The Hill News

Rick Perry is on the conservative right. He’s got the T-shirt on fiscal policy, gun control, abortion and evolution. But what about the foreign policy of the Republican presidential contender?

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West criticized caucus whip Rep. Carson for saying the Tea Party would be happy seeing blacks “hanging from a tree.”

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“We will not give any Libyan citizen to the West,” said a spokesman for the rebels' transitional council.

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A writer or orator’s second-to-worst nightmare is to be edited by a committee. A writer or orator’s worst nightmare is to be edited by a committee when you are dead. Great orators know what they mean and say it precisely, as Martin Luther King Jr. did. Maya Angelou is right â€" the inscription on the statue makes him look like a twit.

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The federal government has used the guise of Civil Rights to make a grab at American rights. They have used Civil Rights to greatly expand federal powers including the Interstate Commerce Laws, privacy restrictions and economic control over business. This has placed minorities into a position where mainstream America sees the protection of minority rights as hand in hand with the denial of their own individual freedom and liberties.

In no way am I asserting that the denial of basic rights to American Blacks was appropriate. However, some of the mechanisms by which those rights were delivered opened the door for concentrated private interest operating through the institution of government to steal American freedom and wealth.

Last night I joined “Freedom Watch” on Fox Business to discuss a number of the day’s top headlines; but one story about government subsidized day care is worth expanding on here. 

The state of Illinois just found itself in a bit of a mess. After investing $750 million annually into a program to subsidize childcare for low-income families, it has come out that many of the state-hired childcare providers were convicted rapists, molesters and other violent felons.

This is why I’m always so amazed at the fact that women’s groups like NOW are such proponents of increased government assistance with childcare and push for even greater expansion of pre-K public education.

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The head of the Republican National Committee on Wednesday praised House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) for seeking to negotiate the date President Obama can address Congress.

"Kudos to @SpeakerBoehner for calling out the White House’s latest move for what it is: a pure political play," RNC chairman Reince Priebus tweeted.

Boehner responded to Obama's request on Wednesday to call a Sept. 7 joint session of Congress by asking Obama to hold the address on the following evening instead.

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Former Vice President Dick Cheney has no favorite â€" yet â€" among the Republican presidential contenders.

And Cheney, who's making the rounds in the media this week to promote his new book, In My Time, isn't sure his endorsement would be that helpful anyway.

"I haven't endorsed anybody yet," Cheney told CNBC in an interview airing Wednesday evening. "I'm not sure that would be necessarily helpful. There's some quarters where my endorsement probably wouldn't be welcome."

Cheney's one of the more recognizable party elders whose endorsement could tip the needle in a close presidential primary. But he's also been relatively muted, as have other members of the previous administration (including President George W. Bush) about the new Republican field.

He offered some words of praise for Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R), though, earlier today on Fox News.

"I was always struck by the extent to which the rest of the cou! ntry is attracted to Texas and to Texas politicians. Things are big there, and it is different," he said. "There's a strong sense of independence, and a little bit of arrogance, maybe."

Rep. Paul Ryan (R -Wis.) may have disappointed some conservatives when he ruled out a president bid earlier this month. But that doesn't mean that the chairman of the House Budget Committee wouldn't consider a spot on the national ticket.

Asked during an interview with MacIver News Service if he would accept a spot as a vice presidential candidate, the Republican lawmaker declined to rule out the possibility.

{mosads}"Who knows? Like I said, I just cross bridges when I get to them," Ryan said.

The seven-term lawmaker said that he decided against running for president both because he felt that a presidential campaign would be disruptive to his young family, but also because he believed he could continue to be effective in the House. Still, Ryan said that "with any other job [than president] in politics, you can have a good, balanced family life."

Ryan went on to say that he hopes to support the eventual Republican nominee.
"I want to help whoever the nominee is going to be to advance [Ryan's economic agenda] and win the election," he said.

The congressman acknowledged that many Republicans were hopeful he would run.

"I was getting a lot of different folks from around the party and around the conservative movement to encourage me to take a look," Ryan said.

Ryan did emphasize that his position in the House as chairman of the budget committee - and second in line to chair the influential House Ways and Means Committee - meant that his best chance at making an impact on the federal budget may be to stay put.

"I can do so much more there in the House," he said.

Celebrate Labor Day. Really, celebrate. It’s important.

Wear a t-shirt announcing to the world the name of your union and march in a parade, chanting and whooping it up about how glad you are to belong to an organization whose members are devoted to looking out for each other. If you’re among those without a union, proclaim your profession and declare your pride in the hard work you do. Make some happy noise. Infect your fellow marchers with your zeal. 

Invite your most beleaguered neighbors, friends and co-workers over for a picnic. Raise a pint, braise some burgers and praise your companions for their skill, devotion and compassion. Recognize them for all they’ve persevered through since this relentless recession began in December of 2007.  Build esprit de corps among your fellow workers.

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A Republican member of the House Tea Party Caucus on Wednesday countered recent inflammatory remarks by members of the Congressional Black Caucus against the Tea Party.

"I'm a TEA Party caucus member and have spoken at two tea party rallies. I am also NOT a racist. Maxine & Andre - get a grip," Rep. Dennis Ross (R-Fla.) tweeted.

Rep. Andre Carson (D-Ind.) and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) both directed harsh remarks at the Tea Party movement last week.

Carson accused the Tea Party members in Congress of wanting to see blacks "hanging from a tree."

Waters said at an event in California, "The Tea Party can go straight to hell."

Democratic members of the CBC ramped up the anti-Tea Party rhetoric in late August, with members such as Waters and Carson speaking at even! ts in their home districts.

Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.), another Black Caucus member, identified the Tea Party as "the real enemy."

In response, Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.), the only Republican member of the group and also a member of the Tea Party caucus, said he is "reconsidering" his membership in the Black Caucus.

Rep. Allen West's (R-Fla.) opposition to oil-and-gas drilling in the Everglades put him on the side of his fellow Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D), who West has feuded with publicly.

