Blog @ MoreWhat.com

By Kurt Achin
Seoul
28 August 2007

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A team of U.S. lawmakers visiting South Korea says a major free-trade deal signed several months ago may have to wait until next year for passage. Other pressing business before the U.S. Congress, and some unsettled issues in the agreement, are behind the prospective delay. VOA’s Kurt Achin has more from Seoul.

U.S. Congresswoman Diane Watson says ratifying a major trade deal with South Korea this year is not Washington’s highest priority.

“The chances of taking up the proposed trade policy might be a little slim,” she said.

Watson is chairing the U.S. side of an inter-parliamentary conference between the two countries this week. Lawmakers from both countries call it an opportunity for frank dialogue about the deal, which would loosen trade barriers.

But Watson cited U.S. domestic budget items, along with security concerns connected to Iraq and Iran, as the reason for the likely delay.

President Bush and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun signed the deal in June after months of intense negotiation. The deal is bitterly opposed by some Korean groups, who fear it would allow the far larger U.S. economy to swallow entire sectors of South Korean production.

Two of the three biggest U.S. automobile producers oppose the deal, because they say it does not sufficiently cut barriers to import foreign cars into South Korea.

Watson says the agreement will not become law until Congress can assure U.S. carmakers they are not getting a bad deal.

“Cars, car sales, jobs, manufacturing, will be a number-one issue,” added Watson.

There is also uneasiness in Washington about including goods made in Kaesong, a North-South Korean joint venture located in the North, in the free-trade deal. Seoul wants them included, but some congressmen are concerned that the North Korean workers at the park are not being treated according to global labor standards.

South Korea’s ban on U.S. beef imports is another sensitive issue.

South Korea suspended those imports after a U.S. cow was found with “mad cow” disease in 2003, but resumed shipments this year. Little U.S. beef has actually made it to consumers, however, due to rejection of shipments containing bits of bone, which South Korean inspectors call a health hazard.

Congressman Earl Pomeroy, who represents many American farmers, says the beef issue could be a deal breaker for the free trade agreement.

“The embargo is an issue that needs to be resolved, I believe, before there will be much prospect for having the free-trade agreement passed in Congress,” said Pomeroy.

Washington says U.S. beef, with or without bones, is completely safe. The World Organization for Animal Health says U.S. producers have adequately controlled the threat of mad cow disease.

1. 
   

   Planck’s Constant

   Says:
   August 27th, 2007 at 11:38 pm FOKO and the Burning Forests of Madagascar…

   Before I tell you what FOKO is, let me take you through the dynamics of Slash and Burn….

2. 
   

   Webloggin

   Says:
   August 27th, 2007 at 11:45 pm Perhaps Beauty Pageants Should Become a Thing of the Past…

   The question itself is total rubbish. While Lauren Upton may have had issues articulating the answer I submit that the people coming up with these questions are as dumb as her answer appeared to be.
   ……

3. 
   

   Pirate’s Cove » >>Americans Never Quit » Silk Pony Continues Defeat and Retreat

   Says:
   August 27th, 2007 at 11:46 pm […] Breckposted to ……thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe. […]

4. 
   

   Woman Honor Thyself

   Says:
   August 28th, 2007 at 4:24 am RogeR Federer…

   Show Your Emotion.
   That, I can do. Yea. I can rattle his cage eh. How do I look with mah fists all pumped huh.

   ……

5. 
   

   Adam’s Blog

   Says:
   August 28th, 2007 at 5:14 am Doolittle Undone Thanks to Club for Growth…

   John Doolittle is losing support thanks to the Club for Growth RePork Card, Women conclude abortion doesn’t improve the lives of women, and the Gideons are in trouble for distributing the Bible, would people be so upset if it were the Koran?
   Popu…

6. 
   

   Leaning Straight Up

   Says:
   August 28th, 2007 at 8:41 am Typical Liberal dodge- HuffPo columnist makes outrageous statements, then claims “it’s just satire”…

   Typical indeed. Martin Lewis made some fairly idiotic comments in a post entitled “General Pace, You Can Save the US - by Arresting Bush for “Conduct Unbecoming”.

   General Pace - you have the power to fulfill your responsibility to pr…

7. 
   

   The Florida Masochist

   Says:
   August 28th, 2007 at 11:03 am The Knucklehead of the Day award…

   Today’s winner is Michael Vick….

8. 
   

