WASHINGTON — Sen. Jim DeMint proudly recalls the moment he became a thorn in the side of the Republican establishment.
In the gloomy weeks following the party's throttling in the 2008 elections, the first-term South Carolina senator urged GOP leaders to shake up the seniority rules that he felt were perpetuating a broken culture of parochial spending within the party.
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"I was told eye-to-eye ... 'DeMint, you can't change the Senate,'" he said in an interview in his Capitol Hill office this week. "I said, 'Well, we'll see.' And that's been my challenge ever since."
Two years later, DeMint has done as much as anybody to incite the tea party uprising and bitter infighting that has roiled GOP primaries this year. He's used a newfound political celebrity and resulting fundraising strength to fuel a string of upstart conservatives who were opposed by the party as too extreme or unelectable. He's burned bridges, infuriated party leaders and helped defeat some of his colleagues in the traditionally tight-knit Senate.
He's also become one of the more influential Republican power brokers in Washington, an unlikely leader with a loyal following of conservative activists and a goal of purging the party of what he calls weak-kneed Republicans.
"Some of my establishment friends are not real happy with me," DeMint told a wildly supportive audience Friday at the conservative Values Voter Summit in Washington. "It's got a lot of people here in Washington scared."
The sometimes blunt former advertising executive is not one for small talk or backslapping. Diplomacy is not his strong suit, although his mom once ran a school of dance and decorum out of his boyhood home in Greenville, S.C.
He's been in Washington for a decade — he also served six years in the House — but claims to not even like politics. He largely avoids the cameras and regularly turns down appearances on Sunday talk shows. He says he had at one time decided to give up his seat after this year, forgoing an all-but-certain re-election.
That was until his frustrations boiled over and he decided to challenge the status quo, forming a fundraising committee with the idea of highlighting candidates he considers true conservatives, and calling out those he doesn't. His Senate Conservatives Fund ranks his colleagues on their positions, often with unflattering scores.
DeMint calls the Bush years embarrassing, saying he knew the party would lose power in 2006 when it drove up spending and debt even though it controlled both chambers of Congress and George W. Bush was in the White House.
"We betrayed the trust of the American people, and I don't want to be a part of a majority that does that again," he said.
That's why he's not concerned that the candidates he's helped catapult to primary victories might lose in the general election. He says he'd rather be in the minority than an unprincipled majority.
He's given more than $3 million to upstart campaigns. While he has some losses, he has often been more prescient than his party in picking winners, providing early backing to underdogs such as Marco Rubio in Florida, Rand Paul in Kentucky and Ken Buck in Colorado.
His latest and most hostile feud with the party machine came in Delaware, where DeMint openly fought with Republican leaders in a contest between moderate Republican Rep. Michael Castle and tea party favorite Christine O'Donnell. While Republican leaders openly attacked O'Donnell's campaign — the state party chairman called her a fraud who couldn't get elected dogcatcher — DeMint gave her money and a key endorsement.
She pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the year, just after another stunning result in Alaska in which underdog Joe Miller beat Sen. Lisa Murkowski.
While Democrats welcome running against so many unconventional candidates, many of DeMint's fellow Republicans view him with skepticism, questioning his motivations or criticizing his strategy. None would speak on the record about a fellow senator but behind the scenes are angry that he has so willingly helped divide the party and jeopardized a prime opportunity for the GOP to retake the majority.
DeMint's South Carolina colleague, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, said he admires what DeMint has accomplished but questioned the argument that a hardline minority is better than a big-tent majority.
"To really be in charge up here matters; 50 senators is a lot better than 49," Graham said. "At the end of the day it's a math problem. If you want to repeal Obamacare, you gotta have the votes."
DeMint maintains that the only way for Republicans to regain the majority is to stand more firmly by its beliefs, not to shy away from them, even if that means short-term losses.
He faces token opposition in November from surprise Democratic nominee Alvin Greene, freeing him to focus on national ambitions.
DeMint, who turned 59 earlier this month, insists he has no interest in leadership or higher office. He says he would rather be back home in Greenville writing, sailing and working in advertising or advocacy.
At the same time, he seems genuinely surprised that his crusade has gained so much traction, and curious as to where it might lead.
"I didn't expect it to get this big," he said.
US News
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Zogby: Polling Shows "Small Bump" In Obama Approval Ratings
Pollster John Zogby updates our weekly Obama Report Card with a grade on the president's performance. Zogby uses his polling, expert analysis and interaction with major players to come up with a grade and some comments that capture how he sees the president's week ending.
John Zogby on Week 87:
"The larger dynamics of the midterm elections have not have changed, but at least the president and his party may have begun shifting things in a more positive direction. By directly taking on the GOP leadership (particularly would-be House Speaker John Boehner), Obama is getting the attention of a Democratic base that has longed for him to come out fighting. Democrats have the Republicans off-balance on tax cuts. If the Democrats stand united in extending middle class relief while ending tax breaks on income above $250,000, they might force the GOP to choose between blocking the whole package or giving Obama a popular legislative win right before the election. And Republican primary voters continue helping the Democrats, this time choosing Tea Party favorite Christine O'Donnell over Rep. Mike Castle in the Delaware Senate race, who would have been a sure winner in November. Finally, our polling showed a small bump in Obama's approval."
This week's grade: C+
Last week's: C-
John Zogby is president and CEO of Zogby International, a public opinion, research, and business solutions firm with experience working in more than 70 countries around the globe. Founded and led by Zogby since 1984, Zogby International specializes in telephone, Internet, and face-to-face survey research and analysis for corporate, political, nonprofit, and governmental clients. The firm is headquartered in Utica, N.Y. John Zogby is also the author of The Way Well Be: The Zogby Report on the Transformation of the American Dream (Random House).
US News
John Zogby on Week 87:
"The larger dynamics of the midterm elections have not have changed, but at least the president and his party may have begun shifting things in a more positive direction. By directly taking on the GOP leadership (particularly would-be House Speaker John Boehner), Obama is getting the attention of a Democratic base that has longed for him to come out fighting. Democrats have the Republicans off-balance on tax cuts. If the Democrats stand united in extending middle class relief while ending tax breaks on income above $250,000, they might force the GOP to choose between blocking the whole package or giving Obama a popular legislative win right before the election. And Republican primary voters continue helping the Democrats, this time choosing Tea Party favorite Christine O'Donnell over Rep. Mike Castle in the Delaware Senate race, who would have been a sure winner in November. Finally, our polling showed a small bump in Obama's approval."
This week's grade: C+
Last week's: C-
John Zogby is president and CEO of Zogby International, a public opinion, research, and business solutions firm with experience working in more than 70 countries around the globe. Founded and led by Zogby since 1984, Zogby International specializes in telephone, Internet, and face-to-face survey research and analysis for corporate, political, nonprofit, and governmental clients. The firm is headquartered in Utica, N.Y. John Zogby is also the author of The Way Well Be: The Zogby Report on the Transformation of the American Dream (Random House).
US News
Janet Napolitano Amused by Drudge's 'Big Sis' Nickname
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is "amused" at her Drudge Report moniker "Big Sis," she told reporters in Washington Friday afternoon. "I've made it," the Secretary said with a grin in response to a reporter's question. "Drudge has a nickname for me."
The popular news aggregation Web site has routinely christened Napolitano Big Sis, particularly when referencing stories dealing with privacy concerns surrounding Department of Homeland Security programs. Recent stories about Transportation Security Agency body scanners, for instance, have featured the Big Sis naming convention. It's presumably a veiled reference to Big Brother in George Orwell's dystopian police state novel 1984.
US News
The popular news aggregation Web site has routinely christened Napolitano Big Sis, particularly when referencing stories dealing with privacy concerns surrounding Department of Homeland Security programs. Recent stories about Transportation Security Agency body scanners, for instance, have featured the Big Sis naming convention. It's presumably a veiled reference to Big Brother in George Orwell's dystopian police state novel 1984.
US News
No Personal Attacks: Christine O'Donnell Opens Fall Campaign
WILMINGTON, Del. — Tea party favorite Christine O'Donnell fended off jabs from her Democratic Senate rival about her experience Thursday, meeting him at a candidate forum absent the acrimony that overshadowed her upset primary win over a former governor.
Click here to find out more!
O'Donnell, who defeated former governor and veteran U.S. Rep Michael Castle in a bitter Republican primary Tuesday, met opponent Chris Coons at a standing-room only event that ushers in the fall campaign in a nationally watched U.S. Senate race.
Coons declared in his opening statement at the Wilmington forum that Delaware's next U.S. senator should be somebody who is prepared and has concrete ideas.
O'Donnell, who came under withering criticism from Castle and the state GOP — whose chairman said she couldn't be elected dogcatcher — said her goal was for voters to get to know her between now and November.
"It's no secret that there's been a rather unflattering portrait of me painted these days," said O'Donnell, who was criticized by GOP officials for lying about her background, leaving a trail of unpaid bills that included an IRS tax lien and a mortgage default and misusing campaign contributions
for personal expenses.
Coons and O'Donnell focused on such issues as national security and health care reform but there was none of the pointed rhetoric and personal attacks that made the O'Donnell-Castle primary a slugfest.
"I can't tell you how refreshing it is to have an opponent who wants to talk about the issues, so I thank you for that gentlemanly approach," O'Donnell told Coons.
But at one point, midway, when the moderator read an audience question to O'Donnell about her views on government and private sexual behavior, someone in the audience shouted: "It's personal!" That drew a nod from O'Donnell.
"Yes, I have my personal beliefs," said O'Donnell, who stepped into the public spotlight in the 1990s as a conservative activist speaking out against abortion, homosexuality and premarital sex.
For his part, Coons said Delaware residents are interested in what candidates will do to create jobs, reduce the national debt and fix what he called a broken political system in Washington.
"I don't they're particularly interested in statements that either of us made 20 or 30 years ago," said Coons, who has been targeted by Republicans for an article he wrote for his college newspaper as a 21-year-old student that was entitled "Chris Coons: The Making of a Bearded Marxist."
US News
Click here to find out more!
O'Donnell, who defeated former governor and veteran U.S. Rep Michael Castle in a bitter Republican primary Tuesday, met opponent Chris Coons at a standing-room only event that ushers in the fall campaign in a nationally watched U.S. Senate race.
Coons declared in his opening statement at the Wilmington forum that Delaware's next U.S. senator should be somebody who is prepared and has concrete ideas.
O'Donnell, who came under withering criticism from Castle and the state GOP — whose chairman said she couldn't be elected dogcatcher — said her goal was for voters to get to know her between now and November.
"It's no secret that there's been a rather unflattering portrait of me painted these days," said O'Donnell, who was criticized by GOP officials for lying about her background, leaving a trail of unpaid bills that included an IRS tax lien and a mortgage default and misusing campaign contributions
for personal expenses.
Coons and O'Donnell focused on such issues as national security and health care reform but there was none of the pointed rhetoric and personal attacks that made the O'Donnell-Castle primary a slugfest.
"I can't tell you how refreshing it is to have an opponent who wants to talk about the issues, so I thank you for that gentlemanly approach," O'Donnell told Coons.
But at one point, midway, when the moderator read an audience question to O'Donnell about her views on government and private sexual behavior, someone in the audience shouted: "It's personal!" That drew a nod from O'Donnell.
"Yes, I have my personal beliefs," said O'Donnell, who stepped into the public spotlight in the 1990s as a conservative activist speaking out against abortion, homosexuality and premarital sex.
