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week in Review 7/24/10

2010-07-24T10:07:00.001-04:00

Deficit Debacle; Obama Debt Commission Struggling to Achieve Consensus

President Obama has repeatedly promised to tackle the long-term structural deficit of this country, but when? Even his debt commission is at odds over whether it would be better to chip away at the deficit in earnest while the economy remains in such a delicate state, or after stability takes hold.

On Thursday, Mr. Obama signed a bill intended to stem government bloat by reducing federal government waste, fraud and abuse by $50 billion between now and 2012. “We have to challenge a status quo that accepts billions of dollars in waste as the cost of doing business,” the president proclaimed at the White House event.

With a report from the president’s Bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform not due until December, public comments from its members have yet to reveal a consensus view over how to proceed with deficit reduction. Sparing no frankness, Commission Co-chair and former Republican Senator Alan Simpson said recently that the group is comprised of “good people of deep, deep difference, knowing the possibility of the odds of success are rather harrowing to say the least.” Read more.

N. Korea Threatens ‘Physical Response’ to U.S. Drills; Clinton Blasts ‘Belligerent’ Acts

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — North Korea on Friday threatened the United States and South Korea with a “physical response” to planned weekend naval exercises as tensions with the communist nation rose in the aftermath of the sinking of a South Korean warship blamed on the North.

In Vietnam for a Southeast Asian regional security forum, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and a North Korean official traded barbs over the ship incident, the upcoming military drills and the imposition of new U.S. sanctions against the North.

The spokesman for the North Korean delegation to the talks, Ri Tong Il, repeated Pyongyang’s denial of responsibility for the March sinking of the ship that killed 46 South Korean sailors and said the upcoming military drills were a violation of its sovereignty that harkened back to the days of 19th-century “gunboat diplomacy.” Read more.

President Obama, White House react to ‘cable chatter’

President Barack Obama has made a mantra out of insisting he and his White House won’t get caught up in “cable chatter,” with aides proudly insisting they don’t let 24-hour news outlets drive decision-making.

But this week’s forced resignation of a previously obscure Agriculture Department employee is just the latest example of Obama officials reacting to a cable news-driven obsession of the right.

It not only infuriates Obama’s liberal base, which feels like the episodes just reinforce the power of the right to push a damaging story into the mainstream press. But as this week shows, the White House’s touchiness even threatens Obama’s ability to keep control of his own public persona, or steer the national conversation in a way that’s conducive to promoting his message and his agenda. Read more.

10 nations join Mexican opposition to Arizona law, politician says

(CNN) — Mexico has received the support of parliamentary leaders from 10 nations in opposition to Arizona’s controversial new immigration law, the Mexican Senate president said Wednesday.

Mexico and the other nations signed a declaration expressing their “strong condemnation and profound rejection of the law,” said Senate President Carlos Navarrete Ruiz.

The Arizona law, which is scheduled to go into effect later this month, requires anyone being investigated by police for a possible crime to provide proof of legal residency.

Opponents say the measure is discriminatory and invites racial profiling, but supporters say it’s necessary to curb the flood of illegal immigrants in the border state. Read more.

Climate bill on the ropes

The Senate climate bill has been at death’s door several times over the past year. But with the days before the August recess quickly slipping away, the case may truly be terminal now.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has wanted to introduce a sweeping energy and climate bill by next week, and Reid even told POLITICO on Monday night that the package was almost ready to go.

But by Tuesday afternoon, Reid was noncommittal about when a bill would come or what it would contain.

“We’re going to make a decision in the near future,” Reid said, describing plans for a Democratic caucus on the issue Thursday. “We’re really not at a point where I can determine what I think is the best for the caucus and the country at this stage.” Read more.

Republicans See Path to Control of Senate

WASHINGTON—Democrats for the first time are acknowledging that Republicans could retake the Senate this November if everything falls into place for the GOP, less than two years after Democrats held a daunting 60-seat majority.

Leaders of both parties have believed for months that Republicans could win the House, where every lawmaker faces re-election. But a change of party control in the Senate, where only a third of the members are running and Republicans must capture 10 seats, seemed out of the question. Read More.

GOP senators: Obama failing in oil clean-up

Just days after BP temporarily plugged the massive oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, Senate Republicans on Sunday lashed out at the Obama administration for failing to clean up America’s soiled shoreline.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told CNN’s “State of the Union” that the administration was suffering from incompetence.

“This is mainly a failure of the administration,” McConnell said. “BP caused the spill. It’s BP’s responsibility to plug that leak. The federal government has been trying to keep the oil off the shores of the United States. It took the administration 70 days to order [oil-collecting] skimmers down to the Gulf.” Read more.

Week in Review 7/17/10

2010-07-17T10:03:00.001-04:00

RALEIGH — The first tax under ObamaCare is a 10 percent sales tax on indoor tanning salons. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act required tanning salons to start collecting the tax July 1. However, business owners across the country are unsure of details related to the tax, because the IRS released its rules only weeks before the deadline.

The influential American Academy of Dermatology pushed for the inclusion of the tax, which is projected to collect $2.7 billion over 10 years. But the academy hopes individuals will stop patronizing indoor tanning salons altogether, which would result in the collection of no tax revenues.

To watch CarolinaJournal.tv's full report on the tanning tax, click on the video.

Rev. Peterson Repudiates NAACP’s Anti-Tea Party Resolution and Blasts Michelle Obama for Embracing Racist Black Group

LOS ANGELES, July 14 /Standard Newswire/ — Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson (photo), Founder and President of BOND Action, is repudiating the NAACP (National Association for The Advancement of Colored People) for passing a resolution condemning members of the conservative Tea Party movement as “racists.” The NAACP is charging Tea Party members with using “racial epithets” and accusing them of engaging in “explicitly racist behavior.” Rev. Peterson is calling the NAACP’s claims “baseless” and is blasting First Lady Michelle Obama for appearing as the keynote speaker at their annual convention. The following is Rev. Peterson’s statement:

“This resolution is a politically motivated attack by the NAACP designed to smear, intimidate, and derail a great conservative grass roots movement. Where’s the NAACP’s resolution condemning the New Black Panther Party and its members for advocating the killing of ‘white crackers’ and ‘white babies’? Where’s their proof of ‘racist’ Tea Party behavior? This is the height of hypocrisy.

“The NAACP is a racist and bigoted group. And shame on Michelle Obama for embracing their racist platform. Instead of condemning this hateful resolution and rebuking the organization, she encouraged them to ‘increase their intensity.’ This is pure wickedness. Read more.

Governors: Obama’s Immigration Suit Is ‘Toxic’

Democratic governors expressed “grave” concerns to White House officials this weekend about the Obama administration’s suit against Arizona’s new immigration law, warning it could cost the party in crucial elections this fall, The New York Times reported late Sunday.

The closed-door meeting took place at the National Governors Association in Boston on Saturday, according to two unnamed governors who spoke to the Times.

“Universally the governors are saying, ‘We’ve got to talk about jobs, and all of a sudden we have immigration going on,’” Gov. Phil Bredesen of Tennessee, a Democrat, was quoted as saying. “It is such a toxic subject, such an important time for Democrats.”

The Arizona law, which is facing a U.S. Justice Department challenge, requires police to question people about their immigration status while enforcing other laws if there’s reason to suspect someone is in the country illegally. Read more.

Terror Experts Blast Obama Move to Drop References to Islamic Extremism

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration’s recent move to drop references to Islamic radicalism is drawing fire in a new report warning the decision ignores the role religion can play in motivating terrorists.

Several prominent counterterror experts are challenging the administration’s shift in its recently unveiled National Security Strategy, saying the terror threat should be defined in order to fight it.

The question of how to frame the conflict against Al Qaeda and other terrorists poses a knotty problem. The U.S. is trying to mend fences with Muslim communities while toughening its strikes against militant groups. Read more.

States Can’t Count on Bailout, Obama Appointees Say

(Bloomberg) — States can’t count on the federal government for more budget bailouts, the heads of President Barack Obama’s debt commission told governors.

States expecting Congress to authorize more assistance are “going to be left with a very large hole to fill,” said Erskine Bowles, co-chairman of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. States including New York and California have urged Congress to extend stimulus spending authorized to combat the recession, including extra Medicaid funding and money to pay public school teachers.

“I don’t think we can count on the federal government again,” Bowles, White House chief of staff under former President Bill Clinton, said yesterday at the National Governors Association meeting in Boston. “They just do not have the financial resources.” Read more.

Obama Raises $500,000 for Robin Carnahan in Missouri Senate Race

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — With a handshake and hug, President Barack Obama embraced Democratic Senate candidate Robin Carnahan on Thursday, while proclaiming that she would be an independent voice if elected.

Obama appeared with Carnahan at a pair of Kansas City fundraisers that her campaign said would bring in at least $500,000. It marked the first time the president has campaigned with Carnahan, who was noticeably absent when Obama came to Missouri in March to raise money for Democratic Senate candidates.

Obama drew a fine line in his praise of Carnahan on Thursday as he defended his own policies on the economy, health care and energy. He portrayed Carnahan both as a loyal supporter and someone unafraid to take her own stand.

“We are moving in the right direction and I know that Robin Carnahan gets it — she’s going to help us keep on moving in the right direction,” Obama said during a fundraiser that drew about 750 people to the Folly Theater. Read more.

Obama DOJ corruption case has ties to Robin Carnahan

Barack Obama visited Kansas City on Thursday, July 8th, ostensibly to highlight the products of Smith Electric Vehicles (SEV) which produces electric delivery vehicles.

SEV’s web site claims its vehicles “dramatically reduce noise and deadly exhaust” as well as reduce energy and maintenance costs. Obama claimed credit for creating jobs at SEV, all 50 of them, while the current first time unemployment claims revealed another 450 thousand jobless Americans. Smith is the recipient of $32 million in government grants. SEV is owned by private investors, senior management, and a British firm, Tanfield Group, PLC.

But the real reason for Obama’s visit was to campaign for Robin Carnahan, current Missouri Secretary of State and Democrat candidate for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican, Christopher “Kit” Bond. Bond is retiring. Carnahan’s Republican opponent likely will be Congressman, Roy Blunt. Read more.

week in Review 7/10/10

2010-07-10T10:18:00.001-04:00

Black Panther Intimidation

Majority of Likely Voters Agree ‘Socialist’ Accurately Describes Obama

A majority of likely voters think “socialist” is a fair description for President Obama, according to a new poll that looks at how well Obama’s critics have been able to tag him with that buzzword and its often negative connotations.

The poll by Democracy Corps, the firm of James Carville and Stan Greenberg, estimates that 55 percent of likely voters believe “socialist” is a somewhat accurate description of Obama. Poll respondents were asked about a list of words and how well they related to Obama.

When asked about “a socialist,” 33 percent of likely voters said it described Obama “very well,” 22 percent said “well,” 15 percent said “not too well,” and 25 percent said “not well at all.”

A majority of likely voters, 56 percent, also found that Obama is too liberal – 35 percent saying it describes him as “very well,” 21 percent saying “well,” another 21 percent saying “not too well” and 17 percent saying “not well at all.

Officials: 3 arrested in Norway al-Qaida bomb plot

OSLO (AP) – Three suspected al-Qaida members were arrested Thursday morning in what Norwegian and U.S. officials said was a terrorist plot linked to similar plans in New York and England.

The three men, whose names were not released, had been under surveillance for more than a year. Officials believe they were planning attacks with portable but powerful bombs like the ones at the heart of last year’s thwarted suicide attack in the New York City subway.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has called that one of the most serious terrorist plots since 9/11. On Wednesday, prosecutors revealed the existence of a related plot in Manchester, England. Officials believe the Norway plan was organized by Salah al-Somali, al-Qaida’s former chief of external operations, the man in charge of plotting attacks worldwide.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case. The Norwegian Police Security Service said only that the three were arrested on suspicion of “preparing terror activities.” Read more.

Obama to Fill Medicare and Medicaid Post Without Senate Approval

WASHINGTON — President Obama intends to bypass Congress and appoint Dr. Donald Berwick to head Medicare and Medicaid, the White House announced Tuesday — filling the job while Congress is in recess to get around Republican opposition that threatened to derail Berwick’s confirmation.

Berwick’s supporters say he is the right man in the right place at the right time. But his opponents have lined up against him. They say that while he may be a the highly respected doctor, he is also an outspoken proponent of the British health care system, which they say is all wrong for Americans.

“This recess appointment is an insult to the American people,” Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said Tuesday night. “Dr. Berwick is a self-professed supporter of rationing health care, and he won’t even have to explain his views to the American people in a Congressional hearing.” Read more.

Former Justice Attorney Set to Testify in New Black Panther Case

A former Justice official who claims the administration backed off a voter intimidation case against the New Black Panther Party for racial reasons is set to testify Tuesday before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

The testimony from J. Christian Adams, who resigned from the Justice Department last month in protest of the administration’s handling of the case, comes after he made a series of explosive allegations during an interview with Fox News last week. He said the administration abandoned an open-and-shut case of voter intimidation and that Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez gave false testimony before the commission in May.

Adams claims the administration has failed to prosecute non-whites when it comes to voting intimidation cases and that the New Black Panther incident demonstrates that. Read more.

Obama Immigration Speech Draws Complaints on Both Sides, May Not Move Needle

If President Obama was hoping to light a spark under immigration reform, he’d better get more matches.

The president’s speech last week outlining the need for a comprehensive overhaul of the system for processing both legal and illegal immigrants has been met with a collective yawn on both sides of the debate.

Republicans resistant to any national overhaul before the borders are better secured accused the president of playing politics with the speech and gave no signs of budging in this election year.

Latino leaders in Congress, meanwhile, praised Obama for finally delivering a high-profile speech on the issue, but other supporters of a national overhaul expressed disappointment that the president didn’t go further and skepticism that it would move forward the stalled debate in Congress. Read more.

Week in Review 7/2/10

2010-07-03T11:52:00.001-04:00

God Bless This Great Nation

National debt soars to highest level since WWII

The federal debt will represent 62% of the nation’s economy by the end of this year, the highest percentage since just after World War II, according to a long-term budget outlook released today by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office.

For more detail on the report, check out this post in USA TODAY’s The Oval.

Republicans, who have been talking a lot about the debt in recent months, pounced on the report. “The driver of this debt is spending,” said New Hampshire Sen. Judd Gregg, the top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee. “Our existing debt will be worsened by the president’s new health care entitlement programs…as well as an explosion in existing health care and retirement entitlement spending as the Baby Boomers retire.” Read more.

Son of Hamas Founder Granted Asylum in U.S.

Mosab Hassan was more shocked than anyone when a Department of Homeland Security official announced in immigration court today that government officials had changed their mind about him.

Yesterday they saw him as a “threat to U.S. national security.” Today they say he’s welcome to stay in the United States and become a citizen.

Why the change of heart? DHS officials won’t say, but public pressure, Congressional support for Hassan and the word of an Israeli intelligence agent likely all played a part.

Mosab Hassan was born in the West Bank, the son of one of the leaders and founders of Hamas, the Palestinian militant group considered a terrorist organization by the US. Read more.

Burr-Chambliss bill diversifies energy, avoids cap and trade

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Richard Burr and a Republican colleague have introduced energy legislation they say would help the United States diversify its energy portfolio without the political hurdle of a cap-and-trade system.

The bill would provide a bevy of tax credits and taxpayer-financed support for nuclear plants, electric vehicles, natural gas vehicles and a variety of renewable energy sources.

