Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) reamed President Barack Obama Thursday for threatening to veto a bill that would guarantee members of the military can freely express their religious beliefs.
“We have reports of servicemen and women being told that, ‘If you share your faith with others, you will face disciplinary action and perhaps court martial,’” Cruz told an evening reception of social conservatives at the Capitol. - More
Republicans are casting the intense battle between Senate hopefuls Gabriel E. Gomez and U.S. Rep. Edward J. Markey as an early referendum on the scandal-wracked Obama administration, as Democrats scramble to widen the congressman’s lead in the polls just 10 days before the election.
“This is definitely a canary-in-the-coal-mine race,” Republican consultant Ron Bonjean said. “You’re seeing the polls dropping and a Republican in Massachusetts once again having a very decent shot at winning the election. - More
President Obama exhorted a crowd of thousands to support US Senate hopeful Edward J. Markey, who Obama said, would “carry on the legacy of John Kerry and Ted Kennedy” and “be my partner.”
At the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center in Roxbury, Obama told a fired-up crowd that he needed Markey to help accomplish his agenda.
“I’ve got to have folks in the United States Senate who are willing to stand up for working people just like I am,” he said to cheers and applause. - More
Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, a conservative firebrand and a favorite of tea party Republicans, said Wednesday she will not run for another term in the U.S. House.
Bachmann, who ran for the Republican presidential nomination last year, announced her decision in a video on her website. - More
Sen. Ted Cruz doesn’t have as many friends as he says he does.
In the latest round of Cruz’s simmering debate with Sen. John McCain (who labeled Cruz a "wacko bird"), Cruz spoke of "my friend, the senior senator from Arizona" while painting him as out of touch with his party and country.
It usually takes a while for senators to learn how to weaponize compliments and imprecations of friendship, but Cruz is a quick study. - More
“As a matter of fact, I don’t think there’s anyone in public life who I’ve kind of sought out their approval or even much advice,” Weiner, who used to described Sen. Chuck Schumer as his mentor, told Talking Points Memo.
“I know that I have to prove myself to my colleagues in government just as much as I do to the rest of New Yorkers … I wouldn’t even consider asking the Clintons for an endorsement or support in a race like this.
I mean, obviously, the former president and the former secretary of state have bigger fish to fry.” - More
Eric Garcetti has won the race to be the 42nd mayor of Los Angeles, becoming the first Jewish person elected as mayor in the city's history.
City Controller Wendy Greuel conceded defeat early Wednesday to Garcetti, a City Council member and former Council president, according to the Los Angeles Times. - More
It was “a bad week for the White House,” according to the National Journal. USA Today said it was ”one of the most challenging weeks at the White House for the Obama administration.” The Washington Examiner went with ”Obama’s roughest week.” Our colleagues at The Fix dissented a bit: They didn’t think it was Obama’s worst week ever. Just his second-worst week ever. - More
Anthony Weiner's run for a renaissance is officially on.
The ex-congressman whose career imploded in a rash of raunchy tweets two years ago said in a YouTube video announcement late Tuesday that he's in the New York City mayoral race. He'd said last month he was considering it. - More
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell unloaded on the Obama administration on Sunday, accusing it of instilling a "culture of intimidation," as the White House continued to suffer brush back following a bombshell report that accused the IRS of targeting specific groups.
"What we're talking about here is an attitude that the government knows best," McConnell said on NBC's "Meet the Press"... - More
In one of his first visits to the city since winning the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, U.S. Rep. Edward Markey told a crowd of supporters gathered yesterday afternoon in the Straight Up Cafe that he is running on what makes Massachusetts special.
“What the Patrick-Murray administration has done is nothing short of a national example,” he said. - More
Newark mayor and New Jersey Senate hopeful Cory Booker made $1.3 million from nearly 90 paid speeches over the last five years, according to financial disclosure filings his aides made public Friday.
It’s the first time Booker, who has been criticized for traveling out of the state for such speeches, has given an accounting of the income. - More
There’s never been much love lost between Attorney General Eric Holder and Republican Rep. Darrell Issa of California – who heads the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
The tension between the two men was on full display Wednesday, when Holder flatly labeled Issa’s conduct during a hearing of the House Judiciary Committee “shameful.” - More
Rep. Jason Chaffetz reiterated Tuesday that the impeachment of President Barack Obama is possible as the White House faces scrutiny over its role in responding to the terror attack on a U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya.
“Look, it's not something I'm seeking,” the Republican congressman from Utah said on CNN’s “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.” - More
U.S. Senate Republican candidate Gabriel Gomez thumbed his nose at Newt Gingrich’s advice and is embracing the GOP party, rather than running away from it, and plans to campaign with U.S. Sen. John McCain in the Bay State next week.
“I am honored to have the U.S. senator stand by my side,” Gomez said yesterday, adding that he won’t return the $5,000 that Gingrich gave him from the former U.S. House speaker’s new political action committee the American Legacy PAC. - More
Everyone knows that Barack Obama can put together a winning coalition in a presidential election. He did it twice.
What’s less clear is whether the Democratic Party and its 2016 presidential nominee will be able to build a coalition that resembles the one Obama assembled in 2008 and masterfully re-created four years later. - More
Ask Speaker John Boehner a question on a key issue these days, and you’re likely to get a variation of the same response:
Talk to someone else.
The Speaker has maintained a lower-key presence in recent months, largely avoiding the spotlight and abandoning the deal-making ambitions of his first two years in office. - More
Steady drips of information about a horrific night in Libya are fueling Republican arguments and ads designed to fire up the conservative base and undercut the Democrats' early favorite for president in 2016.
Democratic and Republican strategists sharply disagree on the issue's power to influence elections next year and beyond. - More
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has raised just under $6.2 million for his reelection bid, his campaign announced Monday.
The first-term governor raised a total $6,166,158 as of May 3, the campaign said, including donations from 14,260 individual donors across all 50 states. - More
President Barack Obama played golf Monday with two Republican senators who have expressed interest in striking a bipartisan deal to solve the nation’s fiscal woes.
Mr. Obama played golf at Joint Base Andrews with Republican Sens. Bob Corker of Tennessee and Saxby Chambliss of Georgia as well as Democratic Sen. Mark Udall of Colorado. - More
Ted Cruz remembers the Alamo. Yes, folks, he remembers the Alamo and the freedom fighters of Texas, and the South Carolinians who fought with them.
He remembers the U.S. Constitution, and the protection it gives to gun owners and people of faith.
And make no mistake, Cruz remembers the transgressions of the Obama administration: the botched gun-running sting operation Fast and Furious, the health care law that tramples personal freedom and the drone strikes the White House uses to kill with impunity. - More
The governor who recently reported that Obama has fulfilled his promise on Hurricane Sandy relief efforts has reportedly put over $1 million in both the Philadelphia and New York Markets, ensuring media access until mid May.
