Week in Review 04/24/10

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

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

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

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.