Someday, I want to travel and tour the entire United States. I want to visit and see, with my own two eyes the beautiful tourist spots in every state. I have a list of places where I want to spend my whole vacation with my family. At the top of my list is Las Vegas. Yes baby, it’s Vegas! The famous place where you can get all the entertainment you want in life. You can see those fabulous and elegant hotels. If you want to make your whole vacation perfect just visit the bars, pools, live shows and most of all the Casinos. Just enjoy your days and nights!
The Flamingo hotel is the place where I want to stay. They always have special offers. This hotel offers a huge outdoor pool area. They also have private cabanas for children, so that’s very cool for my children. If you’re looking for a great entertainment they have wide selection of shows, check this link Vegas show tickets for details. One of my favorites is the live show of Toni Braxton. She’s so adorable and I am a fan of hers. I like the way she expresses herself through singing. I checked out the Casino, the slot machines are very inviting. I want to give it a try. This will be fun for me. One more thing, if you’re a Hollywood Celebrity fanatic. This is the right place for you. You can see them all over the hotels. So don’t be surprise if you see some camera men outside the hotels waiting and haunting for a good shots of their favorite celebrity.
Anyway, they have special offer if you book 4 nights, you can get 25% off new reservations placed by 7/31/2009. It is valid for travel through January 31, 2010. (Excluding Oct. 1-31, Dec. 28-31, Jan. 7-10). The rate starts from $40. The price is very affordable. You can’t beat that! So if you’re planning a Vegas vacation like me, better start searching at http://www.bestofvegas.com/hotels.
While reading the MSN homepage news, my attention caught by this Stimulus Bill so I decided to post it here in my blog for information. Check out how this Bill affect you.
Here's an examination of how the economic stimulus plan will affect Americans.
By Associated Press
The $787 billion package might cut your taxes, make your health insurance cheaper, fix the roads you drive on and keep the best teachers in your children's schools. And that's just for starters.
Taxes The recovery package has tax breaks for families that send a child to college, purchase a new car, buy a first home or make the one they own more energy efficient. Millions of workers can expect to see about $13 extra in their weekly paychecks, starting around June, from a new $400 tax credit to be doled out through the rest of the year. Couples would get up to $800. In 2010, the credit would be about $7.70 a week, if it is spread over the entire year. A $1,000 child tax credit would be extended to more low-income families that don't make enough money to pay income taxes, and poor families with three or more children will get an expanded earned income tax credit. Middle-income and wealthy taxpayers will be spared from paying the alternative minimum tax, which was designed 40 years ago to make sure wealthy taxpayers paid at least some tax but was never indexed for inflation. Congress fixes it each year, usually in the fall.
First-time homebuyers who purchase their homes before Dec. 1 will be eligible for an $8,000 tax credit, and people who buy new cars before the end of the year can write off the sales taxes. Homeowners who add energy-efficient windows, furnaces and air conditioners can get a tax credit to cover 30% of the costs, up to a total of $1,500. College students -- or their parents -- are eligible for tax credits of up to $2,500 to help pay tuition and related expenses in 2009 and 2010. Those receiving unemployment benefits this year won't owe federal income taxes on the first $2,400 they receive.
Health insurance Many workers who lose their health insurance when they lose their jobs will find it cheaper to keep that coverage while they look for work. Right now, most people who work for medium or large employers can continue their coverage for 18 months under the COBRA program (named for the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act) when they lose their jobs. The coverage is expensive, often more than $1,000 a month, because the newly unemployed pay the share of premiums once covered by their employer as well as their own share from the old group plan. Under the stimulus package, the government will pick up 65% of the total cost of that premium for the first nine months. Lawmakers initially proposed also helping workers from small companies who don't generally qualify for COBRA coverage. But that fell through. The idea was to have Washington pay to extend Medicaid to that group. COBRA applies to group plans at companies employing at least 20 people. The subsidies will be offered to those who lost their jobs from Sept. 1, 2008, to the end of 2009. Those who were put out of work after September but didn't elect to have COBRA coverage at the time will have 60 days to sign up. The plan also offers $87 billion to help states administer Medicaid. That could slow or reverse some of the steps states have taken to cut the program.
