Rosen cancels her appearance on NBC's 'Meet the Press'
In a statement on her cancellation, Hilary Rosen said, "I don’t have anything more to say"Â
Gingrich says Romney âmost likelyâ nominee, would back him in Nov.
Newt Gingrich says he will support front-runner Mitt Romney if he garners the delegates needed for the nomination.Â
Santorum on losses: We're beginning the 'second half'
Santorum lost all three contests Tuesday but told supporters 'this isn't the time to sit down and rest'
Cheney back home after heart transplant
The former vice president was released from the hospital following a 10-day recovery from a heart transplant.
Dick Cheney home from the hospital after heart transplant
The former vice president was released from the hospital following a 10-day recovery from a heart transplant.
Gender gap propels Obama over Romney in battleground states
The president holds an 18-point advantage with women in 12 swing states, according a new poll released Monday.
Santorum guarantees victory in Pennsylvania
Rick Santorum said he will "absolutely" win his home state, raising the stakes ahead of the April 24 contest.
Obama: Buffett Rule tax hike will 'make this country a little fairer'
President Obama urged lawmakers to pass legislation that would raise taxes on those making more than $1 million annually.
GSA chief resigns, employees fired for costly conference
General Services Administration employees reportedly organized a conference that cost $822,851 and included a clown and mind reader.
Rep. Paul Ryan endorses Mitt Romney
"I think we should coalesce as conservatives around Mitt Romney," said the House Budget chairman on Friday.
Poll: Romney overtakes Santorum in Wisconsin ahead of primary vote
Mitt Romney leads in the Marquette Law School poll with 39 percent, followed by Rick Santorum at 31 percent.
Rep. McCarthy endorses Mitt Romney
House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is endorsing Mitt Romney to be his party's nominee for president.
Rep. McCarthy to endorse Mitt Romney
House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) will endorse Mitt Romney to be his party's nominee for president.
Report: Rep. McCarthy to endorse Romney
House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) will endorse Mitt Romney to be his party's nominee for president.
Obama adviser calls Gingrich comments on Trayvon Martin case âreprehensibleâ
David Plouffe said Gingrich had made "irresponsible, reckless" comments by claiming Obama injected race into the debate.
Obama advisor calls Gingrich comments on Trayvon Martin case âreprehensibleâ
David Plouffe said Gingrich had made "irresponsible, reckless" comments by claiming Obama injected race into the debate.
Obama: âCommon senseâ for House to pass Senate transportation bill
President Obama pressed House Republicans to accept the transportation bill approved by the Senate on a bipartisan vote.
Obama: âCommon senseâ transportation bill is âup to the Houseâ
President Obama pressed House Republicans to accept the transportation bill approved by the Senate on a bipartisan vote.
Obama camp's pitch to supporters: âHell yeah, Iâm for Obamacareâ
The president's reelection campaign is embracing a term that conservatives use to deride the healthcare reform law.
Polls: Santorum leads Louisiana, Romney pulls away nationally
The results suggest that Louisiana voters have not been swayed by the creeping inevitability of Romney's nomination.
Poll: Majority favor Keystone XL pipeline
According to a new Gallup poll, 57 percent said they favored government approval of the project.
Turnout light for Illinois primary
Voter turnout is light in Illinois despite the near-perfect weather and the undecided GOP presidential contest.
Ask A.B.: Ryan doubles down with new budget
The Hill̢۪s A.B. Stoddard sits down with Pundits Bloggers John Feehery and Peter Fenn to discuss the new Republican budget proposal and the GOP presidential primary.
Gingrich says Romney is weakest GOP candidate in decades
“He is not a very strong front-runner, almost all conservatives are opposed to him,†Gingrich said Sunday.Â
Inslee retiring from House to focus on run for governor
Rep. Jay Inslee plans to leave Congress to focus full-time on his campaign for governor of Washington.
Inslee retiring to focus on run for governor
Rep. Jay Inslee plans to leave Congress to focus full-time on his campaign for governor of Washington.
Gingrich: I'm staying in the race past Alabama, Mississippi contests
Newt Gingrich says he isn't dropping out if he loses two upcoming primaries in Alabama and Mississippi.
Santorum: Republican contest is shrinking to a 'two-man race'
Santorum and his supporters are increasingly suggesting that his candidacy would benefit from Newt Gingrich dropping out.
President Obama to hold first press conference of the year on Super Tuesday
Obama has participated in multiple social media events, but has not held a long-form presser since October 2011.
John Edwards asks judge not to allow destruction of sex tape with mistress
John Edwards doesn't want a North Carolina court destroy a sex tape he made with former mistress.
Sen. Inhofe: Climate change science relies on âriggedâ data
The senator said proponents of climate change were pushing efforts to redistribute wealth in the U.S.
Poll: Obama fading in matchups against Romney, Santorum
A new poll today shows the two GOP frontrunners edging President Obama in a dozen battleground states.
Obama to tout auto bailout on Michigan primary day
President Obama plans to tout the auto-company bailout the same day as the Republican primary in Michigan.Â
Obama to tout auto bailout same day as Michigan primary day
President Obama plans to tout the auto-company bailout the same day as the Republican primary in Michigan.Â
Santorum super-PAC ads tie GOP opponents to Obama
The pro-Rick Santorum Red, White and Blue Fund super-PAC announced a new $257,000 ad buy in Ohio.
Super-PAC makes $257,000 ad buy for Santorum in Ohio
The pro-Rick Santorum super-PAC Red, White and Blue Fund announced a new $257,000 ad buy in Ohio.
Pro-Santorum super-PAC makes $257,000 ad buy in Ohio
The pro-Rick Santorum super-PAC Red, White and Blue Fund announced a new $257,000 ad buy in Ohio.
Palin: 'I can't take it anymore'
Records from Palin's final days as governor, obtained by the AP, show her frustration with the job
Pawlenty: Mitt Romney will win Michigan
The Romney surrogate said even if Romney loses he's not out; also took name off VP list
Obama campaign joins fray in Mich. with TV ad attacking GOP field
The ad claims the Republican candidates "turned their back" on auto workers by opposing the bailouts in 2009.
Romney adviser says Michigan not a 'must-win' for campaign
Senior Romney adviser Eric Fehrnstrom said a win in Michigan was not necessary to securing the nomination.
Santorum says he accepts that President Obama is âa Christianâ
Santorum on Sunday attempted to clarify his remarks that Obama's agenda was based on "some phony theology."Â
Rep. McCotter may miss primary ballot because of signature problems
Rep. Thaddeus McCotter may not have collected enough signatures to make it on to the Michigan primary ballot.
Voters split over who is better equipped to handle the economy
Voters are almost evenly split over whether Obama or Romney would do more to help their economic interests
Report rips DOJ attorneys in botched Stevens' case
Obama: Romney has 'drawn the wrong lessons' from Bain tenure
Obama said Romney believes if "wealthy investors like him get rich, then the rest of us automatically will, too."
Obama: Afghans will see âtransformational decadeâ of peace
At the NATO summit in Chicago Sunday, Obama said the Afghan war "as we understood it is over."Â
Axelrod: Romney Bain record, not Mormon faith, is âfair gameâ
Axelrod repudiated suggestions Romney's faith would be an issue in response to attacks on Obama's former pastor Rev. Wright.
Blind Chinese dissident Chen arrives in NY
White House officials said they were pleased that Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng had left China for the U.S.
