Republican Sen. John Warner must eat staunch for breakfast - Thursday's lead story marks at least the third time the Times has called Sen. Warner a "staunch" ally of the president immediately before relaying a Warner criticism of Bush (which the Times must figure would carry extra credibility, coming from such a "staunch" ally).
In "Insurgent Bombs Directed At G.I.'s Increase In Iraq," reporters Michael Gordon, Mark Mazzetti and Thom Shanker argue: "The newest accounts of the risks of civil war may already be altering the political dynamic in Washington. After General Abizaid's testimony, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, Senator John W. Warner of Virginia, said that if Iraq fell into civil war, the committee might need to examine whether the authorization provided by Congress for the use of American force in Iraq would still be valid. The comments by Senator Warner, a senior Republican who is a staunch supporter of the president, have reverberated loudly across Congress."