Evening News for Tuesday, June 5, 2007

US NATIONAL REPORT

Fred Thompson's Six One Way, Half Dozen the Other

According to Politico, George W. Bush's nephew is donating and helping raise money for Fred Thompson, former Bush-Cheney aides and many of the president's backers (financial and otherwise) are also joining the campaign. Fred Thompson had already completely co-opted Mister Bush's position on every issue. Now that Bush's family members, aides, and supporters have joined Fred Thompson's campaign, that only leaves Dick Cheney to appoint himself as the "Law & Order" star's Vice-President.

Er...Maybe Not

During the month of April, George W. Bush had often cited "a decline in violence," specifically "sectarian violence" as proof that the latest surge was "making progress." It stands to reason then, that Mister Bush's Iraq plan is now failing.

A recent UN report had found sectarian violence in May, across Iraq, had increased by much as 50 percent. And a Washington Post article noted that May was:

...the third-deadliest month for Iraqis since the AP began tracking civilian casualties in April 2005

Mister Bush's European Vacation

President Bush has begun his European tour in the lead up to the G-8 meeting. On the good side, there have been no reports yet of the president cussing into open microphones and he hasn't been caught attempting to "massage" Germany's Chancellor. On the bad side of George W. Bush's European visit, he appears to have managed to reignite the Cold War.

Putin said putting missile defenses on Russia's doorstep would ignite a new arms race. He threatened to retarget Russia's missiles toward Europe.

WORLD REPORT

Hello, It's Me Again

In case you or, perhaps, Mister Bush were wondering the brother of a Taliban commander killed in Afghanistan wanted the world to know that Osama bin Laden is doing just fine:

Haji Mansour Dadullah claimed he had also been in contact with Bin Laden. He told the Dubai-based broadcaster that he had urged Bin Laden not to meet anyone and "to stay in hiding and continue to give directives ... so that al-Qaida stays active in Afghanistan and the world"

Tutu's Two Cents

South Africa's human rights champion, Desmond Tutu, called on the world to do more to end the genocide taking place in Darfur. He specifically mention the use of sanctions:

The international community should press Sudan to end the conflict in Darfur with the same kinds of sanctions used to isolate apartheid South Africa, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Desmond Tutu said on Tuesday.

Hey Big Boy(s)

In an attempt to gain the attention of the G-8 leaders, Catholic aid workers and officials unfurled a massive banner in Rome. The banner is designed to try and convince the economic big boys to follow through on their promises on poverty aid with financial commitments.

Twenty-five bishops and archbishops, fifty priests and nuns, and three hundred other Caritas delegates raised a giant "Make Aid Work" banner in front of St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican today.

The problem, of course, is that the G-8 leaders are going to be meeting in Heiligendamm, Germany - - they probably won't be able to see the banner hanging in Italy.