Sen. Johnson calls GOP 'ready' to reclaim America's heritage
Sen. Ron Johnson said the Republican Party is "ready, willing and able" to take back the Senate.
Congress' revolving door turns to K St.
Some former lobbyists who left the industry last year to work as Hill aides are already back on K Street.
Poll: Voters optimistic economy will improve
Nearly two-thirds surveyed in a USAToday/Gallup poll believe they will be "better off" this time next year.
Clyburn splits with Obama, says gay marriage should not be left up to states
The lawmaker supports same-sex marriage but doesn't believe "civil rights ought to be left up to a state-by-state approach."
Warren: Wall Street waging âguerrilla warâ against regulations
Elizabeth Warren repeated calls Monday for JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon to step down as director of the NY Fed.
Betty White endorses Obama
Actress Betty White wants to see President Obama reelected, she told the Associated Press.
Santorum: Marriage a 'potent weapon'
Former candidate Rick Santorum is urging likely GOP nominee Mitt Romney to seize on the gay marriage issue.
Obama, Biden make up, play golf
President Obama and Vice President Biden are out golfing on a balmy Saturday afternoon in Washington.
Poll: Romney opens up big lead over Obama
Mitt Romney has opened up 7 percent lead over President Obama nationally, according to the conservative polling outlet Rasmussen.
Romney to focus on family, jobs in address at Va. evangelical college
Many have speculated that Romney would use the commencement address at Liberty University to discuss his Mormon faith.
Romney on prank: âBack in high school I did some dumb thingsâ
Romney says high school was "a long time ago" but that he apologizes to anyone offended by pranks.
Democrats seize on report of 'vicious' Romney school prank
The report said Romney pinned down and helped cut the hair of a student thought to be gay.
Obama: Biden forced timing of gay marriage announcement
"He probably got out a little bit over his skis, but out of his generosity of spirit," Obama said.
Romney opposes gay marriage, says Obama 'changed his view'
Mitt Romney said the media should judge whether the president had changed positions on the issue of same-sex marriage.
Obama ad hits Romney over auto bailout claims
The Obama campaign released a new ad Tuesday that hits Mitt Romney for taking credit for the auto bailout.
Poll finds Obama opening up 7-point lead nationally over Romney
Obama leads Romney 49 percent to 42 in the new Reuters-Ipsos poll, up from a 4 percent lead in April.
Gibbs: Romney is no âeconomic saviorâ
"What Bain Capital never did was focus on job creation," Gibbs said, keeping up attacks on Romney's business record.
Lugar not planning 'active campaign' in support of Mourdock's Senate bid
Lugar said he supports Mourdock because he backs McConnell's efforts to retake control of the chamber, but won̢۪t actively campaign.
Newt Gingrich: 'Highly implausible' I would be Romney's running mate
Gingrich refused to rule out being Romney's number two but made clear he didn't expect to be in the running.
Giulianiâs advice for Romney: âBe yourselfâ
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani says he would advise Mitt Romney to “be yourself†on the campaign trail, as the presumptive GOP nominee fights perceptions he is unable to connect with voters.
Lugar not planning 'active campaign' backing Mourdock
Longtime Indiana Sen. Dick Lugar (R) said Sunday that he does not plan to actively campaign for Richard Mourdock, who defeated him in the state's GOP primary.
Lugar said he would support the Indiana State Treasurer's general election campaign because he supports Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell's (Ky.) efforts to retake control of the chamber.Â
But beyond offering advice to Mourdock on how to be a constructive senator, Lugar indicated his role in the upcoming campaign to defeat Mourdock's challenger, Democratic Rep. Joe Donnelly, will be limited.
"I hope that he will in fact, begin to adopt some of those ideas, but for the time being, I don̢۪t plan an active campaign," he said on CBS's "Face the Nation."
Giuliani: Obama had âno successâ before politics, defends Romneyâs Bain tenure
"Romney has been far more successful at the things that he̢۪s done than Barack Obama," Giuliani said Sunday.
End of wars in Iraq, Afghanistan allows 'rebalance' of national security priorities
“Winding down these longs wars has enabled us to replace and rebalance our foreign policy," Vice President Biden said.
Obama gets boost as gas prices drop
U.S. drivers and President Obama are both benefitting from falling gas prices this Memorial Day weekend.
Obama's Memorial Day message: Honor the lost, care for the living
President Obama said, "We come together as Americans to let these families and veterans know that they are not alone."
Gov. Christie moves to allow sports betting in violation of federal law
"If someone wants to stop us, then let them try to stop us," the New Jersey Republican said.
GOP lawmaker apologizes for âboneheadedâ comments about Obama
Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colo.) said in was "inappropriate" for him to say Obama was "not an American at heart"
Romney defends Bain record, says Obama 'attacking capitalism'
"He's never had a job in the free economy," Romney said in response to Obama attacks on his Bain tenure.
Romney defends Bain record, says Obama is 'attacking capitalism'
"He's never had a job in the free economy," Romney said in response to Obama attacks on his Bain tenure.
Poll: Bidenâs favorability rating sinks
Biden has negative favorability for the first time since becoming Obama’s vice presidential pick, a Gallup poll finds.
White House calls 'BS' on GOP criticism of Obama spending
Reporting that does not explore the counter-argument is a sign of "sloth and laziness," the White House spokesman says.Â
Sen. Coburn: 'No doubt' US credit rating will be downgraded again
The GOP senator said the United States "should see another downgrade" because lawmakers had not addressed the nation's fiscal problems
Obama praises Joplin graduates, town as âsource of inspirationâ
Obama delivered the graduation address to the Joplin class of 2012 one year after a devastating tornado hit the Missouri town.
Obama plays golf, press gets left behind
President Obama played a holiday weekend round of golf, but on the return trip the motorcade ditched the press pool.
GOP attacks 'Obama economy' in Memorial Day message
Republican Rep. Lynn Jenkins pushed the Republican economic agenda in her party's address for Memorial Day weekend.
Trump says he is âbest choice of allâ for Romney VP
Donald Trump has a suggestion for who would be the best choice for Republican vice presidential candidate in 2012: Donald Trump.
Romney vows to lower jobless rate in first term to 6 percent
The prediction is a bold claim that Romney will surely be held to by Democrats if he’s elected.Â
Romney vows to lower unemployment rate in first term to 6 percent
The prediction is a bold claim that Romney will surely be held to by Democrats if he’s elected.Â
Preserving the bonds of trust
One of the things I enjoy most about what I do is the chance to meet with the military family.
Clyburn: Bain engaged in âraping companiesâ
Clyburn's language is harsher, but the attack is similar to those used by Romney̢۪s presidential rivals during the GOP primary.
RNC launches âI Stand With Coryâ petition
Booker walked back his criticism of Obama's attack ad on Romney at Bain, but Republicans say he was pressured to.
Poll: Obama leads in three swing states, but Romney closing gap
Obama holds leads in Ohio, Florida, and Virginia, but his edge over Romney has narrowed, a new NBC/Marist poll finds.
Powell supports same-sex marriage
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell spoke out Wednesday in support of same-sex marriage, saying he has "no problem with it."
Romney attacks Obama's ties to teachers' unions
Romney, in an education speech, said the unions "don't fight for our children"; he also addressed his time at Bain
Mitch Daniels would 'disconnect the phone' if Romney called with VP offer
Daniels said he has not been contacted about the vetting process, says it’s “not an office I want to hold."
