To the Point

Can President Bush Close the Credibility Gap on Iraq?

Faced with dwindling public support, President Bush began a public relations offensive today to convince Americans he has a strategy for the war in Iraq. In a speech and a policy paper, the President emphasized the role of US troops in training Iraqi forces, but rejected any timetable for American troops to come home. What's the military reality on the ground in Iraq? What does the President mean by "victory" and how does he hope to achieve it? What's the political reality here at home? Making News: President Again Rejects Calls for Withdrawal from IraqWith all the pomp due the Commander in Chief, President Bush spoke today at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. He spoke in front of a curtain with signs proclaiming, "Plan for Victory," and the White House issued a 38-page paper called, "National Strategy for Victory in Iraq." Peter Grier is Washington editor for the Christian Science Monitor. Reporter's Notebook: High Court Weighs Parental Notification for AbortionAt his recent confirmation hearings, the US Supreme Court's new Chief Justice John Roberts refused to say much about his views on abortion. Today, with Roberts in charge, the Court heard its first abortion rights case in five years. Forty-three states now have laws requiring parental notification for teen-age abortions. All have exceptions when the pregnant girl's life is in danger and most provide for medical emergencies. New Hampshire's does not allow for those non life-threatening situations, and that's one of the issues raised in arguments today, which legal correspondent Dahlia Lithwick covered for Slate.com.