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07-18 03:07 PM
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uma
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uma
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Macaca
06-14 08:33 PM
For Democratic Leaders, a Fear That the Focus on the War Has Blurred (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/14/washington/14cong.html?_r=1&oref=slogin) By JEFF ZELENY (http://www.nytimes.com/gst/emailus.html), June 14, 2007
WASHINGTON, June 13 � President Bush had barely left the Capitol after immigration talks there on Tuesday when Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, walked onto the Senate floor to call for a moment of silence. It was time, Mr. Reid said, to pay tribute to American soldiers in Iraq as their death toll reached 3,500.
A short time earlier, Mr. Reid convened a conference call with liberal bloggers, offering assurances that Democrats would revive debate over the Iraq war. And he pledged to revive it soon, ending the silence that followed the White House�s outmaneuvering of Democrats last month to win more money for the war without a timeline to end it.
�They�ve been driving this debate very well,� Mr. Reid said later, speaking of the bloggers who have been pushing for Congress to end the war. �I understand their disappointment. We raised the bar too high.�
It has been nearly three weeks since Democrats have held a formal Iraq debate or voted on an Iraq proposal in the House or Senate. Not since they assumed the majority in January has there been such a lull. During the three weeks, Congressional approval ratings have fallen, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she knew why.
�It�s the war, I believe so, it�s the war,� Ms. Pelosi said in a brief interview on Wednesday. �In terms of the issue that the American people want to have resolved, the war is three or four times higher than any other issue.�
Some Democrats argue that it is high time for the party to turn its attention to domestic issues � energy legislation, immigration overhaul and lobbying reform � to allay concerns that Democrats have not achieved enough significant accomplishments during the first six months of their majority. But other Democrats are demanding a return to the Iraq debate, which Mr. Reid has now pledged to do this month.
The proposals will not be new. Rather, Democrats intend to reprise at least four ideas when the Senate considers the Defense Department policy bill: a measure to reverse the authorization for the Iraq war, set a deadline for troop withdrawal, block money for major combat operations after March 31, 2008, and increase readiness requirements for troops to be sent back to Iraq. �On Iraq,� Mr. Reid said, �we�re going to hold the president�s feet to the fire.�
Democratic Congressional leaders have been stung by the decline in Congressional job approval ratings.
A Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg nationwide telephone poll released this week found that 27 percent of Americans approve of the way Congress is handling its job, while 65 percent disapprove. And 29 percent of the more than 1,100 poll respondents, all registered voters, said Democrats were working to change how government is run, compared to 63 percent who said Democrats are governing in a business-as-usual manner. The margin of error was plus or minus four percentage points.
Ms. Pelosi said it had been difficult to convince some Democrats that despite their majority, they are limited in how they can change the president�s Iraq policy.
�Some Democrats understand that we don�t have the signature and we can only do so much,� she said. �Others are just very unhappy. I include myself among them, being very unhappy that we have not been able to bring the war to an end.�
With September being highlighted as a critical review period for Iraq policy � Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top American commander, is to report to Congress on the progress of the current troop buildup � Democratic leaders had initially hoped to tackle their domestic priorities in late spring and early summer. But on Wednesday, Democratic leaders said they would not wait.
�The American people cannot and should not have to wait until later this year for changes in your flawed Iraq policy,� Ms. Pelosi and Mr. Reid wrote Wednesday in a letter to the White House.
Representative Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, the chairman of the Democratic conference, said Democrats could not be drawn into focusing solely on Iraq. �We have to do Iraq and change the priorities of Washington,� he said. �You can�t become a one-trick pony.�
The war has been the underlying theme of the new Democratic Congress, with barely a week going by without legislators embroiling themselves in committee hearings, a floor debate or symbolic resolutions for and against the war. Democrats have walked a careful line, trying to keep their criticism alive, but lowering expectations that they alone can influence war policy.
The month of June, though, has so far unfolded with barely a word being uttered about Iraq. And lawmakers said they were hearing about it.
Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat who was elected last fall, said constituents were seeking reassurance that Democratic efforts to challenge the administration have not fallen off. She said voters had little interest in being schooled in the intricate rules of the Senate, where 60 votes are required for debate to proceed on legislation.