Obama's Memorial Day message: Remember the lost, care for the living
President Obama said, "We come together as Americans to let these families and veterans know that they are not alone."
McCotter may miss primary ballot thanks to signature problems
Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.) may not have collected enough signatures to make it on to the Michigan primary ballot, throwing his chances at reelection into question.
The five-term lawmaker -- and one time longshot presidential candidiate -- announced Friday that he had been informed by his campaign that he may have submitted an insufficient number of signatures to garner a spot on the August primary ballot.
McCotter said his staff will "thoroughly review" the petitions for their "sufficiency or insufficiency."
Thank you to our soldiers
War is confusion. War is detached horror.
I mention this only to point out that those Americans who grappled with man's worst did so to preserve man's best. As we approach yet another Memorial Day, it hardly seems enough to remember these soldiers in clichés of gallantry.
Obama fields clean energy questions over Twitter
President Obama will field questions about clean energy jobs over Twitter following a speech promoting wind power at a campaign stop in Iowa on Thursday.
Van Hollen says Romney âneeds to go back to remedial math classesâ
Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) said Mitt Romney’s stance on the "Buffett Rule" indicates that he “needs to go back to remedial math classes.â€
Memorial Day appreciation
Have you ever stopped to think about the many who sacrificed their lives in order to give us the blessings of boundless freedom we enjoy?
This weekend we should reflect on the sacrifices that many continue to make in providing us with that enviable freedom.
Republican web ad says Obama had his 'worst week ever'
Republicans issued a new Web video Friday mocking President Obama for what the GOP is calling his "worst week ever."
The ad plays off criticism, levied by some Democrats, over the president's decision to attack Mitt Romney's tenure at Bain Capital. With blurry news footage flickering in the background, onscreen text counts off reports of prominent Democrats expressing skepticism over the path of attack.
Wasserman Schultz: 'Not at all' rethinking Bain attacks on Romney
The Democratic National Committee and President Obama's campaign are "not at all" reconsidering attacks on Mitt Romney over his record at Bain Capital, DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) said in a new interview.
"A close examination of his record at Bain is really important. We need to make sure that we open up the hood and take a look," she said in an interview set to air Sunday on C-SPAN's "Newsmakers."
Flat tire can't stop Rep. Duffy
Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.) got a flat tire on Thursday while headed to mobile office hours in his district.
But for Duffy, who has become prolific with videos on his YouTube page as he competes in the ongoing House Republican new media challenge, it was just another chance to pull out his tools â€" the last time, it was his axe â€" and get to work.Â
Congress: SpaceX made history on Friday
Members of Congress marked the historic dock of the privately owned SpaceX Dragon with the International Space Station on Friday. Lawmakers, like any one else interested in following the first step into the commercial era of space travel, followed along with Twitter updates from NASA and SpaceX since the successful rocket launch Tuesday.Â
Some members of Congress have been hesitant to embrace the privatization of the space transport business, but the successful first-ever docking of a private spacecraft with the International Space Station on Friday sent many to Twitter to celebrate.
Perry on Bain attacks: 'It didn't work then, it doesn't work now'
"We were looking for some ways to score some points and it didn't work," Perry told CNN. "The bottom line is, it didn't work then, it doesn't work now."
President Obama's campaign issued a pair of advertisements highlighting instances where companies Bain had invested in closed factories and laid off workers. But Republicans and some Democrats â€" including Newark Mayor Cory Booker â€" criticized the line of attack as unfair to private equity firms.
Obama tweets: 'this is barack'
President Obama personally took questions during an impromptu Twitter chat on Thursday night.
this is barack - let's get this started! -bo
â€" The White House (@whitehouse) May 24, 2012
Obama mostly tweeted with minimal capitalization during the Q&A, and demonstrated effective use of hashtags and abbreviations to condense policy points down to 140 characters. He stayed on message, spreading the word about the five-point "to do" list he gave Congress earlier this month when he tweeted: "Its on #CongressToDoList. Get it done"
Obama, Romney to commemorate Memorial Day with veterans
President Obama and presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney will both commemorate Memorial Day with tributes to military veterans.
The president and first lady Michelle Obama will participate in the traditional event at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday. The Obamas and Vice President Biden's wife, Jill, will also attend an event at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall on the National Mall to mark the 50th anniversary of the war.
“This month, we’ll begin to mark the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War, a time when, to our shame, our veterans did not always receive the respect and the thanks they deserved â€" a mistake that must never be repeated," the president said in a statement circulated by the White House.
Why U.S. Senate should ratify Law of the Sea Treaty
What do Somali pirates, polar bears and the Chinese government have in common? Aside from reasons to resent the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, not a whole lot.
The treaty, also known as UNCLOS, forms the legal foundation under which Somali pirates are prosecuted, regulates activity in the polar bear̢۪s habitat as it melts, and undercuts the territorial claims behind the Chinese government̢۪s growing assertiveness in the South China Sea. And with the heads of the Defense and State Departments, along with the U.S.̢۪s highest-ranking military officer, lobbying the Senate on Wednesday to take up the treaty, this week marked the beginning of the Obama Administration̢۪s official push to ratify the treaty once and for all.
The Mormon issue
One in six Americans believe the president is a Muslim, despite his repeated assertions that he is a Christian. And 36 percent of Americans do not believe Mormons are Christians. Pockets of the Deep South, where Obama is deeply unpopular, are home to some of the strongest anti-Mormon sentiment in the country. More than half the Republicans in Mississippi believe Mormonism is a cult. And you should hear what they say about President Obama.
Mitt Romney, who is running a risk-averse campaign with a real shot at winning the presidency, has chosen not to talk about his religion. So far, the Obama campaign has stayed away from the topic â€" this week, when Bill Maher called Mormonism a cult, senior Obama adviser David Axelrod said attacking Romney's religion was "not fair game."
House Dem compares Romney's Latino problem to alcoholism
“Mitt Romney has a Latino problem,†House Democratic Caucus Vice-Chairman Xavier Becerra (Calif.) told Univision News. “And like those who are alcoholic and go to Alcoholics Anonymous when they’ve got a problem, Mitt Romney should go to a place where he could learn what his problem is and really try to change his ways.â€
“You’re not going to get rid of that disease that infects you if you don’t treat it and you don’t believe it,†Becerra continued.
The great risk transfer... To Baby Boomers
It’s not a good time to be a Baby Boomer. The generation is on the cusp of becoming the largest population of retirees in U.S. history and there has never been a worse time to plan for retirement. Â
Â
The goal for any retiring Boomer is straightforward: design a portfolio that generates enough income to sustain a certain lifestyle, post-retirement. This has traditionally meant finding securities that offer capital preservation and incomeâ€"basically, bonds. In the current environment, however, the conventional balance between risk and return has been disrupted.
Â
With yields at historical lows that are barely keeping pace with inflation, the risk-return tradeoff could not put retirees in a worse position.  If an investor buys a 10-year U.S. Treasury note, today, the payoff would be 1.72% before tax. Accounting for inflation (expected at 2.3%), the investor actually loses purchasing power the longer the bond is held.
Trump doubles down on birther comments despite Romney fundraising role
Donald Trump has muscled his way back into presidential politics this week, advocating for a speaking spot at the Republican National Convention, suggesting his viability as a vice presidential candidate, speculating about creating his own Super PAC and serving as the star attraction for a lottery run by Mitt Romney's campaign team to draw fundraisers to the campaign.
