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by Frank James

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A quick guided tour of some of the morning’s most important, most interesting, or both, Washington-related stories.

Speaking in Abu Dhabi, President Bush criticized Iran and asked Arab states in the Persian Gulf region to stand with the U.S. against the Persian nation’s nuclear aspirations and its interference in the region while promising that the U.S. understood the desire of peoples in the Mideast for Justice.

As the race for the presidential nomination has moved into states with more diverse population, like South Carolina, the issues of race, poverty and education have moved to the fore.

Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama spent Sunday sparring over the comments made by the Clinton that seemed to many to dismiss the contributions of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and disagreeing over Obama’s anti-war credentials. The Guantanamo prison should be closed, said Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mike Mullen who opined that the treatment of terrorist detainees has harmed the U.S.’s image around the world.

New polls showed Sen. John McCain improving his position dramatically, becoming the most preferred candidate among Republicans while, depending on the poll, Clinton either maintained her lead over Obama or was in a virtual tie.

Evidence is increasing that consumers have cut back sharply on spending, raising concerns that consumers who have to date propped up the economy may no longer be able to do so.

The reversal in the official U.S. intelligence stance on Iran, with the conclusion Iran stopped efforts to build nuclear weapons, was a victory for career professionals in the Bush Administration after years in which the interpretation by hard-line political appointees close to Vice President Cheney usually won out.

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke has decided to speak more openly and clearly about the outlook for interest rates after criticisms that the central bank’s statements have been confusing.

The Army Corps of Engineers’ plan to clear shrubs and trees on some private property in New Orleans in order to protect the post-Katrina city’s vital system of rebuilt levees is being opposed by some homeowners who see it as a violation of their property rights.

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