�I share their frustration, answering them with procedural answers, �Well, we need 60 votes,� � she said. �People are dying over there, so that isn�t always helpful.�
While Congress must accomplish domestic priorities, she said, Iraq remains the chief issue for most voters. �I think that�s one of the things we�ve struggled with, is finding that balance,� she said, welcoming the news that the Senate intends to revive the debate before month�s end. �It�s very important to me. I don�t want to go home until we do it.�
WASHINGTON, June 13 � President Bush had barely left the Capitol after immigration talks there on Tuesday when Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, walked onto the Senate floor to call for a moment of silence. It was time, Mr. Reid said, to pay tribute to American soldiers in Iraq as their death toll reached 3,500.
A short time earlier, Mr. Reid convened a conference call with liberal bloggers, offering assurances that Democrats would revive debate over the Iraq war. And he pledged to revive it soon, ending the silence that followed the White House�s outmaneuvering of Democrats last month to win more money for the war without a timeline to end it.
�They�ve been driving this debate very well,� Mr. Reid said later, speaking of the bloggers who have been pushing for Congress to end the war. �I understand their disappointment. We raised the bar too high.�
It has been nearly three weeks since Democrats have held a formal Iraq debate or voted on an Iraq proposal in the House or Senate. Not since they assumed the majority in January has there been such a lull. During the three weeks, Congressional approval ratings have fallen, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she knew why.
�It�s the war, I believe so, it�s the war,� Ms. Pelosi said in a brief interview on Wednesday. �In terms of the issue that the American people want to have resolved, the war is three or four times higher than any other issue.�
Some Democrats argue that it is high time for the party to turn its attention to domestic issues � energy legislation, immigration overhaul and lobbying reform � to allay concerns that Democrats have not achieved enough significant accomplishments during the first six months of their majority. But other Democrats are demanding a return to the Iraq debate, which Mr. Reid has now pledged to do this month.
The proposals will not be new. Rather, Democrats intend to reprise at least four ideas when the Senate considers the Defense Department policy bill: a measure to reverse the authorization for the Iraq war, set a deadline for troop withdrawal, block money for major combat operations after March 31, 2008, and increase readiness requirements for troops to be sent back to Iraq. �On Iraq,� Mr. Reid said, �we�re going to hold the president�s feet to the fire.�
Democratic Congressional leaders have been stung by the decline in Congressional job approval ratings.
A Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg nationwide telephone poll released this week found that 27 percent of Americans approve of the way Congress is handling its job, while 65 percent disapprove. And 29 percent of the more than 1,100 poll respondents, all registered voters, said Democrats were working to change how government is run, compared to 63 percent who said Democrats are governing in a business-as-usual manner. The margin of error was plus or minus four percentage points.
Ms. Pelosi said it had been difficult to convince some Democrats that despite their majority, they are limited in how they can change the president�s Iraq policy.
�Some Democrats understand that we don�t have the signature and we can only do so much,� she said. �Others are just very unhappy. I include myself among them, being very unhappy that we have not been able to bring the war to an end.�
With September being highlighted as a critical review period for Iraq policy � Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top American commander, is to report to Congress on the progress of the current troop buildup � Democratic leaders had initially hoped to tackle their domestic priorities in late spring and early summer. But on Wednesday, Democratic leaders said they would not wait.
�The American people cannot and should not have to wait until later this year for changes in your flawed Iraq policy,� Ms. Pelosi and Mr. Reid wrote Wednesday in a letter to the White House.
Representative Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, the chairman of the Democratic conference, said Democrats could not be drawn into focusing solely on Iraq. �We have to do Iraq and change the priorities of Washington,� he said. �You can�t become a one-trick pony.�
The war has been the underlying theme of the new Democratic Congress, with barely a week going by without legislators embroiling themselves in committee hearings, a floor debate or symbolic resolutions for and against the war. Democrats have walked a careful line, trying to keep their criticism alive, but lowering expectations that they alone can influence war policy.
The month of June, though, has so far unfolded with barely a word being uttered about Iraq. And lawmakers said they were hearing about it.
Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat who was elected last fall, said constituents were seeking reassurance that Democratic efforts to challenge the administration have not fallen off. She said voters had little interest in being schooled in the intricate rules of the Senate, where 60 votes are required for debate to proceed on legislation.
