What Caught My Eye Today

Iraq - Now here's a change of pace. Two top Republicans, John Warner of Virginia and Richard Lugar of Indiana, cast aside President Bush's pleas for patience on Iraq Friday and proposed legislation demanding a new strategy by mid-October to restrict the mission of U.S. troops. The two senators are considered the GOP's foremost national security experts. Warner was the longtime chairman of the Armed Services Committee until stepping down last year, while Lugar is the top Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee. It would require Bush to submit by Oct. 16 a plan to "transition U.S. combat forces from policing the civil strife or sectarian violence in Iraq" to a narrow set of missions: protecting Iraqi borders, targeting terrorists, protecting U.S. assets and training Iraqi forces. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid balked at the proposal because it would not require Bush to implement the strategy. Reid is just pissed off because none of his legislation has advanced. I'm not saying this is a silver bullet, but let's say that it passes. How much pressure would Bush be under if the situation in Iraq continues and there is a plan in place to take U.S. troops out of harms way? I'm thinking this is a pretty shrewd move by Warner and Luger.

Al-Qaeda - I guess it was a busy day for the Senate. The U.S. Senate voted to double the bounty on Osama bin Laden to $50 million and require President Bush to refocus on capturing him after reports al Qaeda is gaining strength. By a vote of 87-1, the Senate set the reward for the killing or capture, or information leading to the capture, of the mastermind of the September 11 attacks on the United States. Shortly after the September 11 attacks, Bush said he wanted bin Laden caught, dead or alive. But a year before the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, Bush's emphasis shifted, saying he did not know bin Laden's whereabouts and "I truly am not that concerned about him." Never let it be said that Bush was a flip-flopper. No no. He's a man of principle.

North Korea - After years of tortuous negotiations and delays during which North Korea argued its nuclear program was needed for self-defense, the reclusive communist regime said last week that once it got an oil shipment, it would consider halting its reactor for the first time in five years. North Korea did not, however, give any timetable for starting the shutdown. North Korea agreed earlier this year to scrap its nuclear weapons program in exchange for economic aid and political concessions in a deal with the United States, China, Japan, South Korea and Russia. Those nations promised to give the impoverished North 50,000 tons of oil for shutting the Yongbyon reactor. It will get total energy aid equivalent to 1 million tons of oil if it disables all nuclear facilities. Call me a cynic, but I'll believe it when I see it. Still, the rhetoric does sound promising.

New York - Two teenagers were charged with conspiring to attack a Long Island high school on the anniversary of the Columbine attacks after a chilling journal and videotape surfaced in which one teen identifies several potential victims by name. "I will start a chain of terrorism in the world," a 15-year-old suspected of planning the assault allegedly wrote in the journal, which led to his arrest. "This will go down in history." Authorities said the two suspects, co-workers at a suburban McDonald's, targeted scores of students in an attack they planned for April 20, 2008 — the ninth anniversary of the Columbine High School rampage, where 12 students and a teacher were killed in Littleton, Colorado. I'm not exactly sure bug crawled up these boys' behinds, but thank goodness, someone was paying attention. That deal at Virginia Tech is still a little too fresh in my mind.

Soccer - David Beckham, ready to start his much trumpeted American adventure, was formally introduced as a Los Angeles Galaxy player at the Major League Soccer team's home stadium. One of the world's most marketable sports figures, Beckham is expected to earn an estimated $250 million with the Galaxy, financed heavily by endorsements, and has set his sights on taking U.S. soccer to a new level. Beckham is scheduled to report for training on Monday before making his first appearance for the Galaxy in an exhibition match with FA Cup holders Chelsea on July 21. You know, I'd be all over this if it were on any other day. July 21? Come on, dude. That's the same day the new Harry Potter book is released!

Cycling - Belgium's Tom Boonen the 2005 world champion, proved too powerful in the mass sprint for Spain's Oscar Freire and German sprint veteran Erik Zabel for what was his fifth career stage win on the Tour. Switzerland's Fabian Cancellara (CSC) retained the leader's yellow jersey, but is expected to give up the race lead on the first of two consecutive days in the Alps on Saturday. As the Tour enters the Alps, riders who might make a mark include Spain's Alejandro Valverde, American Levi Leipheimer, Russia's Denis Menchov, and Cadel Evans and Michael Rogers of Australia. You know I'll be up at 4:30 in the morning to catch the drama live and in color...yeah, right.