For his part, Coons said Delaware residents are interested in what candidates will do to create jobs, reduce the national debt and fix what he called a broken political system in Washington.
"I don't they're particularly interested in statements that either of us made 20 or 30 years ago," said Coons, who has been targeted by Republicans for an article he wrote for his college newspaper as a 21-year-old student that was entitled "Chris Coons: The Making of a Bearded Marxist."
US News
CNN's John King Gives John Kasich Some Fact-Checking Help
John King doesn't call his CNN news show "John King, USA" for nothing. He really is everywhere, not just chained to his desk in Washington. And this week his drive to cover the nation proved beneficial to front-running Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate John Kasich, accused by a Democratic blogger of making up sappy stories about downtrodden Ohioans he plans to help.
The scene is Tuesday night's Ohio gubernatorial debate between Kasich and Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland, who trails the Republican by 17 percent in the latest Quinnipiac poll. At the end of the debate, Kasich told the story of a couple he met at a Bob Evans restaurant—one of the Republican's regular stops--who were balancing their family budget after both of the couple's jobs were downscaled.
To Democratic blogger and critic Anthony Fossaceca of the OhioDailyBlog, the whole thing sounded made up. He wrote:
It is a crying shame that tonight's gubernatorial debate wasn't mandatory viewing for all Ohioans. Had they been forced to watch, they'd have seen a shallow Republican candidate grasping at straws time and time again. They'd have also witnessed the lamest, most cliche closing in debate history. John Kasich told the story of one of the saddest days of his life, as he just happened to be in an undisclosed Bob Evans, eating an undisclosed meal (probably Sausage Gravy or Pumpkin Supreme Pie), when he noticed an Ohio couple balancing their household budget on the back of a napkin. (Yeah, I know...) Legend has it they immediately brushed aside their steaming hot cups of coffee to shake the hand of the wealthy man stopping to interrupt them while they were eating.
He added: "Like much of tonight's debate, the words coming out of John Kasich's mouth were fiction. They aren't true tonight. They weren't true when they were brainstormed over the weekend. And they won't ring true when voters dismiss his candidacy this November. (In fact, someone please send me a photo of the Ohio couple in the Bob Evans with the napkin and I'll personally apologize to Congressman Kasich the next time I'm at his country club)."
Well John King did. Following the debate and the blogger's assault, King did a story on the race and revealed that he and a video crew were with Kasich when he met that couple at Bob Evans. "There they are right there," King said while showing his viewers the video. "He did talk to this couple."
After his story aired, blogger Fossaceca posted his apology and the King story under the headline, "CNN Confirms: I Am A Dumba**." (Though his headline didn't use *s.)
With a backhanded flip, he wrote: "CNN ran a fact-checking piece on a story we wrote Tuesday night and, lo and behold, I was apparently (kinda) wrong. Turns out, John Kasich was actually at a Bob Evans recently. And he actually talked to people there. And two of them actually were working on their household budget. And CNN just happened to have video of it. D'oh! Now, after a year or so of listening to one story after another coming out of John Kasich's mouth, you can't blame me for being cynical or suspect of everything this guy says. He was a Wall Street insider for crying out loud. But this time (while he obviously distorted and enhanced his story a bit--and CNN points that out as well) he was still more-or-less repeating something that kind of actually happened. For that, he gets a one day pass here at OhioDaily. And, as promised, he will get a personal apology from me. At his country club. The next time I'm there. (I'll wait quietly for the invitation and the guest pass)."
We caught up with Kasich spokesman Scott Milburn who told us that the campaign makes so many stops at Bob Evans restaurants they simply call them "Bob's." He said, "Chicken-and-noodles at Bob's is almost a food group for the campaign. I think all the Bob's in Ohio are programmed into the Garmin, but it wouldn't matter because John knows where most of them are anyway."
US News
The scene is Tuesday night's Ohio gubernatorial debate between Kasich and Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland, who trails the Republican by 17 percent in the latest Quinnipiac poll. At the end of the debate, Kasich told the story of a couple he met at a Bob Evans restaurant—one of the Republican's regular stops--who were balancing their family budget after both of the couple's jobs were downscaled.
To Democratic blogger and critic Anthony Fossaceca of the OhioDailyBlog, the whole thing sounded made up. He wrote:
It is a crying shame that tonight's gubernatorial debate wasn't mandatory viewing for all Ohioans. Had they been forced to watch, they'd have seen a shallow Republican candidate grasping at straws time and time again. They'd have also witnessed the lamest, most cliche closing in debate history. John Kasich told the story of one of the saddest days of his life, as he just happened to be in an undisclosed Bob Evans, eating an undisclosed meal (probably Sausage Gravy or Pumpkin Supreme Pie), when he noticed an Ohio couple balancing their household budget on the back of a napkin. (Yeah, I know...) Legend has it they immediately brushed aside their steaming hot cups of coffee to shake the hand of the wealthy man stopping to interrupt them while they were eating.
He added: "Like much of tonight's debate, the words coming out of John Kasich's mouth were fiction. They aren't true tonight. They weren't true when they were brainstormed over the weekend. And they won't ring true when voters dismiss his candidacy this November. (In fact, someone please send me a photo of the Ohio couple in the Bob Evans with the napkin and I'll personally apologize to Congressman Kasich the next time I'm at his country club)."
Well John King did. Following the debate and the blogger's assault, King did a story on the race and revealed that he and a video crew were with Kasich when he met that couple at Bob Evans. "There they are right there," King said while showing his viewers the video. "He did talk to this couple."
After his story aired, blogger Fossaceca posted his apology and the King story under the headline, "CNN Confirms: I Am A Dumba**." (Though his headline didn't use *s.)
With a backhanded flip, he wrote: "CNN ran a fact-checking piece on a story we wrote Tuesday night and, lo and behold, I was apparently (kinda) wrong. Turns out, John Kasich was actually at a Bob Evans recently. And he actually talked to people there. And two of them actually were working on their household budget. And CNN just happened to have video of it. D'oh! Now, after a year or so of listening to one story after another coming out of John Kasich's mouth, you can't blame me for being cynical or suspect of everything this guy says. He was a Wall Street insider for crying out loud. But this time (while he obviously distorted and enhanced his story a bit--and CNN points that out as well) he was still more-or-less repeating something that kind of actually happened. For that, he gets a one day pass here at OhioDaily. And, as promised, he will get a personal apology from me. At his country club. The next time I'm there. (I'll wait quietly for the invitation and the guest pass)."
We caught up with Kasich spokesman Scott Milburn who told us that the campaign makes so many stops at Bob Evans restaurants they simply call them "Bob's." He said, "Chicken-and-noodles at Bob's is almost a food group for the campaign. I think all the Bob's in Ohio are programmed into the Garmin, but it wouldn't matter because John knows where most of them are anyway."
US News
Medic Transition, Healthcare Reform Top Most Searched Bills
Eliminating the national debt rounds out the top three
Congress is back from recess, with a fall agenda that includes the Small Business Jobs Act and deciding the fate of Bush-era tax cuts. Yet last week's most-searched bills on THOMAS.gov, the Library of Congress Web site devoted to tracking legislation, did not include any of the proposed laws that are at the top of the fall docket. The list is a mix of ever-popular laws like the stimulus package and the reforms of healthcare and the financial sector, alongside several lesser-known bills that have seen little action beyond their introduction.
Click here to find out more!
Below are last week's 10 most-searched bills on THOMAS.gov, according to data compiled by THOMAS on September 12.
1. Emergency Medic Transition Act of 2009 (H.R. 3199)
Not on list last week
Sponsor: Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA)
The Emergency Medic Transition Act would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to states to provide fast-track EMT training and licensing to veterans trained as medics in the Armed Forces. Currently, former Armed Forces medics hoping to work as civilian EMTs must go through the same training as people with no prior experience. Harman has also promoted the bill as one way to improve the high unemployment rates faced by returning veterans. After its July 2009 introduction, this act remained untouched in the House Energy and Commerce Committee until over a year later, in late July 2010, when the committee finally passed the bill.
2. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3590)
Previous ranking: 1
Sponsor: Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY)
More commonly known as the healthcare reform bill, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act became law on March 23, 2010. Among the many changes it makes to the existing healthcare system, this act requires that all individuals have health insurance and prohibits insurers from denying coverage due to pre-existing conditions, two provisions that both will go into effect in 2014. More than a dozen provisions are scheduled to take effect in 2010, with the rest to be phased in through 2018. Shortly after President Obama signed the bill, attorneys general from 13 states joined together to file a suit in a Florida federal court, claiming that the healthcare reform law is unconstitutional. The number of states involved in that suit has since grown to 21. Virginia has also filed its own suit, which is currently being heard in a federal court in Virginia.
3. Debt Free America Act (H.R. 4646)
Previous ranking: 3
Sponsor: Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-PA)
This act aims to eliminate the $13 trillion national debt within seven years by levying a 1 percent tax on all financial and retail transactions, except for transactions involving stock. The bill would also, as of December 31, 2017, repeal the individual income tax. Fattah's Debt Free America Act was introduced in February 2010 and immediately referred to committee, with no action taken on it since. However, in recent weeks, the proposal has generated outrage in the blogosphere at the idea of a tax on transactions. The bill has been discussed in a wide range of Web sites, from minor political blogs to the popular myth-debunking site Snopes.com.
4. Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (H.R. 4173)
Previous Ranking: 2
Sponsor: Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA)
Also known as the “Restoring American Financial Stability Act,” or more commonly as the “financial regulatory reform bill,” this legislation was signed by President Obama on July 21, six months after its initial introduction. This law is intended to address the causes of the 2008 economic crisis. It aims to create a watchdog council at the Federal Reserve and also to mitigate the dangers of “too-big-to-fail” financial institutions by providing a way to liquidate failed firms. [See a list of the finance and credit industry's favorite lawmakers.]
5. Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2010 (H.R. 4213)
Previous ranking: 4
Sponsor: Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY)
This bill, which President Obama signed into law on July 22, went through several versions and was known by several names, including the “American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act” and “Tax Extenders Act.” In its final version, the bill extends unemployment benefits until the end of November 2010, and also includes a provision establishing retroactive payment of benefits to those whose benefits had recently expired. The bill was only passed after a partisan struggle in the Senate, where it was filibustered by Republicans who said they did not want to add the bill's $34 billion price tag to a budget deficit of over $1 trillion.
6. FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act (H.R. 1586)
Previous ranking: 5
Sponsor: Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY)
This bill originally intended to make flying more efficient and comfortable for passengers. One provision required air carriers to submit “emergency contingency plans” describing how the airline would provide basic necessities to passengers in an airplane grounded for an extended period of time. However, all of these provisions were stricken and replaced with Senate Amendment 4575, which seeks to provide funding for education and Federal Medical Assistance Percentages. The bill now provides states with extra money to pay teacher salaries and fund Medicaid. With these new provisions and none of the original, air-travel-related text, the bill passed the House and was signed by President Obama on August 10.
7. Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (H.R. 4872)
Previous ranking: 6
Sponsor: Rep. John Spratt (D-SC)
The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, which contains amendments to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (No. 2, above), was passed one week after the Patient Protection Act. Among the key changes that H.R. 4872 made are the closure of the Medicare “donut hole” and the lowering of the penalty for not having insurance. This bill also reforms the student loan system, including among its many provisions the elimination of the program via which federal student loans were administered through private institutions.