   Republican National Convention Blog

   Says:
   August 28th, 2007 at 12:21 pm Tracking the elusive shipping container…

   The world is a very different place out beyond the horizon. Even as you read this, there are some 40,000 large cargo ships plying the world’s waterways and oceans,…

9. 
   

   CommonSenseAmerica - Illegal Immigration, America, Freedom, News and Opinion » Man Wanted for Rape of 4-Year-Old May Be Headed Back to Mexico

   Says:
   August 28th, 2007 at 12:29 pm […] Trackposted to … thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe. This entry is filed under Politics, Homeland Security, Illegal Immigration, America, Mexico. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. Leave a Reply […]

10. CommonSenseAmerica - Illegal Immigration, America, Freedom, News and Opinion » Mother and Son Stop Man Raping 5-year-old Girl Says:

    August 28th, 2007 at 12:38 pm […] Trackposted to …thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe. This entry is filed under Politics, Homeland Security, Illegal Immigration, America, Family. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. Leave a Reply […]

11. 
    

    Nuke’s News & Views » “Red lights all over this one”

    Says:
    August 28th, 2007 at 2:49 pm […] Trackposted to ….. thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe. Bookmark to: submit_url = ‘http://conservablogs.com/nuke/2007/08/28/red-lights-all-over-this-one/’; […]

12. The Florida Masochist Says:

    August 28th, 2007 at 6:34 pm I got my results…

    Of last week’s surgery. A nurse from the doctor’s office called around lunch-time. There was cancer in the lymph node….

13. CommonSenseAmerica Says:

    August 28th, 2007 at 6:42 pm Missouri Governor: “We cannot wait for Washington to stop unlawful immigration”…

    In a press release yesterday, Missouri Republican Governor Matt Blunt introduced his new strategy for Missouri:
    Gov. Blunt Announces New Directives to Fight Illegal Immigration
    Blunt: “We cannot wait for Washington to stop unlawful immigration…

Blogs4Borders Video Blogburst 082807

The Newark MS-13 Executions: What they didn’t tell you!

100% Preventable! Illegal alien gang banger executes high school kids! Two year old stomped to death by illegal alien! Illegal alien pedophiles continue to swarm over our unprotected borders!

GBU: Elvira continues to threaten America from Mexico! Illinois Minutemen denied first amendment rights due to “conflicting viewpoints!”

Vote for us in the Blogger’s Choice Awards…(click on image)

Michelle Malkin puts out a call for patriots to contact their state attorney general and demand an end to sanctuary cities…here.

Technorati Tags: illegal immigration, elvira arellano, mexico, rape, murder, executions, new jersey, ms 13, gangs, drugs, carranza, amnesty, pedophile,

By VOA News
28 August 2007

United States Senator Larry Craig has denied inappropriate conduct following his arrest by a police officer investigating complaints of lewd behavior in an airport restroom.

Craig, a Republican from the western U.S. state of Idaho, was arrested on June 11 at the airport in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, according to the Roll Call newspaper.

The paper reported the officer arrested Craig after the policeman observed him making hand signals consistent with someone wishing to engage in lewd conduct.

Craig entered a guilty plea on August 8 to misdemeanor disorderly conduct. Roll Call reported he paid more than $500 in fines and fees and received one year of probation.

After the report became public, Craig issued a statement in which he said police misconstrued his actions. Craig said he regretted he handled the matter without the advice of an attorney, and said he should not have pled guilty.

Craig is in his third term in the U.S. senate. He is up for re-election in 2008.

By VOA News
28 August 2007

Authorities in the Iraqi city of Karbala have imposed an indefinite curfew and police say they are evacuating Shi’ite pilgrims after gunmen and police clashed during a major religious festival.

Police say buses have been readied to take pilgrims out of the holy city as police and army reinforcements move in.

Gunfights broke out near two major Shi’ite shrines, the focal points of celebrations marking the birth of Mohammed al-Mahdi, the 12th and last Shi’ite imam.

Hundreds of thousands of Shi’ite pilgrims are in Karbala for the annual two-day festival.

In the past, gunmen have disrupted Shi’ite festivals in the city.

Monday, pilgrims angry about security restrictions fought with police, who used gunfire. Officials say at least five people were killed and more than 20 wounded.

In other news, the U.S. military says Iraqi and coalition forces killed 33 insurgents in a joint operation north of Baghdad. A military statement says the operation reopened a major irrigation canal that had been seized by gunmen.

