Romney accuses Obama of 'hide-and-seek' campaign
Mitt Romney unleashed a strong attack on President Barack Obama's truthfulness Wednesday, accusing him of running a "hide-and-seek" re-election campaign designed to distract ...full story @google.com/hostednews

Battle lines are drawn over whether Obama is waging a war on religion

There’s a war raging over the “war on religion.” President Obama’s public clash with U.S. Catholic bishops in recent weeks over the issue of health insurance coverage for birth-control services has ignited a wider debate over whether the administration’s policies such as gay marriage, abortion and employment-discrimination laws are running roughshod over religious freedom. ... read the full story @ washingtontimes.com

Herman Cain endorses Newt Gingrich for president Click here for article.

‘Poor’ Quote by Romney Joins a List Critics Love--Mr. Romney said, “I’m not concerned about the very poor,” a sound bite that ricocheted around the Web and cable news channels, and which Mr. Romney felt the need to clarify with reporters as he flew to Minnesota.Click here for article.

HHS says high court can kill insurance provisions of reform law but let others stand Click here for article.

GOP Insiders Rise up to Cut Gingrich Down to Size Click here for article.

U.S. Bridges, Roads Being Built by Chinese Firms-- Click here for video

Bob Dole hopes Gingrich has no chance to be president Click here for interview.

Obama: 'Big Ideas' in Economy-Focused State of the Union Address --President Barack Obama delivers his State of the Union Address on Tuesday to a joint session of the U.S. Congress. Mr. Obama hopes to point the way forward for the nation's economic recovery, frame the political debate with opposition Republicans and make a strong case to Americans to reelect him this year. Click here for article.

How Newt Gingrich won the South Carolina primary--Gingrich electrified debate audiences during the week with his confrontational exchanges and conservative rhetoric, and it showed at the polls.Click here for more.

As Gingrich surges in SC, Romney says he expects to lose some contests in nomination fight--Working to fend off a surging Newt Gingrich in what’s become an unexpectedly tight race in South Carolina, presidential candidate Mitt Romney said Friday he expects he will lose some state contests to Gingrich during a prolonged fight for the GOP nomination.Click here for article.

Hollywood regroups after losing battle over anti-piracy bills--After a week in which their anti-piracy legislation got derailed by the full force of the Internet lobby, the mood in Hollywood was one of anger, frustration and a growing resignation that the entertainment industry will be forced to accept a much weaker law than originally envisioned.Click here for article.

Fiery debate tops bizarre GOP campaign day in SC--NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C.—The race for the Republican presidential nomination took a turn toward the South Carolina surreal Thursday as Rick Perry dropped out, Newt Gingrich faced stunning allegations from an ex-wife and Mitt Romney struggled to maintain a shaky front-runner's standing. An aggressive evening debate capped the bewildering day. Click here for article.

Rick Perry Suspends Campaign--Rick Perry ended his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination and endorsed Newt Gingrich this morning, saying he saw "no viable path forward" after his dwindling support took him from front-runner status to dead last.Click here for article and video.

Internet community cheers power of protest--The Internet community's rallying cry against anti-piracy legislation had its intended effect of grabbing the nation's attention Wednesday, though the final outcome remains far from settled. Click here for article.

In wake of Web blackout, SOPA/PIPA support weakens--Pulling out were: Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida), who was a co-sponsor of the Protect IP Act in the Senate, as well as Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Roy Blunt (R-Missouri), John Boozman (R-Arkansas) and Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), according to the AP; and Reps. Lee Terry (R-Nebraska), Ben Quayle (R-Arizona) and Rep. Rick Larsen, (D-Washington), who said they had been in support of a similar measure in the House, the Stop Online Piracy Act.Click here for more.

Huntsman bows out with a call for a GOP truce--Former Gov. Jon M. Huntsman Jr. of Utah formally ended his once promising Republican presidential run with a call for party unity, asking the five GOP candidates he leaves in the field to end their negative ads, and criticizing President Obama for engaging in "class warfare." Click here for article.

Protest on Web Uses Shutdown to Take On Two Piracy Bills--The bills, the Stop Online Piracy Act in the House and the Protect IP Act in the Senate, are backed by major media companies and are mostly intended to curtail the illegal downloading and streaming of TV shows and movies online.Click here for article.

Obama Bid to Cut the Government Tests Congress--WASHINGTON — President Obama on Friday announced an aggressive campaign to shrink the size of the federal government, a proposal less notable for its goal — the fight against bloat has been embraced by every modern-day president — than for the political challenge it poses to a hostile Congress.Click here for article,

White House Won’t Back Internet Censorship in Anti-Piracy Bills--The Obama administration won’t back legislation to combat online piracy if it encourages censorship, undermines cybersecurity or disrupts the structure of the Internet, three White House technology officials said.Click here for article.

Romney Problem Is the Bain of Wall Street--On the surface, the two candidates wouldn't seem to be at odds. But A and B aren't adding up on the campaign trail. That, in a nutshell, is the Mitt Romney problem. Click here for article.

Limbaugh freaks as Romney lays claim to Obama's bailout--Rush Limbaugh is freaked out by Mitt Romney giving backhanded praise to President Obama for saving the American auto industry. Click here for article.

After New Hampshire, Romney is in position to win—but it’s not over yet -N.H.--Mitt Romney's more than 15-point victory over Ron Paul in the New Hampshire primary provided a big boost for his candidacy as the race for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination heads to South CarolinaClick here for article,

Huntsman is Only GOP Candidate Who Can Actually Beat Obama --When Mitt Romney attacked Jon Huntsman for his service in the Obama administration on Saturday, he had no idea the former Utah governor would get the last word. Click here for commentary

Rising Huntsman delivers closing argument--EXETER NH--Ending his New Hampshire marathon exactly where he first began it, Jon Huntsman delivered his closing argument to his biggest ever crowd in the Granite State, hoping that his weekend surge will be enough to propel him to South Carolina.Click here for article.

Rivals pounce as Romney says: “I like being able to fire people who provide services to me’--Republican front-runner Mitt Romney stumbled down the homestretch of the New Hampshire primary on Monday, declaring, “I like being able to fire people who provide services to me” as his rivals intensified already fierce criticism. Click here for article.

An Unexpected Boost for Obama on Jobs -- Could President Obama be a "job creator"? That buzzphrase has been the Republicans' way of referring to business owners who are supposedly hamstrung by overregulation and outdated economic policies that Obama has pursued over the last three years, including the controversial stimulus program from 2009. The latest unemployment report was modestly better than expected, with 200,000 new jobs added to the economy and a slight drop in the unemployment rate, to 8.5 percent.Click here for article,

Tables Turn on Romney as Rivals Assail Him in New Hampshire--Mitt Romney, able to seize the offensive in Iowa’s Republican presidential contest, turned overnight into a front-runner on the defensive as rivals stepped up attacks on the former Massachusetts governor in advance of New Hampshire’s pivotal Jan. 10 primary.Click here for article.

Santorum Draws Boos Opposing Gay Marriage Before College Crowd-- By Rick Santorum’s own admission, the Concord, New Hampshire, crowd he was addressing probably wasn’t going to be receptive to his conservative view on social issues. “I’m surprised I got a gay marriage question at a college crowd; really that’s a shock to me,” he joked. Click here for article.

Iowa caucus results: Santorum, Romney in virtual tie, with Ron Paul in third --DES MOINES — Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and former senator Rick Santorum (Pa.) were deadlocked for the lead for the Iowa caucuses late Tuesday night, leading a splintered and increasingly fractious field as the Republican presidential race moves to New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida. Click here for article,

Obama's Strategy Targets Republicans in Congress—Reports--The Obama administration offered a glimpse of its strategy going into the new year: Pillory congressional Republicans as obstructionist and sound populist themes in speeches across the country.Click here for article.

