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The Pentagon said Monday it no longer includes a Bible quote on the cover page of daily intelligence briefings it sends to the White House as was practice during the Bush administration. Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said he did not know how long the Worldwide Intelligence Update cover sheets quoted from the Bible. Air Force Maj. Gen. Glen Shaffer, who was responsible for including them, retired in August 2003, according to his biography. For a period in 2003, at least, the daily reports prepared for President George W. Bush carried quotes from the books of Psalms and Ephesians and the...

The fight over national security increasingly threatens to drag the United States into a political civil war that could also fracture Barack Obama's political base. It is turning the President's own Democratic allies into potential enemies, while undermining his domestic priorities in health care and energy reform. Yesterday, New York Times columnist Frank Rich pointed all eyes to the website of Gentleman's Quarterly, which has posted a series of cover sheets to ultra-top-secret intelligence updates that former defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld used to prepare daily for former president George W. Bush. It turns out that the cover sheets routinely showed...

Former defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld routinely used militaristic passages from the Bible on the cover pages of White House intelligence documents, according to new revelations by GQ magazine. It said Rumsfeld displayed the passages over photographs of US forces in Iraq to curry favor with then president George W. Bush, despite concerns about the incendiary impact on the Islamic world if they were ever made public. One republished on the GQ website came from March 31, 2003, showing a US tank roaring through the desert about 10 days after the United States invaded Iraq to topple the regime of Saddam...

Presidential campaigns are so much about posturing that it's easy to miss what's really going on. Take national security policy. John McCain and Barack Obama want you to think they represent diametrically opposed approaches to national security, when in fact they have quite similar views. And one of the things they have in common is that neither of them wants you to realize they see future security challenges pretty much the same way Donald Rumsfeld did. To prove that point, let's take a little stroll down memory lane. Nine years ago this month, presidential candidate George W. Bush gave the...

The President and First Lady spent the New Year weekend at their ranch in Crawford Texas returning today to Washington where they paid their respects to former President Ford whose body is laying in State in the Rotunda. Later on he and the First lady visited Mrs Ford at Blair House. The President's father also paid his respects to President Ford today as did Donald Rumsfeld On Saturday Vice President Cheney attended and spoke at the State Funeral of Gerald Ford Enjoy your bonus visit to Sanity Island

The following photos may not necessarily be the best photos or the most important but they are chosen because they appeal to me and hopefully to you as well. It maybe because of the content, the expression on the face(s) or just an unusual photo. Originally I was going to attach Part 2 of these photos to tonight's dose (part one were 28th December 2006) but I realised that there were far too many photos to do that and would not be fair to dial up users so I am doing this as a separate thread and also including part...

In the last six years, the Department has made great strides in modernizing its forces to address the threats of the 21st century. I. WAR ON TERROR Overall: A multinational coalition has liberated 50 million people in Afghanistan and Iraq, with formation of representative governments and security forces. Liberated 31 million Afghans from Taliban control and destroyed Al-Qaeda sanctuary – conquering elements that successfully fought off the Soviet Union for over nine years – and stood up a Loya Jurga governing council eight months after operations began. Liberated 26.7 million Iraqis from a brutal dictatorship and turned over sovereignty of...

The President and First Lady spent the weekend at the White House attending church as usual and also attended Christmas in Washington an annual Christmas event which was taped on Sunday. Today the President and Vice President met with the Secretary of State at the State Department to discuss the situation in Iraq. Over the weekend the outgoing Secretary of Defense Don Rumsfeld made a farewell visit to the troops in Iraq. Enjoy your visit to Sanity Island

The President and First Lady spent the weekend in Washington attending church as usual on Sunday morning and Sunday Evening attended an evening gala at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts along with the Vice President and his wife. Today the President had a very mixed and varied day. He accepted John Bolton's resignation which IMHO was expected as his nomination was not going to get confirmed. He also met with with Sayyed Aziz Al-Hakim, an Iraqi Shiite leader, in the Oval Office The President and First Lady attended a performance of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate...

