, echoing the theme of equality that he first laid out as a presidential candidate in the 2004 race.

Edwards thanked his supporters, volunteers and campaign staffers after saying he was "suspending" his campaign. That terminology may generate some head-scratching, but AP reports that, according to his advisers, it "was simply legal terminology so that he can continue to receive federal matching funds for his campaign donations."

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Posted at 2:05 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Democrats, John Edwards, WH 2008
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Earlybird Roundup: FutureGen, Bush Library, Mukasey Hearing

Washington. The Energy Department could drop its support for FutureGen, a proposed coal-fired power plant using cutting-edge environmental technologies.

Administration. Methodists opposed to building a George W. Bush Presidential Library at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, have launched a last-ditch effort to block its construction.

Congress. Attorney General Michael Mukasey, who is set to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee today, refused to classify waterboarding as torture in a letter he sent the committee yesterday.

Iraq. Reductions in the number of U.S. troops in Iraq may not continue beyond this summer, as previously thought.

World. Jendayi Frazer, a U.S. envoy and diplomat in Africa, called recent violence in Kenya "clear ethnic cleansing" and said no party has done enough to stop the conflict.

See Earlybird (subscription) for more of this morning's headlines.

Posted at 9:05 AM
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Both Houses Approve Short FISA Extension

The House and Senate approved legislation yesterday to extend a law authorizing electronic surveillance activities for 15 days beyond Friday's scheduled expiration.

The extension, which passed the House by voice vote and the Senate by unanimous consent, is intended to buy time for lawmakers to craft permanent legislation that would overhaul and reauthorize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

In the Senate, Democrats and Republicans were still arguing over how to deal with amendments to the Senate Intelligence Committee's FISA reauthorization bill.

Continue reading "Both Houses Approve Short FISA Extension"

Posted at 7:47 AM
Posted to: Congress, House, Senate
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January 29, 2008

McCain Edges Romney In Florida; Giuliani Bowing Out

UPDATED.

John McCain edged out rival Mitt Romney to win the Republican primary in Florida, sealing his comeback status as the front-runner in this race.

"Our victory might not have reached landslide proportions, but it is sweet nonetheless," McCain said, as supporters cheered an increasingly familiar refrain, "Mac is back! Mac is back!"

"To everyone who in good times and bad devoted much time and energy and hope to keeping our candidacy competitive: Thank you from the bottom of my heart," McCain said, in reference to his astonishing revival after being left for dead last summer when his campaign operation imploded.

These numbers will be confirmed tomorrow, but McCain bested Romney by about 36 percent to 31 percent. Rudy Giuliani won 15 percent of the registered-Republicans-only vote, followed by Mike Huckabee 2 points behind. The exit polling data show some surprising alliances. Latinos overwhelmingly went to McCain, even though Romney was up with Spanish-language ads in Florida nearly a year ago. McCain also bested Romney among voters middle-aged and older. The two fared about equally among middle-income voters, with Romney gaining an edge in the $100,000-$199,990 bracket. But McCain won over Republicans earning $200,000 or more, 44 percent to 30 percent.

With Super Tuesday just a week away, McCain heads into that 24-state competition the delegate-count winner, with Romney his chief rival and Huckabee the wild card.

Meanwhile, without actually saying he was dropping out, Giuliani all but drew his campaign to a close in his concession speech tonight. He said he was "proud" of his campaign for keeping things positive -- he never really went after anyone except Romney and Ron Paul -- and nodded to his improbable candidacy and improbable strategy.

Continue reading "McCain Edges Romney In Florida; Giuliani Bowing Out"

Posted at 11:17 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Bush Administration, Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, President Bush, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
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Who Let The Dogs Out? Who? Who Who?

When he's not freestyle rapping, Mitt Romney also enjoys running for president of the United States. Tonight, we will find out if the Republican voters of Florida will crown him the candidate to beat going into next Tuesday, or if his chief rival in this state, John McCain, definitively becomes 2008's Comeback Kid.

We kid the former Massachusetts governor, of course, who is poised to win the Florida primary today and put to rest doubts that he can sweep enough Super Tuesday delegates to carry him to the nomination. He shot for and missed winning the nod in the supposedly crucial (but probably not so much anymore) states of Iowa and New Hampshire, which prompted a bunch of fortune tellers to write his WH '08 obit. But Romney doesn't have the best ground game and organization in this field for nothing. Polls put [PDF] him in a dead heat for first with McCain, which could effectively make Feb. 5 a two-man contest.

That is, if potential spoiler Rudy Giuliani doesn't beat expectations. The former NYC mayor is promising he will deliver in spite of the polling numbers. He's crossing his fingers that a lot of the absentee balloting went his way, though it's not clear that would make a difference, our colleagues at Pollster.com say.

