What Caught My Eye Today

Russia - Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged to negotiate with Iran on behalf of the international community in their nuclear standoff, although he didn't come to Tehran as scheduled amid warnings of a possible assassination plot. Putin's planned trip, the first here by a Kremlin leader since World War II, raised hopes that personal diplomacy could find a solution to the impasse over the Iranian nuclear program, but he delayed his arrival, which had been set for this evening. The Russian leader insisted to reporters in Germany that he was going ahead with the trip, but the Kremlin declined to discuss details. Oh come on, guys. give the assassins a fighting chance, will ya? I tell you, these guys are taking this threat way too seriously. Honestly, what's the worst that could happen? Hmm. Okay, maybe they have a point.

Palestinian State - Saying the time is now for a Palestinian state, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice prodded Israel and the Palestinians to agree at a U.S.-sponsored conference this fall on how and when to start formal peace talks. In one of her strongest statements yet on the issue, Rice declared that creation of a Palestinian state is a key U.S. interest and urged the two sides to drop contentious demands and reach consensus on a substantive joint statement ahead of the international conference. The international community has been dragging its feet for years on this. Why the sudden urgency now? Is it possible--now hear me out on this one--that President Bush is looking for a foreign policy success story anyway and anywhere that he can before he leaves office?

Turkey - Turkey's cabinet asked parliament on Monday for permission to launch attacks on Kurdish separatists in northern Iraq that Washington fears could destabilize one of the most peaceful areas of the country. Iraq urged Turkey not to resort to military action on its territory, calling on it to be "wise and patient." The United States has urged restraint on Turkey, a key NATO ally strategically located between Europe and the Middle East. But Washington's influence in Ankara is being severely undermined by U.S. Congressional moves to brand as genocide the mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks in 1915. Turkey's sole target, if its troops entered northern Iraq, would be the PKK militants, about 3,000 of whom are believed to be hiding there. Large-scale incursions by Turkey into northern Iraq in 1995 and 1997, involving an estimated 35,000 and 50,000 troops respectively, failed to dislodge the rebels. I've been following this story for a little over a week now, and I have to tell you, Turkey seems pretty serious about going through with this. I remember not too long ago when a warning from the U.S. would have easily been enough to diffuse the situation. Not any more.

Government Spending - President Bush admonished Congress day for failing to send him a single spending bill yet, and warned lawmakers to trim their plans or face rejection. The budget year began Oct. 1, and federal agencies are operating on a stopgap bill for now. Congress has not yet agreed on the 12 spending bills that keep the government running. Bush never vetoed a spending bill when his party ran Congress, but he's dug in for a challenge now. He said the Democrats' plans would raise taxes and prevent the nation from balancing the budget. Conservative House Republicans appear to have the votes to sustain his promised vetoes. For a president short on domestic victories, the White House sees fiscal discipline as a winning argument for Bush: a chance to label the opposition in tax-and-spend terms. In the budget stalemate, Democrats are pressing to spend about $22 billion more on domestic programs than Bush wants. Here's a case of 'the pot calling the kettle black'. Bush wants to give a lecture on fiscal responsibility? That's a good one. Here's a guy whining that Congress wants to spending $22 billion more than he is comfortable with on trivial things like children's health care. $22 billion. That's the equivalent to what, like a week of funding for the war on terror.