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Jan 30 2005

White House Has High Stake in Iraqi Vote photoW…

White House Has High Stake in Iraqi Vote photo
WASHINGTON (AP) – The White House is keenly watching the Iraqi election because it could affect U.S. military action there and sap President Bush’s political strength here and abroad if the balloting doesn’t lead to stability. Bush had sought to declare victory before the polls even opened in Iraq…

Sen. Barbara Boxer Steps Into Spotlight WASHINGTON (AP) – Sen. Barbara Boxer has always spoken up, but the California Democrat seems to have gotten a lot louder lately. Her opposition to Condoleezza Rice’s secretary of state nomination was so combative that it was parodied on Saturday Night Live. That came on the heels of her decision…
Social Security’s Racial Equity Debated photo Does Social Security cheat black Americans? Yes, President Bush insisted last week. But some Social Security experts say the answer is clearly “no.” The way Bush explained it to a group of black supporters last week, blacks are short-changed because they are more likely than whites to die before…
Dean, Others ‘Audition’ for DNC Chairman photo NEW YORK (AP) – The seven candidates competing to be the Democratic Party’s national chairman campaigned for support Saturday during a regional caucus in Manhattan, two weeks before the Democratic National Committee elects a new leader. Former presidential candidate Howard Dean is considered the…
Bush Rallies Republicans Ahead of Speech photo WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. (AP) – President Bush rallied congressional Republicans on behalf of his second-term program on Friday, saying that “we know how to set an agenda and work together to achieve it.” He also gave a brief preview of the State of the Union address he will deliver on…
Government Computer Blunders Are Common WASHINGTON (AP) – The FBI’s failure to roll out an expanded computer system that would help agents investigate criminals and terrorists is the latest in a series of costly technology blunders by government over more than a decade. Experts blame poor planning, rapid industry advances and the…
Rice Hails Family at Swearing-In Ceremony photo WASHINGTON (AP) – America’s first black woman secretary of state took the ceremonial oath of office Friday surrounded by family and friends, some who had traveled from her native Alabama, as well as the president, first lady and a Supreme Court justice. Condoleezza Rice’s uncle, Alto Ray, and two…
Third Columnist Was Paid by Bush Agency WASHINGTON (AP) – The Department of Health and Human Services said Friday that a third conservative columnist was paid to assist in promoting a Bush administration policy. Columnist Mike McManus received $10,000 to train marriage counselors as part of the agency’s initiative promoting marriage to…
Md. Governor Decries ‘Assassin Politics’ photo ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) – Gov. Robert Ehrlich’s annual State of the State address was overshadowed by a six-minute introduction in which he rebuked “a very, very few people” who engage in “Capitol Hill assassin politics.” In a voice tinged at times with anger, Ehrlich departed from his prepared…
Ex-Minn. Lawmaker Gets Heat for Donations MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – A former Minnesota congressman is being questioned for accepting $12,500 in donations and spending more than $60,000 on campaign expenses in the two years after he was ousted from office. The state GOP said it plans to challenge former Rep. Bill Luther’s spending since 2002, but…
Ex-Clinton Aide Ickes Backs Dean for DNC WASHINGTON (AP) – Harold Ickes, a leading Democratic activist and former aide to President Clinton, said Friday he is backing Howard Dean to be chairman of the Democratic National Committee – giving a powerful boost to the front-runner. “I think all the candidates who are running have strong…

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Third Columnist Was Paid by Bush Agency WASHINGTON (AP) – The Department of Health and Human Services said Friday that a third conservative columnist was paid to assist in promoting a Bush administration policy. Columnist Mike McManus received $10,000 to train marriage counselors as part of the agency’s initiative promoting marriage to…
Bush: Iraq Vote Will Set Global Example photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The elections in Iraq will set an example of democracy for the rest of the Middle East, President Bush said Friday. “This history is changing the world,” Bush said, speaking of Sunday’s parliamentary elections. He spoke at the ceremonial swearing-in of his new secretary of state,…
Bush Rallies Republicans Ahead of Speech photo WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. (AP) – President Bush rallied congressional Republicans on behalf of his second-term program on Friday, saying that “we know how to set an agenda and work together to achieve it.” He also gave a brief preview of the State of the Union address he will deliver on…
Bush Praises Rice at Swearing-In Ceremony photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Condoleezza Rice took the oath as secretary of state – a second time – with President Bush’s assurance to the world that she will lead by “character and conviction and wisdom.” Rice pledged, in response, to use diplomacy to widen the community of democracy. “You have given us our…
Ex-Clinton Aide Ickes Backs Dean for DNC WASHINGTON (AP) – Harold Ickes, a leading Democratic activist and former aide to President Clinton, said Friday he is backing Howard Dean to be chairman of the Democratic National Committee – giving a powerful boost to the front-runner. “I think all the candidates who are running have strong…
Md. Governor Decries ‘Assassin Politics’ photo ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) – Gov. Robert Ehrlich’s annual State of the State address was overshadowed by a six-minute introduction in which he rebuked “a very, very few people” who engage in “Capitol Hill assassin politics.” In a voice tinged at times with anger, Ehrlich departed from his prepared…
Banker Acquitted of One Charge in Phila. PHILADELPHIA (AP) – An investment banker accused of misleading FBI agents during an investigation into city corruption was acquitted Friday of one charge, but jurors continued to deliberate on a second charge against him. Denis Carlson, a former executive at Janney Montgomery Scott, was accused of…
Nixon Son-In-Law May Challenge Clinton ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) – Edward Cox, a son-in-law of President Nixon, is considering a Senate run next year against Hillary Rodham Clinton, a longtime friend and adviser said Friday. “To say he’s running against Hillary Clinton is to way overstate it, but he’s interested in it. He’s testing the…
Kennedy Calls for Troop Withdrawal in Iraq photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Immediately after Sunday’s election in Iraq, President Bush should take steps to negotiate a timetable to begin bringing the troops home, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy said Thursday as he described his own plans for a stable Iraqi government. Saying the American military’s continued…
Iraqi Expatriates Begin Voting in U.S. photo SOUTHGATE, Mich. (AP) – Hundreds of Iraqis streamed into polling places in five U.S. cities Friday, the first day they could vote in their homeland’s election. Nearly 26,000 people have registered to vote in five U.S. metropolitan areas with heavy Iraqi populations: Detroit, Chicago, Nashville,…

