 POLITICAL NEWS UPDATES Page 3Obama and health care: Quiet meetings Thursday, January 14, 2010 Another congressional delegation went to the White House today to talk with President Obama and his staff about a health care bill -- only this time some members have been here all afternoon. Report: Obama team has too many vacancies Wednesday, January 13, 2010 President Barack Obama has filled key government jobs about as fast as the Bush administration, but too many top positions _ about 40 percent _ remain vacant nearly one year after Obama took office, says a report being released Wednesday. Democrats chart dim midterm course Wednesday, January 13, 2010 Facing a disgruntled electorate and bracing for losses in the November midterm elections, Democrats hope to make up ground by framing this year's campaign as a fight against Republicans who want to turn back the clock on progress. Copenhagen Summit Turned Junket? Tuesday, January 12, 2010 Few would argue with the U.S. having a presence at the Copenhagen Climate Summit. But wait until you hear what we found about how many in Congress got all-expense paid trips to Denmark on your dime. CBS investigative correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reports that cameras spotted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at the summit. Stimulus cash doesn't create local jobs Tuesday, January 12, 2010 A federal spending surge of more than $20 billion for roads and bridges in President Obama's first stimulus has had no effect on local unemployment rates, raising questions about his argument for billions more to address an "urgent need to accelerate job growth." White House admits to health care strategy problems Tuesday, January 12, 2010 With a widely unpopular health care package entering the final throes of negotiation in Congress, a key White House official acknowledged the sales pitch has been mishandled. "We have to do a better job of explaining to the American people the principle things they will get out of this," Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel told MSNBC. "The message is not getting through." Tens of Thousands Sign Petition Urging Holder to Move KSM Trial from New York Monday, January 11, 2010 More than 60,000 people (new number), including members of Congress and three former presidential candidates, have signed a petition calling on Attorney General Eric Holder to move the trial of Khalid Shiekh Mohammed (or KSM) from New York City to a military tribunal. Poll: Most Oppose Tax on Junk Food Friday, January 8, 2010 Most Americans want to lose weight, a new CBS News poll finds – but they do not favor a tax on junk food and do not believe that such a tax would help lower obersity. The poll results reveal that the vast majority of Americans believe that obesity can be controlled. They do not feel, however, that the government should be imposing a tax on the foods most likely to make them obese. Sixty percent say they oppose such a tax, while 38 percent say it's a good idea. Reid Foe Makes Case For C-SPAN Cameras Friday, January 8, 2010 Republicans in Washington have been making considerable hay over transparency this week, urging Democrats and the White House to open up any and all final health care deliberations to the C-SPAN cameras as President Obama promised during his campaign. Now, one of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's potential rivals in Nevada this fall is using this as a campaign issue. Danny Tarkanian, son of longtime UNLV basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian and one of a long list of interested Republican challengers ... Pelosi: Democrats 'close' on health care Thursday, January 7, 2010 With the backroom dealing under way to finish the health care bill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday said Democrats are "very close" to merging the House and Senate versions by overcoming key differences on issues such as abortion and the creation of a public insurance option. Mrs. Pelosi and key House committee chairmen met for nearly two hours with President Obama at the White House, where the speaker later downplayed sticking points between the two chambers. One in Five Gitmo Suspects Returns to Terror, Pentagon Finds Thursday, January 7, 2010 A new Pentagon finding that one in five terror suspects released from the Guantanamo Bay detention center has returned to terrorist activities has not weakened the Obama administration's commitment to close the prison. Defense Department spokesman Geoff Morrell told reporters Wednesday that Pentagon officials are working to declassify the report showing that almost 20 percent of the prisoners released from Guntanamo Bay in Cuba are either confirmed or suspected to have engaged in terrorism again. "Cash for Clunkers" Biggest Beneficiary? Japan. Thursday, January 7, 2010 I’m currently working on a chapter for the upcoming O’Reilly book “Beautiful Visualization” (a new book in the “Beautiful” series) and one of the things that I do is walk readers step by step through gathering data and sifting through it in order to create a visualization from the Cash for Clunkers data. Dozens of “Topline” Differences Wednesday, January 6, 2010 To truly understand the extent of the differences between the House and Senate health care bills, take a look at an 11-page chart compiled by the Tri-Committee House staff. It offers the clearest snapshot yet of the decisions that President Barack Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry will need to make. There are more than 50 “topline differences” that need to be resolved, from the amount of taxes levied to the minimum benefit package offered in the exchanges, according to the chart. Making progress on pork busting Wednesday, January 6, 2010 Rep. Jeff Flake went to the floor of the U.S. House 48 times last year to offer amendments to strip pork-barrel spending projects from the annual spending bills. And 48 times, he walked away having suffered a stinging defeat. All told, Mr. Flake and other pork busters — Sens. Tom Coburn and John McCain, and Rep. Jeb Hensarling — failed to win a single anti-earmark vote on the House and Senate floors for the fiscal 2010 spending bills. Security pushed aside, GOP says Monday, January 4, 2010 Top Republicans