The Republican base was in a uproar days before the recent Presidential election because the New Jersey Governor publicly praised Obama for his leadership in a series of photo ops and press conferences.
Christies tough no nonesense brand has enderred him to independents and some analysts are saying he'll make a strong bid for President of United States.
President Barack Obama will nominate a venture capitalist and a experience leader in communication technology for the Federal Communications Commission.
Tom Wheeler, a Obama loyalist, will replace Democrat Julius Genachowski.
He and his wife spent many hours working the phones in Iowa in both of Obama's campaigns.
Wheeler was also selected as the 20th most influential in the cable television industry in 1995.
The daughter of the Sandy Hook victim Dawn Hochsprung had a poignant question for Senator Kelly Ayotte at a town hall meeting today.
When Lafferty got her chance to question the Senator she asked, “You had mentioned that the burden to owners of gun stores that these expanded background checks would cause,” Lafferty said.
“I’m just wondering why the burden of my mother being gunned down in the hall of her elementary school isn’t as important as that?” Polls are showing Senator Ayotte's public approval down due to her recent vote against a bill to expand background checks for purchasers of firearms.
Senator Ayotte responded to the question by expressing her doubts about the effectiveness of the bill to prevent what motivated the shooting that took place in Newtown, Conneticut. “As you and I both know the issue wasn’t [because of the] background check system,” said Ayotte.
“The issue was mental health … because that seems to be the overriding issue of all of this."
Senator Ayotte also stated she was criticized for allowing debate on the issue, “I took a lot of heat, I will say, from members of my own party who didn’t like the fact I voted to actually go to debate on this issue because we can have strong disagreements,” Ayotte said to Lafferty.
“But ultimately everything should always be debated and discussed. And I will continue to do that, and I appreciate your being here today. I know this can’t be easy." - More
USA Today Reports that despite State initiated voter-identification laws aimed at suppressing minority voting, Afro-Americans went out in record numbers and even surpassed other minority groups and whites in the 2012 elections.
A startling analysis indicates that if the 2012 voting data matched that of 2004 Governor Mitt Romney would have narrowly defeated President Obama by tipping the scale in key states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Florida and Colorado.
According to census data and exit polling Afro-Americans and Whites will remain the largest voting groups for the next decade. - More
Last week, former Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) made his first major return to the public eye with a lengthy New York Times Magazine interview in which he addressed for the first time the lewd photo scandal that led him to resign from office and said he’s considering entering the New York City mayoral election this year.
Most of his rivals and other insiders greeted Weiner’s arrival with skepticism, but a new poll of the race shows him with strong support. - More
There are twisted girders from the twin towers of the World Trade Center, the bullhorn he used from atop the pile of rubble at Ground Zero in New York, an exact replica of his Oval Office and, yes, even his personal collection of signed baseballs.
When visitors tour the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum, they will find a facility that reflects the character and personality of the former president: straightforward, confident, unapologetic and willing to let history be the ultimate decider of his time in office. - More
Who says President Obama doesn't like to schmooze lawmakers?
Former senator Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, says in a new book that Obama lobbied her aggressively on the health care bill, saying she could be a political "Joan of Arc" if she bucked the Republican leadership and supported the plan. - More
New Hampshire State Rep. Stella Tremblay is calling for answers about whether the American government was involved in detonating explosives at the Boston Marathon last week, killing three people and wounding more than 170 others.
In an interview with Foster's Daily Democrat Tuesday, Tremblay said she can't rule out the possibility the government was involved in carrying out the bombings. - More
Montana Sen. Max Baucus will not seek reelection in 2014, becoming the latest senior red-state Democrat to bail out of a potentially difficult reelection campaign, a senior Democratic official confirmed to POLITICO.
Baucus, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, had nearly $5 million in the bank at the end of the first quarter but was expected to face a tough fight in his GOP-leaning home state. - More
Sen. Lindsey Graham, who said Sunday the FBI may have dropped the ball in its investigation of Tamerlan Tsarnaev, began easing off that claim Monday, saying instead the agency "responsibly handled" the situation.
The Republican senator from South Carolina said he talked to the assistant director of the FBI after he made his assertions Sunday and had some of his questions answered... - More
“While steps must be taken to improve the existing background check system, I will not support the Manchin-Toomey legislation, which I believe would place unnecessary burdens on law-abiding gun owners and allow for potential overreach by the federal government into private gun sales,” Ayotte said.
“There are responsible steps that can be taken to stop criminals and others who are already prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law from obtaining them,” Ayotte said.
“With those principles as a guide, I am cosponsoring the Protecting Communities and Preserving the Second Amendment Act, which includes needed reforms to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, addresses mental health gaps in the criminal justice system, and criminalizes gun trafficking and straw purchases.” - More
Compromise legislation to expand mandatory background checks for gun sales -- a key element of the federal response to the elementary school massacre in Newtown, Conn. – failed Wednesday afternoon in the US Senate.
The inability of President Obama and Democratic leaders to round up the required 60 votes in favor of enhanced background checks dealt a striking defeat to a major initiative of the president’s second term, falling short despite numerous pleas... - More
As the Republican Party struggles with ways to attract more African-Americans to its party, one of their own former, African-American presidential candidates could throw a wrench in their plan.
Herman Cain insisted Monday he does not want to be called Republican for fear of being saddled with the "dumb things" Republicans have said in the past. - More
While sitting in a theater getting ready to watch the movie 42, depicting the legendary baseball player Jackie Robinson's rookie season in Major League baseball, former US Senator Scott Brown walks in and take a seat in the back row. Moments later, his wife Gail Huff walks in with items from the concession stand.
Their vacation home is in Rye, NH. So the question of Brown's chances comes to mind. Senator Jeanne Shaheen's staff is elated to face an out of state challenger just off the heels of a major defeat by Senator Elizabeth Warren.
Could a former Senator from the state down south come to New Hampshire and a beat a popular former NH Governor with lifelong ties in the area? An impeccable taste in movies is a great start for any successful challenger. 42 was one of the few movies where it received a great applause by a packed audience at the end.
This would be a state where he has to get out and mingle with voters to which he has a great track record of doing so during his first campaign; a movie theater is a great start. Unfortunately Senator Shaheen is a fighter as well. She knows when to get tough just as Senator Warren did. In a state where the stakes would be high Brown's team can't commit unforced errors as it did in his recent race; like when forgot something and had to fight through departing movie goers to retrieve it.
All in all he has a great face and he comes from working class roots. Let’s see where that takes him if he jumps in the '14 race.
