Bush the Fiscal Conservative?

Q: "Well, did Talabani give any indication by -- say when he thought these laws would be passed?"

Perino: "He was hopeful. He said that he thought there was a good political environment right now for them to be able to move forward."

Q: "But how is that any different from anything anybody's been hearing for months?"

Perino: "Well, I think that you have to look at what has happened on the ground. And I think that that leaders meeting, from August 26th, then the parliament came back in September, and they're starting to move forward. I understand the frustration and the impatience. I think that they're moving in the right direction."

Q: "But that one line, the President stressed the importance and Talabani agreed, it's a little 'Groundhog Day', isn't it?"

Perino: "These are issues that are complicated. They're trying to figure out how to, for example on the oil law, how to figure out how to take oil revenue and distribute it to the provinces in a law. In practice, that's already happening, with the provinces receiving those types of funds. This is the type of money that they're getting from the central government. But it's not in law yet, and it needs to be."

Amazingly, Perino insisted that neither president had anything to say about Blackwater, the private security company apparently involved in any number of deadly shooting sprees in Iraq.

About Those Contractors

Maureen Dowd writes in her New York Times opinion column: "President Bush continues to preach that we must defeat the 'dark ideology' of extremists with 'a more hopeful vision.'

"But the compromises W. makes to slog on in Iraq, be it with warlords, dictators or out-of-control contractors, are spreading a dark stain on America's image."

Robert Scheer writes in his syndicated column: "The issue is not simply that of the Blackwater forces' horrid behavior but, more important, why the mayhem they unleashed upon innocent Iraqis was approved and covered up by the Bush administration."

AFP reports: "Two US Army subcontractors accused of torturing prisoners at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib jail go to court Wednesday in a case that highlights the murky legal status of private US companies in Iraq.

"Titan and CACI International were hired by the Army to provide interrogators and interpreters at the notorious prison, the scene of well-documented abuses of detainees following the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

"One former Iraqi prisoner now living in Sweden says that under the companies' watch, he was sodomized, nearly strangled with a belt, tied by his genitals to other detainees, and given repeated electric shocks."

Iran Watch

Scott Peterson writes in the Christian Science Monitor: "The drumbeat may sound like a march to conflict between the United States and Iran. . . .

"But in the wake of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's controversial US visit, are signs pointing toward war or diplomacy?

"Despite hard-line rhetoric on both sides -- and a lengthy story by Seymour Hersh in The New Yorker posted on Sunday that suggests the Bush administration is ready for 'surgical strikes' against Iran -- analysts say diplomacy is the far more likely outcome. . . .

"'There are a lot of people in the Pentagon in very high positions -- not to mention the CIA and State Department -- that actually believe that [war] would be lunacy and a total catastrophe to American national interests,' says . . . Gary Sick, an Iran expert at Columbia University who was the principal White House aide for Iran during the 1979 revolution and hostage crisis."

The 'Liberty City Seven'

Carol J. Williams writes in the Los Angeles Times: "At the opening Tuesday of a federal trial of seven terrorism suspects, jurors were asked to settle a question that has dogged the case since its disclosure 16 months ago:

"Did the FBI foil a 2006 plot to bomb Chicago's Sears Tower, or did it finance a fictitious plot to serve as an election-year victory in the war on terrorism?"

Mukasey Watch

Laurie Kellman writes for the Associated Press: "Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy has told Attorney General-designate Michael Mukasey his confirmation could hinge on demonstrating he'll keep White House influence out of Justice Department decisions.

"A key test, Leahy said in a letter to President Bush's nominee, would be Mukasey's willingness to answer questions the White House won't about a litany of issues, ranging from warrantless eavesdropping to whether federal prosecutors were fired to influence the 2006 elections."

What They're Proudest Of

At the " Attorney General's 55th Annual Awards Ceremony" yesterday, the Justice Department brass (what's left of them) made clear which of the last year's accomplishments they are proudest of. Top honors (and nice financial incentives) went to, among others:

* Sixteen lawyers and other employees who did "exceptional work defending the interests of the United States in habeas corpus litigation brought on behalf of aliens, who have been designated as enemy combatants, captured on foreign soil in the War on Terror. . . . Through their extraordinary efforts, the team members have helped shape the development of the law on habeas corpus and have furthered the vital interests of the United States in protecting against terrorism."

