Monday, January 31, 2011

Judge tosses out health care reform law

A federal judge has ruled unconstitutional President Obama's sweeping health care reform law, setting up what is likely to be a contentious Supreme Court challenge.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Fla. judge rules health care law unconstitutional

Judge Roger Vinson, a Reagan appointee serving in Pensacola, Florida, ruled that key components of the law are unconstitutional and that the entire law Judge Roger Vinson, a Reagan appointee serving in Pensacola, Florida, ruled that key components of the law are unconstitutional and that the entire law "must be declared void."


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Bloomberg aims to close 'gun show loophole'

Undercover investigators purchased semiautomatic weapons at an Arizona gun show, despite telling vendors that they probably could not pass background checks, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg told reporters Monday.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

White House: Huntsman to leave China post

The White House says U.S. ambassador to China Jon Huntsman, a Republican, has advised officials that he intends to leave the post during the first part of this year.

Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Conservative high-rollers gather to plot strategy

A phalanx of sheriff’s deputies with riot gear blocked all access to one of southern California’s most luxurious resort hotels on Sunday as more than 200 conservative donors gathered inside.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Clinton vows to pressure Haiti on election

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will visit Haiti on Sunday to discuss the nation's reconstruction efforts and the disputed November polls with top officials.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Sunday talk: From unrest in Egypt to why Boehner cries

From the political unrest in Egypt to why House Majority Leader John Boehner cries, here are some of the best sound bites from the Sunday morning talk shows:


Source: CNN.com - Politics

The president as a next-door neighbor?

Serious question (sort of):


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Saturday, January 29, 2011

U.S. to Egypt: Don't 'stand pat' need 'real reform'

President Barack Obama issued a plea for restraint in Egypt after meeting with national security aides Saturday to assess the Cairo government's response to widespread protests threatening the stability of the country.

Source: msnbc.com: More politics

U.S. pushes Mubarak to fulfill reform pledge

The State Department called on Egyptian President Mubarak to fulfill promises of reform, saying Mubarak's "words pledging reform must be followed by action."


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Friday, January 28, 2011

Obama defends health care law to Families USA

U.S. President Barack Obama defended Friday his administration's signature health care law that House Republicans have vowed to repeal.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

U.S.: Egypt situation of 'deep concern'

Egyptian anti-government activists, some standing on a burned police car challenge riot police officers, not seen, during clashes in Cairo, Egypt, on Friday.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Why terror alert never made sense

The Department of Homeland Security is getting rid of the color-coded threat level system. It was introduced after 9/11, and was supposed to tell you how likely a terrorist attack might be. Except that it never did.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Violent clashes erupt during protests in Egypt

Thousands of angry anti-government demonstrators took to the streets Friday in several Egyptian cities and clashed with police who fired tear gas to quell the crowds.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

HI bill would give anyone Obama birth info for fee

Moving to dispel claims that President Barack Obama was not born in Hawaii, his supporters in the state's legislature have introduced a bill that would allow anyone to get a copy of his birth records for a $100 fee.

Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Obama tongue-tied on YouTube

President Barack Obama experienced a rare speaking stumble Thursday, mixing up Iraq and Afghanistan when responding in a YouTube interview to questions challenging the wars in those countries.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Ill. high court: Emanuel can run for Chicago mayor

Former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel shakes hands with Lin Tomlinson, left, and Katie Zimmerman at Wishbone Restaurant as he awaits a ruling by the Illinois Supreme Court regarding his residency which could remove him from the ballot in the upcoming mayoral election on Thursday in Chicago.The Illinois Supreme Court has put Rahm Emanuel back on the ballot for Chicago mayor after an appellate court said Emanuel could not run because he did not meet a residency requirement.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Why Obama punted on slashing deficit

It's easy to see why any politician would want to avoid making huge promises on the deficit. After all, it's out of control, unpredictable and chances are you'll fail anyway.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Panel blames deregulation for financial crisis

Former Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan testifying during a hearing before the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission.A deeply divided U.S. investigative panel issued a scathing critique of the culture of deregulation championed by Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Political Circus: Bachmann likened to a 'poor man's' Palin'

Politics is serious business -- but not all the time. From the halls of Congress to the campaign trail to the international stage, there's always something that gets a laugh or a second glance.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Montel Williams pushes medical marijuana bill

Former talk show host Montel Williams was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1990.Former talk show host Montel Williams is urging Maryland lawmakers to legalize medical marijuana, saying it has a role helping those with painful ailments such as his own.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Senate panel postpones hearing on accused Ft. Hood gunman

Fourteen months after the Fort Hood, Texas, massacre, a Senate panel is still consulting with the FBI over the public release of what the government knew in advance about the accused gunman.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Ex-gov, Argentine lover frolic on Uruguay beach

A week after divorced South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford left office, he and his Argentine lover were spotted frolicking on the same Uruguay beach where their romance began.

Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Hawaii senators hold prayer despite vote to end it

In this photo provided by the Office of Senator Will Espero, Sen. Will Espero, D-Ewa-Ewa Beach-Lower Waipahu; Sen. Ronald Kouchi, D-Kauai-Niihau; Sen. Gil Kahele, D-Hilo-Honokaa; Sen. Pohai Ryan, R-Lanikai-Waimanalo; Sen. Suzanne Chun Oakland, D-Kalihi-Liliha; Sen. Michelle Kidani, D-Mililani; Sen. Glenn Wakai, D-Salt Lake-Foster Village; Sen. Clarence Nishihara, D-Waipahu; Sen. Mike Gabbard, D-Kalaeloa-Makakilo pary on the senate floor Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2011 in Honolulu. Espero organized the event to show that the Senate has not eliminated prayer even though it won't be a part of official proceedings. (AP Photo/Office of Senator Will Espero, Sheryll Bonilla)A group of nine Hawaii senators held hands, bowed their heads and sought God's blessing Wednesday, signaling that they'll still pray despite a vote last week to abandon official invocations.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Color-coded threat system to be replaced in April

The much-maligned, color-coded Homeland Security Advisory System is about to be consigned to the proverbial dustbin of history.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Obama touts clean energy in State of the Union follow-up

President Barack Obama and members of his Cabinet will tour several businesses Wednesday that the president says are investing in ways he mentioned in his State of the Union speech.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

CBO: U.S. budget deficit to hit $1.5 trillion

A new estimate predicts the U.S. budget deficit will hit almost $1.5 trillion this year, a stunning new record.

Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Will Congress answer Obama's call?

In his State of the Union address, President Obama urged lawmakers to "work together tomorrow." But is that a political reality? FULL STORY WATCH SPEECH: Part 1 | Part 2


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Obama to tour businesses day after speech

President Barack Obama and members of his Cabinet will tour several businesses Wednesday that the president says are investing in ways he mentioned in his State of the Union speech.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Councilwoman, husband found dead

A Nevada city councilwoman and her husband were found dead Tuesday, apparently of single gunshot wounds, Mesquite officials said.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Obama: Seize our 'Sputnik moment'

President Obama will call on Democrats and Republicans to work together to seize America's "Sputnik moment," according to excerpts. FULL STORY | TRANSCRIPT


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Ill. high court will hear Emanuel's appeal

Rahm Emanuel speaks at a news conference in Chicago on Monday. The Illinois Supreme Court has agreed to hear Rahm Emanuel's appeal of a decision that threw him off the ballot for Chicago mayor and ordered the city to include his name on any ballots being printed.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Can the U.S. still compete?

President Obama promises to focus his State of the Union tonight on one of the most important domestic questions we have faced in years. Whether he will succeed in moving the nation forward will depend not only on his own leadership but on the willingness of others -- the left, the right and the media -- to put the country first.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Report: Bush administration broke law in '06 races

In the runup to the 2006 midterm election in which Republicans lost control of the House, the Bush administration repeatedly broke the law by using federal funds to send Cabinet secretaries and other high-level political appointees to congressional districts of GOP candidates in tight races, according to a government report.

Source: msnbc.com: More politics

What you might not know about the State of Union

Here are a few facts about the president's annual address to Congress that probably won't show up in the headlines:


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Six Supreme Court justices to attend SOTU; Will Roberts?

Six Supreme Court Justices plan to attend tonight's State of the Union address, the same number as last year.

Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Critics slam paper for doctored photo of governor as Nazi

A Spanish-language newspaper in Georgia has drawn bipartisan criticism for publishing a doctored photograph depicting the state's new governor as a Nazi.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Montel Williams pushes medical marijuana bill

Former talk show host Montel Williams was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1990.Former talk show host Montel Williams is urging Maryland lawmakers to legalize medical marijuana, saying it has a role helping those with painful ailments such as his own.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Monday, January 24, 2011

Aides: Senate leaders close to filibuster reform

Top Democratic and Republican senators, negotiating proposed reforms of the use of filibusters and other legislative stalling tactics, are close to an agreement on modest changes to curb the practices but not eliminate them altogether, two Senate aides told CNN.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Court: Emanuel cannot run for mayor

Rahm Emanuel speaks at a news conference in Chicago on Monday. An Illinois Appeals Court has ruled that former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel's name can't appear on the ballot for Chicago mayor because he didn't live in the city in the year before the election.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Is Obama as good as his word?

How did President Obama's deeds measure up against his words in last year's address? CNN has 10 key statements he made and how events played out over the year.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

White House lawyer picked to be solicitor general

A White House official says that a deputy counsel to the president, Donald Verrilli Jr., is to be nominated Monday as the next U.S. solicitor general.

Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Date night for Congress?

Will Tuesday be "Date Night" in Congress for President Barack Obama's State of the Union address?


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Departures draw curtain on 'Team North Dakota'

On the bluffs overlooking the Missouri River loom two trophies won by North Dakota's congressional muscle — a four-lane bridge honoring the nation's veterans and a gleaming college energy center with a glassy facade and a panoramic view of the water.

Source: msnbc.com: More politics

After 2010 jab, how many justices will attend speech?

Tuesday's State of the Union address will be watched closely not only for what is said, but also for who will there in person to hear it -- especially the black-robed members of the U.S. Supreme Court.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Texas' love/hate relationship with D.C.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry likes to tell Washington to stop meddling in state affairs. He vocally opposed the Obama administration's 2009 stimulus program to spur the economy and assist cash-strapped states.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Cantor on cuts: 'Everything is on the table'

Republican leaders called Sunday for immediate and significant cuts in government spending, while Democrats warned such a strategy could harm economic recovery.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Sound of Sunday: Most intriguing quotes

From President Obama's upcoming State of the Union address to the outlook for 2012, here are some of the most notable sound bites from the Sunday morning shows.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

The state of the union is...