On the radio a couple of weeks ago, Hugh Hewitt suggested to me the terrorists might try to pull a Spain on the U.S. elections. You'll recall (though evidently many Americans don't) that in 2004 hundreds of commuters were slaughtered in multiple train bombings in Madrid. The Spaniards responded with a huge street demonstration of supposed solidarity with the dead, all teary passivity and signs saying "Basta!" -- "Enough!" By which they meant not "enough!" of these murderers but "enough!" of the government of Prime Minister Aznar, and of Bush and Blair, and troops in Iraq. A couple of days...

WASHINGTON -- President Bush said Wednesday Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld is stepping down and former CIA Director Robert Gates will take over at the Pentagon and in prosecuting the war in Iraq. Rumsfeld, architect of an unpopular war in Iraq, intends to resign after six stormy years at the Pentagon, Republican officials said.

Some people get mad at me when I tell them not to vote. But I believe there is a right time to abstain from casting a ballot – particularly if the only choice is a Democrat or Republican who are indistinguishable on the major issues of the day. A good example of a race where a protest vote for a third party candidate or a non-vote would be the right thing to do on Election Day is the New Jersey Senate race between incumbent Robert Menendez, the Democrat, and Republican challenger Thomas Kean Jr. (Column continues below) Pollsters say the...

The President signed a law authorizing construction of a fence along the US-Mexico border and then went on a campaign trip to Iowa and Michigan. Lynne Cheney, appeared on Fox and Friends promoting her new book Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with Dominican Republic President Leonel Fernandez at the State Department Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld speaks during a briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, DC. Enjoy your visit to Sanity Island

On Saturday the President held talks with military commanders in the Roosevelt Room of the White House along with other administration officers including a video link with the Vice President. Today he and the First Lady welcomed King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden to the White House The President also met with crew members of the Space Shuttle Discovery at the White House and visted the Urban Trust Bank in Washington for a discussion on the economy with small business owners and community bankers. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief...

Today the President campaigned for Don Sherwood and George Allen. The First Lady spoke at the Preserve America Summit at the U.S. Custom House in New Orleans Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on her Asian trip had meetings in Japan and Korea. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld attended U.S. Southern Command change of command ceremony in Miami, Florida. Enjoy your visit to Sanity Island

The President and first lady spent the weekend at Camp David but also attended a dedication ceremony of the Air Force Memorial along with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. The President also made remarks regarding North Korea on the White House lawn before returning to Camp David on Saturday after the dedication ceremony. The President and the First Lady returned to the White House on Sunday afternoon along with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice who also spent time at Camp David this weekend. Today the President met with Singapore's Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew in the Oval Office Today the...

Today the President met with Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan in the Oval Office He later left fpr a trip to St. Louis and Chicago. The president will campaign with House Speaker Dennis Hastert of Ill. and help two Illinois Republicans in tough races The First Lady participated in a fundraiser for Rep. Chris Chocola, R-Ind and a tree planting ceremony for the Enterprise 50 Million Tree Pledge in St. Louis, Missouri The Vice President also was on the campaign trail Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with Hungary's Foreign Minister Dr. Kinga Goncz, at the State Department and also...

This weekend the President and the First Lady attended the Christening Ceremony of the George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) in Newport News, Virginia on Saturday and as it their usual practice when at the White House on Sunday attended the morning Service at St John's. Today the President made a statement from Diplomatic Room at the White House regarding North Korea's announcement of a nuclear test. Last Friday the Vice President continued his heavy schedule of Republican Fund Raisers. Enjoy your visit to Sanity Island

Today the President attended a 'No Child Left Behind' event at Woodridge Elementary and Middle Campus in Washington. He also met with National Commander of the American Legion Paul A. Morin, of Chicopee, Mass., in the Oval Office The Vice President has had a busy 3 days fund raising and visiting US troops Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made a surprise visit to Iraq today Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld met with Croatian Defense Minister Berislav Roncevic at the Pentagon The First Lady joned her second-grade teacher Charlene Gnagy at a press conference in New York in support of TeachersCount,...

The President spent the weekend at Camp David returning to the White House on Sunday. The First Lady hosted an authors breakfast in the East Room at the White House on Saturday. Today the President met with his Special Envoy for the Sudan Andrew Natsios and Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and he and the First Lady planted an Elm Tree to replace the one that blew down in June. The First Lady introduced the rose named after her. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is in Saudia Arabia at the start of her middle east visit. Secretary of Defense Donald...

