JIM LEHRER: The U.S. Senate approved a war funding bill today with a pullout timetable in Iraq. The vote was 51-47, mostly along party lines.
The bill sets a nonbinding goal of withdrawing combat forces by April of next year. It also includes nearly $100 billion for the military efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. There's another $20 billion for a variety of extra domestic spending.
The House has passed a similar bill, with a mandatory pullout by September of next year. But with a presidential veto looming, Democrats and Republicans traded charges after today's vote.
SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R), Texas: The president really has no option but to veto this legislation. This will mean unnecessary delay in getting them ultimately the money they need. It will mean it's slower to rotate troops out of Iraq back home to make sure that they're well-equipped when they do go to Iraq, and it just sends a very bad message.
SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), Senate Majority Leader: I don't know if you could find in history any time that a president has done more to undermine the troops in the field than this. If the president vetoes this bill, it is an asterisk in history. He sets the record for undermining troops more than any president we've ever had.
JIM LEHRER: The president gathered House Republicans at the White House today. He renewed calls for full funding of the war effort with no strings. The president has said the money is needed by mid-April.
But today, Marine General Peter Pace, chairman of the Joints Chiefs, said the critical date is May 15th. Otherwise, he said Army units may have to stay in Iraq longer than planned.
More than 100 Iraqis lost their lives today in suicide attacks on Shiites; 61 were killed in northeastern Baghdad when two bombers hit a market. Fifty miles to the north, three car bombers hit another market in the early evening. At least 43 Iraqis were killed there.
Amid the carnage, Ryan Crocker was sworn in as U.S. ambassador in Baghdad's heavily guarded Green Zone. He warned Prime Minister al-Maliki to take steps to unite Iraq.
U.S. Attorney General Gonzales was directly involved in firing eight U.S. attorneys last year; that testimony came today from his former top aide, Kyle Sampson.
He told a Senate hearing Gonzales was "inaccurate" when he claimed he was not involved. Instead, Sampson said, "I and others made staff recommendations, but they were approved and signed off on by the principals." He said he meant Gonzales and Harriet Miers, who was then the White House counsel.
At the White House today, Spokeswoman Dana Perino had this to say.
DANA PERINO, White House Spokeswoman: You know, I'm going to let the Justice Department and the attorney general speak for himself. And, obviously, I understand how people can have different recollections.
DAVID GREGORY, NBC News: But if Congress remains dissatisfied, both Republicans and Democrats, with the competency and credibility of this attorney general, are you saying today that the president will continue to stand behind him?
DANA PERINO: Yes. The president has confidence in the attorney general. And if that changes for any of us that serve at the pleasure of the president, if we fail to continue to keep the president's pleasure, then we no longer work here.
JIM LEHRER: In his testimony, Sampson also defended the firings. He said the eight prosecutors did not fully support the president's priorities. We'll have more on today's testimony right after this news summary.
House Democrats pushed through their first budget today since regaining power. The vote was down party lines. The budget totaled $2.9 trillion. It envisioned a surplus in five years, if the Bush tax cuts expire in 2010 as scheduled.
Republicans failed in a bid to cut nearly $280 billion from Medicare, Medicaid and other benefits programs over five years. The budget is not binding; instead, it sets guidelines for future spending bills.
The U.N. Security Council expressed grave concern today at Iran's capture of 15 British sailors and marines. The council called for an early resolution of the problem.
But Iran defended its actions today and sounded a new note of defiance. We have a report on developments in Iran narrated by Neil Connery of Independent Television News.
NEIL CONNERY, ITV News Correspondent: Tonight, Iranian television broadcast these pictures, which it claims shows the moment the British sailors and marines were captured last Friday, the latest escalation in this unfolding crisis.
Iran claims this shows the Britons were in Iranian waters. A naval commander is seen explaining Iran's version of events, holding up a satellite navigation system.
Iran had promised Faye Turney would be the first of the 15 British sailors and marines to be released. Now, they've delayed it, blaming Britain's handling of the standoff. Her strained demeanor has now become the public face of this crisis.
The British government has been told unless it apologies officials won't get access to the group. So for now, all they have are the videos being released, but only six of the group are seen. When where they filmed? And where are they being held?
The problem for the British in trying to get answers is that they're having to deal with the various factions that govern Iran. This was Iran's foreign minister last night promising Faye Turney's release.
IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: I think I have informed you that the lady will be released very soon.
NEIL CONNERY: But this morning, the secretary of Iran's national security council told state television Britain's "fuss and wrong behavior" over the matter would delay the release.
JIM LEHRER: Iran also released another letter, said to be written by Faye Turney, one of the captured sailors. In it, she urged Britain to start withdrawing from Iraq. We'll have more on this story later in the program tonight.
The escalating tension between Britain and Iran sent the price of oil sharply higher today. In New York trading, crude oil gained more than 3 percent today. It was up almost $2, closing at $66 a barrel, a six-month high. The price has jumped 10 percent in the last week.
A top terror suspect has denied he arranged financing for the 9/11 attacks. He made that denial at a hearing at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. According to a Pentagon transcript, the suspect, a Saudi, insisted he was not part of al-Qaida. He said the 9/11 operation was "mostly a surprise" to him.
As many as 65 tornadoes swept from the Rockies into the Plains last night, killing four people. A massive weather system generated storms across five states: Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Texas and Oklahoma.
Tornadoes in the Texas panhandle tore through power lines, trees and trucks. And in Holly, Colorado, a funnel cloud as wide as two football fields damaged dozens of homes and businesses.
U.S. economic growth was a bit better at the end of 2006 than expected. The Commerce Department reported today the gross domestic product expanded at an annual rate of 2.5 percent from October through December.
On Wall Street today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 48 points to close above 12,348. The Nasdaq rose less than a point to close above 2,417.