The first thing to be said about the budget President Obama delivered this week is that, at last, he has one. Until now his answer to the brutal specifics of the Republicans’ law-of-the-jungle budget has been a slogan – “a balanced approach.” - More
The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday to overcome a Republican-led filibuster against tougher gun laws, clearing the way for a major congressional debate on a package of proposals sought by President Barack Obama in the aftermath of the Connecticut school massacre.
The procedural vote followed a breakthrough by Sens. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, and Pat Toomey, R-Pennsylvania... - More
"Some have said that I'm either brave or crazy to be here today," he said. "My hope is that you will hear me out, that you will see me for who I am, not the caricature sometimes presented by political opponents."
The libertarian-leaning Paul used both men as an example of how tough laws on drug issues can blight lives – a particular problem among some poor black American communities, where incarceration rates are high.
"We should stand and loudly proclaim enough is enough. We should not have laws that ruin the lives of young men and women who have committed no violence," he said, pointing out that he had submitted a law to repeal federal mandatory minimum sentences. - More
While Democrat Robin Kelly is widely expected to capture Tuesday's special election for former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.'s seat over Republican Paul McKinley, any winner will face big challenges. Illinois' newest member of Congress will have big shoes to fill... - More
Again a secretly recorded tape is reverberating through Washington. One more time, the tape has been disclosed by Mother Jones.
The big surprise is the subject -- Republicans' view of Ashley Judd.
The release of an audiotape from a Feb. 2 meeting featuring campaign aides of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell discussing the possibility of Judd's candidacy as a Democrat... - More
President Obama has apologized to California Attorney General Kamala Harris for making a flirtatious comment about her at a fundraiser Thursday.
Obama called Harris "the best-looking attorney general in the country," a comment that stirred controversy particularly in the California press. - More
In Albany’s second major corruption case this week, a New York State lawmaker was arrested on Thursday on federal charges of accepting bribes and another lawmaker was forced to resign for his part in the scheme to help developers open adult day care centers. - More
Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, who resigned because of an extramarital affair with Maria Belen Chapur, told CNN in an interview Wednesday he was "completely" surprised when Chapur -- now his fiancee -- showed up the night before to appear with him when he claimed victory in the runoff for the GOP nomination for his old U.S. House seat. - More
Despite a lack of experience in foreign policy, or any other kind of politics, Caroline Kennedy looks set to receive a warm reception in Japan if her appointment as the next US ambassador to the country is confirmed.
The name of America’s premier political clan is well known in Japan and analysts believe she will bathe in the reflected glory of her father, former President John F. Kennedy. - More
President Obama on Wednesday swore into office the first female to head the U.S. Secret Service - 30-year veteran agent Julia Pierson - noting that she "now probably has more control over our lives than anyone else, except for our spouses."
"I couldn't be placing our lives in better hands than Julia's," Mr. Obama said in the Oval Office, after Vice President Joe Biden administered Pierson's oath of office. - More
President Obama on Tuesday appointed Julia Pierson, a longtime Secret Service agent, as the first woman to head the agency best known for protecting presidents, vice presidents and their families.
Ms. Pierson, the chief of staff to the departing director, Mark J. Sullivan, will take over at a time when the Secret Service is still recovering from a prostitution scandal that held it up to public ridicule, generated Congressional hearings and cost a number of agents their jobs last year. - More
Envisioning a future where privacy is a thing of the past, Mayor Bloomberg said Friday it will soon be impossible to escape the watchful eyes of surveillance cameras and even drones in the city.
He acknowledged privacy concerns, but said “you can’t keep the tides from coming in.” - More
As Democrats work to make Rep. Paul Ryan's (R-Wis.) budget the centerpiece of their 2014 offense, two top Democratic targets sought to inoculate themselves from the attack by voting against the bill on Thursday.
Reps. Joe Heck (R-Nev.) and Chris Gibson (R-N.Y.) were two of the 10 Republicans who defected on the Ryan budget, after the entire GOP conference was told to vote in favor of it. - More
Sen. Lindsey Graham says that if President Barack Obama gets one winner right in his March Madness bracket he’ll have “trumped what he’s able to do” on his own budget.
“Do you realize he’s never received one vote for any of his previous budgets? If he can pick one winner right in the brackets, he’s trumped on what he’s able to do on getting votes for his own budget,” Graham (R-S.C.) said Wednesday on Fox News’ “On the Record.”
“I think his basketball picks are good news stories and his budget is a lousy news story for him, and so he’s trying to do a good news story,” Graham said on Fox News. - More
All but ensuring there will be no federal shutdown, the Senate on Wednesday approved a measure to keep the government running — but not before tweaking the automatic budget cuts that threaten some of the lawmakers’ favorite programs.
Meat plant inspectors and tuition assistance for military service members were among the programs spared from reductions. - More
When Barack Obama sits down this week with Benjamin ''Bibi'' Netanyahu during his trip to Israel, they will bring a lot more baggage than their briefing books.
For almost 25 years as an adviser and negotiator in Republican and Democratic administrations, I observed the US-Israel relationship up close.
And it's been clear from the beginning that Obama and Netanyahu were doomed to dysfunction. - More
Former House speaker Newt Gingrich (R) said Saturday that the Republican Party needs to stop being defined by its opposition to President Obama.
Echoing former Florida governor Jeb Bush, who the night before told the Conservative Political Action Conference crowd that the GOP needs to stop being viewed as anti-everything, Gingrich told the same crowd the GOP needs to adjust its focus away from the president. - More
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, seen by many in the Republican Party as an "ideas man," slammed as a "false attack" the argument that conservatives "don't need new ideas" during a speech before the Conservative Political Action Conference on Saturday, repeatedly scalding the Republican establishment for being "mired in stupidity." - More
Saying that he has reconsidered the issue in the two years since learning that his son is gay, Republican Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio announced Thursday that he no longer opposes same-sex marriage.
His son Will's coming out, "allowed me to think of this issue from a new perspective, and that's of a dad who loves his son a lot and wants him to have the same opportunities that his brother and sister would have — to have a relationship like [his wife] Jane and I have had for over 26 years," Portman told a group of Ohio reporters Thursday, Cleveland's Plain Dealer reports. - More
The “Real Housewives of New Jersey” need not get nervous, but the White House Thursday unveiled its own online reality series — “Being Biden.”
It has no sex, marital infidelity, backstabbing or tacky social climbing. It’s just “Stories from Vice President Joe Biden” that will appear periodically on the White House website.
If the first installment is a hint of things to come, these will not be benign Facebook-like tales, like shots of the kids on vacation.
The United States and Israel are among the world's closest allies, but their leaders have had a rocky relationship over the past four years.
President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have disagreed in public repeatedly on how to deal with Iran's controversial nuclear program and Jewish housing on occupied land claimed by Palestinians.