Bush’s Stake Is Huge in Iraqi Elections photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush will be on the ballot, at least in the realm of public opinion, when Iraq holds its first democratic election in nearly half a century. Sunday’s vote provides the world a chance to measure the results of a U.S.-led war that has killed more than 1,400 Americans -…
Kennedy Calls for Troop Withdrawal in Iraq photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Immediately after Sunday’s election in Iraq, President Bush should take steps to negotiate a timetable to begin bringing the troops home, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy said Thursday as he described his own plans for a stable Iraqi government. Saying the American military’s continued…
Ashcroft: Nuke Threat the Largest Danger photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The possibility that al-Qaida or its sympathizers could gain access to a nuclear bomb is the greatest danger facing the United States in the war on terrorism, Attorney General John Ashcroft said Thursday. U.S. officials “from time to time” uncover evidence terrorists are trying…
Kerry Battling Bush on Health Care Plan WASHINGTON (AP) – Sen. John Kerry took on President Bush’s health care proposals Thursday in his first major speech since losing to Bush in November, saying the plans won’t meet the needs of children and low-income families who don’t have health coverage. “Today the president is in Ohio addressing…
Bush Seeks Higher Airline Security Fees WASHINGTON (AP) – A fee charged to airline travelers to help pay for airport security would more than double under President Bush’s spending proposal for the Homeland Security Department. Bush’s plan calls for boosting the security fee from $2.50 to $5.50 for a one-way airline ticket and from a…
Bush Pushes Computerized Medical Records photo CLEVELAND (AP) – President Bush returned to the state that helped seal his re-election victory to pitch his second-term health agenda, urging greater use of computerized medical records and electronic prescriptions. “It can save money and save lives,” Bush said Thursday at a forum at the Cleveland…
Officer Who Nabbed Lee Harvey Oswald Dies HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (AP) – Nick McDonald, a former policeman who arrested Lee Harvey Oswald at a Dallas movie theater after President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, died Thursday. He was 76. McDonald arrived at Dallas’ Dealey Plaza moments after Kennedy was shot on Nov. 22, 1963. Later that day,…
White House Won’t Appeal Media Ruling WASHINGTON (AP) – The Bush administration won’t appeal to the Supreme Court to try to revive sweeping changes in media ownership rules thrown out by a lower court. The Federal Communications Commission had until Monday, Jan. 31, to decide whether to appeal the ruling by the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court…
Analysis: Bush Scaling Back Lofty Goals photo WASHINGTON (AP) – After setting lofty second-term goals, President Bush is suddenly lowering expectations. He committed the nation to eradicating tyranny from the Earth, then acknowledged it would take generations to do so. He put oppressive rulers on notice across the globe, then allowed that…
Senate Doctors Share Interests, Not Styles photo WASHINGTON (AP) – As the Senate’s only doctor, Bill Frist became the go-to guy on health care and was diagnosed as having the bedside manner needed in a majority leader. But now there’s another doctor on the scene – newly elected Oklahoma obstetrician Tom Coburn – and while the two Republicans…

Rice Confirmed Despite Dems’ Criticisms photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Condoleezza Rice won confirmation as secretary of state Wednesday despite blistering criticism from Senate Democrats who accused her of misleading statements and said she must share the blame for mistakes and war deaths in Iraq. The tally, though one-sided at 85-13, was still the…
Bush Pushes Proposals for Social Security photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush acknowledged the dicey politics of Social Security as he urged Congress to approve his plan to add personal accounts to the system. With the system in financial straits, he said, any political price is worth paying. Bush plans to push the issue in his State of the…
Bush Orders an End to Hiring Columnists photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush ordered his Cabinet secretaries Wednesday not to hire columnists to promote administration agendas after disclosure that a second writer had been paid to assist an agency. “All our Cabinet secretaries must realize that we will not be paying commentators to advance…
Gonzales Nomination Moves to Senate Vote photo WASHINGTON (AP) – A Senate Judiciary Committee divided along partisan lines advanced Alberto Gonzales’ nomination as attorney general to the full Senate Wednesday despite Democratic complaints that he is too close to President Bush to be effective as the nation’s top law enforcement official….
RNC Seeks Donations to Push Bush Agenda photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The Republican Party is following up record fund raising for President Bush’s re-election effort by asking donors to finance its efforts to get Bush’s message “past the liberal media filter” to the public. Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman sent a fund-raising…
Prosecutor: Phila. Plagued by Corruption photo PHILADELPHIA (AP) – A federal prosecutor described Philadelphia Wednesday as a city awash in “pervasive corruption” and asked a jury to convict an investment banker of lying to the FBI. Jurors began deliberations after prosecutor Joan Markman said in her closing arguments that wiretaps of city…
Schwarzenegger Accuses Dems of Inaction photo SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger accused the Legislature’s Democratic leaders Wednesday of “stalling” on his extensive reform package and repeated his threat to take his measures to the voters in a special election this year. In an annual appearance before the Sacramento Press…
GOP Head Wants Giuliani to Run Vs. Clinton NEW YORK (AP) – The New York State Republican Party chair said he plans to ask former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani to challenge Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton for her seat in 2006. “I think Rudy would be a great candidate for us,” Stephen Minarik told The New York Times for Wednesday editions. “I have not…
Bush Inaugural Team Raised More Than $35M WASHINGTON (AP) – The team that raised money to finance President Bush’s inaugural festivities collected $35 million to $40 million, officials said Wednesday. The estimate was rough because the inaugural committee was still counting checks, the Republican officials said, speaking on condition of…
Sen. Stevens Sells Property Amid Scrutiny FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) – Sen. Ted Stevens said he expects questions about potential conflicts of interest to end now that he has sold off some investments and placed most of his assets in a blind trust. Stevens announced last week he had sold his interest in Anchorage and Fairbanks real estate and…