said Sunday that President Obama has been distracted from the terrorism threat against the United States by his ambitious domestic agenda — health care, climate change, the economy — and one former Bush official said the president has let down the national intelligence community. Some Dems Join GOP Opposition to Gitmo Transfers to Yemen Monday, January 4, 2010 Some Democrats are joining Republican lawmakers in opposing the transfer of suspected terrorists from the Guantanamo Bay prison to Yemen, citing Al Qaeda's increased activity in the poor Arab nation. President Obama's top counterterrorism adviser, John Brennan, told Fox News that the transfers will continue if the administration deems them warranted. Health Care Legislation Turns Medicare Into Slush Fund Wednesday, December 23, 2009 President Obama has repeatedly pledged never to sign any proposal that would “add one dime” to the federal deficit, yet he and Congress are finding it impossible to cover millions of uninsured Americans without increasing deficit spending or taking the money from the current Medicare system. ACORN Qualifies for Funding in Senate Health Care Bill Tuesday, December 22, 2009 Senator Roland Burris is claiming credit for a provision in Harry Reid's "manager's amendment," unveiled Saturday morning, that could funnel money to ACORN through the health care bill. Obama: Senate vote was 'historic' Monday, December 21, 2009 President Obama on Monday called the Senate vote on health-care reform that passed overnight a "historic" moment that shows Capitol Hill lawmakers are "standing up to special interests." The 60-40 vote, with all 58 Democrats and two independents voting in favor, came at about 1 a.m. and blocked a potential filibuster by Republican lawmakers. Congress Travels More, Public Pays Monday, December 21, 2009 The expenses racked up by U.S. lawmakers traveling here for a conference last month included one for the "control room." Besides rooms for sleeping, the 12 members of the House of Representatives rented their hotel's fireplace-equipped presidential suite and two adjacent rooms. The hotel cleared out the beds and in their place set up a bar, a snack room and office space. The three extra rooms -- stocked with liquor, Coors beer, chips and salsa, sandwiches, Mrs. Fields cookies and York Peppermint Patties -- cost a total of about $1,500 a night. They were rented for five nights. Nine Months After Stimulus 49 of 50 States Have Lost Jobs Friday, December 18, 2009 The table below compares the White House's February 2009 projection of the number of jobs that would be created by the 2009 stimulus law (through the end of 2010) with the actual change in state payroll employment through November 2009 (the latest figures available). According to the data, 49 States have lost jobs since the stimulus was enacted as unemployment has skyrocketed to 10 percent. Schumer In Flight Attendant Flap Friday, December 18, 2009 Sen. Charles Schumer was in the newspapers this morning, and not because of one of his regular press conferences. Politico reported yesterday Schumer called a flight attendant the “B-word” when she asked him to shut off his phone as the flight was ready to leave. Schumer, who was seated next to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, apologized and later called the flight attendant to do the same. It's now Democrat vs. Democrat on Health Care Friday, December 18, 2009 It's one of the oldest spectator sports in American politics: Democrat vs. Democrat. Welcome to the health care overhaul edition. With just days remaining to prove that they can meet a self-imposed Christmas deadline and pass President Barack Obama's signature initiative through the Senate, Democrats seeking a rendezvous with history instead detoured to an intraparty brawl. House approves $290 billion increase in debt limit Thursday, December 17, 2009 The House on Wednesday passed legislation giving the federal government the ability to borrow a whopping $290 billion to finance its operations for just six additional weeks. The 218-214 vote sends the must-pass bill to the Senate, which is expected to approve it as its last act before adjourning for the year. The alternative would be a market-rattling, first-ever default on U.S. obligations. Democrats' Blues Grow Deeper in New Poll Thursday, December 17, 2009 Less than a year after Inauguration Day, support for the Democratic Party continues to slump, amid a difficult economy and a wave of public discontent, according to a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll. Lieberman Says He Will Vote Against Health Bill if Medicare Expansion Remains Monday, December 14, 2009 Senate Democrats who thought they had found a workable compromise on health care reform learned otherwise from independent Sen. Joe Lieberman over the weekend. The Connecticut senator, whose vote is critical to the bill's prospects, threatened Sunday to join Republicans in opposing health care legislation if it permits uninsured individuals as young to 55 to purchase Medicare coverage. Max Baucus gave girlfriend $14K raise Monday, December 14, 2009 Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee, gave a nearly $14,000 pay raise to a female staffer in 2008, at the time he was becoming romantically involved with her, and later that year took her on a taxpayer-funded trip to Southeast Asia and the Middle East, though foreign policy was not her specialty. Democrats to lift debt ceiling by $1.8 trillion, fear 2010 backlash Friday, December 11, 2009 In a bold but risky year-end strategy, Democrats are preparing to raise the federal debt ceiling by as much as $1.8 trillion before New Year’s rather than have to face the issue again prior to the 2010 elections. CNN finds 61 percent oppose Obamacare Friday, December 11, 2009 No wonder Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is desperate for a weekend off from the health care reform debate. A new CNN survey finds that 61 percent of the respondents oppose the Senate version of Obamacare. Yes, that's a CNN poll, not one from Fox News or Scott Rasmussen. Black pastor: Reid's 'slavery' reference 'deplorable' Friday, December 11, 2009 The black pastor who leads Bond Action Inc. in support of "family, traditional moral values and