Infrastructure Highways repaved for the first time in decades. Century-old waterlines dug up and replaced with new pipes. Aging bridges, stressed under the weight of today's SUVs, reinforced with fresh steel and concrete. But the $90 billion is a mere down payment on what's needed to repair and improve the country's physical backbone. And not all economists agree it's an effective way to add jobs in the long term, or to stimulate the economy.
Energy Homeowners looking to save energy, makers of solar panels and wind turbines, and companies hoping to bring the electric grid into the computer age all stand to reap major benefits. The package contains more than $42 billion in energy-related investments, from tax credits for homeowners to loan guarantees for renewable energy projects and direct government grants for makers of wind turbines and next-generation batteries. There's a 30% tax credit of up to $1,500 for the purchase of high-efficiency residential air conditioners, heat pumps and furnaces. The credit also can be used by homeowners to replace drafty windows or put more insulation into the attic. About $300 million would go for rebates to get people to buy more efficient appliances. The package includes $20 billion aimed at "green" jobs to make wind turbines and solar panels and to improve energy efficiency in schools and federal buildings. It includes $6 billion in loan guarantees for renewable energy projects, as well as tax breaks and direct grants covering 30% of wind and solar energy investments. An additional $5 billion is marked to help low-income homeowners make energy improvements. About $11 billion goes to modernizing and expanding the nation's electric power grid and $2 billion to spur research into batteries for future electric cars.
Schools A main goal of education spending in the stimulus bill is to help keep teachers on the job. Nearly 600,000 jobs in elementary and secondary schools could be eliminated by state budget cuts over the next three years, according to a study released last week by the University of Washington. Fewer teachers mean bigger classes, something that districts are scrambling to prevent. The stimulus sets up a $54 billion fund to help prevent or restore state budget cuts, of which $39 billion must go toward kindergarten through 12th grade and higher education. In addition, about $8 billion of the fund could be used for other priorities, including modernization and renovation of schools and colleges, though how much is unclear, because Congress decided not to specify a dollar figure. The Education Department will distribute the money as quickly as it can over the next couple of years. And it adds $25 billion extra to No Child Left Behind and special education programs, which help pay teacher salaries, among other things. This money may go out much more slowly; states have five years to spend the dollars, and they have a history of spending them slowly. In fact, states don't spend all the money; they return nearly $100 million to the federal treasury every year. The stimulus bill also includes more than $4 billion for Head Start early education programs and for child care programs. National debt One thing about the president's $790 billion stimulus package is certain: It will jack up the federal debt. Whether or not it succeeds in producing jobs and taming the recession, tomorrow's taxpayers will end up footing the bill. Forecasters expect the 2009 deficit -- for the budget year that began Oct. 1, 2008 -- to hit $1.6 trillion, including new stimulus and bank-bailout spending. That's about three times last year's shortfall. The torrents of red ink are being fed by rising federal spending and falling tax revenues from hard-hit businesses and individuals. The national debt -- the sum of money owed by all levels of government -- stands at $10.7 trillion, or about $36,000 for every man, woman and child in the U.S. Interest payments alone on the national debt will near $500 billion this year. It's already the fourth-largest federal expenditure, after Medicare-Medicaid, Social Security and defense. This will affect us all directly for years, as well as our children and possibly grandchildren, in higher taxes and probably reduced government services. It will also force continued government borrowing, increasingly from China, Japan, Britain, Saudi Arabia and other creditors. Environment The package includes $9.2 billion for environmental projects at the Interior Department and the Environmental Protection Agency. The money would be used to shutter abandoned mines on public lands, help local governments protect drinking water supplies, and erect energy-efficient visitor centers at wildlife refuges and national parks. The Interior Department estimates that its portion of the work would generate about 100,000 jobs in the next two years. Yet the plan will make only a dent in the backlog of cleanup projects facing the EPA and in the long list of chores at the country's national parks, refuges and other public lands. Talk back: How will you use your tax refund?