8. Livable Communities Act of 2009 (S. 1619)
Not on list last week
Sponsor: Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT)
Citing a growing and aging U.S. population with limited access to public transportation and affordable housing, this act states as one of its major purposes “to facilitate and improve the coordination of housing, community development, transportation, energy, and environmental policy in the United States.” The Livable Communities Act would establish an Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities in the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This new office would make grants to local governments, planning organizations, and states to assist them in development projects related to housing, infrastructure, and land use. The bill was introduced in August 2009 and has remained largely untouched in the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs since then. [See a slide show of 10 cities adopting smart grid technology.]
9. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (H.R. 1)
Previous ranking: 10
Sponsor: Rep. David Obey (D-WI)
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is the economic stimulus package signed into law by President Obama in February 2009. The $787 billion in provisions are going toward investing in healthcare and education, as well as numerous infrastructure projects, like improving public transportation and broadband access. To help maintain transparency in the implementation of the act, the federal government has set up Recovery.gov, a Web site that allows users to track where and on which projects stimulus money is being spent.
10. Public Safety Officer Family Health Benefits Act
Not on list last week
Sponsor: Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI)
Stupak, a former Michigan state police trooper and founder of the Congressional Law Enforcement Caucus, introduced this bill in July 2009. The bill has been in the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform since its introduction. This act would allow family members of public safety officers killed in the line of duty to be covered by federal health benefits. Stupak sponsored similar measures in 2007 and 2005. In neither of these instances did the bills move beyond committee.
US News
Congress is back from recess, with a fall agenda that includes the Small Business Jobs Act and deciding the fate of Bush-era tax cuts. Yet last week's most-searched bills on THOMAS.gov, the Library of Congress Web site devoted to tracking legislation, did not include any of the proposed laws that are at the top of the fall docket. The list is a mix of ever-popular laws like the stimulus package and the reforms of healthcare and the financial sector, alongside several lesser-known bills that have seen little action beyond their introduction.
Click here to find out more!
Below are last week's 10 most-searched bills on THOMAS.gov, according to data compiled by THOMAS on September 12.
1. Emergency Medic Transition Act of 2009 (H.R. 3199)
Not on list last week
Sponsor: Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA)
The Emergency Medic Transition Act would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to states to provide fast-track EMT training and licensing to veterans trained as medics in the Armed Forces. Currently, former Armed Forces medics hoping to work as civilian EMTs must go through the same training as people with no prior experience. Harman has also promoted the bill as one way to improve the high unemployment rates faced by returning veterans. After its July 2009 introduction, this act remained untouched in the House Energy and Commerce Committee until over a year later, in late July 2010, when the committee finally passed the bill.
2. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3590)
Previous ranking: 1
Sponsor: Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY)
More commonly known as the healthcare reform bill, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act became law on March 23, 2010. Among the many changes it makes to the existing healthcare system, this act requires that all individuals have health insurance and prohibits insurers from denying coverage due to pre-existing conditions, two provisions that both will go into effect in 2014. More than a dozen provisions are scheduled to take effect in 2010, with the rest to be phased in through 2018. Shortly after President Obama signed the bill, attorneys general from 13 states joined together to file a suit in a Florida federal court, claiming that the healthcare reform law is unconstitutional. The number of states involved in that suit has since grown to 21. Virginia has also filed its own suit, which is currently being heard in a federal court in Virginia.
3. Debt Free America Act (H.R. 4646)
Previous ranking: 3
Sponsor: Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-PA)
This act aims to eliminate the $13 trillion national debt within seven years by levying a 1 percent tax on all financial and retail transactions, except for transactions involving stock. The bill would also, as of December 31, 2017, repeal the individual income tax. Fattah's Debt Free America Act was introduced in February 2010 and immediately referred to committee, with no action taken on it since. However, in recent weeks, the proposal has generated outrage in the blogosphere at the idea of a tax on transactions. The bill has been discussed in a wide range of Web sites, from minor political blogs to the popular myth-debunking site Snopes.com.
4. Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (H.R. 4173)
Previous Ranking: 2
Sponsor: Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA)
Also known as the “Restoring American Financial Stability Act,” or more commonly as the “financial regulatory reform bill,” this legislation was signed by President Obama on July 21, six months after its initial introduction. This law is intended to address the causes of the 2008 economic crisis. It aims to create a watchdog council at the Federal Reserve and also to mitigate the dangers of “too-big-to-fail” financial institutions by providing a way to liquidate failed firms. [See a list of the finance and credit industry's favorite lawmakers.]
5. Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2010 (H.R. 4213)
Previous ranking: 4
Sponsor: Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY)
This bill, which President Obama signed into law on July 22, went through several versions and was known by several names, including the “American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act” and “Tax Extenders Act.” In its final version, the bill extends unemployment benefits until the end of November 2010, and also includes a provision establishing retroactive payment of benefits to those whose benefits had recently expired. The bill was only passed after a partisan struggle in the Senate, where it was filibustered by Republicans who said they did not want to add the bill's $34 billion price tag to a budget deficit of over $1 trillion.
6. FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act (H.R. 1586)
Previous ranking: 5
Sponsor: Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY)
This bill originally intended to make flying more efficient and comfortable for passengers. One provision required air carriers to submit “emergency contingency plans” describing how the airline would provide basic necessities to passengers in an airplane grounded for an extended period of time. However, all of these provisions were stricken and replaced with Senate Amendment 4575, which seeks to provide funding for education and Federal Medical Assistance Percentages. The bill now provides states with extra money to pay teacher salaries and fund Medicaid. With these new provisions and none of the original, air-travel-related text, the bill passed the House and was signed by President Obama on August 10.
7. Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (H.R. 4872)
Previous ranking: 6
Sponsor: Rep. John Spratt (D-SC)
The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, which contains amendments to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (No. 2, above), was passed one week after the Patient Protection Act. Among the key changes that H.R. 4872 made are the closure of the Medicare “donut hole” and the lowering of the penalty for not having insurance. This bill also reforms the student loan system, including among its many provisions the elimination of the program via which federal student loans were administered through private institutions.
8. Livable Communities Act of 2009 (S. 1619)
Not on list last week
Sponsor: Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT)
Citing a growing and aging U.S. population with limited access to public transportation and affordable housing, this act states as one of its major purposes “to facilitate and improve the coordination of housing, community development, transportation, energy, and environmental policy in the United States.” The Livable Communities Act would establish an Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities in the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This new office would make grants to local governments, planning organizations, and states to assist them in development projects related to housing, infrastructure, and land use. The bill was introduced in August 2009 and has remained largely untouched in the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs since then. [See a slide show of 10 cities adopting smart grid technology.]
9. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (H.R. 1)
Previous ranking: 10
Sponsor: Rep. David Obey (D-WI)
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is the economic stimulus package signed into law by President Obama in February 2009. The $787 billion in provisions are going toward investing in healthcare and education, as well as numerous infrastructure projects, like improving public transportation and broadband access. To help maintain transparency in the implementation of the act, the federal government has set up Recovery.gov, a Web site that allows users to track where and on which projects stimulus money is being spent.
10. Public Safety Officer Family Health Benefits Act
Not on list last week
Sponsor: Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI)
Stupak, a former Michigan state police trooper and founder of the Congressional Law Enforcement Caucus, introduced this bill in July 2009. The bill has been in the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform since its introduction. This act would allow family members of public safety officers killed in the line of duty to be covered by federal health benefits. Stupak sponsored similar measures in 2007 and 2005. In neither of these instances did the bills move beyond committee.
US News
Flying High, Sarah Palin's Next Stops: Iowa, TV
DES MOINES, Iowa — Forget Disneyland. Sarah Palin's going to Iowa.
The former Alaska governor and 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee is on a roll: Her political endorsements have helped propel a number of upstart Republican contenders to victory in recent primaries, including a double win Tuesday in Delaware and New Hampshire. Her cable TV show makes its debut in November. And now she's off to the state that's made and broken more than its share of presidential campaigns.
Click here to find out more!
Palin will be the big draw at Friday's Reagan Dinner in Des Moines, the Iowa Republican Party's biggest fundraiser. The question that will be on everyone's mind is whether she'll run for president in 2012.
Iowa, home to the nation's leadoff presidential caucuses, can be tough terrain for celebrity candidates. Those who try to ride their fame to victory in Iowa without organizing a grass-roots campaign often find themselves on the outs.
Remember John Glenn? The former astronaut and senator drew huge crowds and intense attention here when he sought the Democratic nomination in 1984 — and got just 4 percent of the vote.
"They were coming out to see John Glenn the astronaut, not John Glenn the Democrat running for president," said veteran Republican strategist Eric Woolson.
If she runs, Palin would start with strong appeal among the social and religious conservatives who play a crucial role in Iowa's Republican politics. But that appeal wouldn't necessarily last if it's not backed up by a strong effort to reach out to caucus voters, said Steve Scheffler, head of the Iowa Christian Alliance.
"The track to success in Iowa is slogging around all of the small towns in bad weather and sleeping in downscale motels because that's the best in town," said Rich Galen, a GOP strategist based in Washington. "That certainly doesn't seem to fit the Palin theory of how she should conduct her life."
A Palin candidacy also would test Iowa's glass ceiling. Just ask Hillary Rodham Clinton
, who came in third in the 2008 caucuses, how tough the state can be for a woman. Iowa is one of two states — Mississippi is the other — that's never sent a woman to Congress or elected a woman governor.
Palin is far from alone in taking early steps to court Iowa activists. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has made multiple trips to the state, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has put a staff member in Iowa and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania all have visits in the works.
Palin has been coy about her presidential intentions and masterful at keeping her name in the news since she abruptly resigned as Alaska's governor in 2009. She's mixed political fundraisers and candidates' campaign events with speeches in which she commands fees as high as $100,000.
Her memoir, "Going Rogue," was a best-seller. Her new book, "America by Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith and Flag," will be published in December.
Her favorable ratings have been slipping all year, in recent weeks dropping below 40 percent for the first time, in the latest Associated Press-Gfk poll. Forty percent now have a very unfavorable rating of Palin. But among Republicans, about two-thirds give her positive marks and one-third view her very favorably.
Fresh off two big wins by candidates who got her blessings in Tuesday's primaries, Palin this week called for the Republican "political machine" to put aside differences within the party and home in on Democrats, whom she said have a "weakened leftist party."
Palin, whose Twitter and Facebook pages are required reading in political circles, also took some jabs at the media for all the interest in her wardrobe and gestures rather than her record.
"According to the media," she said, "I was plucked from obscurity while staring at Russia from my house."
Not that Palin is averse to using the media for her own purposes. Coming up in November on cable TV's TLC is "Sarah Palin's Alaska." Mark Burnett, who created reality TV's "Apprentice" series, describes this new project as "a really nonpolitical show, a show about Alaskan adventure."
A nonpolitical show that, no doubt, will only boost Palin's political visibility. It will only take her so far in Iowa, though.
Iowa strategist Mark Daley, who worked for Hillary Clinton's campaign, said the lesson from the 2008 caucus campaign is that Iowa is all about grass-roots organizing.
"There's definitely no question that while rock star status helps you draw a crowd, you're going to have to go to the Pizza Ranch in Algona," said Daley. "Voters take a very long time to make up their mind and they expect to meet with the candidates because they have for decades."
Richard Schwarm, former chair of the state Republican Party, said Palin's celebrity status does help.
