Rahm Emanuel: Spy Arrests Signals Show U.S. Is on Guard

White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel says the arrest of 10 Russian agents who spent years in the U.S. posing as American citizens sends a signal to other countries that the U.S. is on guard.

White House Dismisses Emanuel Quitting Report as 'Ludicrous'

The White House Monday dismissed as "ludicrous" a report that Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel plans to leave his post after becoming frustrated with the Obama administration.

Emanuel contends GOP sympathetic to BP

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel on Sunday portrayed Republicans as sympathetic to BP, saying that a House Republican's controversial apology to the oil giant is emblematic of the party's views.

Mr. Emanuel also dismissed Pentagon comments that a scheduled July 2011 withdraw of U.S. troops in Afghanistan might ...
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White House: Afghanistan withdrawal deadline firm

The Obama administration has reaffirmed its promise to begin withdrawing troops from Afghanistan by July 2011, distancing itself from recent Pentagon comments that the move could take longer.

"There's a firm date," said White House Chief of State Rahm Emanuel on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday. "The July [2011] date, ...
Read more [Washington Times - Politics]

Emanuel links fall elections to GOP support of BP

WASHINGTON (AP) -- White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel warned Sunday about what might happen if Republicans -- who have defended BP over the Gulf oil spill -- were to run Congress after the fall election.

Mr. Emanuel said the GOP philosophy is to paint BP as the victim. ...
Read more [Washington Times - Politics]

Sunday talk show tip sheet

Rahm Emanuel appears on ABC's "This Week," where he's sure to talk about the BP spill.



Read more [Politico]

Lawmaker seeks probe of Emanuel over job

A California Republican lawmaker on Wednesday formally requested an investigation to determine whether White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel's involvement in the Democratic Senate primary race in Pennsylvania violated federal laws.

"Rahm Emanuel was leveraging the power and access of his official position to advance the political interests of ...
Read more [Washington Times - Politics]

It's Time to Probe Obama's Top Advisers Over Job Deals, Issa Says

California Rep. Darrell Issa has asked the independent office of the special prosecutor to investigate White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and his deputy, Jim Messina, for their roles in trying to lure Democratic candidates out of primaries with potential administration posts.

Emanuel Subpoenaed in Blagojevich Case

Lawyers for former Gov. Rod Blagojevich have subpoenaed White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel as a witness at his corruption trial, attorneys close to the case and a White House official say. White House adviser Valerie Jarrett also was subpoenaed, another White House official said.

Blagojevich Corruption Trial May Call Obama Administration Officials As Witnesses

Attorneys close to the case said Blagojevich's defense has subpoenaed White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel as a witness. Presidential adviser Valerie Jarrett also has been subpoenaed by the defense, a White House official said Wednesday on condition of anonymity.
Read more [CNS News]

Sestak Case Puts Rahm Emanuel's Backroom Politics Back in Spotlight

The White House official behind the controversial offer to Rep. Joe Sestak is no stranger to hard-nosed political horse trading

White House used Clinton to get Sestak out of Pa. race

 WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House confirmed Friday that it used former President Bill Clinton as an intermediary to discourage Rep. Joe Sestak's Democratic primary challenge in the Pennsylvania Senate race.

A White House official familiar with the matter said Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel used Mr. rClinton as a go-between ...
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Political Scene

WHITE HOUSE

Obama aide in Israel to meet with leaders

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel is meeting with top Israeli leaders this week.

The White House says Mr. Emanuel will meet Wednesday in Israel with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for informal talks on a range of issues concerning ...
Read more [Washington Times - Politics]

Some Hispanic Lawmakers Blame Rahm Emanuel for Immigration Impasse

As President Obama prepares to go to Senate Republicans hat in hand next week with passage of an immigration law overhaul on his wish list, some Hispanic lawmakers in his own party are blaming combative White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel for the slow pace of progress.

Rahm Emanuel Hints He'd Give It All Up to Be Mayor of Chicago

Obama's chief of staff made the unusually candid admission in an interview with PBS' Charlie Rose

Rahm Emanuel Has Aspirations to Be Chicago Mayor

White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel said during a TV interview that "it's no secret" he'd like to run for mayor of Chicago someday.
Read more [CNS News]

Accusing US of Backing Terror Group, Ahmadinejad Says He Will File Int’l Complaint Over Bombing

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Sunday Iran will file a complaint to international bodies over the deadly mosque bombing by an insurgent group he says the U.S. supports.
Read more [CNS News]

Iran Postpones Any Nuclear Talks Until Late August

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also vowed that Iran will retaliate if its ships are searched over suspicions that the cargo may violate the new sanctions, which were approved by the U.N. Security Council earlier this month.
Read more [CNS News]

Ahmadinejad Defends Iran's Seat on U.N. Women's Commission

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Tuesday appeared to defend his country's recent re-election to a seat on the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women, arguing that Iranian women are "highly respected" in his country while 70 percent of European women are physically abused.