But despite his increased prominence, the reality television show host is doubling down on his controversial assertion that President Obama is lying about being born in the United States.
"Look, it's very simple, a book publisher came out three days ago and said that in his written synopsis of his book he said he was born in Kenya and raised in Indonesia. His mother never spent a day in the hospital," Trump told the Daily Beast.
Kerry: Romney 'breathtakingly off target' on Russia
Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) blasted Mitt Romney as "naive" and "inappropriately threatening" to Russia after the presumptive Republican nominee called the country a "foe" of the United States.
The comments were made in response to Romney's assertion that President Obama had shown "breathtaking weakness" toward Moscow after a highly publicized open-mic gaffe in March. The the president was caught telling Russian President Dmitry Medvedev that he would have more political flexibility to negotiate a missile treaty after the November elections, a statement widely pounced on by Republicans.
“I think that candidate Romney has been breathtakingly off target, and naive and in fact wrong in his judgment about Russia when he said Russia is our number one foe. I cannot think of any statement that frankly is more inappropriately threatening and simply wrong by any calculus than that," Kerry told Bloomberg.
EU and US - Strategic partners in peace and security
The majority of the world's current crises take place within a 7-hour flight from Brussels. From the Balkans to North Africa and the Middle East, the world faces wide-ranging challenges that require different nuanced responses in each situation. The European Union has taken the lead in responding to many of these "hot zones" through a mix of civilian and military crisis management and conflict prevention operations as part of our Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP).
Thousands of EU personnel are currently staffing 13 active peace-keeping missions around the world in fragile states. Civilian missions help train police in Afghanistan, establish the rule of law in Iraq, and contribute to Kosovo’s efforts to develop an independent and multi-ethnic justice system and police and customs services. Military operations have helped stabilize conflict zones in the Western Balkans and parts of Africa. Our most important naval operation to dateâ€"EUNAVFOR Atalantaâ€! "helps deter, prevent, and repress acts of piracy and armed robbery on the high seas and protects vulnerable vessels cruising off the Somali coast.
Cleaning house at OPA: A Congressional investigation is needed
On the surface, Presidents Bush and Obama have shown little interest in exercising their extraordinary presidential authority to issue pardons and commute sentences. Many of us who support a robust exercise of executive clemency have been disappointed and disturbed by this inaction. But thanks to Monday’s Washington Post-ProPublica story, we now know that a significant part of the problem stems from a grossly inept Office of Pardon Attorney (OPA) at the U.S. Justice Department. Congress must investigate this vitally important taxpayer-funded office immediately.
Â
According to the Post-ProPublica story, the Bush administration was interested in finding deserving candidates for pardons or sentence commutations. Bush had campaigned as a “compassionate conservative†and questioned the practice of sending nonviolent drug offenders to prison for long terms. Clarence Aaron seemed the perfect candidate for a second chance, having been sentenced to life in priso! n for his first offense, a non-violent drug charge. The missing pieces holding back Aaron’s plea for mercy fell into place when the U.S. Attorney’s office that prosecuted him and the judge who sentenced him both told the Pardon Attorney’s office that they supported Aaron’s request for a reduced sentence.
People's Rights Amendment is a very bad idea
A group of House Democrats has introduced a remarkably misnamed “People’s Rights Amendment†that, if adopted, would undercut the rights of Americans and transform our society beyond recognition, and deliver an unprecedented body blow to the American economy. This ill-considered proposal would limit application of constitutional rights to “natural persons,†eliminating such rights for all corporate entities. It reveals a stunning disrespect for the established constitutional architecture that has served this country well for over 200 years.
Corporations are, of course, the bugbear of the left wing and a target of the Occupy Wall Street crowd. Poor economic performance is blamed on corporate greed â€" rather than the business cycle and deleterious impacts of ever more onerous federal regulations â€" and tax incentives offered to companies as inducements to investment are “corporate welfare.â€
The truth is that corporations, large and smal! l, are the foundation of our economy and the building blocks of our society. Before the law recognized, around 400 years ago, business corporations as entities with rights separate and apart from their owners or managers, anyone going into business risked everything. A failure could mean personal ruin, with creditors seizing not merely “business†property but anything the entrepreneur owned, and even imprisonment for debt.
SpaceX Dragon successfully docks on Space Station
The SpaceX Dragon successfully docked with the International Space Station on Friday morning, the first commercial spacecraft to ever do so.
"Looks like we caught a Dragon by the tail." - Astronaut Don Pettit after capturing @SpaceX Dragon capsule with ISS robotic arm.
â€" NASA Kennedy / KSC (@NASAKennedy) May 25, 2012
Rubio charges Obama administration 'trying to impress people' through bin Laden leaks
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said this week that recently revealed evidence filmmakers were given classified Pentagon information about the Osama bin Laden raid is part of a "troubling trend" of the Obama administration "trying to impress people" through security leaks.
"I think it's part of a troubling trend of chest-thumping, showing how smart and good our intelligence services [are]," Rubio said in a pre-taped interview airing this weekend on Bloomberg Television’s “Political Capital With Al Hunt.â€
Obamaâs transparency joke
Al Kamen’s “In the Loop†column in The Washington Post reports that even though Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton only shows up 33 times on the White House logs over the past three years, her spokesman says Clinton has actually made 681 trips to the White House.
The obvious question that follows is that if signing into the White House visitor logs is routinely ignored for, as Kamen called them, “bigwigs†who most often get waved in, are they a legitimate tool for the public to learn which lobbyists are camping out in the White House doing business?
If Michelle Obama could choose: 'I'd be Beyonce'
If First lady Michelle Obama could be anyone else, she would be Beyonce.
"It looks like musicians just have the most fun," Obama told People magazine in an interview that hit newsstands on Friday.
Obama and the music superstar praised each other as role models last month when Beyonce posted a handwritten letter to Obama on her website that called her “the ULTIMATE example of a truly strong African American woman.â€
Georgia rep. âso proudâ of American Idol winner Phillip Phillips
Follow Friday: @FinancialCmte
While it’s true that the House Financial Services Committee tweets a lot about banks and bailouts, it’s also true that this committee is at the forefront of a lot of issues of the day. Following the committee on Twitter means getting an inside view of the Republican committee members’ view on monetary policy, “too big to fail,†and the Federal Reserve.
And yes, according to the people behind the tweets for the committee, sometimes those topics are hard to condense into 140 characters. Hear about it in this week's Follow Friday Q&A:
Protesters to descend on Rep. Trent Franksâs office over late-term abortion ban
Several dozen protesters are expected to descend on the D.C. office of Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) Wednesday afternoon to challenge proposed legislation banning late-term abortions in the District.
Everyone can find a way to honor our service members
Over the past few years, I have been blessed with the opportunity to spend time with our veterans, troops and military families. With every visit, I come away inspired.Â
Rubio downplays growing advantage for Democrats among Latino voters
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) looked to downplay the growing Democratic advantage among Latino voters Thursday, attributing the 34 percentage point gap in a Telemundo poll released earlier this week to "historic factors in place."
Poll: Obama up big in swing-state Wisconsin
President Obama holds a double-digit lead over Mitt Romney in Wisconsin, according to a Reason-Rupe poll released on Thursday.
Trump considering funding his own super-PAC
Donald Trump said this week he is considering starting his own super-PAC.
“I am thinking about just doing my own super-PAC,†Trump told conservative news site Newsmax in an interview published Wednesday night. He said unnamed operatives have approached him about the idea, due to Trump’s ability to fund an independent political action committee that would likely support Mitt Romney and oppose President Obama.
