Rumsfeld Spokesman Denies Accusations Of Biblical Quotes In Iraq War Briefings
Keith Urbahn, the spokesman for former Sec. of Defense Don Rumsfeld, is strongly denying the GQ report that Rumsfeld approved Iraq War briefings for President George W. Bush that incorporated Biblical quotes. “Rumsfeld was fully aware that words and actions could be harmful and counterproductive to the war effort. It’s safe to say that some of these cover slides could be considered in that category,” Urbahn said. “The suggestion that Rumsfeld would have composed of, approved of, or personally shown the slides to President Bush is flat wrong. It did not happen.”
Obama’s Day Ahead
President Obama will attend the first quarterly meeting of the President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board, at 10 a.m. ET in the Roosevelt Room, focusing at this meeting on clean energy jobs. At 3 p.m. ET, he will participate in a credentialing ceremony for foreign ambassadors in the Oval Office. He will hold a bill signing at 4:30 p.m. in the East Room, signing the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act and the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act. At 5:45 p.m. ET, he will call the crew of the Space Shuttle Atlantis. At 7:30 p.m. ET, the President and First Lady will host a bipartisan reception in the Blue Room for members of the House and their guests.
Biden’s Day Ahead
Vice President Biden is spending the day in Belgrade, Serbia. He met with President Boris Tadic, and the two made a joint statement to the press at 6 a.m. ET. Biden will also be participating in a memorial ceremony for the late Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic, meeting with Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic, meeting with Defense Minister Dragan Sutanovac, and attending a dinner hosted by President Tadic.
Iran Claims Successful Test Of Missile
Iranian President Mahmopud Ahmadinejad claims that his country has successfully test-fired a new missile with a 1,200-mile range, enough to reach a target in southeastern Europe — or Israel. “Defense Minister (Mostafa Mohammad Najjar) has informed me that the Sajjil-2 missile, which has very advanced technology, was launched from Semnan and it landed precisely on the target,” Ahmadinejad was quoted saying by state radio.
Senate To Formally Deny Funding To Obama On Closing Gitmo
The Senate is expected to vote today on an amendment by Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI) and Jim Inhofe (R-OK) to deny funding to close the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay. The Senate will deny Obama the ability to follow through on his plan to close Gitmo until such time as the White House delivers a satisfactory policy for what to do with the detainees currently there.
NYT: U.S. Entering Into National Auto Policy; Industry Collaborating With Government On Fuel Efficiency
The New York Times says that with the auto bailouts and reorganizations, America is seemingly entering into a comprehensive national policy for the auto industry, a much-debated topic in previous decades that has both potential benefits and pitfalls. Meanwhile, the industry is behaving in a new way on fuel-efficiency standards, cooperating with the Obama Administration rather than fighting regulation.
Gun Advocates On Track For Big Win On Weapons In National Parks
Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) and other gun-rights advocates in Congress are poised for a major victory, after having added a provision to the credit-card reform bill to allow visitors at national parks to carry loaded and concealed weapons. President Obama will likely sign the credit-card bill into law, with this rider left intact.