Unlike the Senate’s better-known energy legislation, though, this bill contains nothing about global warming.

“It’s not a climate bill. It’s not a carbon bill,” Burr said in an interview. “But implemented, it would probably have a bigger impact on the reduction of emissions than the Kerry/Lieberman bill.” Read more.

EDITORIAL: Robbing Peter to pay Paul’s health care

Obamacare is a socialist law designed to take money from some Americans and use it to benefit others. The health care bill signed into law by President Obama is full of hidden time bombs. One costly provision buried in the lengthy reconciliation bill at the last minute has taxpayers covering long-term at-home care for the elderly. Through the so-called Community Living Assistance Services and Support Act (CLASS Act), Americans will find between $150 and $250 taken out of their paychecks each month to cover this program nobody knew about.

Democrats claim this isn’t a controversial program, but if they really believed that, they wouldn’t have had to sneak the provision into the reconciliation bill. But it was snuck in the reconciliation bill only two days before the House vote. Read more.

The Secret Agent Brouhaha

According to mainstream media and the FBI, a major Russian spy ring has been exposed and the members arrested. The suspects are believed to have buried stashes of money and exchanged secret messages in invisible ink, swapped bags in passing at a train station, and used Wi-Fi technology as they openly learned about U.S. policy and sought out confidential information. The tabloids were also given the priceless gift of a young, dashing Russian woman who would make the Bond girls of the movies green with envy. This story is simply bizarre, but it is also banal.

Again, Hollywood and memories of the Cold War have collided. However, it will most likely stop there. Until more information is released, it should be expected that both Russia and the United States will hope this story fades away quickly—both countries have more important things to work on together. Read more.

What did Hoover, Truman, and Eisenhower have in common?

Here is something that should be of great interest for you. Back during The Great Depression, President Herbert Hoover ordered the deportation of ALL illegal aliens in order to make jobs available to American citizens that desperately needed work..

Harry Truman deported over two million Illegal’s after WWII to create jobs for returning veterans.

And then again in 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower deported 13 million Mexican Nationals! The program was called ‘Operation Wetback’. It was done so WWII and Korean Veterans would have a better chance at jobs.

It took 2 Years, but they deported them!

Now…if they could deport the illegal’s back then – they could sure do it today. Read more.

Concerns Over Kagan’s Immigration Views Add to Debate Ahead of Hearing

House Republicans want the Senate to grill Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan on her involvement in a federal challenge to an Arizona immigration law, adding a new layer of questioning into the mix with Kagan’s hearing set to begin Monday.

The immigration issue would be one of several concerns that have developed among Kagan’s critics in recent weeks. Though her nomination has been overshadowed in Washington by other issues ranging from the BP oil spill to the Afghanistan command shake-up, Republicans are looking to throw up hurdles next week to Kagan’s confirmation. She may not be the most controversial nominee, but she’s still got questions to answer and Republicans are not taking a filibuster off the table.

Fourteen Republican representatives on Thursday wrote to the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Jeff Sessions, urging him to press Kagan on her role in the administration’s Supreme Court filing in May challenging a 2007 Arizona law. The law gives the state the right to suspend business licenses of employers hiring illegal immigrants. Read more.

week in Review 6/26/10

2010-06-26T09:40:00.001-04:00

Immigration back on front burner due to Ariz. law

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — With the scrawl of a pen, GOP Gov. Jan Brewer of Arizona awakened the dormant but explosive issue of illegal immigration, sending shock waves across the political spectrum in an election year when both parties had hoped to sidestep the topic.

Two months after Brewer signed a law instructing police to demand proof of a questionable person’s legal status, voters have refocused on a topic that had faded into the background after Congress failed to overhaul the immigration system in 2007.

Protests have flared. Lawsuits have followed. Arizona boycotts are under way. More than 20 states are discussing similar efforts. Read more.

EXCLUSIVE: AWOL Afghans Found … on Facebook

At least 11 of the 17 members of the Afghan military who went AWOL from an Air Force base in Texas and are considered deserters by their nation have turned up in the exact place you’d expect to find them in the year 2010.

They’re on Facebook.

And, by the look of things, they’re not unlike millions of other young men on the social networking site. One proclaims to be a fan of Paris Hilton and is a member of a group named “FREE Webcam Sex with ME!” Another is a fan of hip hop music, Michael Jackson, the tearjerker movie The Notebook, Family Guy and Sports Center. Another is a fan of soccer and the Godfather. Read more.

Senate Republicans Defeat Jobless Aid Measure Over Deficit Fears

The Senate has failed to reach an agreement to extend weekly jobless benefits, leaving more than a million out-of-work Americans without anunemployment check by week’s end.

The 57-41 loss was a major blow for President Obama and Democrats. They needed three more votes — for a total of 60 — to stop a GOP filibuster.

The rejected bill would also have provided billions of dollars in new aid, protecting the jobs of tens of thousands of state and local government workers as the country begins to emerge from the worst recession in seven decades. Read more.

Alternative Energy Partners (AEGY) CEO Calls for Obama to Take Charge of Climate Bill

“We need to hold British Petroleum responsible for its reckless actions in the Gulf. But to truly solve the problems caused by our dependence on fossil fuels, we must as a nation transition to clean, renewable energy sources. There are so many practical and affordable options; we need strength in leadership to guide the market.

“Yesterday, leading Democratic Senators asked President Obama to take charge of the climate control bill to ensure it passes with strong clean energy provisions. We join the Senators in urging the President to use his influence to advance the legislation quickly and to get the job done. Read more.

McChrystal resigns, but problems persist in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama’s decision to accept Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s resignation and draft his superior, Gen. David Petraeus, to lead the war in Afghanistan eliminates a source of friction, but it doesn’t address the problems plaguing U.S. policy there.

The change in command, Obama made clear Wednesday, is a change in personnel, not in a policy that’s hampered by, among other things:

The absence of a political strategy.

Rising U.S. casualties.

Growing ethnic tensions.

Endemic political corruption.

The administration’s July 2011 deadline for beginning a troop withdrawal.

A stalled offensive in the country’s second-largest city. Read more.

Ill. official who dealt with Emanuel to testify, IL

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Former Governor Rod Blagojevich’s top aide asked Rahm Emanuel for help in 2006.

Bradley Tusk was Blagojevich’s deputy governor when he asked Emanuel to write a letter to a newspaper defending Blagojevich.

Emanuel is now President Barack Obama’s chief of staff. In 2006, he was an Illinois congressman and political ally of the governor now on trial for political corruption.

Emanuel’s staff asked for Tusk’s help in releasing a state grant on the same day Tusk asked for his favor.

Tusk testified Monday in Blagojevich’s corruption trial about an alleged extortion attempt by Blagojevich involving the grant.

Tusk told The Associated Press after court he didn’t remember the letter to the newspaper.

The White House didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Election-year deficit fears stall Obama stimulus plan

Barely a week after President Obama tried to re-energize his push for more spending on the economy, his agenda is stalled on Capitol Hill, mired in election-year anxiety about the deficit.

Congress has delivered only about a quarter of the $266 billion in “temporary recovery measures” the president sought in his February budget request and ignored much of the rest. There is unlikely to be another “recovery” check for Social Security recipients. Come December, Obama’s “Making Work Pay” tax credit — the signature initiative he regularly touts as a tax cut for 95 percent of Americans — will probably be gone. Read more.

week in Review 6/19/10

2010-06-19T12:46:00.002-04:00

Not Another Czar!

Big Government: In a “fireside chat” to quell concerns about the Gulf oil disaster, the president announced the appointment of an oil czar. Is more bureaucracy the answer to every problem?

The media elite just can’t comprehend the anger of the Tea Party movement. The New York Times this week enlisted a professor of philosophy to write an article with a resounding conclusion: “In truth, there is nothing that the Tea Party movement wants; terrifyingly, it wants nothing. .. . (T)hey are nihilists.”

In fact, the Tea Party movement is pretty clear about its demands, exemplified by a protester’s placard with a photo of a crying baby and the message, “Stop Spending My Money — I Haven’t Even Earned It Yet!” Read more.

Dem Lawmakers Challenge Pentagon on Afghan War

WASHINGTON (AP) — A schism deepened Wednesday between U.S. war leaders and Congress as lawmakers — crucial Democrats among them — challenged Pentagon assertions that progress is picking up in Afghanistan.

“I wouldn’t call it eroding,” Democratic Sen. Carl Levin said of once-solid Democratic support for President Barack Obama’s war strategy. “But there’s a lot of fair concern.”

Congressional hearings stepped up pressure on the Pentagon, with Defense Secretary Robert Gates complaining about negative perceptions taking root in Washington about the war. Another top military official acknowledged feeling “angst” about the conflict.

But military leaders said the U.S. effort is advancing. “I think that we are regaining the initiative,” Gates told a skeptical Senate panel. “I think that we are making headway.” Read more.

Obama’s Oil Spill Speech Turns to Energy Policy, Fueling Capitol Crossfire

President Obama tried Tuesday night in his Oval Office speech to rally the nation behind his efforts to tackle the Gulf oil spill, but by also highlighting his energy agenda, he set off reaction on Capitol Hill that could risk turning the disaster into a political football.

Obama, trying to take control of a crisis that has slowly eroded support for his administration, pointed to the relief efforts already under way and said the government would hold BP responsible. But later in his 18-minute speech, he turned his focus to the need to “seriously tackle our addiction to fossil fuels.”

“We can’t afford not to change how we produce and use energy, because the long-term costs to our economy, our national security, and our environment are far greater,” Obama said in the first Oval Office address of his presidency.

The speech came 57 days after the April 20 explosion at the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that killed 11 workers and sparked the crisis, in which millions of gallons of oil already have spilled into the Gulf of Mexico. The speech also served as a prelude to Obama’s meeting Wednesday with BP executives at the White House.

Republicans accused the president for using the oil spill to push his legislative agenda. Read more.

Sestak silence worries Pa. officials

Four weeks after claiming the Pennsylvania Senate nomination, Rep. Joe Sestak continues to have an awkward relationship with many leaders of the state’s Democratic establishment — with the two-term congressman so far neglecting to check many of the boxes that ordinarily would be routine for a candidate trying to unify his party after a hard-fought primary.

It’s been nearly a month since the May 18 primary, and key local party leaders have not been in close contact with Sestak. His unorthodox campaign organization is unnerving Democratic officials, and his public comments suggest he hasn’t forgotten the rough treatment he received from the White House and the state party establishment, both of which worked furiously to deliver the nomination to party-switching Sen. Arlen Specter. Read more.

How’d we lose Brazil, Turkey and Lebanon?

After 17 months of diplomacy, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice was only able to get 12 of the 15 countries on the United Nations Security Council to vote to place increased sanctions on the Islamic Republic’s illegal pursuit of nuclear weapons. Yesterday, on Fox News Sunday, Rice jumped to defend the Obama Administration’s lackluster performance by claiming that previous Iran resolutions were not unanimous during the Bush Administration and that there were “abstentions”. Her strategy to minimize the Bush team’s performance in order to make her own poor performance look better isn’t factual. After so much hype about President Barack Obama’s foreign policy engagement strategy, the Obama UN resolution was remarkably weak, took too long to get and received less support than Bush’s team got in producing FIVE Security Council resolutions on Iran. Read more.

Gulf fuels new energy-bill push

President Barack Obama and his Democratic allies plan a major new push for a broad global-warming bill, fueled in part by public outrage over the BP disaster, according to top aides.

Joel Benenson, a pollster for the Democratic National Committee and Obama’s presidential campaign, argues in a new briefing for top Capitol Hill officials that a comprehensive energy bill “could give Democrats a potent weapon to wield against Republicans in the fall.”

Read the briefing.

“The oil spill is intensifying the public’s desire for clean energy investments and increased regulation on corporate polluters,” Benenson writes in the briefing, which he prepared on behalf of the League of Conservation Voters.

“In the aftermath of the spill, people firmly believe Congress needs to do more than just make BP pay. Even when pressed with opposition messaging that now is not the time for some ‘job killing energy tax,’ people coalesce around comprehensive clean energy reform. Consequently, support for a comprehensive energy bill is very high. With the right messaging, that support holds strong in the face of harsh opposition attacks.” Read more.

Company Bidding to Help Manage Tower at Ground Zero Has Arab Ties

Nearly nine years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the bi-state agency that operates the World Trade Center is looking for a private partner to help manage the 1776-foot office tower that is being built at Ground Zero — and one of two companies under consideration may have ties to the Middle East.

The bidding process for private partners for the “Freedom Tower” has been whittled down to two companies: Durst Organization and Related Companies, Fox News legal analyst Peter Johnson Jr. reports.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will soon decide which partner will manage and help market the tower, which has been renamed One World Trade Center. The partner will invest at least $100 million onto the office tower and memorial building.

Related Co. is an international real estate group whose investors include Goldman Sachs; MSD Capital, LP; Mubadala Development Company; Kuwait Investment Authority; and Olayan Group, according to the company’s website. Read more.

Pakistan’s main spy agency still supports Taliban despite US pressure, says report

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s main spy agency continues to train, fund and arm the Taliban despite U.S. pressure to sever ties with the group that Islamabad helped rise to power in Afghanistan in the 1990s, said a research report released Sunday.

The findings could raise tensions between Pakistan and the U.S., which has provided billions of dollars in military assistance to Islamabad since 2001 to help fight the Taliban. U.S. officials believe Pakistan’s support is key to defeating the insurgency.

But the country’s powerful Inter Services Intelligence agency, or ISI, continues to work closely with the Taliban and is even represented on the group’s leadership council, said the report, which was issued by the London School of Economics and is based on interviews with more than a dozen unnamed Taliban commanders. Read more.

Obama pushes for $50b in local aid

President Obama Saturday asked Congressional leaders to “urge swift action” on legislation he called crucial to shoring up small businesses, and to averting “massive layoffs of teachers, police and firefighters.”

In a letter to Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Mitch McConnell and John Boehner, the president said that more spending is needed immediately to avert a devastating double dip recesssion, and that concerns about the deficit, while important, may have to wait. For now, he said, the federal government needs to spend money to provide immediate economic aid to the still-struggling economy, and especially to states that otherwise may have to lay off workers to fill their own budget holes. “We are at a critical juncture on our nation’s path to economic recovery,” Obama said, deeming it “essential that we… build momentum toward recovery, even as we establish a path to long-term fiscal discipline.” Obama called the extenders legislation the Senate is considering, along with small business legislation he’s proposed as well as rebates for home improvements and additional tax credits for clean manufacturing, “cost-effective ways of spurring job creation.” The total package of state and local aid the president is pushing Congressional leaders to pass would cost $50 billion, according to the Washington Post. Read more.

week in Review 6/12/10

2010-06-12T10:18:00.002-04:00

Let Freedom Ring

Ronald Reagan’s Responds to Obama’s Campaign Promises

Senators criticize Geithner over stance on China’s currency

WASHINGTON — Democratic and Republican senators alike pilloried Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Thursday for refusing to label China a currency manipulator and for ignoring a congressional mandate to issue a report on China’s exchange-rate practices.

Few issues spark bipartisan agreement in Congress like criticism of administrations for refusing to get tough with China over its fixed exchange rate. Critics charge that China sets the yuan at an unfairly low rate against the U.S. dollar, making American products more expensive in China and Chinese products cheaper here, exacerbating the U.S. trade deficit and holding down U.S. export-driven jobs.