positive, honest race relations" says Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., should be ashamed of comparing opposition to President Obama's plans to socialize medicine in the U.S. to support for slavery. Copenhagen Conservatives: Obama Climate Agenda ‘Terrible’ for Economy Thursday, December 10, 2009 The leader of a conservative delegation attending the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen said that the global warming agenda of President Barack Obama was “terrible” for the U.S. economy. Gibbs Rips Gallup, Trashes Daily Tracking Poll That Shows Obama at Historic Low Wednesday, December 9, 2009 White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs slammed Gallup's daily tracking poll on Tuesday after it showed President Obama's approval rating had fallen to 47 percent, the lowest approval rating for any president at this stage of his presidency dating back to President Harry S Truman. Obama prepares speech for peace prize Wednesday, December 9, 2009 President Obama has delivered his share of challenging speeches, tackling race and his relationship with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. in the heat of the 2008 campaign, pitching his health care overhaul plan to a skeptical Congress in September, and, just last week, explaining to an anxious nation his decision to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan. Congress readies huge year-end spending bill Wednesday, December 9, 2009 Congressional negotiators sealed agreement Tuesday night on sweeping spending legislation that boosts housing and heating subsidies but curbs President Barack Obama's requests for aid to Afghanistan and Pakistan. The move comes as lawmakers wrapped the budgets of nine Cabinet agencies into a $1.1 trillion spending bill they hope to complete before a stopgap measure expires Dec. 18. Republican Party Blasts Sen. Reid Over ‘Slavery’ Comment Tuesday, December 8, 2009 The head of the Republican Party says Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) “wandered far out of bounds” when he compared Republicans to those who opposed the abolition of slavery. In a speech on the Senate floor Monday, Reid plugged his health care reform bill and criticized Republicans for not supporting the legislation ... Senator Barbara Boxer criticizes abortion amendment in health care bill Tuesday, December 8, 2009 The Senate is expected to vote tomorrow on an amendment to the health care bill that would tighten restrictions on federal funds for abortion. California’s junior senator Barbara Boxer is strongly opposed. The amendment proposed for the Senate health care bill would do two things. Pelosi Endorses ‘Global’ Tax on Stocks, Bonds, and other Financial Transactions Monday, December 7, 2009 House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) endorsed the idea of a “global” tax on stock trades and other financial transactions, saying the estimated $150 billion in annual revenue from such a tax could be used to help fund more stimulus spending. At her weekly press briefing on Thursday, Pelosi said the financial transactions tax (HR4191) currently before Congress would have to be made “global” to keep U.S. investors from taking their business overseas and out of taxable reach. Copenhagen summit to produce as much CO2 as an African country Monday, December 7, 2009 It is being hyped as the summit that will save the planet. But according to critics, next week's climate change talks in Copenhagen are more likely to cost the earth. Researchers have estimated that the bill for the 12-day jamboree will top £130million - and will generate as much greenhouse gas as an entire Africa country. Hoyer Signals Support for War Tax Wednesday, December 2, 2009 House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said he is “generally” supportive of a proposal to levy a “war surtax” on Americans to offset the cost of the Afghanistan war, a tax that would be set by the president himself. Hoyer added that while he would not commit “at this point” to any specific proposal, he believed that the government must “pay for what we do.” Nancy Pelosi spends $2,993 on flowers Wednesday, December 2, 2009 House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) spent $2,993 in taxpayer money on flowers between June and October. House Majority Whip James Clyburn has a thing for Chantilly Donuts, spending about $265 at the Virginia shop in the past quarter. And Rep. Tim Walz (D-Minn.), a fiscal conservative, decided to give about $2,000 in unused office funds back to the government to help reduce the deficit. Democrats Try to Hold Together as Health Care Debate Begins in Senate Tuesday, December 1, 2009 The Senate opened debate Monday on landmark health care legislation that would extend coverage to millions of uninsured Americans and ban onerous insurance practices, with Democrats vowing to work weekends to deliver on President Obama's top domestic initiative by year's end. Climate change: this is the worst scientific scandal of our generation Tuesday, December 1, 2009 A week after my colleague James Delingpole , on his Telegraph blog, coined the term "Climategate" to describe the scandal revealed by the leaked emails from the University of East Anglia's Climatic Research Unit, Google was showing that the word now appears across the internet more than nine million times. But in all these acres of electronic coverage, one hugely relevant point about these thousands of documents has largely been missed. Harry Reid's hometown feud Tuesday, December 1, 2009 As Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid struggles to pass a health care bill in Washington and his polling numbers in Nevada continue to tank, there’s another aggravation he can’t seem to escape — the Las Vegas Review-Journal and its publisher, Sherman Frederick. In health-care reform, no deficit cure Monday, November 30 2009 As the long battle over health care is rejoined in the Senate this week, experts remain deeply divided over whether the legislation would rein in soaring health-care costs or simply add millions of people to a system that is already driving the nation toward bankruptcy. News Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 |
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