May 05, 2007
Saturday

Bush vetoes Iraq pullout legislation

President Bush on Tuesday night vetoed the Democratic-controlled Congress' $124 billion spending bill that required U.S. troops to begin withdrawing from Iraq by Oct. 1.

"I am confident that with good will on both sides that we can move beyond political statements," Bush said. Democrats lacked a two-thirds majority to override the veto. Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Robert Byrd of West Virginia on Thursday proposed repealing the 2002 resolution authorizing the use of force in Iraq. "If the president will not bring himself to accept reality, it is time for Congress to bring reality to him," Clinton said.

GOP candidates support current Iraq policy

All 10 Republican presidential candidates supported the current U.S. military mission in Iraq during the GOP's first debate Thursday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif. "We should never retreat in the face of terrorism," said former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. Sen. John McCain of Arizona said the recent U.S. military buildup increases odds for success, although he said Bush has "terribly mismanaged" the war. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney said the United States should not pull out so quickly "that we have to go back."

Violence flares during L.A. demonstrations

Los Angeles police clashed with immigration-rights demonstrators Tuesday in McArthur Park, swinging batons and firing hundreds of rubber bullets. The FBI announced Thursday it will investigate whether protesters' civil rights were violated in the violence. A video showed police attacking demonstrators and journalists from behind as they tried to walk away from the scene. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa cut short his visit to Mexico and promised a "thorough and transparent investigation" into police conduct.

Queen Elizabeth visits Jamestown for its 400th anniversary

Queen Elizabeth II arrived in Jamestown, Va., on Friday to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of America's first permanent English settlement. She was accompanied by Vice President Dick Cheney and Virginia Gov. Timothy Kaine. On Thursday, she addressed the Virginia Assembly and praised America's cultural diversity. "The melting-pot metaphor captures one of the great strengths of your country and is an inspiration to others around the world as we face the continuing social challenges ahead," she said.

Corzine tearfully admits not wearing seat belt

New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine was teary Monday as he was discharged from a hospital following a 91-mph crash on the Garden State Parkway in which he was not wearing a seat belt while riding as a passenger. "I certainly hope the state will forgive me. I'll work very hard to set the right kind of example," Corzine said. He later paid a fine for failing to obey his state's mandatory-seat-belt law. The governor was critically wounded in the crash, fracturing 11 ribs, his left thigh and his breastbone.

Highway to San Francisco Bay Bridge collapsed by tanker fire

A stretch of highway near the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge collapsed Sunday following a gasoline-tanker crash that sparked a spectacular fire. The truck and its driver had been cited at least 27 times in the last three years for violations ranging from having unsafe brakes and bad tires to carrying more gasoline than permitted by the vehicle's design. The driver walked away from the crash with second-degree burns. No other injuries were reported in the 3:45 a.m. crash. Police said many could have been hurt had it occurred during rush hour.

Arab nations promise to stabilize Iraq

Representatives of Arab nations meeting in Egypt on Friday promised to stop the flow of militant extremists into volatile Iraq, but refused Baghdad's call for debt relief. The two-day gathering was brokered by the United States. "We will see the extent of the seriousness and commitment among these nations to what they signed today," Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said. Leaders from mostly Sunni nations demanded that al-Maliki make major political reforms in his Shiite-dominated government.

Israelis protest for Olmert's resignation

Thousands of Israelis took to the streets of Tel Aviv on Thursday to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert following a report that he mishandled military operations in Lebanon last year. A commission appointed by Olmert accused him of a "hasty" decision to commit to a 34-day war against Hezbollah guerrillas that led to rocket and artillery exchanges that killed 158 Israelis and more than 1,000 Lebanese. Demonstrators carried signs that said "Elections now" and "Olmert, go home."

SitNews ©2007
Stories In The News
Ketchikan, Alaska