Whether or not Mr Blair succeeds in making any progress on the budget during Britain's six-month presidency is almost beside the point.

ECONOMIST: Bagehot

"We're not where we want to be by any means, but we are making progress, " Ms. Stewart said in a recent interview.

WSJ: Citibank's Overhauled Retail Strategy Shows Uneven Results

The White House could not say any of the benchmarks were met, though the report says Iraqi leaders are making progress in eight of the areas.

NPR: Bush: No Moves on Iraq Until September