National
As violence rages in Iraq -- 159 people, including 35 members of Iraq's police force and three U.S. troops, were killed Sunday -- President Bush meets with the Iraq Study Group (ISG) today, an independent panel reexamining the administration's Iraq policy. The Washington Post reports that James Baker, former secretary of state and co-chairman of the ISG, has been testing the waters for some time to determine how much change in Iraq policy will be tolerated by the White House." Hopefully, that report is in error. For too long President Bush and the White House have been listening only to people who tell them what they want to hear. Baker and the rest of the ISG have an obligation to tell the administration and the public what, in their view, is the best course of action for the country. Early reports indicate that the ISG may recommend "withdrawing American troops in phases."

Pelosi backs Murtha for majority leader
"Your strong voice for national security, the war on terror and Iraq provides genuine leadership for our party, and I count on you to continue to lead on these vital issues," Pelosi wrote Murtha Sunday in a letter obtained by The Hill. "For this and for all you have done for Democrats in the past and especially this last year, I am pleased to support your candidacy for majority leader for the 110th Congress."

As the House Democrats’ unchallenged leader, Pelosi has considerable sway over her colleagues. She and Murtha have long been close allies, but until now, she had not interfered in the majority leader race. More at TheHill.com

Richard Perle Insists That Saddam Had Ties To Al Qaeda Because He’s ‘Seen The Evidence’
Yesterday, in an interview with NPR, Richard Perle, a prominent neoconservative and leading proponent for the war in Iraq, insisted that Saddam Hussein had ties to al Qaeda. He stated that anyone who believes otherwise is “simply wrong” because he’s “seen the evidence.”
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

International
Bush's Advisers Adopt New Tone on Iraq
Responding to a humbling election, White House aides said Sunday that President Bush would welcome new ideas about the unpopular war in Iraq, even from Democrats he had branded as soft on terrorism.

As Bush planned to meet Monday with a key advisory group on the war, his advisers adopted a new tone, days after a dissatisfied public handed the White House a divided government.

"Full speed ahead" in Iraq, as Vice President Dick Cheney put it in the final days of the campaign, was replaced by repeated calls for a "fresh perspective" and an acknowledgment that "nobody can be happy" with the situation in Iraq.

"We clearly need a fresh approach," said Josh Bolten, Bush's chief of staff, making the rounds of morning talk shows. Full story here

Blair - we must work with 'Axis of Evil' states
The first cracks in the united front over Iraq between Tony Blair and President Bush appeared last night as the Prime Minister offered Iran and Syria the prospect of dialogue over the future of Iraq and the Middle East.

Mr Blair said there could be a new “partnership” with Iran if it stopped supporting terrorism in Iraq and gave up its nuclear ambitions. Syria and Iran could choose partnership or isolation, he said.
Read the full article here if you like.

Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, a moderate Republican best known for his stewardship of the city after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, has taken the first step in a 2008 presidential bid, GOP officials said Monday. Read the scoop here

In Other News...
Sen. Mel Martinez (R-FL) will be named chairman of the Republican National Committee, replacing Ken Mehlman, according to CNN. Martinez will not give up his Senate seat.

President Bush will not relent in his defense of John Bolton, his nominee for U.N. ambassador. White House aides Josh Bolten and Dan Bartlett said they will not back down from pursuing Senate approval, despite the fact that Bush lacks the 60 votes necessary to force a Senate vote.

Robert Novak predicts the GOP will "reelect some or all" of its current leadership, including John Boehner (R-OH) as Minority Leader and Roy Blunt (R-MO) as Minority Whip. Novak said sticking with the same leadership team was "an act of supreme irrationality."

"Insurgent activity in Afghanistan has risen fourfold this year, and militants now launch more than 600 attacks a month, a rising wave of violence that has resulted in more than 3,700 deaths in 2006," according to a new report.

Members of both parties in Congress have all but written off passing lame-duck legislation that would have authorized President Bush's warrantless domestic surveillance legislation.

The United States last year provided nearly half of the weapons sold to militaries in the developing world, as major arms sales to the most unstable regions -- many already engaged in conflict -- grew to the highest level in eight years.

From The Right:
Star Parker: Why the GOP lost
It's like a failed marriage. It starts off with trust and hope. Then a lot of little things happen that create tension, disappointment, and disillusionment. Eventually, there is a deal breaker. Some incident that destroys any residual hope that things can be worked out, that you can rely on and trust the person with whom you once shared your dreams. That's the end.

From The Left:
t r u t h o u t Editorial: Impeachment and the Table
Impeachment, of course, is a matter of Constitutional law, not personal discretion on the part of individual lawmakers. The pre-emptive nature of the decision by Pelosi and Conyers (to "take impeachment off of the table") stands in sharp contrast to every principle of law enforcement. Congress - whether controlled by Democrats or Republicans - has a solemn duty to uphold and when necessary enforce the law.

Quote of the Day:
"And by the way, the reports from Afghanistan, at least the ones I get, are very encouraging. You know, we've got -- people who have been there last year and have been back this year report a different attitude. And they report people have got a sparkle in their eye." [Source: White House Web site 5/1/04]

Thought To Ponder:

"The overlooked war continues with no end in sight. Narcotics trafficking is at an all-time high. If U.S. forces were to leave, the Taliban -- or something like it -- would regain power. The U.S. is lost in Afghanistan, bound to this wild country and unable to leave...The situation in Afghanistan, as laid out to me, looks nothing like a country alleged to be progressing toward representative democracy under American tutelage. " [Source: Robert Novak, 5/31/04]

(Sources: TheHill, WashingtonTimes, UK Times, TownHall, CNN, NPR, AP, FOXNews, Washington Post, LA Times, Baltimore Sun, Center For American Progress, PoliticalCartoons.com)