The Disconnected President

"West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, one of India's main leftist leaders, was quoted by the Press Trust of India as saying Bush 'has gone out of his mind since his downfall is near'.

"One thing that failed to spark debate in India was Bush's estimate that there were 350 million middle class Indians -- despite that figure being challenged by many experts.

"A study by the McKinsey Global Institute last year estimated India's middle classes numbered only 50 million, out of a total 1.1 billion population."

Iran Watch

Michael Smith writes in the Times of London: "The US military is drawing up plans for a 'surgical strike' against an insurgent training camp inside Iran if Republican Guards continue with attempts to destabilise Iraq, western intelligence sources said last week. One source said the Americans were growing increasingly angry at the involvement of the Guards' special-operations Quds force inside Iraq, training Shi'ite militias and smuggling weapons into the country.

"Despite a belligerent stance by Vice-President Dick Cheney, the administration has put plans for an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities on the back burner since Robert Gates replaced Donald Rumsfeld as defence secretary in 2006, the sources said.

"However, US commanders are increasingly concerned by Iranian interference in Iraq and are determined that recent successes by joint Iraqi and US forces in the southern port city of Basra should not be reversed by the Quds Force. . . .

"President George W Bush is known to be determined that he should not hand over what he sees as 'the Iran problem' to his successor. A limited attack on a training camp may give an impression of tough action, while at the same time being something that both Gates and the US commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, could accept."

But wait, here's a rare sign of de-escalation. Sameer N. Yacoub writes for the Associated Press: "A top Iraqi official said Sunday there was no conclusive evidence that Shiite extremists have been directly supplied with some Iranian arms as alleged by the United States.

"Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said Iraq does not want trouble with any country, 'especially Iran.'"

But wait. Dabbagh takes it all back in interviews arranged by helpful U.S. officials. Amit R. Paley writes in The Washington Post: "The Iraqi government said Sunday that it has 'concrete evidence' Iran is fomenting violence in Iraq and that a high-level panel had been formed to document the proof. . . .

"Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh called reporters late Sunday night to clarify remarks he made at a news conference earlier in the day, when he appeared to say that there was no hard evidence that Iran was allowing weapons to come into Iraq. Dabbagh said his comments had been misinterpreted.

"'There is an interference and evidence that they have interfered in Iraqi affairs,' Dabbagh said in an interview arranged by a U.S. official. When asked how he would characterize the proof that Iranian weapons are flowing into Iraq, he said: 'It is a concrete evidence.'"

And Michael R. Gordon, a New York Times reporter with a history of credulous reporting of administration claims, writes: "Militants from the Lebanese group Hezbollah have been training Iraqi militia fighters at a camp near Tehran, according to American interrogation reports that the United States has supplied to the Iraqi government.

"An American official said the account of Hezbollah's role was provided by four Shiite militia members who were captured in Iraq late last year and questioned separately."

Glenn Greenwald blogs for Salon: "As usual with Gordon's articles, nothing is done here other than uncritically repeating Bush administration claims under the cover of anonymity. Virtually every paragraph in this article is nothing more a mindless recitation of uncorroborated assertions which he copies from Bush officials and then weaves into a news narrative, with the phrase 'American officials say' tacked on at the end or the phrase 'according to officials' unobtrusively interspersed in the middle."

Iraq Watch

Andrew Taylor writes for the Associated Press: "President Bush sent lawmakers a $70 billion request Friday to fund U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan into next spring, which would give the next president breathing room to make his or her own war policy.

"Friday's request fills in the details of the $70 billion placeholder that the White House asked for when it sent its budget to Congress in February. The money is for the budget year that begins Oct. 1.

"Congressional analysts say Bush's request would bring the total spending since Sept. 11, 2001, to fight terrorism and conduct the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to $875 billion.

"The request comes as Democrats on Capitol Hill are struggling to move Bush's pending $108 billion request for the current year. Democratic leaders say they're likely to add the $70 billion for next year to that measure, which would allow them to avoid a politically painful vote on war funding in the heat of campaigning for the November elections."

Abigail Hauslohner writes for Time: "For months now, top U.S. military commanders have been trumpeting the growing strength of Iraq's 559,397-strong security forces, trained and armed by the U.S. military at a cost of $20.4 billion. Iraqi military competence is critical to U.S. plans to withdraw by July the last of five combat brigades sent to Iraq as part of General David Petraeus' 'surge' strategy. But on the battlefield, the Iraqis are frequently found wanting and often have to be rescued by U.S. troops."

The New York Times editorial board writes: "The only mission that needs to be accomplished is an orderly exit from Iraq, and Mr. Bush is no closer to acknowledging that reality. . . .

"Mr. Bush . . . has made clear that he will keep troops in Iraq until he leaves office -- and then abandon the mess to his successor. The three senators who want his job should insist that he address these problems now."

Gitmo Watch

Sue Pleming of Reuters has this astonishing news: "The Bush administration could announce plans by the end of its term in January to close Guantanamo prison and an upcoming Supreme Court ruling might be the impetus for this, senior U.S. officials and experts say. . . .

"'A decision could be made in this administration to announce the closure of Guantanamo. It is unlikely in the next nine months that Guantanamo could be physically (closed) but it is possible the policy decision could be taken to close it,' said a senior U.S. official, who spoke on condition he was not identified because of the sensitivity of the issue. . . .

"The Supreme Court is expected to rule within weeks whether Guantanamo prisoners have rights under the U.S. Constitution even though they are held on the base in Cuba, where the United States has had a presence for about 100 years.

"The court decision could influence whether the U.S. government announces plans to close the prison before Bush leaves office in January 2009, several officials said.

"'If the Supreme Court concludes that the detainees have constitutional rights, then there would be little legal difference between holding them in Guantanamo or holding them on the (U.S.) mainland,' one senior official said."