The plan sets aside $735 million for road repairs and maintenance at national parks. But that's just a fraction of the $9 billion worth of work waiting for funding. At the EPA, the payout is $7.2 billion. The bulk of the money will help local communities and states repair and improve drinking water systems and fund projects that protect bays, rivers and other waterways used as sources of drinking water. The rest of the EPA's cut -- $800 million -- will be used to clean up leaky gasoline storage tanks and the nation's hazardous waste sites.
Police The stimulus bill includes plenty of green for those wearing blue. The compromise bill doles out more than $3.7 billion for police programs, much of which is set aside for hiring new officers. The law allocates $2 billion for the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant, a program that has funded drug task forces and such things as prisoner-rehabilitation and after-school programs. An additional $1 billion is set aside to hire local police under the Community Oriented Policing Services program. The program, known as COPS grants, paid the salaries of many local police officers and was a "modest contributor" to the decline in crime in the 1990s, according to a 2005 government oversight report. Both programs had been eliminated during the Bush administration. The bill also includes $225 million for general criminal justice grants for programs such as youth mentoring, $225 million for Indian tribe law enforcement, $125 million for police in rural areas, $100 million for victims of crimes, $50 million to fight Internet crimes against children and $40 million in grants for law enforcement along the Mexican border.
Higher education The maximum Pell Grant, which helps the lowest-income students attend college, will increase from its current limit of $4,731 to $5,350 starting July 1 and to $5,550 in 2010-11. That ill cover three-quarters of the average cost of a four-year college. An additional 800,000 students, for a total of about 7 million, should now qualify for Pell funding. The stimulus also increases the tuition tax credit to $2,500 and makes it 40% refundable, so families that don't earn enough to pay income tax can still get up to $1,000 in extra tuition help. In addition, computer expenses will now be an allowable expense for 529 college savings plans. The final package cut $6 billion the House wanted to spend to kick-start building projects on college campuses. But parts of the $54 billion state stabilization fund -- with $39 billion set aside for education -- can be used for modernizing those facilities. There's also an estimated $15 billion for scientific research, much of which will go to universities. Funding for the National Institutes of Health includes $1.5 billion set aside for university research facilities. Altogether, the package spends an estimated $32 billion on higher education.
The poor More than 37 million Americans live in poverty, and the vast majority of the poor are in line for extra help under the giant stimulus package. Millions more could be kept from slipping into poverty by the economic lifeline. People who get food stamps -- 30 million and growing -- will get more. People drawing unemployment checks -- nearly 5 million and growing -- would get an extra $25, and keep those checks coming longer. People who get Supplemental Security Income -- 7 million poor Americans who are elderly, blind or disabled -- would get a one-time extra payment of $250. Many low-income Americans also are likely to benefit from a trifecta of tax credits: expansions to the existing child tax credit and Earned Income Tax Credit, and a new refundable tax credit for workers. Taken together, the three credits are expected to keep more than 2 million Americans from falling into poverty, including more than 800,000 children, according to the private Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The package also includes a $3 billion emergency fund to provide temporary assistance to needy families. In addition, cash-strapped states will get an infusion of $87 billion for Medicaid, the government health program for poor people, which should help avoid cuts to benefits for the needy.
I watched the 44th Presidential Inauguration this morning. I just want to congratulate the following, Mr. President Barack Obama for his awesome speech, the American people who believe and dream of hope and freedom in this country. This will be an unforgettable history; I am glad that my entire family is part of it. This is a wonderful experience for me.
Here’s the complete event from AOL news and The Associated Press.
Obama Takes Reins as Nation's President
By TERENCE HUNT, AP
WASHINGTON (Jan. 20) - Stepping into history, Barack Hussein Obama grasped the reins of power as America's first black president on Tuesday, saying the nation must choose "hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord" to overcome the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.
In frigid temperatures, an exuberant crowd of more than a million packed the National Mall and parade route to celebrate Obama's inauguration in a high-noon ceremony. They filled the National Mall, stretching from the inaugural platform at the U.S. Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial in the distance.
With 11 million Americans out of work and trillions of dollars lost in the stock market's tumble, Obama emphasized that his biggest challenge is to repair the tattered economy left behind by outgoing President George W. Bush.