�I share their frustration, answering them with procedural answers, �Well, we need 60 votes,� � she said. �People are dying over there, so that isn�t always helpful.�
While Congress must accomplish domestic priorities, she said, Iraq remains the chief issue for most voters. �I think that�s one of the things we�ve struggled with, is finding that balance,� she said, welcoming the news that the Senate intends to revive the debate before month�s end. �It�s very important to me. I don�t want to go home until we do it.�
vivekv
09-22 02:41 PM
Hi All,
USCIS has mailed my wife two different EADs upon renewal. The first EAD sent to us has a 2yr validity. About a couple of weeks later, she got another one, this time with a 1yr validity.
I spoke with my attorneys and they seem to indicate that the one with the 2yr validity should be the valid document of reference from here on.
My questions are,
1) have any of you experienced this kind of a goof up before?
2) do I just take my lawyer's word for it and ignore one of them?
Please advise...
:confused:
USCIS has mailed my wife two different EADs upon renewal. The first EAD sent to us has a 2yr validity. About a couple of weeks later, she got another one, this time with a 1yr validity.
I spoke with my attorneys and they seem to indicate that the one with the 2yr validity should be the valid document of reference from here on.
My questions are,
1) have any of you experienced this kind of a goof up before?
2) do I just take my lawyer's word for it and ignore one of them?
Please advise...
:confused:
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neeidd
10-14 11:46 AM
Hi All,
I am purchasing tickets to INDIA in an hour. Haven't thought about this much until one of my friends asked me this. My priority date is March 2005. I am planning to travel to INDIA using AP in December last week and come back in first week of Feb 2010. IF my GC gets approved during my stay in INDIA, would it a problem while coming back or if an RFE is issued, would it be a problem.
Please advice
Thanks
I am purchasing tickets to INDIA in an hour. Haven't thought about this much until one of my friends asked me this. My priority date is March 2005. I am planning to travel to INDIA using AP in December last week and come back in first week of Feb 2010. IF my GC gets approved during my stay in INDIA, would it a problem while coming back or if an RFE is issued, would it be a problem.
Please advice
Thanks
more...
vedicman
04-26 12:09 PM
Employment First Preference - Immigration Wiki (http://immigrationvoice.org/wiki/index.php/Employment_First_Preference)
nixstor
03-11 12:36 PM
If you are from the state of Vermont and would like to participate in the FOIA campaign, please contact me immediately via PM.
Thanks
Thanks
more...
JunRN
09-13 07:32 AM
Thanks....that was truly helpful. So I have to expect it in the mail because I already got my Receipt Notice for I-485.
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Blog Feeds
04-11 03:40 PM
From the last few days: LEADING HISPANIC DEMOCRAT WARNS OBAMA ON IMMIGRATION - Representative Javier Bacera (D-CA) warned President Obama that he's in danger of losing the support of the country's Hispanics over his failure to take action on immigration reform. From The Hill: A member of the House Democratic leadership said Wednesday that Latinos view President Barack Obama with 'suspicion' for failing to meet expectations. Rep. Xavier Becerra (Calif.), the House Democratic Caucus vice chairman, offered stern words for Obama, saying that the Latino population wants to see more from the White House on issues that are important to...
More... (http://blogs.ilw.com/gregsiskind/2010/04/lots-of-mixed-messages-on-immigration-reform.html)
More... (http://blogs.ilw.com/gregsiskind/2010/04/lots-of-mixed-messages-on-immigration-reform.html)
more...
LayoffBlog
01-27 07:20 PM
According to CNNMoney: “The job market continued to take a beating Tuesday, as six companies across several industries announced more than 11,500 job cuts Tuesday.The huge number of job cuts pales only in comparison to Monday’s statistics: seven companies issued job cut announcements totaling more than 71,400 layoffs.In January alone, companies have announced more 211,500 [...]http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=layoffblog.com&blog=5255291&post=1267&subd=layoffblog&ref=&feed=1
More... (http://layoffblog.com/2009/01/27/more-than-211500-job-cuts-announced-in-january-alone/)
More... (http://layoffblog.com/2009/01/27/more-than-211500-job-cuts-announced-in-january-alone/)
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pappu
08-11 03:03 PM
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/08/11/navarrette/index.html
all
ruben.navarrette@uniontrib.com
is his email address.
pls write to him asking him to cover our issue. also mention this website and organization name in the email so that he can contact us for any information. I have already sent him an email.
all
ruben.navarrette@uniontrib.com
is his email address.
pls write to him asking him to cover our issue. also mention this website and organization name in the email so that he can contact us for any information. I have already sent him an email.
more...