“I’m not sure what this administration’s policy is … and I don’t see a China economic framework,” complained Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., adding that federal agencies lack a cohesive strategy for dealing with China. Read more.

A Message from Ronald Reagan

Dems ask Alvin Greene to pull out of U.S. Senate race

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A day after an unemployed veteran charged with a felony shocked S.C. Democrats by winning the U.S. Senate primary, party officials were still scratching their heads: What happened?

Alvin Greene, 32, didn’t raise any money. He didn’t have a website. And his opponent was a better-known former legislator, Vic Rawl, who was already preparing for the general election.

Greene was considered such a long shot that his opponent and media didn’t even bother to check his background. If they had, they would have discovered he faces a felony obscenity charge after an alleged encounter with a college student last fall. Read more.

Palin’s backing pays off for pals

Some of Sarah Palin’s riskiest endorsements scored major victories Tuesday for the former Alaska governor, showing off her power in Republican primaries.

Palin had four primary endorsements in play – Carly Fiorina, Nikki Haley, Terry Branstad and Cecile Bledsoe – and three won or moved on to a runoff.

Palin served different roles for each candidate – sometimes spotlighting conservatives not well known to the national scene while at others validating conservative credentials to an unsure grassroots and even stepping in to deflect nasty attacks.

Perhaps Palin’s most powerful demonstration came in South Carolina, where her endorsement propelled a major swing in the polls for Haley’s primary campaign for governor and sustained the state representative through accusations of two separate affairs. Read more.

Banking System Collapse: Wake Up America Your Banks Are Dying

U.S. banks are being shut down by federal regulators at a staggering pace this year, and yet most Americans seem completely oblivious to it. In fact, federal officials have already shut down 81 U.S. banks this year, which is about double the number that were shut down at this time last year. So why aren’t more people upset about this?

Well, part of the reason is because the FDIC is doing it very, very quietly. The bank closings for each week are announced every Friday, which means that they pass through the news cycle over the weekend almost unnoticed. For example, banks in Nebraska, Mississippi and Illinois with total deposits of almost $2.3 billion were shut down by federal regulators on Friday. So did you hear about it before now? If not, why not? Shouldn’t the fact that we are experiencing a banking system collapse be headline news? But most Americans are more than happy to remain blissfully ignorant of what is going on. Read more.

Obama Tells Graduating Class, ‘Don’t Make Excuses,’ Drawing GOP Taunts

Don’t point fingers. Don’t make excuses. Don’t pass the buck.

That was the advice President Obama gave to a graduating high school class in Michigan Monday night — advice that sent off an irony alert among Republicans who accuse the president of having “spent his tenure” doing exactly that.

Obama offered his guidance during the commencement speech at Kalamazoo Central High School.

“Don’t make excuses. Take responsibility not just for your successes, but for your failures as well,” he told the graduates. “The truth is, no matter how hard you work, you won’t necessarily ace every class or succeed in every job. There will be times when you screw up, when you hurt the people you love, when you stray from your most deeply held values. Read more.

America’s Election HQ: Primary Races in 11 States Make for Busy Election Day Across Nation

Another round of key primaries will be held on Tuesday and incumbents are finding their seats challenged by political newcomers as well as local and state candidates in a political season marked by an anti-Washington mood.

Eleven states are holding primary contests Tuesday.

Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln faces off against Lt. Gov. Bill Halter in a Democratic primary runoff, while in Nevada Harry Reid will finally get an opponent in the Republican race to challenge the Senate majority leader.

California Sen. Barbara Boxer, who is potentially endangered, will learn her challenger as voters in the state also decide who will win the Democratic and Republican nominations for the seat being vacated by term-limited two-term Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Read more.

First victim of health care overhaul?

A Virginia-based insurance company says “considerable uncertainties” created by the Democrats’ health care overhaul will force it to close its doors by the end of the year.

The firm, nHealth, appears to be the first to claim that the new law has driven it out of business. “We don’t know what the rules are going to be and, as a start-up, our investors need certainty,” nHealth CEO and president, Paul Kitchen, told POLITICO. “The law created so much uncertainty that is beyond our control.”

In a letter to the company’s 50 or so employees last week, executive vice president James Slabaugh said nHealth has stopped accepting new group customers and will terminate all business by Dec. 31, 2010.

“The uncertainties in the regulatory climate coupled with new demands imposed by national healthcare reforms have made it challenging to sustain the level of sales required to remain viable over the long run,” Slabaugh wrote. Read more.

Timing of probe is crucial for Charlie Rangel

With the investigation of Rep. Charles Rangel nearing its second anniversary, the New York Democrat and the House ethics committee face a new challenge — the political calendar.

Rangel, a member of Congress since 1971, filed for reelection Sunday, and the Democratic primary in New York is Sept. 14.

If the ethics committee releases a damaging report on Rangel before the Sept. 14 primary, it could be a death blow to the Harlem congressman’s storied career and open the door to a serious Democratic challenge, Democratic colleagues and party strategists said.

But if the ethics committee’s findings come out after the primary, Rangel will very likely survive and win a 21st term in the House. Still, that timing would raise questions about the ethics committee’s process and whether the investigative panel was too aware of the political calendar. Read more.

Buying the lie: ‘Something for nothing’

I suppose it was just plain greed that got us to this point.

Isn’t that one of the Seven Deadly Sins? So maybe we should not be surprised to see the country brought to its knees by avarice.

But it’s not the “greedy” bankers and industrialists whom we have to blame. Remember, it’s the bankers and industrialists who create the jobs that give the rest of us an opportunity to make something of ourselves in the first place. Sure, some of them will earn their place in hell, but those few people could not bring down the whole country.

For that, we must blame ourselves. Read more.

Five economic clues to 2010 election

Yet again, it’s the economy, stupid.

Political observers of every stripe agree it will be the deciding factor in November’s midterm elections. And between now and Election Day, there will be key milestones to measure just where the economy is heading — and perhaps more importantly, where voters think it is heading.

Here are five indicators that campaign strategists will be watching for:

1. August jobs report

The government’s monthly jobs reports have become the single most important proxy to measure the economic health of the nation and the political health of the Obama administration, with a significant portion of political Washington glued to computer screens at 8:30 a.m. on the first Friday of each month, waiting for the results.

Friday’s number, for example showed that the U.S. economy generated 431,000 jobs, a number that fell short of analysts’ expectations and cast doubt on whether the country is steadily digging itself out of a deep unemployment. Voters will also keep an eye on the unemployment rate, which ticked down to 9.7 percent in May, and they will be looking for signs of progress. Read more.

Week in Review 6/5/10

2010-06-05T10:00:00.001-04:00

Without any boundaries, we live in chaos

It’s time to wake up America, and smell the coffee before we become toast! The question, “Is it morning for America, or has our day in the sun passed?” has often been asked.

Well, there is no doubt that dark days have descended on this republic. When President Barrack Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano demean, defame and ridicule the duly elected legislature, the governor, and the people of Arizona for protecting their property, we are indeed in trouble.

All admit they have not read the law. Well, why not apply the government program adopted to encourage children to read, to the executive branch? Read more.

Wake up, America

You might think that Europe’s economic turmoil would inject a note of urgency into America’s budget debate. After all, high government deficits and debt are the roots of Europe’s problems, and these same problems afflict the United States. But no. Most Americans, starting with the nation’s political leaders, dismiss what’s happening in Europe as a continental drama with little relevance to them.

What Americans resolutely avoid is a realistic debate about the desirable role of government. How big should it be? Should it favor the old or the young? Will social spending crowd out defense spending? Will larger government dampen economic growth through higher deficits or taxes? No one engages this debate, because if rigorously conducted, it would disappoint both liberals and conservatives.

Confronted with huge spending increases — reflecting an aging population and soaring health costs — liberals would have to concede that benefits and spending ought to be reduced. Seeing that total government spending would rise even after these cuts (more people would receive benefits, even if benefit levels fell), conservatives would have to concede the need for higher taxes. On both left and right, true believers would howl. Read more.

Right, Left Pan Obama Border Plan

Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) said Sunday that President Barack Obama has so far lacked the “political will” and “political courage” to resolve the contentious issue of illegal immigration.

The liberal Chicago congressman and conservative former Rep. J.D. Hayworth, running for the Republican Senate nomination in Arizona, seemed to agree on one thing, though for very different reasons, in a joint interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press:” The president’s plan to send as many as 1,200 National Guard troops to the Arizona border is more political than practical.

For Hayworth, the troop level is too low to keep illegal immigrants out of the country. For Gutierrez, sending troops to the border is an easy political act that ignores significant questions of what to do with immigrants currently in the country illegally. Read more.

Issa: Explanation of Sestak Deal Is Bad Cover-Up of Crime

A California congressman who called it an “impeachable” offense for the administration to offer Rep. Joe Sestak a job in exchange for his quitting a Senate bid said Sunday the cover-up, as usual, appears worse than the crime.

Republican Rep. Darrell Issa said the explanation for the Sestak affair — that former President Bill Clinton offered the Democratic congressman an unpaid position on an advisory board if he would drop his challenge against party-switching Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter — is not plausible because as a sitting congressman Sestak couldn’t have served on a presidential commission.

“It’s a crime because they’ve admitted that they offered this position … So that begs the real question. Do we believe this is a further cover-up because he’s — they’re now talking about a job that President Clinton himself should have known Sestak couldn’t take? ” he said. Read more.

Netanyahu cancels White House visit

CHICAGO — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has cancelled a scheduled meeting with President Barack Obama Tuesday in the wake of Israeli military action to block a flotilla bringing aid to the Gaza Strip. At least 10 people were killed in the attack.

The incident underscores how tenuous and difficult Middle East peace negotiations have been for Obama. It follows a long stretch of mounting tensions between the United States and Israel that had just begun to deescalate as the White House, under fire for taking a hard line with the Israelis, had moved to mend relations.

Obama spoke to Netanyahu by phone between 11 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. Eastern on Monday. Obama “said he understood the Prime Minister’s decision to return immediately to Israel to deal with today’s events. They agreed to reschedule their meeting at the first opportunity,” the White House said in a statement. Read more.

GOP sees a way to revive old debate

President Barack Obama spent the last year insisting he doesn’t want to turn the American health care system into a carbon copy of the government-run British system.

But Obama’s pick to run Medicaid and Medicare — Donald Berwick — is a pediatrician and Harvard University professor with a self-professed “love” of the British system.

Berwick has called Britain’s National Health Service “one of the greatest health care institutions in human history” and “a global treasure.” He once said it sets an “example” for the United States to follow. And his decadelong efforts to improve the NHS were so well-regarded that Queen Elizabeth granted him an honorary knighthood in 2005.

Now Senate Republicans are vowing to press their case against Obama’s sweeping new health care law by challenging Berwick’s nomination — just in time to resurrect the brutal yearlong health reform battle ahead of the midterm elections. Read more.

Brewer Says She’s Ready for Potential Federal Court Challenge Over Immigration Law

Bring it on.

That’s the attitude Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer is taking toward the possibility that the Obama administration could file a legal challenge to her state’s immigration law.

“We’ll meet you in court,” she said in an interview Tuesday. “I have a pretty good record of winning in court.”

Attorney General Eric Holder has said the Department of Justice may challenge the law, which President Obama has called “misguided.” Brewer has staunchly defended the policy — which makes illegal immigration a state crime — and is expected to meet with the president Thursday, a White House official told FoxNews.com. Read more.

Anti-incumbency takes down another congressman

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) – The political shooting-star otherwise known as anti-incumbency fell on Alabama, taking down a first-term congressman who switched from Democrat to Republican just last December.

The hotly-contested health care overhaul was among the issues working against Rep. Parker Griffith, voted out by Republicans Tuesday in the 5th Congressional District in favor of Madison County Commissioner Mo Brooks. With tea party support and the backing of local GOP leaders still bitter about losing to Griffith in 2008, Brooks won Tuesday’s primary with slightly more than 50 percent of the vote in a three-candidate field.

Griffith’s ouster came on a day in which Rep. Artur Davis lost his bid to become Alabama’s first black governor in the state’s Democratic primary and New Mexico’s gubernatorial primary set up a general election to decide who becomes the state’s first female governor. Read more.

US defense chief blames Chinese military for lack of progress in improving ties to US

Singapore (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says China’s military isn’t as interested in developing a better relationship with the United States as its political leaders are.

Gates says he is disappointed that China disinvited him for a proposed visit that he had hoped would signal stronger ties between the U.S. and Chinese militaries.

Gates is in Singapore for three days of security talks with Asian powers. He had hoped to visit China afterward.

Gates says establishing better ties between the militaries could provide clarity and confidence for both sides. He says the U.S.-Chinese military relationship lags behind the political and economic ones.

In a speech this weekend, Gates will tell other Asian powers that the U.S. and China cannot afford to be in the dark about one another’s intentions.

Carville doesn’t regret ripping W.H.

James Carville walked into one of his favorite New Orleans eateries, Eleven 79, Tuesday night — and was stunned to find BP CEO Tony Hayward and Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the two men tasked with stopping the Gulf spill, eating dinner together.

Hayward, looking up from his Gulf shrimp and pasta, wasted no time defending his embattled and vilified company — to the rail-thin Democratic operative who has come to embody the growing popular disgust at BP and the federal government.

“You’ve said some harsh things,” Hayward said, according to Carville, who sat with the pair for about 30 minutes — the time it took the Louisiana-born Democratic consultant to polish off a Maker’s Mark. Read more.

BP’s Shaky Financial Condition Spurs Talk of U.S. Takeover

Each day oil continues to spew into the Gulf of Mexico, investors are shaving billions of dollars off of BP’s value and raising the uncomfortable prospect of the British oil giant collapsing into the arms of the U.S. government as Wall Street and the auto industry did.

A grassroots campaign called Seize BP is protesting in more than 50 cities from Thursday through Saturday. And a former labor secretary has urged President Obama to take over BP, at least temporarily, until the oil spill is stopped.

Analysts said it appeared unlikely that the U.S. could or, if even possible, would take over BP in the event of its demise but didn’t rule out the possibility.

James Gattuso, a senior research fellow in regulatory policy at the conservative Heritage Foundation, told FoxNews.com that it is more likely that a British bankruptcy court would put BP into receivership and continue the cleanup efforts. Read more.

US National Deficit Hits $13 Trillion

So just how big is the U.S. national debt in 2010? Well, according to the U.S. Treasury Department, on June 1st, the U.S. National Debt was $13,050,826,460,886.97. For those not used to seeing such big numbers, that is over 13 trillion dollars. To give you an idea of just how much a trillion dollars is, if you had started spending one million dollars every single day when Christ was born, you still would not have spent one trillion dollars by now. And yet somehow the U.S. government has accumulated a debt of over 13 trillion dollars. This is a debt that we have callously placed on the backs of future generations of Americans. Somehow we have the gall to expect our progeny to pay off the biggest mountain of debt in the history of the world. What we have done to future generations is beyond sickening.

But hey, if you are feeling especially generous today, the federal government is actually taking online donations that will go towards paying off the national debt. Read more.

week in Review 5/29/10

2010-05-29T10:18:00.001-04:00

Easley aide: Shred letter

A top state public information officer says that he was directed by close staff of former Gov. Mike Easley to shred a letter that had been sent in 2007 to Easley from the mayor of Southport.

Ernie Seneca, who worked in several high public information positions for Easley and now oversees communications for statewide crime control agencies, said the directive came from Easley’s press office. He said he was not certain who in that office told him the letter should be shredded but thinks it was Sherri Johnson, then the governor’s press secretary.