"Our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed," Obama said in an undisguised shot at Bush administration policies. "Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin the work of remaking America."
The dawn of the new Democratic era — with Obama allies in charge of both houses of Congress — ends eight years of Republican control of the White House by Bush, who leaves Washington as one of the nation's most unpopular and divisive presidents, the architect of two unfinished wars and the man in charge at a time of economic calamity that swept away many Americans' jobs, savings and homes.
Obama's election was cheered around the world as a sign that America will be more embracing, more open to change. "To the Muslim world," Obama said, "we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect."
Still, he bluntly warned, "To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy."
"To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history, but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist."
Two years after beginning his improbable quest as a little-known, first-term Illinois senator with a foreign-sounding name, Obama moved into the Oval Office as the nation's fourth youngest president, at 47, and the first African-American, a barrier-breaking achievement believed impossible by generations of minorities.
He said it was a moment to recall "that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness."
Obama called for a political truce in Washington to end "the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics."
He said that all Americans have roles in rebuilding the nation by renewing the traditions of hard work, honesty and fair play, tolerance, loyalty and patriotism.
"What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility, a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task."
With the economy in a long and deepening recession, Obama said it was time for swift and bold action to create new jobs and lay a foundation for growth. Congressional Democrats have readied an $825 billion stimulus plan of tax cuts and spending for roads, bridges, schools, electric grids and other projects.
"The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works," the new president said.
A mighty chorus of cheers erupted as Obama stepped to the inaugural platform, a midday sun warming the crowd that had waited for hours in the cold. There were some boos when Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney came onto the platform.
In his remarks, Obama took stock of the nation's sobering problems.
"That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood," he said.
"Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age," Obama said. "Homes have been lost, jobs shed, businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly, our schools fail too many, and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet."
It was the first change of administrations since the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Crowds filled the Mall for a distant glimpse of the proceedings or just, in the words of many, simply "to be here." Washington's subway system was jammed and two downtown stations were closed when a woman was struck by a subway train.
Bush — following tradition — left a note for Obama in the top drawer of his desk in the Oval Office.
White House press secretary Dana Perino said the theme of the message — which Bush wrote on Monday — was similar to what he has said since election night: that Obama is about to begin a "fabulous new chapter" in the United States, and that he wishes him well.
The unfinished business of the Bush administration thrusts an enormous burden onto the new administration, though polls show Americans are confident Obama is on track to succeed. He has cautioned that improvements will take time and that things will get worse before they get better.
Culminating four days of celebration, the nation's 56th inauguration day began for Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden with a traditional morning worship service at St. John's Episcopal Church, across Lafayette Park from the White House. Bells pealed from the historic church's tower as Obama and his wife, Michelle, arrived five minutes behind schedule.
The festivities won't end until well after midnight, with dancing and partying at 10 inaugural balls.
By custom, Obama and his wife, and Biden and his wife, Jill, went directly from church to the White House for coffee with Bush and his wife, Laura. Michelle Obama brought a gift for the outgoing first lady in a white box decorated with a red ribbon.
Shortly before 11 a.m., Obama and Bush climbed into a heavily armored Cadillac limousine to share a ride to the Capitol for the transfer of power, an event flashed around the world in television and radio broadcasts, podcasts and Internet streaming. On Monday, Vice President Dick Cheney pulled a muscle in his back, leaving him in a wheelchair for the inauguration.
Just after noon, Obama stepped forward on the West Front of the Capitol to lay his left hand on the same Bible that President Abraham Lincoln used at his first inauguration in 1861. The 35-word oath of office, administered by Chief Justice John Roberts, has been uttered by every president since George Washington. Obama was one of 22 Democratic senators to vote against Roberts' confirmation to the Supreme Court in 2005.
The son of a white, Kansas-born mother and a black, Kenya-born father, Obama decided to use his full name in the swearing-in ceremony.
To the dismay of liberals, Obama invited conservative evangelical pastor Rick Warren — an opponent of gay rights — to give the inaugural invocation.
