After the Address...
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:
In a snap Gallup poll taken after the president's address Tuesday night, in which far more Republicans than Democr ats responded, the vast majority says their reaction to the speech was positive. In fact, nearly half say their reaction was "very positive."
What's more, 54 percent now say the U.S. and its allies are winning the war in Iraq, compared with only 44 percent who said that before the speech. And substantially more now say President Bush has a clear plan for handling the situation in Iraq, and say the U.S. should stay there until the situation improves.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Property, Please?
Just days after the Supreme Court said local governments could seize people's homes for the public good, a California businessman has written a letter to the government of Weare, New Hampshire, urging it to seize the property at 34 Cilley Hill Road, so he can build a hotel there.
That address is currently the home of Supreme Court Justice David Souter — who was in the majority of last week's decision. Logan Darrow Clements, of Freestar Media, says his hotel would "serve the public interest" by boosting Weare's economic development and tax revenue. Plus, he says, the hotel — to be named "The Lost Liberty Hotel" — will feature an exhibit on the loss of freedom in America. The city board is slated to discuss the proposal at its next meeting.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Kraft-Y Move?
Russian President Vladimir Putin, meeting with New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and other American business executives in St. Petersburg, has walked off with Kraft's diamond-encrusted 2005 Super Bowl ring. After the weekend meeting, Kraft showed the ring to Putin, who tried it on and then, according to Russian news reports, put in his pocket and left.
Some say Kraft may not have wanted Putin to keep the ring, and a Patriots spokesman calls it "incredible." But a Kremlin spokesman insists the ring was a "present," and says it has already been put in the Kremlin library with other foreign gifts. Kraft could not be reached for comment.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Brainstorming for a New Word
The government in Northern Ireland has banned the word "brainstorming" in some workplaces, insisting it could offend those with epilepsy and other brain disorders. Specifically, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment in Belfast says it "does not use the term brainstorming ... on the grounds that it may be deemed pejorative." According to London's Guardian newspaper, the department will now use the term "thought-showers" instead.
— FOX News' Michael Levine contributed to this report