President Obama will outline his version in front of a joint session of Congress. Almost as soon as he has finished speaking, a chorus of voices will rise to say he was right, or he was wrong.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Giffords 'doing well' at Houston hospital

Mark Kelly (L), the husband of U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords, sits next to his wife (unseen, on a stretcher) with Giffords' mother Gloria (2nd L) as they arrive in Houston, Texas.Representative Gabrielle Giffords has begun what will likely be a months-long recovery at a Houston rehabilitation center two weeks after being shot in the head by an Arizona gunman, medical staff said on Saturday.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Shriver remembered for love of service

Saturday's farewell to Peace Corps champion R. Sargent Shriver was framed by the message that everyone can be compassionate and make a difference..


Source: CNN.com - Politics

R. Sargent Shriver remembered for heritage, hugs

The casket of R. Sargent Shriver is carried into Our Lady of Mercy Catholic church for a funeral Mass in Potomac, Md., just outside Washington on Saturday. Shriver, the man responsible for launching the Peace Corps after marrying into the Kennedy family, died last Tuesday at the age of 95.R. Sargent Shriver was honored Saturday as much for his passion for helping others as his loving hugs and enjoyment of baseball.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Giffords 'doing great' at Houston hospital

Mark Kelly (L), the husband of U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords, sits next to his wife (unseen, on a stretcher) with Giffords' mother Gloria (2nd L) as they arrive in Houston, Texas.Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is "doing great in her new room" at a Houston hospital, her husband said Saturday, as she prepares for the next steps in her recovery.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Report: Gingrich tells insiders he'll run for president

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has told several Republicans in his former state of Georgia that he intends to run for president in 2012, according to a newspaper column.

Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Friday, January 21, 2011

Abortion foes see chance for tougher curbs

Marchers walk to the steps of the Legislative Building in Olympia, Wash., on Tuesday during the annual March for Life anti-abortion event. Buoyed by huge election gains for their allies, anti-abortion activists head into their annual March for Life rallies sensing a prime opportunity in many states to rein in the broad abortion access established 38 years ago by the Roe v Wade decision.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Giffords arrives at Houston hospital

People wave and applaud as the ambulance carrying U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., leaves Tucson's University Medical Center on Friday as the congresswoman is transported to a medical-rehabilitation facility in Houston.Rep. Gabrielle Giffords arrived at the Houston rehabilitation center for her next steps in her recovery, less than two weeks after she was shot in the head.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Justice Scalia set to address Tea Party Caucus

Justice Antonin Scalia, a popular and entertaining speaker at various forums around the world, has one of the busiest schedules off the bench. But a closed-door address the conservative justice is scheduled to give Monday afternoon has attracted controversy, partly because of who is sponsoring the event.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

How the numbers shifted against gun control

Former Rep. Mike Castle of Delaware, a crucial Republican dealmaker who helped ensure passage of the 1994 gun control bill, was defeated in his Senate bid last year.Congress seems unlikely to enact gun restriction measures, despite a flurry of rhetoric in the aftermath of the Tucson killings. Why? Look at the numbers.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Giuliani keeps 2012 door open

"I will take a look at 2012," Giuliani told CNBC's "Kudlow Report." "It's really a question of, can I play a useful role? Would I have a chance of getting the nomination?"

Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Giffords heads to Houston for rehab

Rep. Giffords has been taken outside the hospital briefly. "We gave her some fresh air," a doctor said. Giffords moves to a medical center in Houston today.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

We need more like Joe Lieberman

Say it ain't so, Joe. But it is so.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Giffords to leave Tucson for Texas rehab center

In this photo provided by her office, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' husband, Mark Kelly, stands with his wife as she looks from her bed at the Santa Catalina Mountains while on an outdoor deck at University Medical Center in Tucson, Ariz., Thursday, Jan. 20.U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords will be moved Friday from the University Medical Center in Tucson to a special rehabilitation facility in Houston, Texas, 13 days after she was shot in the head.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Obama taps GE chairman for new economic group

The White House will announce a new economic advisory council on Friday, one that will be headed by Jeffrey Immelt, the CEO and chairman of General Electric.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

20 years after, Bush defends Gulf War as 'moral'

Former President George H.W. Bush defended the decision to kick Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait in the first Gulf War on Thursday and said his own adviser's criticism of his son's policies and invasion of Iraq in 2003 didn't bother him.

Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Architects of Gulf War gather for 20th anniversary

Marking the Gulf War's 20th anniversary, former President George H.W. Bush says he's not upset about a former adviser's criticism of his son's later invasion of Iraq.

Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Group: 2 justices may have conflict of interest in election case

A liberal reform group has asked the Justice Department to investigate allegations of conflict of interest by Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

2012 election map precarious for Senate Dems

Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., who announced on Tuesday he would not run for re-election in 2012, speaks at a campaign rally for Rep. Earl Pomeroy, D-N.D., on Oct. 13, 2010. Pomeroy, partially blocked at far right, lost in November to Republican Rick Berg, and Democratic U.S. Sen. Byron Dorgan, left, did not seek re-election and left the Senate this month.North Dakota Sen. Kent Conrad's retirement plans underscore a big problem for Democrats in 2012 and beyond. Farm Belt and Southern voters who prefer a Republican president but have often backed moderate Democrats for Congress seem increasingly inclined to vote GOP in all federal races.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Hu: Beijing not seeking dominance

Chinese President Hu Jintao wrapped up his visit to Congress, telling an audience of American business leaders that Beijing is seeking closer ties and greater trust with the U.S.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Analysis: JFK's words in today's troubled times

 Kennedy delivers his inaugural address after taking the oath of office at Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., in this Jan. 20, 1961 file photo. Fifty years after John F. Kennedy summoned Americans to a new generation of leadership and patriotism, one thing is clear: This is no age of Camelot.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Giffords likely to be moved to Texas rehab center

The next phase of recovery for U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is likely to begin later this week when she will be transported to a rehabilitation hospital in Houston.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Anti-abortion activist to run against Obama

An anti-abortion activist plans to announce Thursday that he will challenge President Barack Obama in the Democratic primary next year.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Hu faces chilly welcome on Capitol Hill

After all the niceties of a state dinner at the White House, the reception Chinese President Hu Jintao receives on Capitol Hill Thursday may be a bit chilly in comparison.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

NBC/WSJ poll: Obama bouncing back

President Barack Obama is seen here before a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC on Wednesday with Chinese President Hu Jintao.According to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, Obama’s approval rating has surged above 50 percent; confidence in the economy also has spiked; and the Democratic Party — but not the GOP — now enjoys a net-positive rating from the American public.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Obama: 'positive' ties to China good for U.S.

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden welcomed Chinese President Hu Jintao to the White House in a formal arrival ceremony Wednesday morning.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

NBC/WSJ poll: Public split on health care bill, repeal

Thirty-nine percent believe the health plan that Obama signed into law last year is a good idea, versus another 39 percent who think it's a bad idea.

Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Rice: 'I cannot imagine myself running for office'

Condoleezza Rice said she is enjoying life as a college professor outside the political realm, but she says the job is similar to her previous post -- secretary of state under former President George W. Bush.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Clinton: U.S. aims for 'win-win' with China

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Wednesday that the Obama administration wants to find as much common ground as possible with China, calling U.S.-Chinese relations the key to world stability in the 21st century.

Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Health care repeal nears vote

The House is set to vote Wednesday on repealing President Obama's health care overhaul, a move that could push Republicans closer to fulfilling a 2010 campaign promise.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Giffords feared being shot, husband says

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was worried about her safety long before she was critically wounded in a mass shooting that killed six people in Arizona, her husband said in a new interview.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

New governor: Non-Christians 'not my brother'

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley said anyone who isn't a Christian doesn't have that same relationship to him. Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley told a church crowd just moments into his new administration that those who have not accepted Jesus as their savior are not his brothers and sisters.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Slipping through cracks, 1 background check at a time

Jared L. Loughner, identified by U.S. federal law enforcement officials as the suspected gunman in the shooting of U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords and others in Tucson on Saturday, is seen in this undated high school yearbook photo from the 2006 Mountain View High School yearbook obtained from a classmate of Loughner's in Tucson, Arizona on January 8, 2011. REUTERS/Mountain View High School/Handout (UNITED STATESCRIME LAW - Tags: CRIME LAW IMAGES OF THE DAY) NO SALES. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS. NO THIRD PARTY SALES. NOT FOR USE BY REUTERS THIRD PARTY DISTRIBUTORSThe tragic shooting in Tucson, Ariz., has already prompted several major gun proposals on Capitol Hill. But none of them address how to stop an obviously mentally unstable individual like Jared Lee Loughner from buying a gun.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Sargent Shriver, first Peace Corps leader, dies

Sargent Shriver is escorted to his seat in the church by his son Anthony Kennedy Shriver before funeral services for U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy at the Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Basilica in Boston.Sargent Shriver, a former Democratic vice-presidential candidate and the first leader of the Peace Corps, has died at age 95.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Sargent Shriver dies at age 95

R. Sargent Shriver, who was responsible for launching the U.S. Peace Corps after marrying into the Kennedy family and joining John F. Kennedy's White House, has died, a family source told CNN.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Sarah Brady to Obama: Lead on gun control

She is 40. Jim was 40.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

U.S. strategy on Iran is working

The strategic calculus for dealing with Iran's nuclear program has shifted dramatically in the past month.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Bill Clinton to stump for Emanuel in Chicago

Rahm Emanuel looks on during a meeting between President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Gilani of Pakistan at the Blair House in Washington, D.C., on April 10, 2010.Rahm Emanuel hopes Bill Clinton can persuade Chicago voters to support his bid for mayor, despite a former mayoral contender's warning that Clinton risks his popular standing with the African American community by backing Emanuel rather than a black candidate.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Has Obama found his voice?