Seneca routed the letter, dated Nov. 29, 2007, to a deputy secretary at the state Department of Transportation with the instruction to “shred this after reading.” Seneca said it was a copy of the letter, not the original. Read more.

Republican Djou wins Hawaii special

Republican Charles Djou won Hawaii’s special House election Saturday, providing a timely boost to a party unnerved by a decisive Democratic victory in a Pennsylvania special House election Tuesday.

Djou got 39 percent of the vote, according to unofficial returns, followed by state Senate President Colleen Hanabusa at 30 percent and former Democratic Rep. Ed Case at 27 percent.

Djou will serve out the remainder of the term in the seat left vacant by former Democratic Rep. Neil Abercrombie, who resigned to run for governor. Read more.

N.C. vital in U.S. politics

The Washington gossip has Charlotte on the short list of cities being considered as the site of the 2012 Democratic National Convention.

When Barack and Michelle Obama wanted to kick back for a weekend, they headed for Asheville’s Grove Park Inn. Vice President Joe Biden was seen chowing down at Bullock’s Bar-B-Que in Durham earlier this spring. Senate Majority leader Harry Reid raised money at the Umstead Hotel inCary Friday night.

What this all suggests is that North Carolina has become a player in national politics.

There was once a time – say three years ago – when North Carolina was out of the loop, off the beaten track, in other words, a backwater, when it came to national politics. Read more.

Palin Links BP Donations to Obama to Explain Gulf Spill Response

President Obama’s oversight of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill may have been hampered by his relationship to BP, former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin said Sunday in the opening salvo of a verbal cage match with White House spokesman Robert Gibbs.

Appearing on “Fox News Sunday,” Palin suggested that the White House is too cozy with the oil industry because of contributions to candidate Obama during the 2008 presidential race.

“I don’t know why the question isn’t asked by the mainstream media and by others if there’s any connection with the contributions made to President Obama and his administration and the support by the oil companies to the administration,” Palin, a Fox News Channel contributor, said on “Fox News Sunday.” Read more.

Obama Tells Military: Prepare for N. Korea ‘Aggression’

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House said Monday that President Barack Obama “fully supports” the South Korean president and his response to the torpedo attack by North Korea that killed 46 South Korean sailors.

The administration said it endorsed President Lee Myung-bak’s demand that “North Korea immediately apologize and punish those responsible for the attack, and, most importantly, stop its belligerent and threatening behavior.”

Seoul can continue to count on the full backing of the United States, the White House said.

“U.S. support for South Korea’s defense is unequivocal, and the president has directed his military commanders to coordinate closely with their Republic of Korea counterparts to ensure readiness and to deter future aggression,” the White House said. Read more.

Sestak confirms WH job offer to get out of Senate race

Rep. Joe Sestak, winner of the Pennsylvania Democratic Senate primary, is refusing to provide more information on what job he was offered by a White House official to drop of that race, although he confirmed again that the incident occurred.

The White House was backing incumbent Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) in the primary. Sestak acknowledged in an interview in February that he was offered a position by an unnamed White House official – a potential violation of federal law – but has not offered any specifics on conversation. Republicans are trying to use the issue against Sestak in the November Senate race.

“It’s interesting. I was asked a question about something that happened months earlier, and I felt that I should answer it honestly, and that’s all I had to say about it.” Sestak said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “Anybody else has to decide on what they will say upon their role. That’s their responsibility.” Read more.

Experts: ‘Doc fix’ a budget band-aid

The Medicare “doc fix” is back in play on Capitol Hill, and its mere mention provokes a torrent of scorn and vitriol rarely seen among the generally mild-mannered community of policy mavens who inhabit the nation’s think tanks and universities.

“It’s one of the worst pieces of legislation I’ve ever seen,” said Stuart Altman, a former adviser to Congress on Medicare who now teaches health policy at Brandeis University. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt so vindictive about a piece of legislation in my life.”

“It’s a charade,” said Henry J. Aaron, a health policy analyst at the Brookings Institution. “Congress takes care of things but doesn’t actually do anything. They haven’t been willing to write up the full cost of changing the system, so the projected deficits don’t look as bad as they are.” Read more.

Our view on federal spending: In Congress, ‘emergency’ is what you don’t want to pay for

Memo to congressional Democrats: It’s not 2008 or 2009 anymore. Then, when the nation was facing financial catastrophe, it made sense to borrow as much as necessary to stave off economic depression.

OPPOSING VIEW: Vital aid fuels recovery

Those days are over. Now it’s time to start making choices about what’s vital, and for those programs that are, paying the bills instead of borrowing.

You’d think that with the soaring national debt emerging as a major issue in this fall’s elections, congressional leaders wouldn’t need this kind of reminder. But they began this week pushing two big new spending bills that together would cost more than $230 billion over 10 years. The initial plan, according to one estimate by the Congressional Budget Office, was to pay for less than one-fifth of that and borrow the rest. Read more.

Congressman: White House Job Offer to Sestak May Be an ‘Impeachable’ Offense

Rep. Joe Sestak’s allegation that the White House offered him a job to drop out of the Pennsylvania Senate primary race against Arlen Specter is a crime that could lead to the impeachment of President Obama, Rep. Darrell Issa said.

But the decision by the Pennsylvania congressman not to elaborate on a so-called deal also could become a political problem as Sestak tries for the U.S. Senate seat.

The White House reportedly is going to formally address the allegation in the next few days. In the meantime, Issa, R-Calif., is one of many inside and outside Washington who want the Democratic Senate primary candidate to explain in detail what offer the White House made. Read more.

U.S. Spending on Food Stamps at All-Time High, Sparking Debate Over Welfare

The U.S. is now spending more on food assistance than at any time in its history, sparking a debate over whether the roughly 40 million people now receiving the latest version of food stamps at a cost of $73 billion a year are a symptom of a weak economy or are part of a long-term expansion in welfare and related programs.

Food stamp supporters say the record-high spending is simply a reflection of the economic downturn over the last two years.

“The program is expanding because we are realizing a significant downturn in the economy,” said Ambassador Eric Bost, who ran the food stamps program in the first years under President George W. Bush. “The food stamp or the SNAP program, as it’s referred to now, responds to the changing economic conditions of the country.” Read more.

More troops will guard border

LOS ANGELES — President Barack Obama will send up to 1,200 National Guard troops to the Southwest border and seek increased spending on law enforcement there to combat drug smuggling after demands from Republican and Democratic lawmakers that border security be tightened.

The decision was disclosed after Obama met Tuesday with Republican senators, several of whom have demanded that troops be placed at the border. The move also reflects political pressure in the president’s own party with midterm election campaigns under way and what is expected to be a tumultuous debate on overhauling immigration law coming up on Capitol Hill.

The troops will work on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support, analysis and training, and will support efforts to block drug trafficking, The Associated Press reported. They will temporarily supplement Border Patrol agents until Customs and Border Protection can recruit and train additional officers and agents to serve on the border, according to a letter Tuesday from top administration security officials to Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich. Read more.

Stressed Out or Tone Deaf? Obama Chicago Vacation Raises Eyebrows

Presidents are never really off the clock, even when they go on vacation. But President Obama’s decision to skip the traditional Memorial Day ceremony in Arlington while on his second vacation since the BP oil spill began has some wondering what the schedule says about his priorities.

On “vacation,” Obama still holds staff meetings, occasionally attends local events and often gets his “relaxation” time swallowed up by pressing national and international business — his vacation to Hawaii in December coincided with the attempted Christmas Day airline bombing. The retreat this weekend is marked by a side-trip to Louisiana to inspect the damages from the oil spill.

But some conservatives, still smarting over the criticism George W. Bush fielded for his frequent trips to Crawford, Texas, say Obama’s trip to Chicago over Memorial Day weekend is conspicuously poor in its timing. Read more.

Obama’s New National Security Strategy Abandons Bush’s Unilateralism

President Obama’s new national security strategy stresses the importance of a cooperative international response to global conflicts and moves away from the Bush administration doctrine of striking preemptively and acting alone if deemed necessary to protect the country.

Obama’s emphasis on exhausting diplomacy first was reflected in his decision to have Secretary of State Hillary Clinton roll out the security strategy on Thursday at the Brookings Institution in Washington.

“One of our goals coming into the administration was … to begin to make the case that defense, diplomacy and development were not separate entities,” Clinton said. “Indeed they had to be viewed as part of an integrated whole.” Read more.

Week in Review 5/22/10

2010-05-22T08:59:00.002-04:00

Cafferty Slams Obama and Dems For Their Response To Arizona Immigration Law Video

Senate primaries will test depth of anger at incumbents

WASHINGTON — Voters in four states will go to the polls Tuesday in primary elections that could offer the best window so far into the level of anti-incumbent, anti-establishment sentiment in the electorate.

Arkansas, Kentucky, Oregon and Pennsylvania hold primaries Tuesday, and political observers are paying close attention to all but Oregon, where incumbent Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden is expected to win handily.

Democrats and Republicans are sweating over Senate contests in Arkansas, Kentucky and Pennsylvania, which are considered prime tests of voter discontent with incumbents and the power of the tea party movement. Read more.

Pence: No European bailouts

Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), the third-ranking House Republican and a possible 2012 presidential candidate, will use a speech Friday before the National Rifle Association to highlight his opposition to using American tax dollars to bail out European countries.

Seizing on conservative anger toward the federal government’s financial assistance for U.S. banks and auto companies and the recent headlines about Greece’s economic woes, Pence and a group of other House Republicans have introduced symbolic legislation that would halt American involvement in any International Monetary Fund aid to European Union nations.

“I just don’t believe American taxpayers should be forced to bear the risk of nations that have avoided making tough choices,” Pence said in an interview previewing his remarks to the gun-rights group’s convention in Charlotte. Read more.

See No Radical Islam, Hear No Radical Islam

On May 13, Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) confronted Attorney General Eric Holder about whether radical Islam was the motivating factor in the terrorist plots against the United States over the past year. Rather than acknowledge the religious-ideological threat posed to us, Holder continued the Obama Administration’s pattern of trying to avoid using terms like “radical Islam” and “Islamic terrorism.”

Rep. Smith repeatedly prodded at Holder, who tried to fend off the attack by saying, “There are a variety of reasons why people do things. Some of them are potentially religious.”

Unsatisfied with the lack of clarity, Rep. Smith continued to ask him, “Are you uncomfortable attributing any other actions to radical Islam?” Holder replied by saying, “No, I don’t want to say anything negative about a religion…” Read more.

Five who flipped on health care

They were the difference makers on health care reform: House Democrats who flipped from opposing the plan to supporting it, delivering a win on President Barack Obama’s signature domestic issue.

Now, they are also among the Democrats’ most vulnerable incumbents, and none is building a reelection message around their famous vote.

That runs counter to the advice of Democratic pollster John Anzalone and House Democratic leaders, who argue incumbents should highlight popular provisions. “I’d go to camera and say this is why I took this vote — I took it for the people of this district because it’s wrong to be dropped for pre-existing conditions. You shouldn’t be dropped because you’re sick,” Anzalone said. Read more.

Palin Calls Huntsman Out

Even though Jon Huntsman, Jr. stopped pretending not to run for president to become President Obama’s ambassador to China, associates of the former Utah Governor say that he will return to the U.S. as a proud Republican and will probably try to position himself for a 2016 run. The thinking is that the GOP will have shaken off the willies by then and be ready to modernize. In any event, Sarah Palin has today called out Amb. Huntsman in a Tweet, which marks the first time, I believe, that Palin has referenced a fellow Republican and potential presidential aspirant in a provocative way. She’s referring to reports that Assistant Sec. of State Michael Posner intended to admit to China that the United States’s human rights record wasn’t always exemplary, citing the Arizona immigration law is an example. This humility, apparently, is a way for the administration to ease into a discussion of China’s human rights’ record. Such is the outrage of the day for conservatives … and even neutrally, comparing China’s regular and brutal and unapologetic detention of political dissidents to the temporary detention of citizens caught without papers is … a tough case to make. Here’s Palin’s Tweet:

AZ’s pro-border security law invokes apology to China(w/its human rights violations)by U.S. State Dept;Surely Ambassador Huntsman disagrees?

Anti-terror funds belong in N.Y.

There’s not much of an argument, surely, over the very uneasy reality that New York City is the most vulnerable place in America to terrorism. Any doubts about that ought to have been erased in the aftermath of a foiled car bombing in Times Square two weeks ago.

The devastation and carnage that Faisal Shahzad’s failed plot might have brought have to be considered in the context of all the death and trauma that did occur in the attacks on the World Trade Center in 1993 and again on Sept. 11, 2001.

Why can’t there be a similar sense of unanimity and clarity of purpose, then, in the nation’s determination to protect New York City from subsequent acts of terrorism? What ought to be a united front within the federal government instead reveals strains and divisions over whether the city is getting its appropriate share of homeland security money. Read more.

Obama endorsements don’t seem to help Democrats

WASHINGTON (AP) — The role of endorser in chief isn’t working so well for President Barack Obama.

Sen. Arlen Specter became the fourth Democrat in seven months to lose a high-profile race despite the president’s active involvement, raising doubts about Obama’s ability to help fellow Democrats in this November’s elections.

The first three candidates fell to Republicans. But Specter’s loss Tuesday to Rep. Joe Sestak in Pennsylvania’s Democratic senatorial primary cast doubts on Obama’s influence and popularity even within his own party – and in a battleground state, no less. Read more.

Joe Sestak defeats Arlen Specter, Rand Paul wins, Democrats claim victory in PA special election

Pennsylvania Rep. Joe Sestak defeated Sen. Arlen Specter in the Democratic Senate primary, a large-scale political upset that ends the career of one of the enduring figures in Pennsylvania politics.

“This election is about you,” said Sestak in his victory speech. “This is what democracy looks like: a win for the people, over the establishment, over the status quo, even over Washington, D.C.”

Specter, who is 80 years old and has served since 1980 in the Senate, called it a “great privilege” to have served in the Senate and added that he would “be working very, very hard for the people of the commonwealth in the coming months.” Read more.

The Arizona Immigration SB 1070 Bill

Click here to read the 16 page bill.

Senators press for National Guard troops on border

WASHINGTON (AP)– Homeland Security and Pentagon officials are at loggerheads over a plan to send National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, even as President Barack Obama is pledging to bolster security there.

The Guard stalemate has festered for nearly a year, and frustrated lawmakers are demanding action to stem the spread of violence and drug trafficking that has spilled across the border into their states. The inaction raises questions about whether the White House is convinced the federally funded deployment is necessary, or whether border states will be forced to bear the costs of dispatching the Guard troops on their own.

Speaking at the White House on Wednesday with Mexican President Felipe Calderon, Obama said the U.S. is committed to standing with Mexico against the drug cartels. Read more.

Missouri Auto Parts Dealer Khalid Ouazzani Pleads Guilty of Funding Al Qaeda

An auto parts dealer in Kansas city who had sworn allegiance to Al Qaeda pleaded guilty on Wednesday of participating in conspiracy to provide financial support to the terror outfit.

The 32 year old dealer, Khalid Ouazzani, became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2006, admitted sending $23,500 to al-Qaeda between August 2007 and mid-2008.

He had spoken with others about ways to help al Qaeda including plans to support them in their fight in Afghanistan, Iraq or Somalia, US Attorney Beth Phillps did not think that Khalid poses a threat to the Kansas city area. Read more.

