President Bush sent lawmakers a $70 billion request Friday to fund U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan into next spring, which would give the next president breathing room to make their own war policy. ...more

May 3, 2008

We're guessing that next December, when we are choosing the most interesting stories of 2008, the Iraqi Air Force plane that landed near Venus will be right up there. On Wednesday afternoon, a Cessna with Iraq Air Force painted on its side, made an emergency landing on C.R. 731. For those of us responding to the tips, we envisioned a fighter jet sitting in the road, not a Cessna. As Thursday progressed, and facts revealed that the Cessnas are built for training planes for Iraq, it became a lot clearer. They are shipped from Florida, but the Venus landing caused a flap. ...more

February 21, 2008

The largest political story of the last year has not been the struggle for conservative self-definition, or the racially charged fight between Clintonistas and other Democrats, or the infinitely varied failures of the Democratic Congress. It has been the turnaround in Iraq. ...more

February 8, 2008

We are aiding economies worldwide from the many military bases we have all over the world. The president now wishes to build another base in Iraq. Some of those who are running in 2008 support this same policy. We must have congressional over sight on the military industrial complex. We must close many bases overseas, many over 50 years old. These many bases could just as well be located in the United States, aiding the states where they are relocated. ...more

February 4, 2008

The United States, determined to prevent a resurgence of terrorist networks in Iraq, wants to preserve the right to hunt down top foreign fighters, as it negotiates a long-term security agreement with the Iraqis, according to a working draft described to The Associated Press. ...more

February 1, 2008

Urging quick approval of a $150 billion stimulus plan, Bush said an infusion of consumer spending is needed to stave off a recession. Although House leaders have approved the plan, Senate Democrats are expanding it to include money for Social Security recipients and an extension of unemployment benefits. Bush warned this "would delay or derail it, and neither option is acceptable." ...more

January 29, 2008

Obama Wins Big In South Carolina This Section, Page 6 ...more

January 27, 2008

A suicide bomber apparently targeting a senior security official blew himself up inside a funeral tent Monday, killing 18 people in the latest of a series of deadly attacks that are chipping away at the notion of a calmer Iraq. ...more

January 22, 2008

Polk County sheriff's Deputy Paul Buoniconti didn't think the man could survive. Amid the fiery Interstate 4 pileup, the victim's car was pinned beneath a tractor-trailer, which in turn was wedged between two other vehicles. ...more

January 15, 2008

BARTOW - Of all the personal stories that have emerged from the massive pileup in Polk County last week, perhaps none is more compelling that the one told by Deputy Paul Buoniconti, a Marine combat veteran who drew from his wartime experience to do what he thought was right. ...more

January 14, 2008