Violent crime on the rise in the U.S.

By the way, you're not safer here. Bush gave up on crime prevention and it's showing:

Big-city murders rose sharply in 2006 as violent crime increased nationally for the second straight year, the FBI reported Monday. Homicides committed in small towns and mid-size cities took a dramatic downswing - resulting in an overall 0.3 percent increase in the murder rate across the country, the new preliminary data show.

Year-end totals for murders rose in eight of the nation's 10 largest cities: Chicago, Houston, Las Vegas, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Antonio and San Diego. That contributed to a 6.7 percent murder rate increase in cities with populations over 1 million people.

Bush and his top law enforcement official, Alberto Gonzales, ignore the needs of local law enforcement, just like they ignore the needs of troops in Iraq. There's a pattern with these guys that makes the world -- and the country -- a more dangerous place:

Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., who chairs a Senate panel overseeing crime issues, said the new numbers should serve as "a wake-up call" to the administration, which he accused of slashing funding that would have put more local cops on the street.

"For years we drove down the crime rates - but now we're in reverse gear," said Biden, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for president. "This administration has repeatedly ignored the needs to law enforcement, giving short shrift to the men and women who keep us safe every day."

Heckuva job, Bushie.