Continue reading "Who Let The Dogs Out? Who? Who Who?"

Posted at 5:43 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Democrats, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
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House Passes Stimulus Package

The House approved a $146 billion economic stimulus package today on an overwhelming 385-35 vote. The package now heads to the Senate, where tinkering with the bill is being criticized by lawmakers who reached a deal with President Bush.

"I would hope that the timely aspect of this is recognized by my colleagues in the Senate," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said. "We have to have a stimulus. There's just no question. Once you understand that, then you have a responsibility to work back to that and find common ground. I would hope that what the Senate does is respectful of the focus that we have on middle-class and lower-income people."

The House measure would send rebate checks worth $600 to individuals and $1,200 for families, plus $300 per child, while providing tax breaks to businesses. Most of the revenue loss associated with the bill takes place in FY08.

See CongressDaily (subscription) and The Gate's previous coverage of the House-negotiated bill for more details.

-Peter Cohn, CongressDaily

Posted at 3:37 PM
Posted to: Bush Administration, Congress, Economy, House, President Bush, Senate
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Points For Trying

As Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius noted in her Democratic response to the State of the Union address last night, states and municipalities are experimenting with health care reforms in the absence of what many agree is a badly needed overhaul on the federal level. One of the leaders in this movement is California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who negotiated last year with Democratic state lawmakers over a universal health insurance program for his state.

The $14.9-billion proposal was eagerly anticipated by other states eyeing similar measures. Congressional lawmakers were also keen to learn from California's experience. They'll all have to wait a little longer, though, because yesterday the state Senate rejected Schwarzenegger's plan.

Per the Los Angeles Times: "Senators said it was too risky a financial commitment when California faces a $14.5-billion budget gap that could force them to cut existing healthcare programs. Schwarzenegger has proposed $2.9 billion in healthcare cuts over the next 18 months."

Continue reading "Points For Trying"

Posted at 2:32 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Health, Mitt Romney, Republicans, WH 2008
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Yet Another Disheartening Veterans Care Story

Thanks to the Washington Post's work exposing the lapses in care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Americans are more familiar than ever with the mind-boggling bureaucratic maze returning war vets must navigate. Congress is expected to act again on the reforms outlined by the Dole-Shalala commission this year. (They were included in a defense authorization bill President Bush vetoed last month.)

Though many in the military and in Congress are on board with those reforms, it often seems that the real problem with veterans care is that it is split up by the Pentagon and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Departments and agencies don't do coordination too well in this town, as we now know all too well.

NPR's Ari Shapiro has a report highlighting this divide. For reasons they would not give, Army officials have instructed VA counterparts at Fort Drum in upstate New York not to assist disabled vets with DOD disabled benefits paperwork. One expert Shapiro interviewed surmised that DOD did so in order to save money on benefits. According to another expert, VA officials will generally do what DOD asks because they require DOD cooperation to reach out to disabled solders.

Truly, a head-scratcher. NPR reported on the DOD-VA separation last March; you can hear that report here.

Posted at 12:21 PM
Posted to: Bush Administration, Congress, Military, President Bush, Veterans
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U.S. Home Foreclosures Up 75 Percent In 2007

In another troubling sign of crisis in the U.S. housing market, the number of home foreclosures rose a staggering 75 percent to a total of more than 2.2 million filings in 2007, according to new data from RealtyTrac. The online seller of foreclosure properties reports that filings were up 97 percent in December compared to December 2006.

In an interview with MarketWatch, RealtyTrac's Rick Sharga concluded that the "primary driver" of the surge in foreclosures was "the high delinquency rates of these adjustable-rate subprime mortgages," and he warned that "we have one more massive wave of these loans that will adjust or reset... in late May or early June." Listen to the interview here and view RealtyTrac's findings here.

CNNMoney.com's Les Christie predicts that the "rapid rise" in foreclosure risk "could last for years."

According to Forbes' breakdown of the data, many of the hardest-hit counties are in key electoral battleground states, including some that have already held presidential nominating contests (Nevada, Michigan) and some that will weigh in next week on Super Tuesday (California, Arizona, Colorado). With overall economic concerns already a top priority for voters, the housing crisis could shape up to be one of the key issues in this year's presidential election.

Continue reading "U.S. Home Foreclosures Up 75 Percent In 2007"

Posted at 10:48 AM
Posted to: Bush Administration, Campaigns, Congress, Democrats, Economy, Hillary Rodham Clinton, President Bush, WH 2008
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Baucus Stimulus Bill Has Key Add-Ons

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., unveiled a roughly $156 billion economic stimulus package yesterday, adding low-income seniors and laid-off workers to those who would benefit from a previously agreed-upon House proposal. Business incentives would also be expanded to let companies write off losses going back five years, offsetting earlier gains and earning them refunds on previous tax bills.

