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The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff expressed confidence today in the U.S. military offensive in southern Afghanistan but left the door open to additional troops in the country if the situation calls for it. Admiral Mike Mullen sought to clarify an apparent disagreement with National Security Adviser Jim Jones, who reportedly told commanders in Afghanistan not to expect any additional troops. Admiral Mullen said he would wait to hear from General Stanley McChrystal, the new head commander in Afghanistan, who is conducting a 60 day assessment

President Barack Obama left the door open to a new tax on health care benefits Wednesday, and officials said top lawmakers and the White House were seeking $150 billion in concessions from the nation's hospitals as they sought support for legislation struggling to emerge in Congress. "I don't want to prejudge what they're doing," the president said, referring to proposals in the Senate to tax workers who get expensive insurance policies. Obama, who campaigned against the tax when he ran for president, drew a quick rebuff from one union president.

U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell has advised Israel to relax restrictions at the Gaza crossings without demanding that Hamas free kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, according to foreign and Israeli media. An American Embassy spokesman told Israel National News, “Mitchell will have to speak for himself. These are very sensitive issues.”

Undeterred by an on-court intruder, Federer beat surprise finalist Soderling 6-1, 7-6 (1), 6-4 on Sunday to complete a career Grand Slam and win his 14th major title, matching Sampras' record. On his fourth try at Roland Garros, Federer became the sixth man to win all four Grand Slam championships. When the stylish Swiss hit a service winner on championship point, he fell on his knees to the clay that had vexed him for so long, screamed and briefly buried his face in his hands. He was teary by the time he met Soderling at the net, and fans gave...

WASHINGTON — President Obama said Wednesday that he was receptive to Congressional proposals that would require every American to have health insurance and that would force employers to offer health insurance to their employees. But he said there should be exemptions for people who cannot afford coverage and for small businesses in general.

Dear Fellow Americans– As you may know, there have been rumors spread about my knowledge of when and if I was informed of the CIA’s tactics of waterboarding prisoners prior to February. 5, 2003. I attempted to clear up this misinformation in a press conference this past week, but was savagely attacked by a very unprofessional media. If it seemed that I was erratic and confused at times during the questioning, it was because I was literally being publicly tortured by a very intolerant and biased media, especially CNN, NBC, MSNBC, and other mainstream media shouting unrelated questions at me...

AN OPEN LETTER TO GERALD PARSKY, CHAIRMAN, CALIFORNIA COMMISSION ON THE 21ST CENTURY ECONOMY - SPLIT COMMERCIAL/RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY TAX ROLL UNDER PROPOSITION 13 April 13, 2009 The Honorable Gerald Parsky, Chairman Commission on the 21st Century Economy C/O Mark Ibele, PhD, Staff Director http://www.cotce.ca.gov/ Re: California Prop 13 Split Property Tax Roll Dear Chairman Parsky: I read with consternation that the Commission for the 21st Century has convened with the apparent agenda to undo the protections of Proposition 13 for commercial properties in California - http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2009/apr/09/tax-panel-promises-to-think-boldly/ A split commercial/residential property tax roll would spell personal and financial ruination for me...

SCANIA — In adherence to the security agreement between the United States and Iraq, a recent ground-breaking ceremony here began the process of returning the southbound lanes of Baghdad Highway 1 to the people of Iraq. The southbound lanes, which have been closed since late 2003, will soon be fully accessible to the Iraqi people again. “This news will bring happiness to the local nationals and all the Babil Region,” said Majid Saleem Kareem, director general of roads and bridges for Babil Province. “An agreement was made, and Coalition forces are making sure that it is met.” Nearly 20 Iraqi...

ATLANTA -- A well-armed couple opened fire with an assault rifle and pistol early Friday morning on some car thieves in southwest Atlanta. The couple at a home in the 1900 block of Childress Drive told police that after somebody tried to steal their car last week, they rigged up a homemade alarm in their carport using string and cans.

It is said, philosophically, that there are no new thoughts, no unexplored concepts – just new ways of expressing what has been previously thought. That is the historical equivalent of saying that History repeats itself only in different detail. You see, for nearly as long as there has been representative government, people have gravitated toward factions or parties. We know England once had Whigs and Tories and is now dominated by a Labour Party and a Conservative Party. For the pre-Renaissance Florentines, there were the Guelfs and the Ghibellines. In time, the Ghibellines were driven out and the city was...