Today the President visited Republican Senators on Capitol Hill and afterwards spoke to the media He then travelled to Ala and Ohio for campaigning for Republican candidates. The First Lady was in Michigan campaigning as well Enjoy your visit to Sanity Island

The President and first lady spent the weekend in Washington and as usual attended St John's on Sunday. Today the President had a meeting with business leaders on the Lebanon Private Sector Initiative in the Oval Office afterwhich he went to Connecticut and Ohio to speak on the economy and to support GOP candiates in the November mid term elections. Today the Vice President attended a GOP Fund Raiser in Milwaukee and then went to Michigan to attend a dinner reception for Michael Bouchard, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate he also spoke to members of the Michigan National Guard....

Yesterday the President participated in 9/11 ceromonies in New York including attending a memorial service. Today he attended a ceremony at the Fort Pitt Firehouse on the lower east side of Manhattan afterwhich he travelled to Shanksville, Pennsylvania to lay a wreath at the Flight 93 crash site. He and the First Lady then went to the Pentagon to lay another wreath at the crash site there as in Shanksville the President and first lady met with families of those who lost their lives after the wreath laying ceremony. Yesterday the Vice President appeared on the Meet the Press. Today...

The president met with the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, in the Oval Office. He gave a speech in Washington, DC, on his national strategy to combat terrorism. Bush nominated Mary Peters, a former Federal Highway administrator, to replace Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta. Our intrepid Secretary of Defense faced the surgeon's knife today, having successful arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff (left shoulder). Eric Ruff, the Pentagon press secretary, said Rumsfeld's cuff tear was caused by "an old athletic injury." Rumsfeld wrestled in college and is an avid squash player. ohioWfan and I exchanged days...

The President returned to White House (along with the dogs) on Sunday after 10 days based in Crawford. Today he and the Vice President had meetings at the Department of Defense and the State Department. The First Lady attended a GOP Fund Raiser for Congressional candidate state Sen. Peter Roskam in in Addison, Ill The President also signed H.R. 5683, to preserve the Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial in San Diego, Calif Enjoy your visit to Sanity Island

The President toured a collection of border patrol and national guard assets in McAllen and then visted border patrol agents and troops in Mission, Texas giving a speech in Anzalduas County Park Texas after which he was due to go to his ranch in Texas to spend the next 9-10 days before returning to Washington. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld (C) testifies to the Senate Armed Services Committee on Iraq, Afghanistan and the War on Terror Enjoy your visit to Sanity Island

The president met with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal at the White House. He traveled to Ohio to attend a fundraiser for Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken Blackwell. Here are some more details from the doctors' report after W's physical exam yesterday, such as "Doctors treated a small precancerous lesion on his left arm but indicated it was nothing serious. They told him to use sunscreen and wear a hat." He smokes a cigar now and then, drinks coffee and diet sodas and takes a daily multivitamin but does not routinely take any prescription medication.

The President signed 2 Bills today and also spoke to the National Association of Manufacturers The Vice President spoke at the 2006 Korean War Veterans Armistice Day Ceremony Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is in Malaysia. John Bolton gives testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who are considering his nomination to be U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Enjoy your visit to Sanity Island

Today the President visited a dunkin donut outlet in Alexandria, Va and also spoke with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili in the Oval Office First lady Laura Bush took part in the U.S.- Afghanistan Women's Council meeting held at the State Department Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Guls and Afghanistan Foreign Minister Rangeen Dadfar Spanta at the State Department Defense Secretary. Donald Rumsfeld made remarks about the North Korean missile tests, outside the Pentagon and met with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvil Enjoy your visit to Sanity Island

The President is in St. Louis, Mo., to meet with military personnel who recently returned from Iraq and Afghanistan and will also attend a fundraising event for Sen. Jim Talent, R-Mo Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Afganistan today and arrived in Russian this evening. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld met with Australia's Defense Minister Brendan Nelson at the Pentagon Enjoy your visit to Sanity Island

PRESIDENTIAL NEWS OF THE DAY: President and Mrs. Bush attended St. John's Episcopal Church this morning, then spent a quite day at the White House. Tonight they will attend a Gala at Ford's Theater in Washington. On Friday, President Bush issued an Executive Order to protect the property rights of Americans in transactions involving the federal government. On the breaking news thread about this FRiday, a number of people posted knee-jerk negative comments, which has become all too typical on FR over the last few years. A common complaint is that eminent domain issues are usually local, so therefore this...