That poses a challenge to the two leaders as they prepare to meet in Israel this month. - More
A federal grand jury in Miami is investigating Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., examining his role in advocating for the business interests of a wealthy donor and friend, the Washington Post reported, citing three people aware of the inquiry.
Menendez has intervened in matters affecting the financial interests of Florida ophthalmologist Salomon Melgen, documents and interviews show.
Also, Menendez's office has said he interceded with federal health care officials after they said that Melgen had overbilled the U.S. government for care at his clinic. - More
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Wednesday defended his effort to ban large sugary drinks, arguing it “doesn’t take away anybody’s rights.”
“The portion control size, just using the cup, doesn’t take away anybody’s rights,” Bloomberg said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.
“If you want 32 ounces, take two cups. If you want 64, take four. It’s just there to remind you:
‘This is not good for your health.’ And then let people do what they want to do. We’re not trying to ban anything. We’re simply educating and we do that with a lot of things.” - More
A lingering mystery from the 2012 presidential campaign is about to be solved:
The worker who taped Mitt Romney at a private fundraiser saying that 47 percent of Americans are too dependent on government is finally coming forward.
While the man has still not been publicly identified, the Huffington Post reports it was a bartender working at the event who taped Romney.
The man will give his first public interview to MSNBC’s “The Ed Show” on Wednesday night. - More
He didn't get to celebrate it in the White House, but Mitt Romney seemed to enjoy his 66th birthday anyway on Tuesday, ringing in his new age with a big smile and a sweet treat.
Romney's son Tagg posted a shot of his father on Instagram celebrating his birthday with a Diet Coke, cupcakes and a festive blue birthday hat.
The former presidential candidate has stepped back into the spotlight in recent weeks: as an interviewee, a new hire and, now, as a lover of fluffernutter cupcakes. - More
House Republicans unveiled their latest budget outline on Tuesday, sticking to their plans to try to repeal so-called Obamacare, cut domestic programs ranging from Medicaid to college grants and require future Medicare patients to bear more of the program's cost.
The point is to prove it's possible to balance the budget within 10 years by simply cutting spending and avoiding further tax hikes, even though the fiscal blueprint released Tuesday by Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., will be dead on arrival with the White House and Democrats controlling the Senate. - More
On Tuesday morning, House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin unveiled his much-anticipated new budget.
Its snazzy new feature: Ryan’s plan balances within 10 years, whereas his last budget didn’t balance until 2038.
How does Ryan accomplish this? Well, he still makes deep spending cuts—including to entitlement programs such as Medicare. But his real secret is that he got a huge gift from President Obama. - More
Maybe, after all the gushing about his policy chops, strong executive record and ability to broaden the appeal of conservative Republicans, Jeb Bush isn't ready for the national stage.
Certainly anyone watching the clumsy kickoff of his book tour this week — where he pushed the 2016 presidential door wide open — had to acknowledge that his political skills are a bit rusty six years after leaving Florida's Governor's Mansion. - More
A source close to actress Ashley Judd has confirmed that the “Heat” and “Double Jeopardy” star is actively preparing herself for a run against Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) next year.
“At least in Ashley’s mind, it is happening,” the source said to Fox 411′s Pop Tarts.
“She has devoted herself to many important causes and stepped away from the Hollywood spotlight so this seems like the logical next step. - More
President Obama will soon nominate Thomas Perez to be the next secretary of labor, according to a source familiar with the decision. Perez, 51, is popular throughout the labor movement and earned prominence as Maryland Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley's labor secretary.
He also has strong backing in the West Wing and those close to the White House expect Perez to elevate the visibility of the Labor Department on a range of issues, if he is confirmed by the Senate. - More
The Grand Old Party is not looking so grand these days in the eyes of most Americans, or even among a significant portion of their own party members.
A new poll from the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press found that 62% of respondents believe the Republican Party is out of touch with the rest of the country.
Furthermore, 36% of Republicans feel the same way about their party. - More
President Obama believes Rep. Paul Ryan is “a thought leader” in his party, even though he doesn’t agree with him on most policy issues, press secretary Jay Carney said Thursday.
“The president believes that Chairman Ryan is a thought leader in the Republican Party on these matters,” Carney said. - More
President Barack Obama's outreach to congressional Republicans continued today as he lunched at the White House with Rep. Paul Ryan (R., Wis.), the leading budget-writer in the House.
It's the latest sign that Mr. Obama is trying to reignite conversations with the GOP aimed at producing a "grand bargain'' on deficit-cutting, entitlement spending and taxes. - More
President Obama on Monday will nominate Sylvia Mathews Burwell, head of Wal-Mart’s philanthropic efforts, as White House budget director, a senior administration official confirmed Sunday night. Burwell, a veteran of President Bill Clinton’s economic team, will replace Jeffrey Zients as director of the Office of Management and Budget.
She will bring gender diversity as well as corporate experience to Obama’s inner circle at a time of budget battles with Congress. - More
Docked in its home port in Virginia rather than patrolling the waters of the Persian Gulf, the aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman and its 3,360 officers and crew are this weekend on the front line of the latest conflict to embroil America.
The battleground is not military but budgetary, however, as the Truman's nuclear-powered might is shackled by a rancorous new fight between President Barack Obama and his Republican foes. - More
Law enforcement agents on Wednesday afternoon confirmed that the body found near the Mississippi River is that of Clarksdale mayoral candidate Marco McMillian, who had been missing since early Tuesday. Coahoma County Sheriff’s Department made the announcement at a news conference. - More
"They're not happy at all," he said on CNN's "The Situation Room," adding that an e-mail from a senior administration official - who he would not name - communicated a message which caused him great concern.
"[W] hen the president asks that a substitute for the sequester include not just spending cuts but also new revenue, he is moving the goal posts," Woodward wrote. "His call for a balanced approach is reasonable, and he makes a strong case that those in the top income brackets could and should pay more. But that was not the deal he made." - More
On Tuesday night, state Rep. Robin Kelly swept to a convincing primary victory in the special election to replace Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. in a Chicago-area House seat.
She thanked lots and lots of people in her victory speech but left out the one person most responsible for her win: New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. - More
Former Illinois legislator Robin Kelly captured the Democratic nomination Tuesday in the race to replace disgraced ex-U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., after a truncated campaign season where she got a boost from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's super PAC.
The nomination all but assures that Kelly will sail through the April 9 general election and head to Washington, because the Chicago-area district is overwhelmingly Democratic. - More
The Supreme Court refused a request on Monday to consider widening its landmark 2010 decision loosening restrictions on campaign finance by corporations.