The U.S. military also says coalition forces killed eight terrorists and detained 11 suspects in separate operations elsewhere in central and northern Iraq Tuesday.

When Hollywood or parts of Hollywood play political, the result is an unintended comedy. Gee, what an incredible coincidence that a ‘film’ entitled ‘September Dawn’ about an 1857 extremely violent incident involving Mormons, Paiute Indians and newcomers from Arkansas debuts during the 2008 Presidential race. Hmmm, let’s see. One candidate for President just happens to be Mormon and the film’s antagonists include, huh, Mormons.

And how about the other coincidences like Martin Sheen is the narrator and Christopher Cain is the director. One of Cain’s previous credits for films is the 1988 movie, ‘Young Guns’, that featured Emilio Estevez and Charlie Sheen as well as Terrance Stamp who is in September Dawn.

Of course, those associated with the film explain that it was in development long before Romney announced his run for President. Nice try folks, since 1994 in a run for the Senate, people knew Romney was a likely contender some time in the future. At least political types did. But they would rather have you believe an unknown wrote her first screenplay and a director came out of retirement to make a movie and picked that long shot. Not to mention the movie is being panned. But then, a nice payday for an unknown and who cares if a political stunt makes money or not?

The nicest touch is the interview with Jon Voight and Chris Cain on Hugh Hewitt’s radio show. Probably the best work Voight and Cain have done to date. Voight even tries to sound conservative by expressing his support for the war and his stance offends the left. Have you even been asked to drink that much Kool-Aid before? Here are some links for the radio podcast and other related headlines.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

radio interview:
Hugh Hewitt Radio Show Interview with Jon Voight and Chris Cain (hour 2)

Hugh Hewitt Radio Show Interview with Jon Voight and Chris Cain (hour 3)

movie reviews, etc…..
‘September Dawn’ a grotesque WesternRoanoke Times

“September Dawn“ Opens to Negative Reviews

Film: ‘September Dawn’ fails story of grim tragedy

‘September Dawn’ overshadowed by silly melodrama Kansas City Star

Sappy direction mars ‘September Dawn’

Movie Review: September Dawn is blatant propaganda against the Mormons

‘September Dawn’ turns a hatchet job into a hack exercise

September “Yawn”

Grisly story of 1857 massacre is unbelievably ugly and an insult …

Jon Voight Denies September Dawn Controversy

Romney won’t be in line for this film

Romney Shrugs Off Mormon History Film

By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
27 August 2007

Berger report (mp3) - Download 425k audio clip
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Israeli and Palestinian leaders will hold a summit meeting on Tuesday in a fresh bid to advance the peace process. But as Robert Berger reports from VOA’s Jerusalem bureau, Israel’s “go-slow” approach has left the Palestinians disappointed.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will meet Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas here in Jerusalem. Both Israel and the United States want to strengthen Mr. Abbas after the violent takeover of the Gaza Strip by the Islamic militant group Hamas two months ago. Hamas routed the forces of the rival Fatah faction, led by Mr. Abbas, who now heads a moderate government in the West Bank.

President Abbas and Mr. Olmert have met regularly since the civil war in Gaza. They are trying to hammer out principles for the creation of a Palestinian state ahead of an international peace conference in the United States this fall.

“Ultimately, the Israeli government and the Palestinian government, we share a common view of two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace,” said Mark Regev, an Israeli government spokesman.

But Israel has been reluctant to discuss the thorniest issues of the conflict, creating skepticism among Palestinians.

“It is very essential to see and hear some concrete steps taken towards talking about a timeframe for solving the five permanent status issues of the Palestinian cause, namely Jerusalem, refugees, water, borders and settlements,” said Palestinian analyst Wadia Abu Nasser. “And without that the people are talking about [a] peace process but not necessarily peace.”

Israel’s reluctance to discuss those issues may point to a lack of confidence in Mr. Abbas. His forces collapsed during the factional fighting in Gaza, earning him the reputation of a moderate Palestinian leader who cannot deliver.

By Paula Wolfson
Washington
27 August 2007

Wolfson report (mp3) - Download 473k audio clip
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President Bush has hailed the political agreement reached late Sunday by Iraqi leaders, calling it a promising sign of progress. VOA White House Correspondent Paula Wolfson has details.

The president says the deal is an important step towards resolving some of the issues standing in the way of political reconciliation.