The President and First Lady and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice are in Hungary commorating the 50th anniversary of the Hungarian uprising. Vice President Dick Cheney addressed the 31st Anniversary Leadership Summit of the US-India Business Council in Washington Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld (R) and Army General George Casey held a joint news conference at the Pentagon in Washington Enjoy your visit to Sanity Island

Today the President attended the New U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab swearing in ceromony, signed S. 2803, the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act, spoke at the Initiative for Global Development's 2006 National Summit, signed the Senate bill 193 for Broadcast Decency, attended a signing ceremony for the Establishment of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands National Monument and accompanied by the First Lady attended the Congressional Picnic on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice met with Norway's Minister of Foreign Affairs Jonas Gahr Store Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld spoke at the...

President Bush at his press conference today said, "... one message that I will continue to send to the enemy is ... don't bet on American politics forcing my hand, because it's not going to happen. I'm going to make decisions not based upon politics, but based upon what's best for the United States of America. ... But my voice, what you hear from me, no matter what these polls and all the business look like, is that it's worth it, it is necessary, and we will succeed." On the 57th anniversary of the founding of Flag Day in America,...

The President and First Lady spent the weekend at Camp David arriving back at the White House on Sunday to attend a social function. Today the President returned to Camp David to met with his interagency team on Iraq He also met with members of the World Cup Soccer Youth Delegation at the White House Today the First Lady spoke at the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and attended the White House Senate Spouses Luncheon in the East Room of the White House Enjoy your visit to Sanity Island

The President visited Federal a Law Enforcement Training Center in Artesia, N.M speaking about border and immigration issues. First Lady Laura Bush spoke at the Helping America's Youth Regional Conference in Indianapolis and Meadowbrook Collaborative Community Center Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga at the State Department Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld continued his far east trip today being in Indonesia. Former Presidents George H. W. Bush took part in a fund raising event at the Cape Arundel Golf Club in Kennebunkport, Maine Enjoy your visit to Sanity Island

The President and first lady spent the weekend at in Washington attending St John's as usual on Sunday. On Friday the First Lady addressed the UN Today the President met with the Chinese Leadership Program Fellows He also had meetings with Denis Sassou-Nguesso, the president of the Republic of Congo and head of the 53-nation African Union and Honduran President Manuel Zelaya He also made a statement on the Marriage Protection Amendment that is before Congress The First Lady visited Our Lady of Perpetual Help School Today Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice holds a news conference to discuss the sixth...

PRESIDENTIAL NEWS OF THE DAY: President and Mrs. Bush attended Sunday services at St. John's today as several important news items received little notice in the media. The Supreme Leader of Iran's Islamic Revolution gave a horrific speech today. Using both U.S. domestic and international Leftist polls and other bile, Khamenei essentially claimed that President Bush is the world's #1 pariah (my paraphrasing of the gist of what he said). In a world increasingly interconnected electronically, biased polls and media reports driven by the domestic Left (but aided by the always disgruntled far right) are becoming exremely dangerous to U.S....

The President and first lady spent the weekend at Camp David returning to Washington on Sunday. One Saturday the President delivered the commencement speech to the 2006 graduating class of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point Today the President and the First Lady along with the Secretary of Defense attended the Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery Enjoy your visit to Sanity Island

President Bush met and held a press conference (text) with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert at the White House. UK Prime Minister Tony Blair will meet with the president on Thursday; one topic they will discuss is Blair's recent trip to Iraq. PM Blair will depart on Friday. Welcome to Sanity Island!

Last night the President Bush delivered remarks at the Republican National Committee Gala Today the President Bush toured the Yuma Sector Border after which he visited Yuma Sector Border Patrol Headquarters and gave a speach. The President sent a Letter the Speaker of the House of Representatives requesting additional funds to address the security needs along the Nation's borders Click here for the text Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with Prince Saud al-Faisal, Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia at the State Department. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld met with Honduras' Minister of Defense Aristide Mejia at the Pentagon. Tomorrow...

