White House laughs off Emanuel's naked lobbying

Tales about the White House's hot-tempered, foul-mouthed chief of staff are legion, from Rahm Emanuel's mailing of a dead fish to a pollster to a lawmaker's accusation that Mr. Emanuel berated him over a vote in the shower at the congressional gym. Mixing mockery and scorn, the Obama administration Tuesday dismissed new accusations about Mr. Emanuel from Rep. Eric Massa, a freshman New York Democrat who has formally resigned his seat amid a growing ethics scandal and charges of sexual misconduct involving his staff. Top White House officials made it clear that President Obama is standing behind his combative chief ...

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Obama's teacher hard line spurs debate

President Obama's approval of the recent firing of teachers at a Rhode Island high school has spurred a debate among education specialists about whether staff turnover will help underperforming schools. Some experts agree that it is appropriate for underperforming schools to start over with a new staff, an element of Mr. Obama's initiative to overhaul lowest-performing public schools. Others say such drastic turnover will only hurt student performance. Janet Bass, a spokeswoman for the American Federation of Teachers union, said the lack of consistency with mass staff turnover will not benefit student's learning or improve performance. "There is no plan ...

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Greek leader seeks U.S. help

Top political leaders said on Tuesday that they were sympathetic to demands from Greece's prime minister for a crackdown on speculators who have been plaguing European financial markets. But they stopped short of offering to intervene in the markets on Greece's behalf to prevent the debt-laden country from paying higher interest rates than countries such as Germany with fewer debts. In a series of meetings with President Obama, top Cabinet officials and leaders of Congress, Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou sought assistance fending off what he called speculative attacks that have sent the rates on Greece's debt soaring. The leaders ...

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Business groups target lawmakers

Nearly a dozen business groups that oppose President Obama's health care overhaul bill are spending millions of dollars to put pressure on vulnerable, fence-sitting House members in their districts. Employers for a Healthy Economy, which counts health insurers, manufacturers, retailers and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce among its members, said it is spending between $4 million and $10 million on television ads that ask House members to oppose the Senate's health bill. The ad buy, from a powerful lobbying muscle, comes amid Mr. Obama's final push to rally Democrats to support his bill. A handful of House Democrats who supported ...

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Graham to Obama: Time to 'step it up'

He says the president's lack of direction on immigration reform is hindering efforts in Congress.
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Obama to Make Closing Argument on Health Care

The president's speech comes as congressional Democrats stand on the brink of delivering the president a success with passage of his sweeping overhaul legislation -- or a colossal failure if they can't get it done.

Obama Using 'Bounty Hunters' to Root Out Fraud

Grabbing a populist idea with bipartisan backing in his final push to overhaul the system, the president says he'll bring in high-tech bounty hunters to help root out health care fraud.

Chief Justice Roberts Calls Scene at State of Union Speech ‘Very Troubling’

U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts said Tuesday the scene at President Barack 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.'
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Roberts: Scene at State of Union 'Very Troubling'

President Obama chided the court for its campaign finance decision during the January address, with six of the court's nine justices seated before him in their black robes.

Obama Touts Anti-Fraud Measures in His Closing Argument for Democrats’ Health Care Bill

President Barack Obama has chosen a suburban St. Louis high school to make his closing argument for a health care overhaul, pushing a new anti-fraud plan as he cranks up the pressure on skittish Democratic lawmakers to act fast.
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An Obama Nominee and Disappearing Persons

Dawn Johnsen, another of President Barack Obama's remarkable nominees, discovered a way to make a person disappear by making two persons into one.
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Desperate Democrats Cling to Human Kiddie Shield

The audiences that President Obama has cherry-picked to cheer his government health care takeover roadshow are getting younger and younger.
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White House Still Checking on Sestak's Allegation of Job Offer to Not Run Against Specter