Blog Feeds
08-03 12:50 PM
As of July 24, 2009, approximately 44,900 H-1B cap-subject petitions have been received by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and counted towards the H-1B cap. Approximately 20,000 petitions qualifying for the advanced degree cap exemption have been filed. USCIS will continue to accept both cap-subject petitions and advanced degree petitions until a sufficient number of H-1B petitions have been received to reach the statutory limits. The H-1B program allows foreign nationals to work for their U.S. sponsor employer in a specialty occupation that requires theoretical or technical expertise in specialized fields. This may include scientists, engineers, and commuter programmers to name a few. The cap count for H-1B fiscal year 2010 is available at www.uscis.gov (http://www.uscis.gov).
Call us at 214-999-9999 and Kraft & Associates will answer your H-1B questions.
More... (http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Immigration-law-answers-blog/~3/q6etIgCz4yY/)
Call us at 214-999-9999 and Kraft & Associates will answer your H-1B questions.
More... (http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Immigration-law-answers-blog/~3/q6etIgCz4yY/)
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jamesingham
06-22 11:31 AM
My employer has filed my labor certifications few weeks back. Is there a way I can track it online and know the status.
What information do I need to do that ? Whats the website ?
TIA
What information do I need to do that ? Whats the website ?
TIA
more...
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extra_mint
04-11 05:57 PM
Came across this nice video
Listen if you have 10-15 minutes of spare time....Vivek Wadhwa gives interesting analysis on why india is taking over US and what can Guru (US) learn from disciple (india)
Link
-----
http://thetrajectory.com/blogs/?p=406
Above link is for the blog
Video to watch is a little below...scroll down a little to reach the video.
Listen if you have 10-15 minutes of spare time....Vivek Wadhwa gives interesting analysis on why india is taking over US and what can Guru (US) learn from disciple (india)
Link
-----
http://thetrajectory.com/blogs/?p=406
Above link is for the blog
Video to watch is a little below...scroll down a little to reach the video.
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gvijayku
01-26 08:31 AM
Recently I have travelled to USA on B1, during port of entry at chicago the immigration officer as marked Advised on the stamp with pen. What does it mean? Does this will have any impact on my next visit to USA on B1.
In port of entry letter I have mentioned stay duration as 4 weeks (1 month). Is this the problem? If so why officer given i-94 till 3 months?
Thanks in advance,
In port of entry letter I have mentioned stay duration as 4 weeks (1 month). Is this the problem? If so why officer given i-94 till 3 months?
Thanks in advance,
more...
pictures http://www.hairstylestalk.com/
Joey Foley
January 3rd, 2005, 06:48 AM
Come on guys I think I have like 25 photos in my gallery now.
Hit me hard with the brutally honest truth of what you think. It helps me out a lot and I can't thank you enough.
Try to look through them all if you have time to spare.
Thanks and let me know.
Tips,suggestions? Keep'em coming.
http://www.dphoto.us/forumphotos/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/2136
Hit me hard with the brutally honest truth of what you think. It helps me out a lot and I can't thank you enough.
Try to look through them all if you have time to spare.
Thanks and let me know.
Tips,suggestions? Keep'em coming.
http://www.dphoto.us/forumphotos/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/2136
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misanthrope
11-12 01:46 PM
Onion is a "news" website focused on delivering laffs.
more...
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gc_wannabe
01-24 01:12 PM
Hi- I'm e-filing my I-131 and it is asking where my I-485 is pending? How do I find this information? The cases status online does not give away this information.
Thanks for any help.
Thanks for any help.
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anyway
10-27 09:28 PM
@Kirupa: Not live tiles, but selection tiles (thumbnails) -- square boxes with text and maybe an image . They are use in panoramic applications instead of a list box.
You should do a video tutorial on creating the different elements of a panoramic app, i.e., the listbox, selection tiles (thumbnails), and a listbox with text+image(on the left). I think the xbox hub is a great example.
You should do a video tutorial on creating the different elements of a panoramic app, i.e., the listbox, selection tiles (thumbnails), and a listbox with text+image(on the left). I think the xbox hub is a great example.