In a brief order, the court rejected the appeal of William Danielczyk and Eugene Biagi, two Virginia businessmen who were charged with criminally circumventing federal election laws through their support of the 2006 Senate and 2008 presidential campaigns of Hillary Clinton. - More
"The crisis is made up - it's been created," Coburn continued. "We see all these claims about what a tragedy it's going to be. The great example is, is if the secretary of transportation can assure us all the planes are going to be safe, then the Department of Homeland Security can assure us that we can get through the airports on time. They have plenty of flexibility in terms of discretion on how they spend money."
It's not "rocket science" for Republican and Democratic lawmakers to find their way to the negotiating table with a plan to replace the "dumb," across-the-board cuts known as the sequester scheduled to activate in five days, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said today on "Face the Nation."
Education services, in particular, will be hit with the sudden axe to the budget March 1.
Head Start will be slashed by $406 million, booting 70,000 children from the program; special education will be cut by $840 million; up to 40,000 teachers and other school employees could face layoffs; and drastic cuts to the military will leave families employed under that umbrella inordinately unable to afford special services. - More
Eight months after Michele Bachmann's 2012 presidential bid ground to a halt in Iowa, her campaign manager there signed a sworn affidavit, pointing his finger at another top staffer in a still-simmering dispute over the misuse of a contact list of home-school family names.
The Sept. 4 affidavit – first reported by the Iowa Republican and obtained Friday by NBC News – was written by Bachmann's Iowa adviser Eric Woolson, and accuses former State Sen. Kent Sorenson of stealing the list from another Bachmann staffer.
Sorenson was the campaign’s state chairman at the time. - More
Elizabeth Colbert-Busch, a College Administrator and the sister Stephen Colbert of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, is throwing her hat into the ring for the United States House of Representatives. She'll be vying for former Representatives and now Sen. Tim Scott's vacant seat after he was appointed by Govenor Niki Haley to replace former Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina. Colbert-Busch will be campaigning for South Carolina's First Congressional District.
The competition will be no laughs as she'll be competing against a seasoned politician in former South Carolina Govenor Mark Sanford.
AP Reporting Donald Trumps is sending enthustiastic support of Benjamin Netanyahu in a video tapped message to Israel:
Associated Press - Donald Trump says he recorded a YouTube endorsement of Benjamin Netanyahu for re-election because the Israeli prime minister asked him to. Trump tells Shalom TV that Netanyahu called and asked if he would "do an ad or a statement" to support his campaign in next week's Israeli parliamentary election. - More
Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin has been indicted on 21 corruption charges including wire fraud, bribery and money laundering. The charges announced
Friday come from a City Hall corruption investigation that already has resulted in guilty pleas by two former city officials and two businessmen. - More
But this is what President Obama promised, and he is keeping his word. Massive tax increases, massive spending increases, massive increases in our already unsupportable national debt, and no reforms to prevent the certain bankruptcies of Social Security and Medicare.
President Obama and his supporters are accelerating America’s swift descent and our transformation from the world's lone superpower into a bankrupt social welfare state like Greece.
“The only way we can truly avoid going over any fiscal cliff is by making fundamental and permanent reforms to end Washington`s spending addiction,” said Crawford.
“No real spending cuts. No real deficit reduction. No acknowledgement of America’s out-of-control national debt. This is a popular vote today, but it will harm America in the long run. It is good to see a return to bipartisanship, but not when it makes our fiscal problems worse.
“Congress is missing the chance of the decade to adopt a large, balanced deficit reduction plan such as Simpson-Bowles that combines tax relief with controlling federal spending.
“In just a few weeks, America will face another debt-ceiling crisis as well as sequestration. Today’s fiscal Band-Aid may feel good now, but its relief will not even last until spring.”
“Everyone is for spending cuts in generic terms,” Conaway said.
“No one is for them when they have a direct effect on their constituents. “It is time to set this vote aside. Our focus is on the next two rounds,” he said.
On the Debt Ceiling and appropriations bill:
“We will use both of those opportunities to force the president to address something he has yet to address -- spending,” Conaway said.
“I don’t think going over the fiscal cliff would have been a huge deal,” he continued. “Temporarily, the markets would have been aggravated until the next Congress could have
passed new tax cuts and ironed things out. “But the real big deal is what’s upon us and going past the debt limit. I have to see a way out of this, real spending cuts, before
“Hurricane Sandy was a devastating event for millions of Americans, and it is important that we focus on the victims’ recovery efforts so they can continue to rebuild their lives, homes and businesses.
Unfortunately, as is often the case with ‘emergency’ spending bills, this relief bill contained billions in spending that has little to do with these relief efforts. Much of this additional spending consists of regular budget items that should go through the proper appropriations channels.For example, the bill contained funding for the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) to improve its weather research and forecasting tools, and to upgrade its reconnaissance aircraft. (emphasis added.)
Designating such funding as an ‘emergency’ and bypassing the normal budget process is inappropriate, unnecessarily adds billions to the deficit and diverts funding away from those Americans truly in need.”
I am incredibly frustrated that one, we’re at the deadline. Two… folks say, ‘Oh my gosh, people are coming back from Hawaii to work on this!’ I’m thinking, why did you [President Obama] go to Hawaii in the first place?
“It is an incredible outrage that this so-called compromise included virtually no spending cuts, only tax and spending hikes,” said Rep. John Carter, R-Round Rock.
Capito joined a majority of her fellow House Republicans in voting against a bill to avoid the "fiscal cliff" of tax increases and budget cuts late Tuesday night. - The Hill
To extend certain tax relief provisions enacted in 2001 and 2003, and to provide for expedited consideration of a bill providing for comprehensive tax reform, and for other purposes - More
"This gives us, who want cuts, another bite at the apple," said Rep. John Campbell, R-Irvine, who sits on the House Budget Committee and was an original co-sponsor of Paul Ryan's budgetary "Roadmap for America."
"Our response is, 'No, this is the one vehicle we have to reduce entitlements,'" Campbell said, referring to non-discretionary programs including Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security – all of which would be largely untouched by sequestration cuts. - Orange County Register
“It’s been pretty frustrating. It’s obviously split our conference pretty badly,” he said. “We’re in a tough place right now. The only restraint on the White House right now is
the Republican House and we’ve got to be strong, and unfortunately, yesterday we didn’t look all that strong.” - dallasnews.com
“While I want to keep tax rates as low as possible for all Americans, the fiscal cliff deal passed by the United States Senate fails to address our most pressing problem –
reducing out of control spending. This plan has $41 in tax increases for every $1 in spending cuts. It is not balanced in any way and will not improve our
We have gone over the fiscal cliff because of Washington’s inability to control spending, and now in the eleventh hour, Congress’s only answer is to throw more money at our already outrageous problem. In just ten short years, this deal will add nearly $4 trillion dollars to the debt, and it only includes $1 in spending cuts for every $41 in tax hikes. I cannot support a bill that
makes such a mockery out of the very serious spending addiction that has crippled our country’s livelihood and taken a toll on the American people. I believe the only way to truly jumpstart our economy is to provide lower taxes and more relief for families and small businesses across the country. Instead, this bill passes on one of the largest tax hikes in decades, and it makes
these higher rates permanent. As a result, 77% of American households will see their taxes go up, while some of Washington’s favorite industries – including Hollywood, railroads, and rum producers – will see their tax credits extended. My fear is that in a very short period of time we’ll be right back here having this same debate; who to raise taxes on and by how much, without a
word about cutting spending. It’ll only be so long until we’re taxing the entire country at maximum rates – but still spending so much that we cannot meet our obligations. That’s when we’ll reach the real fiscal cliff, and as a consequence the United States will no longer be the global powerhouse and economic leader that it once was. We cannot let it come to this, but it will –
unless this Congress, this Administration, and this President get serious about cutting spending. @RepPaulBrounMD
"I have received a report from the Congressional Budget Office which says the Senate bill will increase our deficit, on a annual basis, by $329 billion," said Congressman Mo Brooks via telephone Tuesday afternoon.
