Day: January 22, 2007

Congressional Republicans pushed back Monday against President Bush’s decision to deploy additional troops in Iraq, some voicing opposition while others called for the administration and Iraqi government to be held accountable.

In the Senate, three GOP lawmakers joined one Democrat in unveiling nonbinding legislation expressing disagreement with Bush’s plan and urging him to “consider all options and alternatives” to the planned increase of 21,500 troops.

Another new entry to the world of political news web sites.

The Politico launches Tuesday with a big staff, a lot of fanfare and long odds against making it in a competitive field.

According to The Politico’s web site, their goal is:

The Politico is being launched in January 2007 with the mission of covering politics — the lifeblood of the nation’s capital — with enterprise, style, and impact.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki proposed to President George W. Bush in November to withdraw US troops from Baghdad and let the Iraqi government take over security in the capital, a newspaper reported.

Citing interviews with several unnamed administration officials, the Washington Post wrote that Maliki made the suggestion in a presentation to Bush on November 30 in Amman, Jordan.

But soon after, Bush rejected the idea, the paper said.

Amid a war of words with Democrats over Iraq, President George W. Bush will use his State of the Union address on Tuesday to argue for staying in Iraq and try to build support for his domestic plans.

Bush goes before a joint session of the U.S. Congress, which Democrats control for the first time in his presidency, as many lawmakers are in a hostile mood over his plan to send 21,500 more U.S. troops to Iraq.

Americans seem sour on the state of the union in advance of President Bush’s address on the subject. A poll finds most believe the country is on the wrong track — a complete flip from five years ago.

Most people also are not confident that Bush and the Democrats who now control Congress and share responsibility with him for running the country can work together to solve its problems, an Associated Press-AOL News poll finds.

Sworn in just over two weeks ago as the first female speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi wasted no time showing who’s boss.

The California Democrat rammed six major bills through the House at breakneck speed, stomped out smoking privileges near the House floor, partially sidelined a powerful Democratic committee chairman and decided she liked traditionally Republican office space so much she claimed it for herself.

By Democrats’ timekeeping, she did it all in far under the 100 legislative hours she had allotted.

Starting her first full week as a presidential contender, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton expressed confidence she can win the 2008 Democratic nomination.

Clinton, speaking publicly for the first time since declaring her candidacy on her Web site, said Sunday she decided to run after doing a “thorough review” of the challenges facing the country. She said she is the best candidate for the job and is eager to begin campaigning.

“It’ll be a great contest with a lot of talented people and I’m very confident. I’m in, I’m in it to win and that’s what I intend to do,” she said.

At least 100 people were killed and more than 150 wounded Monday after two nearly simultaneous bombs struck a predominantly Shiite commercial area in central Baghdad in the deadliest attack in two months, officials said.

AFP Photo