Hagel Bows Out of '08 Race

US-backed regime lags on all economic and political targets

(NEWSER) - The Iraqi government has failed to meet any of the benchmarks for reforms mandated when Congress funded the troop surge, according to a progress report due out this week. An unnamed official tells the AP that the disappointing outcome will accelerate the administration's decision-making process on Iraq, but another anonymous source says any policy alteration awaits a mid-September progress report. More»

Why vote on Iraq if you could be campaigning in New York?

(NEWSER) - John McCain missed his 42nd straight Senate roll call yesterday, marking a whopping five weeks in a row that he hasn't showed up to be counted. If he misses the next three votes, he will have been AWOL for 50% of the votes in the 110th Congress, the Washington Post notes. More»

Conservative critics think Minority Leader should be fighting administration harder

(NEWSER) - Why haven’t we heard more from Mitch McConnell on health care? The Senate Minority Leader has kept relatively quiet on the administration’s reform efforts, a stance that has irked many conservative activists who feel McConnell is ducking his duties as de facto Republican Party leader, writes Stephanie Mencimer for Mother Jones. McConnell “could single-handedly destroy this bill,” says pro-life firebrand Randall Terry. “But so far he has not displayed the backbone." More»

(NEWSER) - John Ensign, a Republican senator from Nevada said to be considering a presidential run in 2012, admitted today that he had an extramarital affair with a campaign staffer, reports Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post. "It's absolutely the worst thing I've ever done in my life," he said at a press conference. "I'm very sorry." His wife, Darlene, backed her husband and said their "marriage has become stronger" in a statement. More»

Advocates and enemies of big tobacco brace for Senate battle

(NEWSER) - The House today agreed to give the FDA broad new powers over tobacco products, the New York Times reports. The House voted 298-to-112 to pass the bill, but the real fight will come in the Senate, where one North Carolina Republican has already threatened a filibuster. Ted Kennedy plans to introduce the measure this month. Among other things, it allows the FDA to clamp down on advertising and force manufacturers to reduce the amount of nicotine in cigarettes. More»