About a dozen members of Obama's Cabinet and top appointees were ready for Senate confirmation Tuesday, provided no objections were raised. But Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas indicated he would block a move to immediately confirm Secretary of State-designate Hillary Rodham Clinton. Still, she is expected to be approved in a roll call vote Wednesday.
More than 10,000 people from all 50 states — including bands and military units — were assembled to follow Obama and Biden from the Capitol on the 1.5-mile inaugural parade route on Pennsylvania Avenue, concluding at a bulletproof reviewing stand in front of the White House. Security was unprecedented. Most bridges into Washington and about 3.5 square miles of downtown were closed.
Among the VIPs at the Capitol was pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, the hero of last week's US Airways crash into the Hudson River.
Obama's inauguration represents a time of renewal and optimism for a nation gripped by fear and anxiety. Stark numbers tell the story of an economic debacle unrivaled since the 1930s:
—Eleven million people have lost their jobs, pushing the unemployment rate to 7.2 percent, a 16-year high.
—One in 10 U.S. homeowners is delinquent on mortgage payments or in arrears.
—The Dow Jones industrial average fell by 33.8 percent in 2008, the worst decline since 1931, and stocks lost $10 trillion in value between October 2007 and November 2008.
Obama and congressional Democrats are working on an $825 billion economic recovery bill that would provide an enormous infusion of public spending and tax cuts. Obama also will have at his disposal the remaining $350 billion in the federal financial bailout fund. His goal is to save or create 3 million jobs and put banks back in the job of lending to customers.
In an appeal for bipartisanship, Obama honored defeated Republican presidential rival John McCain at a dinner Monday night. "There are few Americans who understand this need for common purpose and common effort better than John McCain," Obama said.
Young and untested, Obama is a man of enormous confidence and electrifying oratorical skills. Hopes for Obama are extremely high, suggesting that Americans are willing to give him a long honeymoon to strengthen the economy and lift the financial gloom.
On Wednesday, his first working day in office, Obama is expected to redeem his campaign promise to begin the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq under a 16-month timetable. Aides said he would summon the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Oval Office and order that the pullout commence.
Associated Press Writers Alan Fram, Donna Cassata, Gillian Gaynair, Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Kevin Freking, Ed Tobias, Ben Evans, Seth Borenstein and H. Josef Hebert contributed to this report.
Friendster Group Exchange Gift, A poster of Kyoto, from Lisa of Japan, my friendster sistah.
A hand craft Japanese Girl, from Lisa of Japan, my friendster sistah
A family gift from my hubby. It's not yet fully done we still need to buy some ornaments.
Aquarium, 50 gals, with 3 tiger fish and 2 rainbow sharks.
2 T-shirts from Vhing of Israel, my friendster sistah and blogger buddy.
Pink T-shirt for my Little Princess
Blue One for Me
My little one and I received our Permanent Resident Card or Greencard.
My whole family are very happy and thankful for this. We would like to say Thank You from the bottom of our heart. We like the T-shirt so much from Israel Country, the holy land. I wish someday we can visit Jerusalem. I know it was a historical place. I would like to go there someday. Also to my friendster sistah Lisa, thanks a lot for the gifts. It was a beautiful Japanese stuff. It was displayed in our living room. The aquarium and fish was unexpected to us. But were very thankful to have it. Now, we have something to take care of. Lastly, our greencard, were all happy to received it.
KABUL, Afghanistan – President George W. Bush wrapped up a whirlwind trip to two war zones Monday that in many ways was a victory lap without a clear victory. A signature event occurred when an Iraqi reporter hurled two shoes at Bush, declaring: "This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq."
The president visited the Iraqi capital just 37 days before he hands the war off to his successor, Barack Obama, who has pledged to end it. The president wanted to highlight a drop in violence and to celebrate a recent U.S.-Iraq security agreement, which calls for U.S. troops to withdraw from Iraq by the end of 2011.
"The war is not over," Bush said, but "it is decisively on its way to being won." Bush then traveled to Afghanistan where he spoke to U.S. soldiers and Marines at a hangar on the tarmac at Bagram Air Base. The rally for over a thousand military personnel took place in the dark, cold pre-dawn hours. Bush was greeted by loud cheers from the troops.
