According to a new Harris Poll, a 62 percent majority of Americans think President Bush tends to paint a rosier picture of the situation in Iraq than is warranted. Following closely behind the President are Republican leaders, who could only muster a 17 percent share of Americans who think they get the news balance about right. On the other hand, when it comes to military leaders, the American public is slightly more positive, saying 39 percent put on a happy face, while 35 percent think they have the right answers. What about the Democrats? A majority (56 percent) of Americans believe the Dems are too negative in their assessments.
Bell Textron has won DARPA's contest for a no-runway, high-speed drone that will prove out technologies useful for special operations forces and possibly the Air Force's Agile Combat Employment concept. Bell's design converts a tiltrotor to a jet-powered aircraft able to fly at up to 450 knots.