On the fourth anniversary of his so-called "Mission Accomplished" speech, President Bush is heading to U.S. Central Command headquarters today to huddle with commanders running the Iraq War. Bush never used the words "mission accomplished," but that was the banner he spoke under, and Bush used the speech to declare an end to major combat in Iraq. Four years later, that aircraft carrier speech is a touchstone for critics of the war. The anniversary coincides with the day that Congress sends the president a funding bill that would order troops to begin withdrawing later this year. It's expected Bush will veto the bill Wednesday, then meet with congressional leaders on how to resolve the impasse over funding for the war. The White House says the president doesn't intend to mention the anniversary during his visit to U.S. Central Command and says it's just coincidence they're meeting today.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18412464/Countdown w/ Keith Olbermann broadcasts LIVE at 8 pm et, and the count is never complete without you. Join us.
On the surface, there's not much suspense about what happens next in the battle between President Bush and Democratic lawmakers over the war in Iraq. Bush says he will veto the $124-billion war spending bill passed by both houses of Congress last week that requires him to begin withdrawing troops this year; when he does, Democrats say, they will protest and then send him the money without binding conditions. That noisy script, however, is just a prelude to a debate - under conditions likely to be more difficult for Bush - that could turn into a decisive moment for the course of the war. To buy time for his buildup of more than 28,000 troops to show results, Bush asked his commander in Iraq, Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, to deliver a progress report to the nation in early September.
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-assess30apr30,1,1153351.story?coll=la-headlines-politicsAttorney General Alberto Gonzales gave two top aides authority to hire and fire political appointees other than U.S. attorneys, according to a Justice Department order obtained Monday by The Associated Press. The March 2006 order gave Gonzales' then-Chief of Staff Kyle Sampson and later White House liaison Monica Goodling authority to hire and fire about 135 politically appointed Justice Department employees who did not require Senate confirmation. Labeled "Internal Order," the document bestowed "the authority, with the approval of the attorney general, to take final action in matters pertaining to the appointment, employment, pay separation and general administration" of non-civil service employees of the Justice Department.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/01/AR2007050100271.htmlEven call girls get performance reviews, at least the ones who worked for Jeane Palfrey's Washington, D.C., escort service. "Without being overtly vulgar, a pair of **** and an ass, without accompanying brains, sophistication, LOOKS and carriage, just won't cut it in this business or at least, not with this particular agency!!" wrote Palfrey in a monthly newsletter sent to the women who worked for her. Calling herself "Miz Julia" or "the management," she regularly offered criticism, beauty advice and warnings about undercover police during the 13 years her business, Pamela Martin and Associates, was in operation. In a January 1994 newsletter, she wrote, "Congress is back in session. This always helps to boost business."
http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2007/05/in_newsletters_.html
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