Two weeks after promising to check on the matter, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs still did not have an answer to the charge by Pennsylvania Senate candidate Rep. Joe Sestak that the Obama administration offered him a job in exchange for abandoning his primary challenge against Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.).
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55 Percent Think Obama Should ‘Start Over’ on Health Care Reform, Poll Finds

A Rasmussen Reports survey found that 55 percent of Americans think that Congress should throw the current health care plan out and start fresh, suggesting that President Obama's demand that Congress pass his reform proposal has failed to sway the public.
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Obama Pledges to Greek Leader U.S. Will Help

President Barack Obama stood with Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou on Tuesday and pledged that the United States would work with its ally, even as Greece's enormous debts sparked frenzied trading.

Obama's New Mission for NASA Sets Off Intense Criticism

With NASA's space shuttle program coming to an end and the future of the manned space flight in doubt, President Obama is facing intense pressure over his budget priorities for the space agency.

Hearing Delayed for Obama Judicial Nominee Who Supported Serial Killer

The Senate Judiciary Committee has postponed the hearing for a controversial Court of Appeals nominee after the panel received a letter from a home-state prosecutor blasting him as a judicial loose cannon and Republicans raised concerns about his alleged bias in favor of sex offenders. 

Crist uses NASA to split from Obama

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, is distancing himself from President Obama after months of criticism for supporting the president's $862 billion jobs stimulus plan. Mr. Crist said Tuesday he disagrees with Mr. Obama's decision to cancel a major NASA space-exploration program because it will cost Florida roughly 7,000 high-tech, high-paying jobs. "I'm disappointed, frankly," he told The Washington Times' "America's Morning News" radio show. "NASA is important to Florida and all of America." Mr. Obama has made the cultivating of high-tech jobs a major part of his plan to help the United States recover from ...

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NASA: Money key to more shuttle flights

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's space shuttle manager said Tuesday it wouldn't be hard to add more shuttle flights. The real question is money. Program manager John Shannon said it costs $200 million a month to keep the fleet flying. Four more shuttle missions are planned before the aircraft are to be retired this fall. Some in Congress, though, are pushing for additional flights. Last month, President Obama killed NASA's Constellation program, which would have created a shuttle successor. Mr. Shannon said NASA already has a fuel tank and set of boosters for one additional flight. He said getting other ...

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High Schoolers Look to Reagan for Cues at Upcoming Conservative Conference

Some leading Republican groups are trying to guide a revival of conservative student activism in the "era of Obama" -- the latest push comes this Thursday at California's Reagan Ranch Center, where dozens of high school students who caught the conservative bug will converge to get inspired, get organized and get active. 

Stupak: Health bill abortion fray resolvable

TAWAS CITY, Mich. -- Prospects are good for resolving a dispute over abortion that has led some House Democrats to threaten to withhold support of President Obama's health care overhaul, a key Michigan Democrat said Monday. Rep. Bart Stupak said he expects to resume talks with House leaders this week in a quest for wording that would impose no new limits on abortion rights but also would not allow use of federal money for the procedure. "I'm more optimistic than I was a week ago," Mr. Stupak told the Associated Press between meetings with constituents in his northern Michigan district, ...

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Safe Schools Czar Ducks Questions on Past Statements about Homosexuality, Says Department of Education Won’t Dictate Curriculum

Kevin Jennings, the Obama administration's safe-schools czar declined Monday to directly say whether the Department of Education should promote teaching school children that homosexual behavior is morally good.
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Obama, insurers wrestle over rates

Health care execs blame rising medical costs for premium hikes, but the president isn't buying.
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Obama on the road to pitch health bill

Seeking to close the deal on a health care overhaul, President Obama is getting out of Washington, leaving the city he loves to bash and giving himself a platform to portray himself as an outsider going up against big insurance companies and their Capitol Hill lobbyists. Just about every time Mr. Obama has faced a deadline or crunch on his marquee priority, he has exchanged a White House podium for a campaign-style forum outside the Beltway in a bid to break through the political wrangling, attack Republican detractors and reconnect with voters. On Monday, Mr. Obama - backed by a ...