Iranian Leader Questions U.S. Disclosure of Nuclear Arsenal

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Tuesday questioned the veracity of Pentagon's disclosure on Monday that the U.S. has 5,113 nuclear warheads in its stockpile and "several thousand" more retired warheads awaiting the junkpile.

Rep. Israel Calls for Ahmadinejad's Arrest on 'Incitement to Genocide' Charges

New York Rep. Steve Israel called for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to be arrested and tried for "incitement to genocide" following the Iranian president's speech Monday at the United Nations in which he tried to vilify the United States and its allies. 

Clinton Accuses Ahmadinejad of Trying to 'Divert Attention' With U.N. Tirade

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned Monday that Iran will face tough sanctions if it does not meet nuclear demands, accusing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of trying to "divert attention" after he used a U.N. speech to berate nuclear-armed nations and accuse the United States of committing "acts of terror." 

Iran Hopes to Shift Focus to Israel at U.N. Nuclear Conference

As President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad awaits a visa to attend next week's nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty review conference in New York, Iran's fellow Non-Aligned Movement members are finalizing plans to use the event to focus on Israel, not on Iran.
Read more [CNS News]

Rep. Frank Rips Comic for Calling Senator's Daughters 'Prostitutes'

Rep. Barney Frank agreed to appear on her show, but he said he doesn't appreciate comedienne Kathy Griffin calling Sen. Scott Brown's daughters "prostitutes."

Tea Partiers Target Scott Brown Over Support for Financial Overhaul

Sen. Scott Brown's last-minute support for President Obama's sweeping financial overhaul legislation has put him in the crosshairs of Tea Party activists who have sharply criticized the bill and could dim his re-election hopes for 2012.

Two New England Republican Senators Say They’ll Support Financial Regulations Bill

Sens. Olympia Snowe of Maine and Scott Brown of Massachusetts announced Monday they intend to support the regulatory overhaul despite initial misgivings. Snowe and Brown join Susan Collins of Maine as three crucial Republican votes for the legislation.
Read more [CNS News]

Political Scene

SENATE

Snowe, Brown back regulation overhaul

Sens. Olympia J. Snowe and Scott Brown pushed sweeping financial legislation to the edge of final passage Monday, both announcing that they intend to support the regulatory overhaul despite initial misgivings.

Mrs. Snowe of Maine and Mr. Brown of Massachusetts joined Susan Collins of ...
Read more [Washington Times - Politics]

GOP's Brown to back banking bill

Brown says he will vote for financial reform bill

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts helped move sweeping financial legislation closer to passage Monday, announcing that after some misgivings he will support the regulatory overhaul after all.

Mr. Brown joins Sen. Susan Collins of Maine as two crucial Republican votes for the legislation.

Democratic leaders were ...
Read more [Washington Times - Politics]

Sen. Brown to Offer Critical Support for Banking Overhaul Bill

Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown moves the financial regulations bill closer to passage, saying removal of the $19 billion bank tax makes the legislation palatable enough to accept.

An about-face on 'backroom deals'?

Republican Scott Brown owes his election in part to the public furor over the so-called "Cornhusker Kickback," the backroom deal that Sen. Ben Nelson, Nebraska Democrat, struck for his vote to pass the health care bill. Now he is following Mr. Nelson's example, winning concessions in the financial-overhaul bill on ...
Read more [Washington Times - Politics]

Brown remains uncommitted after fix to bank bill

WASHINGTON (AP) — Despite lawmakers' last-minute change to win his vote, Republican Sen. Scott Brown said Wednesday he needs more time to study a sweeping overhaul of financial regulations before committing his vote.

His stance leaves Democrats short, for now, of the 60 votes they need to overcome procedural hurdles ...
Read more [Washington Times - Politics]

The temptations of Scott Brown

Some say he relies on tactics he once denounced.



Read more [Politico]

Wall St. reform winners and losers

It's good news for Citigroup and Sen. Scott Brown, and bad news for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.



Read more [Politico]

The GOP's closer

Scott Brown is part of a special class of recent celebrity senators, but he's carving his own path.



Read more [Politico]

Dems: Brown broke his word

Democrats charged Wednesday that Republican Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts reneged on his guarantee to Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to vote in favor of cloture Wednesday, setting off a chain reaction that ultimately resulted in Democrats failing to clear a key test vote on Wall Street reform.



Read more [Politico]

Strategy group helps Republicans by targeting campaigns of GOP foes

DES MOINES, Iowa | An Iowa-based group with members who helped produce some of the most effective political ads against Democrats in decades - Willie Horton in 1988 and Swiftboat Veterans for Truth in 2004 - is in the middle of Republican family feuds in Kentucky and California. The 3-year-old American Future Fund made a big splash last winter by spending $1 million to aid Republican Scott Brown in the Massachusetts Senate race, and it's now active in at least 30 states, including Kentucky, which has its primary Tuesday. Nick Ryan, a veteran Republican activist who heads the Des Moines ...