Poll: Walker continues to hold commanding lead in Wis. recall
Embattled Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) got more encouraging news Thursday with a new poll showing him continuing to hold a sizable lead ahead of his June 5 recall election.
Walker leads his Democratic challenger, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, 50-42 percent among likely voters, according to a Reason-Rupe poll released Thursday.
That's an improvement for Walker over the six-point lead he posted in a Marquette poll last week, and further evidence that the incumbent governor seems likely to stave off his recall challenge.
Washington's fad diet: A reality check from state legislators
As a state legislator, it has never been more frustrating to watch Washington, DC than it is right now. At a time when record numbers of Americans are struggling with hunger and we desperately need economic stimulus, Washington seems to be pursuing the political equivalent of a crash starvation diet. Nowhere is this more evident than in the treatment food stamps are receiving in Congress.
Common sense tells us this is not the time to cut the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), known to most Americans as food stamps. The proposed cuts are job-killers, and working families have rarely needed this program more than right now.
Obama calls SpaceX founder after successful launch
President Obama called Elon Musk, the founder of the pioneering private space transport company SpaceX, on Wednesday night to congratulate him on a successful first-ever commercial rocket launch.
Musk almost did not take the president's call. He tweeted that he thought the blocked number was a telemarketer.
The President just called to say congrats. Caller ID was blocked, so at first I thought it was a telemarketer :)
â€" Elon Musk ( @elonmusk ) May 23, 2012
Romney plays defense on class sizes at education roundtable
Mitt Romney was pressed on his position that smaller class sizes don't necessarily result in better educational outcomes during a roundtable discussion with teachers in Philadelphia Tuesday, but the former Massachusetts governor maintained that studies didn't prove out a correlation between the two.
"I came into office and talked to people and said, 'What can we do to improve our schools?' " Romney said, according to CNN. "And a number of folks said we need smaller classroom sizes, that will make the biggest difference."
But Romney said some of the schools with the smallest class sizes were among the worst-performing schools in the state.
Georgia lawmaker âso proudâ of American Idol winner Phillip Phillips
Rep. Sanford Bishop Jr. (D-Ga.) tweeted Thursday that he is “so proud†Phillip Phillips, who hails from Georgia, won the reality singing competition “American Idol†this season.
Congratulations to Phillip Phillips on winning American Idol! We are so proud of you @PPhillipsAI11 1.usa.gov/JZz7p2
â€" Sanford Bishop, Jr. ( @SanfordBishop ) May 24, 2012
SAFE Act needed now more than ever
I’ve skimmed some informed discussions at economics blogs about how JPMorgan Chase (JPMC) lost $2 billion and counting on their “synthetic credit portfolio.†But educated guesses are still guesses, the next big problem in the financial system will be entirely different, and to be honest, it all gives me a headache.
My imperfect understanding puts me in good company.
“Paul Volcker by his own admission has said he doesn’t understand capital markets,†Jamie Dimon told Fox Business News earlier this year. “He has proven that to me.†Dimon reportedly was asked at a dinner for investors about Volcker’s criticisms and the arguments by Richard W. Fisher, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, that “too big to fail†banks should be broken up. Dimon said he had only two words for Volcker and Fisher: “infantile†and “non-factual.â€
NASA, SpaceX live-tweet first private trip to space station
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) tweeted out updates Thursday on the first-ever attempt by a private spacecraft to dock with the International Space Station. On Thursday, as the unmanned SpaceX Dragon became visible from the space station for the first time, NASA and SpaceX shared video and photos of the historic event.
The @SpaceX #Dragon capsule passed directly below the #ISS at a distance of 2.5km, fulfilling all demonstration objectives for the day.
â€" NASA (@NASA) May 24, 2012
For America, Law of the Sea Treaty is a loss of sovereignty
Between secret deals with Russia to weaken our missile defense, the relaxation of conditions on military aid to Egypt, and the granting of visas to the progeny of a dictatorial Cuban regime â€" just to name a few troubling actions â€" the current Administration’s flippant attitude toward America’s sovereignty and its role on the world stage is a major cause for concern. This concern is not eased by the Administration’s latest efforts: A push to ratify the United Nations’ Law of the Sea Treaty.
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The Law of the Sea Treaty seeks to regulate and limit the use of the world̢۪s oceans for commercial use and environmental management and would determine the extent to which national territory extends off a nation̢۪s coasts. In doing so, the treaty ignores centuries of already established international practices regarding freedom of navigation on the seas and would empower multiple U.N.-established bureaucracies.
Nuclear weapons - Something we can all agree on
The future of U.S. nuclear weapons is being hotly contested in bitter Congressional debates over the budget. The result is serious uncertainty in defense planning, and that comes with a cost. When nuclear policy is left to be blown about by erratic political winds, there are frequent and sharp changes in directionâ€"changes that are expensive for the American taxpayer, reduce the effectiveness of what we procure, confuse allies, and risk unnecessarily exacerbating tensions with potential foes.
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We are two nuclear experts who disagree on a lot, including whether the United States should pursue the eventual abolition of nuclear weapons. In spite of these differences, however, we both agree the U.S. nuclear enterprise must be modernized and additional arms control measures should be pursued. And what we can agree on, if implemented consistently, would provide some much needed stability in the U.S. approach to the weighty issues of nuclear weapons.
Time is right for real rules reform in U.S. Senate
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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) infamously declared that his “single most important†goal was to make President Obama a “one-term president.†His playbook from the start of the Obama Administration was simple â€" to convince his caucus to obstruct anything and everything. As a result, 60 votes became the needed threshold for nearly every order of Senate business. And the Senate Republicans bullied our democracy w! ith the 60 vote club. They derailed energy and climate legislation, halted the DREAM Act, which passed the House while receiving 55 votes in the Senate, and blocked any debate on the Employee Free Choice Act, which passed the House with an overwhelming majority and garnered 59 votes in the Senate. Senator McConnell succeeded beyond belief in stopping our democracy from governing.  In fact, never before in American history had the U.S. Senate seen such levels of obstruction.
Why waste money on research that doesn't work?
A recent blog post by the president of a facility that experiments on chimpanzees grossly misrepresented the scientific and ethical reality of performing research on our closest genetic relatives. This discussion is one surrounding the Great Ape Protection and Cost Savings Act, a bill that has gained momentous support in the 112th Congress, and for good reason.
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Only a handful of researchers do any form of experimentation on chimpanzees. The rest are warehoused in inadequate housing at great taxpayer expense.
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Following recent Institute of Medicine (IOM) report findings that chimpanzees are not necessary for current medical research, laboratories have had to change their talking points from “chimpanze! es are essential†to “what if we might need them one day.†This isn’t their concern about human health. This is a fight to keep the huge taxpayer-funded grants they receive to warehouse the chimpanzees in facilities that are noncompliant with recent IOM report criteria.
Memorial Day: Honoring all who served
On Memorial Day, we will commemorate U.S. soldiers who have died in military service. We will pause in remembrance of those who sacrificed their lives in defense of our free Republic. This Memorial Day we give thanks to the men and women who devoted their lives to defending our freedom. It is the duty of our nation to honor and support our service members who have given up their lives for a greater cause than themselves.
