The Illinois Personal Injury Weblog of Schaeffer & Lamere P.C.

Showdown over Iraq

Form the Associated Press via Yahoo! News: "Dems edge closer to showdown over Iraq," by David Espo--

A defiant, Democratic-controlled Senate approved legislation Thursday calling for the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq within a year, propelling Congress closer to an epic, wartime veto confrontation with President Bush.

The 51-47 vote was largely along party lines, and like House passage of a separate, more sweeping challenge to the administration's war policies a week ago, fell far short of the two-thirds margin needed to overturn the president's threatened veto. It came not long after Bush and House Republicans made a show of unity at the White House.

--Posted by Illinois mesothelioma lawyer and Illinois abogado asbesto T. Evan Schaeffer of the Edwardsville Illinois personal injury law firm of Schaeffer & Lamere, P.C.

Timetable for Iraq

From the Associated Press via Yahoo! News: "Dems: Bush must accept Iraq timetable," by Anne Flaherty--

Congressional Democrats are showing no signs of backing down on their rebuke of the Iraq war, insisting President Bush will have to accept some sort of legislative timetable in exchange for the billions of dollars needed to fund the war.

"We would hope that the president understands how serious we are," said Majority Leader Harry Reid (news, bio, voting record), D-Nev., after the Senate voted to uphold a proposal in a war spending bill calling for the troop withdrawal.

--Posted by Illinois mesothelioma lawyer and Illinois abogado asbesto T. Evan Schaeffer of the Edwardsville Illinois personal injury law firm of Schaeffer & Lamere, P.C.

Iran and Britain

From the Associated Press via Yahoo! News: "Iran may charge British sailors," by David Stringer--

Iran warned that 15 British sailors and marines could face charges for allegedly entering Iranian waters and rejected British requests to meet with the servicemen detained off the coast of Iraq.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki threatened unspecified consequences for the Royal Navy crew in comments to reporters in New York on Sunday, describing the charge against them as "illegal entrance into Iranian waters."

--Posted by St. Louis Missouri work injury lawyers and St. Louis work comp abogado (de accidentes de trabajo) T. Evan Schaeffer of the St. Louis workers compensation law firm of Schaeffer & Lamere, P.C.

La Russa Apologizes

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "La Russa apologizes to Cardinals and fans," by Joe Strauss and Derrick Goold--

Calling his arrest on a driving-under-the-influence charge an "embarrassment," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa this afternoon apologized to "anyone who is close to me, members of the Cardinals organization, our fans."

"I regret it, I take responsibility," La Russa said in a press conference after the Cardinals' exhibition game today. "And I’m not sure there is anything else I can say."

--Posted by St. Louis Missouri work injury lawyers and St. Louis work comp abogado (de accidentes de trabajo) T. Evan Schaeffer of the St. Louis workers compensation law firm of Schaeffer & Lamere, P.C.

Subpoenas to the White House

From the Associated Press via Yahoo! News: "Bush aides facing subpoenas over firings," by Laurie Kellman--

Refusing to budge in a fight with the White House with constitutional overtones, Democrats in the House and Senate are insisting that President Bush's top aides describe their roles in the firings of eight federal prosecutors on the record and under oath.

A House committee was to vote Wednesday to authorize subpoenas for political director Karl Rove and other administration officials despite Bush's declaration a day earlier that Democrats must accept his offer to allow the officials to talk privately to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, but not under oath and not on the record.

--Posted by Illinois car accident lawyer and Illinois car accident abogado (de accidentes de automovil) T. Evan Schaeffer of the Brighton Illinois car accident lawyers of Schaeffer & Lamere, P.C.

Iraquis and the War

From the Associated Press via Yahoo News: "Poll: Iraqis gripped by fear and anger," by Will Lester--

The optimism that helped sustain Iraqis during the first few years of the war has dissolved into widespread fear, anger and distress amid unrelenting violence, a survey found.

The poll — the third in Iraq since early 2004 by ABC News and media partners — draws a stark portrait of an increasingly pessimistic population under great emotional stress.

--Posted by Illinois car accident lawyer and Illinois car accident abogado (de accidentes de automovil) T. Evan Schaeffer of the Brighton Illinois car accident lawyers of Schaeffer & Lamere, P.C.

Probe Intensifying

From the Associated Press via Yahoo News: "Probe of federal prosecutors intensifies," by Julie Hirschfeld Davis--

The White House is being pulled further into the intensifying probe over federal prosecutor firings amid new questions about top political adviser Karl Rove's role and as GOP support for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales erodes.

President Bush's top legal aides were to tell congressional Democrats on Friday whether and under what conditions they would allow high-level White House officials, including Rove, to testify under oath in the inquiry.

--Posted by Illinois car accident lawyer and Illinois car accident abogado (de accidentes de automovil) T. Evan Schaeffer of the Brighton Illinois car accident lawyers of Schaeffer & Lamere, P.C.

Subprime Woes

From the Associated Press via Yahoo! News: "Dow, Nasdaq fall on subprime lender woes," by MAdlen Read--

Stocks plunged Tuesday, driving the Dow Jones industrials down more than 240 points in their second-biggest drop of the year as troubles piled up for subprime lenders.

Investors, bracing for a wilting economy, fled the already deflated subprime mortgage sector while problems increased for lenders such as New Century Financial Corp., Accredited Home Lenders Holding Co. and General Motors Acceptance Corp.'s residential unit. Bolstering the belief that the problems are widespread, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported that new foreclosures surged to an all-time high in the last quarter of 2006.

--Posted by Illinois car accident lawyer and Illinois car accident abogado (de accidentes de automovil) T. Evan Schaeffer of the Brighton Illinois car accident lawyers of Schaeffer & Lamere, P.C.

Bill O'Reilly on the Hornbeck Case

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "Does Bill O'Reilly owe kidnap victim an apology?" by Phillip O'Connor--

Does radio and television personality Bill O'Reilly owe kidnap victim Shawn Hornbeck an apology?

Some blogs, a fellow television news host and even some of his own viewers say he does.

O'Reilly, who is scheduled to appear this week in St. Louis, declined to comment.

--Posted by Alton Illinois truck accident lawyer and Illinois truck accident abogado (de accidentes de automovil) T. Evan Schaeffer of the Madison County Illinois truck accident lawyers of Schaeffer & Lamere, P.C.

Surge Gets Surgier

From the Associated Press via the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "U.S. troop buildup in Iraq getting bigger," by Robert Burns--

President Bush's troop buildup in Baghdad apparently will be bigger and more costly - and perhaps last longer - than it seemed when he unveiled the plan in January as the centerpiece of a new Iraq strategy.

U.S. officials say it's too early to tell whether the troop reinforcements will succeed in containing the sectarian and insurgent violence, but it looks as though the Pentagon is preparing for an expanded commitment - assuming that by summer there are solid signs that the extra effort is yielding significant results.

--Posted by St. Louis Missouri work injury lawyers and St. Louis work comp abogado (de accidentes de trabajo) T. Evan Schaeffer of the St. Louis workers compensation law firm of Schaeffer & Lamere, P.C.