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Poll: U.S. has lost global standing under Obama

A majority of Americans say the United States is less respected in the world than two years ago and believe President Obama and other Democrats fall short of Republicans on the issue of national security, according to a poll by two left-leaning groups. The Democracy Corps-Third Way survey released Monday finds that by a 10-point margin — 51 percent to 41 percent — Americans think the standing of the United States has dropped during the first 13 months of Mr. Obama's presidency. "This is surprising, given the global acclaim — and Nobel peace prize — that flowed to the new ...

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Activists tell Obama to protect illegals

Immigrant rights groups on Monday demanded that President Obama impose a full moratorium on deportations of illegal immigrants, arguing that his policies have been worse for their cause than those of his Republican predecessor. Saying they've been "betrayed" by and lost patience with Mr. Obama, the advocates suggested that the president could regain their support by leading a fight on Capitol Hill for a bill to legalize illegal immigrants. Mr. Obama took the first step toward legalization during a meeting Monday at the White House with two lawmakers working on a bill. But a bill could take months to pass. ...

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Obama picks retired general for TSA post

President Obama on Monday nominated a retired Army general to fill the Transportation Security Administration's top job, a post that's been empty since his last nominee withdrew amid concerns from Republicans that he may have misled Congress about a 20-year-old FBI probe. The administration asked Congress to quickly confirm retired Army Maj. Gen. Robert A. Harding as assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security in response to criticism that Mr. Obama left the key terror-fighting job empty for too long. "The TSA administrator is among the most important unfilled posts in the Obama administration," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano ...

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Twitter now talk of the White House

Want to spin White House reporters? If you're PressSec - White House press secretary Robert Gibbs' username on Twitter - you join the powerful social media platform and push your message across the Internet, 140 characters at a time. Blending behind-the-scenes nuggets with a defense of President Obama's record, White House and administration officials increasingly are communicating via Twitter. The popular social network is operating as a Web-based clearinghouse for public statements on weighty subjects (the federal budget) and the mundane (personal grocery lists). It's similar to a bulletin board where anyone can post short notes and users cull the ...

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Blacks politically motivated beyond Obama

Democrats facing strong headwinds this election season have at least one reason for optimism, according to polling that found the party's large black voting bloc eager to stay involved even without Barack Obama on the ballot. About two-thirds of black adults in four states say they are closely following news about the upcoming midterm elections, and between 74 percent and 80 percent say they are very likely to vote, according to the poll, conducted by the nonpartisan Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. The organization surveyed 500 blacks in each state - Missouri, Indiana, Arkansas and South Carolina - ...

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Political Scene

PENTAGON Northrop drops out of tanker competition Northrop Grumman Corp. has decided not to compete against Boeing Co. for the $35 billion the Air Force will spend to buy its own fleet of refueling tankers. Congressional and industry officials confirmed the decision Monday. It puts the Pentagon on a path to do something President Obama didn't want to have done on his watch: pay large amounts of money to a company without its undergoing any competition. The Obama administration said such sole-source contracts aren't a good deal for taxpayers, but industry insiders say no other company is poised to meet ...

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Obama backs DNA test in arrests

But Obama's remarks in support of taking DNA upon arrest have some experts worried.
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W.H. no outpost of Chicago machine

In an Ideas piece, Rose says Obama's crew is more like Bush's Texas posse than Daley's city hall.
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Stupak 'More Optimistic' Abortion Fight Will End

President Obama will keep his promise to reach a solution on federal funding of abortions but that is not the centerpiece of his health care overhaul, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Tuesday. 

A Policy Change on Abortion, but How Radical?

A bitter dispute among abortion opponents over House and Senate versions of Obama's health care bill could derail his quest to remake the health insurance system.