Barack Obama has found his voice again. America first heard him in 2004, when his address to the Democratic national convention electrified the delegates and marked the young Illinois legislator as a political comer.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Palin explains 'blood libel' comment

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said Monday that she used the term "blood libel" to describe comments made by those who falsely tried to link conservatives to the assassination attempt against Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.

Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Monday, January 17, 2011

Sargent Shriver hospitalized in Maryland

R. Sargent Shriver, a brother-in-law to former President John F. Kennedy who was the first head of the Peace Corps, has been hospitalized in Maryland, a hospital spokeswoman said Monday.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Maine gov. who blasted critics changes MLK plans

Gov. Paul LePage, right, dances briefly with Rev. Effie McClain, left, Monday, Jan. 17, 2011 at the Waterville Rotary Club's annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Breakfast in Waterville, Maine. (AP Photo/Joel Page) Gov. Paul LePage changed his Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend plans and showed up at a breakfast honoring the slain civil rights leader Monday, days after he said critics of his decision to skip other events could "kiss my butt." He even joined some of the participants in an African dance.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Schwarzenegger drops $200 million on ...

Politics is serious business -- but not all the time. From the halls of Congress to the campaign trail to the international stage, there's always something that gets a laugh or a second glance.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

R. Sargent Shriver in critical condition in Md.

FILE - In this Aug. 29, 2009 file photo, Sargent Shriver is escorted to his seat in the church by his son Anthony Kennedy Shriver before funeral services for U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy at the Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Basilica in Boston. A medical center spokeswoman on Sunday, Jan. 16, 2011 said Shriver has been hospitalized outside Washington. (AP Photo/Brian Snyder, Pool, FIle)Former Peace Corps director and vice-presidential nominee R. Sargent Shriver was in critical condition Monday morning at a hospital in Maryland, a spokeswoman for the family said.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Tough fight on gun control after shootings

Bring back the ban on assault weapons, or tighten enforcement of existing gun control laws and regulations? Those were two options offered by Democrats in the wake of the Tucson shootings.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Obamas to honor MLK Jr. with day of service

Events are scheduled around the United States to honor civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. as the nation marks the 25th anniversary of a holiday in his honor.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Police: Gun pointed at Illinois state legislator

Chicago police say someone pointed a handgun at a member of the Illinois House.

Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Sargent Shriver hospitalized in suburban DC

FILE - In this Aug. 27, 2009 file photo, Sargent Shriver, left, is escorted by his son to a car at the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port, Mass. A medical center spokeswoman has confirmed that former Peace Corps director and vice-presidential nominee R. Sargent Shriver has been hospitalized outside Washington, Sunday, Jan. 16, 2011. (AP Photo/Stew Milne, File)A medical center spokeswoman says former Peace Corps director and vice-presidential nominee R. Sargent Shriver has been hospitalized outside Washington.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Lawmakers return to public life

A week after the assassination attempt against Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, her colleagues in Congress have a message for constituents: their job is not changing.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Poll shows raw feelings easing over health law

As lawmakers shaken by the shooting of a colleague return to the health care debate in Congress, an Associated Press-GfK poll finds raw feelings over President Barack Obama's overhaul have subsided.

Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Senator: Giffords moving both sides of her body

Mourners will on Sunday honor the life of a retired construction worker who died shielding his wife from a spray of bullets in last weekend's Arizona massacre.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Giffords breathing on her own

A week after being shot through the head, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is off the ventilator and breathing on her own through a tracheotomy tube, the University Medical Center of Tucson said.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Friday, January 14, 2011

Obama administration ends high-tech border fence

A Border Patrol vehicle drives past a portion of the border fence in El Paso, Texas, in 2007. The Obama administration on Friday ended a high-tech southern border fence plan that cost taxpayers nearly $1 billion. The Obama administration on Friday ended a high-tech southern border fence scheme that cost taxpayers nearly $1 billion but did little to improve security. Congress ordered the high-tech fence in 2006 amid a clamor over the porous border, but the project yielded only 53 miles of protection.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Official: Costly virtual border fence is canceled

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on Friday canceled the controversial virtual fence along the U.S. border with Mexico, citing technical problems, cost overruns and schedule delays since its inception in 2005.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Priebus wins RNC chairmanship

Wisconsin Party Chairman Reince Priebus was elected chairman of the Republican National Committee after seven rounds of voting and more than four hours.

Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Obama to attend Holbrooke memorial service

The Kennedy Center will host a memorial service Friday for Richard Holbrooke, the veteran U.S. diplomat who died last month after surgery to repair a tear in his aorta.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

RNC: Round Three results

Reince Priebus gained two more votes but still not enough to win. And Michael Steele's fate seems all but assured.

Source: msnbc.com: More politics

First Thoughts: Michael Steele's last day?

Unless the shocking happens, the Republican National Committee will elect someone other than Michael Steele to be the party's next chairman.

Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Giffords' breathing tube might be removed

The breathing tube for U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords could be removed Friday as she continues on her "miracle" journey to recovery after she was critically injured in a mass shooting, her husband said.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Republicans seek more Latino outreach

Republicans gathering in South Florida to improve the party's outreach to Hispanic voters will tackle trade, education — and the elephant in the room, immigration — at a conference organized by the new Hispanic Action Network.

Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Thursday, January 13, 2011

JFK Library goes digital

To help mark the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's inauguration, the Unites States' largest online digitized presidential archives were unveiled Thursday.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

DeLay: Conviction all about politics

A defiant former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay reiterated Wednesday that he was sentenced to three years in prison for political reasons and that he had done nothing wrong.

Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Colleagues: Giffords' progress 'a miracle'

They described it as "a miracle."


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Man charged with threatening Rep. McDermott

A 32-year-old man from Palm Springs, California, was arrested Wednesday on federal charges of threatening U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Washington, in two profane phone messages to McDermott's Seattle office, prosecutors said.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Calif. man arrested over threats to congressman

U.S. Rep Jim McDermott received threatening phone calls, police allege.A California man was arrested Wednesday on a charge that he made threatening, obscene phone calls to the office of U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott last month.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Obama: 'Hopes of a nation here tonight'

President Obama sought Wednesday night to console those touched by Saturday's shootings in Tucson, Arizona, while warning against trying to politicize the tragedy.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Arizona enacts funeral protest legislation

Tucson just isn't that kind of town, says Christin Gilmer.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Miss. gov.: Time to build civil rights museum

Gov. Haley Barbour delivers his eighth and final State of the State address to a joint Legislature in House Chambers at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss., on Tuesday.Possible presidential contender Gov. Haley Barbour — under fire recently for comments that critics claim minimized the problems of Mississippi's civil rights era — said Tuesday night that his state should build a museum dedicated to the movement.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Boehner: Bipartisan prayer service can be 'source of solace'

Congress has responded to the Saturday shootings of 19 people, including U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, with a "collective embrace" rather than a "torrent of accusations," House Speaker John Boehner said at a bipartisan congressional prayer service Wednesday.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Palin: Critics create 'blood libel' after Tucson shooting

Sarah Palin has posted a nearly eight-minute video on her Facebook page condemning those who blame political rhetoric for the Arizona shooting that gravely wounded U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.

Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Maryland set to expand gay rights, same-sex marriage

Maryland is poised to become the sixth state to recognize same-sex marriage as proponents say they believe they have enough support to pass such a measure in the upcoming legislative session.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Proposed House resolution to condemn Arizona tragedy

The U.S. House of Representatives will vote on a resolution Wednesday condemning the "horrific" Arizona shooting rampage that left six people dead and critically injured a congresswoman.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

State's lawmakers pass 66 percent tax increase

Illinois lawmakers have approved a politically risky 66 percent income tax increase in an effort to solve a historic budget crisis.

Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

'Mourner-in-chief' unpleasant, but enduring, part of job

President Barack Obama began working Monday night on the speech he will deliver during a memorial service Wednesday for the victims of Saturday's mass shooting in Tucson, Arizona.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Gates: North Korea on path to becoming direct threat

Pyongyang's development of nuclear weapons and missile technology is putting North Korea on a path to "becoming a direct threat to the United States," U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Tuesday.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Leahy: 'Seething rhetoric' has gone too far

Sen. Patrick Leahy issued a stern warning Tuesday on toning down the political rhetoric that many say led to the shootings in Arizona.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Judges no strangers to balancing security

U.S. District Judge John M. Roll was among the six people killed Saturday when he dropped by a community event held by Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.The measures that thousands of judicial officials take every day show the challenges faced by members of Congress as they attempt to control their own unpredictable environments.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Arizona law would block protesters from funerals

Tucson just isn't that kind of town, says Christin Gilmer.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

'Shared failure' in BP spill cited in panel report

The Deepwater Horizon oil platform burns on April 22 shortly before sinking.Blaming the massive BP oil spill on government and industry complacency, a White House panel on Tuesday called for a dramatic overhaul of the way the U.S. regulates offshore drilling.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Biden: U.S. willing to stay in Afghanistan beyond 2014

U.S. troops will stay in Afghanistan beyond 2014 if Afghans want them to, Vice President Joe Biden said Tuesday.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Monday, January 10, 2011

Arizona shooting suspect could face death penalty

Jared Loughner, seen in this picture taken by Pima County sheriff's investigators, made his first court appearance Monday.Jared Loughner, head shaved, a cut on his right temple and his hands cuffed, stared vacantly at a packed courtroom Monday and sat down. His attorney, who defended "Unabomber" Ted Kaczynski, whispered to him.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

McCarthy calls for ban on high-capacity ammo clips

Democratic Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy of New York -- who ran for office after a gunman killed her husband and injured her son -- is drafting legislation that would ban the sale of high-capacity gun ammunition magazines to civilians in the aftermath of the tragic shooting in Tucson, Arizona.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Judge: Tom DeLay to serve 3 years in prison

Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay will serve three years in prison on his November conviction on money laundering and conspiracy charges, a Texas judge ruled Monday.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Judge sentences DeLay to 3 years in prison

Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay at the Travis Co. Courthouse in Austin, Texas on Monday.A judge ordered former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay to serve three years in prison Monday for his role in a scheme to illegally funnel corporate money to Texas candidates in 2002.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Obama expresses sadness over shootings

President Obama expressed sadness Monday over the weekend shootings in Tucson, Arizona. "All of us are still grieving and in shook from the tragedy that took place," he told reporters in a joint news conference with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

First Thoughts: A new chance for civility?