"60 Minutes Overtime":The Majority Leader: Rep. Eric Cantor --President Obama's nemesis throughout the year was 48-year-old Congressman Eric Cantor of Virginia, the majority leader of the House, who played a major role in the Republican strategy. Click here for video and story

Reading Frog Entrails And The Iowa Caucuses – OpEd--The Iowa caucuses may be over by the time you read this. But it doesn’t matter. The caucuses are the second-most fraudulent event on the nation’s political calendar. Click here for Op. Ed.

Keynes Was Right--“The boom, not the slump, is the right time for austerity at the Treasury.” So declared John Maynard Keynes in 1937, even as F.D.R. was about to prove him right by trying to balance the budget too soon, sending the United States economy — which had been steadily recovering up to that point — into a severe recession.Click here for Op. Ed.

Gingrich Fails to Qualify for Va. Primary Ballot --Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich failed to qualify for Virginia's Super Tuesday primary ballot, the latest setback for a candidate whose standing in polls has been slipping. Gingrich's campaign said he would pursue an aggressive write-in campaign, though state law prohibits write-ins on primary ballots. Click here for article.

Hate-filled GOP suffers self-inflicted wounds; Republicans determined to send Obama back to Chicago --This monumental political fiasco by House Republicans that made for a very merry (political) Christmas for President Obama is fueled by two larger, reinforcing realities. Click here for article.

Donald Trump breaks with GOP, changes party registration--Trump made the change official Thursday, a move prompted by his stated interest in mounting a third-party presidential run in 2012.Click here for story.

Republicans Oppose Two-Month Tax Cut After Backing 2009 Plan --House Republicans said they voted today to kill a Senate plan to continue an expiring payroll tax cut because it would only be extended for two months. Many Republicans weren't always opposed to a short-term cut, though. Click here for article

Payroll-tax bill shows GOP priorities--In one tidy package, the Republican leadership in Congress has presented its priorities to the American people: Protect millionaires, industrial polluters, gouging doctors and fossil-fuel refiners, while sacrificing the interests of federal workers and the long-term unemployed.Click here for article.

Newt Gingrich under fire in final GOP debate before Iowa vote Click here for article

Boehner rejects Senate plan to extend payroll tax cut--WASHINGTON – House Speaker John Boehner on Sunday rejected a Senate plan to extend the payroll tax cut for two months, thwarting a deal cut by the White House and Senate Republicans that would prevent taxes from rising on middle-class workers in the New Year.Click here for article.

Ron Paul shows strength ahead of Iowa caucuses--Though experts don't see him as capable of taking the GOP nomination, he's likely to deny a solid Iowa finish to a rival. It's a big change from four years ago. Click here for article.

Congress takes up partisan spending battle, again--Their poll numbers sinking, their constituents badly bruised by economic hardship and with millions of American workers about to get a sudden and unexpected tax increase, what are members of Congress discussing? Shutting down the government. Again.Click here for article.

NBC/WSJ: Gingrich At 40% With GOP, But Would Be Crushed By Obama --But the data also shows that Gingrich is a much weaker candidate against President Obama nationally. While Romney is only bested by the President by two points within the poll, Gingrich is crushed 51 - 40, showing the expansive disconnect between the GOP voters’ desire to have a non-Romney candidate and the chances that candidate has in the general election. Click here for article.

Court to Weigh Arizona Statute on Immigration--WASHINGTON — In the space of a month, the Supreme Court has thrust itself into the center of American political life, agreeing to hear three major cases that could help determine which party controls the House of Representatives and whether President Obama wins a second term.Click here for article.

House Passes Extension of Cut to Payroll Taxes --Defying a veto threat from President Obama, the House on Tuesday passed a bill extending a cut in Social Security payroll taxes for 160 million Americans for another year. But the Democratic majority in the Senate vowed to reject the measure because of objections to other provisions, including one to speed construction of an oil pipeline from Canada to the Gulf Coast. Click here for article.

Grim economic outlook weighs down Obama approval rating-- Less than one year out from Election Day 2012, voters remain overwhelmingly pessimistic about the economy, and their concerns are taking a toll on President Obama's re-election chances.Click here for article.

Fact Checking the Debate in Iowa--GOP presidential candidate Michele Bachmann came out swinging at the ABC News Iowa debate Saturday night, but rather than taking a jab at her comrades on stage, the Minnesota congresswoman directed her ire at President Obama.Click here for article.

Obama Strikes Populist Chord With Speech on G.O.P. Turf--Laying out a populist argument for his re-election next year, President Obama ventured into the conservative heartland on Tuesday to deliver his most pointed appeal yet for a strong governmental role through tax and regulation to level the economic playing field.Click here for article.

McConnell warns of popular vote 'catastrophic outcome'--The National Popular Vote is a compact among state legislatures under which they pledge that they’ll award their electoral votes to the presidential candidate who wins the most popular votes nationwide, even if that candidate was not the majority choice of their state’s voters.Click here for article

Former GOP Congressman Says Gingrich 'Evil' and a Liar -- N.Y. Congressman Guy Molinari Worked with Newt Gingrich in the 90s and Says He's an Evil Person. Click here for article.

Obama challenges GOP on demand that payroll tax cut be paid for--But the president also said he's befuddled by Republican calls to offset the tax cut, claiming Republicans did not make similar demands when George W. Bush was in the White House. Click here for article.

Gingrich: ‘I’m going to be the nominee’--“I’m going to be the nominee,” Gingrich told ABC News. “It’s very hard not to look at the recent polls and think that the odds are very high I’m going to be the nominee.” Click here for article.

Republican payroll tax cut plan fails in Senate--WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate on Thursday blocked a Republican plan to extend the payroll tax cut for workers for one year.Click here for article.

Boehner responds to Dems’ GOP portrayal as party of the wealthy --When asked about the messaging war between Republicans and Democrats over raising taxes on the wealthy, House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio said Republicans favor lowering the tax burden on small businesses in an effort to “try to get this government off the backs of employers so that they can begin to hire people.” Click here for the article.

NYC judge rejects $285M SEC-Citigroup agreement--NEW YORK — A federal judge on Monday struck down a $285 million settlement that Citigroup reached with the Securities and Exchange Commission, saying he couldn't tell whether the deal was fair and criticizing regulators for shielding the public from the details of what the firm did wrong. Click here for article.

AN OPEN LETTER TO CONSERVATIVES WHO WANT TO PLAY POLITICS WITH IMMIGRATION Click here for letter.

Newt Gingrich pushes back against opponents who claim he supports ‘amnesty’ for illegal immigrants Click here for article.

Despite pledge, donations flow from Starbucks-- If Starbucks chief Howard Schultz wants U.S. voters to withhold campaign cash from federal politicians, he may need to start with trying to halt the flow of donations from his employees.Click here for article.

Supercommittee failure complicates election year-- The failure of Congress' deficit-reduction supercommittee adds a new dimension to the 2012 political contests, drawing political battle lines around broad tax increases and massive spending cuts that now are scheduled to begin automatically in 2013.Click here for article.

License Plate Scanners Logging Our Every Move--The Washington Post reported on Sunday that the District of Columbia is engaging in widespread tracking of citizen’s movements using automated license plate readers (ALPRs). According to the Post, the D.C. police:Click here for blog

Fox News viewers less informed about current events than those who don’t watch news at all, study finds --A poll released by Fairleigh Dickinson University on Monday found that people who get their news from Fox News know significantly less about news both in the U.S. and the world than people who watch no news at all. Click here for article.