Legislation Will Hurt Small Business SB829

The House Commerce, Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee will consider legislation on Wednesday that will augment the power and widen the profit margins of large corporations at the expense of small businesses and citizens. The bill, Regulation of Appraisal Management Companies (SB829), will, as currently written, place onerous regulations and assess fees on these companies that will disproportionately affect small business and bolster the market share and power of large corporations.

To qualify for registration, companies must register with the state, pay a filing fee of $5,000 and pay a subsequent annual free of $2,500. Large companies will much more easily be able to pay these registration fees while smaller appraisal management firms, the small businesses that create jobs, opportunity and wealth for many North Carolinians, will be burdened excessively, perhaps to the point of being unprofitable. Furthermore, companies that are able to pay the fee will simply pass along the added expense to consumers, making it more expensive for North Carolinians to do business. Read more.

Week in Review 5/15/10

2010-05-16T20:21:00.005-04:00

Americans look for Supreme Court to restrain federal power, not expand it

The breathtaking expansion of government — highlighted by record federal spending and a dramatic new federal role in the health-care system — is a source of deep concern across the political spectrum. People are increasingly worried that Washington is exceeding the limits set by the Constitution, asserting too large a role in American life.

So when President Obama announces his next Supreme Court nominee, the American people will want to know whether he is choosing someone who is committed to the text of the Constitution and the vision of the Founding Fathers, or whether his nominee is an activist who will shed a judge’s neutral, constitutional role to push a progressive policy agenda. Read more.

Utah US Rep. Matheson forced into Dem primary

Claudia Wright captured 45 percent of the vote Saturday at the Utah Democratic Party convention. Matheson won 55 percent of delegates’ votes – not the 60 percent he needed to avoid a primary. Matheson is Utah’s lone Democrat in Congress and has never had to run in a primary before.

President Obama’s home-state headache

President Barack Obama’s enemies like to call him a creature of the “Chicago machine,” but when it comes to the politics of his home state of Illinois, the White House doesn’t seem to know where the gears are.

Indeed, Chicago has delivered an unending stream of embarrassment, frustration and discomfort to the administration of its favorite son, from an indicted governor to a failed Olympics bid to a series of smaller political blows.

In the latest encounter with political quicksand, the White House — already burned by a series of failures to fill Obama’s Senate seat with a chosen candidate — has been forced to proceed with extreme caution toward the damaged Democratic Senate nominee, Alexi Giannoulias, waiting to see if he drops out even as some of its allies want the White House to take a heavier hand. Read more.

Outrage: Obama Administration Targets Military for Pay Reductions

President Barack Obama — who came to power with the help of government employee unions across the nation and has lavished on them hundreds of billions in stimulus funds to keep them on federal, state and local payrolls with no strings attached — is moving to cut spending on salaries for military personnel.

This weekend The Washington Post headlined story, “Pentagon Asking Congress to Hold Back on Generous Increases in Troop Pay,” disclosed that the Obama administration is “pleading” with Congress to give military personnel a much smaller increase in pay than lawmakers have proposed.

The Pentagon contends that Congress simply has been too generous with troops during the past decade. Read more.

National Democrats blew it

The Democratic big boys in Washington mishandled North Carolina by waiting too long for Congressman Bob Etheridge to decide whether to run, by not either backing Marshall or, if they didn’t like her chances, clearing the field for Cunningham. As Burr keeps building his $5 million war chest, the runoff will put the Democrats further behind. Read more.

To Kill an America

You probably missed this in the rush of news, but there was actually a report that someone in Pakistan had published in a newspaper, an offer of a reward to anyone who killed an American, any American.

So an Australian dentist wrote an editorial the following day to let everyone know what an American is . So they would know when they found one. (Good one, mate!!!!)

‘An American is English, or French, or Italian, Irish, German, Spanish , Polish, Russian or Greek. An American may also be Canadian, Mexican, African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Australian, Iranian, Asian, or Arab, or Pakistani or Afghan.

An American may also be a Comanche, Cherokee, Osage, Blackfoot, Navaho, Apache, Seminole or one of the many other tribes known as native Americans. Read more.

After Arizona, why are 10 states considering immigration bills?

Given the anger sparked by Arizona’s immigration bill nationwide – including protests and calls to boycott Arizona – the campaign promises of Colorado gubernatorial candidate Scott McInnis could be seen as a bit of a surprise.

He has vowed to follow Arizona’s lead and pass a tough new anti-illegal immigration law. “We are stopping the retreat. No more retreat,” he said in a local radio interview. “Federal government, if you are not going to do it, we are going to do it.”

Mr. McInnis’s comments are but one example of how the Arizona firestorm has hardly scared off politicians in other states around the country. In some cases, it might actually be encouraging them. Read more.

History warns Obama on primaries

President Barack Obama is deeply enmeshed in the Pennsylvania Democratic Senate primary.

The White House promised full support to GOP Sen. Arlen Specter when he switched to the Democratic Party a year ago. So Obama’s team had approached Rep. Joe Sestak, the primary challenger now gaining on Specter, in an effort to ward off this intraparty contest.

Obama is entangled in other Democratic primaries, as well. His White House has endorsed incumbent moderate Democrats in a handful of key midterm races. It has actively intervened in support of Sens. Michael Bennet of Colorado, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas. Read more.

GOP: Medicare pick favors ‘rationing’

Senate Republicans revived their health care “rationing” theme Wednesday evening as they fired their first salvo in what’s expected to be a fierce battle over the confirmation Donald M. Berwick to be administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Republicans say Berwick supports the idea of rationing health care, a charge they deployed to stir public anger against the Democrats’ health care overhaul. While they focused on the public insurance option that ultimately was dropped from the legislation, they also said that a series of programs that made it into the final legislation, such as the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, would also lead to denying health care to save money.

“Dr. Berwick is the perfect nominee for a president whose aim has always been to save money by rationing health care,” Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) said Wednesday. Read more.

Blagojevich lawyers subpoena Sen. Harry Reid

WASHINGTON–Lawyers for former Gov. Blagojevich have subpoenaed Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nv.) in to testify at his federal corruption trial, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.

“Ex-Governor Blagojevich’s counsel contacted Senator Reid’s counsel regarding service of a subpoena related to Mr. Blagojevich’s pending trial, as he has apparently contacted many others. As a routine legal matter, Senator Reid’s attorney accepted service. This action does not mean that Senator Reid will testify at trial,” Reid spokesman Jim Manley told me.

Last month, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) revealed that he was also subpoenaed by Blagojevich’s defense team. “Given the former Governor’s previous antics regarding this case, it’s no surprise he is casting a wide net – apparently from the President down to dogcatcher,” said Durbin spokesman Joe Shoemaker. Read more.

Underground broker network a bane in terror probes

NEW YORK (AP) – Long before there was MoneyGram and Western Union, people in South Asian countries often used an informal network of brokers, called an “hawala,” to transfer money over long distances when it was too inconvenient or dangerous to send cash by courier.

Today, the centuries-old system still exists and is used to move billions of dollars annually in and out of countries like Pakistan,Afghanistan and Somalia — often to the chagrin of U.S. law enforcement.

A federal law enforcement official told The Associated Press that terror suspect Faisal Shahzad is believed to have tapped into such a network to help fund a plot to detonate a car bomb in Times Square on May 1. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing. Read more.

Week in Review 5/8/10

2010-05-10T22:01:00.001-04:00

House passes Puerto Rico bill

The House Thursday evening passed a bill which mandates that the citizens of Puerto Rico vote on their relationship with the United States. The Puerto Rican Democracy Act enjoyed bipartisan support and opposition, but passed 223-169 after a whole slew of amendments were debated and voted on.

The motion to recommit the legislation – a tactic meant to essentially kill a bill and send it back to committee – narrowly failed. But two of the most prominent Hispanic Democrats in Congress carried their all-out offensive to kill the bill late into the day Thursday. They took direct aim at their leadership.

Read More.

Pakistani Taliban claims NYC car bomb

CAIRO (AP)– The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility in a video posted on the Internet Sunday for the attempted car bomb attack in New York City’s Times Square, according to the SITE Intelligence Group.

In the 1 minute, 11 second video allegedly released by the Pakistani Taliban, the militant group says the attack is revenge for the death of its leader, Baitullah Mehsud, and the recent slaying of al-Qaida in Iraq leaders Abu Omar al-Baghdadi and Abu Ayyub al-Masri, who were killed by U.S. and Iraqi troops last month north of Baghdad.

SITE, a U.S.-based terrorist tracking organization, first uncovered the video on YouTube. The tape, which later appeared to have been removed from the website, makes no specific reference to the attack in New York, nor does it mention that the location or that it was a car bomb. Read more.

Republicans on Offense as Dems Slip

WASHINGTON — Republicans are on offense in scores of House and Senate races as persistent economic woes and lukewarm support for President Barack Obama continue to weaken Democrats’ hold on Congress.

The president and his party are determined to minimize the losses six months before the November elections. But Democrats privately acknowledge the economy and support for Obama must improve before then to avoid the defeats that could cost them control of the House and possibly the Senate.

Primaries in Indiana, Ohio and North Carolina on Tuesday kick off an intense eight weeks of contested elections. There also are two special House elections to fill vacant Democratic-held seats in Pennsylvania and Hawaii. The outcome could be a clear indicator of the political mood.

“I need your help once more,” Obama says in a video message to backers, a plea that underscores the troubles for Democrats. “This year, the stakes are higher than ever,” the president adds, warning that Republicans would “undo all that we have accomplished.” Read more.

Despite Ariz. Law, Illegals Vow to Keep Coming

NOGALES, Mexico (AP) — The line of Mexicans waiting to go shopping in Arizona snakes twice around the sun-drenched plaza, even as politicians nearby slap stickers on cars calling for a boycott of the U.S. state.

And the illegal migrants targeted by a tough new Arizona law dismiss it as just another obstacle that pales in comparison to the extortion, arrests and kidnappings they already risk to reach U.S. soil. They vow to keep on coming.

Resentment has erupted throughout Mexico over the immigration law in Arizona that is considered racist here. But crossing back and forth between the countries is so intrinsic to their lives that many Mexicans find it hard to give it up despite calls by immigration activists for a boycott of Arizona. Read more.

Holder: Car bomb suspect tried to fly to Dubai

WASHINGTON (AP) — Faisal Shahzad, the man arrested Monday in connection with the failed plot to detonate a car bomb in New York’s Times Square, was trying to board a flight to Dubai when he was apprehended, Attorney General Eric Holder said Tuesday. Holder said Shahzad, a U.S. citizen, was detained by agents from Customs and Border Protection at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.

The attorney general described the investigation as “multifaceted” and said federal, state and local authorities are continuing to pursue a number of leads. “As we move forward, we will focus on not just holding those responsible for it accountable, but also on obtaining any intelligence about terrorist organizations overseas,” he said. Read more.

Pacific Legal Foundation at the front lines in fight against Big Government

The fight against Big Government must now move to the courts. From coast to coast, impassioned rallies protest what many view as the rise of European-style socialism in America.

Marches in Washington, hundreds of “tea parties” around the country, contentious congressional town hall meetings and switchboard-swamping phone calls to Congress are rampant. People worry aloud that our children and grandchildren won’t enjoy the freedoms we’ve taken for granted. As a woman at the April 15 rally in Palm Desert told The Desert Sun, “The tea party movement isn’t about complaining. It’s about standing for something — and that’s our Constitution.” Read more.

Just How Involved In Our Lives Is North Carolina State Government?

In the constant, on-going debate between the political left and right about the proper role of government, this question is typically answered with a discussion that focuses on issues such as taxes, government spending, or healthcare. There are two items, however, that illustrate the size and scope of government control that often go unnoticed.

The first overlooked measure is the North Carolina State Government Fee Report. This document, produced by the Office of State Budget and Management, lists over 2,700 fees that are assessed each year by the State of North Carolina. Essentially, lawmakers and bureaucrats have come up with nearly 3,000 ways—in addition to taxes—to extract money from its citizens. And this number does not include fees assessed by the community college system or the University of North Carolina system. Excluding those fees, the state collected nearly $2 billion in fees during the 2007-08 fiscal year. By comparison, the state collected $1.2 billion in total corporate taxes that year. The $2 billion in fees was an increase of almost $63 million from the previous year, and an increase of more than $700 million from 2002-03. Read more.

Iran begins new military maneuvers in Persian Gulf

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran on Wednesday kicked off new war games and military maneuvers in the strategic Persian Gulf waters, the country’s second military show of force in less than a month.

The exercises reflect Iran’s desire to flex its military muscle at a time of a deepening standoff with the West over Tehran’s controversial nuclear program. The war games, held annually since 2006, also act as a warning, should U.S. or Israel consider a military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

The new maneuvers, dubbed “Velayat 89,” are to last eight days in the Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman and cover about 97,000 square miles (250,000 square kilometers) of Iranian territorial waters, reported state TV. Read more.

Obama wants to begin work on immigration reform

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama said Wednesday he wants to begin work this year on legislation overhauling the nation’s immigration system, firming up his commitment on a key priority for Latino voters and lawmakers.

Obama’s comments at a Cinco de Mayo celebration at the White House reaffirmed his long-held support for immigration reform. He went a step further than he has in the past by calling for the work to begin this year.

Latino groups have been calling for Obama to deliver on his campaign promise of making immigration reform a top priority, with some activists and lawmakers in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus complaining he wasn’t doing enough.

Obama clouded the issue last week by saying “there may not be an appetite” in Congress to deal with another hot-button issue immediately after grueling fights over health care and financial regulation. Read more.

Obama biggest recipient of BP cash

While the BP oil geyser pumps millions of gallons of petroleum into the Gulf of Mexico, President Barack Obama and members of Congress may have to answer for the millions in campaign contributions they’ve taken from the oil and gas giant over the years.

BP and its employees have given more than $3.5 million to federal candidates over the past 20 years, with the largest chunk of their money going to Obama, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Donations come from a mix of employees and the company’s political action committees — $2.89 million flowed to campaigns from BP-related PACs and about $638,000 came from individuals.

On top of that, the oil giant has spent millions each year on lobbying — including $15.9 million last year alone — as it has tried to influence energy policy. Read more.

Budget From Governor Relies on Gimmicks, Misses Opportunities

RALEIGH — Budget gimmicks help Gov. Bev Perdue avoid the tough decisions that would improve North Carolina state government’s finances and operations. That’s the assessment the John Locke Foundation’s top budget expert offers in a new Spotlight report.

“Gimmicks are at the core of the governor’s budget proposal for the new fiscal year that starts in July,” said Joseph Coletti, JLF Director of Health and Fiscal Policy Studies. “These gimmicks leave the state fundamentally unprepared for recovery. The governor’s budget proposal represents a missed opportunity.”

The primary gimmick is Perdue’s claim that her budget cuts $1 billion in state spending, Coletti said. “The press release tied to this budget plan crowed about $1 billion in cuts, but it ignored a key point,” he said. “More than half of the so-called cut — $578 million — is new federal stimulus money that replaces state dollars.” Read more.

Lindsey Graham wants to ‘pause’ on climate bill

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has gone from fence-sitting to urging Democrats to scrap climate change legislation before the midterms — saying the Gulf Oil spill warrants a pause in the effort.

“As I have previously indicated, a serious debate on energy legislation is significantly compromised with the cynical politics of comprehensive immigration reform hanging over the Senate,” Graham said in a statement Friday morning.