"Rebates for seniors and payroll taxpayers, extended unemployment insurance, and tax relief for struggling businesses will put more cash into the American economy right away," Baucus said in a statement.

In the most significant departure from the House proposal, the Finance bill would extend jobless benefits through the end of 2008, making 13 additional weeks of unemployment insurance available. For states where unemployment rates are 6 percent or higher, an additional 13 weeks would be available.

Continue reading "Baucus Stimulus Bill Has Key Add-Ons"

Posted at 9:26 AM
Posted to: Bush Administration, Congress, Economy, House, President Bush, Senate
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Earlybird Roundup: Kenya Talks, Mosul Ambush, FISA Debate

World. Rival sides prepared to hold fresh talks in Kenya today as new clashes erupted over the slaying of an opposition lawmaker.

Iraq. An American convoy was caught in an ambush by Sunni guerrillas in the northern city of Mosul yesterday; the attack killed five U.S. soldiers.

Congress. A Republican-led effort to invoke cloture on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act failed in a mostly party-line vote, leaving the fate of the measure hanging in the balance.

Administration. The Senate confirmed President Bush's nominee for agriculture secretary, Edward Schafer, with no objections yesterday despite disagreements between Congress and the administration over the pending farm bill.

Nation. A California state Senate panel rejected Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's (R) plan to expand health insurance coverage, citing budgetary concerns.

See Earlybird (subscription) for more of this morning's headlines.

Posted at 8:57 AM
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January 28, 2008

Liveblogging President Bush's Final State Of The Union Address

End note. SOTU affairs are always a laundry list, and few expect them to deliver poetry. This year's address (full text) did lack the rhetorical punch of previous years, particularly Bush's first SOTU address following 9/11, which received very high marks.

If there is one character trait that describes this president, it is determination-bordering-on-
stubbornness. He has largely ignored polls and the punditry, and he only changed tacks in Iraq when the calls for a change in course permeated his own administration. Plenty of Americans didn't tune in to this speech tonight, on the assumption Bush is a lame duck. That is probably not the case, at least as far as the legislature is concerned.

With his veto threat and the executive order coming Tuesday, Bush is asserting himself in a dramatic way. The rate of federal spending under Bush's watch is triple that of the Clinton administration. That Bush is positioning himself to put a foot down on pork-barrel spending was pretty unexpected in his final year in office. We'll be watching to see how it pans out.

As for Bush's various claims in tonight's speech, NPR's reporters have been posting fact checks all evening. See their corrections on the tax cuts, FISA, Iraq and entitlement reform. Good night.

10:27. A somewhat unexpected criticism of the president here: "In spite of the attempts to convince us that we are divided as a people, a new American majority has come together. We are tired of leaders who rather than asking what we can do for our country, ask nothing of us at all.

"We are Americans sharing a belief in something greater than ourselves, a nation coming together to meet challenges and find solutions; to share sacrifices and share prosperity; and focus, once again, not only on the individual good but on the common good."

It should come as little surprise that Sebelius has endorsed Barack Obama. This speech reflects Democrats' palpable eagerness to move the country well away from the Bush era.

Continue reading "Liveblogging President Bush's Final State Of The Union Address"

Posted at 10:47 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Bush Administration, Campaigns, Climate Change, Congress, Democrats, Economy, Hillary Rodham Clinton, House, Iraq, Middle East, Military, President Bush, Senate, Taxes, Terrorism, Trade, Veterans, WH 2008
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Troops Watch: No Answers Until Summer

When Gen. David Petraeus returns to Washington in March, he will brief Defense Secretary Robert Gates on the progress of the U.S. troop drawdown. He'll be asked how units are faring in Iraq as more of them leave, and whether the targeted reduction -- from about 160,000 to the pre-surge 130,000 by this summer -- should progress as planned.

What he won't be asked is whether troop levels can be brought down further.

On the one hand, that isn't surprising. The answer is clearly no, although the Pentagon hasn't publicly confirmed that. Violence against U.S. troops is back down to 2005 levels -- which isn't great, but it beats the carnage of 2006 and 2007.

The main U.S. objective moving forward is to help Iraq rebuild its military and security forces. In an interview with the New York Times published Jan. 15, Iraqi Defense Minister Abdul Qadir forecast that Iraq's military forces would not be able to fend off internal and external threats independently until at least 2018.

That lines up with many U.S. commanders' assessments that significant assistance from their own country will be required in Iraq for at least a decade. Right now, the presidential candidates are bickering over whether the surge is working. A better debating point would be whether the U.S. has a responsibility to help Iraq become a fully sovereign nation or whether Washington can live with the very real possibility that all the gains made last year could be undone if American politicians oppose commanders' recommendations.