Balanced Budget Amendment Fails in House--The House today rejected a move to amend the U.S. Constitution with a Balanced Budget Amendment. The vote of 261-165 fell 23 votes short of passage, which required a two-thirds majority.Click here for article.

The Pledge: Grover Norquist's hold on the GOP--Steve Kroft takes a look at Grover Norquist, the man many blame for holding up the deficit-reduction process because of the anti-tax pledges he has obtained from nearly all the Republican politicians in Washington. Click here for article.

Millionaires on Capitol Hill: Please tax me more!--WASHINGTON (AP) — Lobbyists for a day, a band of millionaires stormed Capitol Hill on Wednesday to urge Congress to tax them more. They had a little trouble getting in. It turns out there are procedures, even for the really rich.Click here for article.

Deficit deal failure would pose crummy choice-- If the deficit-cutting supercommittee fails, Congress will face a crummy choice. Lawmakers can allow payroll tax cuts and jobless aid for millions to expire or they extend them and increase the nation's $15 trillion debt by at least $160 billion.Click here for article.

Study: Michigan among states raising poor's taxes--Michigan is among just a handful of states raising taxes on low-income working families while cutting taxes for other groups, the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities said in a report released Tuesday. Click here for article.

QUICK TAKE: McCain to GOP: ‘Waterboarding Is Torture’--en. John McCain of Arizona, the 2008 Republican presidential standard-bearer, has taken pains to avoid weighing in on the 2012 GOP primary. But on Sunday, McCain said he was "very disappointed" that some Republicans defended waterboarding at Saturday’s National Journal/CBS debate in South Carolina. Click here for article.

Congress: Trading stock on inside information?--(CBS News) Washington, D.C. is a town that runs on inside information - but should our elected officials be able to use that information to pad their own pockets? As Steve Kroft reports, members of Congress and their aides have regular access to powerful political intelligence, and many have made well-timed stock market trades in the very industries they regulate. For now, the practice is perfectly legal, but some say it's time for the law to change. Click here for article.

Romney, Gingrich at GOP debate: We'd go to war to keep Iran from getting nuclear weapons Click here for article.

FACT CHECK: Misfires on Iran, China in GOP debate--(AP) — Herman Cain contradicted himself on torture, Mitt Romney offered a prescription for challenging China that didn't add up and Newt Gingrich seemed to forget about crucial help by Pakistani intelligence in running down terrorists.Click here for article.

Mitt Romney Floats ‘Private Sector Competition’ For Vets’ Health Care System Click here for article.

US CEOs meet with China president--A small group of executives from some of the largest U.S. companies met privately with Chinese President Hu Jintao on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation CEO Summit to discuss trade, protecting intellectual property rights and challenges facing the world's two largest economies.Click here for article.

‘Oops’ and a Long, Sad Pause at Debate When Perry Can’t Get to Three--He emphatically declared that he planned to eliminate three government agencies in Washington. But as he began to explain, he could think of only two.Click here for article and Perry's video.

Who will emerge as Romney’s real rival? Republican debate doesn’t offer clues.--With fewer than 60 days until the Iowa caucuses, the struggle to become the conservative alternative to Mitt Romney is now the central dynamic of the Republican presidential campaign. Wednesday night’s debate in Michigan did little to clarify who will ultimately emerge to challenge the former Massachusetts governor, but it may have shown who will not.Click here for more.

Miss. defeats life at conception ballot initiative--Mississippi voters Tuesday defeated a ballot initiative that would've declared life begins at conception, a proposal that supporters sought in the Bible Belt state as a way to prompt a legal challenge to abortion rights nationwide.

Ohio voters reject Republican-backed union limits--In a political blow to GOP Gov. John Kasich, voters handily rejected the law, which would have limited the bargaining abilities of 350,000 unionized public workers. With more than a quarter of the votes counted late Tuesday, 63 percent of votes were to reject the law.

US Wealth Gap Between Young and Old Is Widest Ever--The wealth gap between younger and older Americans has stretched to the widest on record, worsened by a prolonged economic downturn that has wiped out job opportunities for young adults and saddled them with housing and college debt.-Click here for article.

Herman Cain accuser goes public with sexual harassment claim--Her appearance intensifies allegations against the Republican presidential candidate, whose campaign again denies all of the accusations.Click here for article.

Senate Democrats try new tack on jobs, push bill without millionaire surtax--On Friday, a trio of Democrats announced that the Senate would take up a measure, probably next week, that would give companies financial incentives for hiring veterans. Click here for article,

Cain's favorability drops after sex accusations: poll--The poll showed the percentage of Republicans who view Cain favorably dropped 9 percentage points, to 57 percent from 66 percent a week ago. Click here for article.

Herman Cain story follows him to Capitol Hill --Herman Cain on Wednesday worked to reassure Republican lawmakers that he could move beyond the sexual harassment allegations that have overtaken his upstart presidential bid. Click here for article.

Herman Cain dodges harassment questions as third accuser surfaces Click here

Senate clears $182 billion spending bill--The Rural Development Agency and essential air service subsidies for small isolated airports both survived challenges. And on a 60-39 roll call vote, seven Republicans joined Democrats in blocking a motion by tea party forces that threatened to pit food stamp benefits against discretionary spending for agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration. Click here for article.

The Right's Absurd Cain Race Card-- It has been interesting, if also predictable, to watch conservatives reacting to the Herman Cain sexual harassment allegations discover the horrors of anti-black racism. After all, they’ve spent the past three years claiming that the real victims of racism in the United States are whiteClick here for article.

Dorothy Rodham, Mother and Mentor of Hillary Clinton, Is Dead at 92--Her family announced her death. Mrs. Clinton canceled a trip to London and Istanbul to be at her mother’s sideClick here for article.

Skeptic finds he now agrees global warming is real--WASHINGTON (AP) — A prominent physicist and skeptic of global warming spent two years trying to find out if mainstream climate scientists were wrong. In the end, he determined they were right: Temperatures really are rising rapidly. Click here for article.

Cain denies report of sexual harassment--WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain's campaign denied allegations Sunday that he was twice accused of sexual harassment while he was the head of the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s.Click here for article.

Bachmann accuses rival Perry of organizing Tea Party slam-- Michele Bachmann's campaign on Friday struck back at a tea party affiliated group that called on the Minnesota congresswoman to end her presidential run, with the candidate herself suggesting that rival candidate Rick Perry might be behind the ambush. Click here for article.

New Poll Finds a Deep Distrust of Government-- Seven in 10 Americans think the policies of Congressional Republicans favor the rich. Two-thirds object to tax cuts for corporations and a similar number prefer increasing income taxes on millionaires. Click here for article.

House plans only 109 workdays in 2012-- House Majority Leader Eric Cantor released the 2012 House calendar today, and lawmakers will be spending even less time in Washington next year than they did this year.Click here for article.

Supercommittee Flirts With Failure as Deficit Deadline Nears--The congressional supercommittee seeking a long-term debt-reduction deal over at least $1.2 trillion in deficit cuts remains deadlocked over Democrats’ insistence on tax increases as a deadline for agreement nears.Click here for article.

Obama acts to ease burden of student loans--WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama is taking steps to ease the burden of student loans, the White House said on Tuesday, potentially helping millions of cash-strapped college graduates in a tough economy.Click here for article.

Clash with police stirs Oakland economic protest--In Portland, Oregon, a crowd estimated to number at least 1,000 joined in a march organized by the AFL-CIO labor federation in support of the anti-Wall Street movement. And Twitter buzz suggested the turnout may have gotten a boost from outrage generated by news of the injured Oakland veteran. Click here for more.

