Bush Lifts Steel Tariff  

President Bush has lifted the steep tariffs imposed on imported steel. In a recent statement, the President said, "These safeguard measures have now achieved their purpose and as a result of changed economic circumstances, it is time to lift them,"

Originally the White House had planned to keep the tariffs in place until 2005, but the threat of a trade war with Europe and Japan influenced the administration to rethink its strategy. However, President Bush did announce a monitoring program to guard against a surge of foreign steel entering the country.

Shortly after the removal of the tariffs, the European Union announced it would lift its threat of sanctions on $2.2 billion of U.S. products that would have taken effect Dec. 15.

The President's move has wide political impacts for next year's presidential campaign. The tariffs had pleased the $50 billion steel industry in states such as Pennsylvania , Ohio and West Virginia , but angered small manufacturers and their workers in Michigan , Minnesota and Wisconsin .

End of Call-in Registration

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced today the end of the Special Call-in Registration program put into effect last year.

Asa Hutchinson, the Undersecretary for Border and Transportation Security, was quoted as saying, "The Department will focus more on individuals instead of ‘broad categories' of people."

The National Security Entry Exit Registration System, or NSEERS, required men and boys from 25 countries to be fingerprinted, photographed and interviewed at U.S. immigration offices. A total 83,519 people complied and some were deported, usually for overstaying visas.

Secretary of State Colin Powell at an Iftar dinner on Nov. 5, admitted that the NSEERS was not a perfect program. He also remarked about the termination of the program.

It is believed that a new program called USA-VISIT will replace NSEERS. Details of the new program are still not very clear.

Dean Gains Lead in Democratic Presidential Nomination

Former Vermont Governor Dr. Howard Dean has re-captured a slight lead from Missouri Congressman Richard Gephardt in the quest for the Democratic presidential nomination in Iowa 's January 19 caucus vote. Howard Dean leads with 26%, Missouri Congressman Richard Gephardt with 22%, Massachusetts Senator John Kerry was third with 9%, followed by North Carolina Senator John Edwards at 5%.  Other candidates have scored less than 4%.

Nearly three in ten (28%) remain undecided, providing some hope for the trailing candidates. 

Dean is the favorite of both Democrats (27%) and Independents (21%).  Gephardt trails him with 23% of Democratic support and 18% of Independents.  Union members favor Gephardt nearly 2-1 over Dean, 34% - 18%, while non-union households favor Dean by nearly the same margin, 32% - 15%.

Dean leads with self-described progressives (38%) and liberals (30%), while Gephardt is favored by moderates (25%) and conservatives (22%).

These figures are based on the polling of 500 likely Iowa caucus voters December 1st and 2nd by Zogby International.

In another Zogby International poll for the race to the key primary state of New Hampshire , Dean has extended his lead over Kerry by 30% in December compared with the 23% gap between the two candidates in October. There is less than two months to go before the primary election.