• Obama announces 18-month troop withdrawal schedule from Iraq
Obama to Lobbyists: Bring It On | The return of rational medicine: Obama to nix so-called "conscience rule"
• Senate Committee to probe CIA interrogation methods
• 9th Circuit Says State Secrets Can't Halt al-Haramain Suit
• MN-Sen Trial: Secret Coleman-Lawyer E-Mails Reveal Intentional Hiding of Witness – Franken Camp Wants Double-Count Claim Thrown Out Completely

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Courtesy Jeff Koopersmith.

It's been "decided" that 30,000 to 50,000 U.S. troops will remain in Iraq after the "withdrawal."  Were the Iraqi citizens consulted on this decision? Michael Collins calls for giving democracy a chance, giving the Iraqi people a direct vote on US troops, and "walking the walk" on democracy.

• President Obama unveils budget, moves toward universal health care
Projects $1.75 Trillion Deficit This Year | Will Cap Federal, Military Pay Raises | Will Fund Fight Against Mortgage Fraud | Billions of CO2 Trade Revenue | $5 Billion for Infrastructure Bank | Cuts Medicare Advantage, Helps Generic Biotech | Budget Undoes Reagan Ideas | Son of TARP returns from the undead in Obama's budget | Defense dollars stay at Bush levels
• New Homeland Security boss Janet Napolitano implements sweeping top-to-bottom review
• In major break, Pentagon ends ban on photographing dead soldiers' coffins
• McCain Backs Obama's Iraq War Plan
• The Pelosi Plot Thickens: She's now supporting prosecution of former Bush officials for all sorts of lawbreaking
• Senate votes overwhelmingly for Washington, D.C. voting rights in Congress

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