Bachmann’s ex-staff in New Hampshire calls campaign ‘dishonest’ and ‘cruel’--Two days after the New Hampshire-based staff for Michele Bachmann's presidential campaign resigned en masse, the ex-aides released a statement affirming their departure and calling Bachmann's national campaign "rude, unprofessional, dishonest, and at times cruel."Click here for article.

Who are the 1 percent?---Though Occupy Wall Street protesters have staked out workers in the nation's financial capital for weeks, a 2010 study suggests that most of the people in the "1 percent" don't actually work in the financial industry.Click here for article.

Silicon Valley makes a big investment in Obama's reelection--Computer and Internet companies have donated more than $1.2 million to Obama's 2012 campaign so far, among the highest totals for any industry, according to an analysis of campaign finance data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics.Click here for article

The Paradox of the New Elite--The two shifts are each huge and hugely important: one shows a steady march toward democratic inclusion, the other toward a tolerance of economic stratification that would have been unthinkable a generation ago.Click here for opinion

Obama still flush with cash from financial sector despite frosty relations--Despite frosty relations with the titans of Wall Street, President Obama has still managed to raise far more money this year from the financial and banking sector than Mitt Romney or any other Republican presidential candidate, according to new fundraising data. Click here for article.

Obama’s Jobs Plan Is Blocked Again by Senate Republicans-- WASHINGTON — For the second time in 10 days, the Senate on Thursday rejected Democratic efforts to take up a jobs bill championed by President Obama...The vote to advance the bill was 50 to 50. Democrats needed 60 votes to overcome a Republican filibuster.Click here for article.

Obama wants suspended health program to stay on the books--President Obama is clinging fiercely to a key part of his new health care law, with the White House on Monday saying he opposes efforts to repeal the CLASS Act - even though his administration said Friday it would suspend the new entitlement indefinitely.Click here for article.

Poll: Washington to blame more than Wall Street for economy--And in the democracy that fancies itself the capital of capitalism, more than four in 10 people describe the U.S. economic system as personally unfair to them. A USA TODAY/Gallup Poll taken last weekend, as the Occupy Wall Street protest movement completed its first month, found that:Click here for article.

Thousands rally in Washington with Sharpton over employment-- WASHINGTON - Thousands of Americans led by the Rev. Al Sharpton rallied yesterday against the backdrop of the Washington Monument, calling for easier job access and decrying the gulf between rich and poor before marching to the new Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.Click here for article.

Not every Republican digs GOP jobs bill--Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said Thursday that “all but a handful” of Republican senators are on board with his conference’s new jobs bill. Count Sen. Scott Brown as part of that handful. Click here for article.

Dionne: For GOP, doing nothing is the answer to every problem--So let's see: The solution to large-scale abuses of the financial system, a breakdown of the private sector, extreme economic inequality and the failure of companies and individuals to invest and create jobs is - well, to give even more money and power to very wealthy people, to disable government and to trust those who got us into the mess to get us out of it. That's a brief summary of the news from the Republican Party this week. Click here for article.

Geithner: will prosecute Wall Street infractions-- Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Friday that Americans should "stay tuned" for more prosecutions of Wall Street financiers who break the law.Click here for article.

Cain leads Republican field in NBC/WSJ poll-- Businessman Herman Cain now leads the race for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, while former front-runner Rick Perry has dropped to third, according to an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released on Wednesday. Click here for article.

Canada 'required' to arrest Bush for 'torture': Amnesty?-- OTTAWA — Amnesty International called on Canadian authorities Wednesday to arrest and prosecute George W. Bush, saying the former U.S. president authorized “torture” when he directed the U.S.-led war on terror. Bush is expected to attend an economic summit in Surrey in Canada’s westernmost British Columbia province on October 20.Click here for article.

Christie throws weight behind Romney--Mitt Romney's campaign got a major boost on Tuesday with the endorsement of Chris Christie, the New Jersey governor many conservatives had hoped would be the Republican candidate in the 2012 U.S. presidential election.Click here for article

Cain finds himself the target at GOP debate--HANOVER, N.H. – Businessman Herman Cain, the unlikely presidential contender who has never won an election, suddenly found himself the center of attention and the target of fire by his rivals after surging to challenge former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney at the top of the Republican field. Click here for article.

Executives tell Obama how to create jobs--WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama could create millions of jobs by attracting more foreign capital to the United States, helping entrepreneurs and being more aggressive in energy, business leaders said on Monday. Click here for article.

The Senate's Turn: Time to Pass the American Jobs Act--To the Senate: American workers need jobs. You have the opportunity to create or save at least a million jobs through the American Jobs Act of 2011. The members of the Coalition on Human Needs urge you to vote to move this legislation forward and to enact it as quickly as possible. Click here for article.

Roger Ailes lauds Palin as a ratings and man magnet--Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes did not hire Sarah Palin as an on-air commentator because of her lacerating wit or insight into domestic and foreign affairs. “I hired Sarah Palin because she was hot and got ratings,” Ailes, 71, said of the former vice presidential candidate in an interview with the Huffington Post published Wednesday.-Click here for article.

Perry rejects supporter's disparagement of Romney's Mormon faith--In Tiffin, Iowa, where Perry flew for a barbecue after his speech to the gathering of social conservatives, he was asked three times whether he agreed with the pastor Robert Jeffress' characterization of Mormonism as "a cult."Click here for article.

Democrats Seek Tax on ‘Richest,’ Aiming Gauntlet at G.O.P.-- In proposing a 5 percent surtax on incomes of more than $1 million a year to pay for job-creation measures sought by President Obama, Senate Democratic leaders on Wednesday escalated efforts to strike a more populist tone and to draw Republicans into a confrontation over how much affluent Americans should pay to help others cope with a struggling economy.Click here for article.

Palin Opts Against 2012 Presidential Run--Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin announced Wednesday that she won't enter the 2012 presidential race, making it all but certain that the final slate of GOP candidates has been set. Click here for article.

Obama, Cantor spar over jobs-stimulus bill-- “Right now, he won’t even let this jobs bill have a vote,” the president said of Mr. Cantor, Virginia Republican, in a speech during a visit to Eastfield College in Mesquite, Texas. “What’s the problem — do they not have the time? They just had a week off.”Click here for article.

Rick Perry Owned Shooting Range Formerly Called “N**erHead”--If you thought the prospect of Chris Christie entering the race or Rick Perry’s weak debate performances have him in trouble, you haven’t seen anything yet.Click here for article.

W.Va. Democrat wins close race for governor-- Democrat Earl Ray Tomblin overcame weeks of Republican attack ads to win the West Virginia governor's race Tuesday, successfully distancing himself from the Obama administration and the president's health-care plan.Click here for article.

Syrian troops battle hundreds of renegade soldiers-- Syrian troops fought intense battles Friday with hundreds of fellow soldiers who have turned their weapons against the government of President Bashar al-Assad, revealing the increasingly militarized nature of an uprising started months ago by peaceful protesters.Click here for article.

N.J. Gov. Chris Christie said to be reconsidering GOP bid for president --TRENTON, N.J. -- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is reconsidering his decision to stay out of the race for the White House in 2012 and is expected to decide soon, according to several people close to him.Click here for article.

Justice Dept. asks high court to look at health care law --WASHINGTON – The Obama administration on Wednesday asked the Supreme Court to decide the constitutionality of a requirement that most Americans buy health insurance by 2014, paving the way for a ruling in the middle of the 2012 presidential election campaign. Click here for article.

