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House approves April 1 Iraq deadline

WASHINGTON, July 12 (UPI) -- The House of Representatives Thursday approved an April 1, 2008, deadline for the withdrawal of most U.S. troops from Iraq.

The vote -- 223-201 -- came as Democratic leaders said a report on progress in Iraq shows it is time for a new strategy, CNN reported.

The margin is far short of what would be needed to overcome a virtually certain presidential veto.

President George W. Bush, speaking at a morning news conference Thursday, stressed positive findings in the Iraq report and called the Iraq war "necessary."

"President Bush continues to urge patience, but what is needed -- and what the American people are demanding -- is a new direction," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

Dems deny executive privilege claim

WASHINGTON, July 12 (UPI) -- A U.S. House panel Thursday rejected President George W. Bush's claim of executive privilege and moved to bring contempt charges against a former Bush aide.

Former White House Counsel Harriet Miers refused to appear before a House Judiciary subcommittee to discuss her role in the firing of nine U.S. attorneys, after current White House Counsel Fred Fielding told her she could ignore the committee's subpoena, The Hill newspaper said Thursday.

The House panel, in a 7-5 vote, found Miers out of order and rejected Bush's executive privilege claim.

The vote was the first step by Democratic lawmakers to pursue contempt charges against Miers as part of the U.S. attorneys probe, The Washington Post said.

Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, the ranking Republican on the House subcommittee, accused the Democratic majority of "swaggering its power" in Congress.

Libby trial judge 'perplexed' by Bush

WASHINGTON, July 12 (UPI) -- The judge who sentenced Lewis Libby to 30 months said Thursday he is perplexed by U.S. President George W. Bush's description of the sentence as excessive.

Judge Reggie Walton made his comments in an order that Libby report as soon as possible to a probation officer, The Los Angeles Times reported. Bush last week commuted the sentence given Libby, who resigned as chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney when he was charged with perjury and obstruction of justice in the investigation into the leak of a CIA agent's identity.

Bush appointed Walton to the U.S. District Court partly because of his reputation for upholding the law and giving tough sentences. In his order, Walton pointed out that the 30-month sentence was within the federal guidelines and not the maximum he could have imposed.

"In light of these considerations ... it is fair to say that the court is somewhat perplexed as to how its sentence could accurately be characterized as 'excessive,'" Walton wrote.

Bush, speaking at a news conference in Washington Thursday, said it was time to forget about the leaking of CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity.

Bush called his decision to grant clemency "fair and balanced."

3 protest Hindu prayer in U.S. Senate

WASHINGTON, July 12 (UPI) -- Three Christian protesters were arrested Thursday in the U.S. Senate when they tried to shout down the first Hindu guest chaplain to give the opening prayer.

Rajan Zed of the Hindu Temple of Northern Nevada in Utah was invited to give the prayer by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. Zed, dressed in a saffron robe, was at the dais when the three began yelling, The Hill reported.

The Rev. Flip Benham of Operation Rescue said the three did not plan to protest Zed but happened to be in the public gallery after coming to Washington to lobby against proposed hate crimes legislation. He said they recited the First Commandment, which begins "Thou shalt have no other gods before me," and said Christian prayers.

"It was a shocking event for all of us Christians," Benham said. "For all of these years we have honored the God of our Founding Fathers. It wasn't a group of Hindus, Buddhists or Muslims that came here. It was Christians."

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Capitol Police identified the three protesters as Ante Nedlko Pavkovic, Katherine Lynn Pavkovic and Christan Renee Sugar.