* "From the Department's Office of Legal Counsel, Caroline D. Krass, Senior Counsel, and John A. Eisenberg, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, . . . for their indispensable roles in helping to maintain our national security and promote the effectiveness of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act."

* "M. Faith Burton, Special Counsel for the Office of Legislative Affairs, and Paul P. Colborn, Special Counsel for the Department's Office of Legal Counsel . . . for their continued tireless efforts in responding to ever increasing Congressional oversight requests. . . . They have succeeded in striking the appropriate balance between accommodating the Congress's legitimate need for information while preserving and protecting the prerogatives of the Department and the Executive Branch."

Bush's Lancaster Visit

Bush's visit to Lancaster, Pa. today to talk about the budget comes right on deadline. So more tomorrow.

But Tom Murse, who is live-blogging the visit, wrote in this morning's Lancaster New Era about what regular people would ask Bush if they had the chance.

"The New Era posed the question to more than a dozen folks at Lancaster Central Market and Penn Square this morning in anticipation of Bush's return trip to the county on Wednesday. And while Lancaster is a solidly Republican county that supports its commander in chief, its residents are worried about what's going on in Washington. . . .

"The prospect that Bush might take questions during the event had folks thinking about what they would ask him if given the chance. Most wondered why he doesn't pull the troops out of Iraq.

"'I would ask him, 'Why don't you go to Iraq and walk through that place? If you want to send the troops over there, why don't you go over there like them?'' said Nathaniel Gillespie, 39, of Lancaster.

"Similarly, Leah Margerum, 32, of Lancaster City, would ask: 'How do you live with yourself? Would you send your daughters over there? I'm upset. I'm ready for an election.'

"Rose Rineer, 86, also of Lancaster, said her son fought in Vietnam and her husband was at Pearl Harbor, so she understands the need for war. But she adds quickly, and angrily, that it's now time to get out of Iraq.

"Her question?

"'Will you get our boys out of there?'"

But Bush's audience will likely be better behaved than that. Larry Alexander writes for Lancaster's Intelligencer Journal: "The president will be speaking before a select gathering of The Lancaster Chamber of Commerce & Industry members and, possibly, members of the local GOP. Both groups consist mostly of well-dressed white people -- Bush's target audience as opposed to say, folks at Water Street Rescue Mission. . . .

"Dave Dumeyer, chairman of Lancaster County Republican Committee, said the county should be happy Bush is coming here for the fifth time in his administration to announce a new policy.

"'We should be proud we fare so well in his estimation,' Dumeyer said."

But, Alexander writes: "This is not something a lot of areas in the nation would admit to these days. My guess is Bush comes here so often because it's one of the few places left where he can announce policy and not get egged."

And yet, even Lancaster isn't entirely safe anymore. Susan E. Lindt writes for the Intelligencer Journal: "It was almost the smell of revolution in the air Tuesday night.

"About 400 protesters jammed into every crevice of Penn Square's three available corners to protest today's visit President Bush.

"The square's hub, the austere Soldiers and Sailors Monument, was draped with banner-waving protesters yelling anti-Bush and anti-war cries to responsive protesters across the street. . . .

"It was an impressive showing for Lancaster, where anti-war protests are often smaller, silent candlelight vigils."

Jenna's Survival Skills

Jenna Bush was on CNN with Larry King last night, hawking her new book and talking a bit about her father:

King: "How does he -- how do you handle criticism of him? Your grandfather, George Bush -- George H.W. Bush -- says that when his son is criticized, it was worse than when he was criticized."

Jenna Bush: "Yes, it's hard to see. I mean it's hard to see him criticized. We try not to watch. I think my grandmother would say this, too, and he would say this -- too much television where we know he'll be criticized. And we try not to read things where I know he'll be criticized."

Live Online

I'm Live Online today at 1 p.m. ET, eager to respond to your questions and comments.

Video Bushisms

The latest from Slate.

Cartoon Watch

Jeff Danziger on Bush's attempt at rebranding; Rex Babin on "Schipp Happens".