Bush Wants $80B More for Iraq, Afghan Wars photo WASHINGTON (AP) – As Congress started to digest a new Bush administration request of $80 billion to bankroll wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, its top budget analyst on Tuesday projected $855 billion in deficits for the next decade even without the costs of war and President Bush’s Social Security…
Probe: Poor Info Sharing Harms Security photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Poor information-sharing both inside and outside government is threatening homeland security, congressional investigators said Tuesday. Additionally, U.S. Comptroller General David Walker said federal agencies – including the Homeland Security and Defense departments – may need…
Democrats Say Rice Misled About Iraq War photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Senate Democrats said Tuesday that Condoleezza Rice lied to them, misled Americans about the Iraq war or served as an apologist for Bush administration failures in Iraq, but she remained on track for confirmation as secretary of state. Rice, who has been President Bush’s national…
Pollsters Warn on Social Security Overhaul photo WASHINGTON (AP) – House Republican leaders must consider President Bush’s proposal for personal Social Security accounts “in the context of the 2006 midterm elections,” their pollsters cautioned Tuesday in a confidential memo that said it will be difficult to sway workers nearing retirement, a key…
Bush, Black Leaders Try for Fresh Start photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush told black leaders Tuesday that his plan to add private accounts to Social Security would benefit blacks since they tend to have shorter lives than some other Americans and end up paying in more than they get out. Social Security was one of many issues that came up…
Key Blacks Back Dean for DNC Chairmanship WASHINGTON (AP) – Howard Dean, the former Vermont governor whose appeal with minorities was questioned during his presidential race, won support Tuesday from several black Democratic National Committee members for his bid to be DNC chairman. Dean, one of seven candidates for the chair position,…
Governors Want Clean Air Protections photo WASHINGTON (AP) – New York Gov. George Pataki and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger are pressing Congress to protect key parts of the Clean Air Act as lawmakers and the Bush administration seek to change the law. The two moderate Republicans on Tuesday urged senators considering updating the…
Pentagon Tries to Explain Secret Group WASHINGTON (AP) – The Pentagon says the political uproar over the disclosure of a secret military intelligence group is overblown and based on misinformation about the group’s makeup and mission. Stephen A. Cambone, the Pentagon’s top intelligence official, rushed to Capitol Hill on Monday after…
Senate Likely to Vote on Gonzales Soon WASHINGTON (AP) – The nomination of former White House counsel Alberto Gonzales to be attorney general probably will be sent to the Senate for approval despite complaints from Democrats, senators said Tuesday. “There’s no reason to hold him over,” said Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, top Democrat…
Family Dispute Marks Chicago Politics CHICAGO (AP) – And you thought you had troubles with your in-laws? Gov. Rod Blagojevich suffered a blistering attack from his own father-in-law, a powerful Chicago alderman who helped get him elected in the first place. Chicago is a city of bare-knuckle politics. But it is also a place where…

Lawmakers Resolved to Finish Iraq Mission photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Members of Congress, including many who have traveled to Iraq to see the war for themselves, are wary about this weekend’s election there and pondering such questions as whether Iraqi soldiers can be trained quickly enough to bring U.S. troops home soon. Still, those lawmakers,…
Senate Democrats Ready Anti-War Speeches photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Condoleezza Rice is no longer on a fast track to Senate confirmation as secretary of state, but the slowdown appears to be temporary as Democratic foes of the war in Iraq line up to have their say. Nine hours have been set aside Tuesday for debate, divided equally between…
Feds OK Ariz. Immigration Law Requirements photo PHOENIX (AP) – Federal voting-rights enforcers on Monday authorized Arizona to implement new voter identification requirements required by a state immigration law approved by voters in November. The law requires that people provide proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate, when…
Pentagon Tries to Explain Secret Group WASHINGTON (AP) – The Pentagon sent its top intelligence official to Capitol Hill on Monday to explain the mission and makeup of a secret battlefield intelligence group that some lawmakers suggested may have skirted congressional oversight and not been coordinated fully with the CIA. Some…
Court OKs Dog Sniff During Traffic Stop WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court ruled Monday that police can have dogs check out motorists’ vehicles for drugs even if officers have no particular reason to suspect illegal activity. The 6-2 opinion, written by Justice John Paul Stevens, stipulates police dogs may sniff only the outside of a…
Senate Confirms Gutierrez for Commerce WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate on Monday confirmed Carlos Gutierrez as the new commerce secretary, a position in which he will lead the Bush administration’s efforts to revive the country’s beleaguered manufacturing sector. Senators confirmed Gutierrez, 51, by voice vote. He will replace Donald…
Ashcroft Bids Farewell to Justice Dept. photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Attorney General John Ashcroft said goodbye Monday to the Justice Department he has led for four years, thanking workers for their efforts to prevent another terrorist attack. “There seems to be a record of achievement that you have generated that far exceeds what we would have…
Britain’s Straw, Rice Differ on China Arms WASHINGTON (AP) – British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw affirmed European intentions to lift an arms embargo on China in a meeting Monday with Secretary of State-designate Condoleezza Rice. Straw told Rice the Europeans were strengthening a code to regulate arms sales to China while preparing to…
Senators to Press for Gay Marriage Ban photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Senate supporters of a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage said Monday they intend to press for passage in the new Congress, brushing aside mixed signals from the White House on the issue’s importance at the start of President Bush’s second term. “Who’s to say whether…
Election Chiefs’ Politics Spark Debate COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – In the turbulent weeks before and after the presidential election in this battleground state, Kenneth Blackwell’s fairness and integrity as Ohio’s chief elections officer were called into question at almost every turn. After all, Blackwell is an ardent Republican and was…