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Memorial Day is much more than a three-day weekend that marks the beginning of summer. It is a day we pay tribute to the soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coasties who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. We mourn the lives lost in battle and we honor our nation’s heroes. Their sacrifice should be celebrated â€" never forgotten.
For America, Law fo the Sea Treaty is a loss of sovereignty
Between secret deals with Russia to weaken our missile defense, the relaxation of conditions on military aid to Egypt, and the granting of visas to the progeny of a dictatorial Cuban regime â€" just to name a few troubling actions â€" the current Administration’s flippant attitude toward America’s sovereignty and its role on the world stage is a major cause for concern. This concern is not eased by the Administration’s latest efforts: A push to ratify the United Nations’ Law of the Sea Treaty.
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The Law of the Sea Treaty seeks to regulate and limit the use of the world̢۪s oceans for commercial use and environmental management and would determine the extent to which national territory extends off a nation̢۪s coasts. In doing so, the treaty ignores centuries of already established international practices regarding freedom of navigation on the seas and would empower multiple U.N.-established bureaucracies.
The campaign from hell: Itâs even worse than it looks!
In my column today I praise the very important book by two leading scholars, Norman Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute and Thomas Mann of the Brookings Institution, in which they suggested (and I agree) that both parties are not equally to blame for the negative politics and gridlocked government that voters detest.
In their book, It's Even Worse Than it Looks, they point the finger at Republicans. In my column I also mentioned an excellent review of that book by Robert Kaiser of The Washington Post. I commend that review to your attention. I will have more to say soon, but for now, I hope readers will read and consider Bob Kaiser's view of what I believe is the most valuable political book of the year.
Matters of principle
To say that someone is “obstructionist†is to assume that what they are obstructing is good. Unless you’re at a Tea Party rally, and sometimes there is high praise for halting disastrous spending.
Similarly, to hurl the epithet of “extremist,†which is what liberals do when we actually live up to our principles, is to assume that what we are being extreme about is bad. “Extremeness†is relative, and, like obstruction, morally neutral in the abstract. Gandhi was extreme, Martin Luther King was extreme, and so on.
National Guard serves bravely at home, abroad
Six hundred ninety-three: That’s how many brave, selfless National Guardsmen and women have paid the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan since 9/11 to ensure others a chance to enjoy freedom.Â
Colin Powell keeps 'powder dry,' declines to endorse Obama
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell declined to give President Obama his endorsement Tuesday during an interview on the "Today" show, saying he owes it to the Republican Party to keep his options open.
Colin Powell keeps 'powder dry', declines to endorse Obama
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell declined to give President Obama his endorsement Tuesday during an interview on the "Today" show, saying he owes it to the Republican Party to keep his options open.
Poll: Romney regains command of Arizona
Mitt Romney leads President Obama by 7 percent in Arizona, according to a survey from left-leaning Public Policy Polling released on Wednesday.
Poll: Hispanic voters overwhelmingly support Obama
Latino voters overwhelmingly support President Obama over Mitt Romney, according to a NBC News-Wall Street Journal-Telemundo poll released on Wednesday.
Poll: Latino voters overwhelmingly support Obama
Latino voters overwhelmingly support President Obama over Mitt Romney, according to a NBC News-Wall Street Journal-Telemundo poll released on Wednesday.
Our fallen heroes remind us of our greatness
This past August, I attended the funeral of Brian Bill â€" a Stamford, Conn., native and Navy SEAL who perished along with 29 other American service members and eight Afghans when their Chinook helicopter was shot down during a rescue mission in eastern Afghanistan.
Poll: Bidenâs favorability sinks
Poll: Obama up big in swing-state Pennsylvania
President Obama leads Mitt Romney by 8 percentage points in the key battleground state of Pennsylvania, according to a survey released Tuesday from left-leaning Public Policy Polling.
We need a bipartisan budget
This week, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) stated “if the fiscal policies currently in place are continued in the coming years, the revenues collected by the federal government will fall far short of federal spending, putting the budget on an unsustainable path.†This is unacceptable. With trillion dollar deficits and a skyrocketing debt, now is the time to put people before politics and progress before partisanship. That is why I was proud to co-sponsor the only bipartisan budget that has been voted on in the House of Representatives in decades.
Axelrod says Booker shouldn't stay underground despite flap
President Obama's senior campaign adviser said Wednesday that Newark, N.J., Mayor Cory Booker shouldn't feel muzzled after his comments critical of the campaign's focus on Mitt Romney's tenure at Bain Capital sparked controversy earlier this week.
The popular mayor called the president's attack ads "nauseating" and "crap" during an appearance on "Meet the Press" on Sunday.
"From a very personal level, I'm not about to sit here and indict private equity," Booker said, comparing the attacks to questions raised about President Obama's affiliation with controversial pastor Jeremiah Wright.
Memo to Mitt: Name names
Now that Mitt Romney is the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, all eyes are on his prospective running mate. If you don't believe me, then you haven't been paying attention to the Web, talk radio hosts or TV commentators.Â
Some potential candidates, like Capitol Hill insiders Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida, Rob Portman of Ohio or Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, make sense to me. Others, like Washington outsiders Govs. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, Susana Martinez of New Mexico or Bob McDonnell of Virginia don't.Â
Naming names isn't that far-fetched. The late Congressman Jack Kemp, Bob Dole's GOP running mate in 1996, thought we should in 2000. That's when he and retired Sen. George Mitchell, a Democrat, appeared together on "Larry King Live" and endorsed the idea.
Judicial nominees continue to languish in the Senate
On Monday, the Senate confirmed Paul Watford's nomination to the 7th seat on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The nomination seemed vulnerable to a filibuster but eventually succeeded by a vote of 61-34.
Yet Watford̢۪s confirmation is unfortunately the exception that proves the rule.
The 5th seat on that same court has been vacant for 2699 days, or since 2004. Obstructionist tactics increasingly prevent a vast number of critical judicial and other presidentially appointed positions from being confirmedâ€"so much so that many potential nominees refuse even to subject themselves to the process.
The most powerful of these obstructionist tactics is the filibuster, which is used by the minority to force the majority to reach a 60-vote cloture threshold. Often, the simple threat of the filibuster stymies a nomination from proceeding.
Four words: No budget, No pay
The date: April 29, 2009. The time: 05:31 p.m. On that day, at that hour, the United States Congress did something it has failed to do ever since â€" pass a budget.
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While countless families and businesses across America have had to make the tough choices to spend within their means, Congress has operated over a thousand days without passing a fiscal blueprint to restore financial sanity to Washington. This blatant neglect of a fundamental duty has led to runaway spending, trillion-dollar deficits, and has contributed to the worst jobs climate since the Great Depression.
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Make no mistake, passing a budget is not a choice. The 1974 Congressional Budget Act obligates both chambers to adopt a budget resolution every year by April 15. The House has done its part, passing resolutions the past two years that cut trillions in wasteful spending. Unfortunately, Senate Leader Harry Reid and others in his chamber continue to sit on the sidelines â€" 1,1! 20 days and counting.
VAWA must protect all victims
Last week, the House of Representatives passed its reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Originally enacted by Congress in 1994, VAWA has been reauthorized twice in the past and has been instrumental in saving the lives of thousands of victims across the country.Â
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As a survivor of domestic violence and former deputy sheriff, I have seen the benefits of VAWA firsthand. For 18 years, VAWA has been successful because it has focused on providing services to all victims, and has not “gone Washington†with carve outs for special interests. My legislation, H.R. 4970, continues that long, all-inclusive history without pitting victim against victim.Â
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Additionally, the House-passed legislation ensures that limited resources go to victims, not Washington bureaucrats. It also streamlines programs that are duplicative and consolidates certain grants, while saving taxpayer dollars. And in an effort to keep perpetrators off the stree! ts and behind bars, it focuses on eliminating the backlog of unprocessed rape kits.