The agreement emerged from talks involving five of Iraq’s top elected leaders. The president says he talked to them on Monday. “These leaders represent all the Iraqi communities. These leaders - Prime Minister [Nouri] al- Maliki,[a Shiite], President [Jalal] Talibani [a Kurd], Vice President [Tariq al-] Hashemi,[a Sunni], Vice President Abdul Mahdi [a Shiite] and President [Massoud) Barzani [head of the semiautonomous Kurdish region] - recognize the true and meaningful reconciliation that needs to take place. And they recognize this is a process,” he said.

Mr. Bush says the agreement demonstrates their commitment. “The agreement begins to establish new power sharing agreements, commits to supporting bottom-up security and political initiatives and advances agreement among Iraq’s leadership on several key legislative benchmarks,” he said.

President Bush spoke on an airport tarmac in Albuquerque, New Mexico, shortly after he arrived in the southwestern city for a campaign event.

In a brief statement, he sounded optimistic. But he acknowledged one major hurdle remains: winning the approval of the Iraqi parliament. “The Iraqi parliament will convene again in early September and it will need to act to codify this political progress,” he said.

Details of the deal have not been released, but it is said to lift restrictions that prevent former members of Saddam Hussein’s Baath Party from joining the civil service and the military. The political leaders also agreed to release certain detainees.

The consensus agreement was welcome news for the Bush administration which faces a showdown with Congress in a few weeks. That is when the American military commander in Iraq General David Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker are to report to lawmakers on progress since the arrival of an additional 30,000 U.S. troops.

By Jim Malone
Washington
27 August 2007

The resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales brings to a close a bitter standoff between the Bush administration and Congress over the attorney general’s loss of personal credibility and integrity with lawmakers. VOA National Correspondent Jim Malone has more on reaction to the Gonzales resignation from Washington.

Alberto Gonzales has long been one of George Bush’s most trusted advisors, first during his tenure as Texas governor and later as president.

Gonzales first served as White House counsel, in effect the president’s top lawyer, until he was confirmed as the first Hispanic U.S. attorney general in 2005.

In his brief resignation statement, Gonzales recalled his humble roots as the son of Mexican migrant farm workers and thanked the president for the opportunities he had given him over the years. “I often remind our fellow citizens that we live in the greatest country in the world and that I have lived the American dream. Even my worst days as attorney general have been better than my father’s best days,” he said.

The president said he reluctantly accepted Gonzales’ resignation and complained that the attorney general’s critics had dragged his name through the mud for political purposes. “After months of unfair treatment that has created a harmful distraction at the Justice Department, Judge Gonzales decided to resign his position and I accept his decision,” he said.

But it became clear in recent months that Gonzales had lost the trust and support of not only Democrats in Congress, but Republicans as well.

Most disturbing to lawmakers was the way in which Gonzales handled the firing last year of eight U.S. attorneys. Democrats charged the firings were politically motivated, which Gonzales denied.

But even Republicans questioned his credibility after Gonzales testified before Congress about the attorney firings. Among his critics was Republican Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa. “He did a lot of stupid things. The bottom line of it is that because he had bad public relations, because he did things like firing eight U.S. attorneys that probably should not have been fired, it did weaken his position,” he said.

Bud Cummins was one of the eight U.S. attorneys replaced by Gonzales last year. “His willingness to slander the professional reputations of United States attorneys who had served this president loyally and well was really a horrible thing for him to do. And I hope that someday he reflects on it and apologizes to them for it,” he said.

Democrats and some legal experts also criticized Gonzales for appearing to put his loyalty to the president above his responsibility to uphold the nation’s laws.

“He acted very much as the president’s hired gun rather than as the chief law enforcement officer of the nation,” said Lawrence Tribe, a professor of constitutional law at Harvard University Law School in Massachusetts.

Gonzales also played a key role in carrying out the Bush administration’s legal strategy as part of the war on terrorism, winning praise from some Republicans. The attorney general pushed to broaden the president’s ability to expand domestic eavesdropping authority to monitor communications among suspected terrorists.

Gonzales also drafted the rules for military tribunals used to try terrorism suspects being held at the U.S. Naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. That prompted an outcry from civil liberties advocates who said the administration was violating the U.S. Constitution in its pursuit of suspected terrorists.