Greek Leader Not Looking for Handout From Washington, He Says

In his meeting Tuesday with President Obama, Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou will outline the steps Greece is taking to stem its financial bleeding and reform its economy.
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Turkey, Angry at U.S., Pledges Support for Iran

As the Obama administration scrambles to contain the diplomatic fallout with Turkey over the "Armenian genocide" resolution in the U.S. Congress, Turkey's tilt towards Iran continues largely unnoticed.
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Dan Rather Makes 'Watermelon' Quip in Depicting GOP Attacks on Obama

The former CBS News anchor is known for his homespun anecdotes, though his choice of language in this instance already is raising some eyebrows on media blogs

Obama Confuses Decades, Inflates Estimated Health Care Savings by $868B

Obama boasted Monday that Democrats' health care proposals would cut deficits by $1 trillion "over the next decade," a flub that inflated the actual estimate by $868 billion

Obama Still Wants U.S. Trial for Some Guantanamo Bay Detainees

President Barack Obama is trying to keep a campaign pledge to close the island military prison, which has attracted criticism from Republicans who say it would jeopardize national security.

Poll: Obama wrong on terror suspects

Voters still trust him on national security but dislike the way he handled the Christmas bomb attempt.
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Retired general nominated to head TSA

President Obama on Monday nominated a retired Army general to fill the Transportation Security Administration's top job, a post that's been empty since his last nominee withdrew amid concern from Republicans that he may have misled Congress about a 20-year-old FBI probe. The administration asked Congress to quickly confirm retired Army Maj. Gen. Robert A. Harding as assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security in response to criticism that Mr. Obama left the terror-fighting job empty for too long. "The TSA administrator is among the most important unfilled posts in the Obama administration," said Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. ...

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Poll shows Obama, Dems losing ground

A majority of Americans say the United States is less respected in the world than it was two years ago and think President Obama and other Democrats fall short of Republicans on the issue of national security, a new poll finds. The Democracy Corps-Third Way survey released Monday finds that by a 10-point margin -- 51 percent to 41 percent -- Americans think the standing of the U.S. dropped during the first 13 months of Mr. Obama's presidency. "This is surprising, given the global acclaim and Nobel peace prize that flowed to the new president after he took office," said ...

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Obama Honors Alabama Football Team

President Obama honored the national championship Alabama football team at a White House event where the president proclaimed, "The Tide is back."

Obama brings health pitch to Pa.

He takes on fashionable enemy: Washington.
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Obama hits road, pitches health plan

Seeking to close the deal on his health care overhaul bill, President Obama is getting out of Washington, leaving the city he loves to bash to portray himself as an outsider going up against big insurance companies and their lobbyists in the capital. Just about every time Mr. Obama has faced a deadline or crunch on his top policy priority, he has exchanged a White House podium for a campaign-style event somewhere beyond the Beltway in a bid to break through the political wrangling and reconnect with voters. The latest iteration of that strategy Monday brought Mr. Obama to a ...

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Obama to appeal to public on health care

With the fate of his signature legislative initiative far from certain, President Obama is taking his last-ditch push for U.S. health care overhaul on the road. In a speech Monday in Philadelphia, Mr. Obama will try to persuade the public to back his plan to remake the U.S. health care system, while also urging uneasy lawmakers to cast a "final vote" for the massive legislation in an election year. Mr. Obama's pitch in Philadelphia, along with a stop in St. Louis on Wednesday, comes as the president begins an all-out effort to pass his health care proposals. Though his plan ...