NATO's failure to reopen Pakistani supply routes
Early in the morning on Nov. 24, 2011, two NATO Apache helicopters, an AC-130 gunship and two F-15 strike fighters entered the Mohmand Agency in Northwest Pakistan from Afghanistan and struck two Pakistani border patrol checkpoints, killing 24 soldiers. Pakistan officials protested about the strike, the Pakistani public remains up in arms about the deaths of 24 soldiers, and the Pakistani government canceled NATO access to the Shamsi Airfield (which used to host the flying Predator drones) and to vital Pakistani supply routes.
In the meantime, the United States had been building an alternative to Pakistan. Starting in 2008, the United States began inking deals with various countries in Central Asia and Europe, including Russia, to create a Northern Distribution Network (NDN) that would allow the United States to break its reliance on Pakistani territory to resupply the war effort. When Pakistan closed down its supply routes, it found, suddenly, that it didn̢۪t! have quite the same leverage over the United States it once did. The United States could still run the war, even if the northern resupply cost more than the old Pakistan-based routes.
McMorris Rodgers slams Clyburn for 'rape' rhetoric
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) strongly condemned Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) on Tuesday following Clyburn's use of a "rape" analogy in his criticism of Mitt Romney.
McMorris Rodgers, vice chair of the House Republican Conference and a Romney supporter, slammed Clyburn for using language that she called "offensive, especially to women."
Ariz. election official says Obama will make ballot, birth certificate questions 'closed'
The Arizona elections official who suggested last week he might remove President Barack Obama from the state's ballot without confirmation that his birth certificate was legitimate said Wednesday he considers the issue closed.
"Late yesterday, our office received the 'verification in-lieu of certified copy' from officials within the Hawaii Department of Health that we requested in March. They have officially confirmed that the information in the copy of the Certificate of Live Birth for the President matches the original record in their files," Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett (R) said in a statement to NPR.
"As Arizona's chief elections officer, I have the responsibility to c! ertify the ballot to the state's 15 counties. At the request of numerous constituents, I merely asked Hawaiian officials to verify the information contained within President Obama's original birth certificate. They have complied with the request and I consider the matter closed."
Our soldiers show courage without limit
As we approach Memorial Day, I am reminded of our soldiers̢۪ 237-year history of fortitude and resolve to meet the needs of the nation. American soldiers have always answered the call to duty, despite challenge, sacrifice and hardship. I have no doubt that they will continue this tradition of excellence, empowered by their professional ethos and the support of a grateful nation.
Obamaâs unreal world
Chairman Doc Hastings’s House Resources Committee released secret audio in which an Obama administration Interior Department official stunningly states, in connection to their rewrite of the 2008 Stream Buffer Rule, “this is not the real world, this is rulemaking†as a justification for not considering actual “conditions on the ground.â€
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“This is not the real world, this is rulemaking†should be the new slogan of Obama’s Committee to Reelect the President.
President Obama's skin color should never be the issue
When it comes to those American whites who are uncomfortable with a black president, there has been no shortage of racial distortion either. Some have tried to use Obama's skin color and Muslim name to prey upon the fears of a white electorate that has seen its economic prosperity plummet amid an overall decline in America's global influence. Others have even gone so far as to question his citizenship and his birthright. Still others have deliberately misconstrued his political philosophy in a racially tinged manner â€" asserting that he's an African anti-colonial revolutionary.
Nancy Reagan suffers broken ribs in fall
Former first lady Nancy Reagan was unable to attend a speech by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) Tuesday night because she was still recovering from broken ribs suffered in a fall.
Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library executive director John Heubusch said the accident at her Los Angeles home happened about six weeks ago, and that the former first lady is recovering slowly, according toThe Associated Press. Reagan is 90 years old.
The AP quoted Reagan's spokeswoman as saying her doctor advised her not to attend large events.
A federation of sovereign realms: Arnold Schwarzenegger starts the world again
“I’ll be back.†â€" The Terminator
California is the land of second chances. Too bad Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn̢۪t get one. There was perhaps never a better match between man and place in the new world than Arnold Schwarzenegger and California. He might today be considered to have been well ahead of his time. He urged California to go its own way. The federal government hovering like a UFO overhead often seemed to him a useless nuisance. Arnold has recently started his own world called R20, an organization of regions united in climate action which completely ignores fixed national and international boundaries. Imagine a world born again of original, authentic sovereign regions instead of those inherited from generations past and drawn from ancient contention, some beyond even our human memory.
Trump angles for RNC keynote speaking slot
Donald Trump is angling for a significant role at the Republican National Convention this summer in Tampa.
The reality television host and Mitt Romney surrogate took to Twitter on Tuesday to plea for a prime speaking slot.
Hmmm...can you imagine me speaking at the RNC Convention in Tampa?thedc.com/MhqIMFThat's a speech everyone would watch.
â€" Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 22, 2012
Poll: More Americans support gay marriage after Obama announcement
President Obama's shift to support gay marriage may have encouraged more Americans â€" and especially African Americans â€" to shift in favor of the idea, according to a new poll released Wednesday.
A high water mark â€" 53 percent â€" of Americans support gay marriage according to the survey by the Washington Post and ABC News, up dramatically from six years ago, when just over one-third of respondents believed it should be legal. Less than four in 10 Americans say gay marriage should be illegal.
The poll also found that nearly six in 10 African Americans now support gay marriage, up from around four in 10 before the president's announcement, according to the Post. While the sample size of African Americans in the survey was small enough to interpret the results with caution, the substantial size of the shift on the issue suggests that the president's announcement could have had a major impact on attitudes within the African American community.
Give gratitude to next âGreatest Generationâ
On Feb.18, some six miles away from Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport in the Horn of Africa, the lives of four American airmen were cut short abruptly. Capt. Ryan P. Hall, Capt. Nicholas S. Whitlock, 1st Lt. Justin J. Wilkens and Senior Airman Julian S. Scholten were returning from a surveillance and reconnaissance mission in support of Operation Enduring Freedom when their single-engine U-28A aircraft suddenly crashed. None of the four aircrew members survived.
Congress remembers Joplin on anniversary of tornado
One year after a tornado destroyed homes and killed members of the community, members of Congress paused to remember the Missouri town of Joplin on Tuesday.
Rep. Billy Long (R-Mo), who represents Joplin in Congress, even launched a new hashtag for the occasion: #JoplinProud
The National Guard: Grounded in America's past, Essential to its future
Challenging budgets and global conflict have become prevalent themes in our national dialogue. Americans expect their government to fulfill its fundamental responsibility of ensuring the nation's security while rightfully demanding a high return on their hard-earned tax dollars. This expectation is critical to the debate over the future of our Armed Forces, and is the reason the National Guard stands at the forefront of that debate as an indispensible, efficient, combat-tested solution both globally and locally.
Coast Guard stands tall to serve the US
As one of the five Armed Services, the Coast Guard has proudly stood the watch for more than 221 years, even during the early years of our nation, when there was no Navy to defend the seas. Few know that the Coast Guard is the only service awarded the battle streamer for Maritime Protection of the New Republic, a distinction we earned protecting our new nation from 1790 to 1797 after the Continental Navy had been disbanded.
