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.
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