"There is also a significant amount, roughly $50 billion a year, in spending increases."
"First and foremost, they have passed this in the wee hours of the morning without even Senators having an opportunity to digest what they were doing and having been educated accordingly," he said. @RepMoBrooks
U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany, R-La., who has represented District 7 and is set to be sworn in as the newly reapportioned District 3 representative, said in a news release that he did not vote for the "fiscal cliff deal." He cited as his reason the bill's "fundamental failure to address one of the biggest problems facing our nation today: government spending." - The Advertiser
U.S. Representative Jo Bonner, R-Alabama, offered the following statement about his decision to vote against the Senate fiscal cliff agreement Tuesday evening. “
At the end of the day I just couldn’t support – with my one vote – such a flawed process. “There is simply no way Mr. Jefferson, Mr. Madison or our other founding fathers could have ever envisioned having the Senate pass a $4 trillion addition to the debt of our nation at 2:00 a.m., only to have the House take it up less than 20 hours later and there be no regard for
the long-term damage we are doing to America’s future. “Over the past several months, President Obama didn’t hide the fact that he loathes the success some Americans have worked so hard to enjoy and he will get the tax increases he has so openly sought. But to think he and the Democrats in Congress couldn’t have come up with a penny – not a single penny –
of cuts to offset the $4 trillion in new spending is beyond the pale. “This is a sad day for our country but the saddest, at least to me, was when the American people, on November 6th, expressed with their vote that they believed we could continue down the path of more spending and borrowing with no consequences.”
Democrat Earl Blumenauer also voted against the package. He has said in the past that he wanted a wide-ranging deal that would significantly cut military spending and subsidies for large farming businesses - Mail Tribune @repblumenauer
Republican members decided "we are done with kicking this can down the road. This will happen no more. We grabbed that can. And that can is called spending cuts," she said. "We are going to have very spirited, very thoughtful debates on cutting what this government wants to spend." @MarshaBlackburn
Bonnie of Mufreesboro, Military Spouse, and Educator to Rep. Black: "By refusing to ask the wealthiest two percent to pay their fair share, Republicans have set us on a path to go off the so-called "fiscal cliff" which will force the middle class to pay an additional $2,000 in taxes. Will you put the middle class over millionaires?"
Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, said his constituents were split over what he should do. In the end, he said, “you just have to do what you think is right.” @sanfordbishop
Bilirakis said the bill "did not include the spending reforms our country desperately needs" to fix a debt that "places a heavier burden on our children and grandchildren." @Bilirakis
Xavier Becerra said, “In the end, I could not support this short-term fix which may spawn additional long-term problems, putting off until later the tough decisions on taxes and our nation’s debt and deficits, while also ignoring the biggest deficit challenging America’s prosperity: a jobs deficit.” @RepBecerra
"That’s not good when we’re going into a new administration, where we’re going to have to scratch and claw," U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, an Arlington Republican who voted against the fiscal-cliff billy. @RepJoeBarton
During the final weeks before the Nov. 6 election, with polls showing a tight race, Obama's campaign exploited cable TV's diverse lineup to target women on channels such as Food Network and Lifetime and men on networks such as ESPN. - More
According to the Venezuelan government, Hugo Chavez is suffering breathing difficulties caused by a severe lung infection. Reports have claimed the Socialist leader,
who has been in power for 14 years, was being kept alive by life support machines and was in an induced coma in Cuba. - More
On November 29, 2012, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, conferred the rank of deputy prime minister, with the approval of parliament, on Muktar Kedir,
chief of staff at the Office of the Prime Minister, and Debrestion Gebremichael, Ph.D., Minister of Communications and Information Technology. - More
The big demographic story out of the 2012 presidential election may have been President Obama's domination of the Hispanic vote, and rightfully so.
But as we close the book on the election, it bears noting that another less obvious bloc of key swing state voters helped the president win a second term. - More
A fourth consecutive poll has found Democrat Elizabeth Warren ahead of Republican US Senator Scott Brown in a race that could tip the balance of power in the US Senate.
The new poll by WBUR found that 45 percent of likely voters back Warren, while Brown is the choice of 40 percent. The survey found that 12 percent were undecided.
The poll of 507 likely voters has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points, the radio station said in a statement. - More
A Republican-led Kansas board is considering removing President Barack Obama from the state's November ballot. The board has asked Obama's campaign to provide more information about whether he was born in Hawaii or not. The board plans to meet Monday and possibly vote on whether to keep Obama on the ballot. - More
In case there was any confusion, the Obama campaign thinks the United States is “absolutely” better off than it was four years ago.
The day before, a few surrogates had been unable to answer the question positively, but on Today Monday, the president’s deputy campaign manager Stephanie Cutter made the team’s feelings clear.
“By any measure, the country has moved forward over the last four years,” said Cutter. “It might not be as fast as some people would have hoped, [but] the president agrees with that, he knows we need to do more.” - More
"2016: Obama's America," a new conservative film exploring the roots of President Barack Obama's political views, took in $6.2 million to make it one of the highest-grossing movies of last weekend.
The film, written and narrated by conservative scholar Dinesh D'Souza, argues that Obama was heavily influenced by what D'Souza calls the "anti-colonial" beliefs of his father, Barack Obama Sr., a Kenyan academic who was largely absent from the president's life.
President Barack Obama called an impromptu press conference to discuss the latest political issue in his quest to seek a second term in office. Weighing in on Rep. Todd Akin's remarks on rape, that has generated a major firestorm in his Senatorial race in Missouri, President Obama rebuked Rep. Akin's characterization of "legitimate rape". Obama stated, “The idea that we should be parsing, qualifying, slicing what types of rape we’re talking about doesn’t make sense to the American people.”