(IsraelNN.com) Following a meeting with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on Thursday, newly-appointed American Middle East envoy George Mitchell called for open crossings into Gaza and greater Fatah involvement there. Talking to reporters after his discussions with Fatah leader Abbas and other PA officials, Mitchell said, "To be successful in preventing the illicit traffic of arms into Gaza, there must be a mechanism to allow the flow of legal goods. And that should be with the participation of the [Fatah-controlled] Palestinian Authority." Fatah is the faction currently heading the Judea and Samaria half of the Authority, while the...

Ok boys and girls here is a chance to defend what you hold dear and near to your religion. For years now I have seen threads that make statements that I do not agree with but can not respond to because they hide behind the guise of being a devotional, or a caucus, or ecumenical. So here is a chance for open debate for all things that have been closed to opposing views in the past. There will be only two guide lines no personal attacks and no posting of numerous links in a response or making a point. If...

This morning, David Axelrod appeared on Fox Chicago Sunday and had some notable remarks on both the local and national fronts. He said that President-elect Barack Obama plans to stay out of Prairie State politics once in the White House and doesn't plan on being "a kingmaker or boss here in Illinois." When co-host Dane Placko asked him about the vacant U.S. Senate seat, Axelrod disclosed that the Obama has spoken to Gov. Blagojevich about his replacement. Watch it: ...

Here's video of a scene that would play out much differently in most places outside New Hampshire...Ryan Marvin of Manchester shows up to file a complaint against the police while openly wearing his massive .22. http://youtube.com/watch?v=zrhmhxDd1S4

JESUS THE CHRIST, by Apostle James E. Talmage (D.Sc.D., Ph.D., F.R.S.E.) is a doctrinal study on the life and ministry of Christ, and is considered by most Mormons as the authoritative treatise on Savior’s mission and message, expounding all scriptures in one on the various aspects of the life of our Redeemer. CHAPTER 39 MINISTRY OF THE RESURRECTED CHRIST ON THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE By considering the apostolic ministry in immediate sequence to our study of the Lord's ascension from the Mount of Olives, we have departed from the chronological order of the several personal manifestations of the risen Savior to...

CALLING ON ALL REPUBLICANS IN THE GREAT STATE OF TEXAS Last night Hillery said she was "ready to defeat the Republicans" I say we have a rare opportunity to take her on directly, and take her out. The state of Texas has open voting. We should all tell/plead/beg our friends and family in Texas to "pimp" ourselves out for one day. Vote Obama and sweep that woman into the dust bin of history. Here's our chance republicans - why do you hesitate? Like it or not, Maverick is our horse. His nomination is sure. Lets use our vote wisely on...

BAGHDAD, Feb. 14, 2008 – Iraqi police stations officially opened for business Feb. 10 in the Adil, Khadra and Jamia neighborhoods in the Iraqi capital’s Mansour district. An Iraqi policeman takes roll at the Adil police station in western Baghdad, Feb. 9, 2008, prior to police training. Iraqi police stations officially opened for business in three neighborhoods of Baghdad’s Mansour district the next day. Photo by Sgt. James P. Hunter, USA  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. More than 490 recruits graduated from the Camp Fiji Iraqi Police Training Facility in Baghdad, and more than 260 of them were...

A felony conviction and subsequent deportation didn’t stop Manuel Enrique Morales from crossing the border to return to Mesa, where police allege he and others terrorized victims with an assault rifle in a series of home invasions. This time, though, the 19-year-old illegal immigrant is going to stay awhile because police jailed him and five alleged accomplices in the spree of armed robberies that span from Nov. 16-29. Home invasions were becoming so rampant in Mesa in recent months that police formed a special task force to address the problem, which they believed was the work of as many as...

Primaries: Open and Closed Open primaries (or pick-a-party) are those in which voters of any affiliation may vote for the slate of any party.Closed primaries are those in which only the voters affiliated with a party may vote in its primary.Blanket primaries (or "jungle primaries") are those in which voters, regardless of affiliation, may choose the party primary in which they want to vote on an office-by-office basis. The blanket primary was struck down in 2001 by the Supreme Court in CA Democratic Party v. Jones. The following is a running list of states by primary type: open, potentially closed,...

Justine Henin cruised to a second US Open and seventh Grand Slam title with a 6-1 6-3 victory over Svetlana Kuznetsova in Saturday's final. The Belgian went into the match with a 14-2 record against Kuznetsova, and having beaten Serena and Venus Williams in her last two matches. And Henin, 25, played some more fabulous tennis as she broke three times in dominating the first set. She kept up that form in the second to regain the title she first won in 2003. "It's such a great feeling - my first win four years ago was an amazing memory and...