Tax THIS

Democrats propose tax surcharge for war - 2 Oct 2007 at 11:44am - WASHINGTON -- Democrats on Tuesday proposed an income tax surcharge to finance the approximately $150 billion annual cost of operations in Iraq, saying it is unfair to pass the cost of the war onto future generations.

Can't wait to hear the opposition response to this -- à la the proposal to tax cigarettes to pay for health insurance -- "Then we'll never be able to end the war: think of all the revenue we'd lose!"

U.S. contractor Blackwater defends actions in Iraq - 2 Oct 2007 at 9:10am - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. security contractor Blackwater on Tuesday staunchly defended its actions in Iraq, saying there had been a "rush to judgment" over a shooting incident on September 16 in which 11 Iraqis were killed.

British PM says that 1,000 troops will return home by Christmas - 2 Oct 2007 at 8:26am - BAGHDAD (AFP) - Prime Minister Gordon Brown visited Iraq on Tuesday and announced that 1,000 British troops could be home by Christmas as he aims to hand control of Basra province back to the Iraqis within two months.

Judge Blocks Program to ID Illegal Immigrants 2 Oct 2007 at 8:25am
A federal judge in San Francisco blocks the start of a controversial program to find illegal immigrants in the nation's workforce. Under the plan businesses face penalties if they keep workers whose Social Security numbers don't match their names.

House Democrats seek Jan 2009 Iraq pullout - 2 Oct 2007 at 11:48am - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush's request for nearly $200 billion more to fund the Iraq war will not be approved unless it is linked to a plan to bring home U.S. combat troops by January 2009, the head of the House appropriations committee said on Tuesday.

Legality of US eavesdropping questioned - 2 Oct 2007 at 11:41am - WASHINGTON -- A former top lawyer for the Bush administration on Tuesday said that parts of the President Bush's controversial eavesdropping program were illegal.

War costs up again for FY 2008 - 2 Oct 2007 at 2:28pm - WASHINGTON -- War spending could be $20 billion higher this year than last. The Pentagon has requested $189.3 billion for the campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan during the budget year that began Monday. That's compared to $169 billion in the fiscal year 2007 that just ended.

Thought for the day:
What luck for rulers that men do not think. -Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)