To the Point

The Politics of War with Iraq

After asking for sweeping authority in a resolution that would give him, -all means that he determines to be appropriate,- President Bush declared that he and the Congress will soon -speak with one voice- about using force to overthrow Saddam Hussein. However, Democrats are divided among themselves, and accusing the President of using the prospect of war to advance Republican interests. Is the President playing politics with the war? Will Congress grant Bush-s request before the November elections? We get a taste of the debate in Congress, and hear how voters feel about the possibility of war and the prospects of America acting alone, from Republican David Dreier, Democrat Howard Berman, a nationwide pollster, and members of the press. Newsmaker: Bush to Reopen Security Talks with North Korea North Korea may be part of President Bush-s -axis of evil,- but the White House says a senior American diplomat will be sent there early next month. Former Ambassador James Lilley, who-s now a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, denies that there is a contradiction in the President-s policy. Instead, he endorses it as a proven carrot-and-stick approach that-s produced good results several countries. Reporter-s Notebook: Where Y-ats Party as New Orleans Floods When Isadore swept through New Orleans last night, its 65 mile-an-hour winds knocked out electricity and flooded streets. Although the tropical storm was forceful enough to cause a good deal of damage, it wasn-t bad enough to spark a real party, according to Mel Schiro. The twelfth generation New Orleanian says that when it really gets stressful, they throw hurricane parties.