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Massachusetts Senator Brown Stumps for GOP in Murtha Race

Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown went to western Pennsylvania Friday to help a fellow Republican do the same thing he did in January: win control of a federal lawmaker's seat long held by a powerful Democrat.
Read more [CNS News]

Kagan gets chance to sway senators

Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan won praise from skeptical senators in both parties Thursday, building momentum toward what for now appears a smooth road to confirmation this summer. Ms. Kagan, in her second full day of private one-on-one meetings on Capitol Hill, scored points for candor with one-time critic Sen. Arlen Specter, Pennsylvania Democrat, and convinced Republican Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts that she's a strong supporter of the military, despite her move as law school dean to bar its recruiters from Harvard's campus. Neither senator committed to voting for Ms. Kagan, the solicitor general who President Obama has tapped ...

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Third party roils Mass. governor's race

BOSTON | In a tough year for Democrats, the political fate of Obama pal Deval Patrick is on the line in his bid for a second term as Massachusetts' governor. His popularity already battered by a series of gaffes and the state's economic woes, Mr. Patrick found himself jolted again in January by Republican Scott Brown's victory in the race for the late Edward M. Kennedy's U.S. Senate seat amid voter anger at Democrats in Washington and the Statehouse. Now his re-election may hinge on the odd dynamics of a three-way contest and the presence of a former Democrat in ...

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Voting party line: Specter, yes; Brown, no

Despite pledging not to be an automatic vote for Democrats, in the nearly one year since he switched parties, Sen. Arlen Specter has been all but that, repeatedly supporting his new party when they needed to head off Republican filibusters. The senator from Pennsylvania has voted with fellow Democrats 39 times to cut off filibusters, while just once has he voted against his leaders when he joined an effort to block the confirmation of Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben S. Bernanke to a new term. Meanwhile, on the other side of the aisle, Sen. Scott Brown has so far made ...

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Sunday talk show tip sheet

Michelle Obama appears on Telemundo; Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) on CBS.
Read more [Politico]

Scott Brown Tries Balancing Act as Tea Party Favorite in a Blue State

Sen. Scott Brown drew cries of betrayal this week after it came out that he did not plan to attend the Tea Party rally being held Wednesday in Boston, a day before Tax Day. 

Unemployment package clears vote

Republican Scott Brown joins Democrats in breaking the GOP's filibuster.
Read more [Politico]

Obama pushes for Rangel exit

He calls the charges "very troubling."



Read more [Politico]

Senator wants answers about nominee's windfall

The ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee is pressing for details about a $940,000 bonus paid by Citigroup after it was bailed out by taxpayers to a former executive who now is President Obama's nominee to oversee the federal budget.

In a letter to the Treasury ...
Read more [Washington Times - Politics]

Obama on Rangel case: 'Very troubling'

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama on Friday called ethics charges against Democratic Rep. Charlie Rangel "very troubling" and said he hopes the longtime lawmaker can end his career with dignity. Several House Democrats went further, flat-out urging the New York congressman to resign.

"He's somebody who's at the end ...
Read more [Washington Times - Politics]

Obama: Auto industry on right road

The president wrestles to reclaim the meaning of the word bailout.



Read more [Politico]

Obama Sells Auto Bailout as Good News in Michigan

President Obama said Friday that the recent turnaround for U.S. automakers vindicated his unpopular decision to bailout the industry.

Obama hails auto bailout as good news in Michigan

DETROIT (AP) — President Barack Obama says his administration's bailout out of U.S. car companies saved more than 1 million jobs and kept communities that depend on the auto industry afloat.

Speaking at a Chrysler plant in Detroit that recently hired more than 1,000 people, Obama said progress in the ...
Read more [Washington Times - Politics]

GOP Lawmakers Want Explanation of Draft Memo on Amnesty for Thousands

A group of Republican senators have written top immigration officials in the Obama administration asking them to reveal whether large-scale plans are under way to provide a so-called non-legislative version of amnesty.

Expanded FBI Access to E-mail and Web Records Raises Fears

Obama administration proposes to change the Electronic Communications Privacy Act raises privacy, civil liberties concerns.

Obama Administration Giving Millions to States to Build Their New Health Insurance Exchanges

The Health and Human Services Department on Thursday moved ahead with its plans to establish 'the health insurance marketplace of the future.' It announced 'two key steps' in its effort to 'partner with states' in setting up new health insurance exchanges.
Read more [CNS News]

No credit for Obama on GM's success

Opinion: The real credit belongs to new leadership and free-market management principles.