"A lot of people have to work hard to get the media to pay attention, to get the precinct captain to take you seriously," said Schwarm. "It gets your foot in the door to get that attention, but it's a long process."
US News
The former Alaska governor and 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee is on a roll: Her political endorsements have helped propel a number of upstart Republican contenders to victory in recent primaries, including a double win Tuesday in Delaware and New Hampshire. Her cable TV show makes its debut in November. And now she's off to the state that's made and broken more than its share of presidential campaigns.
Click here to find out more!
Palin will be the big draw at Friday's Reagan Dinner in Des Moines, the Iowa Republican Party's biggest fundraiser. The question that will be on everyone's mind is whether she'll run for president in 2012.
Iowa, home to the nation's leadoff presidential caucuses, can be tough terrain for celebrity candidates. Those who try to ride their fame to victory in Iowa without organizing a grass-roots campaign often find themselves on the outs.
Remember John Glenn? The former astronaut and senator drew huge crowds and intense attention here when he sought the Democratic nomination in 1984 — and got just 4 percent of the vote.
"They were coming out to see John Glenn the astronaut, not John Glenn the Democrat running for president," said veteran Republican strategist Eric Woolson.
If she runs, Palin would start with strong appeal among the social and religious conservatives who play a crucial role in Iowa's Republican politics. But that appeal wouldn't necessarily last if it's not backed up by a strong effort to reach out to caucus voters, said Steve Scheffler, head of the Iowa Christian Alliance.
"The track to success in Iowa is slogging around all of the small towns in bad weather and sleeping in downscale motels because that's the best in town," said Rich Galen, a GOP strategist based in Washington. "That certainly doesn't seem to fit the Palin theory of how she should conduct her life."
A Palin candidacy also would test Iowa's glass ceiling. Just ask Hillary Rodham Clinton
, who came in third in the 2008 caucuses, how tough the state can be for a woman. Iowa is one of two states — Mississippi is the other — that's never sent a woman to Congress or elected a woman governor.
Palin is far from alone in taking early steps to court Iowa activists. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has made multiple trips to the state, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has put a staff member in Iowa and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania all have visits in the works.
Palin has been coy about her presidential intentions and masterful at keeping her name in the news since she abruptly resigned as Alaska's governor in 2009. She's mixed political fundraisers and candidates' campaign events with speeches in which she commands fees as high as $100,000.
Her memoir, "Going Rogue," was a best-seller. Her new book, "America by Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith and Flag," will be published in December.
Her favorable ratings have been slipping all year, in recent weeks dropping below 40 percent for the first time, in the latest Associated Press-Gfk poll. Forty percent now have a very unfavorable rating of Palin. But among Republicans, about two-thirds give her positive marks and one-third view her very favorably.
Fresh off two big wins by candidates who got her blessings in Tuesday's primaries, Palin this week called for the Republican "political machine" to put aside differences within the party and home in on Democrats, whom she said have a "weakened leftist party."
Palin, whose Twitter and Facebook pages are required reading in political circles, also took some jabs at the media for all the interest in her wardrobe and gestures rather than her record.
"According to the media," she said, "I was plucked from obscurity while staring at Russia from my house."
Not that Palin is averse to using the media for her own purposes. Coming up in November on cable TV's TLC is "Sarah Palin's Alaska." Mark Burnett, who created reality TV's "Apprentice" series, describes this new project as "a really nonpolitical show, a show about Alaskan adventure."
A nonpolitical show that, no doubt, will only boost Palin's political visibility. It will only take her so far in Iowa, though.
Iowa strategist Mark Daley, who worked for Hillary Clinton's campaign, said the lesson from the 2008 caucus campaign is that Iowa is all about grass-roots organizing.
"There's definitely no question that while rock star status helps you draw a crowd, you're going to have to go to the Pizza Ranch in Algona," said Daley. "Voters take a very long time to make up their mind and they expect to meet with the candidates because they have for decades."
Richard Schwarm, former chair of the state Republican Party, said Palin's celebrity status does help.
"A lot of people have to work hard to get the media to pay attention, to get the precinct captain to take you seriously," said Schwarm. "It gets your foot in the door to get that attention, but it's a long process."
US News
Murkowski to Announce Decision on Write-In Run
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaskans will soon know whether U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski will mount a write-in candidacy in an effort to hold onto her seat.
Click here to find out more!
She plans a late-day announcement in Anchorage.
Murkowski lost the GOP primary last month to Joe Miller, a self-described constitutional conservative who had the support of Sarah Palin and the Tea Party Express. The California-based group reported spending more than $550,000 in support of Miller and vowed to work twice as hard to beat Murkowski if she ran as a write-in.
Murkowski has said she's considered re-entering the race because of an outpouring of encouragement from Alaskans. She said she feels a responsibility to the state and believes success is possible.
US News
Click here to find out more!
She plans a late-day announcement in Anchorage.
Murkowski lost the GOP primary last month to Joe Miller, a self-described constitutional conservative who had the support of Sarah Palin and the Tea Party Express. The California-based group reported spending more than $550,000 in support of Miller and vowed to work twice as hard to beat Murkowski if she ran as a write-in.
Murkowski has said she's considered re-entering the race because of an outpouring of encouragement from Alaskans. She said she feels a responsibility to the state and believes success is possible.
US News
EPA's College Football Challenge
That stink around the college stadium might not just be your team's performance this fall. The Environmental Protection Agency
tells us that it is challenging colleges to boost recycling during one home football game in October. Participating schools will compete in categories like the "highest recycling rates" and the "least amount of waste generated per attendee." There's no trophy for the winner, just bragging rights.
US News
tells us that it is challenging colleges to boost recycling during one home football game in October. Participating schools will compete in categories like the "highest recycling rates" and the "least amount of waste generated per attendee." There's no trophy for the winner, just bragging rights.
US News
Tea Party Fights All-White Image
The Tea Party movement has an image problem that it is urgently trying to change: It's viewed as a whites-only group.
"We do need to reach out," says Matt Kibbie, president of FreedomWorks, one of the leading Tea Party organizing groups. To bring in more African-Americans and Hispanics, he said that FreedomWorks has started a new Web site, called "Diverse Tea," where minorities can share their stories of backing Tea Party candidates.
"The goal is to build a platform for a diverse group of Tea Party leaders from across the country, African-Americans, Jews, Hispanics, others that have come to this movement, because there is this nagging perception that we are not diverse. I disagree with that," he said.
FreedomWorks Chairman Dick Armey, the former House majority leader, has another solution: liberals should stop making minorities who back the movement feel like traitors.
"Now this is a story you don't want to write, but it's a true-fact story," he says. "I've heard it from every black conservative I have ever known, the vicious, nasty things that they are subjected to. So it's not easy to stand up and say, 'I believe in individual liberty and conservatism, and Lord help me, the Republican Party' and be a minority as you all in the establishment sort people out and stick people in their boxes."
Armey says the attacks come from minority community leaders to family members. "The difficulties of harassment, the intolerance, the abuse that they suffer comes from, for example, if you are a black American at our rally, your own community, your own relatives, your own family. So it is extremely difficult for a black American to stand up and say, 'I am a conservative,' because they get beset in the most vicious ways," adds Armey. What's more, he said, "Hispanics are now subjected to the same kind of mean harassment."
And instead of focusing on the lack of diversity in Tea Party rally crowds, he says that people should applaud the minorities who dare to be seen. "The first thing you ought to do is marvel that anybody of color as it were dares to have the courage to show up in the company of this grassroots movement...for breaking the mold," says Armey.
What's more, he said that diversity is broader than color. "Intellectually, there is greater diversity there than you will find in either of the two political parties. There's evangelicals, there's independents, there's liberals, there's Democrats, there's Republicans. It depends on your definition of diversity," he said.
And it's that diversity of thought he says Democrats can't stand. "You're talking about Democratic theology here," he says. "I really get a little tired of the diversity talk from liberals."
US News
"We do need to reach out," says Matt Kibbie, president of FreedomWorks, one of the leading Tea Party organizing groups. To bring in more African-Americans and Hispanics, he said that FreedomWorks has started a new Web site, called "Diverse Tea," where minorities can share their stories of backing Tea Party candidates.
"The goal is to build a platform for a diverse group of Tea Party leaders from across the country, African-Americans, Jews, Hispanics, others that have come to this movement, because there is this nagging perception that we are not diverse. I disagree with that," he said.
FreedomWorks Chairman Dick Armey, the former House majority leader, has another solution: liberals should stop making minorities who back the movement feel like traitors.
"Now this is a story you don't want to write, but it's a true-fact story," he says. "I've heard it from every black conservative I have ever known, the vicious, nasty things that they are subjected to. So it's not easy to stand up and say, 'I believe in individual liberty and conservatism, and Lord help me, the Republican Party' and be a minority as you all in the establishment sort people out and stick people in their boxes."
Armey says the attacks come from minority community leaders to family members. "The difficulties of harassment, the intolerance, the abuse that they suffer comes from, for example, if you are a black American at our rally, your own community, your own relatives, your own family. So it is extremely difficult for a black American to stand up and say, 'I am a conservative,' because they get beset in the most vicious ways," adds Armey. What's more, he said, "Hispanics are now subjected to the same kind of mean harassment."
And instead of focusing on the lack of diversity in Tea Party rally crowds, he says that people should applaud the minorities who dare to be seen. "The first thing you ought to do is marvel that anybody of color as it were dares to have the courage to show up in the company of this grassroots movement...for breaking the mold," says Armey.
What's more, he said that diversity is broader than color. "Intellectually, there is greater diversity there than you will find in either of the two political parties. There's evangelicals, there's independents, there's liberals, there's Democrats, there's Republicans. It depends on your definition of diversity," he said.
And it's that diversity of thought he says Democrats can't stand. "You're talking about Democratic theology here," he says. "I really get a little tired of the diversity talk from liberals."
US News
Obama, GOP Offer Dueling Realities on Unemployment, the Economy
With Republicans holding a big edge in voter intensity, a new reality may come to Washington after November
Out on the campaign trail, there are two parallel universes when it comes to describing the economy, a Democratic reality and a Republican reality. This became especially clear this month in remarks by President Obama and an assortment of leaders of both parties, including Republican
Rep. John Boehner of Ohio, who is in line to become speaker of the House if the GOP takes control in the November 2 elections.
On one side, Obama and the Democrats argue that the economy is on the mend, slowly but surely, thanks in large part to the bold actions taken by the White House and Congress over the past 19 months. These actions include the stimulus package and the bailouts of the financial industry and the auto industry. Obama says the recession was largely the fault of former President George W. Bush and his policies, and this is no time to go back. He argues that the midterm elections should be a choice between two competing visions, one that has failed (Bush's) and another that hasn't yet been given a chance to succeed (his own), not a referendum on his agenda and his leadership.
Obama's speech in suburban Cleveland last week was one of his best political addresses in a long time, as it gave voters a clear rationale for keeping the Democrats in the majority on Capitol Hill. "It's still fear versus hope; the past versus the future," Obama said Wednesday. "It's still a choice between sliding backward and moving forward. That's what this election is about. That's the choice you'll face in November." If Obama can keep this up, his party may stand a chance in the midterm balloting.
The other reality is being presented by the Republican leaders in Congress. They see a ripe opportunity to take control of both the House and Senate, and a fresh wave of polling backs them up. They argue that Obama and the Democrats have made the economy worse by running up vast deficits, wasting taxpayers' money, and investing too much power in the government, all the while failing to lower the unemployment rate, which has remained above 9 per cent for 16 consecutive months. And things will get even worse if Obama and the Democrats allow some or all of the Bush-era tax cuts to expire, the GOP says.