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Obama to Pick Former Army Intel Officer to Lead TSA

President Barack Obama plans to appoint a former senior Army official with a career in intelligence to lead the Transportation Security Administration.
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Less Stimulus Money Going to Black, Hispanic Businesses

Hispanic and black businesses are receiving a disproportionately small number of federal stimulus contracts, creating a rising chorus of demands for the Obama administration to be more inclusive and more closely track who receives government-financed work.
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Obama wants retired Army general at TSA

UPDATED: President Obama said he wants a former senior Army official with a career in intelligence to lead the Transportation Security Administration. The president announced his choice, retired Gen. Robert Harding, on Monday. The decision to appoint someone with an extensive intelligence background comes after the attempted Christmas airliner attack. That attempt, foiled by passengers, led to scrutiny of government intelligence programs and criticism that the Obama administration wasn't doing enough to foil would-be terrorists. The incident prompted a review of U.S. security policies. "I am confident that Bob's talent and expertise will make him a tremendous asset in our ...

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Dems' splintering threatens health bill

The escalating battle among Democrats over abortion has grabbed headlines, but a few other intraparty disputes are endangering President Obama's proposed health care overhaul. From stemming rising health care costs and addressing regional disparities on Medicare rates to a general skepticism of the Senate, rank-and-file House Democrats are struggling to support Mr. Obama's plan as they close in on midterm elections. Voters have become increasingly hostile to the effort. "Any time the Senate is involved, I become nervous," said Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II, Missouri Democrat. Polls show that certain provisions in the Democrats' plan are popular but that the American ...

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Political Scene

IMMIGRATION President to meet key senators on issue President Obama plans to focus attention on immigration this week by meeting at the White House with two senators crafting a bill on the issue. White House spokesman Nicholas Shapiro said Mr. Obama will meet with Sens. Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat, and Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican, on Monday. The president is "looking forward to hearing more about their efforts toward producing a bipartisan bill," Mr. Shapiro said Friday. The meeting will be the first Mr. Obama has had with Mr. Schumer and Mr. Graham on the proposal they are ...

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Obama urged to shift 9/11 trials

A Republican senator is offering the White House a deal on terror trials. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina says that if President Obama agrees to try Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and four accused henchmen in military tribunals, he will press fellow Republicans to vote to close the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Mr. Graham, interviewed Sunday on CBS' "Face the Nation," says reversing Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr.'s plan to try terror suspects in a civilian court in New York City would be seen as an act of leadership by the public. The White House ...

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Obama takes reform on the road

He'll try to close the deal on health care as the W.H. and Dems say polls show glimmers of hope.
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Obama warns staff: Ignore palace intrigue

The president's team has proven just as susceptible to Washington's favorite parlor games as anyone.
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Republicans Reject Obama Charge of Blowing Opportunity to Fix Health System

Republicans returned fire Monday after President Obama accused them of dropping the ball on health care reform over the past decade, arguing that they were more than a little busy dealing with challenges like Social Security and the War on Terror. 

Obama's Health Care Pitch to Democrats: Trust Me

Obama joked that the political battle has contributed to the recent rise in his cholesterol, said Rep. Ron Kind, D-Wis., and the president noted how ironic it would be if health care drove him to his grave. Rep. Kind was one of several Democrats who met with Obama on Thursday.
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Obama Wants Former Top Army Intel Officer at TSA

President Barack Obama plans to appoint a former senior Army official with a career in intelligence to lead the Transportation Security Administration.
Read more [CNS News]

AP Analysis: For Obama, Iraq Elections Are Good News

When he appeared in the White House Rose Garden on Sunday to congratulate Iraqis on the big turnout in the face of violence, President Obama seemed relieved.
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Obama to Appeal for Public Support on Democrats’ Health Care Plan

Obama's pitch in Philadelphia on Monday, along with a stop in St. Louis Wednesday, comes as the president begins an all-out effort to pass his health care proposals.
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Timetable for U.S. Troop Withdrawal on Track, Obama Says, After Iraqis Vote

Millions of Iraqis defied terrorists' threats by turning out to cast their ballots in Iraqi national elections on Sunday. President Obama noted that Iraqi forces had taken the lead in providing security.
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Obama Hails Iraq Vote as 'Important Milestone'

The vote was Iraq's second national election since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. The big turnout and limited violence were seen as key to the planned withdrawal of American combat forces by Aug. 31.