“In addition to immigration, we now have to deal with a catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, which creates new policy and political challenges not envisioned in our original discussions. In light of this, I believe it would be wise to pause the process and reassess where we stand.”

Graham’s statement came after senators John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) announced plans to push ahead with a climate bill Graham had previously signed off on.

The White House has become increasingly frustrated with Graham, who agreed to be a pivotal bipartisan bridge on energy, climate change and terror detention — but has yet to follow through on any of those issues.

Week in Review 5/1/10

2010-05-01T06:37:00.001-04:00

North Carolina cools on President Obama

President Barack Obama jets off Friday for a weekend getaway to a funky corner of Appalachia in North Carolina, a state that boosted his presidential chances and now offers him a more tepid political embrace.

Obama will ponder his Supreme Court candidates, tee it up on the golf course and add a fresh presidential element to the hippie-hillbilly mix of Asheville. The last time Obama was in the place Rolling Stone once named the “freak capital” of the United States was October 2008. He was at the Grove Park Inn preparing for his second debate with Sen. John McCain, and at a rally that week he promised 25,000 cheering supporters he’d be back to see their city – or at least the golf course. Read more.

Dems’ work is cut out

RALEIGH — North Carolina Democrats gathered for their annual rite of spring Saturday, facing a far more difficult political scenario for their mid-term elections than most could have imagined two years ago.

A broad range of public opinion polls have shown that the Democrats have lost ground since the 2008 elections, when the Tar Heel Democrats pulled off a rare political hat trick, winning the governorship, a U.S. Senate seat and carrying the state for Barack Obama.

But since then, the Democrats have been bleeding support, particularly among independent swing voters. North Carolina independent voters now favor GOP legislative candidates by a 47-18 margin, and GOP congressional candidates by a 46-19 margin – figures that could produce “disastrous results” for Democrats in the fall, according to Public Policy Polling, a Democratic-leaning polling firm based in Raleigh. Read more.

Panel says U.S. can’t grow its way out of deficits

(Reuters) – The United States cannot grow its way out of budget deficits and both revenue increases and spending cuts will be needed to stem the flow of red ink and create a brighter financial outlook, top members of a newly created budget commission said on Sunday.

The independent National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform created by President Barack Obama is to hold its first meeting on Tuesday. The co-chairmen of the 18-member panel told “Fox News Sunday” that everything had to be on the table as it considers ways to reduce huge deficits and mounting debt.

“We’re not going to say we’re going to grow our way out of this,” said former Republican Senator Alan Simpson. “Hell, we could have double (-digit) growth for 30 years and never grow our way out of this.” Read more.

One Top Obama Goal, Climate Bill, at Risk

WASHINGTON—A dispute between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) over the timing of a climate bill is threatening the already-weak prospects for congressional action this year on the bill, one of President Obama’s top priorities.

Lawmakers and interest groups who want action on climate and energy legislation scrambled Sunday to resolve their differences. The climate fight also raises doubt about the Obama administration’s ability to enlist Mr. Graham’s support for an overhaul of immigration laws.

In an interview Sunday, Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I., Conn) said he was hopeful that the rift on climate legislation could be mended after talks with both Messrs. Reid and Graham. But Mr. Lieberman said he didn’t know how soon he and Sen. John Kerry (D., Mass) would introduce climate and energy legislation that they have been working on for months with Mr. Graham. Read more.

ObamaCare Mulligan

When President Obama signed his health-care reform last month, he declared it will “lower costs for families and for businesses and for the federal government.” So why, barely a month later, are Democrats scrambling to pass a new bill that would impose price controls on insurance?

In now-they-tell-us hearings on Tuesday, the Senate health committee debated a bill that would give states the power to reject premium increases that state regulators determine are “unreasonable.” The White House proposed this just before the final Obama- Care scramble, but it couldn’t be included because it violated the procedural rules that Democrats abused to pass the bill. Read more.

Campaign Rivals Accuse Reid of Using Immigration Push to Help Senate Bid

Harry Reid’s campaign rivals are accusing the Senate majority leader of pivoting toward immigration legislation in Washington in order to save his political hide back home in Nevada.

All three of Reid’s top Republican challengers accused him on Monday of having an ulterior political motive in pulling immigration to the front-burner. With polls showing the Nevada Democrat trailing in his race for re-election this November, challengers said Reid is trying to shore up his Latino voter base — while dragging all of Washington along with him.

“He’s seeing that his voting base is waning and he’s getting desperate to try to do something and turn it around,” Danny Tarkanian, a former college basketball star and local businessman vying for the GOP nomination, told FoxNews.com. Read more.

Governor Perdue’s Budget Plan Increases Spending Again During “Great Recession”

On April 20, Governor Bev Perdue released her recommended adjustments for the fiscal year 2010-11 North Carolina state budget. Included in her recommendations are an increase in spending over the current year’s expected appropriations, the elimination of roughly 600 mostly vacant state positions, a cut to public education and public safety, and a misguided attempt to “create jobs” via credits aimed at small businesses.

Because North Carolina works on a two-year budget cycle, the governor’s proposal represents recommended changes to the second year of last year’s authorized budget bill. Read more.

Blagojevich wants to subpoena Obama

CHICAGO (AP) — Ousted Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has asked a federal judge subpoena the president to testify at his corruption trial.

In a motion filed Thursday with U.S. District Judge James Zagel, Blagojevich attorney Sam Adam says President Barack Obama has direct knowledge of allegations made in the indictment.

It would be extremely unusual for a sitting president to testify at a corruption trial.

A spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office, Randall Samborn, had no comment on the 11-page motion. The filing contained several sections blacked out, apparently because they refer to material that the court has placed under seal.

Blagojevich has pleaded not guilty to charges that accuse him of scheming to sell or trade the Senate seat left vacant by Obama’s election as president.

Glenn Beck: Puerto Rican Statehood Ahead?

I want to talk to you about the fundamental transformation of America. It could happen tomorrow.

But first, you have to understand progressives. What is it that progressives believe?

• Big government, power and control: It’s not about Democrats or Republicans, people. It’s power and control. You can’t choose for yourself. You’re too dumb, so progressives will choose and regulate everything for you

• Democratic elections: This is important to progressives. You’ll hear it “democratically elected” to refer to leaders like Hitler, Chavez and Castro — all democratically elected

• Social justice: Collective redemption through the government: Call it socialism, Marxism, whatever — it’s all about the redistribution of wealth Read more.

Senator calls on FTC to tackle social-net privacy

en. Charles Schumer of New York has come out swinging against new announcements by Facebook that modify how much member data is shared with third-party companies, suggesting that the Federal Trade Commission needs to promptly address the issue of social-network privacy.

A press release from Schumer’s office announced that he has written to the FTC to ask that the agency “examine the privacy disclosures of social-networking sites to ensure they are not misleading or fail to fully disclose the extent to which they share information…(and) provide guidelines for use of private information and prohibit access without user permission.” Read more.

GOP Aims to Push Joe Sam Queen Out of Office

RALEIGH — A county commissioner, a mayor, and a self-described native mountain woman are lined up to take on state Sen. Joe Sam Queen, a Democrat from Haywood County.

Queen has represented Senate District 47, a Republican leaning district in the mountains and foothills, since 2004. He won his last bid for re-election by a 54 percent to 46 percent margin, and the results were even closer four years ago. In statewide races, though, voters opt for the GOP. Read more.

Are Washington-Beijing relations back on track?

U.S. President Barack Obama’s first year in office has been characterized by concerted efforts at accommodation when it comes to Washington-Beijing relations. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton perhaps best summed this up when she described the two powers as being in the same boat and weathering the same storms together.

Clinton’s comment reflects the philosophy and approach of the Obama foreign policy team to mainland China. It came as the U.S. emerged from the global financial crisis and sought the mainland’s assistance in achieving international economic recovery, breaking up terrorist plots and building consensus in the fight against global warming.

This conciliatory approach prohibited the U.S. from calling mainland China a currency manipulator and criticizing its human rights records. It also restrained Obama from receiving Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama before he departed on a state visit to the mainland. Read more.

Week in Review 04/24/10

2010-04-25T11:14:00.001-04:00

Obama: Drop Bailout Fund

The Obama administration told Senate Democrats Friday to drop a proposed $50 billion fund designed to finance the liquidation of a big financial institution facing collapse, a victory for Senate Republicans opposed to government-supervised and government-funded corporate bailouts.

“The fund was not in our original proposal we announced almost a year ago and we don’t feel it is an essential part of final legislation,” a senior administration source told Fox. “The President will only sign a bill if it passes the test of putting an end to bailouts.”

President Obama also issued a veto threat on regulatory reform, saying he will reject legislation that “does not bring the derivatives market under control in some sort of regulatory framework.” Read more.

Gates Warns U.S. Lacks Strategy on Iran Nukes

WASHINGTON – A memo from Defense Secretary Robert Gates to the White House warned that the United States lacks a nimble long-term plan for dealing with Iran’s nuclear program, according to a published report.

Gates wrote the three-page memo in January and it set off efforts in the Pentagon, White House and intelligence agencies to come up with new options, including the use of the military, The New York Times said in its Sunday editions, quoting unnamed government officials.

White House officials Saturday night strongly disagreed with the comments that the memo caused a reconsideration of the administration’s approach to Iran. Read more.

Palin Taken Aback by Obama’s ‘Like It or Not’ Remark

Washington, Ill. (AP) – Sarah Palin criticized President Barack Obama on Saturday for saying America is a military superpower “whether we like it or not,” saying she was taken aback by his comment.

“I would hope that our leaders in Washington, D.C., understand we like to be a dominant superpower,” the former Alaska governor said. “I don’t understand a world view where we have to question whether we like it or not that America is powerful.”

Obama said earlier this week that the United States must do its best to resolve conflicts around the world before they grow too serious. Read more.

Ruffin Poole reaches plea deal

RALEIGH — Ruffin Poole, a longtime aide to former Gov. Mike Easley who is accused of 57 corruption counts, has reached a plea deal with prosecutors, court records say.

A hearing on the plea deal is set for 2 p.m. today before U.S. District Judge Terrence Boyle.

The terms of the plea deal are not yet known.

Officials could not be reached or have declined to comment.

Boyle must accept the deal before it is considered final and, if past cases are an indication, he will question both side at today’s hearing.

The deal would avert a trial that was set to begin in just two weeks.

Perdue’s approval ratings slipping again

Gov. Bev Perdue’s approval ratings have tumbled backward after showing slight improvement during the first three months of the year, according to Public Policy Polling.

The Democratic polling firm found that 28 percent of those surveyed approve of the job Perdue is doing, while 52 percent disapprove. That’s down from a 32-47 split a month ago.

The anti-incumbent sentiment among voters remains strong, and Perdue, a Democrat, didn’t even break 50 percent approval within her own party: 44 percent of Democrats approve, while 33 percent disapprove.

“If Perdue’s numbers continue to be this poor, she’s likely to be a drag on Democratic legislative candidates this fall,” PPP Director Tom Jensen wrote.

The firm’s survey this month found voters preferring Republican legislative candidates 45 percent to 42 percent, thanks to a 47 percent-to-18 percent lead among independents.

OBAMA’S CZARS

Get to know the Czars who are making key decisions that affect your daily life and your future. Wake Up America! This is the backbone of our government who have not been elected, but self picked by Obama to “fundamentally change our Country.” These people are not for a free America, but a government run, socialistic redistribution of wealth. So far they run our banks, automotive industry, Healthcare, Wall Street, and Education. They are not going to stop until they takeover all of American industries. Read more.

2010 Primary Dates By State

Our Movement to rescue America from radical socialism and extreme liberalism starts with your votes. Here are the 2010 primary voting dates by state. Make sure you put these dates on your calendar and you are registered to vote. Then start to vote the liberals and socialists out of our Congress – Both State and Federal. See chart.

US and Europe rethink role of Cold War alliance

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is heading to a meeting of NATO ministers in Estonia at a time when the 61-year-old organization is suffering from a kind of mid-life crisis.

Almost 20 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the 28-member North Atlantic Treaty Organization is in the midst of an intense self-examination, trying to rethink its basic purpose.

NATO was founded to blunt the long-extinct threat of a Soviet invasion of Western Europe.

Now it finds itself divided on many fronts: doubts among some members about its combat mission in Afghanistan, unease with the continuing presence of U.S. nuclear weapons in Europe, prickly relations with Moscow and concerns about the wisdom of expanding NATO deeper into Russia’s backyard. Read more.

Illinois Democrat Pressures Obama to Tackle Immigration Legislation

Forget the Tea Parties. President Obama and Democratic leaders in Congress have another rebellion on their hands — led by a fellow Democrat from Obama’s homestate.

Illinois Rep. Luis Gutierrez is turning up the volume on his already piercing criticism of the Obama administration for failing to tackle immigration reform and is now threatening to rally Hispanics to stay home on Election Day.

Gutierrez took his criticism a step further Tuesday, holding a news conference on Capitol Hill with other Latino lawmakers to slam a bill making its way toward the governor’s desk in Arizona that would give state officials broad new powers to arrest people suspected of being illegal immigrants — a bill Gutierrez blames in part on Obama. Read more.

Middle age: Earth Day hits 40

Forty years ago, when Sen. Gaylord Nelson launched the first Earth Day, the United States was an environmental disaster area.

Air pollution was unchecked — cars and factories filled our skies with toxic smoke. The same was true of waterways. Lake Erie was so polluted it was declared dead. The oil-slicked Cuyahoga River in Cleveland had caught fire a year earlier. Vehicle fuel efficiency was a novel idea.

That year, Republican President Richard Nixon signed into law the Clean Air Act and the National Environmental Policy Act and approved the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, all sent to him by a Democratic-Congress. Two years later, he signed the Clean Water Act. Read more.

Poole pleads guilty to tax evasion, will cooperate

RALEIGH — Ruffin Poole, an aide to former Gov. Mike Easley, pleaded guilty to a single count of income tax evasion Monday, sparing himself a trial on 57 counts related to corruption.

As part of his plea agreement, Poole will cooperate with investigators, suggesting that federal prosecutors have their sights firmly set on higher ranking members of Easley’s administration, possibly Easley himself.

“I trust that Mr. Poole’s cooperation will be valuable,” said U.S. Attorney George Holding just after the hearing. “I can promise that we will use the information. We will follow the evidence to wherever this investigation leads.”

U.S. District Judge Terrence Boyle accepted the plea, and said he will suspend further proceedings in the case until the federal government has concluded its investigation. Read more.

Brown thinks Palin qualified, backs Romney now

WASHINGTON (AP)– Sen. Scott Brown says he thinks former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is qualified to be president but right now he’s supporting former Gov. Mitt Romney for the 2012 Republican nomination.

As for his own ambitions, he say “absolutely in 2012″ he’s ruling out any run for the presidency. And in an NBC interview Friday, Brown said “I’m not even going to jump” at a question about whether he would seek the presidency later on.

Brown said, “I’ve been here three months … and I’m very focused on doing my job.” Asked if he regretted bolting the Republican caucus recently to support Democrats on a jobs bill, he said, “I don’t really care. .. I’m going to be the independent person I have always been.”

Lindsey Graham: Immigration would kill climate bill

A top Senate negotiator on climate change believes that a sudden turn by Senate Democrats to immigration could “destroy” any hope of a major climate and energy bill this year.

“This comes out of left field,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), after hearing that Democratic leaders may now push immigration reform ahead of a climate bill. “I’m working as earnestly as I can to craft climate and energy independence, clean air and jobs, and now we’re being told that we’re going to immigration. We haven’t done anything to prepare the body of the country for immigration.”