Nicholas D. Kristof writes in his New York Times opinion column: "Reliable information is still scarce about Guantánamo, but increasingly we're gaining glimpses of life there -- and they are painful to read."

What information there is "suggests two essential truths about Guantánamo:

"First, most of the inmates were probably innocent all along, but Pakistanis or Afghans turned them over to America in exchange for large cash rewards. The moment we offered $25,000 rewards for Al Qaeda supporters, any Arab in the region risked being kidnapped and turned over as a terrorism suspect.

"Second, torture was routine, especially early on. That's why more than 100 prisoners have died in American custody in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantánamo. . . .

"Both Condoleezza Rice and Robert Gates have pushed to shut down Guantánamo because it undermines America's standing and influence. They have been overruled by Dick Cheney and other hard-liners. In reality, it would take an exceptional enemy to damage America's image and interests as much as President Bush and Mr. Cheney already have with Guantánamo."

Torture If You Must?

The Washington Post editorial board writes that U.S. anti-torture laws shouldn't be disregarded: "If a terrorist plot is averted through the use of harsh techniques, those who sanctioned or carried out the interrogation must nevertheless be held accountable and at the very least required to explain their decisions. The acts may be understandable and at times even forgivable, but they can never be understood from the outset to be legally sacrosanct."

Cheney Watch

Here's Vice President Cheney headlining a Republican fundraiser in Tulsa on Friday: "John F. Kennedy once said, 'There is no way to maintain the frontiers of freedom without cost and commitment and risk.' We are learning this lesson once again, in these decisive early years of a new century. And when the history is written, it'll be said that we lived in a safer country, and a more hopeful world, because George Bush was President of these United States."

McCain and Bush

Ken Herman blogs for Cox News Service: "John McCain's senior campaign staff and President Bush's senior White House staff are so close that the McCain folks let the Bush folks know in advance whenever McCain is about to distance himself from the unpopular president, says a top McCain aide. . . .

"'We have an excellent relationship with the White House,' Black told reporters at a Friday lunch. 'The senior staffs talk literally every day, sometimes more than once a day.'"

University Commencement Watch

Gayle Perez writes for the Pueblo (Colo.) Chieftain that White House spokeswoman Dana Perino, a 1993 graduate of Colorado State University-Pueblo (then the University of Southern Colorado), "returned to her alma mater Saturday to deliver the 2008 commencement address" and said "she is living a dream job.

"'I have had the time of my life in the White House,' said the energetic speaker. 'I've learned so much. I study every night as if I'm going to have a final every day for the rest of my time at the White House. If I mess up, I'm just not going to flunk; I could start a war.'"

High School Commencement Watch

Sandhya Somashekhar writes in The Washington Post from tiny Greensburg, Kan.: "President Bush delivered on Sunday the commencement address for a graduating class of 18 students whose high school was leveled by a tornado last year that wiped out most of their town. . . .

"'When the Class of 2008 walks across this stage today, you will send a powerful message to our entire nation: Greensburg, Kansas, is back and its best days are ahead.'"

Judicial Watch

Michael Abramowitz writes in The Washington Post about the ongoing confrontation over Bush's judicial nominations: "Only a few weeks ago, the White House appeared pleased that Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) agreed, under GOP pressure, to move three appellate nominees through the Senate by Memorial Day. Here was an opportunity, some conservatives thought, to finally approve the long-standing nomination of former Justice Department official Peter D. Keisler for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and provide reinforcements for the 4th Circuit, a conservative bulwark that handles some of the country's most sensitive terrorism cases.

"But as Memorial Day approaches, it's becoming increasingly clear that the Democrats have other ideas. They do appear to be on track to fulfill Reid's promise of approving three Circuit Court nominees, but only one of the three can be fairly described as someone Bush wanted."

Another Bush Aide to CNN

Abramowitz also reports: "Fran Fragos Townsend is going into the punditry business. Since leaving the White House as homeland security adviser, Townsend has been consulting for multinationals on crisis management, national security and other issues and been appointed to the President's Intelligence Advisory Board. Now she has signed a contract to provide commentary on terrorism and national security for CNN, joining Tony Snow as another Bush administration refugee opining for the cable network."

Wedding Watch

James Gerstenzang writes in the Los Angeles Times: "Next Saturday's wedding of 26-year-old Jenna Bush, one of President and Laura Bush's twin daughters, will not be televised and will not be at the White House. Amid the lavenders, yellows and blues of spring wildflowers on the president's 1,600-acre Prairie Chapel Ranch, it will be a private affair. Extremely private.

"High-tech fences, surveillance cameras and untold numbers of Secret Service agents will keep the uninvited miles away. Federal Aviation Administration rules -- and military interceptor aircraft -- will ensure that paparazzi lenses will be nowhere in the nearby sky.

"Celebrity gawkers of the political variety may be disappointed. The editors at People magazine definitely are. But historians and political observers say the nation -- at war in two far-off places, afflicted by economic malaise and ready to be done with this president -- is in no mood to watch lavish nuptials unfold at the White House."

Conventional Wisdom Watch

Newsweek's Conventional Wisdom feature gives Bush the big red down arrow: "Finish with a flourish? Nah. With eight months to go, he's just phoning it in."

Late Night Humor

Jay Leno, via U.S. News: "According to the latest CNN poll, President Bush's disapproval rating, 71%. . . . That's unbelievable, isn't it, that 29% still approve?"

Cartoon Watch

Jeff Danziger on Cheney's favorite game; Pat Bagley on missions accomplished; Joel Pett on Bush as gambler; Rob Rogers on Bush as doctor; Rex Babin on how Bush doesn't get it; Ted Rall on what Bush's torture memos can do for you.