Week in Review 7/17/10

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

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 6/19/10

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

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 03/13/10

President to meet with key senators on immigration

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama plans to focus attention on immigration next week by meeting at the White House with two senators crafting a bill on the issue.

White House spokesman Nicholas Shapiro said Obama will meet with Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York and Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina on Monday.

The president is “looking forward to hearing more about their efforts toward producing a bipartisan bill,” Shapiro said Friday. Read more.

Iran’s Ahmadinejad: Sept. 11 attacks a ‘big lie’

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) – Iran’s hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Saturday called the official version of the Sept. 11 attacks a “big lie” used by the U.S. as an excuse for the war on terror, state media reported.

Ahmadinejad’s comments, made during an address to Intelligence Ministry staff, come amid escalating tensions between the West and Tehran over its disputed nuclear program. They show that Iran has no intention of toning itself down even with tighter sanctions looming because of its refusal to halt uranium enrichment.

“September 11 was a big lie and a pretext for the war on terror and a prelude to invading Afghanistan,” Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying by state TV. He called the attacks a “complicated intelligence scenario and act.” Read more.

Obama Draws Fire for Appointing SEIU’s Stern to Deficit Panel

President Obama’s decision to appoint his close political ally, union leader Andrew Stern, to the newly created National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform has set off a firestorm of criticism from business and conservative groups who charge he is a political radical who should be investigated for failure to register as a lobbyist.

The prestigious 18-member commission will study and recommend ways to whittle down the $12 trillion debt the federal government has amassed. Stern is one of six panelists Obama has named; the House of Representatives and the Senate will each appoint six others.

Stern, the 59-year-old president of the 2.2 million-member Service Employees International Union, has angered business groups and political conservatives because of his support for health care reform and controversial “Card Check” legislation, which would make it easier for unions to organize in workplaces. Read more.

The nation’s capital is one sorry spectacle these days

WASHINGTON — Washington has its moments when the nation’s capital shines for all the world to see. Inaugurations. The Fourth of July .

This isn’t one of them.

Recent days instead have shown Washington at its worst. An ethics mess in the House of Representatives , even in its ethics committee. A nasty fight over spending in the Senate with the two major parties scrambling for political advantage rather than helping Americans in need. Read more.

Al-Qaida calls on US Muslims to attack America

CAIRO – (AP) Al-Qaida’s American-born spokesman on Sunday called on Muslims serving in the U.S. armed forces to emulate the Army major charged with killing 13 people in Fort Hood.

In a 25-minute video posted on militant Web sites, Adam Gadahn described Maj. Nidal Hasan as a pioneer who should serve as a role model for other Muslims, especially those serving Western militaries.

“Brother Nidal is the ideal role-model for every repentant Muslim in the armies of the unbelievers and apostate regimes,” he said. Read more.

ACORN Registration Workers Charged With Felony Voter Fraud

Five Wisconsin residents, including two who worked for community organizing group ACORN, were charged Monday with election fraud relating to the 2008 presidential election.

State Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced felony charges against Maria Miles, Kevin Clancy, Michael Henderson, Herbert Gunka and Suzanne Gunka.

Miles and Clancy worked for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now and are accused of submitting multiple voter registration applications for the same individuals, including each other, to meet voter registration quotas imposed by the community organizing group. Read more.

Two Congressional Candidates Sign Bonded Term Limit Pledge

Lindsey Graham to President Obama: Time to ‘step it up’

President Barack Obama is summoning two key senators to the Oval Office on Thursday for an update on immigration reform efforts — but one of them, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), thinks Obama should be the one giving the update.

Graham, less than thrilled at the notion of providing the equivalent of a book report to the headmaster in chief, said Obama’s lack of direction on immigration reform is hampering Graham’s efforts to recruit additional Republicans to the cause.

“At the end of the day, the president needs to step it up a little bit,” Graham told POLITICO on Tuesday. “One line in the State of the Union is not going to do it.”

For the past six months, Graham and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) — who meet with Obama at 3 p.m. Thursday — have worked on a reform framework. Their plan, which hasn’t been introduced yet, includes a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants (a liberal must-have) while sweetening the pot for moderates by proposing tough new safeguards, including a biometric national ID card for workers. Read more.

Roberts: Scene at State of Union ‘Very Troubling’

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts said Tuesday the scene at President Obama’s first State of the Union address was “very troubling” and that the annual speech to Congress has “degenerated into a political pep rally.”

Responding to a University of Alabama law student’s question about the Senate’s method of confirming justices, Roberts said senators improperly try to make political points by asking questions they know nominees can’t answer because of judicial ethics rules.

“I think the process is broken down,” he said. Read more.

Obama Budget Raises Taxes and Doubles the National Debt

President Obama declared: “I didn’t come here to pass our problems on to the next president or the next generation–I’m here to solve them.” Yet rather than “solve” the runaway spending that is projected to cause historic deficits, the President’s budget doubles down on it with trillions of dollars in new spending and taxes, culminating in a doubling of the national debt. Heritage Foundation economic policy expert Brian Riedl lays out how a $3 trillion tax hike and an additional $74,000 debt burden on every U.S. household will affect the country–and why Congress should reject President Obama’s budget proposal.

When he released his new budget proposal on February 1, President Barack Obama asserted that the government “simply cannot continue to spend as if deficits don’t have consequences; as if waste doesn’t matter; as if the hard-earned tax dollars of the American people can be treated like Monopoly money; as if we can ignore this challenge for another generation.”

Yet the President’s new budget does exactly that– raising taxes by $3 trillion and federal spending by $1.6 trillion over the next ten years. If enacted, this budget would increase the 2010 deficit to more than $1.5 trillion, and leave a deficit of more than $1 trillion even after an assumed return to peace and prosperity. Overall, the President’s budget would double the national debt over the next decade. Read more.

Parties Announce Top Targets in 2010 House Races

Wilson. The Democratic Party is gunning for your seat.

But the “You lie!”-shouting South Carolina Republican isn’t the only member of Congress with a mark on his back. Two Democratic and Republican campaign groups released their lists Wednesday of the top House seats and incumbents targeted in the November midterm elections.

The parties are looking to prop up a number of new faces in their quest to either retain or seize control of Congress. On the Republican side, the House Conservatives Fund announced endorsements for 10 candidates who will, as part of the deal, receive an extra $5,000 for their campaigns to unseat Democrats. Read More.

Sharp Elbows, Cold Shoulders Mark Biden Trip to Israel

Vice President Biden’s trip to the Middle East — meant to pave the way for a new round of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks — is coming to a close, leaving in its wake a trail of stinging snubs, cringe-worthy blunders and one-word headlines in Israel newspapers: “Embarrassment.”

If it were merely a series of typical “Biden’isms,” it’d be one thing. But in a sign that U.S.-Israeli relations have cooled, the vice president and top Israeli officials spent the better part of the week poking each other in the eye.

It didn’t take long to see the trip was not going well. Read more.

Stimulus funds pay for monkey research in N.C.

Monkeys are getting high for science in North Carolina.

An analyst at the Civitas Institute seized on that image when selecting a cocaine addiction study at Wake Forest University Medical School as No. 1 on a list of the “10 worst federal stimulus projects in North Carolina.” Civitas’ Brian Balfour takes swipes at projects, writing that they “seem completely unrelated to avoiding an economic ‘catastrophe,’ but rather an ad hoc satisfaction of countless dubious wish lists.”

So, what is the $71,623 federal stimulus grant paying for? Read more.