The President and the First Lady spent the weekend at Camp David returning to the White Houes on Sunday afternoon to take place in a Tree Planting Ceromny at the Australia Embassy along with Australian Embassador and Australian Prime Minister John Howard and his wife. On Sunday FNS played an interview of the First Lady which was recorded on Friday. Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld met with Australian PM John Howard on Saturday at the Vice Preident private residence in Maryland. Today President Bush Attends Annual Peace Officers' Memorial Service at the US Capitol. Later...

Today the President spoke at the National Day of Prayer in a ceremony in the East Room. President Bush mets with President of Uruguay, Tabare Vazquez in the Oval Office The President also attended a ceremony celebrating the Mexican holiday, Cinco de Mayo, in the East Room. This evening he spoke at the American Jewish Committee Centennial Dinner Vice President Dick Cheney spoke at the Vilnius Conference in Vilnius Lithuania. Afterward he spoke with various heads of states from the Baltic and Black Sea regions who were attending this conference. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld spoke at the Southern Center...

President Bush discussed our nation's strong, and growing, economy. Fact Sheet: Growing Our Economy: Keeping Taxes Low and Restraining Spending.On the South Lawn, Bush honored 2005 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. He met with members of Congress to discuss energy policy. German Chancellor Angela Merkel met with President Bush at the White House. Vice President and Mrs. Cheney are in Lithuania where the VP will meet with leaders in the region regarding furthering democracy there. The Vice President's visit to Vilnius is the first stop in a three-nation, six-day trip that includes bilateral meetings with leaders...

The President and the first lady spent the weekend in Washington. On Saturday they attended the 92nd White House Correspondents' Dinner, the President and comedian Steve Bridges did a great funny/straight man routine and had the audience in fits. The official comedian Corbert on the other hand totally bombed and only had a few polite titters. On Sunday as is their usual practise when in Washington the President and First Lady attended St John's Church. Today the President met with Secretary Rice and Secretary Rumsfeld, and General Pace at the White House where he was briefed on Secretary Rice and...

President Bush introduced conservative TV commentator and radio talk show host, and FReeper [until, as I read on Free Republic, Jim Robinson, in anticipation of the announcement, suspended Tony's FR account] Tony Snow as his new press secretary. The president briefed members of Congress at the WH on the war on terror. The First Couple met with the 2006 National and State Teachers of the Year. Secretary of State Rice Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld arrived in Iraq today for an unscheduled visit with new Iraqi leaders. Part of the visit is a show of support for the country's new leadership....

On Sept. 10, 2001, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld held a town hall meeting at the Pentagon and identified what he saw as the gravest threat to national security: the Pentagon's own bureaucracy. "With brutal consistency, it stifles free thought and crushes new ideas. It disrupts the defense of the United States and places the lives of men and women in uniform at risk," he said. He may have underestimated both the size and tenacity of this foe. In the opening pages of their new book about the Iraq war, "Cobra II," Michael R. Gordon and Gen. Bernard E. Trainor quote...

President Bush talked about American competitiveness in Maryland and welcomed, along with Secretary of State Rice, Prime Minister Siniora of Lebanon to the WH. He nominated Rob Portman as OMB Director and Susan Schwab for USTR. Vice President Dick Cheney visited troops at Ft. Riley, Kansas. Laura Bush visited with the Lebanese PM's wife at the WH. Welcome to Sanity Island!

US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has dismissed calls for his resignation by a group of retired generals, telling conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh that "this too will pass". Mr Rumsfeld made no direct reference during the live interview with Limbaugh to the six retired generals who called for his resignation, but he suggested that his defence has only begun. "You know, this, too, will pass," he said when Limbaugh asked him how it felt to go from sex symbol to having "practically the entire media jump on the case of these six generals demanding your ouster?" "I think about...

E-mail Author Author Archive Send to a Friend Version April 17, 2006, 9:52 a.m. “The Army’s Revenge” The last week or so could be called “The Army’s Revenge.” There had been resentment toward Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld from the beginning over his attempts to transform the military into a lighter, more modern force. Against the backdrop of the difficulties in Iraq that have weakened the secretary, a handful of retired generals have been able to draw blood with their recent calls for Rumsfeld to step aside (four of them served in the Army, the other two in the...