“The greatest disappointment for the Gonzales years is that it could have been so much more for someone who created this historic first, being the first Hispanic attorney general. Gonzales tended to view the rule of law as a vehicle or a tool to reach other goals. The results were some really shocking violations of international law and constitutional law,” said Jonathan Turley, a law professor at George Washington University.

President Bush has appointed Paul Clement as acting attorney general until a successor is nominated and confirmed by the Senate. Clement is currently the U.S. Solicitor General, the Justice Department official who argues the administration’s point of view in cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Democrats are already warning the president to carefully choose his next candidate for attorney general. “Now it will be up to the White House to choose a replacement who is, above all, a professional. Not a partisan, not a pal. Unlike the last time, he needs to pick the best person, not his best friend,” said Senator Charles Schumer, a Democrat from New York.

Gonzales is the second high-profile long-serving Bush aide to announce his departure from the government in recent weeks. Earlier, the president’s longtime chief political adviser, Karl Rove, also announced that he was leaving the administration by the end of August.

1. 
   

   Wake up America

   Says:
   August 27th, 2007 at 2:42 pm Military Progress Allows Room for Political Progre…

   “I hope that this agreement will help Iraq move beyond the political impasse,” Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih told Reuters. “The five leaders representing Iraq’s major political communities …. affirmed the principle of collective leadership t…

2. 
   

   Rosemary’s Thoughts

   Says:
   August 27th, 2007 at 2:58 pm Nuristan PRT celebrates Afghan Independence Day…

   FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALAGUSH, Afghanistan - Just like the people of the U.S., the people of Afghanistan are very proud of their independence, which means Aug. 19 is a date marked by celebration. When the people of Nuristan province were invited to…..

3. 
   

   DeMediacratic Nation

   Says:
   August 27th, 2007 at 3:27 pm “Be polite. Be professional. Be prepared to kill.”…

   LTC John Nagl, 1st Battalion, 34th Armor at Fort Riley, and author of “…

4. 
   

   Big Dogs Weblog

   Says:
   August 27th, 2007 at 5:07 pm Obama Invokes Jesus, Discovers Great Idea…

   ……

5. 
   

   Right Voices » Blog Archive » Hey MSM You Forgot To Report That France’s Health Care System Broken and Should Copy US!

   Says:
   August 27th, 2007 at 5:17 pm […] Trackposted to … thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe. Bookmark to: Tags: French, Health, Care, Socialized, Medicine, US, Health, Care, Alice, Teil, Michael, Moore, Deseret, Morning, News, France, Intermountain, Health, Care, KCPW, Salt, Lake, City, Utah, Journalistic, Issues […]

6. 
   

   Faultline USA

   Says:
   August 27th, 2007 at 5:51 pm CNN: Are All God’s Warriors Equivalent?…

   What the left can’t infiltrate, they are willing to mock and to marginalize by attempting to engender fear primarily against Christians and Jews. Now that bastion of leftist ideology, CNN, has managed to lump Christian and Jewish conservatives into t….

7. 
   

   Right Truth

   Says:
   August 27th, 2007 at 6:30 pm The Iraqi Government Has No Power?!…

   A Fatwa Against Violence by Iraqis? Key religious leaders meet to work for the early issuance of a joint Sunni-Shia fatwa to the Iraqi people, against violence. The obvious questions, will it actually be issued and if so, will it…

8. 
   

   The Florida Masochist

   Says:
   August 27th, 2007 at 9:04 pm Juan come lately…

   The Non-Florida MSM has finally noticed a child custody battle involving involving a girl and her father who is still living in Cuba. Can anyone say Elian Gonzalez II?…

9. 
   

   Diary of the Mad Pigeon

   Says:
   August 27th, 2007 at 9:53 pm Bloggers Track a Pedophile…

   I concur that publicly advocating touchy feely relationships with tweens–let alone posting bulletins on where to find prepubescent gathering places–is not free speech: it’s depraved and inciteful language completely bereft of constructive discourse…

10. 
    

    Blue Star Chronicles

    Says:
    August 27th, 2007 at 12:44 am When Fake News is Presented as Truth by the Main S…

    Its a mystery to me as to why the Old Media insists on reporting the amateurish propaganda that comes out of the middle east while ignoring reporting any news stories that promote the best interest of the United States. Its a very strange phenomena t…..

11. 
    

    Woman Honor Thyself

    Says:
    August 27th, 2007 at 3:11 am GoT TapE?…

    Forget passports ..it’s high time we institute mental health exams and sanity tests for passengers.