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Macaca
09-28 05:27 PM
With Legacy in Mind, Bush Reassesses His Agenda (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/27/AR2007092702039_2.html?sid=ST2007092801089) By Peter Baker | Washington Post Staff Writer, September 28, 2007
As he addresses a conference on climate change this morning, President Bush will face not only a crowd of skeptics but the press of time. For nearly seven years, he invested little personal energy in the challenge of global warming. Now, with the end in sight, he has called the biggest nations of the world together to press for a plan by the end of next year.
This has been a week when Bush seems to be checking boxes on the legacy list. He opened the week at the United Nations in New York, where he tried to rally support for his Middle East peace initiative and insisted his vision of a new Palestinian state is still "achievable" before the end of his presidency. And he pressed for more U.N. action against Iran, acutely aware he has less than 16 months left to stop Tehran's nuclear program.
Success in any of these areas would amount to a singular achievement and, in the view of advisers, could help rewrite Bush's place in history. No president wants to be remembered as the author of an ill-fated war and, while Iraq certainly will be at the core of the Bush administration's record, advisers hope to broaden the picture. Yet analysts said the hour is late to resolve the longstanding Israeli-Palestinian conflict on his watch, critics doubt his sincerity on climate change, and Iran remains as intransigent as ever.
"The clock is ticking, and there are certain things you want to accomplish before you go out the door," said Ron Kaufman, who was White House political director for President George H.W. Bush. "While most of these things are not new to his agenda, there may be a bit of a new urgency given the time. . . . No president wants to leave something on the table if they can get it done."
Even on Iraq, Bush clearly has an eye on the clock. While he no longer harbors hope of winning the war by Jan. 20, 2009, he wants to use his remaining time in office to stabilize the country, draw down some forces and leave his successor with a less volatile situation that would dampen domestic demands to pull out completely. If he can do that, he told television anchors during an off-the-record lunch this month, he thinks even Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.), the Democratic front-runner, would continue his policy.
The goal, as national security adviser Stephen J. Hadley told the Council on Foreign Relations recently, is that "a new president who comes in in January of '09, whoever he or she may be, will look at it and say, 'I'm persuaded that we have long-term interests here. It's important we get it right. This strategy is beginning to work. I think I'll leave Iraq alone.' And so that a new president coming in doesn't have a first crisis about 'let's pull the troops out of Iraq.' "
Bush has even quietly sent advice through intermediaries to Clinton and other Democratic candidates, urging them to be careful in their campaign rhetoric so they do not limit their options should they win, according to a new book, "The Evangelical President," by Bill Sammon of the Washington Examiner. Bush has "been urging candidates, 'Don't get yourself too locked in where you stand right now. If you end up sitting where I sit, things could change dramatically,' " White House Chief of Staff Joshua B. Bolten told Sammon.
Bush is also rushing to institutionalize some of the controversial tactics he has employed in the battle with terrorists so that they will outlast his presidency. That was a major reason he agreed to put his National Security Agency warrantless surveillance program under the jurisdiction of a secret intelligence court, aides said. And that is why he has pushed to find a way to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and find other ways of handling suspected terrorists, although officials increasingly doubt they will be able to do so.
White House counselor Ed Gillespie said the president's team is not panicked about dwindling time but hopes to push steadily toward some goals that will bear fruit before the end of the administration. "On some of these things we've made a lot of progress," he said. "We may not be in the red zone, but we're at a point where you don't need to throw the long ball. We can get there with three yards and a cloud of dust if we keep moving."
The focus on passing time and the coming judgment of history is common at this point in a two-term presidency, of course. In his final months in office, Bill Clinton also launched an intense effort to solve the Middle East conflict only to have Camp David talks collapse. Joel P. Johnson, who was Clinton's senior adviser in the last part of his presidency, remembers his boss holding "a whip and a chair" trying to force as much change before surrendering the Oval Office.
"It's on your mind every day because you know how long it takes to create a policy and build a campaign around it and enact it or in some way force change before your administration is over," Johnson said. "Literally on your wall and in your mind there is a calendar, and every day you see a red X and you wake up in the morning and you realize 'we only have so much time.' And what focuses your mind is you know on that last day, the story's over and you can't change it anymore."
