Archive for March, 2006

March 1, 2006

Crossing party lines makes targets of some incumbents (USATODAY.com) »

  • Chafee agrees. “I don’t think the American people want a Congress of robots that just knee-jerk obey their leadership,” he says. “They want a Congress where there will be vigorous debate on the issues within the parties and between the parties.”

March 3, 2006

Senate Approves Patriot Act Renewal (AP) »

  • “This bill will allow our law enforcement officials to continue to use the same tools against terrorists that are already used against drug dealers and other criminals, while safeguarding the civil liberties of the American people,” Bush said in a statement from India.

GOP rift on ports, poll dip hit Bush (USATODAY.com) »

  • Republican National Committee spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt counters that Bush’s “number one priority continues to be the security of the American people.”

Blanco Wrong on Levees, Video Indicates (AP) »

  • Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada said it “confirms what we have suspected all along,” charging that Bush administration officials have “systematically misled the American people.”

March 4, 2006

Democrats Want Immediate Vote on Port Deal (AP) »

  • “Given the record of this administration, ‘trust us’ is not a safe enough answer for the American people,” Busby said, accusing the administration and Republican-led Congress of underfunding ports security and ignoring warnings on Hurricane Katrina.

March 7, 2006

Ways and Means Chairman Thomas to Retire (AP) »

  • “Chairman Thomas is someone we’ve worked very closely with to advance important priorities for the American people,” said White House press secretary Scott McClellan. “We appreciate all that he’s done.”

March 10, 2006

GOP Chairman to Single Out Kerry, Clinton (AP) »

  • “If they really want the American people to know what they are going to do, then how about, ‘Together, Americans can pay more in taxes,’ ” the text said. “Or, ‘Together, we can retreat from the central front in the war on terror.’ “
  • The speech comes amid growing concerns in the Republican ranks over Bush’s diminishing standing with the American people and the GOP’s fears about maintaining its majority control in the House and Senate this November.

March 12, 2006

Feingold Wants Bush Censured for Spying (AP) »

  • The resolution Feingold planned to introduce on Monday would have the Senate condemn Bush’s “unlawful authorization of wiretaps of Americans within the United States” and “his efforts to mislead the American people about the authorities relied upon by his administration to conduct wiretaps and about the legality of the program.”

US Senator to propose censuring Bush over eavesdropping (AFP) »

  • "There is no crack there, the American people are behind this President," said Frist.

March 13, 2006

Frist: Ports Deal Could Still Go Through (AP) »

  • “If everything that the president, the administration has said, and that is that there is absolutely no threatening or jeopardy to our security and safety of the American people … I don’t see how the deal would have to be canceled,” Frist said on ABC’s “This Week.”

March 14, 2006

Feingold Draws Little Support for Censure (AP) »

  • The resolution says censuring Bush also is warranted by “his failure to inform the full congressional intelligence committees as required by law, and his efforts to mislead the American people about the authorities relied upon by his administration to conduct wiretaps and about the legality of the program.”

March 15, 2006

Bush to Nominate Acting Chief to Head FDA (AP) »

  • “For the majority of President Bush’s time in office the FDA has been without a permanent commissioner, which has adversely affected the agency’s ability to protect the American people from dangerous drugs. While I am pleased to see the president take the step toward having a full-time commissioner, we need to learn a lot more from Dr. von Eschenbach about what kind of relationship he envisions the FDA having with the drug industry,” Rep. Maurice Hinchey , D-N.Y., said in a statement.

US senators head to China before sanctions showdown (AFP) »

  • "Without concrete results, the administration, and the American people, may be forced to reassess our bilateral economic relationship," he said. "And without results, I’m afraid Congress may go down a path that none of us want."

March 16, 2006

Bush Spokesman Defends White House Staff (AP) »

  • “The president has a smart, capable and experienced team that is fully committed to helping him advance his agenda and get things done for the American people,” the spokesman said, noting that Bush was devoting part of his day to talking about health care and prescription drug benefits for seniors.
  • When questions persisted, McClellan said, “You know, it’s interesting, here’s now the third question on this, when I just talked about some very important priorities that the American people care about, and here we are asking these questions.”

Bush Seeks Support for Line-Item Veto (AP) »

  • “I listened carefully to some constructive suggestions from both Republicans and Democrats as to how to get a piece of legislation passed,” Bush told reporters after the meeting. “The American people expect all of us from both parties to work diligently as to how we spend their money. And one way that we can earn the confidence of the people is to pass a line-item veto.”