Iraq Election Big Test for Bush Mission photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush had barely put away his tuxedo from the inaugural festivities when deadly bombings in Baghdad presented a stark reminder of the grim backdrop against which Iraq will hold a national election. The vote this coming Sunday to pick a 275-member National Assembly is an…
Nixon Secretary Rose Mary Woods Dies photo COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Rose Mary Woods, the devoted secretary to President Nixon who said she inadvertently erased part of a crucial Watergate tape that had an 18 1/2-minute gap, has died. She was 87. Woods died Saturday night at a nursing home in Alliance, about 60 miles south of Cleveland,…
3 GOP Lawmakers May Seek Governors’ Seats WASHINGTON (AP) – Less than a month into a new, two-year Congress, the line is forming among House members considering their next career moves. Republican Rep. C.L. (Butch) Otter of Idaho is all but officially running for governor of his state, and GOP Reps. Jim Nussle of Iowa and Jim Gibbons of…
Rep. Seeks New Source for Social Security photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The chairman of the House tax-writing committee said Sunday that President Bush’s drive to overhaul Social Security should lead to consideration of a value added tax or other ways to fund the entitlement program. Congress also should consider basing benefits on such factors as…
Wash. GOP Files Governor’s Race Challenge photo SEATTLE (AP) – The state’s Republicans, still pressing their court challenge to the disputed governor’s election, have filed a separate challenge with the state Legislature. “We did this to cover all our bases,” said Mary Lane, a spokeswoman for Dino Rossi, the Republican who narrowly won the…
Tenn. Senator Says He Keeps Two Families MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – State Sen. John Ford testified in a juvenile court hearing that he keeps two homes, living with two different women whose children he fathered. Ford’s testimony was part of his defense in a child support case. The Memphis Democrat heads a Senate committee that guides the…
No Shift in Foreign Policy, Bush Sr. Says photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush’s inaugural address, with its emphasis on spreading democracy and eliminating tyranny throughout the world, was not meant to signal a new direction in U.S. foreign policy nor to portray America as arrogant, his father said Saturday. “People want to read a lot into…
Western State Democrats Interview Dean photo SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – Democrats from the throughout the West gathered Saturday to interview candidates to lead the Democratic National Committee, including former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, whose candidacy has come under fire from within the party. The candidates are competing for the votes of…
$230M Budget Gap Hampers Detroit Mayor DETROIT (AP) – With his city teetering above a financial abyss, Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick went before television viewers this month and delivered some grave news: He had no choice but to lay off nearly 700 city workers and cut services. This was no time for wanton spending, he said. Days later,…
President Ventures Out in Snow for Dinner photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Even the capital’s heaviest snow of the season couldn’t keep President Bush away when there were jokes to be told. The president and his wife, Laura, braved snow-covered downtown streets in their motorcade to attend to the Alfalfa Club dinner Saturday, an annual event where…

Roe V. Wade Anniversary Raises Questions photo NEW YORK (AP) – Coming just two days after George W. Bush’s inauguration, Saturday’s anniversary of the 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion is dominated by the hopes of one side – and fears of the other – that the president will try to overturn Roe v. Wade through appointments to fill…
Bush to Seek Cuts in Medicaid, Benefits photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush is readying a new budget that would carve savings from Medicaid and other benefit programs, congressional aides and lobbyists say, but it is unclear if he will be able to push the plan through the Republican-run Congress. White House officials are not saying what…
Democrats Find Promise in Western States SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – Western Democrats gather here on Saturday with two major tasks: interview candidates for head of the Democratic National Committee, and chart a course to improve the party’s prospects across this mostly red-state, pro-gun region. While most of the Rocky Mountain and…
Ill. Governor’s Corruption Trial Delayed CHICAGO (AP) – Former Gov. George Ryan’s corruption trial was postponed from March to September after he begged a judge Friday for a delay. The former politician did not want to go to trial without his chief lawyer, former U.S. Attorney Dan Webb, who is expected to be in the nation’s capital in…
Matsui Makes Bid for Late Husband’s Seat SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – When Doris Matsui announced plans last week to run for her late husband’s seat in Congress, she chose the fastest and most historic route to Capitol Hill for women: being the widow of a man who was there already. Since 1923, 44 women have gone to the House or Senate upon…
Sen. Obama Hears Ill. Veterans’ Concerns EVERGREEN PARK, Ill. (AP) – Vietnam veteran Samuel Miller Jr. filed his first disability claim for post traumatic stress disorder more than 11 years ago, but he has yet to see any money from the government. Jose Juachon receives $48 a month for his service to the United States during World War II…
Judge Refuses to Speed Up Challenge photo WENATCHEE, Wash. (AP) – A judge has refused to speed up a Republican challenge to the bitterly disputed Washington governor’s election, saying an accellerated schedule could lead to chaos. Chelan County Superior Court Judge John E. Bridges ruled that the case would go forward, but not on the…
Illinois Governor Signs Gay Rights Law CHICAGO (AP) – Illinois on Friday became the 14th state with a law barring discrimination based on sexual orientation. Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed a bill that adds “sexual orientation” to an existing law that protects people from bias based on race, religion and other traits. It bans…
U.S. Views Iran As Potential Trouble Spot photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush refuses to rule out war with Iran. Iranian President Mohammad Khatami says his country is ready to defend itself against a U.S. attack. The United States is pushing for a peaceful solution to its nuclear impasse with Iran but, with mistrust on both sides running…
Ex.-Fla. Mayor Sues Prosecutor Over Arrest MIAMI (AP) – The former mayor of a Miami suburb filed a lawsuit Thursday alleging his arrest for accepting an illegal campaign contribution – on the eve of his bid for re-election – cost him the contest. He was ultimately found innocent in the case. Former South Miami Mayor Horace Feliu was…