Bolten has been trying to focus the minds of his colleagues in the Bush White House ever since taking over as chief of staff last year. He gave other top aides clocks set to show how many days and hours remain in this administration and told them to think about big things that could be accomplished in that time. Yet the most ambitious items on Bush's second-term domestic agenda have died, most notably his ideas for restructuring Social Security and immigration laws.
"They're off the table. They're done. Didn't work," said a senior official who insisted on anonymity to speak more candidly about Bush's strategy. "So he's turning to some other things."
One of the other things is climate change. Bush once expressed doubt that human activity has anything to do with warming and renounced the Kyoto treaty imposing mandatory limits on greenhouse emissions. Now he has summoned representatives from the 15 nations that produce the most greenhouse gases to this week's conference in Washington in hopes of producing a plan by the end of 2008.
While the White House points to initiatives and research Bush has sponsored over the years, he has never taken on a high-profile role in confronting the issue until now. Senior European officials said they appreciate the newfound interest. "Some months ago there was no discussion of climate. The words 'Kyoto regime' [did not come] over the lips of a government official here," German Environmental Minister Siegmar Gabriel told reporters yesterday. Alluding to Neil Armstrong's famous walk on the moon, he added, "These are big steps for us and the United States, and small steps for mankind in the international negotiations."
But Bush remains opposed to mandatory emissions caps that environmentalists and many foreign leaders such as Gabriel believe are needed. "I don't think the leopard has changed its spots," said David D. Doniger, a climate analyst at the Natural Resources Defense Council. "Or maybe the better analogy is that the only thing the leopard has changed is his spots."
One conference delegate said negotiators realize the talks will not yield a dramatic change in U.S. policy. "With this administration, we will not reach any result because the time is too short," the delegate said. "But they have the problem, not we. . . . They have the problem [of explaining] to their own people what they're going to do."
As he addresses a conference on climate change this morning, President Bush will face not only a crowd of skeptics but the press of time. For nearly seven years, he invested little personal energy in the challenge of global warming. Now, with the end in sight, he has called the biggest nations of the world together to press for a plan by the end of next year.
This has been a week when Bush seems to be checking boxes on the legacy list. He opened the week at the United Nations in New York, where he tried to rally support for his Middle East peace initiative and insisted his vision of a new Palestinian state is still "achievable" before the end of his presidency. And he pressed for more U.N. action against Iran, acutely aware he has less than 16 months left to stop Tehran's nuclear program.
Success in any of these areas would amount to a singular achievement and, in the view of advisers, could help rewrite Bush's place in history. No president wants to be remembered as the author of an ill-fated war and, while Iraq certainly will be at the core of the Bush administration's record, advisers hope to broaden the picture. Yet analysts said the hour is late to resolve the longstanding Israeli-Palestinian conflict on his watch, critics doubt his sincerity on climate change, and Iran remains as intransigent as ever.
"The clock is ticking, and there are certain things you want to accomplish before you go out the door," said Ron Kaufman, who was White House political director for President George H.W. Bush. "While most of these things are not new to his agenda, there may be a bit of a new urgency given the time. . . . No president wants to leave something on the table if they can get it done."
Even on Iraq, Bush clearly has an eye on the clock. While he no longer harbors hope of winning the war by Jan. 20, 2009, he wants to use his remaining time in office to stabilize the country, draw down some forces and leave his successor with a less volatile situation that would dampen domestic demands to pull out completely. If he can do that, he told television anchors during an off-the-record lunch this month, he thinks even Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.), the Democratic front-runner, would continue his policy.
The goal, as national security adviser Stephen J. Hadley told the Council on Foreign Relations recently, is that "a new president who comes in in January of '09, whoever he or she may be, will look at it and say, 'I'm persuaded that we have long-term interests here. It's important we get it right. This strategy is beginning to work. I think I'll leave Iraq alone.' And so that a new president coming in doesn't have a first crisis about 'let's pull the troops out of Iraq.' "
Bush has even quietly sent advice through intermediaries to Clinton and other Democratic candidates, urging them to be careful in their campaign rhetoric so they do not limit their options should they win, according to a new book, "The Evangelical President," by Bill Sammon of the Washington Examiner. Bush has "been urging candidates, 'Don't get yourself too locked in where you stand right now. If you end up sitting where I sit, things could change dramatically,' " White House Chief of Staff Joshua B. Bolten told Sammon.