    ……

12. 
    

    Leaning Straight Up

    Says:
    August 27th, 2007 at 7:56 am More cartoon “Dhimmitude”: Newspapers refuse to print Opus cartoon Mocking Islam…

    I have avoided the use of this term in the past as it is pejorative and far too convenient for my tastes.

    But more and more, the ass kissing of Muslim hyper-sensitivity has been irking me, so I see no reason to continue ignoring it for what it is.
    …

By Paula Wolfson
Washington
26 August 2007

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is lashing out at his American critics. Meanwhile, top leaders from Iraq’s Shi’ite, Sunni and Kurdish factions say they have agreed to resolve key issues of dispute to boost national reconciliation. VOA’s Paula Wolfson reports several prominent members of the U.S. Senate have urged Prime Minister al-Maliki removal.

Prime Minister Maliki took aim at the criticism at a Baghdad news conference.

He specifically mentioned Senators Hillary Clinton of New York, a candidate for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, and Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin of Michigan. Both have called for his ouster.

The prime minister said they do not understand the political situation in Iraq. He said they need to “come to their senses” and stop treating Iraq, in his words, “as if it were one of their villages.”

In a series of interviews Sunday on American television, several Senators from both political parties said they also have concerns about the pace of political progress in Iraq, though some said the fault does not necessarily lie directly with Mr. Maliki.

Speaking on the FOX News Sunday program, Democrat Jack Reed of Rhode Island said there is good reason to be critical of the political leadership in Iraq.

“I think the criticism is fair,” said Jack Reed. “I think one issue though is we sometimes over-personalize this issue. The notion that if Maliki goes then everything will be fine, I think misses the point that the institutional capacity in Iraq, the ability to do simple things like make contracts, provide civil services to the people, that’s not present after four years.”

A senior Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, former Chairman John Warner of Virginia, made headlines this past week when he urged the Bush administration to begin drawing down the number of U.S. troops in Iraq later this year. Warner told NBC’s Meet the Press the current surge in American troops was designed to give the Iraqis time to make progress, but the Maliki government has not lived up to its obligations.

“The government under the leadership of Maliki and other Iraqi leaders has totally failed to put the other part of that partnership in place, namely, deliver greater security,” said Senator Warner.

But other Republicans say the comments from Senator Warner do not mean party members are ready to desert President Bush on Iraq. Appearing on ABC’s This Week, Senator John Cornyn of Texas said Warner was expressing his own, personal frustration with the pace of progress in Iraq.

“Senator Warner is a great patriot and a student of history, and he is clearly sending a signal to the Iraqis that our patience is not unlimited and that is correct,” said Senator Cornyn. “But I don’t think it is in our best interest to put so much pressure on the new Iraqi government that it absolutely collapses.”

The Iraq war will be the top issue on the Congressional agenda when lawmakers reconvene in Washington in a little over a week from now. A few days later, the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, General David Petraeus, and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker will report to Congress on progress in Iraq since the arrival of 30,000 additional U.S. troops.

(The Queen of Cringe)

The Queen of Cringe is now making other Democrats cringe. Democrats in Indiana are concerned about Hillary Rodham Clinton’s negative effect on other Democratic candidates, at least in their state. A place where a Democratic Presidential candidate has not carried the state since Lyndon Johnson in 1964.

Rep. Dave Crooks characterizes her as ‘polarizing’. Refreshing candor from another member of the Democratic party. But many are willing to echo these comments if allowed to remain anonymous as they fear reprisals from Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Of the Dems who disagree and expressed their opinion, a new Hillary Rodham Clinton is seen emerging. Well no kidding. With the baggage and the negative numbers Hillary Rodham Clinton has to reinvent her tarnished image for those who can’t keep up. The classic pandering is what it has always been. A replacement for any worthwhile attributes and cover for past offenses.

For a woman who exclaimed recently that the GOP would benefit politically from another terrorist attack in the US, her real nightmare might be a clean sweep by Dems in 2008 and then a terror attack. But based on past performance, if she was in the White House that would not matter. Nothing else would. That’s okay, Bill will fix it. Right.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

Hillary a drag on Indiana Democrats?
By MIKE SMITH
AP Political Writer

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Democratic state Rep. Dave Crooks cringes at the thought of Hillary Clinton winning the party’s presidential nomination.