Bush Vows to End ‘Tyranny in Our World’ photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush sought in his second inaugural speech to define his new term as a fight for freedom in every nation with the “ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world.” At home, he urged a divided nation to find the unity it had felt after the Sept. 11 attacks. Looking ahead…
Protesters Target Bush’s Inauguration photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Anti-Bush demonstrators waving signs that said “Worst President Ever” and “the American Nightmare” jeered the president’s motorcade during the inaugural parade Thursday. The procession of cars sped up as President Bush neared the designated location for protesters on Pennsylvania…
Cheney Puts Iran at Top of Trouble List photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Vice President Dick Cheney, in an interview hours before he and President Bush were sworn in for a second term, said Iran now tops the list of the world’s potential trouble spots. Iran is pursuing “a fairly robust new nuclear program” and “is a noted sponsor of terror,” he said…
Analysis: Iraq Shadows Bush’s Inaugural WASHINGTON (AP) – Not a word on Iraq. President Bush’s inaugural address contained 2,000 words of passion and promise for his second term, but no direct mention of the war that could sink it. The conflict in Iraq, win or lose, could define his presidency. Bush knows this as well as anyone, which…
Kerry, Democrats on Hand for Inaugural photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Sen. John Kerry, who had hoped to be center stage Thursday, watched somberly from a seat far across the platform as President Bush took the oath of office, but he sounded a note of defiance as he looked ahead to the next four years. “Democracy means working together for the good…
Judge Nixes GOP Request on Gov. Challenge photo WENATCHEE, Wash. (AP) – A judge refused Thursday to speed up the Republican challenge to the bitterly disputed Washington governor’s election, handing a small victory to Democrats. Chelan County Superior Court Judge John E. Bridges ruled that the case would go forward, but not on the expedited…
Cheney Thought Iraq Would Recover Quickly photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Vice President Dick Cheney said Thursday that he overestimated the pace of Iraq’s recovery from the U.S.-led invasion because he didn’t realize the lasting devastation wrought by Saddam Hussein on his people after the first Gulf War. Asked to name his mistakes in planning the war…
Senate Democrats Extract Promise From Rice photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Trying to make their mark on President Bush’s strategy in Iraq, Senate Democrats extracted a promise from Condoleezza Rice to level with them when she takes over as secretary of state. And Rice seems agreeable, to a point. “We can certainly have, I think, a healthy debate about…
Ex.-Fla. Mayor Sues Prosecutor Over Arrest MIAMI (AP) – The former mayor of a Miami suburb filed a lawsuit Thursday alleging his arrest for accepting an illegal campaign contribution – on the eve of his bid for re-election – cost him the contest. He was ultimately found innocent in the case. Former South Miami Mayor Horace Feliu was…
Inauguration Is Super Bowl of Schmoozing WASHINGTON (AP) – The Super Bowl of Washington schmoozing carried on from dawn to dark Thursday in suites chock-full of beer, hors d’oeuvres and even a miniature dump truck filled with candy. In posh suites overlooking the inaugural parade, lobbyists courted clients and congressmen, lawmakers…

Senate Panel Votes 16-2 to Endorse Rice photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Condoleezza Rice won strong but not unanimous endorsement as secretary of state from a Senate panel Wednesday, assuring skeptical Democrats she welcomed debate about the nation’s foreign policy course and wouldn’t sugarcoat advice to President Bush. If confirmed by the full…
Powell Says Goodbye to State Department photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Secretary of State Colin Powell said goodbye to State Department employees on Wednesday and thanked them for the successes achieved during his four memorable years as America’s chief diplomat. Hundreds of department personnel gave Powell a raucous ovation lasting almost a minute…
RNC Chair Unveils ‘Durable Majority’ Plan photo WASHINGTON (AP) – White House ally Ken Mehlman took over leadership of the Republican Party on Wednesday and outlined plans to find new voters among the ranks of churchgoers and social conservatives. “We can deepen the GOP by identifying and turning out Americans who vote for president but who…
High Court Asked to Overturn Roe V. Wade WASHINGTON (AP) – The woman once known as “Jane Roe” has asked the Supreme Court to overturn its landmark Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion 32 years ago. Norma McCorvey, whose protest of Texas’ abortion ban led to the 1973 ruling, contends in a petition received at the court Tuesday…
Dean Gaining Early Momentum in DNC Race photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Howard Dean’s hard-charging race to head the Democratic National Committee is gaining early momentum that recalls the streaking start of his 2004 presidential campaign. On Tuesday, the former Vermont governor announced he had the unanimous backing of the Florida delegation to the…
Democrats Attack Bush on Social Security photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Top Democrats in Congress toughened their attack Wednesday on President Bush’s call for personal investment accounts under Social Security and said remarks by a powerful Republican committee chairman showed GOP lawmakers have little appetite for the accounts, either. Bush’s plan…
States Press Bush, Congress on Medicaid Governors are sharpening their message to President Bush and Congress on Medicaid, urging the federal government not to cut the federal-state health care program for the poor and promising that states will come up with innovative ways to trim some of the $300 billion a year in costs. More than a…
Senator Frees Up Spellings’ Nomination WASHINGTON (AP) – The lawmaker who had stalled Margaret Spellings’ nomination to be education secretary agreed on Wednesday to allow a confirmation vote after she promised to review promotional tactics that have the department under fire. At issue are steps taken to promote President Bush’s…
Some Dems Plan to Avoid Bush Inauguration WASHINGTON (AP) – If they aren’t leaving the capital, they might be going to the movies or spending a quiet afternoon at home. Some even boarded a cruise ship, hoping moonlight and mai tais will take the sting out of President Bush’s second inauguration. These Democrats are in denial, not quite…
Tight Security for Bush Second Inaugural photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The capital readied for President Bush’s second inauguration with rooftop snipers, missile batteries, bomb-sniffing dogs, high-tech monitors and miles of metal barricades, a striking array even in a city accustomed to heightened security since Sept. 11. Commuters coped with the…