Appearing on ABC's Good Morning America, Boehner called for a rollback of nonsecurity discretionary federal spending to 2008 levels—pre-Obama—and a freeze on tax rates for at least two years, in effect rejecting any administration plan to raise taxes on the highest-income earners. "I think the president is missing the bigger point here," Boehner said. "With all of the spending in Washington, and all the uncertainty facing small businesses, including the coming tax hikes on January 1 [when the Bush-era tax cuts end], until this uncertainty and spending is under control, I don't think these [solutions from Washington] are going to have much impact."
Boehner's new visibility worries conservative activists who say he is giving Obama a convenient target as the caricature of a politician who is locked in the past and has no new ideas. But the dueling versions of economic reality are being played out in campaigns across the country from California to Pennsylvania. Each side has an element of truth in its arguments. But the latest polls indicate that it is the Republicans who will come out on top, as they benefit from voter anger and anxiety over the status quo. Equally important, Republican voters appear to be far more motivated to actually cast ballots than are the Democrats. A new survey by American University political scientist Curtis Gans finds that 4.2 million more Republicans have voted this year in statewide primaries for Senate and governor than Democrats (nearly 17.2 million to 13 million), in part reflecting the intramural battles between candidates backed by the GOP establishment and the Tea Party movement. In a historical perspective, the average percentage of eligible citizens who voted in the GOP statewide primaries (10.5 percent) was the highest since 1970 while the comparable Democratic figure (8.3 percent) was the lowest on record, Gans found.
Of course, the reality that counts most is the one felt by everyday people. And polls suggest that a majority of voters think what Obama and the Democrats have done hasn't made much difference or has had a negative effect on the economy. That's a recipe for big Republican gains, which would mean an entirely new reality in Washington for, at minimum, the next two years.
US News
Out on the campaign trail, there are two parallel universes when it comes to describing the economy, a Democratic reality and a Republican reality. This became especially clear this month in remarks by President Obama and an assortment of leaders of both parties, including Republican
Rep. John Boehner of Ohio, who is in line to become speaker of the House if the GOP takes control in the November 2 elections.
On one side, Obama and the Democrats argue that the economy is on the mend, slowly but surely, thanks in large part to the bold actions taken by the White House and Congress over the past 19 months. These actions include the stimulus package and the bailouts of the financial industry and the auto industry. Obama says the recession was largely the fault of former President George W. Bush and his policies, and this is no time to go back. He argues that the midterm elections should be a choice between two competing visions, one that has failed (Bush's) and another that hasn't yet been given a chance to succeed (his own), not a referendum on his agenda and his leadership.
Obama's speech in suburban Cleveland last week was one of his best political addresses in a long time, as it gave voters a clear rationale for keeping the Democrats in the majority on Capitol Hill. "It's still fear versus hope; the past versus the future," Obama said Wednesday. "It's still a choice between sliding backward and moving forward. That's what this election is about. That's the choice you'll face in November." If Obama can keep this up, his party may stand a chance in the midterm balloting.
The other reality is being presented by the Republican leaders in Congress. They see a ripe opportunity to take control of both the House and Senate, and a fresh wave of polling backs them up. They argue that Obama and the Democrats have made the economy worse by running up vast deficits, wasting taxpayers' money, and investing too much power in the government, all the while failing to lower the unemployment rate, which has remained above 9 per cent for 16 consecutive months. And things will get even worse if Obama and the Democrats allow some or all of the Bush-era tax cuts to expire, the GOP says.
Appearing on ABC's Good Morning America, Boehner called for a rollback of nonsecurity discretionary federal spending to 2008 levels—pre-Obama—and a freeze on tax rates for at least two years, in effect rejecting any administration plan to raise taxes on the highest-income earners. "I think the president is missing the bigger point here," Boehner said. "With all of the spending in Washington, and all the uncertainty facing small businesses, including the coming tax hikes on January 1 [when the Bush-era tax cuts end], until this uncertainty and spending is under control, I don't think these [solutions from Washington] are going to have much impact."
Boehner's new visibility worries conservative activists who say he is giving Obama a convenient target as the caricature of a politician who is locked in the past and has no new ideas. But the dueling versions of economic reality are being played out in campaigns across the country from California to Pennsylvania. Each side has an element of truth in its arguments. But the latest polls indicate that it is the Republicans who will come out on top, as they benefit from voter anger and anxiety over the status quo. Equally important, Republican voters appear to be far more motivated to actually cast ballots than are the Democrats. A new survey by American University political scientist Curtis Gans finds that 4.2 million more Republicans have voted this year in statewide primaries for Senate and governor than Democrats (nearly 17.2 million to 13 million), in part reflecting the intramural battles between candidates backed by the GOP establishment and the Tea Party movement. In a historical perspective, the average percentage of eligible citizens who voted in the GOP statewide primaries (10.5 percent) was the highest since 1970 while the comparable Democratic figure (8.3 percent) was the lowest on record, Gans found.
Of course, the reality that counts most is the one felt by everyday people. And polls suggest that a majority of voters think what Obama and the Democrats have done hasn't made much difference or has had a negative effect on the economy. That's a recipe for big Republican gains, which would mean an entirely new reality in Washington for, at minimum, the next two years.
US News
Christine O’Donnell Calls for GOP to Unite
The Delaware Tea Partyer who split the Republican Party is trying to patch things up.
Click here to find out more!
Christine O'Donnell, who won the GOP Senate primary on Tuesday night, called for party unity in an interview that aired on NBC's "Today."
"I'm hoping that when emotions settle down and the dust clears, we can move past this," she said of the upset victory against nine-term Rep. Mike Castle.
O'Donnell has faced mounting criticism by some Republicans that the former marketing and media consultant is too conservative to win in November. She has also been slammed over allegations relating to a trail of bad debts, potential fudging of her education history and allegedly living off of campaign funds.
For example, Castle does not intend to endorse Palin-backed O'Donnell, and former George W. Bush adviser Karl Rove said, "This is not a race we're going to be able to win."
O'Donnell said she was perplexed by Rove's comments. "I wonder does he want a Democrat in that seat?" she asked.
Sen. Jim DeMint, whose endorsement boosted O'Donnell late in her primary race, also dismissed concerns about the electability of Tea Party-backed candidates like O'Donnell.
"You can't change Washington unless you change people who are here," DeMint said on "Today." "People are ready to throw out the bums."
DeMint added that the Tea Party represents a section of the American people and that the GOP needs to embrace Tea Party goals.
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said O'Donnell's win reflected GOP in-fighting, and was a bonus for Democrats on Wednesday.
O'Donnell addressed criticism over comments she made in the 1990s to promote abstinence, including, "The Bible says that lust in your heart is committing adultery. So you can't masturbate without lust."
O'Donnell said those remarks, made years ago, are not relevant.
"I'm in my 40s now. I've matured in a lot of my positions. … This campaign is about getting our country back on track."
US News
Click here to find out more!
Christine O'Donnell, who won the GOP Senate primary on Tuesday night, called for party unity in an interview that aired on NBC's "Today."
"I'm hoping that when emotions settle down and the dust clears, we can move past this," she said of the upset victory against nine-term Rep. Mike Castle.
O'Donnell has faced mounting criticism by some Republicans that the former marketing and media consultant is too conservative to win in November. She has also been slammed over allegations relating to a trail of bad debts, potential fudging of her education history and allegedly living off of campaign funds.
For example, Castle does not intend to endorse Palin-backed O'Donnell, and former George W. Bush adviser Karl Rove said, "This is not a race we're going to be able to win."
O'Donnell said she was perplexed by Rove's comments. "I wonder does he want a Democrat in that seat?" she asked.
Sen. Jim DeMint, whose endorsement boosted O'Donnell late in her primary race, also dismissed concerns about the electability of Tea Party-backed candidates like O'Donnell.
"You can't change Washington unless you change people who are here," DeMint said on "Today." "People are ready to throw out the bums."
DeMint added that the Tea Party represents a section of the American people and that the GOP needs to embrace Tea Party goals.
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said O'Donnell's win reflected GOP in-fighting, and was a bonus for Democrats on Wednesday.
O'Donnell addressed criticism over comments she made in the 1990s to promote abstinence, including, "The Bible says that lust in your heart is committing adultery. So you can't masturbate without lust."
O'Donnell said those remarks, made years ago, are not relevant.
"I'm in my 40s now. I've matured in a lot of my positions. … This campaign is about getting our country back on track."
US News
Poll: Sarah Palin and Tea Party Unfavorable
Sarah Palin may have a magic touch with candidates she endorses, but nearly half of American voters aren't impressed by the former Republican vice presidential candidate.
Click here to find out more!
The Tea Party isn't a hit with voters, either, a new poll finds.
Just 21% of those asked have a favorable view of Palin, according to a CBS News/New York Times poll, which also found that 19% support the Tea Party.
Despite drawing large, raucous crowds wherever she speaks, the number of voters who view Palin unfavorably rose six points since August to 46%.
Meanwhile, 33% say they are undecided on Palin or don't know enough about her positions. [See photos of Sarah Palin and her family]
Still, Palin's endorsements seem to matter.
So far this primary season, Palin has backed 43 candidates and 25 of them have won, 11 have lost, with the rest not having had a primary race.
Most recently, she helped lift Republicans Christine O'Donnell and Kelly Ayotte to Senate primary wins in Delaware and New Hampshire, respectively.
However, two in three voters say Palin is just looking for attention with her endorsements, according to the poll.
The former Alaska governor has not said whether she will run for president in 2012. However, a poll from last month shows 59% of the country thinks she would be an ineffective commander-in-chief.
As for the Tea Party, 63% do not support it, though voters who are familiar with the party are more divided.
The poll finds 29% have an unfavorable view, opposed to 23% who see the party in a favorable light.
Still, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), a champion of the Tea Party, thinks the budding political movement can be a force in Washington. [See which industries donate the most to DeMint.]
"The Tea Party represents a broad cross-section of the American people," DeMint told NBC's "Today."
"You can't change Washington unless you change people who are here," DeMint said. "People are ready to throw out the bums."
US News
Click here to find out more!
The Tea Party isn't a hit with voters, either, a new poll finds.
Just 21% of those asked have a favorable view of Palin, according to a CBS News/New York Times poll, which also found that 19% support the Tea Party.
Despite drawing large, raucous crowds wherever she speaks, the number of voters who view Palin unfavorably rose six points since August to 46%.
Meanwhile, 33% say they are undecided on Palin or don't know enough about her positions. [See photos of Sarah Palin and her family]
Still, Palin's endorsements seem to matter.
So far this primary season, Palin has backed 43 candidates and 25 of them have won, 11 have lost, with the rest not having had a primary race.
Most recently, she helped lift Republicans Christine O'Donnell and Kelly Ayotte to Senate primary wins in Delaware and New Hampshire, respectively.
However, two in three voters say Palin is just looking for attention with her endorsements, according to the poll.
The former Alaska governor has not said whether she will run for president in 2012. However, a poll from last month shows 59% of the country thinks she would be an ineffective commander-in-chief.
As for the Tea Party, 63% do not support it, though voters who are familiar with the party are more divided.
The poll finds 29% have an unfavorable view, opposed to 23% who see the party in a favorable light.