Tragically, the shooting Saturday at a congressional event in Arizona now has the ability to do what elected officials haven’t been able to do: usher in a more civil era in politics and, at a minimum, simply start a SERIOUS conversation about political rhetoric.Tragically, the shooting Saturday at a congressional event in Arizona now has the ability to do what elected officials haven’t been able to do: usher in a more civil era in politics and, at a minimum, simply start a SERIOUS conversation about political rhetoric.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Congresswoman's husband: 'There is little we can do but pray'

In his first public statement since the weekend shooting rampage outside an Arizona supermarket, the husband of a wounded U.S. congresswoman thanked supporters and expressed condolences to families of other victims.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Suspect charged in lawmaker's attack

Emergency personnel attend to a shooting victim outside a shopping center in Tucson, Ariz. on Saturday where U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., and others were shot as the congresswoman was meeting with constituents. Federal prosecutors brought charges Sunday against the gunman accused of attempting to assassinate U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and killing six people at a political event in Arizona.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Giffords in critical condition

A man suspected of killing six people and wounding 12 others, including U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, at an Arizona supermarket is in the custody of the FBI, according to authorities.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Obama speaks with Giffords' husband

President Obama spoke by phone late Saturday to Mark Kelly, the husband of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was critically injured in a mass shooting, a senior White House official said.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Congresswoman, others shot in Ariz.

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona was shot in the head Saturday when an assailant opened fire outside a grocery store during a meeting with constituents, killing at least six people.

Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Arizona Congresswoman Giffords shot

U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords was shot today at a grocery store in Tucson. There are conflicting reports on whether she has died.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

History network pulls plug on Kennedy project

FILE - Documentary filmmaker Robert Greenwald reacts during a news conference, in this July 12, 2004 file photo taken in New York. Greenwald was behind a petition drive to get the History Channel to not air a controversial miniseries it produced about the Kennedy family. The History Channel will not air a controversial miniseries it produced about the Kennedy family, saying the multimillion project that had become the network's most expensive on record did not fit the "History brand."


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Friday, January 7, 2011

Envelope ignites at D.C. post office

Metropolitan police were at a northeastern Washington postal sorting facility where at least one envelope ignited Friday, police spokeswoman Officer Tisha Gant said.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Suspicious mail ignites at D.C. postal facility

Frances Street in Annapolis, Md., is blocked off as officials investigate a suspicious package in the Jeffery Building, Thursday. Two packages sent to state government buildings released smoke and odors when they were opened, but no one was seriously injured, officials said. A piece of mail ignited Friday at a U.S. Postal Service distribution center in Washington, a day after several suspicious letters "flared up" at state government buildings in Maryland, authorities said.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Oklahoma to challenge health care law

The state of Oklahoma will file a lawsuit within the next few weeks challenging the constitutionality of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, according to the state's incoming attorney general.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Repeal effort defines GOP House debut

Newly elected Speaker of the House John Boehner is sworn in during the opening session of the 112th Congress on Wednesday.Just ten months after health care reform was signed into law the House is kicking off the new year and the new Congress by trying to undo what Democrats did last year.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Bernanke: Recovery taking hold, jobs lag behind

The U.S. economic recovery is finally getting stronger, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Friday morning.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Obama to bolster economic team

President Obama will announce key members of his economic team Friday as the administration tries to nudge the U.S. economy into a higher gear, a White House official said.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Illinois House votes to abolish death penalty

The Illinois House has approved a plan to abolish capital punishment in a whirlwind reversal on a historic vote.

Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Rep.: Military to propose billions in budget cuts

The Pentagon wants to slice an additional $78 billion over the next five years as part of a massive cost cutting initiative, the secretary of defense told congressional members Thursday morning, according to Rep. Adam Smith, D-Washington.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Obama: Daley brings 'strong values' to job

President Obama picked William Daley, a Clinton administration commerce secretary, to serve as his chief of staff -- part of a dramatic White House reshuffling.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Pentagon anticipates $78B in budget cuts

A prototype of a Marine Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle runs a test in the waters off the coast of Oceanside, Calif. Defense Secretary Robert Gates will cut $78 billion from the Pentagon budget in the next five years, money that will come from shrinking the military's ground force, increasing health care premiums for troops and other potentially unpopular cost-saving measures.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

8 reasons to leave 14th Amendment alone

There is nothing sadder than watching a political party turn itself inside out and violate its principles.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

U.S. adding 1,400 troops in Afghanistan

The United States plans to send about 1,400 more Marines to Afghanistan this winter, a U.S. military official told CNN Thursday.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

First Thoughts: Now what?

All the pieces for our 2011 Washington chess board are now in place, or are about to be.

Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Mass. lieutenant gov helps rescue family

A Massachusetts woman is calling Lt. Gov. Tim Murray a hero for helping her two grandchildren to safety after the minivan in which they were riding caught fire.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Constitution gets congressional reading by GOP

Republicans will have the Constitution read on the House floor Thursday morning in a nod to the conservative Tea Party freshmen that helped put them back in the majority.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Source: Petraeus' wife to be appointed consumer advocate

Holly Petraeus, the wife of the top U.S. general in Afghanistan, is getting a high profile role of her own. Thursday she will be named to a key position in the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, according to a source who would not speak for attribution because the announcement has yet to be made.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Legislators set sights on 'anchor babies'

A group of state legislators opposed to illegal immigration plan to propose a legislative "fix" Wednesday that would prevent children of illegal immigrants born in the United States from being citizens, a spokesman said.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Political Circus: Roseanne blasts Palin

Politics is serious business, but not all of the time. From the halls of Congress to the campaign trail to the international stage, there's always something that gets a laugh or a second glance.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

What should be the top priority for Boehner and House Republicans heading into 2011?

Incoming Speaker John Boehner and his Republican colleagues regain control of the House of Representatives today and will be instrumental in shaping legislation and policy for the next two years. What should be the top priority for GOP House leaders heading into 2011?

Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Wheeler last seen on Wilmington street

A former Pentagon official whose body was found in a Delaware landfill was last seen Thursday on a Wilmington street, authorities said Tuesday.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Obama staff moves coming this week?

President Barack Obama has narrowed the list of candidates for White House chief of staff down to two -- current interim boss Pete Rouse and former Clinton Commerce Secretary William Daley -- according to two senior Democratic sources close to the process.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Palin retweet: Support for 'don't ask' repeal?

So does Sarah Palin support repeal of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy or doesn't she?

Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Schwarzenegger tweet to Medvedev: Let's go skiing

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, left, takes the wheel of the Soviet-made Chaika sedan designed in the 1950s, to drive then-California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, right, to Moscow's suburb of Skolkovo, Russia.The Russian president and the Terminator are tweeting — and may soon go skiing together.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Judge: Emanuel can run for Chicago mayor

White House Chief Of Staff Rahm Emanuel looks on during a meeting between President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Gilani of Pakistan at the Blair House in Washington, DC, on April 11.A Cook County judge has ruled that former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel can run for Chicago mayor.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Political Circus: Obama as Luke Skywalker?

Politics is serious business, but not all of the time. From the halls of Congress to the campaign trail to the international stage, there's always something that gets a laugh or a second glance.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Dems dismiss health care repeal push

President Obama dismissed Republicans' plans to repeal his health care overhaul in the opening days of the new Congress as little more than a hollow nod to the GOP's conservative base.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Biden chief of staff to step down

Per senior administration sources, Vice President Chief of Staff Ron Klain will announce his departure today.

Source: msnbc.com: More politics

New governors could drown in red ink

Like many of the nation's new governors, in capitals from Sacramento to Albany, New York's Andrew Cuomo has shunned the usual inaugural pomp because of the state's dire circumstances of soaring budget deficits and sinking public confidence.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Cops probe 'weird' murder of Bush aide

Friends say they traded e-mails with John Wheeler III — who had not been reported missing — around Christmas. He had been scheduled to take an Amtrak train from Washington to Wilmington on Dec. 28, but it's not clear if he ever made the trip.A military expert who served three Republican presidents and helped get the Vietnam Veterans Memorial built was found dead in a landfill.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Monday, January 3, 2011

Jerry Brown returns to lead a troubled California

Democrat Jerry Brown was sworn in Monday as California's 39th governor, returning to the office he left 28 years ago but inheriting a much different and more troubled state than the one he led then.

Source: msnbc.com: More politics

GOP sending Obama message on health repeal

Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, holds a copy of the health care bill, trussed in sturdy rope, in front of the Capitol in Washington during a Republican news conference.Eager to show who's now in charge, the House's new Republican majority plans to vote to repeal President Barack Obama's landmark health care overhaul before he even shows up in their chamber to give his State of the Union address.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

First Thoughts: 10 questions for 2011

Another year, another round of political stories. To make sense of what 2011 could bring us, here are 10 questions to consider.Another year, another round of political stories. To make sense of what 2011 could bring us, here are 10 questions to consider.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

New governors shift balance of power

Four governors take their oaths of office Monday, helping usher in a new balance of power in statehouses across the country.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Schwarzenegger cuts sentence for politician's son

Arnold Schwarzenegger says he even might get back into acting if the right script comes along.Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Sunday commuted the manslaughter sentence of the son of California's former Assembly speaker and granted clemency to a woman who killed her former pimp.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Obama signs 9/11 health bill

President Obama plans to sign the 9/11 health bill into law in Hawaii on Sunday, a senior administration official told CNN.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

New Congress sets sites on oversight

Members of the new Republican-majority House will vote on repealing or changing last year's health care overhaul and target bureaucracy and wasteful spending.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Congress faces fight over spending

A number of contentious tax and spending issues are on Congress' agenda and factions within each party are ready for battle.


Source: CNN.com - Politics

Schwarzenegger's next act: return to LA, go green

The Terminator always said he'd be back.

Source: msnbc.com: More politics

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Cuomo sworn in as NY governor, faces huge crises

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, left, is sworn in by Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman during a private ceremony at the Executive Mansion in Albany, N.Y., Friday, Dec. 31, 2010. Cuomo's girlfriend Sandra Lee holds the Bible as his daughter Michaela Cuomo looks on. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)Andrew Cuomo (KWOH'-moh) has been sworn into office as New York's 56th governor in a private ceremony.


Source: msnbc.com: More politics