House GOP boosts federal heating fund--WASHINGTON--House Republicans released a spending proposal Thursday that would provide about $3.4 billion for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program--a significant cut from the current funding level, but probably enough to cover the Connecticut heat aid program approved by three legislative committees this week. Click here for article.

Health Insurance Costs Rising Sharply This Year, Study Shows--The cost of health insurance for many Americans this year climbed more sharply than in previous years, outstripping any growth in workers’ wages and adding more uncertainty about the pace of rising medical costs. Click here for article.

2012 speculation may continue after Christie speech --New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie hasn't changed his mind: He reaffirmed in a speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on Tuesday that he's not running for president.Click here for article.

Occupy Wall Street’s Media Problems--Occupy Wall Street’s first media problem was that there was no media. On September 21, Keith Olbermann chastised New York newspapers and major news outlets for ignoring the demonstrations in their first five days. “[The protesters] are not going to be able to refine their goals based on reading bad reviews in the protest critics of the New York Times,” said the Current TV anchor, formerly of MSNBC. Mr. Olbermann did not explain why the Times would be obligated to help Occupy Wall Street crystallize unrest into specific demands.Click here for more.

US shutdown avoided by disaster aid accord--WASHINGTON - Ending weeks of political brinkmanship, Congress finessed a dispute over disaster aid last night and advanced legislation to avoid a partial government shutdown this weekend.

The breakthrough came hours after the Federal Emergency Management Agency indicated it had enough money for disaster relief efforts through Friday. That disclosure allowed lawmakers to jettison a $1 billion replenishment that had been included in the measure - and to crack the Click here for article.

House Republicans Hope to Regroup on Spending Bill--WASHINGTON — House Republican leaders worked furiously on Thursday to round up votes for a revised version of a stopgap spending bill that they hoped to pass in an urgent bid to keep the government in operation and help their party recover from a humiliating political defeat. Click here for article.

Cain upsets Perry in Florida Republican straw poll-- Former pizza executive Herman Cain surprised rival Rick Perry with an upset victory on Saturday in a Republican presidential straw poll in Florida, dealing a disappointing loss to the Texas governor two days after a shaky debate performance. Click here for article.

American Spring?--There have been mobs of protesters in Zuccotti Park in Manhattan since Saturday, protesting greed on Wall Street. But if you haven’t heard much about it, that could be because, according to some critics, there’s an unofficial mainstream media news brownout of the events. Click here for article.. Click here for video

American Spring? Why no television coverage ?
Click here for more

Protesters Begin Effort to ‘Occupy Wall Street’--Protesters are gathering on Wall Street today in a movement they call “Occupy Wall Street.” As of noon, hundreds of protesters gathered at Bowling Green Park in Manhattan, home of the iconic charging bull in New York’s Financial District as they prepare to “take the bull by the horns,” as said on a flyer advertising the event. Click here for more.

BILL CLINTON'S STRAIGHT TALK ON LAGGING U.S. ECONOMY--Click here for a video

Obama's deficit proposal marks a move away from compromise--By calling for a millionaire's tax and threatening to veto any bill that doesn't address revenue as well as spending, Obama tacitly admits than his push for a 'grand bargain' with the GOP failed.Click here for article.

Hillary Clinton most popular national political figure: new poll--One third of Americans believe Hillary Clinton would have been a better president than Barack Obama, and two-thirds view her favorably, according to a new Bloomberg News poll. Click here for article.

Protestors joined by social media rail against Wall St. greed - forcing NYPD to lock down streets --More than 1,000 social media-driven protestors descended on the Financial District Saturday to rail against corporate greed, forcing the NYPD to lock down Wall Street. Click here for article

Let Them Die' -- Latest Tea Party Slogan?--the outburst has focused the attention of the public on the seeming lack of compassion displayed by the tea party itsel. Click here for article.

Obama's approval rating drops to all-time low; Public split on jobs plan--As concerns about the struggling U.S. economy grow, a new CBS News/New York poll finds that President Obama's overall approval rating has dropped to 43 percent, the lowest so far of his presidency in CBS News polling. In addition, his disapproval rating has reached an all-time high of 50 percent.Click here for article.

Twin defeats spark Democratic fears--The Democratic Party’s rare loss of a congressional seat in its urban heartland Tuesday, accompanied by a blowout defeat in a Nevada special election, marked the latest in a string of demoralizing setbacks that threatened to deepen the party’s crisis of confidence and raise concerns about President Barack Obama’s political fortunes. Click here for article.

Just Elected to Congress, and Already Talking of Staying--Bob Turner, who won a special election on Tuesday to succeed Anthony D. Weiner in Congress, emerged onto his porch in Rockaway Point, Queens, at 9:45 on Wednesday morning in a polo shirt and shorts and bare feet, still groggy from his victory party the night before.Click here for article.

GOP and jobs: How about a ‘win’ for the American people? Click here for opinion.

Soaring Poverty Casts Spotlight on ‘Lost Decade’--WASHINGTON — Another 2.6 million people slipped into poverty in the United States last year, the Census Bureau reported Tuesday, and the number of Americans living below the official poverty line, 46.2 million people, was the highest number in the 52 years the bureau has been publishing figures on it.Click here for more.

Obama to Congress: Pass my $447 billion jobs plan now --WASHINGTON -- With the nation verging on renewed recession, President Barack Obama urged a divided Congress Thursday night to back his new $447 billion jobs package, which he promised would give a "jolt to an economy that has stalled." Click here for more.

ick Perry’s remarks on Social Security stand out at latest debate--"The issue in the book 'Fed Up' Governor, is you say that by any measure, Social Security is a failure," Romney said to Perry. "You can't say that to tens of millions of Americans who live on Social Security and those who have lived on it." Click here for article and video.

Stewart rips media over "Speechgate"-- Fresh from vacation, "The Daily Show" host Jon Stewart finally weighed in on the petty debate over the scheduling of President Obama's jobs speech -- the one that would have been held Wednesday night but was moved to Thursday at the request of House Majority Leader John Boehner.Click here for article.

Polls show voters prefer GOP Hill majority --Most folks, according to a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, would purge all lawmakers from office — even the local representative. By a 58 percent to 31 percent margin, registered voters believe Democrats will do a better job of “standing up for the middle class,” according to a POLITICO/George Washington University Battleground poll. And in a third survey released Tuesday, conducted by the Washington Post and ABC News, only 28 percent of respondents approve of the way congressional Republicans are doing their jobs. Click here for article.

Al-Qaida's No. 2 reported killed by US in Pakistan --WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. and Pakistani officials said Saturday that al-Qaida's second-in-command, Atiyah Abd al-Rahman, has been killed in Pakistan, delivering another big blow to a terrorist group that the U.S. believes to be on the verge of defeat. Click here for article.

Goodbye to All That: Reflections of a GOP Operative Who Left the Cult --To those millions of Americans who have finally begun paying attention to politics and watched with exasperation the tragicomedy of the debt ceiling extension, it may have come as a shock that the Republican Party is so full of lunaticsClick here for article.

Sarah Palin vs. Karl Rove: Is he right that she's thin-skinned? --GOP guru Karl Rove on Wednesday advised Sarah Palin to get 'a slightly thicker skin' if she intends to run for president. It's Round 3 of 'The Battle of the Fox News Contributors.' Click here for article.

Seven ways Rick Perry wants to change the Constitution -- Perry laid out these proposed innovations to the founding document in his book, Fed Up! Our Fight to Save America from Washington.Click here for article.

Reports: Head of rating agency S&P stepping down --NEW YORK (AP) -- The president of Standard & Poor's is stepping down, a decision coming only weeks after the rating agency's unprecedented move to strip the United States of its AAA credit rating, according to reports published Monday. Click here for article.