West called Republican presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann's (R-Minn.) suggestion last weekend that the U.S. consider drilling in the Everglades "an incredible faux pas" at a town hall event in Florida on Tuesday.

Suggesting that the U.S. drill in the Everglades is "a horrible thing to say. The Everglades is one of the natural wonders of the world," West said in comments reported by the Palm Beach Post on Wednesday. "That's an incredible ecosystem and it's a wetland that is natural and pristine and that's something we have to preserve for our future generations."

West's opposition to the idea puts him in surprising company, joining his usual Florida Democratic foil.

Wasserman Schultz, the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, responded to Bachmann's remarks on Monday, calling it an "unthinkable, reckless and irresponsible" proposal.

“The Everglades isn’t just a national treasure and habitat for many enda! ngered species, it’s also Florida’s main source of drinkin! g and fa rming water, is a safeguard against flooding that threatens our state during hurricane season and is vitally important to our state’s tourism industry," Wasserman Schultz said in a statement. "As a Floridian, I can see that Michele Bachmann's outrageous proposal to drill for oil and natural gas in the Everglades, demonstrates just how out of touch Republicans are with the needs of Floridians and all Americans."

Last month, West attacked Wasserman Schultz in an email as "the most vile, unprofessional, and despicable member of the US House of Representatives.” Now they seem to have found some common ground.

"When I see [Bachmann] next week, I'll straighten her out about that," West said. Lawmakers will return ! to Washington, D.C. next week as Congress returns to session.

A highly-anticipated speech by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) scheduled this weekend in Iowa is now "on hold," in an ad-hoc scheduling change symptomatic of Palin's maneuvering.

Confusion abounded Wednesday after the Wall Street Journal reported that Palin's team had withdrawn from her appearance at a Tea Party of America rally Saturday in Indianola, Iowa.

Palin's people were careful to say that she hadn't canceled her appearance and could still speak,! but blamed logistical issues that could threaten her appearance. The 2008 vice presidential nominee is still set to meet with supporters on Friday in Des Moines.

Still, the uncertainty about Palin's appearance underscores the will-she-or-won't-she approach that's beset her entire potential candidacy for president.

Palin's Indianola speech has been closely watched for signs about whether she will seek the Republican presidential nomination in 2012; while the former Alaska governor has said she's unlikely to declare her intentions on Saturday, she's self-imposed a deadline of announcing whether she would run by the end of September.

An ad-hoc approach to appearances has become a hallmark of Palin's political operation. She announced late Tuesday, for instance, that she would attend a Tea Party rally on Labor Day in New Hampshire â€" this after former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) said earlier in the day that he would attend a similar! rally over the weekend.

Palin has also shown a pe! nchant f or upsetting the plans of other GOP presidential contenders, for instance, when she showed up at the Iowa State Fair during the weekend of the Ames Straw Poll, or when her heavily-publicized bus tour rolled into New Hampshire the same day Romney was formally announcing his candidacy.

Saturday's event, hosted by Tea Party of America, has also been marked by drama. The group had invited former Delaware Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell (R), whom Palin had endorsed, to speak at the event. It had originally been reported that O'Donnell would speak before Palin, before the group dropped O'Donnell from the docket. The former Senate candidate tweeted Wednesday that she h! ad been re-invited.

The White House last week touted its plans to streamline regulations and save businesses $10 billion over the next five years. And it promises that similar review efforts will continue. In the Wall Street Journal, regulatory czar Cass Sunstein wrote that the White House Chief of Staff told federal agencies to “prioritize regulatory actions that promote economic growth and job creation.”

This message needs to make its way to the top, and the President must put a stop to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) regulatory war on job-creating businesses. That agency’s agenda is a direct threat to economic growth and job creation. Saving $10 billion is little consolation when trillions in new regulatory costs are on the horizon.

Any serious strategy to create jobs has to address the EPA’s agendaâ€"and the President is in a position to do just that. The EPA has proposed a number of new and revised regulations that would harm job growth and do! long-term damage to our economy. Millions of Americans are out of work, and the EPA is undeterred in going forward with an agenda that will make new jobs even more scarce in this country.

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When GE’s CEO Jeffrey Immelt was appointed to head his administration’s competitiveness council, President Barack Obama said, “We think GE has something to teach businesses all across America.”

Even in the summer heat, that’s a bone-chilling thought to an anxious cross-section of employees from engineers all the way down to the janitorial staffs who still take pride in being part of GE’s X-ray business division in Waukesha, Wis.

GE announced on Aug. 22 that it would close its X-ray division headquarters in Waukesha, Wis. and move to China. Reports are that GE has hired 100 engineers to staff the China office. This is an ironic development since deputy White House press secretary Josh Earnest reported from Martha’s Vinyard that President Obama and Immelt were discussing how to increase the number of engineers who graduate from U.S. colleges and universities.

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FEMA administrator Craig Fugate dismissed concerns Wednesday that funding issues would hamper relief work in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene.

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FEMA administrator Craig Fugate dismissed concerns Wednesday that the agency's dwindling emergency aid fund would hamper relief relief efforts.

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Former Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell (R-Del.) has been re-invited to speak at a Tea Party event in Iowa.

“In Troublemaker I talk about 'rising above it', and have humbly re-accepted the re-invitation to speak in Iowa on Saturday,” O’Donnell tweeted Tuesday evening.

Earlier in the day, O’Donnell had been dropped from the list of speakers at the Tea Party of America event Saturday. The group reportedly received letters of disapproval from a number of supporters after announcing O’Donnell’s inclusion.

"We panicked," Ken Crow, president and co-founder of Tea Party of America, told Delaware Online.

 “Was honored to be asked to speak at Iowa event Saturday, changed my flight to make it work,” O’Donnell tweeted Tuesday afternoon “We were told ! things changed on their end, and I truly wish them the best with this important event.”

O’Donnell, who has been on a book tour for her memoir Troublemaker, will now speak briefly at the event. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) is also scheduled to speak later in the program.