Your American sailor
Though the U.S. Navy is made up of ships, submarines and aircraft, its true strength lies in the skill and dedication of its people. As the chief of naval operations, it is my honor to lead the 625,000 active and reserve sailors and civilians who propel the Navy forward and protect our nation̢۪s security and prosperity. As we prepare to mark this Memorial Day, it is a privilege to recognize the service and sacrifices of your American sailors and their families.
Our military families must be appreciated
American children at a very young age are taught to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Most Americans remember that exciting day in kindergarten when it was “your turn†to lead the class in our beloved pledge. I vividly remember raising our precious red, white and blue flag as high as I could in the air and proudly professing “I pledge allegiance†while the remainder of the class joined in unison. Such patriotic times remain embedded in our minds. But have you ever taken time to think about who exactly paid the price for your freedom?
Putting patriotism ahead of politics
It was less than a year ago when our community of Colville, Wash., came together to bury a 28-year-old boy who lost his life in the name of American freedom. As a medic with the 3rd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group in Operation Enduring Freedom, Staff Sgt. Wyatt A. Goldsmith was treating an Afghan commando when insurgents attacked his unit with a grenade. He lost his life in an effort to save someone else’s. He was a Green Beret soldier, serving his third overseas deployment, and was the recipient of three Purple Hearts. He was a devoted teammate, a loyal brother and the son of a mom and dad who got the phone call they hoped they never would. Â
For our wounded vets, every day is Memorial Day
As we commemorate Memorial Day this year, it is fitting to remember our fallen, their families and their comrades-in-arms. Joining the ranks of previous generations of Americans who gave the last full measure of devotion are the 6,400 Americans who have fallen in Iraq and Afghanistan. Unique among our nation’s long conflicts, this generation’s service in war has been completely voluntary. Sent into harm’s way in the name of us all, these brave young Americans, and the hundreds of thousands of servicemen and women who served alongside them, have defeated tyrants, captured terrorists and fought against extremists seeking to impose their hateful designs on innocent populations. Our sons, our daughters, our sisters and brothers â€" these heroes number among the best of a generation. Those who answered the call understood that freedom and security for all Americans depends on the willingness of the few to defend the interests of the many. Â
Defining Palestinian refugee status and the consequences
In what can be described as both a landmark bill for Middle East peace and a provocation that could stir the wrath of the whole Arab world, Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) has proposed legislation that could strip millions of Palestinians of their refugee status.
Kirk̢۪s bill, which is being marked-up today, would amend the 2013 Foreign Operations Appropriations bill to change the status of the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of Palestinian refugees. More than 4.9 million Palestinians currently claim refugee status, despite the fact that they were never personally displaced by the 1948 and 1967 Arab-Israeli wars.
If left intact, Kirk̢۪s proposal would require the U.S. government to confirm how many Palestinians currently served by the U.N. Relief and Works Agency are actually refugees.
Michelle Obama to host âState Dinnerâ at White House for healthy recipe winners
First lady Michelle Obama plans to host a “State Dinner†in the White House this summer for 56 winners of a healthy recipe contest. The contest, announced Monday, represents a combined effort by the Obama’s Let’s Move! anti-obesity initiative, the Departments of Education and Agriculture, and online recipe site Epicurious.
"We all want to ensure that our kids are eating nutritious, delicious food at every meal, and as a mom I know that parents are always looking for new ideas to make that happen,†Obama said in a statement on the Let’s Move! blog. “With parents and kids all across the country getting creative in the kitchen, I know we'll find healthy meals that every family will enjoy. And I can’t wait to try the kids’ creations myself.â€
Americans still relying on the 'Plastic Safety Net'
With anti-regulatory fervor gripping Washington, it̢۪s difficult to imagine both parties working together to enact successful public safeguards that protect Americans. But it wasn̢۪t that long ago that strong, bipartisan majorities in both the House and Senate took action to defend consumers against predatory practices in the credit card industry. Three years ago today, President Obama signed the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act (Credit CARD Act) into law. Evidence of its effectiveness and success at saving American families money continues to roll in.
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Demos’ 2012 national survey of low- and middle-income American households who carried credit card debt for three months or more is an in-depth look at how the recession and its aftermath affected the financiallives of American households â€" including how the passage of major new consumer credit card protections is helping households pay down balances faster and avoid fees.
Elections have consequences: Fast forward to Lame Duck session
“This will be the most important election of ourlifetime.â€Ã‚ You’ve heard it so many times before that it has become cliché. But for those most concerned about the far-reaching policy outcome of the political fight, the election merely serves as a draft for the upcoming legislative season. The confluence of events scheduled to occur during the fifty-five day ‘lame duck†session and the first 100 days of the 113th Congress will have a profound effect on each of our lives and the fate of our nation.
The 2012 election comes at a pivotal moment. Our nation is at a crossroads, with record spending, record debt, and a quality of life deteriorating for most Americans in a way that we couldn̢۪t have imagined a decade ago. The choices made in November will go a long way in determining what the America that our children live in will look like.
House GOP launches womenâs policy panel in new video
House Republican women, looking to combat the narrative that the party's policies are bad for women, this week launched a unified effort to promote female GOP voices in Congress.
House Republican women announced the Women’s Policy Committee on Monday “with the goal of raising the profile of GOP women in their roles as lawmakers, highlighting their diverse achievements and providing a unique, unified voice on a wide range of critically important issues,†according to a press release.
The committee also helps to fill a need for a Republican defense against attacks that the GOP is engaged in a “war on women" following a high-profile controversy over the White House's contraception mandate, which the GOP opposed as an attack on religious liberty and Democrats' framed as a women's health issue. The committee, which was launched with the full support of House leadership, could be effective by helping keep female Republicans at the forefront of Republican leg! islation.
Halfway home to reform: Time for Senate to move on DATA Act
In February 2009 President Obama appointed me to chair the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board. Our job was to prevent fraud and waste in the multi-billion dollar economic stimulus program and to establish a public website that would bring an unprecedented level of transparency to stimulus spending. Now, more than three years later, it̢۪s clear that the Recovery Board and its oversight partners have kept fraud and waste at record lows. At the same time, Americans can easily track how their stimulus tax dollars are being spent on the Board̢۪s website, Recovery.gov.
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Congress now needs to consider how the lessons of the Recovery program can be applied to all of government spending. In June of 2011, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) introduced bipartisan legislation entitled the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act, or DATA Act, to! accomplish this goal. On April 25th the House passed the DATA Act unanimously. It is time for the Senate to move quickly to do the same.
House Republicans launch womenâs policy committee with new video âintroducingâ GOP women ...
Republican women are looking to fight back against the narrative that GOP policies are bad for women, and this week women in the House launched a unified effort with the full support of the House leadership to promote the female Republican voices in Congress.
House Republican women announced the Women’s Policy Committee on Monday “with the goal of raising the profile of GOP women in their roles as lawmakers, highlighting their diverse achievements and providing a unique, unified voice on a wide range of critically important issues,†according to a press release.
The committee also helps to fill a need for a Republican defense against attacks that the GOP has a “war on women" following a high-profile controversy over the White House's contraception mandate, which the GOP opposed, and Democrats' coordinated effort to persuade women that Republicans do not care about preventative healthcare for female voters. The committee could be effective b! y helping to keep female Republicans at the forefront of Republican legislation.