“This destroys the ability to do something on energy and climate,” he added, questioning whether the Senate could take up both immigration and climate before November. Read more.

S.B. 1070 Is Now State Law

After much heated discussion, following lengthy protests and in the wake of both national and local support and criticism; Gov. Jan Brewer signed S.B.1070 into law just moments ago, referring to the new law as “another step forward in protecting the state of Arizona.” Governor Brewer also stated that the bill was the state’s only choice given the federal government’s failure to secure the nation’s borders.

In contention with Arizona’s new law on Immigration Enforcement is the constitutionality of the measure. The bill includes the authority of local police departments to directly inquire about citizenship, while further enabling police officers to stop suspect illegals under “reasonable suspicion.” The problem this poses is a simple one. In Arizona the overwhelming majority of those in the state illegally are Mexican. The fear is people of Mexican heritage that are in the state legally will be stopped solely to assess their citizenship based on profiling practices. Many in opposition to the bill stand against it solely for this one reason. Gov. Jan Brewer stated she will be signing an executive order to provide training to officers to avoid civil rights violations stating, ”I will not tolerate racial discrimination or racial profiling in the state of Arizona,” She also emphasized an amendment in the bill that prevents law enforcement personnel from using race as the only reason to implement the law. It is important to note in the arguments opposing this bill, this amendment within the bill is never referred to. Read more.

Week in Review 04/17/10

2010-04-16T12:00:00.001-04:00

Stupak retires, hands GOP huge victory

The forced retirement of U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak is a huge victory for Republicans.

They have said for months that Democrats who supported needed health care reform would suffer defeats this November. Stupak, a Michigan Democrat who served nine terms, didn’t even wait for his defeat; he walked out the door.

Stupak became a symbol for the GOP of the Democrats who made deals to get the health care package approved in Congress last month. Read more.

At immigration rallies around the country, calls for an overhaul

Thousands of immigrants gathered Saturday for rallies in seven cities to press Congress and the Obama administration to go ahead this year with legislation to give legal status to millions of illegal immigrants.

Organizers planned the demonstrations — on the last weekend before lawmakers return to Washington after a recess — to follow up on a big rally held March 21 in Washington. They are battling to keep an immigration overhaul on Congress’ agenda, even as the political odds appear to worsen almost daily. Read more.

Weekly remarks: GOP’s Jon Kyl warns of new taxes; Obama hails his stimulus tax cuts

Hello. I’m Senate Republican Whip Jon Kyl of Arizona.

The effects of the ongoing economic slump have been severe and have touched all Americans. Too many people have lost jobs; others are working reduced hours or for lower pay. The latest report shows that unemployment has stubbornly stayed at just below 10 percent. Nearly four million workers have lost their jobs since President Obama took office.

The American people have been telling Washington that promoting job growth must be the first priority. But, for more than a year, Congress and the President have focused instead on a controversial health spending bill which a majority of Americans said they didn’t want. Read more.

Generic Congressional Ballot – GOP 47 – 38

Republican candidates now hold a nine-point lead over Democrats in the latest edition of the Generic Congressional Ballot.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 47% would vote for their district’s Republican congressional candidate, up from 46% last week, while 38% would opt for his or her Democratic opponent, down a point from the previous survey.

Last week, just after Congress’ passage of the national health care plan, voter support for Democrats reached its highest level measured since early December 2009, while GOP support matched the highest level measured since weekly tracking began in early April 2007. Read more.

After Scandal, N.C. House 41 Race an Open Field

RALEIGH — A year ago, Ty Harrell had everything going for him. He had just won a second term representing North Carolina’s 41st House District in western Wake County. As a charismatic African-American and vice chair for two House committees, he was one of the state Democratic Party’s fastest rising stars.

But in a classic riches-to-rags political drama, it all changed. Harrell and his wife separated amid allegations that he engaged in an extra-marital affair, and the state Board of Elections launched an investigation into his campaign’s misuse of donations. The promising young politician resigned from office in September. Read more.

Gingrich: Obama Administration ‘Far and Away the Most Radical’ in American History

NEWT GINGRICH, R-GA, FORMER SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: The President of the United States, the most radical president in American history, has now thrown down the gauntlet to the American people. He has said, I run a machine, I own Washington, and there’s nothing you can do about it. Now, that’s where we are.

VAN SUSTEREN: Speaker Gingrich joins us live right here in Washington. Mr. Speaker, “the most radical president in American history.”

GINGRICH: I think that’s clearly true. Look at what they did with General Motors and Chrysler and taking money away from the stockholders and the bond holders and giving it to the unions. Look what they did in ramming through the trillion-dollar health bill. Look what they’re doing with a pay czar in the White House, which is an unconstitutional office that now has an individual person who decides what banks should be able to earn. Read more.

Gallup: Democrats’ Approval at Historic Low

Not only have Democrats not experienced a healthcare bounce, they’re seeing a healthcare plunge, according to Gallup.

The Democratic Party’s favorable rating has dropped to its lowest level ever: 41 percent, according to Gallup in a story first reported by the WashingtonExaminer.com

In addition to Rep. Bart Stupak, one of the key legislators who broke the tide for President Obama on healthcare passage but now is giving up his seat, other Democrats are either retiring or on the verge. Elsewhere, once strong incumbent seats are up for grabs.

As Congress returns to work after a two-week Easter break, the choice before the majority party is this, according to The Examiner: keep plunging ahead or start running for cover? Read more.

Poole’s corruption trial to start May 3

The corruption trial of Ruffin Poole, a longtime aide to former Gov. Mike Easley, will start much sooner than Poole wanted.

U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle ordered Tuesday that the trial start on May 3, rejecting arguments from Poole’s lawyer that he needed the summer to prepare.

Prosecutors initially sought a mid-May trial on more than 50 corruption counts brought against Poole, who was a counsel to the former governor in his two terms. Poole wanted a trial in August. Read more.

Iran’s Ahmadinejad Sends Letter to President Obama

April 14 (Bloomberg) — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sent a letter to U.S. President Barack Obama, the content of which will be made public soon, state-run Press TV reported.

Ahmadinejad, who spoke in an interview with Iran’s national television late yesterday, also said that Iran is Obama’s “only chance” of achieving a foreign policy success in the Middle East, the English-language satellite news channel said in a report.

Obama “has only one way to tell the world that he has created change, and that is Iran,” because he is unlikely to achieve anything in Israel, Iraq or Afghanistan, Ahmadinejad said, according to Press TV. Read more.

Obama dares Republicans to fight Wall St. bill

For weeks, the White House strategy on financial regulatory reform remained an open question: Would President Barack Obama water down his bill just to get something passed — the way he did on health care?

A Palinesque “Hell no!” was the answer coming from the White House on Wednesday as the president, his senior aides and his allies on Capitol Hill issued an ultimatum to Republicans fighting Democrats’ plans to overhaul financial oversight.

“For the president, you have to be willing to accept a strong bill,” said White House press secretary Robert Gibbs, after Obama emerged from a contentious meeting with GOP congressional leaders. Read more.

Burr: Obama should copy Bush on terror

U.S. Sen. Richard Burr says President Barack Obama’s administration isn’t tough enough on terrorism.

In an interview on the Bill LuMaye radio show on WPTF-AM, Burr said last week that the attempted Christmas Day airline bombing was the result of a “colossal communications failure” between federal agencies that should have prevented the attempted attack.

Obama’s administration has not handled the incident well, Burr said. Read more.

Tea partiers descend on D.C.

Thousands of tea party activists descended on Washington Thursday to air a variety of demands – from the repeal of new health care legislation to the abolition of the Internal Revenue Service and a taxation system they say punishes initiative, to a fuller embrace of Israel – even as organizers encouraged them to unite and shift their focus toward the 2010 congressional elections.

“It is great that we all come together and have these rallies,” Amy Kremer of the Tea Party Express told a crowd of several thousand protestors gathered under a warm midday sun on Freedom Plaza a few blocks from the White House.

“But the real work is done outside of a rally, and if we truly want to affect change, we are going to have to get involved in the election process in these campaigns and vote true conservatives into office,” she said, urging the ralliers to “put down the protest signs and pick up the campaign signs.” Read more.

The Greens’ Ground Zero

To accurately gauge the level of desperation in the environmental community at any given moment, simply murmur the words “Richard Pombo.” Then step back and watch the slurs roll.

Ground zero in the nation’s environmental fight has already been established in California’s 19th district, where Mr. Pombo—a Republican who narrowly lost his House seat in 2006—is again running in the Central Valley. It’s only April, but the green shock troops are again waging an all-out smear campaign to defeat him, this time with an assist from one of his Republican primary competitors. It’s a vivid example of the stakes for the green agenda in this year’s midterm elections. Read more.

Week in Review 04/10/10

2010-04-10T10:03:00.002-04:00

Obama takes on talkers

Barack Obama’s tongue-lashing of conservative talk-show titans Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck this week could prove a winner for both sides.

The president gets a boost with his base and may win over some independents by tying his political opponents to two of the nation’s most polarizing figures.

But the conservative talkers get presidential confirmation that they’re at the center of the political debate — together with a collection of sound bytes that will fuel their shows for days to come. Read more.

Republicans dispute course of financial overhaul

WASHINGTON (AP) – End the public lifeline for large financial institutions, Republicans are demanding as they push back against Democratic efforts to set new rules for the financial industry.

The GOP is trying to fight many of the changes that President Barack Obama and majority Democrats want. Legislation would give the government authority to split up big financial companies and force the industry to pay for its most massive failures.

Republicans have offered alternative legislation that calls for new bankruptcy proceedings to dismantle failing institutions. Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California, a member of the House Financial Services Committee, said that creating more federal agencies and putting taxpayers on the hook for more bailouts will not help revive the economy. Read more.

Hundreds show president their anger, frustration

Charlotte — President Barack Obama’s motorcade, headed to Charlotte’s airport Friday, passed through an American political divide that seemed as wide as six-lane Carowinds Boulevard.

On the corner anchored by the Tilted Kilt pub, a couple of hundred tea party protesters lined the street. “Throw them out! Throw them out!” they chanted, and stabbed thumbs down as the president passed. A hand-lettered sign, one of dozens, waved: “Somewhere in Kenya a village is missing its idiot.”

Across the boulevard, a largely black crowd sprinkled with the red, white and blue of a few Obama detractors squinted into the midday sun and shouted back: “Obama! Obama! Obama!” Read more.

Senate challenges signal deep unrest

How deep does the anti-Washington sentiment run? The number of senators in both parties facing serious primary challenges this year — a figure that has grown in the past six weeks — offers a clue.

Five senators, three Democrats and two Republicans, face the real prospect of being denied their party’s nomination this year: Sens. Bob Bennett (R-Utah), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Arlen Specter (D-Pa.), John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.).

In most cases, the incumbents are still the front-runners. But the mere fact that their challengers are within striking distance is notable, given the rarity of senators being denied renomination by their party. Read more.

White House Denies Charges of Caving to China on Currency

A prominent Democratic senator on Sunday suggested that the Obama administration was letting China slide on possible currency manipulation in exchange for help on Iran sanctions — something the White House flatly denied.

Democratic Sen. Arlen Specter, reacting to news that the White House was delaying its report to Congress on whether China is manipulating its currency, told “Fox News Sunday” he’s concerned the administration could be missing a chance to help U.S. workers get on a level playing field.

The report was originally scheduled for release by April 15, around the time Chinese President Hu Jintao is visiting Washington for nuclear talks. Read more.

US unveiling new, more restrictive nuclear policy

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Obama administration is unveiling a new nuclear weapons policy that seeks to narrow the circumstances under which the United States would use such weapons while preserving long-standing assurances of nuclear protection for allies, U.S. officials said.

It is a delicate balance that the administration will describe in a policy document, called a nuclear posture review, to be released Tuesday following a full year of deliberation led by the Pentagon in consultation with allied governments.

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu and Joint Chiefs chairman Adm. Mike Mullen planned to unveil the new policy at a noon Pentagon briefing. Read more.

Berger’s Proposal

On Monday, Senate Republican Leader Phil Berger proposed a bill meant to expose patronage and misconduct in state government.

The state’s personnel law is among the most secretive in the country regarding disciplinary actions, hiring information and employment histories of public employees. North Carolina, for example, appears to be the only state that bars the public from learning pay raises and prior positions, a recent News & Observer series, Keeping Secrets, found.

The problems with the personnel law’s secrecy were exposed by investigations into the administration of former Gov. Mike Easley. N.C. State University officials, for example, cited the personnel law in not disclosing the governor’s efforts to create a job for his wife at N.C. State. The law also initially hid an improper pay deal given to NCSU Provost Larry Nielsen. Nielsen stepped down after controversy surrounded his hiring of Mary Easley. Read more.

North Carolina Candidates Gear Up in Swing Districts

RALEIGH — The North Carolina General Assembly could look much different in 2011. At least, that’s what Republicans hope.

For the first time in over a century, the minority party has a shot at wresting control of the legislature from Democrats, and it’s banking on a string of competitive races to do it.

Retirements, resignations, and shifting political dynamics make 10 seats in the Senate and 20 in the House vulnerable to GOP challenges this year. Political experts say a sluggish economy, anger over health care reform in Congress, and corruption could propel Republican candidates into office. Read more.

Republicans Slam Obama Judicial Nominee Over 117 Omissions From Record

Senate Republicans on Tuesday slammed one of the Obama administration’s most controversial judicial nominees for failing to initially disclose more than 100 of his speeches, publications and other background materials — an omission the Republicans called unprecedented and a possible attempt to “hide his most controversial work.”

They said Goodwin Liu’s nomination to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is in “jeopardy” in light of the problem.

The complaint came after Liu, a Berkeley law professor, gave the Senate Judiciary Committee a bundle of supplemental material that contained 117 things he left out after his February nomination. Read more.

Obama Clash With Karzai Raises Concerns Ahead of Kandahar Offensive

WakeUpAmerica.com asks why President Obama is agitating and bullying the President of a country that has 30,000 US troops inside its country. Wake Up Obama. Your recent foreign policy actions have put Americans at a heightened state of risk – Israel, Russia, Iran, China, and now Afghanistan “ISLAMIC EXTREMISTS.”

Here is the story reported by Fox News.

Timing is everything. And for the out-in-the-open feud between President Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai, the timing is very, very bad. Read more.

Iran’s president attacks Obama on nuclear “threat”

(Reuters) – Iran’s president issued a scathing personal attack on U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday, calling him an “inexperienced amateur” who was quick to threaten to use nuclear weapons against U.S. enemies.

Commenting on new U.S. policy restrictions on the use of atomic weapons which sent a stern message to nuclear-defiant Iran that it remained a potential target, hard-line Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told Obama that Iran would not yield to threats.

“Obama made these latest remarks because he is inexperienced and an amateur politician,” Ahmadinejad said on Iranian television. “American politicians are like cowboys. Whenever they have legal shortcomings, their hands go to their guns.”

Obama made a diplomatic overture to Tehran soon after taking office in 2009, urging it to “unclench its fist.” Read more.

Volcker on the VAT

Kudos for candor to Paul Volcker, the former Federal Reserve Chairman and current White House economic adviser, for admitting what other Democrats also know but don’t want to admit until after the November election: The political class is preparing to pass a European-style value-added tax. Read more.