Read more [Politico]

Obama, Who Ended D.C.’s Voucher Program, Talks About Improving Education for Children ‘Born in the Wrong Neighborhood’

The Obama administration is phasing out a program that allows underprivileged children to get scholarships to elite private schools in Washington, D.C.  Nevertheless, Obama on Thursday spoke about his 'obligation to lift up every child' to help them achieve a quality education.
Read more [CNS News]

Obama to Sell Auto Bailout As Good News in Michigan

Presidential aides believe President Obama has received too little credit for progress in the auto industry, so Obama will stop at three auto plants over the next several days to blow his own horn.
Read more [CNS News]

FBI Access to Individuals’ E-mail and Web Records Raises Concern

The Obama administration's proposal to change the Electronic Communications Privacy Act 'raises serious privacy and civil liberties concerns,' Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said Thursday in a statement.
Read more [CNS News]

Obama Administration Stresses Pakistani Cooperation, But Haqqani Threat Persists

Administration officials and senior military officers insist that Pakistan's cooperation against terrorists has improved significantly in the last 18 months, but ongoing threats posed by the Taliban faction known as the Haqqani network and its jihadist allies shows there is a long way to go.
Read more [CNS News]

Sherrod vows to sue Breitbart

Shirley Sherrod, the Agriculture Department employee whose hasty dismissal by the Obama administration sparked a national uproar over race, said Thursday that she will sue the conservative blog mogul who posted the misleading video excerpt that led to her removal.

Mrs. Sherrod made the announcement about legal action against Andrew ...
Read more [Washington Times - Politics]

ACLU slams Obama's security policies

The ACLU on Thursday excoriated President Obama for continuing the Bush administration's strictest national security policies, including indefinite detention, military commissions and a "targeted kill" program that authorizes the government to take out suspected terrorists anywhere.

The American Civil Liberties Union warned Mr. Obama, in a report based on a ...
Read more [Washington Times - Politics]

GOP senators block measure on small businesses

Senate Republicans blocked a bill to increase small-business lending Thursday, dealing a setback to President Obama's jobs agenda.

The bill would create a $30 billion government fund to help community banks increase lending to small businesses, combining it with about $12 billion in tax breaks aimed at small businesses. Democrats ...
Read more [Washington Times - Politics]

White House breaches no-bid contracts vow

Weeks before taking office, President-elect Obama and Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. pledged to end abuse of no-bid contracting and require competitive bidding on nearly all contract orders for more than $25,000 across the federal government.

But the White House has made at least one exception.

Since last year, ...
Read more [Washington Times - Politics]

Memo outlines backdoor 'amnesty' plan

With Congress gridlocked on an immigration bill, the Obama administration is considering using a back door to stop deporting many illegal immigrants - what a draft government memo said could be "a non-legislative version of amnesty."

The memo, addressed to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Alejandro Mayorkas and written ...
Read more [Washington Times - Politics]

Obama to Sign $59B War Spending Bill

President Barack Obama is signing legislation to fund his troop surge in Afghanistan.

Gibbs: If We'd Known About Conviction, Woman Wouldn't Have Stood With Obama

A Charlottesville, Va., resident who stood with President Obama would likely not have been asked to participate in a Rose Garden speech on unemployment if the White House had known she was convicted of prescription drug fraud charges in April 2009, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Thursday.

Obama defends Race to Top

He refutes criticisms of his school improvement initiative in a speech to the National Urban League.



Read more [Politico]

Obama acknowledges racial tensions

He says people must confront "reptilian side."



Read more [Politico]

Passport officials ask for tools to fight fraud

The Obama administration is asking Congress for new powers to fight identity fraud after undercover government investigators obtained U.S. passports using forged documents for the second time in less than two years.

State Department officials say staff who adjudicate applications and issue passports need law enforcement authority.

"Our efforts to ...
Read more [Washington Times - Politics]

Ousted USDA employee Sherrod to sue blogger

Shirley Sherrod, the Agriculture Department employee whose hasty dismissal by the Obama administration sparked a national uproar over race, said Thursday that she will sue the conservative blog mogul who posted the edited video that led to her removal.

Mrs. Sherrod made the announcement about legal action against Andrew Breitbart ...
Read more [Washington Times - Politics]

No Hard Feelings as Obama Misses the Cut on Chelsea's Guest List

President Obama is clearly the biggest star not invited to Chelsea Clinton's wedding this weekend, but protocol experts say the bride's mother, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, was under no obligation to invite her boss. 

Missouri Ballot Measure Will Test Popularity of Obama's Health Care Law

More than 1 million people in Missouri are expected to participate in what amounts to the largest-ever public opinion poll on the nation's new health care law.
Read more [CNS News]

Rush rips Volt, 'Obama Motors'

He rails against a $7,500 tax credit designed to make the hybrid more enticing to consumers.



Read more [Politico]

Obama talks race, pop culture on 'The View'

NEW YORK (AP) — President Obama on Thursday said the racial firestorm that led to the ouster of a black Agriculture Department official was a "phony controversy" generated by the media. He said his administration overreacted by forcing her out.