Obama Picks Former Army Intel Officer to Lead TSA

President Obama plans to appoint a former senior Army official with a career in intelligence to lead the Transportation Security Administration. 

Obama Pushes for Health Care While Americans Worry About Jobs

President Barack Obama's furious, final push to get a health care bill passed threatens to shove aside the message he promised would top his list this year: creating jobs.

Spate of good news overseas

Obama touts Iraq's successful elections.
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Graham Signals KSM Trial Reversal Could Clear Way for Gitmo Closure

Sen. Lindsey Graham said Sunday that he would help the White House convince his fellow Republicans to support closing Guantanamo Bay if President Obama reverses course and sends the alleged Sept. 11 mastermind and his co-conspirators to military tribunals. 

3 Dems unsure about changing health votes

A top House Democrat said Sunday he believes Congress will pass a health care bill, but three fellow Democrats who opposed overhaul legislation last fall aren't committing themselves to backing President Obama's late push. The House and the Senate approved different versions of the legislation by narrow margins. Merging the bills became more complicated when Senate Democrats lost their filibuster-proof majority in January after the election of Sen. Scott Brown, Massachusetts Republican. House members are reluctant to approve the Senate plan on the promise that senators will tinker with provisions House members find objectionable. Still, that wobbly bridge appeared to ...

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Obama to Host Conference on Future of U.S. Space Program

President Obama plans to host a conference in Florida next month on his administration's approach to the next step in space exploration.

Obama Praises Iraqis for Braving Violence to Cast Ballots

President Obama praised the Iraqi people for passing "an important milestone" as millions turned out for national elections despite attacks that killed more than 30 people. 

McConnell Disapproves of GOP Fundraising Efforts Aimed at Stoking Fear About Obama

The Senate's top Republican said he didn't like a recent GOP appeal to party donors that was based on stoking fear and negative feelings toward President Obama and other Democrats.

McConnell against negative GOP pitch

The Senate's top Republican said Sunday he didn't like a recent GOP appeal to party donors that was based on stoking fear and negative feelings toward President Obama and other Democrats. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican, said he doesn't understand why anyone thought such an appeal would help the GOP. The pitch last month to Republican fundraisers included a direct call to exploit "extreme negative feelings" toward Democrats. In the presentation, Mr. Obama was depicted as "The Joker" and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as Cruella De Vil. RELATED STORY: Steele: GOP should focus on issues Mr. McConnell told ...

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ACLU Likens Obama to Bush in Ad Slamming Possible Reversal on KSM Trial

The possibility that President Obama could send the self-professed mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks to a military tribunal has earned him the highest insult from the left -- that he's another George W. Bush. 

Sebelius: Bid for GOP support slowed health bill

UPDATED: Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of health and human services, said Sunday that health care reform would have been "dead on arrival" if the White House had sent a finished proposal to Congress last year. The secretary also blamed delays in passing the measure on President Obama having to spend "far too much time talking about what's not in the bill" and trying to counter "wild accusations" by Republicans. Under a new push to get the measure through Congress, Mr. Obama set a March 18 deadline for the House to pass the Senate version of the legislation before he leaves on ...

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Steele: GOP should focus on issues

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Republican National Committee Chairman Michael S. Steele said Saturday the GOP should focus on issues such as jobs and education and not on scare tactics. Mr. Steele made the remarks to reporters before he gave a speech Saturday at a Shelby County, Tenn., Republican Party fundraiser. Mr. Steele also said he has launched an internal review into why a 72-page Power Point presentation to GOP fundraisers in Florida last month included a direct call to exploit "extreme negative feelings" toward Democrats. RELATED STORY: McConnell against negative GOP pitch The presentation depicted President Obama as "The Joker," House ...