NJ GOP lawmaker quit over wife's Carl Lewis email -- TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — A freshman Republican lawmaker resigned because his wife sent "an offensive and racist" email to the Democratic state Senate campaign of nine-time Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis, a GOP official acknowledged Monday. Click here for article.

Congressional Republicans Favor Letting Payroll Tax Increase to Normal Level --Tea Party-dominated Congressional Republicans have made a name for themselves by opposing taxes, but it turns out the caucus does favor increasing a tax that takes a disproportionate amount of income from workers and the poor -- a payroll tax increase that President Barack Obama opposes. Click here for article.

Both Sides Now: Obama a Leader? Tea Party Loser? SuperPacs Legal? --Since the Tea Party has gone from a favorable rating of one-third to now 20% favorable to 40% unfavorable, according to the CBS-NYT poll, are they the inmates taking over the asylum? Click here for article.

Democrats hold seats in Wisconsin recall elections --Robert Wirch and Jim Holperin, two of the 14 Wisconsin state senators who left the state in an attempt to prevent passage of an anti-union measure, won their recall elections Tuesday, according to the WisPolitics.com web site. Click here for article.

Ron Paul Mentioned on Daily show: Jon Stewart exposes media censorship of Ron Paul Click here for video

Warren Buffett – NY Times Op-Ed: Stop Coddling The Super Rich-- Billionaire Warren Buffett urged U.S. lawmakers Monday to raise taxes on the country's super-rich to help cut the budget deficit, saying such a move will not hurt investments. Click here for article.

Buffett touches a nerve with plea for more taxes Click here for article.

Republicans Perry, Bachmann share stage in Iowa --Two of the leading Republican candidates for president avoided confrontation on Sunday as they attended the same Iowa fund-raiser to court the party's social and religious conservatives. Click here for article.

Tim Pawlenty drops out of presidential race --“We needed to get some lift to continue on and have a pathway forward and that didn’t happen, so I’m announcing on your show that I’m ending my campaign for president,” the former governor said on “This Week.”Click here for article.

Michele Bachmann wins Iowa Republican poll --Michele Bachmann won the Iowa straw poll on Saturday in the first big test of the 2012 Republican presidential campaign, as Texas Governor Rick Perry launched a White House bid that could reshape the race. Click here for article.

Fireworks Erupt at GOP Presidential Debate in Iowa --Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who is seeking to boost his flagging campaign, dismissed Rep. Michelle Bachmann's record of accomplishments and results in Congress as "nonexistent." Click here for article.

Republican presidential debate in Iowa - live Click here for transcript

Wisconsin's Vote More Important Than Iowa's -- But the media should pay more attention to what is happening in Wisconsin this week, because rather than some "vote"-buying exercise (that always proves itself to be completely meaningless in the grand scheme of the presidential election process), Wisconsin could prove to be a much better weathervane in terms of predicting which way the political winds will be blowing, come next year. Click here for article.

Views of Congress, tea party reach new low in poll --Not all the anger is necessarily aimed at Washington, however. Public perception of the tea party movement, which many see as the driving force that kept Republicans from voting to raising the debt ceiling without implementing unprecedented spending reductions, is at a record low. Click here for article.

Recall Elections in Sharply Divided Wisconsin Are Ending on Frenetic Note --Wisconsin voters go to the polls on Tuesday to decide whether to remove six Republican state senators, more recall election efforts of state legislators in a single day than have ever taken place in Wisconsin and the latest chapter in what has been one of the most polarized, vitriolic political years in memory. Click here for article.

Perry's Surgery Included Experimental Stem Cell Therapy --When Gov. Rick Perry emerged from back surgery on July 1, he tweeted that his “little procedure” — a spinal fusion and nerve decompression designed to treat a recurring injury — had gone “as advertised.” Click here for article.

NEWS ANALYSIS Court rules for NIH in stem cell case --Embryonic stem cell research can continue, Sherley may appeal Click here for article.

Ransom Paid -Robert Reich.-Anyone who characterizes the deal between the president, Democratic, and Republican leaders as a victory for the American people over partisanship understands neither economics nor politicsClick here for commentary

The President Surrenders-By PAUL KRUGMAN--For the deal itself, given the available information, is a disaster, and not just for President Obama and his party. It will damage an already depressed economy; it will probably make America’s long-run deficit problem worse, not better; and most important, by demonstrating that raw extortion works and carries no political cost, it will take America a long way down the road to banana-republic status. Click here for opinion

Applause Greets Gabby Giffords' Return to House --Slowly, with a sense of purpose, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords entered the House chamber Monday night to cast her first vote since she was shot in the head last January, a dramatic return that surprised colleagues. The chamber erupted in loud, sustained applause as Democrats enveloped Giffords with hugs and kisses. Click here for article.

House calls off vote on Boehner debt ceiling plan --House leaders called off a vote on Speaker John Boehner's plan to cut federal spending and raise the nation's debt limit late Thursday, after a last-ditch lobbying effort failed to line up the Republican votes needed to ensure passage. Click here for article.

With Debt Vote Looming, House GOP Tries to Repair Its Fractured Coalition --A day before a pivotal vote that could shape the remainder of his Speakership, John Boehner issued a blunt rallying cry to his restive rank-and-file to support his plan to reduce the deficit and raise the U.S. borrowing authority before an Aug. 2 deadline. At a closed conference meeting on Wednesday morning, according to a GOP source, Boehner urged his troops to "get your ass in line" Click here for article.

John McCain unloads on the tea party --Frustrated by the sniping of conservative critics who opoose House Speaker John Boehner's plan to raise the debt ceiling, Arizona Sen. John McCain unleashed on tea party groups Wednesday. Click here for video and article.

Fallback debt plans in works --WASHINGTON - House and Senate leaders yesterday began working separately to craft their own fallback plans to raise the debt limit, as nervous markets dipped in response to the stalemate in the Capitol. Click here for article.

New dispute threatens debt limit negotiations --WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New disagreement erupted late on Saturday between congressional Democrats and Republicans over the timetable for increasing U.S. borrowing authority, possibly jeopardizing efforts to avert a default. Click here for article.

Aging of America is real enemy of GOP drive to cap spending --With their vote this week to impose strict limits on future federal spending, House Republicans continued an argument not so much with Democrats as with demography. The real current they are seeking to reverse is not some ideological drive from President Obama to convert America into Sweden; it's the inexorably rising cost of providing retirement security, especially health care, to an aging society. Click here for article.

Obama Should Raise the Debt Ceiling on His Own --PRESIDENT OBAMA should announce that he will raise the debt ceiling unilaterally if he cannot reach a deal with Congress. Constitutionally, he would be on solid ground. Politically, he can’t lose. The public wants a deal. The threat to act unilaterally will only strengthen his bargaining power if Republicans don’t want to be frozen out;Click here for opinion.

Symbolic House vote on debt ceiling approaches--The Republican proposal calls for deep spending cuts. Negotiations to avert a federal default continue behind the scenes.Click here for article.

NBC/WSJ poll: Americans want compromise on debt--As Democrats and Republicans wrestle over spending and deficits in advance of an Aug. 2 deadline to raise the debt ceiling, most Americans want their political leaders to compromise rather stand their ground, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal pollClick here for poll

Fake Democrats lose in Wis. primary recalls --MADISON, Wis. (AP) — All six fake Democrats lost to Democrats supported by the party in primaries Tuesday that are the first in a series of recall elections targeting nine Wisconsin state senators for their positions on Republican Gov. Scott Walker's divisive union rights restrictions. Click here for article.

GOP senator offers debt-limit last-ditch plan --To prevent default, he proposed that Congress in effect empower President Barack Obama to raise the government’s borrowing limit without its prior approval of offsetting cuts in spending. Click here for article.