In an interview on the ABC daytime talk show "The ...
Read more [Washington Times - Politics]

Republicans Say Obama’s Drilling Moratorium Could Have Taxpayers Picking Up Tab for More Unemployed Oil Workers

Marking the 100th day after the Gulf oil spill disaster on Wednesday, House Republicans held a press conference to denounce the Obama administration's moratorium on offshore drilling as well as Democrat-sponsored legislation arising from the oil spill.
Read more [CNS News]

Obama pushes small biz aid in N.J.

The president urges the Senate to take up a bill that would promote hiring and growth.



Read more [Politico]

The Obama-Pelosi event...

The president's summer of fundraising heats up with the addtion of a big-money August event.



Read more [Politico]

...The Obama-Pelosi divide

Rep. Gerry Connolly: 'There has been no coordination to stick with the message."



Read more [Politico]

Obama Not Invited to Chelsea Clinton Wedding

President Obama is no stranger to having unexpected guests "crash" his White House parties, but he'll have to do just that if he wants to attend Chelsea Clinton's wedding this weekend.

Obama steps up money chase

President Obama is stepping up his fundraising efforts as the midterm elections draw closer and Democrats seek money to battle a Republican Party energized in part by voter concerns over government spending and regulations.

Mr. Obama spoke Wednesday at a sandwich shop in Edison, N.J., to tout a lending initiative ...
Read more [Washington Times - Politics]

GOP to Sebelius: Don't cover abortions

A group of Republican senators on Wednesday threatened to force changes to the new national health care law unless the Obama administration does more to ensure that federal dollars won't be used to pay for elective abortions.

Emboldened by a new analysis by Congress' nonpartisan research agency, the Republicans urged ...
Read more [Washington Times - Politics]

OMB nominee got $900,000 after Citigroup bailout

EXCLUSIVE: 

President Obama's choice to be the government's chief budget officer received a bonus of more than $900,000 from Citigroup Inc. last year -- after the Wall Street firm for which he worked received a massive taxpayer bailout.

The money was paid to Jacob Lew in January 2009, about two ...
Read more [Washington Times - Politics]

Anti-Illegal Immigration Group Calls for 'Safe Passage' of Illegals Out of U.S.

An anti-illegal immigration group is calling on the Obama administration to provide safe passage to illegal immigrants who are trying to leave the U.S. due to the weak economy and Arizona's strict new immigration law.

Inside the Beltway

LIFE OF THE PARTY

President Obama may have stopped for a supersized sub in a working-class New Jersey neighborhood for a session with local mayors, small-business owners and cheering bystanders. But wait. Hours later, on Wednesday evening, he graced a pair of glittering Democratic fundraising affairs in Manhattan, and he ...
Read more [Washington Times - Politics]

Obama to tout auto turnaround

The president will trumpet the revival of GM and Chrysler following billions in federal aid.



Read more [Politico]

Disaster in the Gulf: 100 Days and Counting ...

The Obama administration claims it has been on top of the Gulf oil spill disaster since "day one." Here's a look at what the president and administration have been doing every day since the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded April 20, triggering the massive spill. 

Black Leaders Chide Obama White House, 'Right-Wing Press'

Aging heroes of the civil rights movement and younger African-American leaders on Wednesday offered differing views of the challenges most urgently confronting black America, with some calling for a continued push to reform the U.S. criminal justice system and others emphasizing economic achievement.

Hayward first, who next?

Opinion: BP might be responsible for oil leaking, but Obama is responsible for it still sitting there.



Read more [Politico]

Fate of Blagojevich Now in Hands of Jury

Rod Blagojevich's fate was in the hands of jurors Wednesday as they began deciding whether the impeached Illinois governor tried to sell an appointment to President Barack Obama's former Senate seat and schemed to use his political power for personal gain.

Chicago School Refuses to Host Rove, Welcomes Obama Appointee

A private university in Chicago that refuses to host former senior Bush adviser Karl Rove, arguing that welcoming a "political" speaker ahead of the midterm elections could threaten its tax-exempt status, has added an Obama administration appointee to address the student body.

Jury gets case in Blagojevich corruption trial

CHICAGO (AP) -- Ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's fate was in the hands of jurors Wednesday as they prepared to begin deciding whether Mr. Blagojevich tried to sell an appointment to President Obama's former Senate seat and schemed to use his political power for personal gain.

Jurors, weighing evidence against the ...
Read more [Washington Times - Politics]

Senate Dems demand more war input

The two ask Obama to respect the Senate's constitutional obligation to give "advice and consent."



