:: NEWS COCKTAIL aka BlahBlahBlog ::
"Everything is being compressed into tiny tablets. You take a little pill of news every day - 23 minutes - and that's supposed to be enough." -Walter Cronkite, RE TV news. The Web has changed that for many, however, and here is an extra dose for your daily news cocktail. This prescription tends to include surveillance and now war-related links, along with the occasional pop culture junk and whatever else seizes my attention as I scan online news sites.:: 2.13.2007 ::
:: "House of Representatives begins Iraq debate" ::
Mark Tran and agencies
Guardian Unlimited
The US House of Representatives today kicked off a debate on Iraq that is expected to lead to a vote of no confidence in George Bush's conduct of the war.
By the end of the week, House members are to vote on a resolution opposing Mr Bush's decision to send 21,500 more troops to Iraq.
With the Democrats holding a 31-seat majority after the November midterm elections, and with the possibility of as many as 20 Republicans defecting, approval is assured, although the resolution is non-binding.
The measure states that the House "will continue to support and protect" troops serving in Iraq, but "disapproves" of the troop build-up.
It marks a nadir for Mr Bush since four years ago when the president, riding high in the polls, received congressional approval for military action.
In the heavily-debated vote in October 2002, the House approved Joint Resolution 114, giving him wide latitude for attacking Iraq, by 296 to 114. The resolution passed by 77 to 23 in the Senate.
The political landscape is now utterly transformed. A Gallup poll earlier this month found that 72% of respondents disapproved of Mr Bush's handling of the war - his highest disapproval rate since the 2003 invasion.
A USA Today/Gallup poll released today showed 60% of Americans opposing Mr Bush's troop "surge".
Read more here.
posted by me
:: 12:28:00 PM [+] ::
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