Blue Radar

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

• HEALTH CARE President Bush will veto the child health bill today.  Part of the bill would have been paid for by a higher tax on cigarettes.
• CONGRESS Late Tuesday, the Democrats successfully passed a veto-proof measure 377-46 that requires the Pentagon to submit regular Iraq withdrawal plans to Congress.  It is only veto-proof assuming the Senate passes it by 67 votes, which they are expected to do.
• CONGRESS Senator John Warner (R-VA), who will retire at the end of this term, checked into the hospital after having an irregular heartbeat.  He will be back at work next week.
• CONGRESS Congressman David R. Obey (D-WI) says he will tie the purse strings and not let the $192 billion Iraq supplemental bill clear his committee.  "As Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, I have no intention of reporting out a $200 billion supplemental, Obey said in a press release on his congressional web site.  (Now that is called standing up!!) 
• BOOKS In the new book Anything for a Vote, author Joseph Cummins counted down the top-five dirtiest presidential campaigns ever.  5) Richard Nixon in 1972; 4) Jefferson vs Adams in 1800; 3) George W. Bush in 2000; 2) LBJ in 1964; and 1) Rutherford Hayes in 1876.
• RADIO Wesley Clark is calling for Rush Limbaugh to be removed from the Armed Forces Radio Network.  (Why is our tax money supporting a hate-monger?)
• DRUGS Cocaine supply in just about every major US city has fallen sharply.  Due to the shortage, prices are up 24% compared to 20 years ago.  A lot of this is due to better police tactics in metropolitan areas throughout the country.
• 2008 ELECTION/PRESIDENTIAL During a speech on Tuesday, John Edwards pledged that as president he would reduce the role that private security firms play in the war zone.  "As commander in chief, I will transfer most security missionscurrently performed by contractors back to military command, where theybelong," Edwards said.
• 2008 ELECTION/PRESIDENTIAL In a Tuesday evening speech, John McCain painted Hillary Clinton as a flip-flopper on Iraq.  "The Democratic front-runner wants to have it both ways when it comesto foreign policy," McCain began. "On the one hand, the New York senator voted for theIraq War. On the other hand, she now opposes it -- sort of. On the one hand, she wants a firm deadline for retreat. But, on theother hand, she says we cannot abandon the nation to Iran's designs." (This kind of attack is getting old.  Hey John, it's called nuance!)
  
• 2008 ELECTION/PRESIDENTIAL New Hampshire Democrats (Zogby): Clinton - 38%, Obama - 23%, Edwards - 12%, Richardson - 8%.

If we left something out, it's because we either wrote about ityesterday or are scheduled to do so in an individual post later today. Otherwise, feel free to add any stories in the commentbox.

Comments

[Robt]

OK, Zogby shows Obama and Edwards behind in New hampshire. Hillary raising alot of corporate dollars. And the so called main stream media is touting the candidate with the most fund raising as the obvious victor. Their selling Clinton now.

-John edwards is fast to spell out Blackwater's future if he is President. It is a sharp and positvie move. But is it heard?

-The your John McCain revisits the Republican Ole' Gipper tactic of accusing his opponents of " Flip Flopping ", How romantically nostalgic of John. I don't see any improvement for McCain for this accusation, do you? McCain's own eleastic positions from donning the Pat Robertsons robe and presiding at the right evangelical
winger school to finalizing his lusty relationship with Bush on torutre.
McCain best start getting serious about making an appointment to get his bus in for needed repairs jsut after the primary. It seems he'll have plenty of time then.

You may have to hook electrodes to my manhood and water board me at the same time to get me to vote republican in the primary. But if you did, I would have to pick Huckabee. He seems the least dangerous but their all equally arrogantly crazy like a Newt(or a Thompson), but not like a fox.

The most important thing one can do today is to sign the Wes Clark petition that asks to remove Rusbo from the Armed Forces Radio. Do it for our troops !!!!!!!

[granny]

Great Scot! It's as if someone put something in the drinking water! All this activity...

Bravo David Obey! It is notable I think, that the Middle West is showing the most real effort in stand up behavior these days.
Very interesting.

Right on, Wes Clark...

and John Edwards really has been the guy, the candidate, right on the money, all the way along.

Loved your comment Robt.

[Robt]

Its amazing how good reporting and decent comentary can stimulate educated decisions and thoughtfully formed opinions isn't it, Granny ?