Still, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), a champion of the Tea Party, thinks the budding political movement can be a force in Washington. [See which industries donate the most to DeMint.]
"The Tea Party represents a broad cross-section of the American people," DeMint told NBC's "Today."
"You can't change Washington unless you change people who are here," DeMint said. "People are ready to throw out the bums."
US News
Poll: Americans Want Tax Cuts to Expire for the Rich
A new survey indicates that most Americans want tax cuts for the rich to expire.
The CBS News/New York Times poll shows 53% of Americans agree with President Barack Obama to end tax cuts for the wealthy, while 38% think it’s a bad idea and 9% do not know.
Click here to find out more!
Two-thirds of Democrats think tax cuts for the wealthiest should expire, in addition to most independents (55%). The majority of Republicans (57%) think it’s a bad idea.
The Bush-era tax cuts will expire by the end of 2010, and Obama wants to extend them for everyone except those who earn more than $200,000 or households that make more than $250,000.
Most Democrats want the tax cuts to be extended for the middle class, but not the wealthiest Americans. Republicans and some moderate Democrats want an extension for all off the tax cuts.
"These are the same families who will suffer the most when their taxes go up next year," Obama said of middle-income Americans on Wednesday. "We don't have time for any more games."
In contrast, an Associated Press-GfK poll shows that 54% of Americans support raising taxes on the highest earners, with 44% against it.
Either way, the polls indicate Americans are divided over taxes with less than 50 days from midterm elections, where Republicans hope to gain the majority of seats in Congress.
The AP poll also showed that Americans want Republicans steering the economy by a 46% to 41% margin.
And according to the results, even among Americans earning under $50,000 a year (who tend to vote Democratic), 43% want to continue the tax cuts for everyone.
"You shouldn't be penalized for making a good living," said 55-year-old Charles Ricotta, a Democrat from Dunkirk, N.Y. "If you feel the government is cutting your throat, you might feel hesitant about hiring people."
US News
The CBS News/New York Times poll shows 53% of Americans agree with President Barack Obama to end tax cuts for the wealthy, while 38% think it’s a bad idea and 9% do not know.
Click here to find out more!
Two-thirds of Democrats think tax cuts for the wealthiest should expire, in addition to most independents (55%). The majority of Republicans (57%) think it’s a bad idea.
The Bush-era tax cuts will expire by the end of 2010, and Obama wants to extend them for everyone except those who earn more than $200,000 or households that make more than $250,000.
Most Democrats want the tax cuts to be extended for the middle class, but not the wealthiest Americans. Republicans and some moderate Democrats want an extension for all off the tax cuts.
"These are the same families who will suffer the most when their taxes go up next year," Obama said of middle-income Americans on Wednesday. "We don't have time for any more games."
In contrast, an Associated Press-GfK poll shows that 54% of Americans support raising taxes on the highest earners, with 44% against it.
Either way, the polls indicate Americans are divided over taxes with less than 50 days from midterm elections, where Republicans hope to gain the majority of seats in Congress.
The AP poll also showed that Americans want Republicans steering the economy by a 46% to 41% margin.
And according to the results, even among Americans earning under $50,000 a year (who tend to vote Democratic), 43% want to continue the tax cuts for everyone.
"You shouldn't be penalized for making a good living," said 55-year-old Charles Ricotta, a Democrat from Dunkirk, N.Y. "If you feel the government is cutting your throat, you might feel hesitant about hiring people."
US News
California's Meg Whitman Breaks Campaign Spending Records
SAN FRANCISCO — Former eBay executive Meg Whitman is defending $119 million in contributions she has made to her campaign for California governor — a personal spending rate that has now surpassed that of any other political candidate in American history.
Click here to find out more!
Whitman's campaign this week reported another $15 million contribution from the billionaire GOP candidate in her bid to defeat Democratic Attorney General Jerry Brown.
During a visit Wednesday to the San Francisco headquarters of Yelp, Whitman said the contributions from her personal fortune mean she won't be beholden to special interests if she wins.
She also said she must spend a lot of money in a state where there are 2.3 million more registered Democrats than Republicans.
"Our job is we have to tell my story, tell why I will be the very best governor for California," she said. "And then at the same time we have to acquaint Californians with Jerry Brown's record of failure."
The $15 million contribution Whitman's campaign reported late Tuesday push her personal contributions past a previous record set by New York Mayor Bloomberg, who spent $109 million in his campaign for a third term last year.
Bloomberg spent about $185 per vote for his re-election, and he did not take donations.
Whitman, however, has spent the summer aggressively fundraising for her general election race against Brown.
Her ads have played for months in every TV market in California. She said she has hired the best political team and needs to compete with unions that are spending millions of dollars to prop up Brown's campaign.
Asked whether there is a limit to how much she will spend, she said, "It's not unlimited, but I just want to be sure that we're doing the right thing."
US News
Click here to find out more!
Whitman's campaign this week reported another $15 million contribution from the billionaire GOP candidate in her bid to defeat Democratic Attorney General Jerry Brown.
During a visit Wednesday to the San Francisco headquarters of Yelp, Whitman said the contributions from her personal fortune mean she won't be beholden to special interests if she wins.
She also said she must spend a lot of money in a state where there are 2.3 million more registered Democrats than Republicans.
"Our job is we have to tell my story, tell why I will be the very best governor for California," she said. "And then at the same time we have to acquaint Californians with Jerry Brown's record of failure."
The $15 million contribution Whitman's campaign reported late Tuesday push her personal contributions past a previous record set by New York Mayor Bloomberg, who spent $109 million in his campaign for a third term last year.
Bloomberg spent about $185 per vote for his re-election, and he did not take donations.
Whitman, however, has spent the summer aggressively fundraising for her general election race against Brown.
Her ads have played for months in every TV market in California. She said she has hired the best political team and needs to compete with unions that are spending millions of dollars to prop up Brown's campaign.
Asked whether there is a limit to how much she will spend, she said, "It's not unlimited, but I just want to be sure that we're doing the right thing."
US News
Richard Simmons to Michelle Obama: I Can Help
Picture this: Frizzy-haired exercise guru Richard Simmons doing his trademark booty shake with first lady Michelle Obama, the nation's fitness model. "I could help her and be a servant for her project," says Simmons, who's eager to help Obama's effort and maybe even cut a video with her. "I've probably talked to more overweight people than anybody and I know what can turn people around." Fitness, he says, needs to extend into the classroom as early as first grade, where students should be taught "to understand the importance of food and the way their bodies work." Simmons has been working with California Democratic Rep. George Miller to pass the "FIT Kids Act," which boosts K-12 P.E. classes. Meanwhile, he says, "PTAs need to come up with ideas, schools need to make money, not wait on the government to give them money."
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US News
White House Sends Spending Wish List to Congress
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is pushing a pre-election shopping list on its Democratic allies in Congress as they prepare must-pass legislation to prevent a government shutdown next month.
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Republicans are protesting the spending requests, which include $1.9 billion for school grants, financial help for the Postal Service and more than $4 billion requested by the administration to finance settlements of long-standing lawsuits against the government.
A back-of-the-envelope tally by Republicans puts the price tag of the Obama requests at more than $25 billion, including $5.7 billion to prevent shortfalls in the popular Pell Grant program and $5.5 billion the cash-strapped Postal Service.
The White House is targeting a bill to continue funding the government past the Sept. 30 end of the fiscal year to carry its spending requests. The measure is needed because Congress is failing to pass the annual spending bills that fund the day-to-day operations of the government.
Such stopgap funding bills typically don't carry controversial legislation or large spending initiatives. But the stopgap measure is the last measure that Congress absolutely has to pass before the elections, and so it is a tempting target on which to add unfinished business.
"The Obama administration, Speaker Pelosi and Democrat leaders are going to try and use this (stopgap bill) as a 'Hail Mary' pass for more government spending and policy items in a frantic last dash before the election," said Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Calif.
The administration also wants to renew parts of last year's economic stimulus
measure, including $800 million for child care grants to states.
Some of the proposals, including $1.2 billion to remedy discrimination by the Agriculture Department against black farmers and $3.4 billion for mismanaging Indian trust funds, passed the House and Senate earlier this year as part of larger legislation but were stripped out due to cost concerns.
US News
Click here to find out more!
Republicans are protesting the spending requests, which include $1.9 billion for school grants, financial help for the Postal Service and more than $4 billion requested by the administration to finance settlements of long-standing lawsuits against the government.
A back-of-the-envelope tally by Republicans puts the price tag of the Obama requests at more than $25 billion, including $5.7 billion to prevent shortfalls in the popular Pell Grant program and $5.5 billion the cash-strapped Postal Service.
The White House is targeting a bill to continue funding the government past the Sept. 30 end of the fiscal year to carry its spending requests. The measure is needed because Congress is failing to pass the annual spending bills that fund the day-to-day operations of the government.
Such stopgap funding bills typically don't carry controversial legislation or large spending initiatives. But the stopgap measure is the last measure that Congress absolutely has to pass before the elections, and so it is a tempting target on which to add unfinished business.
"The Obama administration, Speaker Pelosi and Democrat leaders are going to try and use this (stopgap bill) as a 'Hail Mary' pass for more government spending and policy items in a frantic last dash before the election," said Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Calif.
The administration also wants to renew parts of last year's economic stimulus
measure, including $800 million for child care grants to states.
Some of the proposals, including $1.2 billion to remedy discrimination by the Agriculture Department against black farmers and $3.4 billion for mismanaging Indian trust funds, passed the House and Senate earlier this year as part of larger legislation but were stripped out due to cost concerns.
US News
Tea Party Powers an Upset Win by O'Donnell in Delaware
The November test: How will insurgents do against the Democrats?
The 2010 primary season came to a close in a dramatic fashion Tuesday night, with a Tea Party-backed GOP insurgent unexpectedly winning in Delaware.
In all, eight Senate and House incumbents have been knocked out in the primary process, with the Tea Party movement the major factor in GOP contests.
Click here to find out more!
The latest victim was claimed in Delaware, where political novice Christine O'Donnell beat nine-term moderate Republican Rep. Mike Castle in a Tea Party versus GOP establishment showdown that's become a theme of the 2010 elections.
Now that the November ballots are pretty much set, the question remains whether Republican insurgent winners like O'Donnell can hold up against Democratic opponents in the fall.
Until a few weeks ago, the Republican establishment expected Delaware to be an easy Senate seat pickup for the party. Castle, a popular politician who also served two terms as governor, seemed like shoo-in for the Senate seat that was held for three decades by Vice President Joe Biden. But after the Sacramento-based Tea Party Express poured money in support of O'Donnell, who lost a Senate bid to Biden in 2008, and Sarah Palin
provided her endorsement, Delaware's Republican Senate primary became a national bellwether, the final pre-midterm test of the Tea Party movement's strength.
While that backing helped defeat Castle 53-47 percent, O'Donnell alienated establishment Republicans, a group whose support she'll need heading into the midterm against the Democratic candidates, New Castle County Executive Chris Coons. The Delaware Republican Party has vehemently opposed O'Donnell during the primaries, citing her reportedly shabby personal financial record among other things, and said in a news release Monday that she is "unelectable in the general election." In her victory speech, O'Donnell said "If those same people who fought against me work just as hard for me we will win."
The state GOP has yet to support O'Donnell as the party's winner in the primaries. Still, O'Donnell told various news programs Wednesday morning that, while her campaign will reach out to the Republican establishment, she "is confident we will win" even without the support of the Republican Party.
