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More Recent Whitehouse News

Thursday - December 21, 2006 - WASHINGTON - President Bush issued 16 pardons to minor criminals, and also commuted the sentence of an Iowa man serving time for a drug conviction. Six of the federal offenses were drug crimes, while others included bank fraud, mail fraud, the acceptance of a kickback, a false statement on a loan application and conspiracy to defraud the government over taxes. Seven of the 16 pardoned had received no prison or jail time, instead getting probation or small fines. The longest sentence was nine years, for aiding cocaine distribution, followed by a six-year term for conspiracy to possess marijuana. With this batch, Bush has issued 113 pardons and commuted three sentences in his nearly six years in the White House.

Wednesday - December 20, 2006 - WASHINGTON - A sweeping tax and trade bill (H.R. 6111) will be signed by President Bush today that will revive some 20 tax breaks, extend trade benefits for developing countries and protect doctors from a big cut in Medicare payments. Meanwhile, President George W. Bush is continuing his efforts to rally public opinion in favor of an Iraq troop increase, saying American troops are too "thinly spread" to be effective in their goals.

Monday - December 18, 2006 - WASHINGTON - President George W. Bush changed decades of U.S. nuclear policy by agreeing to a change in U.S. law that will let India receive U.S. civilian nuclear technology and fuel. Until Monday U.S. law banned nuclear relations with countries that were not signatories to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Monday - December 18, 2006 - WASHINGTON - Senior U.S. officials now expect President Bush to deliver his new plan for Iraq early next month. They say that it will be an explicit rejection of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group’s two main recommendations: to pull out US combat troops by early 2008 and to intensify diplomatic efforts in the region. It is reported that President Bush is set to recommend sending up to 50,000 additional troops to Iraq in a last effort to stabilize the country. It was also reported he will reject British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s entreaties to start a new Middle East peace initiative. Mr. Blair was on a whirl-wind tour of the Middle East yesterday. U.S. Administration officials, most notably Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, said last week that the White House has already ruled out direct talks with Iran and Syria, an option favored by Mr. Blair and the Iraq Study Group, headed by James Baker, who was Secretary of State when Bush’s father was President. Rice's rejection of direct talks is also contrary to the advice of former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Incoming democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev) said yesterday that an increase U.S. troops in Iraq might be acceptable as part of a broader strategy to bring combat forces home by 2008. However, former Secretary of State Colin Powell expressed doubts that any troop surge would be effective, noting U.S. forces already are overextended.

Thursday - December 14, 2006 - WASHINGTON - President Bush welcomed President Boni Yayi of the Republic of Benin to the White House today.

Wednesday - December 13, 2006 - WASHINGTON - In continuing fallout over Iraq, President Bush said today that the enemy in Iraq is "far from being defeated," and he said he would not to be rushed into adjusting his strategy and gave little indication that he intends to veer sharply from the direction his war policies have taken.

In an interview screened today, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger said the outcome in Iraq is certainly unfortunate so far. Kissinger admitted that he was originally a proponent for the Iraq war but himself never anticipated the crisis would reach the dimension that it has. However, Kissinger said this is still all part of a process that has to run its course in the Arab world. It includes the attitudes of countries. On the positive side, Kissinger overall supports US engagement in the region, particularly to stem proliferation and prevent leaving any vacuum of power. Kissinger still believes negotiations with Iran are fundamental. Engagement on the Palestinian issue is also critical. He projected that Israel would now be prepared to concede territories close to the 1967 borders to resolve its differences in the middle east. Kissinger believes this territorial concession could rally the moderate Arab states toward some organization of security. Kissinger has privately counseled almost every U.S. President since John F. Kennedy, often on an intimate casual basis.

Tuesday - December 12, 2006 - WASHINGTON - President Bush continued his visible openness to new ideas after last week's Iraq Study Group report. Today, Bush will meet via video conference with senior military commanders, then he'll talk with Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi, a Sunni leader, in the Oval Office. Tomorrow, President Bush will confer with senior defense officials at the Pentagon. Since the November elections, Bush has met with leaders of both parties to confer over the Iraq war.

Tuesday - December 12, 2006 - WASHINGTON - The Bush administration asked an appeals court to overturn a ruling that could require a redesign of US currency to help the blind. Justice Department lawyers filed the appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on behalf of Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. The appeal seeks to overturn a ruling last month by U.S. District Judge James Robertson, who ordered Treasury to come up with ways for the blind to recognize the different denominations of paper currency.

Friday - December 8, 2006 - WASHINGTON - It was announced yesterday that British Prime Minister Tony Blair could soon launch a new Middle East peace mission, hoping to unlock the "barred" door to Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made seven trips to Israel and the Palestinian territories since becoming secretary of state in January 2005 -- most recently last week. Her effort has yielded little progress so far and there are no signs a breakthrough is imminent, but Rice's spokesman says she is due to return to the region in early 2007. Help from Tony Blair may also releave pressure from Saudi Arabia and other Arab moderates, which first caused Bush to promise at the UN General Assembly in September to make a new push to break a six-year deadlock in Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts. The Iraq Study Group suggested on Wednesday that any effort to stabilize Iraq must include direct talks with, by and between Israel, Lebanon, and Palestinians, who accept Israel's right to exist, as well as Syria.

Thursday - December 7, 2006 - WASHINGTON - After arriving at Andrews Air Force Base yesterday, British Prime Minister Tony Blair will meet with President Bush today. The discussion between them likely will involve whether Bush, possibly with counsel from Blair, could embrace some or all 79 of the Iraq Study Group's recommendations officially released yesterday. Read or Download the Full Report [PDF]

Tuesday - December 5, 2006 - WASHINGTON - President Bush's nominee for Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, won speedy and unanimous approval from the Senate Armed Services Committee after five hours of testimony. Confirmation as the new secretary of defense appears likely, after Gates testified Tuesday that the United States is not winning in Iraq and he's confident President Bush will listen to his ideas about forging a new war strategy.

Monday - December 4, 2006 - WASHINGTON - President Bush met in the oval office with United Nations Ambassador John Bolton to accept his resignation.

Environmentalists are now announcing concerns that President Bush may decide to lift a ban on oil and gas drilling in federal waters off Alaska's Bristol Bay, home to endangered whales and sea lions and the world's largest sockeye salmon run. Leasing in a portion of the oil and natural gas rich area ended nearly two decades ago, while Bush Senior was president after the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989.