Bush Launches Inaugural Celebrations photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush launched his inaugural celebrations on Tuesday by thanking two groups that played major roles in his election to a second term – the military that prosecuted the war in Iraq and his most ardent and generous political supporters. On the first of four days of nonstop…
Man Faces Charges in Oil-For-Food Probe photo WASHINGTON (AP) – An Iraqi-American businessman, accused of pocketing millions of dollars through the U.N. oil-for-food program with Iraq, pleaded guilty Tuesday to acting as an illegal agent of Saddam Hussein’s government. Samir A. Vincent, 64, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Annandale, Va., is…
High Court Sidesteps Guantanamo Bay Case photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court prolonged the legal limbo of hundreds of terror suspects in a U.S. military prison in Cuba, refusing on Tuesday to consider whether the government’s plan for military trials unfairly denies them basic legal rights. So far only a handful of the 550 detainees from…
RFK Jr. Eyes N.Y. Attorney General Race photo ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) – Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Tuesday he hopes to decide by the end of the month whether to run for New York attorney general, a race that could pit him against a member of another Democratic political dynasty, Andrew Cuomo, his estranged brother-in-law. Kennedy said one of the…
Governors Hope to Guide Democratic Party photo TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) – The road out of the political wilderness, if there is one for Democrats, could wind through Kansas and 11 other Republican-leaning states that are run by Democratic governors. These are places where bipartisanship and moderation reign, liberal orthodoxies perish, GOP ideas…
Gonzales Backs Assault Weapons Ban photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Attorney General nominee Alberto Gonzales told the Senate on Tuesday that he supports extending the expired federal assault weapons ban. Gonzales also said he wants Congress to get rid of a requirement that would eliminate part of the Patriot Act this year, despite complaints…
Senators Press for Permanent FDA Head photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Senators on Tuesday pressed Health and Human Services nominee Mike Leavitt for a permanent commissioner for the Food and Drug Administration, which has been without one for nearly a year amid rising concerns about the safety of drugs on the market. Describing the FDA as an…
Analysis: Bush Legacy a Work in Progress photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush is raising the bar on expectations, with a second-term agenda to transform the United States and the world. But early reviews on his evolving legacy are as mixed as the nation is divided politically. Bush’s self-styled legacy is to win the war on terrorism, be…
Bush Plan Hinders Power Plant Cleanups WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush’s push to revise the Clean Air Act sometimes has hindered enforcement of the existing law for cleaning up coal-fired power plants, the Justice Department’s top environmental lawyer said Tuesday. Congress has balked so far at enacting Bush’s plan to change the way…
U.S. Sets Penalties Against Chinese Firms WASHINGTON (AP) – The Bush administration has quietly applied new sanctions against eight Chinese companies for helping Iran with its missile programs, the White House spokesman said Tuesday. Administration officials confirmed a report in The New York Times that said the State Department had…

Newsview: Bush Legacy a Work in Progress photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush is raising the bar on expectations, with a second-term agenda to transform the United States and the world. But early reviews on his evolving legacy are as mixed as the nation is divided politically. Bush’s self-styled legacy is to win the war on terrorism, be…
Report Expected to Address WMD in Iraq WASHINGTON (AP) – The final U.S. intelligence report on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq is expected to address whether the banned armaments may have been smuggled out of the country before the war started. Top Bush administration officials have speculated publicly that chemical, biological or…
Bush Set to Unveil Second-Term Agenda photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush said Monday he has “a big agenda in mind” for his second term that begins this week and that four years is going to be a short time to meet all his goals. “We got to get moving and get some things done before – before people kind of write me off,” Bush told CBS…
Tape Shows JFK Fumed Over Rights Pressures photo BOSTON (AP) – On the afternoon of May 4, 1963, President Kennedy wasn’t in a mood to mince words. As he met in the White House with members of a liberal political group, he fumed when one of them mentioned the Associated Press photo splashed above the fold of that day’s New York Times. The…
Analysis: Powell Lacked Clout With Bush photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The secretary of state often is described as the president’s principal foreign policy adviser, but the definition does not always match reality. Certainly not in the case of Colin Powell. Down to his final days in office, Powell has been by his own admission ideologically out of…
Poll: Americans Hopeful on 2nd Bush Term photo WASHINGTON (AP) – A majority of Americans say they feel hopeful about President Bush’s second term and have a generally positive view of him personally, but they also express continued doubts about Iraq. People were most likely to identify Iraq as the top priority for Bush, an Associated Press…
Iraq Questions to Dominate Rice Hearing photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Asked to list Condoleezza Rice’s main challenges as President Bush’s secretary of state, career diplomat James Dobbins has a succinct answer: “Iraq, Iraq and Iraq.” There is a long list of other things Rice wants or needs to do as America’s top diplomat, including revitalizing…
Top Senate Democrat Cautions GOP on Rules WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate’s Democratic leader said Sunday that Republicans “would rue the day” if they try to make it harder for Democrats to stall judicial nominees who could not get a vote last year. But Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said he hoped a new “optimistic” climate would take…
Dean in Mo. Pursuing DNC Leadership Spot photo BRIDGETON, Mo. (AP) – Former presidential candidate Howard Dean said Saturday he will not run for the White House in the next campaign cycle if he is elected to head the Democratic National Committee. “If I get this position, I’m not running for president in 2008,” the former Vermont governor said…
New Term Offers Laura Bush Opportunities WASHINGTON (AP) – Look for first lady Laura Bush to get around more in a second term. After four years of focus on early childhood education – reading to youngsters, visiting schools and recruiting new teachers – she’s now talking about working with substance-abusing juvenile delinquents as well….