 

Vice President Dick Cheney was released from a Virginia hospital Monday a month after he underwent a heart procedure.

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The final American combat team formally handed over security responsibilities to their Iraqi counterparts in ceremonies Saturday.

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Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) said Tuesday that it is the administration's jobs policies, and not Rick Perry, that's dumb.

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Rep. Hoyer broke with other Democratic leaders who have argued for the return of Clinton-era rates for the richest Americans.

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Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) said Tuesday that it is the administration's jobs policies, and not Rick Perry, that's dumb.

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Romney will decry "career politicians" in his address, which is seen a subtle shot at Perry's long tenure in office.

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I hope that the Libyan Transitional Council will continue to resist the siren song of the United Nations, which is preparing contingency plans for the post-Gadhafi era.

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Former Vice President Cheney is promoting his book and still defending Scooter Libby over the CIA leak case. WikiLeaks has just published a new edition of leaked documents escalating their naming of names of sources in diplomatic cables. They are both dead wrong.

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“Never before has our nation asked so much of our all-volunteer force,” Obama said.

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Michele Bachmann recently said that God is sending a message through the hurricane. But isn’t it more likely that with hurricanes, earthquakes and scorching heat God is telling Rick Perry that global warming is real and telling Ron Paul that FEMA should not be abolished?

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Even in a climate as politically charged and divided as in Washington D.C., every once in a while there is an issue that has the ability to unite our two parties around a common goal. Last year, every member of the Senate came together to support the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. By unanimously passing this legislation to revise outdated nutrition standards for school meals, Congress took a giant step toward improving our children’s nutrition, curbing our nation’s growing obesity crisis and improving the wellbeing of our children. 

Unfortunately, some members of Congress are turning their backs on our students and trying to undo those important changes in order to please powerful D.C. lobbyists.

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On July 22 this year I reported: “ ... a connection between Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani has popped up in the press ...  when I asked Giuliani last Friday at Dartmouth College if he would support Rick Perry, that characteristic great-big-sea of a smile spread across his face. ‘I might,’ he said. I took that as an ‘absolutely.’ ”

Now it would be more than Sarah Palin behind Perry, I claimed. It would be Giuliani as well, “... and my guess is he will have another New Yorker who passes the NASCAR test: Donald Trump.”

This week several reports have it that Rick Perry has been on the phone with Donald Trump since he entered the race.

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By most measures the economic progress of black America has stalled in the past twenty years. Blacks have failed to close the wage and employment gap, even controlling for educational attainment. Moreover, the wealth gap between blacks and whites is wider than ever â€" by some estimates 20 to 1 in favor of whites. Blacks constitute about 12 percent of the U.S. population, yet account for less than 1 percent of GDP. This is surprising, given the progress blacks have made in other aspects of American life: blacks are widely represented in politics, art, religion, sports and entertainment. Blacks can vote and are no longer subjected to de jure discrimination. What, then, accounts for their lack of economic progress in America? And, more importantly, what steps can black Americans take to grow wealth for themselves and make important contributions to America economic success?

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R), a frequent critic of President Obama, was full of praise for the administration’s efforts in response to Hurricane Irene during his monthly radio show Tuesday.

“It’s been outstanding,” McDonnell said. “I am very complimentary of what [the Federal Emergency Management Agency] has done. And they are still there and will be there when the damage assessment is done at the end of the week.”

{mosads}McDonnell and the president have been coordinating relief efforts throughout the storm, talking multiple times by phone over the weekend. About 40 FEMA workers have been performing damage assessments throughout the state in the aftermath of Saturday’s hurricane.

The governor also declined an opportunity to join House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) in calling for additional federal funding for disaster relief to be offset by additional budget cuts.

“My concern is that we help people in need,” McDonnell said. “For the FEMA money that’s going to flow, it’s up to them on how they get it. I don’t think it’s the time to get into that debate.”

But the Virginia governor said he believes the federal government will come through with additional funding for relief efforts.

“FEMA is maybe a short-term cash-flow problem, but honestly they’ve done a great job,” he said. “I’m sure the Congress and the president and FEMA will find ways to get the money they need to take care of people.”

Virginia’s disaster budget has been stretched particularly thin between tornadoes that swept through parts of the state earlier this year, last week’s earthquake centered in Central Virginia and Hurricane Irene. Nearly half a million Virginia residents were still without power Tuesday, including 274,000 in the Richmond area.

The United States hasn’t learned much in the 10 years since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) argued Tuesday.

Paul, a libertarian-minded Republican presidential candidate, voiced criticism of U.S. foreign policy just days before the 10th anniversary of the coordinated terrorist attacks that resulted in almost 3,000 deaths.

“I don’t think we’ve learned a whole lot because our foreign policy hasn’t changed,” Paul told a guest host on Lou Dobbs’s radio show.

Paul has long been a critic of U.S. foreign policy, particularly the military engagements in Afghanistan and Iraq undertaken in the years following the attacks. Republican President George W. Bush initiated those wars, which have extended into President Obama’s term, and Obama has sought to set timetables for withdrawal from both engagements.

Paul cited the work of two University of Chicago professors, Robert Pape and James Feldman, who produced research arguing that U.S. occupation of foreign lands (an! d not religious extremism) is the biggest driver of terrorist! attacks .

“The statistics are overwhelming that this is the case,” the Texas congressman argued. “They also show that when [the U.S. military leaves], suicide and terrorist attacks against us are dramatically diminished.”

Paul has long been a minority voice in the Republican Party on issues of foreign policy. He was critical of Bush’s foreign policy at a time when other GOP figures were supporting the military engagements abroad.

In terms of its political implications, Paul’s stance certainly distinguishes him from most of his competitors for the GOP presidential nomination. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R), for instance, questioned in a speech Tuesday before the Veterans of Foreign Wars whether U.S. troops were being withdrawn from Afghanistan too hastily.