Obama Challenges Republicans for Debt-Plan Details -- President Barack Obama is challenging Republican lawmakers to present a plan for a smaller-scale deficit reduction program as he attempts to steer them toward his $4 trillion goal, a Democratic aide said. Click here for article.

Boehner to seek smaller $2 trillion deal -- In a statement issued Saturday evening, Boehner said: "Despite good-faith efforts to find common ground, the White House will not pursue a bigger debt reduction agreement without tax hikes." Click here for article.

How Grover Norquist hypnotized the GOP --Norquist immediately replied: “We will make it so that a Democrat cannot govern as a Democrat.” Click here for article.

Pelosi flexes muscle as House Democrats prepare for final debt ceiling negotiations --Pelosi emerged from a meeting with House Democrats Friday to announce that they remain "firm" in their commitment to keep Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare free from cuts. Click here for article.

Obama, Democrats not ready to play 14th Amendment card with debt ceiling--Law professors, Democratic senators and liberal commentators have recently raised a tantalizing possibility for ending the congressional wrangling over raising the federal limit on borrowing: President Obama could simply declare the debt ceiling unconstitutional and be done with it Click here for article.

Fireworks in Congress as debt ceiling deadline looms--Treasury Department officials and leading economists have warned of potentially catastrophic consequences if the ceiling is not raised by August 2, at which point the country could default on its debt obligations. Among other things, the country could face skyrocketing interest rates and a plummeting dollar. Click here for article.

Is Clarence Thomas's Humble Georgia Museum a Huge Ethics Issue?--Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, and it was Thomas who introduced Pin Point residents to his friend Harlan Crow, a Dallas real-estate tycoon and major conservative donor, who would ultimately fund the museum. According to some legal analysts, Thomas's role in Crow's decision to donate may have troubling ethical implications. Click here for more.

14th Amendment: Democratic Senators See Debt Ceiling As Unconstitutional--"The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law... shall not be questioned," reads the 14th Amendment....."I don't think, as of a couple weeks ago, when this was first raised, it was seen as a pressing option. But I'll tell you that it's going to get a pretty strong second look as a way of saying, 'Is there some way to save us from ourselves?'"Click here for article.

Rolling Stone draws fire for attribution SNAFUs in Michele Bachmann profile Click here for article.

Bachmann kicks off bid for GOP nomination in Iowa--WATERLOO, Iowa — Rep. Michele Bachmann officially started her campaign for the Republican presidential nomination in her hometown Monday to an enthusiastic, but ultimately still uncommitted, crowd. Click here for article and video.

Why Eric Cantor Bailed
--With the two principals already at the table, aides say the inevitable endgame of Obama and Boehner hammering out the final deal appeared to already be under way—rendering moot anything that Cantor could have done in the six-way talks with Biden. After news broke of the majority leader's surprise maneuver, Boehner and Cantor hardly presented a united front. Click here for story.

Obama: This is beginning of the end of the Afghanistan war 7--President Obama on Wednesday night informed the nation of his plans to withdraw 33,000 troops from Afghanistan by fall of next year, marking the beginning of the end of an increasingly unpopular war. Click here for article.

Wisconsin unions sue over new collective bargaining law--Unions representing public workers in Wisconsin filed a lawsuit in federal court on Wednesday to block the state's new curbs on collective bargaining, which were upheld by the state's Supreme Court on Tuesday. Click here for article.

Weiner's resignation leaves questions about future --NEW YORK — Over howls from hecklers and cheers from die-hard fans, Rep. Anthony Weiner resigned from Congress on Thursday in a raucous news conference that raised more questions than it answeredClick here for article.

Supreme Court reinstates collective bargaining law --Madison - Acting with unusual speed, the state Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the reinstatement of Gov. Scott Walker's controversial plan to end most collective bargaining for tens of thousands of public workers Click here for article.

Debate showing elevates Bachmann to higher tier --WASHINGTON — Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann opened the first big Republican debate in New Hampshire on Monday by announcing she had filed the paper work for her presidential campaign. Click here for article.

Palin flubs explanation of Paul Revere’s ride Click here for article.

Rep. Anthony Weiner silent as few colleagues defend him-- With pressure increasing from colleagues on both sides of the aisle, embattled Rep. Anthony Weiner fell uncharacteristically silent Tuesday: no news conferences, no cable television appearances and certainly no Twitter posts. Click here for article.

AP Exclusive: Former Palin aide pens tell-all--"Blind Allegiance to Sarah Palin: A Memoir of Our Tumultuous Years" is due out Tuesday and based on tens of thousands of emails that Bailey said he kept during his time with Palin. Click here for article.

Democrat Kathy Hochul wins upstate New York race--Democrat Kathy Hochul drew on voter discontent over Republican plans to revamp Medicare to score an upset win on Tuesday in a special election to represent a conservative upstate New York congressional district. Click here for article.

Gingrich Calls GOP Medicare Plan 'Right-Wing Social Engineering'--In the same interview Sunday, on NBC's "Meet the Press," Mr. Gingrich backed a requirement that all Americans buy health insurance, complicating a Republican line of attack on President Barack Obama's health law. Click here for article.

Donald Trump: A Man With An Inferiority Complex?--Yesterday, to the surprise of no one who analyzes (rather than swallows) news stories, Donald Trump announced that he would not run for President in 2012. Then Trump demonstrated that he suffers far more insecurity than one would expect from someone ranked #153 on the Forbes 400. Click here for article.

Medicare fight exposes House GOP’s internal rifts--The House Republican confusion over the party’s Medicare stance Thursday underscores two worries for the GOP — an often insecure, rivalrous leadership and a very bright Budget Committee chairman given to jumping ahead of his troops. Click here for article.

G.O.P. Medicare Plan Shakes Up Race for House Seat--Then along came Representative Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin. Mr. Ryan, a top House Republican, released a plan calling for the most extensive overhaul of Medicare since it was created. Click here for article.

Pakistan reacts angrily to tone of U.S. questions--Washington (CNN) -- The United States is pressing Pakistani authorities for answers about how Osama bin Laden could have lived close to a major military base near Pakistan's capital without the government knowing, two senior U.S. officials said Wednesday. Click here for article.

Fake Bin Laden Photos Fool Some Lawmakers--President Obama has said he won't release a photo of a dead Usama bin Laden, but that didn't stop several lawmakers from weighing in on whether it should be released after they claimed to have seen copies themselves. But there's only one problem: At least some of those photos weren't the real McCoy. Click here for article.

Wisconsin Update: Assembly result means a fight for GOP senator--Madison — The Democratic victory Tuesday in a special election for a La Crosse-area Assembly seat is the latest sign of trouble for Republican Sen. Dan Kapanke as opponents try to recall him. La Crosse County Board Chairman Steve Doyle was elected Tuesday to the Assembly, defeating home builder John Lautz to take a seat that had been in Republican hands since 1994. The special election was held after Republican Gov. Scott Walker tapped Rep. Mike Huebsch to run the state Department of Administration and serve as his chief adviser. Click here for article.

House Republicans face backlash at home over budget plan-- The lawmakers, back in their districts during the Congress recess, are confronted with tough questions from constituents about the GOP proposal that would turn Medicare into a voucher system and reduce taxes for the wealthy.Click here for article.

House Republicans regroup amid Medicare anger-As Ryan and other congressmen feel the heat, GOP confers on refining message- ORLANDO, Fla. — Freshman Rep. Daniel Webster was armed with a rainbow of graphs and pie charts, ready to make the GOP's case for budget cuts before his own constituents. He was barely a minute into his prepared remarks Tuesday when the yelling started.Click here for article.