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Obama turns up the heat for health care overhaul

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama is trying to persuade a weary public and wavering Democrats to get behind his frantic, late-stage push on health care, while Republicans dig in and demand starting from scratch after a year's worth of work. "Now, despite all the progress and improvements we've made, Republicans in Congress insist that the only acceptable course on health care is to start over. But you know what? The insurance companies aren't starting over," Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address Saturday. "I just met with some of them on Thursday, and they couldn't give me ...

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Obama's Last Stand for Health Care Reform Follows Challenging Year

After a year of several blown self-imposed deadlines, unexpected setbacks and incremental victories, the president is taking his final stand to get a health care bill passed -- a push likely to last for the next few weeks.

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. 

Obama: Time for 'final vote'

Obama renews call on Congress to "schedule a final vote" on health care reform.
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Obama-Gates nuke war brewing?

An upcoming nuclear policy review could highlight their past differences on the issue.
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Obama, GOP Turns Up the Heat in Health Care Debate

The debate over the fate of health care reform President Obama and Republicans escalated Saturday with President Obama urging Congress to act immediately and Republicans declaring the effort "must be stopped."

Obama to Meet With Key Senators Next Week on Immigration

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.

CBO: National Deficit to Hit Nearly $10 Trillion Over Upcoming Decade

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office predicts that Obama's budget plans would generate deficits over the upcoming decade that would total $9.8 trillion.

Obama urges Congress to aid economy

President Obama used a visit Friday to a small Northern Virginia company to promote clean-energy jobs to talk about the February jobless numbers and urge Congress to pass more legislation to help the unemployed and boost the economy. The president said the loss of 36,000 more jobs last month was "better than expected" considering the severe snow storms that hit the East Coast and that the number shows the administration's economic-stimulus plans are working. "But even though it's better than expected, it's more than we should tolerate," said the president during his visit to the the OPOWER energy software company. ...

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Administration Blames Job Losses on Snow; Critics Say Economic Uncertainty Stalls Job Creation

Obama administration officials are touting the less than 100,000 jobs that some economists predicted could have been lost last month because of record snow storms, but critics charge that the 36,000 people who became unemployed in February is no cause for celebration.
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Broun not sure if Obama is citizen

The Georgia Republican also attacks Obama as a "socialist" during an interview with Sirius XM.
Read more [Politico]

Obama's Decision on Location of 9/11 Terror Trials Part of Larger Puzzle

The prospect of moving the trial for suspected September 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed out of criminal court and into a military tribunal is just one piece of a national security puzzle for the Obama administration, officials say.

Rove-elations: Former Bush Adviser Opens Up About Katrina, WMDs, Obama

President Obama thinks Karl Rove "hates" him; President Bush should have declared a "federal takeover" in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina; and the Iraq war never would have happened without those pesky WMDs -- which were never found. Those are just some of the "Rove-elations" in Rove's new book.

Rights groups slam rumors of Obama flip on KSM trial

Civil liberties groups are reacting angrily to reports that President Obama could reverse his administration's stance and try the alleged Sept. 11 conspirators in a military tribunal -- a move that would leave many of his staunchest allies out on a limb. Top supporters like Democratic Sens. Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Richard Durbin of Illinois -- both of whom have vehemently defended Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr.s decision to try suspected al Qaeda mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed in federal court -- said they would wait for an official announcement from the White House before weighing in. But advocacy ...

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Obama Calls Jobs Report Better Than Expected

President Obama says the new jobs report "is actually better than expected."

White House Calls Suggestion of Swapping Health Care Vote for Judgeship ‘Silly’

The White House shunned as a "silly argument" the notion that President Barack Obama had sought to woo the vote of a Democratic congressman on health care by nominating his brother to a federal judgeship.
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Obama lobbies wavering Democrats on health care

President Obama and top Democrats set out Thursday to thwart defections and solidify support for their health care overhaul bill, focusing on skeptical rank-and-file House Democrats antsy about voting for the unpopular measure and then having to fend off Republican attacks in the midterm elections. A dozen House Democrats who supported the bill in the House said they'll vote against Mr. Obama's plan unless strong abortion restrictions are inserted. Others question whether the Senate bill, the basis of the president's plan, will do enough to stem rising health care costs or address regional disparities on Medicare rates. Nearly 20 House ...