Paul’s foreign policy views have always been a point of contention between his supporters and analysts and media members who question whether his posi! tions would make him too unpalatable to the broader Republican! primary electorate to win the nomination.

The Eurozone is experiencing a perfect storm - a debt crisis, a banking crisis and a growth crisis. Consequently, the Eurozone needs to consummate a massive and comprehensive debt restructuring and bank recapitalization plan to survive and avoid a banking crisis. 

The debt of “peripheral” Eurozone members is overwhelming. When the Eurozone members entered into The Stability and Growth Pact in 1997, they committed to maintain fiscal deficits of less than three percent of GDP and keep total sovereign debt at less than 60 percent of GDP.   They are not even close to meeting this commitment. Italy’s percentage of debt to GDP is more than 130 percent and Greece’s percentage is more than 150 percent. These countries cannot grow their way out of a debt problem of this size.

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President Obama said Tuesday that he expects continued "resistance" from Republicans that will turn the months leading up to the next election in 2012 into a struggle.

"This next election very well may end up being a referendum on whose vision of America is better," Obama said in a radio interview with "The Tom Joyner Show."

Obama said that his strategy, if faced with continued resistance in Congress, would be to mobilize the American people by “going on the road and talking to folks” directly in order to best communicate his plans and his vision.

“If [the American people] see one side not willing to work with the other to move the country forward, then that’s what elections are all about,” Obama said.

“This [resistance] has been a problem ! for two and a half years now,” he said. Obama named several policies that his administration has been able to push through despite Republican opposition, including the healthcare reform bill, more money for the Pell Grant program and attempts “to fix the financial system.”

“These folks so far have not been very responsive to public opinion ... which is why they are very unpopular right now,” Obama said, without specifically naming Republicans in Congress. Congress overall faces a disapproval rate of 82 percent, but recent polls suggest that Americans are increasingly blaming Republicans for congressional gridlock.

“We’ve just got to keep on putting the pressure on,” Obama said. “We’r! e going to be in a struggle for probably the next 16, 17 month! s.”

There is widespread agreement among experts, policy makers and the public that the United States must overcome its addiction to fossil fuels to protect the environment and for reasons of national security. As in any addiction, interventions are necessary to break bad habits. Fortunately, in 2007 Congress expanded the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), requiring increased production and use of renewable fuels from multiple sources. American companies are making steady progress in creating advanced plant-based fuels. But this progress could be threatened by political uncertainty about continuing the RFS mandate.

Despite the clear intention of Congress to create the RFS, it took until March 2010 for the Environmental Protection Agency to finalize lengthy rules for administering the law. That interval coincided with economic recession, emergency economic stabilization measures to prevent bank failures, and oil prices that rose above $140 per barrel and then dropped bel! ow $40. Advanced biofuel companies, like other enterprises deploying new technology, face enormous challenges in raising the necessary capital for commercial-scale production â€" which were intensified in the recent challenging economic conditions. Still, many have made significant strides in making investments to commercialize advanced biofuel technology.

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Former Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean Sunday gave a nod to one possible 2012 Republican presidential bid.

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The Hill invites two established bloggers from either side of the political spectrum to sound off in original commentary.

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The GOP presidential candidate pushed back against reports that he was quadrupling the size of his San Diego-area beachfront mansion.

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Thirty-two percent of Republicans named Perry the candidate they'd most like to see win the nomination, with Romney in second.

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The GOP presidential candidate pushed back against reports that he was quadrupling the size of his San Diego-area beachfront mansion.

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Rep. Steve Chabot’s town-hall meeting last week drew criticism when police officers seized cameras from constituents in the crowd.

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One important action Congress should take when it returns in September is to pass a package of free-trade agreements that will generate thousands of jobs in Florida and elsewhere.

The Obama Administration estimates that as many as 250,000 new American jobs could be created, if we adopt pending agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea.

Unfortunately, these trade deals have been languishing in Congress for years, frozen by gridlock and partisan squabbling.

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All those anti-government and press bashers, like Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachman (R) and Texas Gov. Rick Perry, owe one to their governments and the media.

When the hurricane winds were endangering liberals and conservatives, and floods were damaging Democratic and Republican citizens, Tea Partyers and socialists, up and down the East Coast, government officials worked all weekend with no extra salaries to inform and protect a worried public. They always aren’t successful, but when they are, as they were this weekend, we owe them a big thank you.

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Having had much experience in leadership training and two sons who have excelled in their own careers, at times I am asked by my friends with high-school-age kids for ways to help them develop important leadership skills. One of the internship programs I have always recommended they consider is the House of Representatives’ Page program. I am sad to say, that program is no longer available to them.

On August 8, without discussion or prior warning, House Speaker John Boehner and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi issued a joint news release that effectively ended the nearly 200-year-old program (which arguably had been in use in some form since the first Continental Congress in 1789). Why was there no warning, no discussion, and no notice to members concerning cancelling this program that is an important part of our nation’s history?

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Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) will publish a memoir this fall, a tradition for presidential candidates.

Sentinel, a subsidiary of Penguin Group that specializes in publishing conservative books, said it would publish the book in November, The Associated Press reported.

Candidates for president often publish books (typically with the assistance of co-authors) to distill their biography and basic principles for potential voters.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) for example, published No Apology: The Case for American Greatness in March.

The books can sometimes provide stumbling moments for candidates, when reporters and activists compare candidates' written words against their campaign trail rhetoric.

A recent example of that came up when Texas Gov. Rick Perry's (R) campaign sought to walk back some tough words he'd written in his book Fed Up! about social security. Perry was forced to clar! ify, and hasn't backed down from what he'd written.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) received a slew of birthday tweets Monday.

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) and Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio) were among the birthday greeters.

McCain, 75, acknowledged the birthday tweets with a joke about his age.

Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) might disagree with McCain that he hasn't "taken care" as he has aged.

"Happy Birthday to the senior member of our delegation, @SenJohnMcCain. No idea where he gets all of his energy!" Schweikert tweeted.