Read more [Politico]

Senators DeMint and Brownback Open to GOP Filibusters to Force Hearing on Medicare Chief

Sens. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) and Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) on Wednesday indicated that they are open to filibustering any and all legislation in the Senate until a confirmation hearing is held for Dr. Donald Berwick, who was recently recess-appointed by President Obama to head the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Read more [CNS News]

Rep. Mike Pence: Obama's Recess-Appointment of Medicare Administrator 'Was Wrong'

Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) said that President Barack Obama was wrong to recess-appoint Dr. Donald Berwick to be the administrator of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Read more [CNS News]

Michelle Obama's Request for Birthday Wishes for Her Husband Links to Donation Page

The first lady is inviting selected people to sign an electronic birthday card to her husband -- and donate money to the Democratic Party.
Read more [CNS News]

Obama to Congress: Aid small biz

He's ramping up his criticism of Republicans.



Read more [Politico]

Ahead of Elections, Obama Ramps Up His Fundraising

Obama was to speak Wednesday at a sandwich shop in Edison, N.J., to tout a lending initiative aimed at small businesses. From there he was to travel to New York to tape an interview with 'The View' and attend two high-dollar fundraisers for the Democratic National Committee.
Read more [CNS News]

War-Funding Bill Clears Congress, With Republican Support and Democratic Defections

The House on Tuesday voted 308-114 to send President Obama a major war-funding increase of $33 billion to pay for his troop surge in Afghanistan. Republicans were strongly behind the boost in war spending, but there was unusually strong opposition from members of Obama's own Democratic Party.
Read more [CNS News]

Biden Claims $600 Billion In Stimulus Funds Spent -- ‘We’re Building a Government That Delivers More Bang for the Buck Than Ever Before’

Vice President Joe Biden says 'Americans deserve a government that actually works,' and on Tuesday he assured a gathering of liberals that the Obama administration  is 'trying to build a government that delivers much more bang for the buck than it ever has before.'
Read more [CNS News]

Progress Towards July 2011 Troop Drawdown in Afghanistan Mixed, U.S. Envoy Says

Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, when questioned during a Senate panel hearing, indicated that the progress towards Obama's July 2011 drawdown date is mixed, and he added that "there is no single answer yet to this extraordinarily complicated situation."
Read more [CNS News]

Obama's base quits blaming Bush

The summer of the discontented voter steams onward and, unfortunately for President Obama, polls show voters are no longer blaming the bad times on the George W. Bush administration.

Add Hispanics to the growing list of Obama supporters disgruntled by aspects of the presidents performance, in what has become for ...
Read more [Washington Times - Politics]

Inside the Beltway

HOLA, AMERICA

Consider that a new AP poll says President Obama's favorability ratings among the burgeoning Hispanic voting bloc are only "tepid." Against that background, a deft strategy has emerged from the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles, which has launched "Vota Tus Valores" — vote your values — a $1 ...
Read more [Washington Times - Politics]

House GOP helps Obama fund war

Republicans came to President Obama's rescue Tuesday, providing him the votes needed for quick passage of a $59 billion emergency war-spending bill to fund his 30,000 Afghanistan troop surge.

The bill cleared the House by a vote of 308-114, or well more than the two-thirds needed under expedited rules. It ...
Read more [Washington Times - Politics]

Rep. Pence: Medicare Chief Berwick ‘Not Entitled to That Job,’ Must Explain Praise for UK ‘Socialist Health Care System’

A top House Republican says Dr. Donald Berwick, who President Obama appointed to head  the Medicare/Medicaid progam without Senate approval, is 'not entitled to that job,' and should have had a confirmation hearing. 
Read more [CNS News]

Rendell: Obama shouldn't do 'View'

The outspoken governor says the show doesn't have the stature required to host the president.



Read more [Politico]

Some Democrats Wary as Obama Ramps up Fundraising

President Barack Obama is accelerating his fundraising pace, inviting Democratic candidates to decide whether the money he draws is worth the Republican attacks that a presidential visit might also bring.
Read more [CNS News]

House Votes on Pared-Down Measure to Fund War

The House votes Tuesday to send President Barack Obama legislation that funds the troop surge in Afghanistan but is shorn of financing for domestic programs that Democrats wanted to attach.
Read more [CNS News]

Obama still supports climate legislation

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Despite setbacks on Capitol Hill, President Obama said Tuesday he still supports the need for broad climate legislation and pledged to keep pushing for it. The White House expressed fresh hope the Senate and House might strike a deal on a sweeping energy plan this year.

Lacking ...
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Obama: Nothing New in Leaked Afghan Documents

President Obama says he is concerned about the massive leak of sensitive documents about the Afghanistan war, but says the papers don't reveal any concerns that were not already part of the debate.

Obama Missing Historic Boy Scout Jamboree for Fundraisers, 'View' Taping

President Obama will make history as the first sitting president on a daytime talk show when he visits with the ladies of "The View." But he'll be missing out on another historic occasion -- the Boy Scouts' Jamboree marking the group's 100th anniversary, right in the president's backyard. 

Poll finds cracks in Obama's Hispanic support

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Obama's once solid support among Hispanics is showing a few cracks, a troubling sign for Democrats desperate to get this critical constituency excited about helping the party hold onto Congress this fall.