Bush is also rushing to institutionalize some of the controversial tactics he has employed in the battle with terrorists so that they will outlast his presidency. That was a major reason he agreed to put his National Security Agency warrantless surveillance program under the jurisdiction of a secret intelligence court, aides said. And that is why he has pushed to find a way to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and find other ways of handling suspected terrorists, although officials increasingly doubt they will be able to do so.
White House counselor Ed Gillespie said the president's team is not panicked about dwindling time but hopes to push steadily toward some goals that will bear fruit before the end of the administration. "On some of these things we've made a lot of progress," he said. "We may not be in the red zone, but we're at a point where you don't need to throw the long ball. We can get there with three yards and a cloud of dust if we keep moving."
The focus on passing time and the coming judgment of history is common at this point in a two-term presidency, of course. In his final months in office, Bill Clinton also launched an intense effort to solve the Middle East conflict only to have Camp David talks collapse. Joel P. Johnson, who was Clinton's senior adviser in the last part of his presidency, remembers his boss holding "a whip and a chair" trying to force as much change before surrendering the Oval Office.
"It's on your mind every day because you know how long it takes to create a policy and build a campaign around it and enact it or in some way force change before your administration is over," Johnson said. "Literally on your wall and in your mind there is a calendar, and every day you see a red X and you wake up in the morning and you realize 'we only have so much time.' And what focuses your mind is you know on that last day, the story's over and you can't change it anymore."
Bolten has been trying to focus the minds of his colleagues in the Bush White House ever since taking over as chief of staff last year. He gave other top aides clocks set to show how many days and hours remain in this administration and told them to think about big things that could be accomplished in that time. Yet the most ambitious items on Bush's second-term domestic agenda have died, most notably his ideas for restructuring Social Security and immigration laws.
"They're off the table. They're done. Didn't work," said a senior official who insisted on anonymity to speak more candidly about Bush's strategy. "So he's turning to some other things."
One of the other things is climate change. Bush once expressed doubt that human activity has anything to do with warming and renounced the Kyoto treaty imposing mandatory limits on greenhouse emissions. Now he has summoned representatives from the 15 nations that produce the most greenhouse gases to this week's conference in Washington in hopes of producing a plan by the end of 2008.
While the White House points to initiatives and research Bush has sponsored over the years, he has never taken on a high-profile role in confronting the issue until now. Senior European officials said they appreciate the newfound interest. "Some months ago there was no discussion of climate. The words 'Kyoto regime' [did not come] over the lips of a government official here," German Environmental Minister Siegmar Gabriel told reporters yesterday. Alluding to Neil Armstrong's famous walk on the moon, he added, "These are big steps for us and the United States, and small steps for mankind in the international negotiations."
But Bush remains opposed to mandatory emissions caps that environmentalists and many foreign leaders such as Gabriel believe are needed. "I don't think the leopard has changed its spots," said David D. Doniger, a climate analyst at the Natural Resources Defense Council. "Or maybe the better analogy is that the only thing the leopard has changed is his spots."
One conference delegate said negotiators realize the talks will not yield a dramatic change in U.S. policy. "With this administration, we will not reach any result because the time is too short," the delegate said. "But they have the problem, not we. . . . They have the problem [of explaining] to their own people what they're going to do."
willigetgc?
01-27 09:14 AM
F1 - Immigration Wiki (http://immigrationvoice.org/wiki/index.php/F1#Out_of_status)
sanjaymk
07-18 09:54 PM
Dear friends,
My post regarding calling up the members after registration has apparently disturbed some members, first let me apologize for that and for some postings regarding that matter. The calling option was ONLY intended to ward of unwanted and vicious members using this forum to work against our goals.
I understand that a lot of non-indians are in this forum(for instance, Greg Siskind quotes from these forums a lot), and my post could be interpreted as being against non-indians, but it was not the intention.
I am sorry once again.
Thanks,
Sanjay.
My post regarding calling up the members after registration has apparently disturbed some members, first let me apologize for that and for some postings regarding that matter. The calling option was ONLY intended to ward of unwanted and vicious members using this forum to work against our goals.
I understand that a lot of non-indians are in this forum(for instance, Greg Siskind quotes from these forums a lot), and my post could be interpreted as being against non-indians, but it was not the intention.
I am sorry once again.
Thanks,
Sanjay.
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