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PRUDEN: No flip-floppery, just flim-flammery

OPINION/ANALYSIS: If someone is determined to embrace suicide, there's not much someone else can do about it. If a gun isn't handy, a knife will be, or a bottle of sleeping pills, or even a video of a speech by Joe Biden. If you're Barack Obama in a vengeful mood, you just shove a health care "reform" that nobody wants at reluctant congressmen in your party. It's just as effective and just as quick. Mr. Obama is loath to say the word "reconciliation," because he knows "reconciliation" is this season's synonym for suicide. So he warns of the danger of ...

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Cheney: Compelled to speak to protect country

Former Vice President Dick Cheney planned to lead a less-stressful life upon his departure from the White House but felt compelled to protect Americans against what he considered President Obama's dangerous national security decisions, daughter Liz Cheney said Thursday. Mrs. Cheney told The Washington Times' "America's Morning News" radio show that Mr. Obama's early decisions to shutter the detention center for terror suspects at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and to possibly prosecute CIA officials prompted her father, who is battling heart disease, to take action. "Those two in particular were the ones that made my dad say, 'Wait a minute - ...

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GOP disavows fear-baiting fundraiser

Barack Obama is "the Joker." Nancy Pelosi is portrayed as Cruella De Vil, and Harry Reid as Scooby Doo - all part of a Republican Party pitch to top fundraisers. Tucked into the 72-page Power Point presentation to GOP fundraisers in Boca Raton, Fla., last month, was a direct call to use fear of Democrats as a fundraising strategy. "What can you sell when you do not have the White House, the House or the Senate ... ?" one slide asks. "Save the country from tending toward Socialism!" it replies. Political groups and parties often use highly charged language to ...

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House measure rewards hiring jobless

Despite doubts among many lawmakers that it'll create many jobs, the House on Thursday passed scaled-back legislation giving companies that hire the jobless a temporary payroll tax break. The measure passed 217-201 on a mostly party-line vote. The bill also extends federal highway programs through the end of the year. Some Democrats feel the approximately $35 billion jobs bill is too puny, while others say the tax cut for new hires won't generate many new jobs. However, the pressure is on to address jobs and deliver a badly needed win for President Obama and a Democratic Party struggling in opinion ...

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Obama Pleads With Dems to Pass His Health Bill

The president urges uneasy rank-and-file moderates and progressives to focus on the positives rather than their deep disappointment with parts of his massive health care overhaul.

Japan Says It Won't Comply With Possible Tuna Ban Supported by Obama Administration

Conservationists say the Atlantic bluefin tuna risks extinction if current catch rates continue. The Japanese prize the tuna for sushi.
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Dems Advance Obama’s Nominee for Justice Department Post, Despite GOP Opposition to Her Pro-Abortion, Anti-War Views

The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday voted 12-7 along party lines for the full Senate to cast an up-or-down vote on Dawn Johnsen to head the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel. Republicans say Johnsen's past activism with liberal groups and her pro-abortion stance disqualify her for the post.
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In Reversal, Obama Advisers to Recommend Military Tribunals for 9/11 Plotters

Top advisers to President Obama reportedly are close to a decision recommending that the self-proclaimed mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks be prosecuted in a military tribunal.

The Obama Way: Bluster, Bully, Bribe

Pay-for-play seems to be the Obama way. Conservatives suggest that President Obama might be trading a judicial appointment for a wavering Democrat's vote on his health care reform plan.
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Democrats Mired in ‘Swamp’ They Vowed to Drain

From the conduct of governors in Illinois and New York to back-room deals over President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, Democrats are drawing their own criticism when it comes to the ethics of public officials.
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