Bush: U.S. Not Rushing to Leave Iraq photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush says the U.S. military will pull out of Iraq “as quickly as possible,” but he is not endorsing Secretary of State Colin Powell’s statement that troops could begin returning home this year. “The way I would put it is, American troops will be leaving as quickly as…
Iraq Questions to Dominate Rice Hearing photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Asked to list Condoleezza Rice’s main challenges as President Bush’s secretary of state, career diplomat James Dobbins has a succinct answer: “Iraq, Iraq and Iraq.” There is a long list of other things Rice wants or needs to do as America’s top diplomat, including revitalizing…
Top Senate Democrat Cautions GOP on Rules WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate’s Democratic leader said Sunday that Republicans “would rue the day” if they try to make it harder for Democrats to stall judicial nominees who could not get a vote last year. But Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said he hoped a new “optimistic” climate would take…
New Term Offers Laura Bush Opportunities WASHINGTON (AP) – Look for first lady Laura Bush to get around more in a second term. After four years of focus on early childhood education – reading to youngsters, visiting schools and recruiting new teachers – she’s now talking about working with substance-abusing juvenile delinquents as well….
Bush: U.S. to Leave Iraq When Mission Ends photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The list of major challenges confronting President Bush as he prepares to take the oath of office for the second time is exhausting. Iraqi elections at month’s end. The broad fight against terrorism. A daring overhaul of Social Security. Just to name a few. “I’m rested and ready…
Analysis: Powell Lacked Clout With Bush photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The secretary of state often is described as the president’s principal foreign policy adviser, but the definition does not always match reality. Certainly not in the case of Colin Powell. Down to his final days in office, Powell has been by his own admission ideologically out of…
Dean in Mo. Pursuing DNC Leadership Spot photo BRIDGETON, Mo. (AP) – Former presidential candidate Howard Dean said Saturday he will not run for the White House in the next campaign cycle if he is elected to head the Democratic National Committee. “If I get this position, I’m not running for president in 2008,” the former Vermont governor said…
Analysis: Accountable, Not Held to Account photo WASHINGTON (AP) – It’s supposed to be a golden rule from the schoolyard to the corporate suite and beyond: truth or consequences. But when it comes to politics, things are different. Whether it’s the faulty prewar intelligence that President George W. Bush relied on or Bill Clinton’s tangle with…
Bartlett Has No Hard Feelings Against CBS WASHINGTON (AP) – The White House has no hard feelings against CBS News in the aftermath of an investigation of circumstances surrounding a report on President Bush’s service in the Air National Guard, presidential counselor Dan Bartlett said Sunday. Bartlett told “Fox News Sunday” that he had a…
Bush Warns of Social Security Bankruptcy photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush said Saturday that Social Security “is on the road to bankruptcy” and will be unable to pay promised benefits to future generations, raising the stakes in a major political battle with Democrats. Bush used his weekly radio address to try to build support for his…

Armitage Says He, Powell Sought Influence photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Baring one of Washington’s worst-kept secrets, Secretary of State Colin Powell’s deputy said he and Powell sometimes went public with their dissenting views to try to influence Bush administration policy. Richard Armitage, who leaves along with Powell at the end of President…
Voter Turnout for 2004 Highest Since 1968 WASHINGTON (AP) – Deep divisions over the war in Iraq and intense voter registration drives pushed the 2004 presidential election turnout to 60.7 percent, the highest level since 1968, the Center for the Study of the American Electorate said Friday. In 1968, when Republican Richard Nixon beat…
Calif. Senators Argue Over Rice Nomination photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The two high-profile Democrats who represent California in the Senate are squaring off over Condoleezza Rice, the president’s nominee to be secretary of state. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the senior and more moderate of the two, supports Rice and plans to introduce her at her…
Bush Inaugural Committee Takes in $25.5M photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The team raising money for next week’s festivities marking President Bush’s inauguration has taken in $25.5 million, mostly in donations from corporations, it reported Friday. Bush’s inaugural committee raised $7.5 million in the past week alone, donations posted on its Web site…
Second Exec in Phila. Case to Plead Guilty photo PHILADELPHIA (AP) – A former executive at J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. will plead guilty to wire fraud in connection with a federal probe of municipal corruption in Philadelphia, prosecutors said Friday. Charles LeCroy had been scheduled to go on trial next week over allegations that he falsified…
Protest Group Sues Over Inaguration Route WASHINGTON (AP) – An anti-war group filed a lawsuit Friday challenging what it called “the unprecedented exclusion of the public” from President Bush’s inaugural parade route. The lawsuit in federal district court claims the National Park Service is illegally blocking the general public from…
Judge Bars Ky. State Senator From Serving FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) – A Republican state senator may not take any official action or get paid because she was not a qualified resident of Kentucky before the election, a judge ruled Friday. Franklin County Circuit Judge William Graham’s temporary injunction all but removed Dana Seum Stephenson…
Anti-Bush Bracelets Say, ‘Count Me Blue’ photo NEW YORK (AP) – After spending 10 days in London with friends who were outspoken about their disdain for President Bush’s policies, Berns Rothchild came home wishing she had a way to show the world she didn’t vote for him. “I sort of felt ashamed, and didn’t really want to be associated with being…
Judge Denies Bid to Block Inaugural Prayer photo WASHINGTON (AP) – An atheist who tried to remove “under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance lost a bid Friday to bar the saying of a Christian prayer at President Bush’s inauguration. U.S. District Judge John Bates said Michael Newdow’s claim should be denied because he already had filed and lost a…
Ohio Counties Looking to Paper Ballots COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – County election officials plan to ask Ohio’s secretary of state to reconsider requiring the statewide use of paper ballots. Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell, the state’s top election official, on Wednesday ordered Ohio’s 88 counties to use optical scan machines, which…

