Time to Focus on Iraq

Speaking of Exit Strategies

Jonathan Weisman and Jim VandeHei write in The Washington Post: "With the Senate Finance Committee at an impasse on Social Security and House leaders anxious about moving forward, Republican congressional leaders have told the White House in recent days that it is time to look for an escape route. . . .

"White House officials at the highest levels recognize the problem, congressional aides say, but to pull back from private accounts now would undermine Bush's congressional allies -- such as Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) -- with no guarantee that a compromise could be reached without the accounts. . . .

"White House aides have been locked in a debate over whether it would be a victory if Bush settled for a Social Security deal without private accounts."

But apparently Karl Rove isn't ready to give up yet.

The Patriot Act Revolt

Mike Allen writes in The Washington Post: "The House handed President Bush the first defeat in his effort to preserve the broad powers of the USA Patriot Act, voting yesterday to curtail the FBI's ability to seize library and bookstore records for terrorism investigations.

"Bush has threatened to veto any measure that weakens those powers. The surprise 238 to 187 rebuke to the White House was produced when a handful of conservative Republicans, worried about government intrusion, joined with Democrats who are concerned about personal privacy."

Medicare Days

Ron Hutcheson writes for Knight Ridder Newspapers: "President Bush will kick off an effort Thursday to help senior citizens sign up for Medicare's new prescription-drug coverage.

"The benefit doesn't go into effect until Jan. 1, but Bush will draw attention to it during a visit to the Health and Human Services Department. On Friday, he will meet with senior citizens at a community center in Maple Grove, Minn., to discuss the new coverage.

"With his plans for overhauling Social Security in trouble, the president's shift in focus gives him a chance to celebrate a legislative victory from 2003 that's intended to improve life for seniors. But critics say the new drug plan may be a costly disappointment."

Wealthy -- and Wealthier -- Bunch

Michael A. Fletcher writes in The Washington Post: "Most of President Bush's top aides reported having mutual funds, stocks and real estate holdings worth millions of dollars, according to 2004 financial disclosure reports released yesterday.

Nedra Pickler does a nifty analysis for the Associated Press, and finds that the value of their holdings is in some cases up dramatically year over year.

Maybe that's why Bush thinks the economy is going so well.