memeorandum: Pelosi: Bush Must Justify Future Iraq Actions (Bob Geiger)

Pelosi: Congress Will Not Fund Escalation If Bush Does Not Justify It — This morning on CBS's Face the Nation, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) announced that Congress may refuse to authorize funding for an escalation of U.S. forces to Iraq if President Bush cannot justify the strategy.

Discussion: Wake up America, CorrenteWire, The Agonist, Firedoglake, Riehl World View, Tennessee Guerilla Women, The Carpetbagger Report and The Impolitic

CBS News:

WHAT DO YOU THINK? — (CBS/AP) House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said newly empowered Democrats will not give President George W. Bush a blank check to wage war in Iraq, hinting they could deny funding if he seeks additional troops. — "If the president chooses to escalate the war …

Bob Geiger:

Pelosi: Bush Must Justify Future Iraq Actions — Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was on CBS's Face The Nation this morning and she has made remarkably clear that Democrats will likely withhold any funding for the escalation of the Iraq war that George W. Bush is expected to announce in the coming week.

Discussion: Macsmind

Taylor Marsh:

Speaker Pelosi Lays Bush Out on Iraq — updated below— In her first Sunday morning interview, Speaker Nancy Pelosi laid it out plainly on Iraq. … It's nice to be home and have all my tech toys so that I could catch the Speaker's performance. Let's make sure this YouTube gets around.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and AMERICAblog

Hope Yen / Associated Press:

Pelosi Hints at Denying Bush Iraq Funds — Democrats now running Congress will not give President Bush a blank check to wage war in Iraq, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Sunday, suggesting they could deny him the money should he call for additional troops. — Yet Pelosi's second-in-command …

Discussion: Firedoglake

New York Times:
The Imperial Presidency 2.0 — Observing President Bush …

Discussion: The Heretik, Middle Earth Journal and The Impolitic

Taylor Marsh / The Huffington Post:
Speaker Pelosi Lays Bush Out on Iraq

Discussion: Media Matters for America

John Amato / Crooks and Liars: Nancy Pelosi will not fund the McCain doctrine without justification

Miami Herald:

Suspicious truck stopped at the Port of Miami-Dade — Federal and county authorities have arrested as many as three Middle Eastern men at the Port of Miami-Dade after they tried to enter the facility Sunday morning without proper paperwork, officials said. — An FBI spokeswoman in Miami …

Discussion: Power Line and PrairiePundit

Fox News:

PORT OF MIAMI ON HEIGHTENED ALERT — MIAMI — The Port of Miami on Sunday was in a heightened state of security after police discovered two men hiding in a cargo truck and a bomb squad was summoned to the scene, FOX News has learned. — The container truck was stopped near the cargo-area entrance …

Discussion: SevenStripes.com

Gateway Pundit:

FBI Arrests 3 Middle Eastern Men Trying to Enter Miami Ports! —Updates Below- — ** Authorities have a warrant out on one of the three Middle Eastern men arrested at the Port of Miami!! — A preliminary check of the truck showed its contents did not match the manifest.

Discussion: Wizbang and Riehl World View

Allahpundit / Hot Air:

Something up at the Port of Miami? — Florida Cracker has details. Fox's correspondent at the scene says the bomb squad is on the way. According to the Miami Herald, the driver is Iraqi and one of the men found hiding in the truck is Lebanese. — The Herald also says the Center …

Discussion: Little Green Footballs and Riehl World View

Miami Herald:
Incident at the Port of Miami-Dade caused by 'miscommunication,' authorities say

Discussion: Verum Serum

Washington Post:

A 'Surge' in Iraq? — A troop increase that few in the Pentagon, Congress or the Iraqi government really want — PRESIDENT BUSH is widely expected to unveil a new strategy for Iraq this week that will include a substantial increase in U.S. troops. If he does, he will face a formidable task …

Glenn Greenwald / Unclaimed Territory:

Fred Hiatt hails McCain's courage and seriousness — Fred Hiatt's Washington Post Editorial today examines the plan for a "surge" in Iraq and ultimately takes no real position on it. He can bring himself only to say that "several questions give us pause."

Discussion: Whiskey Fire and The Impolitic

Joshua Partlow / Washington Post:
Iraqi Leader Plans Security Push

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, The News Blog and Brilliant at Breakfast

Washington Post:
Critics Say 'Surge' Is More of The Same

Discussion: Reason Magazine, PrairiePundit and The Democratic Daily

Nick Beaudrot / Ezra Klein:

Term Limits — Okay, goo-goos, explain this one to me: why are term limits for committee chairs a good thing? Senators and Congressmen are busy people, and it can take a good 3-5 years to build up a lot of expertise in certain areas. I'm not sure if it was caused by term limits or seniority …

Discussion: Political Animal, NewDonkey.com and Daily Kos

Matt Stoller / MyDD:

I Just Don't Get It — This is discouraging. … There are several serious problems here. — Allowing Bush to escalate the war is unwise. (Note that Biden told Bush last month, after the election, that there was nothing the Democrats would do to stop him on the war.

Matt Stoller / MyDD: No Escalation — Pelosi is standing firmly with the public …

Robert Novak / Chicago Sun Times:

McCain backers fear they could lose new Florida governor's support — Publication of Rudy Giuliani's secret campaign plan has so embarrassed Florida's new Gov. Charles Crist that supporters of Sen. John McCain fear it might backfire against their campaign for the Republican presidential nomination.

Associated Press:

Israel Denies Planning Iran Nuke Attack — LONDON (AP) — A British newspaper reported Sunday that Israel has drafted plans to strike as many as three targets in Iran with low-yield nuclear weapons, aiming to halt Tehran's uranium enrichment program. The Israeli Foreign Ministry denied the report.

Discussion: The Glittering Eye, NewsHog, It Shines For All, Macsmind, Blogs of War and Don Surber

Deacon / Power Line:

NOT JUST ANY IDIOT — Last night, John reported that "some idiot hacked into our server and briefly disrupted the site." He promised to "make every effort to see that [the hacker] is criminally prosecuted." — It turns out that this was an inside job and that I was the idiot hacker.

Discussion: Roger Ailes, TigerHawk and PrairiePundit

Ryan Lizza / New York Times:

The Invasion of the Alpha Male Democrat — NANCY PELOSI'S carefully crafted introduction to the American people last week seemed to reinforce some stereotypes of the so-called mommy party. On the day she made history as the first woman to be elected speaker, she appeared on the House floor …

Discussion: TalkLeft, Ezra Klein, Unfogged, Prairie Weather and Sister Toldjah