Some Now Question Cost of Inauguration photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush’s second inauguration will cost tens of millions of dollars – $40 million alone in private donations for the balls, parade and other invitation-only parties. With that kind of money, what could you buy? _200 armored Humvees with the best armor for troops in Iraq….
Atheist Protests Inauguration Prayer photo WASHINGTON (AP) – A federal judge heard arguments Thursday in the case of an atheist who wants to prevent a Christian minister from reciting a prayer at President Bush’s inauguration. Michael Newdow – best known for trying to remove “under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance – told U.S. District…
Bush’s Chief of Staff to Stay on Job photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Andy Card, holder of one of the government’s classic burnout jobs, talks of 14-hour workdays that begin with breakfast with his wife at 4:20 a.m. “My life is a state of exhaustion,” President Bush’s chief of staff says with a laugh. But the 57-year-old Card is staying on for…
Cheney Defends Soc. Security Account Plan photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Vice President Dick Cheney took on critics of the administration’s Social Security overhaul plans Thursday, arguing that channeling part of workers’ salaries into the stock market would help pull poor Americans up the financial ladder. Establishing personal accounts as a part of…
Dems Seek Ridge’s Lobbying Correspondence photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Two Democratic congressmen on Thursday asked Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge to provide Congress written communications between his department and a lobbying firm run by a longtime friend. The request stems from an Associated Press story that the day after President Bush…
Navy to Choose Presidential Copter Builder WASHINGTON (AP) – The Pentagon gave the Navy the green light Thursday to choose a company to build the next presidential helicopter fleet, a decision with international and political implications. A final selection is expected after stock markets close on Jan. 28. The Navy will determine whether…
Allegations Against Ill. Governor Probed CHICAGO (AP) – Authorities have opened an investigation into allegations by Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s father-in-law that a Blagojevich adviser traded government appointments for campaign contributions. Blagojevich, meanwhile, challenged his wife Patti’s father, Chicago Alderman Richard Mell, to back…
Ex-Democratic Party Chair Endorses Frost WASHINGTON (AP) – The man in charge of rebuilding the Democratic Party after Richard Nixon’s 1972 landslide Republican victory is backing Texan Martin Frost for the party’s chairmanship. Bob Strauss called Frost, a former U.S. House member, “the winning strategist, innovative organizer and proven…
Mayor Called As Witness in Philly Case photo PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Mayor John F. Street and one of his top aides have been subpoenaed to testify at the trial of a financial services executive charged with making false statements to the FBI. The subpoenas were issued by a lawyer for Denis Carlson, a senior vice president at Janney Montgomery…
Va. Gov. Being Talked Up for National Job RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – Democratic Gov. Mark R. Warner was more than halfway through his single term in office before he even found his footing. Now, all of a sudden, he is being mentioned for the Senate in 2006 and the White House in 2008. The breakthrough came last year, when he prevailed against…

Kennedy: Democrats Need Progressive Agenda photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Sen. Edward Kennedy offered a mild dig at fellow Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry’s presidential campaign Wednesday, saying Democrats should have done a better job talking about values. Kennedy said relatively small swings in several states – including a shift of 60,000 votes in…
Gregoire Sworn in As Washington Governor photo OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) – Democrat Christine Gregoire, winner of one of the closest governor’s races in U.S. history, was inaugurated Wednesday amid a legal challenge that could undo her election. A roar of approval went up from fellow Democrats as Gregoire raised her hand and took the oath of office…
AP: Ridge Spent Time With Lobbyist WASHINGTON (AP) – As the Homeland Security Department was starting up, Secretary Tom Ridge twice stayed overnight at the Arizona home of a wealthy friend who ran a lobbying firm that was aggressively expanding its homeland security business. The Blank Rome firm, whose chairman is former Ridge…
Lawmakers Seek Probe of Long Voting Lines WASHINGTON (AP) – Two senior Democratic lawmakers asked Wednesday for a congressional investigation into long Election Day lines, including some that took hours to get through and continued even past midnight. In a letter to the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress,…
Matsui Seeks Late Husband’s House Seat SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – Doris Matsui announced Wednesday she will seek the congressional seat held for 26 years by her late husband. She immediately received the endorsement of Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi. With her family by her side just four days after burying Rep. Robert T. Matsui,…
Calif. High Court Rejects Mayoral Appeal photo SAN DIEGO (AP) – The state Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to consider whether the city of San Diego violated its charter by allowing a write-in candidate to run for mayor, ending one of several lawsuits challenging the November election. The lawsuit, filed by an attorney who supported…
Ala. Sheriff’s Anti-Gay Views Draw Protest GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. (AP) – Marshall County Sheriff Mac Holcomb is a no-nonsense lawman who remembers the 1940s and 1950s as a better time than now. He spells his views out on a Web site for all to see. Don Hunter, an Anniston native who is now a deputy administrator for Marin County, Calif., ran…
EMILY’s List Sues to Block New FEC Rules WASHINGTON (AP) – A group that helps female Democratic candidates who support abortion rights is asking a federal judge to block new campaign finance rules that it argues will cripple its ability to participate in state and local elections. The lawsuit filed Wednesday by EMILY’s List in U.S….
N.C. Judge Tosses New Vote for Ag Chief RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – A judge Wednesday threw out plans for a new statewide election for agriculture commissioner, the latest maddening turn in a dispute that has dragged on for more than two months. Judge James Spencer told the State Board of Elections, which last month ordered the new vote, to…
Kentucky Senator Says He Will Leave GOP FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) – A state senator whose party switch 5 1/2 years ago helped the GOP take control of the chamber said Wednesday he will leave the Republican Party over its actions in a disputed election. Sen. Bob Leeper said he will register as an independent later this week, becoming the lone…

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