Week in Review 04/03/10

2010-04-03T10:31:00.001-04:00

Senate hopefuls attempt to set themselves apart

RALEIGH — The Democratic Senate primary took on a slightly sharper tone Wednesday night as the Senate hopefuls sought to draw clearer distinctions among themselves at a candidates forum.

Ken Lewis, the Chapel Hill lawyer who is portraying himself as the heir to the Obama coalition of two years ago, suggested he was the Democrat whose election in the primary May 4 would mark a significant change in the Senate.

“We can’t change a broken Senate by sending a career politician to Washington,” Lewis told about 175 people at a dinner sponsored by the Wake County Democratic Women. Read more.

Incumbents Beware: Term Limits Resurrected by Disaffected Voters

WASHINGTON — Politicians are staying in Congress longer and longer, but in an election year with a noticeably anti-incumbent mood, some Washington outsiders are challenging the idea of making a career out of public service.

“We need folks coming in from the outside who have paid taxes and created jobs and lived under the regulations that these career politicians have created,” said Jim Rutledge, a Republican attorney running to unseat Maryland Democratic Sen. Barbara Mikulski, who has 33 years in Congress between the House and Senate.

Rutledge is typical of the outsiders running this year, who know statistics are not in their favor.

Between 1789 and 2002, 13.9 percent of House members and 21.9 percent of senators served 12 years or more, according to the Congressional Research Service. Read more.

Obama plays recess with Senate Republicans

As he made final preparations for his trip to Afghanistan over the weekend, President Obama also took a long-expected poke at the Republicans with a slate of 15 recess appointments.

In announcing appointments, Obama said Republican senators are trying to score “political points” in holding up his nominations, and, “I simply cannot allow partisan politics to stand in the way of the basic functioning of government.”

Senate Republicans said Obama’s actions will only make things more tense, after Democrats used a legislative budget process known as “reconciliation” to pass the health care bill. Read more.

Labor May Gain, Business Sends ‘Red Alert’ on Becker

March 29 (Bloomberg) — Efforts by labor unions to expand employee organizing may gain after President Barack Obama, rejecting objections from Republicans and business groups, appointed Craig Becker to the National Labor Relations Board.

Obama announced plans on March 27 to name Becker, a lawyer and Democrat who represented the AFL-CIO and the Service Employees International Union, using executive powers to bypass confirmation by the Senate, which had blocked a vote this month.

Becker, opposed by groups led by the National Association of Manufacturers, will be named along with lawyer Mark Pearce, a Democrat, providing a quorum to clear a case backlog including disputes with casino owner MGM Mirage and auto-parts maker Dana Holding Corp. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce put business on “red alert” for “radical changes” while unions cheered the action. Read more.

With Every Intervention, Concerns Build Over Size of Federal Government

Health care. The auto industry. Real estate. Wall Street.

As the Obama administration increases regulation and pumps up taxpayer aid in these sectors and beyond, critics say the president is expanding the federal government to unprecedented levels.

Sure, protesters have been on the National Mall for months holding signs about bloated budgets. But it’s not just the Tea Party crowd that’s concerned. With every step, like the signing of the health care bill last Tuesday, the view that Obama is making historic shifts in the role of Washington becomes more widespread. Read more.

Obama blames the Tea Party

WakeUpAmerica.com responds to this immature allegation saying, “it is not only the Tea Party Movement that opposes his bullying tactics of pushing through his own agenda, but Americans at large. He just cannot come to grips with the fact that his agenda is very unpopular with an overwhelming majority of the American people.”

In the recent Rasmussen poll results released today shows Obama’s approval rating at a dismal 47%; and 54% of the American people most likely want the Healthcare Bill Repealed, compared to 42% say it is OK the way it is. Just two examples of America’s displeasure with Obama and his agenda.

In addition, President Obama has broken numerous campaign promises including transparency and bipartisanship. His actions clearly underscore the old cliche – ” it is his way or the highway.” Read more.

Sarkozy Reveals Rift in U.S.-European Relations

Did it really happen, right there in the East Room? Could such a question be asked just one year after a nearly rapturous Europe welcome to President Obama and his promised era of engagement and mutual cooperation? Could Obama’s word actually be a topic of debate among Europe’s top leaders?

It appears so.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy was asked to elaborate on his Tuesday comments in New York that the world needs an America “that listens.”

Instead of explaining whether America listens, Sarkozy talked about what happens when Obama speaks — denying a problem no one asked about — and in so doing revealed a surprising rift in U.S.-European relations. Read more.

Rancher’s Murder Exposes Deadly Gaps in Border Policing, Tancredo Says

Former Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo, reacting to the murder of a well-known Arizona rancher by an assailant authorities believe was an illegal immigrant, said violence on the border has spiraled out of control and the federal government seems powerless to stop it.

Tancredo, who has called on the Obama administration to deploy the National Guard in response, told FoxNews.com Tuesday that the killing shows how bad the situation has become for Americans living north of the Mexican border.

“The violence on the border is … getting worse all the time,” he said. “This is just a horrible manifestation of it.” Read more.

Patient, Doctor, and Government – Who Decides?

How will the newly enacted health care legislation’s emphasis on comparative effectiveness research (CER) affect patient choice, and the future of America’s health?

Last week, Congress enacted a nearly $1 trillion health care program – claiming it would reduce the cost of care and even lower the deficit by more than $100 billion over the next decade. But how exactly will such a costly government program cut costs? Here’s one major way: by cutting your medical treatment options. And no, that’s not just conservative rhetoric. It’s a simple case of actions (and money) speak louder than words.

The aim of comparative effectiveness research (CER) is to measure the outcomes of different treatments and medications and decide which is most effective. The information is then passed along to doctors, patients and consumers. According to a CBO report, before 2007 CER consumed less than $15 million of the total government budget for research funding.In the past two years, however, the government has poured a tremendous amount of money into CER, allotting $1.1 billion in funding CER through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Read more.

Assessing Voter Partisanship: An Updated Model for North Carolina

In early 2008, the Civitas Institute premiered the North Carolina Partisan Index using data from the 2004 General Election. This year, we have updated the NCPI to reflect voters’ choices in the 2008 General Election.

Modeled after the Cook Partisan Voting Index developed for congressional districts, the North Carolina Partisan Index compares the political leanings of voters in each state house and senate district with the partisan voting tendencies of the state as a whole. The end result is a letter (D or R) followed by a number, indicating the extent to which each district leans one way or the other.

The new NCPI was developed using adjusted 2008 data on the elections for Governor and other council of state offices – Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Commissioners of Agriculture, Labor, and Insurance, Secretary of State, State Auditor, State Treasurer, and Superintendent of Public Instruction. Read more.

Boxer Facing Toughest Re-Election Battle of Her Career

Ever since she was elected to the U.S. Senate 18 years ago, Barbara Boxer has faced little competition in winning another term. But this year, it won’t be that easy.

Polls indicate that the California Democrat may be about to meet her match – who will be determined in a June primary. According to one poll, Boxer is neck and neck with all three of the Republicans who hope to run against her in the general election: former Rep. Tom Campbell, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina and state Assemblyman Chuck DeVore.

In the latest Rasmussen Reports from last month, Boxer led Campbell 43 to 41 percent and was beating Fiorina and DeVore 46 to 40 percent.

“She’s in for tough sledding and she’s got lots of prominent Republicans ready to go after her,” political analyst Juan Williams told Fox News. “So what I sense there is that she knows the economy in California and especially the budget, government budget, state budgets have been a huge issue and there’s a lot of discontent, particularly with her.” Read more.

Feds Approving Bogus Products as ‘Energy-Efficient,’ Investigation Finds

The federal government has been slapping “energy-efficient” ratings on products that don’t even exist — including a bogus space heater with a duster stuck to it and an alarm clock supposedly powered by gasoline.

These fake products were submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy for approval as part of an undercover investigation by the Government Accountability Office.

The office wanted to see how easily the feds could be duped, since the Energy Star program used to identify products as energy savers serves as a guide to businesses looking for such modern marvels and the basis for millions of dollars in incentivizing tax credits — including $300 million from the stimulus. Read more.

week in Review 03/27/10

2010-04-01T13:27:00.001-04:00

Risky business for N.C. Democrats

Few issues since the Vietnam War have generated as much heat as the health care debate, which prompted street corner rallies in Raleigh, packed town halls from Wilson to Durham and prodded both sides to mobilize.

But the question with Sunday’s historic House vote for President Barack Obama’s health care plan is how it will play in the November elections.

In a moderately conservative state like North Carolina with its traditional skepticism of the federal government, the issue poses risks for the Democrats. Public opinion polls suggest that the majority does not support the president’s plan, although voters say they like some parts of it. Read more.

Stupak bends, but gets his way

WASHINGTON — Late into Saturday night and again Sunday morning, U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak of Michigan negotiated with President Barack Obama’s top lawyer, hammering out an executive order that made clear that no federal money would be spent on abortion.

It helped save the Democrats’ signature effort on health care overhaul — a victory that had eluded the party for decades.

Without Stupak and as many as nine other Democrats opposed to abortion, the chances of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., finding the 216 votes needed for passage looked bleak. With them, it was all but done.

The breakthrough came at midafternoon Sunday. “Thirty-one million more Americans will have health insurance,” Stupak said at a news conference. Read more.

Thousands Rally for Legalizing Illegals, Stronger Borders

(AP) Frustrated with the lack of action to overhaul the country’s immigration system, tens of thousands of demonstrators rallied on the National Mall and marched through the streets of the capital Sunday, waving American flags and holding homemade signs in English and Spanish.

Supporters traveled from around the country in hopes the rally would re-energize Congress to take up the volatile issue. Some lawmakers oppose any attempt to help an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants become U.S. citizens while others insist on stronger border controls first.

President Barack Obama, who promised to make overhauling the immigration system a top priority in his first year, sought to reassure those at the rally with a video message presented on giant screens at the National Mall. The president said he was committed to working with Congress this year on a comprehensive bill to fix a “broken immigration system.” Read more.

Jim C. Manatt, Jr.: Cap and trade regulation contrary to vital economic interests

What an ironic news day March 5. The headline was the $5.6 billion state budget with a $230 million tax increase. The same day, the New Energy Economy environmentalists sought natural gas emission cap revisions in Santa Fe. These events are connected.

New Mexico is a poor state by many standards but we are a richly endowed energy resource state. The oil and gas industry is New Mexico’s largest private sector revenue source, contributing $2 billion annually in taxes, depending on commodity prices, adding another $1 billion in “indirects” during a good year. Ninety-five percent of our $12 billion Permanent Funds come from oil and gas, funding about 70 percent of our kids’ education. For every $1 change in the price of natural gas, it means $100 million to our state revenues. Net effect today: $850 million less for New Mexico. Read more.

Obama is out of Control

Start the impeachment process now. Obama is not upholding the Constitution that he kinda swear to do. He has not even read it since 6th grade History Class. For the next year he will be mired in lawsuits from the states regarding his illegal passage of the healthcare secret bill. There is no where in the constitution to force a US Citizen to HAVE to purchase a product nor service.

He will continue to ignore the Worse Economic Depression facing US Citizens, Blow up our relationships with any foreign government – including our closest allies, Appease our enemies – the people that really HATE us, put our national security in grave danger, give amnesty to illegals, and impose a tax-laden cap and trade bill. Read more.

Health care mandates stoke resistance

State Senate GOP leader Phil Berger of Eden said Tuesday that he will introduce a bill when the legislature reconvenes in May to allow citizens to opt out of mandates of the new federal health care law.

“We cannot stand idly by while the federal government tramples on individuals’ rights to make their own health care decisions,” Berger said.

“Forcing individual citizens to buy a good or a service, as the federal legislation requires, is an unprecedented and unconstitutional overreach by the federal government, and it must be opposed,” Berger added. Read more.

ACORN to Shut Down in Wake of Scandal

CHICAGO (AP)– The once mighty community activist group ACORN announced Monday it is folding amid falling revenues — six months after video footage emerged showing some of its workers giving tax tips to conservative activists posing as a pimp and prostitute.

“It’s really declining revenue in the face of a series of attacks from partisan operatives and right-wing activists that have taken away our ability to raise the resources we need,” ACORN spokesman Kevin Whelan said.

Several of its largest affiliates, including ACORN New York and ACORN California, broke away this year and changed their names in a bid to ditch the tarnished image of their parent organization and restore revenue that ran dry in the wake of the video scandal. Read more.

Burr joins health law protest

WASHINGTON — With a few words Wednesday – “I would have to object” – Sen. Richard Burr joined an angry Republican pushback to the nation’s sweeping health overhaul.

Burr used a parliamentary maneuver to derail an Armed Services Committee hearing for which commanders had traveled from South Korea and Hawaii to discuss the Pentagon’s needs for the next year.

It was one of several hearings on issues ranging from homeless veterans to police trainers in Afghanistan that were upturned by Republican tactics to slow the workings of the Senate. Read more.

McConnell: Repeal ‘top of our list’

Refusing to concede permanent defeat on health reform, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell wants to “repeal the whole bill” and replace it with insurance reforms and other measures that could get bipartisan agreement.

“They got health care,” McConnell told POLITICO with a mischievous glint in his eye. “We’ll see whether that’s a gift worth receiving.”

McConnell said that if Republicans were to win back the Senate majority in November, “at the top of our list would be to repeal and replace this health care bill.” Read more.

Obama Dares Republicans to Pursue Repeal of Health Care Law

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — President Obama mocked Republicans’ campaign to try to repeal his new health care law, saying Thursday they should “Go for it” and see how well they fare with voters.

“Be my guest,” Obama said in prepared remarks for the first of many appearances around the country to sell the overhaul to voters before the fall congressional elections. “I welcome that fight. Because I don’t believe the American people are going to put the insurance industry back in the driver’s seat.”

With emotions raw around the nation over the party-line vote to approve the nearly $1 trillion, 10-year law, Obama took the opposition to task for “fear-mongering and overheated rhetoric.” Read more.

Osama bin Laden warns on Khalid Sheikh Mohammed death penalty

Osama bin Laden is warning that Al Qaeda will kill any Americans it takes prisoner if the U.S. executes accused Sept. 11 co-conspirator Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

“The day America will take such decision [to execute Mohammed and any others] it would have taken a decision to execute whoever we capture,” bin Laden said in an audiotaped message aired Thursday on Al Jazeera. He said Mohammed’s execution would amount to a “death sentence” for Americans in the group’s custody. Read more.

Obama’s Mideast gamble

President Barack Obama’s relations with the Israeli government have hit a new low, but the tensions on display this week between him and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may be reviving another presidential project: His quest to improve America’s image in the Arab and Muslim world.

Obama raised high expectations among Arab leaders and publics with his promise of dramatic change from George W. Bush, and with high-profile gestures in the first days of his administration, but the administration’s awkward retreat last year from an initial demand of a total Israeli freeze on settlements dissipated much of that good will. Read more.

Crusader has troubles of his own

A Greenville state Senate candidate who has made an issue of the state’s overpayment of mental health claims is himself on the hook for $4.2 million in Medicaid overcharges for services provided by his family’s company.

Frankie Bordeaux and his wife, Hattie Faye Hardy Bordeaux, signed a settlement with the state in February that included a two-year repayment plan for money improperly collected by Cambridge Behavioral Health Services in Greenville. The first monthly payment, $241,296, was due this month.

An investigation of Cambridge by the state Medicaid office found hundreds of cases of incomplete patient records, “several instances of potential fraud,” duplicate or “canned” notes, and unqualified staff delivering care, according to the settlement. Read more.