Trackposted to Outside the Beltway, Perri Nelson’s Website, Committees of Correspondence, Allie Is Wired, Faultline USA, Wake Up America, Right Truth, Pirate’s Cove, Webloggin, The Pink Flamingo, The Bullwinkle Blog, and Right Voices, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Will Hillary Be President?, The Absurd Report

Indian Authorities Step Up Security, Blame Islamic Militants for Saturday’s Blasts
By Anjana Pasricha
New Delhi
26 August 2007

In India, authorities are pointing to the involvement of Islamic militant groups for deadly bombings that have killed at least 42 people and injured more than 60 in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad. Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi, security has been stepped up in Hyderabad, a well-known information technology hub.

The federal government rushed paramilitary troops and bomb detection equipment to Hyderabad a day after the explosions ripped through a roadside stall and an amusement park.

The extra troops deployed as police said they found 19 unexploded bombs in the city, which is capital of Andhra Pradesh state.

Authorities say the unexploded devices, fitted with timers, were planted at public places such as cinema houses and bus stops.

As police launched a search for those responsible for the attacks, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, pointed the finger at Islamic militant groups based in Pakistan and Bangladesh.

He said information suggests that terrorist organizations based in those neighboring countries were not only responsible for Saturday’s deadly bombings, but also for a previous bomb attack in a city mosque that killed 11 people.

“As things stand today, available information with us points out to that not only this, the earlier Mecca Masjid bomb blast also, the available indications as of today point out to the organizations, to the terrorist organizations of Bangladesh and Pakistan,” said Rajasekhara Reddy.

The Chief Minister declined to give more detail.

India has blamed Islamic militant groups based in Pakistan, such as Lashkar-e-Taiba, for attacks in New Delhi and Mumbai in recent years. Security experts say these groups use local Muslims to carry out the attacks.

Meanwhile, the city is trying to cope with the aftermath of the bombings. Friends and relatives have crowded hospitals where the injured are being treated and where efforts are being made to establish the identity of the victims.

Police say several people have been detained for questioning in the city, where I.T. companies such as Microsoft have large research centers.

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By Scott Stearns
White House
25 August 2007

Stearns report (mp3) - Download 565k audio clip
Listen to Stearns report (mp3) audio clip

In his weekly radio address Saturday, President Bush says U.S. troop reinforcements in Iraq are helping to reduce sectarian violence there. A short while later, a former Democratic senator gave a radio address saying the war is encouraging terrorists. VOA White House correspondent Scott Stearns has more.

The White House is due to give a key report on Iraq to Congress in mid-September. In the time leading up to that presentation, Mr. Bush is working to restore support for the war.

In a speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars this past week, he compared the fight in Iraq to past U.S. military intervention in Asia. In remarks to the American Legion this coming Tuesday, Mr. Bush is expected to talk about how the conflict affects the broader Middle East.

And in his weekly radio address Saturday, the president says his decision to send more troops to Iraq is beginning to show results.

“We are still in the early stages of our new operations. But the success of the past couple of months has shown that conditions on the ground can change - and they are changing,” said Mr. Bush. “We cannot expect the new strategy we are carrying out to bring success overnight. But by standing with the Iraqi people as they build their democracy, we will deliver a devastating blow to al-Qaida, we will help provide new hope for millions of people throughout the Middle East, we will gain a friend and ally in the war on terror, and we will make the American people safer.”

Public opinion polls show a majority of Americans now believe the war is a mistake. A CBS News survey this month shows more than two-thirds of Americans disapprove of how the president is handling the war.

In the Democratic radio address, former Senator Max Cleland says a majority of Americans see a profound difference between what he calls the president’s optimistic rhetoric and the grim reality of a fight which has so far claimed nearly 4,000 American lives.

“The truth is that despite this enormous sacrifice, we find ourselves mired in a civil war with no end in sight and Iraqis unable or unwilling to make the political decisions necessary to end this conflict. And the truth is President Bush’s decision to go to war, and stay at war, has actually encouraged thousands of new recruits for al-Qaida in Iraq and around the world,” said Cleland.

Much of the president’s September 15 report to Congress will be based on advice from the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, and the top U.S. commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus.

The president will also consider the latest assessment by the U.S. intelligence community, which this past week concluded that “Iraqi political leaders remain unable to govern effectively.”

The intelligence report says security should improve modestly over the next year so long as U.S.-led coalition forces conduct strong counterinsurgency operations and continue backing Iraqi forces.