"If we're going to stop the terrorists before they strike, we must ensure that our intelligence agencies work as a single, unified enterprise," President Bush said in the appointment of John Negroponte Secretary of National Intelligence.

"As you know, the Iranian issue hasn't even gotten to the (U.N.) Security Council yet. And so there's more diplomacy, in my judgment, to be done," President Bush said.

"Iran has made it clear they don't like Israel, to put it bluntly. And the Israelis are concerned whether or not Iran develops a nuclear weapon, as are we, as should everybody," President Bush said.

"The day will come when we will get brooms and sweep away this dirt, the criminal authority, the terrorist authority," Druze leader Walid Jumblatt told reporters at Hariri's house. "This day will come soon and all of the Lebanese people will rise and send them to hell."

"These accounts, properly constructed and managed, will create ... a sense of increased wealth on the part of middle and lower-income classes of this society, who have had to struggle with very little capital," Alan Greenspan told the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee.

"While they do have a claim against the Social Security system ... as best I can judge, they don't feel it is personal wealth the way they would with personal accounts," Alan Greenspan said.

"One of the reasons that I think we have to move toward a private individual account system is they, by their nature, tend to be significantly fully funded," Alan Greenspan said. "Individuals know what they need for the future and they tend to put monies away adequately."

"What I'm saying to members of Congress is that, `We have a problem, come together and let's fix it, and bring your ideas forward, and I'm willing to discuss them with you," President Bush said.

"You think the Republican National Committee could get this many people of color in a single room? Only if they had the hotel staff in here," Howard Dean said to the Black Congressional Caucus.

Ultimately, there is only so much the Americans can do, Iraqi Staff Sgt. Alaa Akram said. The difference between his men and U.S. soldiers is something far more abstract than weapons or training. "It's heart," Akram said. He'll know the Iraqi army is ready to take control from the Americans when his fellow soldiers quit joining for a paycheck, he said. "When we're like the American soldier," Akram said. "He never worries about money. He's worried about his country."

"With nearly 8 million Americans unemployed, the need to create jobs is urgent," Rep. Nancy Pelosi said. "It takes significantly longer to find a job today than in years past ... and too many people have simply given up hope and given up their search. Too many people are trading in hard hats for paper hats in McDonald's restaurants. It just shouldn't be."

"Rep. Pelosi has continually opposed cutting taxes and has offered no alternative to spur our economy," said RNC Press Secretary Tracey Schmitt. "While the President and Republicans in Congress continue to move our country forward, Democrats continue to keep their heads in the sand on the issues that matter most to the American people."

 Just POlitics

Negroponte: the fix it man

President Bush appointed John Negroponte, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, as the nominee to fill the position as the first Secretary of Intelligence. The cabinet position was established as a result of the 9-11 Commission. The position requires Negroponte to oversee the 15 U.S. intelligence agencies.

One of the major problems the U.S. intelligence agencies have is the secretive and uncooperative nature of American intelligence. This will be a major hurdle for the new Secretary. The best tool in his toolbox is that the Secretary will have budget authority over all 15 agencies.

Bush to Europe

President Bush is scheduled to engage on several fronts European leaders in the coming days. The Associated Press reports on the hope of better relations between Europe and the U. S.:

But Bush's victory, coupled with expanded Republican power in both houses of Congress and successful elections in Iraq, have forced European leaders to adjust their strategies to deal with reality.

"I think there is a recognition this president has got his mandate and speaks for a lot of Americans," said John Bruton, the European Union's ambassador to the United States.

European countries are not expecting any major changes in U.S. policy as a result of Bush's visit, Bruton said. But he said they hope Bush will listen to them with an open mind "with a view to possibly a change in position if their arguments are good enough."

"What they are hoping for is an increase in the level of trust," Bruton said. "I think we're going through a phase of intense rapprochement" and that leaders on both sides of the Atlantic were trying to "put right what went wrong."

Endangered Republicans

The Republican Congressional Committee came up with the ten most vulnerable Republicans in the House of Representatives. They are:

Reps. Bob Beauprez (Colo.)

Mike Fitzpatrick (Pa.)

Jim Gerlach (Pa.)

Marilyn Musgrave (Colo.)

Anne Northup (Ky.)

Jon Porter (Nev.)

Dave Reichert (Wash.)

Rick Renzi (Ariz.)

Rob Simmons (Conn.)

Mike Sodrel (Ind.).

Rep. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.), who narrowly won his 2004 race, is not on the list.

Democrats ‘Social Security battle plan

The Hill Reports on the Democrats’ plan to win the hearts and minds of America and trash President Bush’s hope of reforming Social Security:

The Democrats’ campaign has also drawn contributions from nearly half the House caucus. Nearly 100 House Democrats are planning to hold some 200 town-hall meetings next week to discuss Republican proposals to create personal retirement accounts.

Members of Pelosi’s "Thirty-Something Working Group," led by Reps. Tim Ryan (Ohio) and Kendrick Meek (Fla.), will travel to college campuses to talk about the issue. Sen. Byron Dorgan (N.D.), chairman of the Democratic Policy Committee, has talked about staging Social Security rallies around the country next month.

But Reid and Pelosi are also waging a quieter battle to influence Wall Street and the executives of Fortune 500 companies. Pelosi’s staff meets weekly with key Democratic K Street lobbyists and has talked about Social Security, a Democratic aide said. Since taking over as Senate minority leader, Reid has organized biweekly meetings with Democratic lobbyists known as the Monday Group. Senate Democratic staff gave the group a presentation on Social Security and the budget Tuesday.

