Amid Housing Crisis, Bush Appoints HUD Novice

Heckuva job version 2.0?

President Bush yesterday named Steven C. Preston as his new secretary of Housing and Urban Development, installing a well-regarded corporate and government administrator -- yet one with little experience in housing issues -- as his point person in dealing with the consequences of the subprime mortgage meltdown.

For the past 18 months, Preston has headed the Small Business Administration, where he upgraded an agency that had been criticized for its response to Hurricane Katrina.

Bush Meets North Korean President

Saturday's meeting between Lee Myung-bak and George Bush was the first ever by a South Korean president with a US president at the secluded retreat of Camp David, northwest of Washington.

If Pyongyang makes the statement, the US is expected to ease some sanctions imposed under the US "state sponsors of terrorism" list and the US Trading With the Enemy Act.

UAE reflects Bush's new realism

Mr Bush will no doubt speak about democratisation but the freedom agenda promoted four years ago has dropped down the list of concerns as elections in the region have turned out to favour Islamists rather than secular friends of the US. Like its predecessors, the administration has reverted to preferring stability with known allies, however autocratic they might be.

Israel to Brief Bush on Iran Strike Options

Ehud Barak, the defence minister, is said to want to convince him that an Israeli military strike against uranium enrichment facilities in Iran would be feasible if diplomatic efforts failed to halt nuclear operations. A range of military options has been prepared.

Bush Curtails Children Covered by Medicaid

That's some good compassionate conservatism there, George.

Federal officials challenged Louisiana to explain why it did not want to enforce the one-year waiting period for children who had lost private health insurance because of a parent’s death or the failure of a business where a parent was employed.

Bush Negotiates with Terrorists

The US on Thursday signalled its support for holding secret talks with the Taliban in Afghanistan despite a long-held publicly stated policy of never negotiating with the Islamic militant group.

Bush Issues Signing Statment on Sudan Divestment

Mr. Bush’s signature was accompanied by a proviso known as a signing statement, in which he said he was reserving the authority to overrule state and local divestment decisions if they conflicted with foreign policy. The statement said the measure “risks being interpreted as insulating” state and local divestment actions from federal oversight.

Bush Vetos Military Bill

Why does George Bush hate our military?

For months President Bush harangued Democrats in Congress for not moving quickly enough to support the troops and for bogging down military bills with unrelated issues.

Quid Pro Quo on Emission Standards

Bush tightens them federally, but loosens them at the state level.

Industry analysts and environmental groups said the E.P.A. decision had the appearance of a reward to the industry, in return for dropping its opposition to the energy legislation. Auto industry leaders issued statements supporting the new energy law, which gives them more time to improve fuel economy than California would have.

Bush Lawyers Discussed Fate of C.I.A.Tapes

The accounts indicate that the involvement of White House officials in the discussions before the destruction of the tapes in November 2005 was more extensive than Bush administration officials have acknowledged.

US Makes Minor Concessions at Bali

Which country is the rogue state now?

But nothing else matched the point on Saturday, in the final tumultuous plenary, when the American team was booed for trying to block a proposal by India.

A Beacon of Democracy in the Middle East?

“Victory” in George Bush's wars will at most mean preventing catastrophe.

Afganistan on Shakey Ground

Bush will probably just blame it all on Iran...

“I have a real concern that given our preoccupation in Iraq, we’ve not devoted sufficient troops and funding to Afghanistan to ensure success in that mission,” Mr. Skelton said. “Afghanistan has been the forgotten war.”

US Helps Ethiopia Create "Mini-Darfur"

The Bush administration considers Ethiopia its No. 1 ally in combating terrorism in the Horn of Africa.

Human Rights Watch says it has documented dozens of cases of severe abuse by Ethiopian troops in the Ogaden, including gang rapes, burned villages and what it calls “demonstration killings,” like hangings and beheadings, meant to terrorize the population.

You Mean we can't just bomb the hate out of them?

"There is one important point Bush forgot: That is, terrorists operate relying on beliefs; they brainwash young people and turn them into sheep ready to commit suicide."

Bush warns against Syrian interference in Lebanon

"Clearly Syria has been interfering in Lebanon for far too long," said White House spokeswoman Dana Perino.

Because we all know that as sole proprietors of the world, only America is allowed to use terrorism to manipulate Lebanon.

Hillary Clinton on International Law

Why she should never be President:

Ironically, the current front-runner for the Democratic nomination for president shares much of President Bush’s dangerous attitudes toward international law and human rights.

Compassionate Conservatism in Action

President Vetoes Second Measure to Expand Children’s Health Program

2007 NIE

So Bush is first alerted to the revised Iran Intelligence contained in the 2007 NIE in July, by Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell.

But according to Seymour Hersh, isn't fully "briefed" until November 28?

Does Bush even plan to ever actually read the NIE?

Because he didn't read the 2002 NIE on Iraq's WMDs. And in 2004 he didn't even read the one page summary of the NIE on the future of Iraq, according to former chairman of the National Intelligence Council Robert Hutchings.

Given Bush's history of not reading National Intelligence Estimates, just exactly how extensively was he "briefed" on the 2007 NIE?