Due to “widespread opposition to U.S. demands in talks on a formal Status of Forces Agreement,” Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is “discussing a short-term memorandum of understanding with U.S. officials” rather than “a formal agreement on the presence of American forces in the country.” Maliki’s proposal “includes a formula for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq,” a concept the White House opposes.
“A suicide bomber has rammed a car full of explosives into the gates of the Indian embassy in the Afghan capital, killing 41 people and injuring 141.”
Ohio election officials are concerned that the state’s high foreclosure rates will create problems for voters in November, potentially forcing voters with outdated addresses to face pre-election challenges, take trips to multiple polling places, or cast provisional ballots that might not be counted. Ohio ranks ninth among the 50 states for foreclosures, with one in 410 homes filing for foreclosure.
Conservative activists are “preparing to do battle with allies of Sen. John McCain [R-AZ] in advance of September’s Republican National Convention, hoping to prevent his views on global warming, immigration, stem cell research and campaign finance from becoming enshrined in the party’s official declaration of principles.”
On the trail today: Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) will attend a town hall meeting at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) will meet with some families at James Martin Middle School “to learn more about the tough times they’re facing in today’s economy.”
The USA Today writes that security gains in Iraq “may lead to pullouts.” After the withdrawal of nearly 25 percent of U.S. combat brigades, security in Iraq continues to improve, “increasing the prospects of further cuts in American forces.”
Upon returning to work this week, Senate Republicans will be “under pressure after a barrage of radio and television advertisements blamed them for a 10.6 percent cut in payments to doctors who care for millions of older Americans.” The ads, by the American Medical Association, urge Republican Senators to reverse themselves and help pass the Medicare legislation needed to fend off the cut.
President Bush on Sunday defended his decision to attend the opening ceremony of the Olympics in China, despite concerns over the country’s human rights record. “I guess I don’t need the Olympics to express my concerns. I’ve been doing so,” he said.
Five years ago yesterday, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson published an op-ed in the New York Times asserting that the Bush administration manipulated intelligence about Saddam Hussein’s weapons programs. The next day, the administration “admitted that accusations included in the president’s 2003 State of the Union address had turned out to be inaccurate.”
And finally: President Bush “kept up his tradition of informal relations” with world leaders by casually summoning Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, “a rather stiff and shy figure.” Footage of a G8 lunch “showed Bush talking to Nigerian President Umaru Yar’Adua and saying ‘Yo Harper! The president of Nigeria,’” Reuters notes. At a 2006 summit, “Bush landed ally Tony Blair in some trouble by calling out ‘Yo Blair!’”
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