An editorial in the Washington Times highlights the fractures within the Democratic party regarding the reauthorization of FISA legislation.  As the debate has grown more heated over the last few weeks, Congressional leadership has increasingly been influenced by liberal interest groups - at the expense of this vital legislation.

But it remains to be seen whether this issue will be resolved anytime soon. While the Republican minority in both chambers is pretty much united in support of the president on FISA, the Democrats are bitterly divided on the issue. In the Senate, the Intelligence Committee chairman, Sen. Jay Rockefeller, West Virginia Democrat, had been working responsibly for months with Sen. Kit Bond, Missouri Republican and ranking member on the Senate panel, to craft the compromise bill granting retroactive liability protection to telecommunications firms that reached the Senate floor last week. But many members of the Senate Democratic Caucus, including Sen. Chris Dodd, Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy and Sen. Russ Feingold, oppose any relief for telecommunications companies and are determined to filibuster any bill that includes it. Under mounting pressure from the left, the Senate Democratic leadership on Monday managed to whip all but a handful of Democrats into line in order to block passage of the Senate Intelligence Committee bill. On Monday, Mr. Rockefeller — sabotaged by his own party's leadership — voted against his own bill and with Mr. Dodd's obstructionist faction.

On the House side, the situation is even more bleak. Last year, the House passed its own FISA bill without retroactive liability, and yesterday afternoon, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Michigan Democrat, vowed to oppose any compromise. Today, Mr. Conyers is expected to be in Williamsburg with his Democratic colleagues. Also present at today's retreat will be 41 members of the relatively moderate "Blue Dog" Democratic group who defied Mrs. Pelosi and Mr. Conyers and joined with House Republicans in August to pass a six-month extension of FISA. Sometime in the next two weeks, the Blue Dogs will likely be called upon once again to stand up to their party's leadership and support retroactive liability protection for American corporations that did their patriotic duty after September 11.

Reuters is reporting that an increasingly defiant Iran is expected to have a nuclear power plant on line within the next year, continuing an Uranium enrichment program that could produce fuel for a nuclear weapons program.

The West suspects Iran's nuclear activities are ultimately aimed at building weapons. Iran, the world's fourth-largest crude oil producer, says it only wants to generate electricity so that it can export more of its oil and gas.

World powers last week agreed the outline of a third U.N. sanctions resolution against Iran, calling for mandatory travel bans and asset freezes for specific Iranian officials and vigilance on banks in the country.

Ahmadinejad said Iran would not halt its disputed uranium enrichment work, technology which can have both civilian and military purposes.

"If you (the West) imagine that the Iranian nation will back down you are making a mistake," he said in a televised speech.

President Bush’s proposal to extend Pell Grants to K-12 grade students is receiving glowing reviews from the Wall Street Journal.  Pell Grants for college students have grown significantly over the last seven years, offering students and parents greater choice and control over their academic futures.  The President’s plan would offer similar grants to those still in grade school, with most of the money going to inner-city areas with schools that have repeatedly failed to pass federal standards, but some in Congress are attempting to block the plan.

…the new Pell grant proposal was immediately denounced by Democrats. The reason, as ever, is because K-12 education is dominated by a union monopoly that can't abide parental choice. Lucky for students the same unions don't yet run American universities.

All students should have access to quality schools.  The President’s Pell Grants for Kids program would empower students and parents to escape from failing public schools and enable them to take control over their education.