Blue Radar

As I post each morning, here are some of the political stories thatmight not be worthy of their own posts, but are nonetheless newsworthy:

• CNN: Bush approval at 36%.  Among Republicans, Bush's approval rating has increased by 16% since June.
• To shore up his conservative base even more, this morning President Bush will announce fresh plans to "secure the border with Mexico, speed the expulsion of illegal immigrants and step up enforcement of immigration  laws," the New York Times reports on Friday morning.  (This is all talk of course.  No fresh money can be allotted for border enforcement unless it is passed by Congress.  But conservative Republicans halted immigration reform earlier this summer, now Bush is trying to make it look like conservatives are actually getting something done.)
• A withdrawal from Iraq may be "impossible to resist" unless violence lessens, said an Air Force-funded study this week.
• The State Department has chosen Hall of Fame baseball player Cal Ripken Jr as its "special sports envoy."  He will join figure skater Michelle Kwan, who was previously nominated.  Their job is to visit schools internationally and reach out to young students to help improve the US' image.  Ripken will work closely with Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Karen Hughes.
• The ACLU filed a motion in court this week that would force the Administration to specify why they pressed legislators to revise the FISA law.  (In other words, what law was the Administration breaking, which prompted them to ask Congress to change it?)
• One columnist is hoping for another attack on America in order to bring the country together.  (What a nut!)
• Pew Research: 64% of Americans believe the traditional news media is politically biased.
• Cindy Sheehan has officially signed on as an independent candidate for Congress, and will take on Nancy Pelosi in her San Francisco district.
• Ahead of the Republican straw poll in Iowa on Saturday, Ron Paul said this week that American civil liberties have been eroded since September 11th.  Bravely, in front of a conservative audience, Ron Paul even touched on the war: “We have no constitutional authority to invade countries who have not attacked us.”
• GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee warned voters on Thursday that if Mitt Romney is nominated, Democrats would label him as a flip-flopper.  (Right on that!)
• Iowa Democrats (UI): Clinton - 29%, Obama - 22%, Edwards - 22%, Richardson - 9%.

If we left anything out, feel free to add any stories in the commentbox.