Free Republic

<p>Los Angeles -- Arnold Schwarzenegger, in his first news conference as governor-elect, said Wednesday that he had given up movie acting as he prepares to take control of the state government and -- without raising taxes -- tackle a budget deficit he said could reach $20 billion.</p>

<p>PRETORIA, South Africa — President Bush said yesterday the United States will likely continue training African soldiers for a peacekeeping mission in Liberia as a way to ensure that American troops don't become overextended.</p> <p>Mr. Bush declined to say explicitly whether he would send U.S. forces to the war-torn West African nation, but his comments seemed to downplay the possibility of their direct involvement.</p>

Some strategists within the Bush Administration are urging the President to look for an "exit strategy" on Iraq, warning the tough stance on war with the Arab country has left the country in a "no win" situation. "At this point, the United States and Britain does not have the support for passage of a second UN resolution," admits a White House aide. In addition, Republican leaders in both the House and Senate are telling the Presidently privately that he is losing support in Congress for a "go it alone war" against Iraq. "The President's war plans are in trouble, there's...

<p>SARAVENA, Columbia—The arrival of US special forces trainers in this battered town last month signaled that the US military will play a more direct role in Columbia’s long civil war, a challenge that could lead the country’s two leftist guerilla armies to broaden attacks against US targets.</p> <p>Late last month, the smaller of the two Marxist-oriented guerilla movements, the National Liberation Army, kidnapped two journalists, a Briton and an American, in this oil-rich region of eastern Columbia, saying the province had become a “war zone declared by the North American government and the Columbian state.”</p>

Many if not all of Gore's New Hampshire organization could have waited for their formers bosses decision, said to be due sometime after Christmas.Instead for months they have been quietly jumping on the bandwagon of other contenders: Kerry, Senator John Edwards and even Joe Lieberman who has been slotting volunteers in the Granite State for what he expects will be a Presidential run. Gore also appears to have lost his key advisor for the Iowa Caucuses.Steve Hildebrand, who rad Gore's 2000 bid in Iowa, and engineered Incoming Sen. Tim Johnson's win in South Dakota is said to have signed on...

<p>When President Bush addressed the nation shortly after Sept. 11, he urged parents "to live your lives and hug your children." That line was inserted by Karen Hughes, his counselor, over strong objections from some male advisers. "I've had a lot of people mention that line to me," Hughes told us in her White House office, "and I do think it appealed on some instinctive level to women. Some of our speechwriters thought it was an odd line. They asked me several times, 'Are you sure you want that line in there?' and I said, 'Yeah, I do.' "</p>

DEBKAfile reports that from Baghdad the Iraqi leaderships conviction that the Americans will strike in the first days of April-at latest- With a spearheaded operation inthe central sector of the front, i.e. the Jordanian-Iraqi border-in order to break through to Baghadad.U.S. raids fromthe north and south-from Turkey and Kuwait-will be no more than diversionary actions, in the view of Saddam's advisors.