Blog wars

The Wars continue over the Talon News reporter who asked the softball question of President Bush:

"At the Columbia Journalism Review blog, Brian Montopoli claims 'this isn't a media bias issue, no matter how hard you spin it. ... Real journalists, the ones who belong in press conferences, know that access to a president is a rare gift, and they know enough not to squander it. Gannon threw away his opportunity in favor of self-aggrandizing partisan spectacle. He put himself and his agenda ahead of the public good, and he did it in a manner so egregious that he left little doubt of his intentions. If both sides of the debate, blinded by partisan zeal, don't realize that's the real reason he had to go, they've missed the point."

Another blog offers in response:

"Montopoli cannot be serious. If anyone who asked softball questions at the White House 'had to go,' the White House briefing room would have almost emptied out in the Clinton years. The problem for Montopoli and other liberals is they seem to think that the need for an adversarial press emerged in 2001, when President Bush was first inaugurated."

France loves terrorists

France continues to call Hezbollah a legitimate political entity. The NY Times reports on the conflict between the U.S. and France:

In the past two weeks, the officials said, France has rebuffed appeals by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the Israeli foreign minister, Silvan Shalom, to list Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, which would prevent it from raising money in Europe through charity groups. The United States has long called Hezbollah a terrorist organization, but the French, American and European officials said, have opposed doing so, and argue that making such a designation now would be unwise, given the new turbulence in Lebanon.

France is the country that gave sanctuary to Ayatollah Khomeini before he returned to Iran and held Americans hostage. France is also responsible along with Germany and Russia for corruption in the Food-for Oil scandal that allowed war crimes to be performed by Saddam Hussein. These countries are also responsible for providing technology and information in the development of the Iran’s ability to produce nuclear weapons.

Soros loves terrorists

France is not the only one who loves terrorists. It seems the Democrat Party’s Godfather, George Soros, gave funds to now convicted terrorist Lynn Stewart’s defense fund, according to NewsMax:

The Democratic Party's wealthiest backer made a substantial contribution to the legal defense fund of New York City attorney Lynn Stewart, who was convicted last week of providing material aid to terrorists and lying to federal investigators while representing jailed terrorist kingpin Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman.

"According to records filed with the Internal Revenue Service, "According to records filed with the Internal Revenue Service, George Soros's foundation, the Open Society Institute, or OSI, gave $20,000 in September 2002 to the Lynne Stewart Defense Committee," reports the National Review Online's Byron York.

Dean loves media blackouts

Howard Dean is scheduled to debate Richard Perle on Iraq at Pacific University's 23rd annual Tom McCall Forum in Portland, OR. This is a previously scheduled debate by his handlers in extracting money for speeches. The debate was to have a media blackout – at Dean’s request. However, there was a problem because Dean has since been elected Chairman of the Democrat National Committee.

So, the blackout is off and we will now see how well the precarious Dean does against the intellectual Perle.

Global Warming politics

CBS News and other liberal media outlets have been pointing to the island of Tuvalu and saying that Global Warming is sinking the island. This is being quoted without any scientific proof. James Taranto’s The Best of the Web offers this on the subject:

"Islanders on tiny Tuvalu in the South Pacific last week saw the future of global warming and rising sea levels, as extreme high tides caused waves to crash over crumbling sea-walls and flood their homes," Reuters reports:

"Our island is sinking together with our hearts," wrote Silafaga Lalua in Tuvalu News. . . .

Tuvalu is a remote island nation consisting of a fringe of atolls covering just 10 sq miles, with the highest point no more than 17 ft above sea level, but most a mere 6.5 ft.

Global warming from greenhouse gas pollution is regarded as the main reason for higher sea levels, now rising about 2mm (0.08 in) a year, which could swamp low-lying nations such as Tuvalu and the Maldives in the Indian Ocean if temperatures keep rising.

For the sake of argument, let's assume this "global warming" stuff is true. If the sea continues rising at 0.08 inch a year, that means Tuvalu will be mostly submerged in 975 years, and will disappear entirely in 2,550 years. So in the year 4555 we can expect to read headlines like: "Tuvalu Disappears, Bush to Blame."

Swift Boat Veterans honored

Former Georgia Sen. Zell Miller will present the "Courage Under Fire" award to Adm. Roy Hoffman (Ret.), founder and chairman of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, at the Conservative Political Action Conference’s annual Ronald Reagan banquet in Washington, D.C.

2008 Presidential politics

How do you make sure you’re in the mix for President in 2008. Well, half of politics is just showing up.

That is why when a group from the Portsmouth, New Hampshire Chamber of Commerce show up in Washington guess who shows up: Majority Leader Bill Frist, GOP Sens. Chuck Hagel and John McCain and Democratic Sen. Hillary Clinton. They all took time to meet separately Wednesday with a group

Specter has Hodgkins

"I have beaten a brain tumor, bypass heart surgery and many tough political opponents and I'm going to beat this, too," Sen. Arlen Specter said in a statement.

Specter, a 75-year-old Pennsylvania moderate just won re-election to his Senate seat and became Judiciary chairman in January. Specter announced that he believes that he can continue to perform his duties as chairman while undergoing chemotherapy.

Christian Coalition candidate

Ralph Reed, former Christian Coalition director, announced Thursday he will run for Georgia lieutenant governor in 2006. Reed, 43, filed the necessary paperwork to begin raising money for the race. In his announcement, he pledged to "work tirelessly" for Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue and other party leaders.