O'Donnell and Republicans are already butting heads. Former George W. Bush advisor Karl Rove told Fox News after the results came in Tuesday night, "this is not a race we're going to be able to win."
O'Donnell's win gives hope to Democrats who worried Castle would easily beat Coons in the midterm election. A Public Policy Polling report released today shows Coons with a 50-34 lead over O'Donnell. But the name recognition and national attention O'Donnell received from her win Tuesday night might help narrow the gap.
Sarah Palin also brought her "mama grizzly" embrace to the New Hampshire GOP Senate primary where she endorsed Attorney General Kelly Ayotte, who narrowly beat lawyer Ovide Lamontagne by less than 2,00 votes out of nearly 140,000. Lamontagne who is backed by Tea Partiers and by conservative South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint , could call for a vote recount. The winner will face Democratic Rep. Paul Hodes in the November race to replace retiring Republican Sen. Judd Gregg.
Elsewhere, the Tea Party movement trumped the establishment in the GOP primary for the New York governor's race, in which millionaire Buffalo developer Carl Paladino beat former congressman and GOP favorite Rick Lazio 63-37 percent. Paladino will face Democrat Andrew Cuomo, the popular former attorney general and son of former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo.
In majority-Democratic New York, Cuomo has a double digit lead over Paladino in the polls. Also in New York, forty-year House veteran Charlie Rangel held on to his seat winning more than 50 percent of the primary vote against assemblyman Adam Clayton Powell, despite the 13 House ethics charges against Rangel. And Rep. Carolyn Maloney also beat back a Democratic challenger to hold on to the seat she has held since 1992.
The only remaining primary will be held Sept. 18 in Hawaii.
This year's primaries have knocked out three Senators—Republicans Bob Bennett of Utah and Alaska's Lisa Murkowski and Republican-turned-Democrat Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania—and five House members, Castle, Democrat-turned-Republican Parker Griffith of Alabama, Democrats Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick of Michigan, Alan Mollohan of West Virginia, and Republican Bob Inglis of South Carolina.
While these races captured the headlines, a majority of voters stuck with most incumbents. In total, 23 Senators and 393 House members ran in this primary season.
US News
The 2010 primary season came to a close in a dramatic fashion Tuesday night, with a Tea Party-backed GOP insurgent unexpectedly winning in Delaware.
In all, eight Senate and House incumbents have been knocked out in the primary process, with the Tea Party movement the major factor in GOP contests.
Click here to find out more!
The latest victim was claimed in Delaware, where political novice Christine O'Donnell beat nine-term moderate Republican Rep. Mike Castle in a Tea Party versus GOP establishment showdown that's become a theme of the 2010 elections.
Now that the November ballots are pretty much set, the question remains whether Republican insurgent winners like O'Donnell can hold up against Democratic opponents in the fall.
Until a few weeks ago, the Republican establishment expected Delaware to be an easy Senate seat pickup for the party. Castle, a popular politician who also served two terms as governor, seemed like shoo-in for the Senate seat that was held for three decades by Vice President Joe Biden. But after the Sacramento-based Tea Party Express poured money in support of O'Donnell, who lost a Senate bid to Biden in 2008, and Sarah Palin
provided her endorsement, Delaware's Republican Senate primary became a national bellwether, the final pre-midterm test of the Tea Party movement's strength.
While that backing helped defeat Castle 53-47 percent, O'Donnell alienated establishment Republicans, a group whose support she'll need heading into the midterm against the Democratic candidates, New Castle County Executive Chris Coons. The Delaware Republican Party has vehemently opposed O'Donnell during the primaries, citing her reportedly shabby personal financial record among other things, and said in a news release Monday that she is "unelectable in the general election." In her victory speech, O'Donnell said "If those same people who fought against me work just as hard for me we will win."
The state GOP has yet to support O'Donnell as the party's winner in the primaries. Still, O'Donnell told various news programs Wednesday morning that, while her campaign will reach out to the Republican establishment, she "is confident we will win" even without the support of the Republican Party.
O'Donnell and Republicans are already butting heads. Former George W. Bush advisor Karl Rove told Fox News after the results came in Tuesday night, "this is not a race we're going to be able to win."
O'Donnell's win gives hope to Democrats who worried Castle would easily beat Coons in the midterm election. A Public Policy Polling report released today shows Coons with a 50-34 lead over O'Donnell. But the name recognition and national attention O'Donnell received from her win Tuesday night might help narrow the gap.
Sarah Palin also brought her "mama grizzly" embrace to the New Hampshire GOP Senate primary where she endorsed Attorney General Kelly Ayotte, who narrowly beat lawyer Ovide Lamontagne by less than 2,00 votes out of nearly 140,000. Lamontagne who is backed by Tea Partiers and by conservative South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint , could call for a vote recount. The winner will face Democratic Rep. Paul Hodes in the November race to replace retiring Republican Sen. Judd Gregg.
Elsewhere, the Tea Party movement trumped the establishment in the GOP primary for the New York governor's race, in which millionaire Buffalo developer Carl Paladino beat former congressman and GOP favorite Rick Lazio 63-37 percent. Paladino will face Democrat Andrew Cuomo, the popular former attorney general and son of former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo.
In majority-Democratic New York, Cuomo has a double digit lead over Paladino in the polls. Also in New York, forty-year House veteran Charlie Rangel held on to his seat winning more than 50 percent of the primary vote against assemblyman Adam Clayton Powell, despite the 13 House ethics charges against Rangel. And Rep. Carolyn Maloney also beat back a Democratic challenger to hold on to the seat she has held since 1992.
The only remaining primary will be held Sept. 18 in Hawaii.
This year's primaries have knocked out three Senators—Republicans Bob Bennett of Utah and Alaska's Lisa Murkowski and Republican-turned-Democrat Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania—and five House members, Castle, Democrat-turned-Republican Parker Griffith of Alabama, Democrats Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick of Michigan, Alan Mollohan of West Virginia, and Republican Bob Inglis of South Carolina.
While these races captured the headlines, a majority of voters stuck with most incumbents. In total, 23 Senators and 393 House members ran in this primary season.
US News
Kelly Ayotte Is Winner in New Hampshire GOP Primary
CONCORD, N.H. — The state of New Hampshire on Wednesday certified former state Attorney General Kelly Ayotte as the winner of the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, setting the stage for a possible recount.
Click here to find out more!
Ayotte was endorsed by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and won a narrow victory over Ovide Lamontagne, whose conservative credentials and courting of the tea party pulled him close in the final days of the campaign.
Lamontagne has until 5 p.m. to decide whether he'll seek a recount because the margin of victory fell within 1.5 percent of the total votes cast. The secretary of state's office says Ayotte got 53,044 votes and Lamontagne 51,377 — a margin of 1,667 votes in a race with 138,908 total votes cast.
His campaign advisers have said he's still considering whether to seek the recount. One could begin as early as 8 a.m. Thursday and could be done by Saturday, said David Scanlan, the deputy secretary of state.
The winner hopes to take retiring GOP Sen. Judd Gregg's seat and face Democratic nominee Paul Hodes, who was unopposed.
Ayotte, 42, of Nashua, won the blessing from Palin, who calls her a "Granite Grizzly." Ayotte spent more than $2 million on her anti-Democrat, anti-federal spending campaign. Palin, the former vice presidential nominee, recorded telephone messages to voters that started Sunday, praising Ayotte as "the true conservative" — a mantle Lamontagne had tried to claim as his throughout his campaign.
Lamontagne's two previous election bids were unsuccessful. His late surge was similar to his victory over former U.S. Rep. Bill Zeliff for the 1996 GOP gubernatorial nomination, but Democratic U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen beat him to capture the first of her three two-year terms as governor. Lamontagne failed in a GOP primary bid in 1992 to unseat Zeliff in the 1st District.
Lamontagne closed fast in the final days of the race, despite spending only $400,000. Lamontagne, 52, counted on conservative groups, not money, to win the nomination.
"It's not how much money you have; it's the message," Lamontagne said Tuesday night.
The Republicans spent more than $9.5 million for the chance to face Hodes, 59, of Concord. Despite being unopposed, Hodes spent $2.5 million to line up support to try to win the seat. The spending totals will rise after final primary campaign finance reports are filed with the Federal Elections Commission. [See who is donating money to Hodes.]
Multimillionaire businessman Bill Binnie, who spent more than $5 million out of his own pocket pushing his jobs agenda, received 19,503 votes, and conceded along with millionaire businessman Jim Bender, who got 12,609 votes.
Hodes said Tuesday night that the Republican agenda is "extreme, radical and right wing." He said Republicans would take the country backward into the hole from which the nation is struggling to dig out.
"I'm running for the people of New Hampshire. I don't have to run against anyone," Hodes said.
US News
Click here to find out more!
Ayotte was endorsed by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and won a narrow victory over Ovide Lamontagne, whose conservative credentials and courting of the tea party pulled him close in the final days of the campaign.
Lamontagne has until 5 p.m. to decide whether he'll seek a recount because the margin of victory fell within 1.5 percent of the total votes cast. The secretary of state's office says Ayotte got 53,044 votes and Lamontagne 51,377 — a margin of 1,667 votes in a race with 138,908 total votes cast.
His campaign advisers have said he's still considering whether to seek the recount. One could begin as early as 8 a.m. Thursday and could be done by Saturday, said David Scanlan, the deputy secretary of state.
The winner hopes to take retiring GOP Sen. Judd Gregg's seat and face Democratic nominee Paul Hodes, who was unopposed.
Ayotte, 42, of Nashua, won the blessing from Palin, who calls her a "Granite Grizzly." Ayotte spent more than $2 million on her anti-Democrat, anti-federal spending campaign. Palin, the former vice presidential nominee, recorded telephone messages to voters that started Sunday, praising Ayotte as "the true conservative" — a mantle Lamontagne had tried to claim as his throughout his campaign.
Lamontagne's two previous election bids were unsuccessful. His late surge was similar to his victory over former U.S. Rep. Bill Zeliff for the 1996 GOP gubernatorial nomination, but Democratic U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen beat him to capture the first of her three two-year terms as governor. Lamontagne failed in a GOP primary bid in 1992 to unseat Zeliff in the 1st District.
Lamontagne closed fast in the final days of the race, despite spending only $400,000. Lamontagne, 52, counted on conservative groups, not money, to win the nomination.
"It's not how much money you have; it's the message," Lamontagne said Tuesday night.
The Republicans spent more than $9.5 million for the chance to face Hodes, 59, of Concord. Despite being unopposed, Hodes spent $2.5 million to line up support to try to win the seat. The spending totals will rise after final primary campaign finance reports are filed with the Federal Elections Commission. [See who is donating money to Hodes.]
Multimillionaire businessman Bill Binnie, who spent more than $5 million out of his own pocket pushing his jobs agenda, received 19,503 votes, and conceded along with millionaire businessman Jim Bender, who got 12,609 votes.
Hodes said Tuesday night that the Republican agenda is "extreme, radical and right wing." He said Republicans would take the country backward into the hole from which the nation is struggling to dig out.
"I'm running for the people of New Hampshire. I don't have to run against anyone," Hodes said.
US News
North Korean Succession Plans Are Shrouded in Mystery
Experts say ailing dictator Kim Jong Il is positioning his youngest son to rule
Living up to its reputation as the world's most secretive and insular state, North Korea is expected to host a secret congress of the country's ruling Communist Party this month, the first such conclave since 1966 and one that experts believe is intended to help usher in a successor to dictator Kim Jong Il. Indeed, some experts say that the meeting itself is already underway.