Hispanics still overwhelmingly favor the Democratic Party over the GOP, and a majority still ...
Read more [Washington Times - Politics]

Brewer Seeks Dismissal of Obama Challenge to Immigration Law

Attorneys for Gov. Jan Brewer have asked a judge to throw out the U.S. Justice Department's challenge to the state of Arizona's new immigration law. 

Poll Finds Cracks in Obama's Hispanic Support

President Barack Obama's once solid support among Hispanics is showing a few cracks, a troubling sign for Democrats desperate to get this critical constituency excited about helping the party hold onto Congress in November's election.

Obama, Reagan and the economy

Opinion: Seventeen months later, the economic stimulus bill has still not ended the recession.



Read more [Politico]

Obama to defend education plan

He and Arne Duncan will address criticisms of the $4.35 billion Race to the Top program.



Read more [Politico]

President Obama Once Again Makes Erroneous Claim That Foreign Entities Can Spend Unlimited Amounts in U.S. Elections

President Barack Obama on Monday incorrectly stated that a landmark campaign-finance ruling allows foreign entities to pour money into U.S. elections. It's the second time he's made such a claim.
Read more [CNS News]

Poll Shows Cracks in Obama’s Hispanic Support

President Barack Obama's once solid support among Hispanics is showing a few cracks, a troubling sign for Democrats desperate to get this critical constituency excited about helping the party hold onto Congress this fall.
Read more [CNS News]

Britain’s National Health Service, Praised by Obama’s Medicare Chief, To Undergo Cost-Cutting Overhaul

Britain's National Health Service, which rations basic health care services to help control costs, will undergo major budget cuts and restructuring, ostensibly to make the government-run system less bureaucratic and more decentralized.
Read more [CNS News]

U.S. Opposition to Release of Lockerbie Convict Was Clear and Consistent, State Department Says

The Obama administration has no plans to release any further correspondence with Scotland relating to the release of the Libyan convicted in the Lockerbie bombing.
Read more [CNS News]

Opposition Mounts Against ObamaCare Tax Provision

Business advocates are hoping Congress scraps a tax provision in the health care overhaul law that they say is overly burdensome to smaller companies.
Read more [CNS News]

PRUDEN: The salesman doesn't know the territory

ANALYSIS/OPINION:

Barack Obama is taking his teleprompter on the road again, this time with Detroit as the first stop on a magical mystery tour to prove that he is, too, still the messiah. He's trying to persuade everybody that he really isn't who he really is.

He's beset by polling ...
Read more [Washington Times - Politics]

Obama Urges Republicans to Clear Way for Campaign Finance Bill Vote

President Obama is imploring Republican senators to allow a vote on new campaign finance disclosure requirements, warning them not to resort to political delaying tactics that would block the legislation. 

Obama portrays GOP as lackeys

President Obama on Monday aimed a new arrow at Republicans who he said are beholden to special interests, arguing that their expected filibuster this week of a new bill to rein in corporate spending on political ads is the latest in a line of votes in which the GOP has ...
Read more [Washington Times - Politics]

Administration Calls War Document Leak Illegal, Harmful Amid Calls for Probe

The Obama administration on Monday called the release of thousands of classified documents on the Afghanistan war a "breach of federal law," as a prominent senator said the government needs to press charges in the case.

99 Days to Decide: GOP Candidate on Tape Calling Tea Party Birthers Dirty Word

A Republican Senate candidate in Colorado who's positioned himself as the Tea Party favorite could be in trouble after calling activists who harp on the issue of President Obama's birth certificate "dumbasses." 

Obama Won’t Speak In-Person at Boy Scouts’ 100th Anniversary Celebration But Will Appear on ABC TV’s ‘The View’

President Barack Obama, the honorary chairman of the Boy Scouts of America, will not speak in-person before the group on Wednesday at Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia, as part of the organization's 100th anniversary celebration.
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Pawlenty attacks deadlines for Afghan pullout

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty acted every bit the part of a GOP presidential candidate Monday during a visit to Washington, outlining his views on the war in Afghanistan, health care, the economy and the state of the Republican Party.

The Obama administration "needs to do a better job of explaining ...
Read more [Washington Times - Politics]

Colorado Candidate Regrets Slam Against Tea Party

A Republican Senate candidate for Colorado apologized Monday for making disparaging remarks about tea party members who questioned the authenticity of President Barack Obama's birth certificate.
Read more [CNS News]

Obama Calls on Senate to Pass Campaign Money Bill

President Barack Obama is imploring Republican senators to allow a vote on new campaign finance disclosure requirements, warning them not to resort to political delaying tactics that would block the legislation.
Read more [CNS News]

Prosecutor: Blagojevich guilty of shakedown scheme

CHICAGO (AP) -- Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was so desperate for money that he tried to shake down everyone from a racetrack owner to a children's hospital executive to President-elect Barack Obama, a federal prosecutor told jurors Monday during closing arguments at Mr. Blagojevich's corruption trial.

