SATURDAY

LEFTOVERS

The Reuters/University of Michigan sentiment index dropped to its lowest point since 1982.

The $600 economic stimulus rebate checks from the IRS start arriving next month and should all be distributed by July 11th. Thats about 6 tanks of gasoline, by my reckoning. Maybe a little more. I don't think anyone plans on buying any big ticket items.
Need a student loan? For a lot of folks, thats the only way they'll be able to start college/university classes this fall. The Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act has already passed in the House. The Senate version is stalled. Bush says that he'll sign it when it reaches his desk. It is unknown if he'll append any "exceptions" to the legislation.
As you know the current U.S. and coalition commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus has been reassigned and will now be in charge of the US military Central Command. Central Command normally supervises U.S. military involvement in both Iraq and Afghanistan. But a year and a half ago most of the international forces in Afghanistan, including most of the U.S. troops, were put under NATO control, leaving the Central Command chief outside their chain of command. Afghanistan currently has a dual command structure, with some of the 35,000 U.S. troops, and some forces from other nations, still under the original U.S.-led coalition that invaded Afghanistan in 2001. The questions about the Afghanistan command structure persist in spite of the fact that both the top NATO commander in the country and his superior at NATO military headquarters near Brussels are Americans. But those officers are limited by NATO policy decisions, made by consensus, and by restrictions most member states put on the use of their forces.

Bush is still trying to find a way to justify launching offensive action against Iran. Where he would find the troops or coalition forces to make this possible is unclear. The US military just doesn't have the assets to open a conflict on a third front. Logistics are almost impossible currently in Iraq. Of course a major World War would force us to shift to a WWII type economy. Every industrial center manufacturing for the "war effort". Gas and food rationing. The draft. I guess Dubya really wants to go out with a "BANG".

Over The Limit?
UNDER ARREST!
Please don't drink and drive

"Let's all be careful out there!"