Democrats seek to capitalize on Rep. Akin's ill-advised comments and to shed light on the policies of the GOP's Presidential tickets on abortion, Planned Parenthood and other women's health issues.
During yet another panel appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed tore into newly named GOP vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan as a late-comer to fiscal responsibility. - More
Representative Paul Ryan, also of Wisconsin, requires staffers to read Atlas Shrugged, describes Obama’s economic policies as “something right out of an Ayn Rand novel,” and calls Rand “the reason I got involved in public service.”
More from JS Online:
"The reason I got involved in public service, by and large, if I had to credit one thinker, one person, it would be Ayn Rand," Ryan said at a D.C. gathering four years ago honoring the author of "Atlas Shrugged" and "The Fountainhead."
And now, Ayn Rand on God:
Playboy: Has no religion, in your estimation, ever offered anything of constructive value to human life?
Ayn Rand: Qua religion, no - in the sense of blind belief, belief unsupported by, or contrary to, the facts of reality and the conclusions of reason. Faith, as such, is extremely detrimental to human life: it is the negation of reason. But you must remember that religion is an early form of philosophy, that the first attempts to explain the universe, to give a coherent frame of reference to man's life and a code of moral values, were made by religion, before men graduated or developed enough to have philosophy. And, as philosophies, some religions have very valuable moral points. They may have a good influence or proper principles to inculcate, but in a very contradictory context and, on a very - how should I say it? - dangerous or malevolent base: on the ground of faith. [Playboy interview with Ayn Rand]
Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) on Friday accused the Commonwealth of Massachusetts of favoring his Democratic rival, Elizabeth Warren,
because they complied with a 1993 bipartisan federal law that requires states to provide voter registrations to people seeking public assistance like welfare.
New York-based think tank Demos in May sued Massachusetts and eight other states for not complying with the National Voter Registration Act.
The state responded by sending out more than 500,000 voter registrations to welfare recipients at taxpayers' expense. - More
President Obama came to the defense of an aide to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Friday night, countering conservatives who have called her a security risk because of supposed ties to Islamic extremists. - More
Well because it sells so well with the Daily Kos and Huffington Post crowd. Reid knows his charges are baseless, but he also knows that he’s unlikely to be proved wrong, so what the hell. - More
Interesting read by David Maraniss who delves into why there are folks in politics who've conceived a lot of bogus narratives about President Obama's history; from the accusation that he's a secret Muslim, to lies about his inferior college records and the place of his birth.
Mainstream media have not aired a comprehensive correction to this ignorance in my opinion because it's in their interest to keep the 2012 election close given the billions of dollars going to ad space in this election.
We know why big oil, the health industry and Wall Street are giving millions to the republicans, it not because they care about the middleclass. Greed fuels a lot of Obama's detractors.
Maraniss asserts:
What drives them? Some of it can be attributed to the give-and-take of today’s harsh ideological divide. Some of it can be explained by the way misinformation spreads virally to millions of like-minded people, reinforcing preconceptions. And some of it, I believe, arises out of fears of demographic changes in this country, and out of racism.
House Minority Leader Eric Cantor broke ranks with top Republicans Thursday, defending Congresswoman Michele Bachmann’s questioning of a top Hillary Clinton aide’s loyalty to the United States, saying the Minnesota lawmaker’s “concern was about the security of the country.”
Speaking Thursday, the Virginia Republican refused to criticize Ms. Bachmann’s comments, saying that Minnesota Republican was simply attempting to protect the U.S., rather than stoke fear. - More
Mitt Romney’s seven-day overseas tour, designed to showcase the presidential hopeful’s statesmanlike qualities,
is getting off to a rocky start. First, the London daily Telegraph quoted an unnamed Romney aide as saying that the Obama presidency does not fully appreciate the “Anglo-Saxon” heritage that Great Britain and the United States share.
Coming after weeks of Governor Romney describing President Obama’s ideology as “foreign” to most Americans, the remark caused a transatlantic tempest.
In an age in which it's apparently okay for Mitt Romney to repeatedly just make stuff up about President Obama, this interpretation of these incredibly inappropriate comments by a Romney advisers is more than fair. - More
Someone on the Romney staff needs to be sacked – fast and publicly.
On Tuesday, a campaign insider told the Daily Telegraph that Mitt wants to heal the divide between America and Britain that has emerged under Obama’s watch.
“We are part of an Anglo-Saxon heritage,” they said, “and [Romney] feels that the special relationship is special. - More
Mitt Romney has criticized President Obama for his “you didn’t build that line,” when it came to businesses.
The president was making an “it takes a village” argument, which the Romney campaign and conservatives have roundly panned. But in 2002, during his speech at the Opening Ceremonies at the Winter Olympics -- the games in which Romney was lauded for turning around the management of the event -- Romney made a similar argument about Olympians. - More
Huffinton Post is reporting that Romney has not fully disclosed his 2010 Tax Records to the public as the campaign previously stated. A critical diclosure, the Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts form requested by the Huffingpost, would provide much needed information on why Romney decided to open a Swiss Bank Account.
Democratic U.S. Senate challenger Elizabeth Warren reported raising far more in campaign donations in the last quarter than her Republican opponent, U.S. Sen. Scott P. Brown, piling up $8.5 million to Mr. Brown’s $4.6 million.
The surge in fundraising by Ms. Warren, who like Mr. Brown has held many out-of-state fund-raising events, helped her close the gap in cash on hand as their campaigns move into the final months before the November election.
A yearlong stalemate between Florida and Washington ended Saturday when the federal government gave the state access to a federal citizenship database, which the state will use to resume an election-year purge of noncitizen voters.
A doctor who ran against Mitt Romney for Massachusetts governor a decade ago has won the chance to challenge him again, this time as the Green Party's presidential nominee.
Jill Stein, an internist from Lexington, Mass., blasted both Romney and President Obama, saying they had become too dependent on donations from corporations in order to reach office at the expense of the nation's citizens.
Presidential candidates always rely on a mix of overt support for them and distaste for their opponent.
A lot of voters go into the booth mainly to lodge a vote against the incumbent, and the only way to do that, of course, is to vote for the other guy.
But Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has an inordinate share of what might be called anti-support: supporters who support him primarily because they oppose President Barack Obama.
So just why is 1999 suddenly such a flashpoint in Campaign 2012? Team Obama says 1999 is the birth year of "The Big Bain Lie" and goes on to suggest that Mitt Romney might have committed a felony.
That provoked a rare statement from Romney campaign manager Matt Rhoades, who called on President Barack Obama to apologize for "the out of control behavior of his staff, which demeans the office that he holds." - More
Sen. Dick Durbin on Monday put public pressure on fellow Illinois Democrat Jesse Jackson Jr. to explain what is preventing him from serving in the House.