The date of McCain's birth has been notable for more than one reason in the past. In 2008 on his birthday, McCain announced Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was joining his ticket as the Republican vice presidential nominee at a rally in Dayton, Ohio.

Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), who was hospitalized last week with an "extended fever," was released from over the weekend and expects to make a full recovery.

Wilson's office confirmed two weeks ago that the congressman was experiencing symptoms consistent with Lyme disease. Symptoms persisted until the congressman was hospitalized last Thursday for treatment of what his office called "a chronic viral-type infection."

Doctors at Lexington Medical Center in Wilson's home state were able to eliminate ! Lyme disease as Wilson's diagnosis, although the origin of his symptoms remains unknown.

"I'm doing much better," Wilson said Friday in an interview from his hospital bed, local South Carolina news site Lexington Patch reported. "The infectious disease personnel here have gone through every type of fever consequence, and the good news is they've been negative."

Wilson was released from the hospital Saturday.

Wilson's son Alan, who is the South Carolina Attorney General, said Monday that his dad was "up and walking around" on Sunday. "He's still weak but he's getting better everyday and it's just a process," Alan Wilson said, ! accor ding to the Patch.

Wilson's office rescheduled a week of events in his district for August until late September, after the end of the congressional recess.

The plan reportedly supported by the Obama administration to force Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to reduce interest rates for millions of homeowners would mean that some homeowners get government help while their more responsible neighbors do not. 

It would in effect be a backdoor stimulus, one involving pushing taxpayer cash out the door without a vote of Congress. And there is little reason to think it would be much more effective than the fiscal stimulus to date. 

The proposal is to strong arm Fannie and Freddie’s independent regulator into allowing the two government-controlled mortgage insurance firms to weaken refinancing guidelines. Millions of homeowners who remain current on their mortgages but do not qualify for a loan under more rigorous post-bubble standards could see their interest rate reduced from, say, 6 percent down to 4 percent.  This amounts to a $366 monthly saving on a $300,000 mortgage.

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A Democratic senator touring hurricane damage in Vermont on Monday credited President Obama with a successful response to the disaster.

"Glad Pres. acted quickly on VT disaster declaration," Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) tweeted.

Obama declared emergencies in New York, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Virginia last week ahead of Hurricane Irene's expected landfall. The federal declaration allowed the Federal Emergency Management Agency to mobilize resources and predeploy response teams to areas likely to be affected by the storm.

Governors and lawmakers who represent portions of the East coast affected by Hurricane Irene over the weekend tweeted their perspective of the damage Monday, many of them posting an aerial view from helic! opter tours of their districts while others met roadblocks along the way.

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Florida Rep. Debbie Waserman Schultz, the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), thwacked Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) for saying she would consider allowing exploration in the Everglades.

Wasserman Schultz seized on comments by Bachmann, a Republican presidential candidate, suggesting she would allow exploration for oil or natural gas in the preserved Florida areas if it could be done responsibly.

"We need to look forward and invest in the future, and we won’t get there with unthinkable, reckless and irresponsible Republican proposals like drilling for oil in the Everglades," Wasserman Schultz said Monday in a statement. "As a Floridian, I can see that Michele Bachmann's outrageous p! roposal to drill for oil and natural gas in the Everglades, demonstrates just how out of touch Republicans are with the needs of Floridians and all Americans."

Bachmann raised the possibility of allowing exploration in the Everglades during a video interview Sunday with the Associated Press.

"The United States needs to be less dependent on foreign sources of energy, and more dependent on American resourcefulness," Bachmann told the AP. "Whether that is in the Everglades or whether that is in the eastern Gulf region or whether that is in North Dakota, we need to go over the energy rules."

The Tea Party congresswoman has made energy a ! key element of her campaign trail rhetoric as she pursues the ! Republic an presidential nomination. Bachmann vowed earlier this month in South Carolina that, if she were elected, the price of gasoline would fall beneath $2 per gallon. She didn't back down from that remark, either.

Bachmann said that her approval of drilling in the Everglades â€" or anywhere else â€" would depend on whether she thought it could be done responsibly.

"If we can't responsibly access energy in the Everglades, then we shouldn't do it," she said. "N! o one wants to hurt or contaminate the earth. We don't want to harm our water ... From there, though, that doesn't mean that the two have to be mutually exclusive. We can protect the environment, and do so responsibly, but we can also protect the environment and not kill jobs in America, and not deny ourselves access to the energy resources that America's been so blessed with."

The issue of offshore drilling has always been a touchy political issue in Florida, where the tourism industry depends on clean beaches. That industry was jeopardized last year as a result of the 2010 BP oil spill off the coast of Louisiana, the effects of which extended to Florida. Support for drilling offshore in Florida, in the past, has often hinged on its distance from the shore.

That mak! es Bachmann's comments even more politically thorny, given Flo! rida's s tatus as both a key primary state and a key swing state in the general election. Wasserman Schultz's words in response seem to have that in mind.

"Michele Bachmann’s latest proposal to drill in the Florida Everglades is just another example of the Republican Party supporting policies that would only further enrich the special interests, while putting our environment and working families at risk," the DNC chief said.

There is a world inside striving to find the will and intelligence to be born again. I noticed when my youngest son just entering college started listening to Tony Bennett and saving up for a suit.

The ’50s are here. Just under the surface. Just bubbling up. And “Mad Men’s” Don Draper, the fictional shaman who created America in the 1950s (“America is everywhere I am ... as far as I can see.”) has created it. Now come knockoffs of men in suits and women in uniform â€" two new TV shows this fall: “Pan Am” and “The Playboy Club.”

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Presidential candidate Rick Santorum said the gay community has "gone out on a jihad" over his opposition to gay marriage.

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Perhaps one of the most misunderstood minorities today is not racial or ethnic. In fact, the minority I’m referring to comes with people of every race, color, creed and religion â€" the wealthy.

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Americans have a more favorable view of every other sector, including the oil industry, than of the federal government.