"Afghanistan is a dramatically different country than it was eight years ago," he said. "We are making hopeful gains."
But the president's message on progress in the region was having trouble competing with the videotaped image of the angry Iraqi who hurled his shoes at Bush in a near-miss, shouting in Arabic, "This is your farewell kiss, you dog!" The reporter was later identified as Muntadar al-Zeidi, a correspondent for Al-Baghdadia television, an Iraqi-owned station based in Cairo, Egypt.
In Iraqi culture, throwing shoes at someone is a sign of contempt. Iraqis whacked a statue of Saddam with their shoes after U.S. Marines toppled it to the ground following the 2003 invasion.
Reaction in Iraq was swift but mixed, with some condemning the act and others applauding it. Television news stations throughout Iraq repeatedly showed footage of the incident, and newspapers carried headline stories.
In Baghdad's Shiite slum of Sadr City, supporters of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called for protests against President Bush and demanded the release of the reporter, who was jailed after throwing his shoes. Thousands took to the streets Monday, chanting, "Bush, Bush, listen well: Two shoes on your head."
The Iraqi government condemned the act and demanded an on-air apology from Al-Baghdadia television, the Iraqi-owned station that employs Muntadar al-Zeidi. The reporter was taken into custody and reportedly was being held for questioning by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's guards and is being tested for alcohol and drugs.
"It harmed the reputation of Iraqi journalists and Iraqi journalism in general," according to a statement released by the government.
Other Arab journalists and commentators, fed up with U.S. policy in the Middle East and Bush's decision to invade Iraq in 2003 to topple Saddam, echoed al-Zeidi's sentiments Monday. Abdel-Bari Atwan, editor of the influential London-based newspaper Al-Quds Al-Arabi, wrote on the newspaper's Web site that the incident was "a proper goodbye for a war criminal."
After word spread of the shoe attack, Afghan reporters had gathered at the presidential palace in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, before a news conference by Bush and Afghan President Hamid Karzai. Some of the reporters — a collegial bunch that sees one another several times a week — egged on one of their colleagues, jokingly trying to pressure the television reporter into taking off his shoe and hurling it once the U.S. president arrived. He did not.
Karzai's deputy spokesman, Saimak Herwai, told Afghan reporters that they had to address Bush as "His Excellency," an honorary title not typically used with U.S. presidents. The request was followed by some, not by others.
Bush then took a helicopter ride to Kabul to meet with Karzai.
After their meeting, Bush said he told Karzai: "You can count on the United States. Just like you've been able to count on this administration, you'll be able to count on the next administration as well."
The mixed reactions to Bush in both countries emphasized the uncertain situations Bush is leaving behind in the region.
In Iraq, nearly 150,000 U.S. troops remain in Iraq, protecting the fragile democracy. More than 4,209 members of the U.S. military have died and $576 billion has been spent since the war began five years and nine months ago. The Bush administration and even White House critics credit last year's military buildup with the security gains in Iraq. Last month, attacks fell to the lowest monthly level since the war began in 2003. In Afghanistan, there are about 31,000 U.S. troops and commanders have called for up to 20,000 more. The fight is especially difficult in southern Afghanistan, a stronghold of the Taliban where violence has risen sharply this year.
It was Bush's last trip to the war zones before Obama takes office Jan. 20. Obama, a Democrat, has promised he will bring all U.S. combat troops back home from Iraq a little over a year into his term, as long as commanders agree a withdrawal would not endanger American personnel or Iraq's security. Obama has said the drawdown in Iraq would allow him to shift troops and bolster the U.S. presence in Afghanistan. It's unclear what will happen in Iraq when the U.S. troops leave. While violence has slowed in Iraq, attacks continue, especially in the north.
Bush was traveling back to Washington in the early hours Monday.
After the shoe-throwing incident, White House press secretary Dana Perino suffered an eye injury when she was hit in the face with a microphone during the melee. Bush, who has grown used to protests of his Iraq policy, brushed off the incident. He said, "So what if a guy threw his shoe at me?"
___ Associated Press writer Qassim Abdul Zahra in Baghdad contributed to this report.
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