To the Point

Condoleezza Rice in Jerusalem, Israeli Troops in Lebanon

At the White House today, President Bush and Iraq's Prime Minister al-Maliki said American troops will be sent to Baghdad from other parts of the country. Tomorrow, Maliki will address a joint session of Congress. Meantime, as Condoleezza Rice moved on from Beirut and Jerusalem in an effort to find what she calls a "sustainable" solution to the latest Middle East crisis, Israel renewed its heavy bombing of Lebanon's capital city. The Secretary of State is in Rome for meetings with UN officials, Europeans and three "moderate" Arab states, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt. Earlier, she stood at the side of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Ohlmert who said reaffirmed that Israel's battle was not with the Lebanese people but with Hezbollah itself. We look at the Secretary of State's plan for an international force in Southern Lebanon and what her talks have accomplished so far. Making News: President Bush Says Troops in Iraq to Move to BaghdadPresident Bush and Nouri al-Maliki met today at the White House. Despite six weeks of security crackdown in Baghdad, the widespread violence continues. President Bush says more American troops will work with Iraqi security forces in Baghdad, the city now seen as the key to holding Iraq together. We look at US support for the war with Peter Baker of the Washington Post and hear about the challenges of dealing with Iraqi security forces infused with sectarian militias from Edward Wong, who's in Baghdad for the New York Times.Reporter's Notebook: Bush May Face Lawsuit over Bill-Signing StatementsSenator Arlen Specter (R-PA) says Congress should be able to sue the President in federal court and he's drawn up a bill to make that a reality. President Bush has issued between 750 and 800 so-called "signing statements" indicating that new laws might be unconstitutional. The American Bar Association says that in itself violates the constitutional requirement that presidents either sign a bill, cast a veto or take no action at all. Charlie Savage first revealed the practice in the pages of the Boston Globe.