July 28, 2006 – Capitol Hill Blue

Bush, Blair urge multinational force to control Mideast fighting

July 28, 2006

(Jim Young/Reuters)

President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Friday they want an international force dispatched quickly to the Mideast but said any plan to end the fighting must address long-running regional disputes to be effective. The leaders, standing side by side in the White House’s East Room after meeting in the Oval Office, said they want to see a U.N. resolution introduced next week. It is aimed at ending the more than 2-week-old battle between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas. Also, Bush announced he was sending Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice back to the region Saturday to negotiate the terms.

Rice headed back to Mideast

July 28, 2006

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice returns to the Middle East on Saturday in a new diplomatic drive to get agreement on conditions for a ceasefire after 18 days of fighting between Israel and Hizbollah.

Former NSA officer admits talking to reporters about wiretaps

July 28, 2006

A federal grand jury investigating leaks of classified information has summoned a former National Security Agency officer who says he talked to reporters about the agency’s warrantless eavesdropping program.

Court blocks access to seized Congressman’s files

July 28, 2006

A federal appeals court on Friday barred the Justice Department from reviewing evidence seized from a Louisiana congressman’s office during an unprecedented FBI raid on his Capitol Hill office in May.

Dean: Bush’s ‘imperial presidency’ threatens nation, world

July 28, 2006

By MICHAEL R. BLOOD

John Dean, the White House lawyer who famously helped blow the whistle on the Watergate scandal that drove Richard Nixon from office, says the country has returned to an "imperial presidency" that is putting the United States and the world at risk.

Reality comes with a warning

July 28, 2006

By BOB KERR
The Providence Journal

Several movie-theater complexes have been providing patrons with a warning on the way to the latest blockbuster. Call it a reality check, or an escape clause.

The theaters have been posting small signs near ticket windows pointing out that on the way to "Clerks II," "My Super Ex-Girlfriend," "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest" or "You, Me and Dupree" a moviegoer might run into … Oliver Stone!!

Growth of national pessimism

July 28, 2006

By ANN McFEATTERS

For two centuries we Americans have believed we could solve just about any problem. With our belief in our values, our natural resources and our sheer energy and determination to succeed, we have felt unstoppable.

That remarkable can-do spirit is under grave assault.

Lessons never learned

July 28, 2006

By DALE McFEATTERS

The Bush administration has a gift for not learning from its mistakes. After having its plan for military tribunals slapped down by the Supreme Court, it went back to the drawing board and came up with basically the same plan.

Brownie to Rep: ‘Just bite me’

July 28, 2006

Former FEMA boss Michael Brown, the one President George W. Bush said was doing "a heck of a job" just days before he fired him, is trading barbs now with a U.S. Congressman.

The mouth that roared

July 28, 2006

Bombastic Montana Sen. Conrad Burns, a former auctioneer known to shoot from the lip, didn’t heap any praise on out-of-state firefighters who came to his state to help put out a 92,000-acre blaze near Billings. Instead Burns walked up to them in front of everyone at an airport and told them they did a "poor job."