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Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) joked in Florida this weekend that last week's earthquake and hurricane affecting the East Coast were signs from God, meant to grab lawmakers' attention.

The Tea Party congresswoman, who took her campaign for president to the Sunshine State this weekend, joked about the case of those natural disasters during a stop in Sarasota.

"I don't know how much God has to do to get the attention of the politicians. We've had an earthquake; we've had a hurricane. He said, 'Are you going to start listening to me here?'" she told the audience, per the St. Petersburg Times.

A 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck central Virginia o! n Tuesday, and reverberated through the East Coast. There were no major injuries or fatalities, though some areas suffered property damage.

Hurricane Irene, meanwhile, blew up through the east coast over the weekend, causing potentially billions in damage; it caused at least 21 deaths, according to reports.

Bachmann finished her thought without further reference to either disaster.

"Listen to the American people because the American people are roaring right now. They know government is on a morbid obesity diet and we've got to rein in the spending," she said.

She continues her Florida trip with three stops Monday in the Miami area.

The Senate on Thursday sent its $59 billion war funding bill back to the House without approving domestic spending add-ons.

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The Senate on Thursday sent its $59 billion war funding bill back to the House without approving domestic spending add-ons.

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"We must use the coming weeks to make this choice crystal clear," Speaker Nancy Pelosi told rank-and-file members.

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Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) said he’d “punch back” if anyone took up an offer of $100 to punch him.

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Rep. Pete Sessions (Texas), head of Republican House efforts, is the second member of the GOP leadership to join.

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The American-born 39-year-old is a “key leader” of Yemen-based al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula, Treasury said.

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John Castellani will take over as the next president and chief executive of the pharmaceutical industry group in September.

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"I think we retake the House, as Mr. Gibbs suggested yesterday from the White House," says second-ranking House Republican.

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"It is a Ponzi scheme for these young people," Texas Gov. Perry said at a campaign stop in Ottumwa, Iowa.

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The president warned Hurricane Irene is "likely to be an extremely dangerous" storm and said people should "take action now." 

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The president warned the hurricane is "likely to be an extremely dangerous" storm and said people should "take action now." 

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In a message broadcast from an undisclosed location Gadhafi called on residents of Tripoli to fight the opposition.

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President Obama held a conference call with top administration officials shortly after an earthquake Tuesday, according to the White House.

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The Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi remains at large, but the Pentagon says he is probably hiding out somewhere in Tripoli. 

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Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) lashed out Monday night at pundits claiming to know whether she'll run for president. 

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GOP presidential hopeful Romney called for the emerging Libyan government to extradite the convicted Lockerbie bomber to the United States.

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President Obama is receiving briefings from his national security advisors on developments in Libya as opposition forces enter Tripoli.

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Huntsman criticized rival Rick Perry for his statements on Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and his skepticism over climate science.

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The House Ethics Committee has reportedly barred lawmakers from attending the rally because it appeared to be a political event.

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The plan is one of a series of proposals the GOP candidate plans to begin detailing after Labor Day.

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Emergency response officials warned Sunday that the effects of Irene remain severe despite the storm’s downgrade to a tropical storm.

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Republican presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul (Texas) continued his criticisms of FEMA Sunday claiming the agency’s approach was “deeply flawed.”

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The photo can be read as an effort to push back at arguments the president is disengaged while on vacation.

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When Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. made his most famous speech on the steps of the Abraham Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963, I was in Charleston, South Carolina preparing for my second year as a history teacher at segregated C. A. Brown high school. I first met the civil rights icon during the weekend of October 14-16, 1960 while serving as a founding member of the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).  The last time I saw Dr. King was July 31, 1967, when we had lunch in the home of Septima Poinsett Clark who ran the Freedom School on Johns Island and taught Rosa Parks at Highlander School in Tennessee. The civil rights movement was truly a church-centered movement, and having grown up in a parsonage as the eldest son of a minister, the leaders of the movement were men and women who were like family to me. 

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It was the summer of 1963. Despite the heat and humidity in my home community in eastern North Carolina, life was as it had been for generations. Poor and totally segregated. There were very few job opportunities (except for domestic work and tobacco processing) and so within twenty-four hours after high school graduation, most black kids headed “north.”

I was the product of a middle-class family that enjoyed advantages compared to our neighbors. Mother was a teacher whose salary in the early years was about one-third less than her white counterpart. She was the granddaughter of a black slave woman and a white slave master. My father was a World War I veteran and a dentist. His humble beginnings were in Bermuda.

My parents’ experiences commanded community service. The segregated schools and public accommodations, the unwillingness of the white power structure to recognize African Americans as first class citizens, placed my community at the whim o! f the white establishment that was outraged when black people questioned the status quo.

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Perry says his actions are helping to create Texas jobs while the "president's actions are killing jobs in this country."

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Rep. Ron Paul said the media is giving short shrift to his presidential run because it challenges the status quo.

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President Obama in Iowa Tuesday continued to needle Congress for the partisan bickering he said is preventing progress in Washington.

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The assistant Democratic leader dismissed GOP calls for the committee's members to suspend political fundraising while they continue their work. 

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Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus will be in Minnesota Monday as President Obama launches his Midwest bus tour.

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The Senate's top Democrat told a home state newspaper he expects the conservative movement's grasp on the GOP to diminish.

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Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Fla.), the DNC chief, doesn't think the president's bid for a second term is in trouble.

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Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz said the straw poll winners showed the Tea Party had effectively seized control of the GOP.

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Elizabeth Warren looks to making a decision after Labor Day; liberals have urged her to take on Scott Brown.

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A leader of the House conservative caucus said he’s not "overly optimistic" about the prospects for the budget-deal "supercommittee."

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A leader of the House conservative caucus said he’s not "overly optimistic" about the prospects for the budget-deal "supercommittee."

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S&P called entitlement reform the key to economic stability and the GOP budget attacked entitlement reform, the Speaker said.