"As a public official, there comes a point when you have a responsibility to tell the public what's going on," Durbin said at an event in Chicago.
"If there is some medical necessity for him not to say more at this moment than I will defer to that. But he will have to soon make a report on what he's struggling with."
House Speaker John Boehner believes Americans aren’t going to fall in love with presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney.
According to Roll Call, Boehner made the comment during a fundraiser in West Virginia on June 30 when a woman asked him: Can you make me love Mitt Romney?
Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and allied party committees raised more than $100 million in June, Republican National Committee political director Rick Wiley said today on Twitter.
Romney, like President Barack Obama, is raising money jointly with national and state party committees.
This allows donors to contribute more than they can give directly to a candidate’s campaign, which is limited to $2,500 each for the primary and general election campaigns.
U.S. Reps. Larry Kissell and Mike McIntyre -- both of whom represent rural districts with more Republican voters after redistricting -- have declined to endorse Obama for re-election.
McClatchy notes that Kissell voted to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress and opposed Obama's health care bill.
A lot of noise has been made about the other 1 percent who have been scrutinized as of late, approximately 1% of Americans that will be taxed or mandated with the requirement to pay for health coverage as a result of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) legislation.
After being questioned on Air Force One, Jay Carney the White House Press Secretary stated,
It’s a penalty because you have a choice, you don’t have a choice to pay your taxes, right? You have a choice to buy — if you can afford health insurance. … So if you don’t buy it, and you can afford it, it is an irresponsible thing to do to ask the rest of America’s taxpayers to pay for your care when you go to the emergency room. So your choice is to purchase healthcare reform or a penalty will be administered.
Casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson is giving a reported 10 million dollars to the defeat President Obama effort. Other deep pockets are lining up to contribute in what the Obama campaign has indicated will be the first time a sitting President of the United States will be outspent by an opponent.
Both presidential campaigns are citing fund-raising spikes following the Supreme Court's decision upholding President Barack Obama's health care law.
Mitt Romney's organization said Friday morning it had raised $4.6 million online, and Obama's operation, while not revealing specific numbers, said they had surpassed Team Romney's announced total
Activists, experts and millions of American families are bracing for Thursday’s Supreme Court ruling on health care reform. Former CBO Director Douglas Holtz-Eakin and Ron Pollack of Families USA discuss.
Gov. Jerry Brown trimmed $128 million from the budget passed by Democratic lawmakers before signing the spending plan into law late Wednesday night.
The cuts include reductions to financial aid for college students and child-care programs -- two of the areas that divided Brown and Democratic lawmakers in the final days of the budget fight.
A comment from a top Republican state lawmaker that Pennsylvania's new voter identification law will enable his party's presidential candidate to win the state in November drew fire Monday from Democrats.
House Majority Leader Mike Turzai, R-Bradford Woods, made the remark Saturday at a meeting of the Republican State Committee in Hershey.
Fighting a swell of economic anxiety, President Barack Obama has lost much of the narrow lead he held just a month ago over Mitt Romney and the two now are locked in a virtually even race for the White House, according to a new Associated Press-GfK poll.
The survey also found a majority of Americans disapproving of how the Democratic president is handling a national economy that fewer people think is improving.
Islamabad, Jun 22: Raja Parvez Ashraf, a stalwart of the ruling PPP, on Friday became Pakistan's new Prime Minister as the country struggled to come out of its latest political crisis.
Ashraf was administered the oath of office by President Asif Ali Zardari tonight, hours after he was elected as the new Prime Minister by the National Assembly.
Politico’s White House Correspondent, Joe Williams, was suspendedfor a comment he made as part of a panel discussion on Martin Bashir’s MSNBC show and tweets the founding editors deemed “unacceptable” for a professional journalist. Williams made the remark after Bashir suggested that Mitt Romney’s trouble connecting with Hispanics might be due to the fact that “he rarely appears on television besides Fox.”
“Romney is very, very comfortable it seems with people who are like him. That’s one of the reasons why he seems so stiff and awkward in some town hall settings, why he can’t relate to people other than that. But when he comes on Fox and Friends, they’re like him, they’re white folks who are very much relaxed in their own company.”
Wednesday, the US Department of Justice said it will not retry the John Edwards case. DOJ filed an order of dismissal of the case in Greensboro Federal Courty. - More
Former aides to President Bill Clinton are calling for a dramatic shift in their party's economic message before the November election, warning of an "impossible headwind in November," if they continue on their current path. - More
According to numbers published by the French Ministry of the Interior, a majority of French citizens residing overseas (53%) voted for right-wing candidate former President Nicolas Sarkozy in France’s presidential election just one month ago. - MoreNews in France
The soda industry is fighting back against New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg for his proposed ban on sugary drinks. The Center of Consumer Freedom plans to run a full-page advertisement in Sunday's New York Times portraying Bloomberg as a nanny wearing a purple dress days after the mayor's announcement to prohibit sugary drinks larger than 16 ounces from movie theaters, restaurants and street carts.
The advertisement, which reads that 'New York needs a mayor, not a nanny,' is a stand against Bloomberg's initiative to combat obesity. - More
Barack Obama vowed not to take America into another war unless it was "absolutely necessary" after noting in Memorial Day remarks that for the first time in nine years soldiers were no longer dying in Iraq. At a service to remember the country's fallen at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, the president also said that US forces are withdrawing from Afghanistan. - More
MSNBC host Chris Hayes says he's sorry for his comments about his discomfort with the use of the word "heroes" to describe fallen soldiers. Hayes made the comments during his show on Sunday, the day before Memorial Day. He was met with a strong backlash, including from a veterans' group. - More
A federal judge ruled Monday that Mayor Vincent C. Gray must answer questions about a disputed lottery case, the latest in a drumbeat of news involving misconduct in the Washington, D.C., government. Read More...
Speaker John A. Boehner set the stage for a bruising election-year showdown on fiscal policy while Mitt Romney hit President Obama hard on his fiscal stewardship in a speech in Des Moines. Read More...
After keeping a low profile since leaving office, former President George W. Bush is starting to speak out again on issues he hopes will define his legacy. Read More...
Iowa is an important laboratory for Mitt Romneys broad effort to lay the blame for the nations ongoing economic distress at President Obamas feet. Read More...
Some states are diverting their share of a $2.5 billion they were awarded in a mortgage settlement, money intended to help homeowners and mitigate the effects of foreclosures. Read More...
BBC NewsPeople: President Barack Obama, Michael Fassbender, Jay-Z, Eddie Fisher, David ...Pittsburgh Post GazettePresident Barack Obama can hold his own when it comes to pop culture: He's up on "The Avengers" superheroes, has a handle on the Kardashians and says he catches up with TV hits during long flights Read More...
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