More GOP Defections On Iraq?

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The report follows the recent announcements by four senior Republican senators, all loyal supporters of the president and the war, that they could no longer back Mr. Bush's Iraq strategy. Officials said there were worries that the loss of Republicans could accelerate this week as the Senate returns from holiday recess to renew its debate on funding the war.

The Times says there's an intensifying debate in the White House over whether the president should act ahead of the much-anticipated Sept. 15 progress report on his troop surge, and announce plans for a staged withdrawal of U.S. forces from hotspots in Baghdad and other cities – an idea he rejected in December when it was proposed by the Iraq Study Group.

"Sept. 15 now looks like an end point for the debate, not a starting point," one senior official said. "Lots of people are concluding that the president has got to get out ahead of this train."

White House press secretary Tony Snow took issue with The Times story later Monday, insisting there has been no discussion of a troop pullback. "There is no debate right now on withdrawing forces right now from Iraq," Snow said.

Summer Jobs A Thing Of The Past?

Spending the summer working at an ice cream stand, a pool or a camp used to be a rite of passage for teenagers. No longer.

According to USA Today, a new Labor Department report shows that for the first time on record, most American teens were not working or looking for work at the start of the summer.

Just 48.8 percent of 16-to-19-year-olds were working or looking for work in June, the report said. That compares with 51.6 percent a year ago and a high of 67.7 percent back in June 1978.

So what are today's teens doing with their summers instead of working? They're spending more time studying – even in summer. The Labor Department said 37.6 percent of teens were enrolled in school last summer – more than three times the number enrolled two decades ago.

Tired Of Campaign '08? You're Not Alone

Americans are excited about the 2008 presidential race and polls show many consider it one of the most important elections of their lives.

But, according to The New York Times, voters are already feeling overwhelmed and annoyed by the constant barrage of information about an election that's still 16 months away.

In interviews with dozens of voters across the country, The Times says there's a growing sense that the campaign has "become much too intense, much too soon." Voters feel bombarded by all the speeches and attacks, the nonstop media coverage and "a fund-raising free-for-all that many described as unseemly."

The frustration with the campaign reflects the earlier than ever start to the race, the large field of contenders in both parties, and a feeling among both Democrats and Republicans "that the country is ready to move beyond the Bush administration."

There's also concern that the fast pace and financial demands of the campaign are crowding out lesser-known contenders and making it impossible for candidates to listen and learn from voters.

Still, despite their aggravation, the interviews showed voters "certainly were not disengaged." They're paying attention to the race and trying their best to determine where the candidates stand on the issues – they just wish they didn't have to do it so long before the election.

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