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S&P called entitlement reform the key to economic stability and the GOP budget attacked entitlement reform, the Speaker said.

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Romney pushed back at critics of his relative silence during the debt-ceiling fight, saying his position was "clear" all along. 

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The lawmakers want all meetings "done in a transparent manner through advanced public notification, public attendance and live television broadcasts."

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President Obama is planning a bus tour through the Midwest this summer as he tries to shore up political support.

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President Obama is planning a bus tour through the Midwest this summer as he tries to shore up political support.

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The 13 lawmakers who received donations from Palin say they never heard from her or her representatives about the money.

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Now that Congress had authorized the hike, President Obama officially certified that additional borrowing to the federal debt was necessary.

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Santorum, a longshot candidate, comes within two points of Obama among Pennsylvania registered voters, according to a new poll.

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U.S. Ambassador Cameron Munter was briefly detained at a Pakistani airport earlier this week, Pakistan's Dawn newspaper reported Sunday.

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McCarthy said the debt proposal being negotiated moved “in the right direction” but wouldn't drop calls for a budget amendment.

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Former Virginia Gov. Kaine (D), now running for Senate, said Texas Gov. Perry (R) is too "divisive" for Virginia voters.

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In his weekly address, the president called for a revival of the “sense of common purpose” that emerged in attacks’ aftermath.

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Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) should, and probably will, take Texas Gov. Rick Perry to the woodshed as America’s leading phony conservative flavor of the month, and launch the mother of all Ron Paul money bombs. While Ron Paul is an authentic libertarian Rick Perry, is a polyester political libertine who moves effortlessly from championing Al Gore to imitating Ron Paul.

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When he was vice president, we all gave Dick Cheney the nickname “Darth Vader.” But little did we know how much he deserved the honor â€" until now!

In his new memoir, Cheney proves he was, indeed, the dark force within the Bush administration â€" and he’s damned proud of it, according to excerpts revealed by The New York Times.

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Sarah Palin supporters â€" fire up your angry emails and please defend her latest.

Has anyone insulted the former Alaska governor? Has the “Lamestream Media” done anything wrong? No. Yet despite her formidable effort to stoke curiosity, buzz and attention over her political plans, Palin has let it be known â€" though her SarahPAC â€" that she doesn’t appreciate anyone speculating on her possible entrance into the presidential race.

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We honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. because he was the conscience of our nation. He believed we could be a better place and a better people. I share that belief. My life’s work, in politics and as a pastor, are inspired by what Dr. King accomplished.

At the time of his death Dr. King had moved, intellectually and spiritually, from Civil Rights to Human Rights. I believe that movement symbolized his growing concern about the limitations of legalized civil rights. He was prescient in that way and  already knew what the rest of us would take longer to understand. Dr. King  had come to realize that changing the law would not automatically change the land. He realized that hearts and minds would take generations to alter.

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Every monument in our nation's capital symbolizes something meaningful about our national character. Lincoln, presiding over the Reflecting Pool, reminds us of our commitment to overcoming division and guaranteeing equal protection under law. Jefferson, set against the Tidal Basin, symbolizes our steadfast belief in inalienable individual rights. The WWII memorial, sitting in the center of the Mall, depicts our triumph against fascism and our readiness to stand watch against tyranny and injustice.

Martin Luther King was neither a president nor a war hero. The namesake of our newest monument was, for most of his life, a humble preacher forced to live as an outsider in his own community. Yet, with his charismatic voice, visionary leadership, and indefatigable spirit, he symbolized what I believe is most central to our national character: hope.

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Last summer, before my junior year of high school, I had the privilege of working with “Upward Bound,” a program for low-income DC public high school students on track to graduate. The program has dual objectives: in addition to teaching students the skills needed to excel in higher education, it keeps them safe and off the streets.

I was shocked to realize that my kids (those I was assigned to help) must have been given an indifferent pass throughout their secondary education because I had to coach them on aspects of reading, writing and comprehension that should have been mastered well before entering high school. The kids accepted into this program are little different than me in intellect, talent, and drive; however, they are stuck in a system that seems hopelessly inadequate.

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Despite the appearance of gridlock in Washington this summer, there is some real progress being made on the health care front.  Partnership for Patients, a national coalition of providers envisioned by Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Donald Berwick, demonstrates that we can improve the quality of health care while at the same time lowering costs. 

This new public-private partnership aims to achieve two core goals â€" keep patients from getting injured or sicker in the health care system and helping patients heal without complication by improving transitions from acute-care hospitals to other care settings, such as a skilled nursing facility. Achieving both is critical to the well-being of the country and is well within our grasp.  America’s nursing homes and assisted living facilities are ready and committed to be a  part of the solution.

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Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born into a middle class family. He could have chosen a life’s path of comfort and safety. Instead, he decided he was going to make a difference â€" even at the risk and ultimately the sacrifice of his own life.

The National Memorial in his honor, just a few steps from the Lincoln Memorial where Dr. King articulated his Dream for America 48 years ago, is far more than a tribute to an individual. It is a monument to the millions of heroes, famous and unsung, of all races, backgrounds and faiths, who have participated in our greatâ€"and in many respects unfinished â€" civil rights movement. This is a monument to all these Americans, guided by and benefiting from the extraordinary leadership of Dr. King, who have been unwilling to accept the status quo.

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On Friday thousands of Iranians rallied outside the US State Department calling on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to immediately lift the terrorist designation of Iran’s main opposition group People’s Mojahedin (MEK/PMOI) and ensure US forces guarantee the protection of the group’s members in Camp Ashraf in Iraq. I joined them to announce the support of 500 British Parliamentarians from all parties and both Houses of Parliament, and a total of 4,000 lawmakers globally, for their just cause.

I addressed the rally alongside my distinguished American colleagues including Louis Freeh, former Director of Federal Bureau of Investigation; Ed Rendell, former Governor of Pennsylvania; John Sano, former Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency; Colonel Wesley Martin, former Coalition counter terrorism commander in Iraq; and Patrick Kennedy, the distinguished former US Congressman and nephew of President John F. Kennedy.