Click here to find out more!
North Korea's state-run media have been silent on the logistics, but foreign experts anticipate that the dictator's third and youngest son, Kim Jong Un, will be named to an important government post, a key step toward assuming the reins of the state. The media have said that elections to the country's Politburo are expected this month.
Meanwhile, American diplomats arrived in Beijing today for talks with Chinese officials on how to convince the reclusive state to abandon its nuclear weapons program.
The succession process in North Korea has been ramping up slowly for at least the past 18 months, and could yet be challenged by powerful figures in the military. A dynastic handoff to the younger Kim, believed to be in his late 20s, would not be completed until the passing of his father, known throughout the country as the "Dear Leader." Some Korea-watchers are hopeful that the son known in the North as the "Brilliant Comrade," who was educated for a time in a Swiss boarding school, will be more receptive to reform, but the regime is built on a base of repression and corruption and the gulf is wide between the "hermit kingdom" and the outside world.
Relations between Washington and Pyongyang, in particular, have grown increasingly sour over a series of issues, including the stalled six-party talks to end the North's nuclear weapons program; the sinking of a South Korean warship in March, blamed on commandos from the North; and a series of North Korean missile tests viewed as provocative. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley placed the onus for improving relations squarely on Kim's regime. "It's North Korea that needs to do what it can to create a better environment for progress," he said last week.
The North Koreans, meanwhile, have reacted angrily to a series of U.S.-South Korean naval exercises, the resumption of anti-regime propaganda broadcasts into North Korea, and spy plane flights targeting the North. And last month, the Obama administration slapped a series of further sanctions on key North Korean individuals and entities, aimed particularly at those said to be involved with nuclear weapons development and illicit activities that enrich Kim and the ruling elite, such as arms dealing, drug smuggling, and trading in counterfeit $100 bills.
Washington officials worry that succession maneuvering will prompt more dangerous muscle-flexing by Pyongyang, perhaps even another nuclear test, intended to reassure the North's powerful military and show a strong face to the outside world at a sensitive time.
Kim Jong Il, who is believed to be in poor health and may have suffered a stroke in 2008, visited China twice in the past four months, fueling speculation about talks with Beijing about his succession. China, North Korea's largest trading partner and main political ally, is vital to the regime's survival. The younger Kim will need Beijing's backing to successfully fill his father's shoes.
To consolidate his inheritance, Kim Jong Un will have to weigh outside pressure for economic and political change against the internal demands from members of the military and political elite to protect their privileges in a nation where millions suffer from hunger and privation.
US News
Living up to its reputation as the world's most secretive and insular state, North Korea is expected to host a secret congress of the country's ruling Communist Party this month, the first such conclave since 1966 and one that experts believe is intended to help usher in a successor to dictator Kim Jong Il. Indeed, some experts say that the meeting itself is already underway.
Click here to find out more!
North Korea's state-run media have been silent on the logistics, but foreign experts anticipate that the dictator's third and youngest son, Kim Jong Un, will be named to an important government post, a key step toward assuming the reins of the state. The media have said that elections to the country's Politburo are expected this month.
Meanwhile, American diplomats arrived in Beijing today for talks with Chinese officials on how to convince the reclusive state to abandon its nuclear weapons program.
The succession process in North Korea has been ramping up slowly for at least the past 18 months, and could yet be challenged by powerful figures in the military. A dynastic handoff to the younger Kim, believed to be in his late 20s, would not be completed until the passing of his father, known throughout the country as the "Dear Leader." Some Korea-watchers are hopeful that the son known in the North as the "Brilliant Comrade," who was educated for a time in a Swiss boarding school, will be more receptive to reform, but the regime is built on a base of repression and corruption and the gulf is wide between the "hermit kingdom" and the outside world.
Relations between Washington and Pyongyang, in particular, have grown increasingly sour over a series of issues, including the stalled six-party talks to end the North's nuclear weapons program; the sinking of a South Korean warship in March, blamed on commandos from the North; and a series of North Korean missile tests viewed as provocative. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley placed the onus for improving relations squarely on Kim's regime. "It's North Korea that needs to do what it can to create a better environment for progress," he said last week.
The North Koreans, meanwhile, have reacted angrily to a series of U.S.-South Korean naval exercises, the resumption of anti-regime propaganda broadcasts into North Korea, and spy plane flights targeting the North. And last month, the Obama administration slapped a series of further sanctions on key North Korean individuals and entities, aimed particularly at those said to be involved with nuclear weapons development and illicit activities that enrich Kim and the ruling elite, such as arms dealing, drug smuggling, and trading in counterfeit $100 bills.
Washington officials worry that succession maneuvering will prompt more dangerous muscle-flexing by Pyongyang, perhaps even another nuclear test, intended to reassure the North's powerful military and show a strong face to the outside world at a sensitive time.
Kim Jong Il, who is believed to be in poor health and may have suffered a stroke in 2008, visited China twice in the past four months, fueling speculation about talks with Beijing about his succession. China, North Korea's largest trading partner and main political ally, is vital to the regime's survival. The younger Kim will need Beijing's backing to successfully fill his father's shoes.
To consolidate his inheritance, Kim Jong Un will have to weigh outside pressure for economic and political change against the internal demands from members of the military and political elite to protect their privileges in a nation where millions suffer from hunger and privation.
US News
D.C. Voters Oust Adrian Fenty in Democratic Primary
WASHINGTON — The nation's capital will have a new mayor after voters Tuesday ousted Adrian Fenty, a backer of education reform who some said had become out of touch.
Fenty lost the city's Democratic primary to District of Columbia Council Chairman Vincent Gray just four years after sweeping into office with unprecedented support. The victory virtually assures that Gray will be the city's next mayor. He faces no GOP competition in November and the city is overwhelmingly Democratic. Fenty has said he will not be a write-in candidate.
Click here to find out more!
Early Wednesday, with 90 percent of precincts reporting, Gray had 59,285 votes or 53 percent, compared with 50,850 votes for Fenty, or 46 percent.
"Now it's time for us to look forward, now we can work to unite our great city so that every resident has not only a voice, but has a role in facing the challenges we have ahead," Gray said during a speech early Wednesday at the Washington Court Hotel near Union Station, where he celebrated with supporters.
Fenty spokesman Sean Madigan said the mayor conceded and would call Gray. Earlier, Fenty was still waiting for the count but said he was "fully prepared to take whatever decision the voters have."
Fenty, 39, became the city's youngest-ever mayor when he was elected in 2006, but lost favor with voters. Some criticized him for his management style, calling him arrogant and not inclusive.
Polls showed that Fenty, who is biracial, was particularly unpopular with black voters, who make up approximately half of the city's 600,000 residents. Voting Tuesday had a strong racial cast.
Fenty won in largely white areas of the city while voters in the virtually all black east and southeast strongly backed Gray, 69, who is black.
Another factor was Fenty's choice of schools chancellor, Michelle Rhee. Rhee fired hundreds of school employees, including teachers, but test scores went up and Fenty unfailingly backed her. Many residents said their choice came down to what was happening in the city's schools.
Julie Somers, 39, a mother of a 3-year-old and a city resident for more than a decade, voted for Fenty.
"I love Michelle Rhee," Somers said after voting at a high school blocks from the U.S. Capitol. "For me, this is about education, education, education. I feel like schools are finally heading in the right direction."
Elias Prince, 93, disagreed, saying Rhee was a main reason he voted for Gray.
"She jumped up and fired all these teachers, and I don't know if she knows anything about schools, D.C. schools, at least," Prince said.
Gray has not indicated whether he would keep Rhee, but has said he would sit down with her to see if the two of them could work together.
"Make no mistake: school reform will move forward in a Gray administration," Gray said early Wednesday.
He urged supporters to keep up their enthusiasm through the November general election.
"Remember we still have one more election to go," Gray said. "Don't put away those walking shoes."
"Together, we'll help bring together all the people of the District of Columbia," Gray said.
Fenty's loss was not a surprise. Gray had been leading in recent polls, and the mayor called himself an underdog. But both sides had said turnout would be important. Election officials had estimated turnout would be about 55 percent, compared with 34 percent four years ago.
Gray, who was elected to the Council in 2004 and elected chairman in 2006, won despite raising much less money than Fenty. Fenty, who was himself elected to the council in 2000 and served until being elected mayor in 2006, had raised about $4.9 million for his re-election, while Gray raised about $1.7 million.
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Fenty lost the city's Democratic primary to District of Columbia Council Chairman Vincent Gray just four years after sweeping into office with unprecedented support. The victory virtually assures that Gray will be the city's next mayor. He faces no GOP competition in November and the city is overwhelmingly Democratic. Fenty has said he will not be a write-in candidate.
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Early Wednesday, with 90 percent of precincts reporting, Gray had 59,285 votes or 53 percent, compared with 50,850 votes for Fenty, or 46 percent.
"Now it's time for us to look forward, now we can work to unite our great city so that every resident has not only a voice, but has a role in facing the challenges we have ahead," Gray said during a speech early Wednesday at the Washington Court Hotel near Union Station, where he celebrated with supporters.
Fenty spokesman Sean Madigan said the mayor conceded and would call Gray. Earlier, Fenty was still waiting for the count but said he was "fully prepared to take whatever decision the voters have."
Fenty, 39, became the city's youngest-ever mayor when he was elected in 2006, but lost favor with voters. Some criticized him for his management style, calling him arrogant and not inclusive.
Polls showed that Fenty, who is biracial, was particularly unpopular with black voters, who make up approximately half of the city's 600,000 residents. Voting Tuesday had a strong racial cast.
Fenty won in largely white areas of the city while voters in the virtually all black east and southeast strongly backed Gray, 69, who is black.
Another factor was Fenty's choice of schools chancellor, Michelle Rhee. Rhee fired hundreds of school employees, including teachers, but test scores went up and Fenty unfailingly backed her. Many residents said their choice came down to what was happening in the city's schools.
Julie Somers, 39, a mother of a 3-year-old and a city resident for more than a decade, voted for Fenty.
"I love Michelle Rhee," Somers said after voting at a high school blocks from the U.S. Capitol. "For me, this is about education, education, education. I feel like schools are finally heading in the right direction."
Elias Prince, 93, disagreed, saying Rhee was a main reason he voted for Gray.
"She jumped up and fired all these teachers, and I don't know if she knows anything about schools, D.C. schools, at least," Prince said.
Gray has not indicated whether he would keep Rhee, but has said he would sit down with her to see if the two of them could work together.
"Make no mistake: school reform will move forward in a Gray administration," Gray said early Wednesday.
He urged supporters to keep up their enthusiasm through the November general election.
"Remember we still have one more election to go," Gray said. "Don't put away those walking shoes."
"Together, we'll help bring together all the people of the District of Columbia," Gray said.
Fenty's loss was not a surprise. Gray had been leading in recent polls, and the mayor called himself an underdog. But both sides had said turnout would be important. Election officials had estimated turnout would be about 55 percent, compared with 34 percent four years ago.
Gray, who was elected to the Council in 2004 and elected chairman in 2006, won despite raising much less money than Fenty. Fenty, who was himself elected to the council in 2000 and served until being elected mayor in 2006, had raised about $4.9 million for his re-election, while Gray raised about $1.7 million.
US News
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