The reason was that ...
Read more [Washington Times - Politics]

Obama to Appear on ABC's 'The View' on Thursday

ABC's "The View" has welcomed many notable guests, but none more prominent than President Barack Obama, who is scheduled to visit for Thursday's edition.
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Obama distances himself from voters

Opinion: Instead of the community organizer, the country has gotten the professor.



Read more [Politico]

Obama's Message to Voters: Things Could Be Worse

President Obama's message for the fall elections, which are looking ominous for his Democrats, is that Republicans caused the nation's economic troubles, but he and the Democrats are starting to fix them.
Read more [CNS News]

Lockerbie Probe May Prove Uncomfortable for Obama Administration

Four Democratic U.S. senators are probing the early release of the Libyan convicted in the Lockerbie bombing, but their inquiry may have the unintended consequence of raising questions about just how strongly the Obama administration opposed the Libyan's release.
Read more [CNS News]

Sen. Baucus Won’t Say If Obama’s Controversial Recess-Appointee to Run Medicare Will Get Confirmation Hearing

 
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Geithner focuses on private sector

Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner said Sunday the Obama administration's evolving economic-stimulus strategy will rely more upon the private sector to create jobs and will likely eliminate Bush-era tax cuts for wealthier Americans, despite opposition from fellow Democrats.

"We have to make this transition to an economy led by private ...
Read more [Washington Times - Politics]

White House Reportedly Preferred Scotland to Libya for Released Lockerbie Bomber

The Obama administration reportedly told Scottish officials last August that, although it opposed any release of the Lockerbie bomber, it would rather see him released in Scotland than transferred to a Libyan prison.

Geithner: Renewal of tax cuts for wealthy unlikely

Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner said Sunday that the Obama administration's upcoming stimulus plan likely will not renew Bush-era tax cuts and that the changes will not slow the already struggling economy.

"I do not believe they will be [included] and shouldn't," he said on the Sunday-morning talk shows. "I ...
Read more [Washington Times - Politics]

Obama Slams GOP Economic Plan, Republicans Warn of Tax Hikes

President Obama says an economic plan by the House Republican leader just repeats job-killing policies of the past and would take the country "backward at a time when we need to keep America moving forward."

Obama slams GOP plan; GOP warns of tax hikes

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama says an economic plan by the House Republican leader just repeats job-killing policies of the past and would take the country "backward at a time when we need to keep America moving forward."

In turn, House GOP leader John Boehner said the president had ...
Read more [Washington Times - Politics]

Obama, Boehner trade barbs

Both claimed that the opposition's agenda would cost jobs and increase the deficit.



Read more [Politico]

Obama support: Meek so far

Black lawmakers are concerned that Charlie Crist will steal supporters from Kendrick Meek.



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Veto likely on bills blocking EPA regs

The proposals would undercut what is widely seen as Obama's alternative climate policy.



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Gen. McChrystal Retires After 34 Years in D.C. Ceremony

After 34 years of service Gen. Stanley McChrystal retired from the military Friday, just weeks after President Obama relieved him from his post as top commander in Afghanistan for disparaging remarks he made directed at the administration.

McChrystal says goodbye

He thanks Obama and says "misperceptions" about him will be corrected with time.



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A look at the points of error that resulted in attempted bombing of a Detroit-bound airliner

The 14 intelligence points of error identified by congressional investigators that allowed Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab to travel on Christmas Day when authorities said he attempted to blow up a De...

Ill. parties could skip primaries

The state's special election could send either Alexi Giannoulias or Mark Kirk to the Senate early.



Read more [Politico]

Illinois Senate Candidate Questioned About Embellishing Pivotal Life Event

Illinois Republican Mark Kirk, whose pursuit of President Obama's former Senate seat has been imperiled by his exaggerations about his military record, is now facing scrutiny about his oft-told story of nearly drowning at age 16.

Kirk Apologizes for Embellishing Navy Award Record

Illinois Republican Senate candidate Mark Kirk says he was careless in claiming he won a prestigious award from the Navy that he didn't win.

Five questions for Mark Kirk

Here's what he needs to answer in order to put his misstated military service behind him.



Read more [Politico]

Pentagon Claims Kirk Improperly Mixed Politics With Military Duty

The Pentagon said Republican Senate candidate Mark Kirk has been cautioned twice for improperly mingling politics with his military service, but Kirk's campaign denied any improper conduct Tuesday.

Senate Candidate Faces More Heat over Navy Record

Senate candidate Mark Kirk faced new questions Wednesday about inaccurate descriptions of his military service, this time over wrongly saying that he served "in" Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Read more [CNS News]

Kirk Defends Military Record After Misrepresenting Navy Commendation

Illinois Senate candidate Mark Kirk is acknowledging that he falsely claimed to have received the U.S. Navy's Intelligence Officer of the Year award after his opponent's campaign started challenging Kirk's resume