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1. The Libyan rebels have won. If or when Moammar Gadhafi is captured or killed, it will be NATO firepower that has achieved it with the help of foreign training of the Libyan ragtag rebel army. Even if Gadhafi is ousted, he has sufficient armed supporters to carry on a civil war. As former Secretary of State Colin Powell famously said before the 2003 invasion of Iraq: “If you break it, you own it.” France, Britain and other NATO states have made it clear that they will remain “partners” with the new Libyan authorities and they will make sure that future Libyan policy is in line with their strategic objectives. With chaos looking the likeliest scenario for at least the short term, statements by President Obama and David Cameron, the British prime minister, that the future will be “Libyan owned” ring hollow.

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The recent resignation of Turkey’s military high command, along with reports that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will subordinate the military to civilian rule, could mark a new era for that nation.  Sweeping constitutional changes, however, are still needed to ensure fundamental rights and avoid exchanging one form of repression for another.  The United States should challenge Turkey’s civilian leadership to make such long-overdue changes, especially regarding religious freedom, including for religious minorities.

While Turkey has long been a formal democracy, it has been a decidedly imperfect one.  Since Kemal Ataturk founded the Republic of Turkey in 1923, his rigid state secularism has stifled religious freedom.  Restrictions have hindered the majority Sunni Muslim community and have discriminated against and threatened religious minority communities, including Greek, Armenian, and Syriac Orthodox Churches; Catholic and Protestant Churches; t! he Jewish community; and the Alevis.

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The East Coast earthquake and the impending approach of Hurricane Irene are stark reminders that natural disasters can occur at any time and suggest a thoughtful approach is needed to protect human life, property and the American taxpayer. The time has come for the U.S. Congress to focus on preparing for disasters before they strike and let private sector insurers pick up the tab after catastrophic events for homeowners and businesses so lives and tax dollars can better be saved.

Government funding of immediate needs associated with a disaster are still necessary to protect lives, for evacuation and rebuilding public infrastructure. However, those living in areas susceptible to natural catastrophes currently pay for most rebuilding of homes and private buildings through insurance coverage at rates reflecting their unique exposure to natural events, and this should continue. There are some â€" including ProtectingAmerica.org â€" who have called for a costly bi! g-government approach that would require the federal government to pick up billions in these insured losses.

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Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) demanded Pepco â€" the power company that serves her state and the District of Columbia â€" prepare an "aggressive plan" to address expected power outages and damage as a result of Hurricane Irene. Pepco started calling customers Thursday night to warn them that electric service throughout the region could be knocked out for a significant amount of time.

"It is imperative that Pepco do everything in its power to address damage to its infrastructure and power outages as quickly as possible," Mikulski wrote in a letter to Pepco CEO Joseph Rigby.

Mikulski demanded that the power company bring in additional crews, create a triage system to address power outages and prioritize efforts to "vulnerable populations" including the elderly, young and disabled.

Pepco said that it has added additional crews and will be working throughout the weekend to maintain power to the capital region.

“Based on the weathe! r updates we have received from the weather services, there is a very real possibility for significant damage to our electrical infrastructure,” Rigby said in a statement.

Pepco has been criticized in the past for poor reliability during weather crises. A February article in The Washington Post said that Pepco customers experienced 70 percent more outages than customers of other big-city utilities and that outages lasted twice as long than those with peer electric companies.

After last year's snow storms that shut down the capital region, the utility did not fully restore service to some customers for more than a week.

Other politicians are warning Maryland and D.C. residents to prepare for Hurricane Irene. Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley and D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray have declared states of emergency and warned that flooding is likely throughout the region.

The Department of Defense is preparing for Hurricane Irene, the Category 2 storm bearing down on the East Coast, and its aftermath.

The Pentagon announced that it is working to ensure both that military bases in the path of the storm would be secured and that supplies and aid would be ready after it passed.

{mosads}"As Americans located up and down the East Coast make preparations for Hurricane Irene's landfall, it is important to note that the men and women of the Defense Department are working closely with [the Federal Emergency Management Agency] as part of the larger government preparations and response to Hurricane Irene," said Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta.

The Defense Department has deployed 18 helicopters throughout the Northeast to aid in rescue missions, and has more than 100,000 National Guardsmen available to help in recovery efforts.

The Puerto Rico National Guard deployed to help clear roads and perform search! and rescue operations when the island territory was struck by the hurricane last weekend.

But the storm also poses challenges for the military itself. The Navy moved 55 ships from Norfolk, Va., on Thursday to avoid the path of the hurricane, and Fort Monroe in southern Virginia has been evacuated. The Air Force was weighing whether to move its F-22 Raptor fleet from Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Va.

The Pentagon itself was under a tropical storm warning Friday afternoon.

Panetta urged all servicemen and their families in the projected path of the hurricane "to be prepared for all contingencies."

"I can't say it strongly enough. Military and civilian members of the department must ensure that they are prepared for Hurricane Irene. Additionally, they need to stay in communication with their commands, organizations or military services after the storm passes. Accountability of personnel is extremely important," Panetta said.

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, State of the Union Address, January 11, 1944.

"It is our duty now to begin to lay the plans and determine the strategy for the winning of a lasting peace and the establishment of an American standard of living higher than ever before known. We cannot be content, no matter how high that general standard of living may be, if some fraction of our peopleâ€"whether it be one-third or one-fifth or one-tenth- is ill-fed, ill-clothed, ill housed, and insecure. This Republic had its beginning, and grew to its present strength, under the protection of certain inalienable political rightsâ€"among them the right of free speech, free press, free worship, trial by jury, freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. They were our rights to life and liberty.

"As our Nation has grown in size and stature, howeverâ€"as our industrial economy expandedâ€"these political rights proved inadequate to assure us equality in t! he pursuit of happiness. We have come to a clear realization of the fact that true individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. ‘Necessitous men are not free men.’ People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.

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