Continue reading "Troops Watch: No Answers Until Summer"

Posted at 6:18 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Bush Administration, Campaigns, Congress, David Petraeus, Democrats, Donald Rumsfeld, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Iraq, Middle East, Military, President Bush, Republicans, Robert Gates, WH 2008
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Bush's Plan To Halve Earmarks Getting Mixed Reviews

President Bush will veto FY09 appropriations bills that do not halve the number and cost of earmarks and will issue an executive order tomorrow directing federal agencies to ignore future earmarks that are added in report language rather than actual legislation. "If they're going to be in legislative language, that means that they have to be open for all to see, and it means that they would have to be actually voted on," said White House press secretary Dana Perino, who announced the plan today.

Bush will not challenge earmarks included in the reports of recently approved FY08 spending bills. "The president decided that he needed to give the Congress a very clear indication of what he was going to do," Perino said.

Though it will be left for another president to enforce the executive order, the White House appears to be calculating that future leaders will be reluctant to take a stand that may look supportive of earmarking by abolishing the order. "Remember, an executive order remains in place unless a future president decides to rescind it or change it," Perino said. "So we think this is a good, solid action."

Democrats were quick to criticize Bush's proposal, while some Republicans complained that it did not go far enough.

Continue reading "Bush's Plan To Halve Earmarks Getting Mixed Reviews"

Posted at 4:17 PM
Posted to: Bush Administration, Congress, President Bush
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Poll: Bush's Rating On The Economy Tanks Before SOTU

As President Bush prepares to deliver the final State of the Union address of his presidency, a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll [PDF] shows that not only does his job approval rating continue to hover in the low 30s, but the public's approval of his performance on the economy, which will be a main focus of his speech, has also fallen to an all-time low of just 29 percent (in a half-sample of respondents).

Bush's advisers have indicated that he will not be focusing on his legacy in the speech, and perhaps with good reason. About seven in 10 respondents told NBC/WSJ pollsters they expected Bush to be remembered as a worse president than his most recent predecessors.

See today's Poll Track for more on the survey. Meanwhile, today's Ad Spotlight has details on a national buy from liberal advocacy group Americans United for Change that is designed to keep the heat on Bush as he enters his final term in office. And check back with The Gate this evening; we'll be liveblogging Bush's final SOTU address.

Posted at 1:45 PM
Posted to: Bush Administration, Economy, President Bush
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Forget That 'UFO' In Texas...

... because a renegade spy satellite could be smacking into Earth in a matter of weeks. Anonymous government officials revealed Saturday that the satellite has lost power and fallen out of orbit, and it could collide with the planet in late February or early March. And that's not all: The satellite could contain hazardous materials such as hydrazine fuel that might not completely burn off upon re-entry into Earth's atmosphere.

Incidences of space objects losing their orbits aren't unprecedented or even unusual, but smaller satellites usually break up and dissipate when they hit Earth's atmosphere. Debris that does make it through the layer protecting the planet has usually landed in remote areas, but, as one astronomer put it, that may only be because "we've been lucky so far."

A spokesman for the National Security Council tried to dispel concern with a statement saying government agencies are tracking the situation. "Numerous satellites over the years have come out of orbit and fallen harmlessly," Gordon Johndroe said. "We are looking at potential options to mitigate any possible damage this satellite may cause."

Johndroe wouldn't comment on whether the government is considering trying to deflect the satellite from Earth's path using a missile or other technology.

NASA has successfully diverted the paths of errant space objects in the past. Scientists used rockets on the 17-ton gamma ray observatory to bring the satellite down harmlessly in the Pacific Ocean in 2000. 1979 saw the largest "uncontrolled re-entry" to date, when debris from the 78-ton Skylab space station fell into the Indian Ocean and in a remote part of Australia.

Photo by NASA

Posted at 12:24 PM
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Gater On The Air, Globally

Your dutiful blogger, Jane Roh, and Government Executive senior editor Kellie Lunney will be participating in a weekly Campaigns '08 radio roundtable moderated by Simon Marks (of "NewsHour With Jim Lehrer"). In the U.S., you can hear us on Metro Networks affiliates and on Sirius Satellite Radio's WRN. Overseas, we can be heard on stations including Radio Deutsche Welle, Austrian Broadcasting, Vatican Radio, Australian Independent Radio News and Radio New Zealand.

Listen to this week's show here.

Posted at 12:01 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Horserace '08, WH 2008
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Congress: WH Race Threatens To Hamstring Dem Majority

With Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois likely fighting for the Democratic presidential nomination well into February, and one of them virtually assured of being the nominee, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid might be doomed to spend 2008 much the same way he spent 2007 -- hamstrung by a slim majority.

With lawmakers eager to sidestep controversial votes and spend as much time as possible campaigning for their own re-elections, the track re