Bush Says Republicans Don’t Fear Future (AP) »

  • “I can stand up here and tell you that we have delivered results for the American people, and we’ve got an agenda to continue to do so,” Bush said.

March 17, 2006

Senate votes to raise US debt ceiling to nine trillion dollars (AFP) »

  • "While the bill does not go as far as I would like to control growth in mandatory spending programs, it is a responsible budget plan that meets the needs of the American people," said Senator Bill Frist, leader of the Republican majority.

March 20, 2006

Bush’s Rhetoric Targets Unnamed Critics (AP) »

  • He told at least two audiences that some senators opposing him were “not interested in the security of the American people.” In reality, Democrats balked not at creating the department, which Bush himself first opposed, but at letting agency workers go without the usual civil service protections.

March 21, 2006

Pace: Quake Aid Boosts Opinion of U.S. (AP) »

  • “I do believe that the Pakistan people have recognized a side of the American people they heretofore did not have a chance to see in person,” said Pace, who is making his first visit to the impoverished country.

Transcript: Text of Bush’s News Conference (AP) »

  • No question that sectarian violence must be confronted by the Iraqi government and a better trained police force, yet we’re making progress. And that’s important for the American people to understand.
  • The growing economy is a result of the hard work of the American people and good policies here in Washington.
  • My attitude about the defense of this country changed on September the 11th. When we got attacked, I vowed then and there to use every asset at my disposal to protect the American people.
  • And I’m never going to forget it. And I’m never going to forget the vow I made to the American people, that we will do everything in our power to protect our people.

Senators Meet With Iraqi Interim PM (AP) »

  • The committee chairman, Sen. John Warner , R-Va., said decisions on U.S. troops would be made not only by President Bush, Congress and other leaders, but also by the American people — an apparent allusion to declining U.S. popular support for the war.

March 23, 2006

Bush Seeks Support on Iraq, Boost in Polls (AP) »

  • “Our major media don’t want to portray the good,” she said. “If the American people could see it, there would never be another negative word about this conflict.”

March 24, 2006

U.S. Christians Outraged Over Afghan Trial (AP) »

  • The American people are not sending their young men and women to Afghanistan for this definition of freedom,” said Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. “Compulsion in the name of any religion is shameful and should be rejected by any sincere professor of any religion. Mr. Rahman should be released immediately.

March 25, 2006

Senators take a hard look at war in Iraq (Reuters) »

  • “We read the polls and we know that the American peoplehave grown frustrated and we also know the stakes are veryhigh. Success is vital,” McCain told a news conference.
  • “We all acknowledge, particularly after visiting here, thatthis is a very long, tough enterprise and challenge that we arefacing and I think the best way to treat it is to tell theAmerican people exactly that,” McCain told reporters.
  • “We all know that the polls show declining support amongstthe American people,” he said.

March 28, 2006

U.S. Looks to Put Inspectors in Bahamas (AP) »

  • “They are getting close to fixing up a deal between the Bahamas and the U.S.,” Meredith told the AP. “If they want to put American people out there to have a look at it, that’s fine. But people should respect also that you’ve got to have trusted partnerships, both with the private sector and with foreign governments.”

Bolten to Replace Card As Chief of Staff (AP) »

  • Said Democratic National Committee communications director Karen Finney: “As the saying goes, you can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig. Unfortunately for the American people, all President Bush did today was make it clear that they should expect nothing more than the same failed policies they have come to know all too well.”

March 29, 2006

Democrats Offer National Security Platform (AP) »

  • “I trust in the common sense of the American people to see these efforts for what they are: misguided political attacks that are simply a bob-and-weave effort by those who have no real solutions or proposals of their own,” Sen. John Cornyn , R-Texas, said.

Bush Blames Saddam for Iraq Instability (AP) »

  • “The president can give all the speeches he wants, but nothing will change the fact that his Iraq policy is wrong,” said Reid, D-Nev. “Two weeks ago, he told the American people that Iraqis would control their country by the end of the year. But last week, he told us our troops would be there until at least 2009.”

Democrats unveil security agenda (Reuters) »

  • “Over the last five years, Democrats have watched with theAmerican people as President Bush and Republicans have movedAmerica in the wrong direction. We’ve seen their dangerousincompetence,” said Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid ofNevada.

March 30, 2006

Senate Backs Ethics Bill, House Up Next (AP) »

  • “The United States Senate failed the American people today,” read a statement issued by the Campaign Legal Center, Common Cause, Democracy 21, League of Women Voters, Public Citizen and U.S. PIRG.

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