Sen. John Ensign Announces Resignation From US Senate -- Sen. John Ensign announced Thursday he is resigning from his seat in Congress, where he served for 11 years, and he will send a letter to Vice President Joe Biden on Friday stating that his resignation from office will be effective on May 3, 2011.Click here for article.

Bachmann Says Obama's Certificate 'Settles' Birther Issue -- For the first time, Rep. Michele Bachmann – who is actively considering a run for the White House in 2012 -- has said that the birth certificate President Obama has released to the public puts an end to the "birther" issue. Click here for story.

As debt ceiling vote nears, the pressure’s on House Republican freshmen--But now the 87 freshmen House Republicans are facing intense pressure from administration officials and even some natural allies on why they should — indeed, why they must — vote to allow the federal government to go even deeper into debt. Click here for article.

Arizona gov. vetoes presidential 'birther' bill --PHOENIX – Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer on Monday vetoed a bill that would have required President Barack Obama and other presidential candidates to prove their U.S. citizenship before their names could appear on the state's ballot. Click here for more.

Glenn Beck to end daily TV program on Fox News Channel Click here for more.

Republicans pushing to revamp Medicare could find themselves out of office --Polling is very clear. Most voters want to see the federal budget balanced and spending cut. However, they don't want Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid touched, and, oh yes, they don't want taxes increased. Click here for article.

Wisconsin Democrats File Recall Petition against Senator Kapanke of La Crosse --The Democrats collected enough signatures to force a recall election of State Senator Dan Kapanke of La Crosse. He is one of the eight Republican state senators that the Democrats want to oust for supporting the governor’s law. Click here for article.

Wis. top court election adds fuel to 'powder keg' --Lake Mills, population 2,070, was the last precinct to report results of Tuesday's election for state Supreme Court justice between Justice David Prosser and challenger JoAnne Kloppenburg. When those ballots were finally counted, Kloppenburg led by an unofficial margin of just 204 votes out of more than 1.4 million ballots cast. Click here for story.

Negotiations on Budget Inch Ahead in House -- WASHINGTON — As budget negotiations resumed on Capitol Hill and appeared to make headway, House Republican leaders on Wednesday began the delicate task of assessing what level of compromise they can sell to a conservative rank-and-file spoiling for a fiscal fight. Click here for article.

Wisconsin: Judge Again Halts Law Stripping Union Rights -- A judge on Thursday halted Gov. Scott Walker’s plans — at least temporarily — to cut most public workers’ pay and strip them of most of their union rights. Judge Maryann Sumi of Dane County Circuit Court issued a declaration stating in no uncertain terms that the collective bargaining law that led to weeks of protests had not taken effect,Click here for article.

10 Latino Politicians to Watch--The 2010 Census revealed that in the past decade, the Latino population has nearly doubled in several traditionally conservative battleground states. This means that the outcome of the 2012 election could be determined by politicians ability to win over this group. As both parties refocus on this critical voting bloc, we look at ten Latino politicians whose stars are on the rise. Click here for article and vote.

House Votes to End Money for NPR, and Senate Passes Spending Bill --Across the Rotunda, the Senate approved a short-term spending measure passed earlier in the week by the House that would keep the government financed through April 8. Click here for article.

Many U.S. Blacks Moving to South, Reversing Trend --The percentage of the nation’s black population living in the South has hit its highest point in half a century, according to census data released Thursday, as younger and more educated black residents move out of declining cities in the Northeast and Midwest in search of better opportunities. Click here for article.

Voters Recall Florida Official--Miami-Dade County voters recalled their top elected official Tuesday, culminating an effort financed by a billionaire car dealer and fueled by frustrations over a poor economy and unpopular policy decisions. Click here for article.

GOP rift forms as House passes stopgap spending bill. What happens next? --Republican freshmen revolt, saying the three-week spending bill cuts too little – $6 billion – from the 2011 budget. House Democrats who backed the measure say the GOP rift gives them an edge. Click here for article.

Wis. GOP bypasses Dems, cuts collective bargaining--MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Senate succeeded in voting Wednesday to strip nearly all collective bargaining rights from public workers, after Republicans outmaneuvered the chamber's missing Democrats and approved an explosive proposal that has rocked the state and unions nationwide. Click here for article.

Senate rejects rival GOP, Democratic budgets --WASHINGTON – The Democratic-led Senate on Wednesday emphatically rejected a budget-slashing House spending bill as too draconian. It then immediately killed a rival Democratic plan that was derided by moderate Democrats as too timid in its drive to cut day-to-day agency budgets. Click here for article.

Wisconsin voters express buyer’s remorse over Gov. Scott Walker --Two months into his first term, a new poll shows Wisconsin voters are unhappy with GOP Gov. Scott Walker--and would send him packing if they were given a do-over of the 2010 election that sent him to the statehouse in Madison. Click here for article.

Republicans turning on Scott Walker Click here for article.

Facts overshadowed in debate over union bill - The budget as it stands now is balanced, and Walker is under no legal obligation to make changes. But by mid-summer, the state could come up short on cash to pay its bills, largely because of a projected $169 million shortfall in its Medicaid program. Click here for article.

Governor Walker's office confirms prank Koch call --* Walker doesn't bat an eye when Koch describes the opposition as "Democrat bastards." Click here for article.

Volatile House nears passage of budget bill --The Tea Party movement, propelled by last fall’s elections, reached an acrimonious apex yesterday as the Republican-controlled House neared passage of a vast budget-cutting measure that would also bar the Environmental Protection Agency from spending money to control global warming gases. Click here for article.

The Fast Fix: A judge of few words --Why has Justice Clarence Thomas remained silent for five years? Click here for article.

House GOP unveils $61B spending cut plan --House Republicans called for cuts in hundreds of programs across the face of government Friday night in a $61 billion savings package toughened at the last minute at the demand of tea party-backed conservatives. Click here for article.

Boehner says facts show Obama a Christian, citizen -- Boehner continued: "Having said that, the state of Hawaii has said that he was born there. That's good enough for me. The president says he's a Christian. I accept him at his word." He later called those "the facts" of Obama's background. Click here for article.

Confronted with rebellion, GOP promises $100 billion in cuts --WASHINGTON – Piling cuts on top of cuts, House Republican leaders outlined an additional $26 billion in spending reductions on Thursday in hopes of placating conservatives who rejected an initial draft as too timid. Click here for article.

Arizona sues US government over illegal immigrants --The lawsuit, which seeks federal compensation, is in response to a federal lawsuit filed by President Barack Obama's administration last year challenging Arizona's enforcement of a new immigration law along the US-Mexican border. Click here for article.

NY Rep. Lee resigns after shirtless photo story --The gossip website Gawker reported Wednesday that Rep. Christopher Lee, a two-term Republican with a young son, had e-mailed the photo to a woman he met on the Craigslist classified-ads website. Click here for article.

Why The GOP’s Anti-Abortion Bill Is A Tax Hike On Gays And Lesbians - Despite months and months of promises to focus on “jobs, jobs, jobs!,” the GOP has not put forth a single bill that will create a single job. Instead, this year they are wasting their entire time ...Click here for article.

House GOP spending plan falls short of promises --February 7, 2011. Washington. Republican House leaders unveiled their F2011 budget plan while critics complained that it falls embarrassingly short of their 'Pledge to America' promise. Click here for article.

U.S. in talks over possible Mubarak departure -- U.S. officials said on Thursday they were discussing with Egyptians different scenarios for a transition of power, including one in which President Hosni Mubarak leaves office immediately Click here for article.

Senate Republicans lose vote on health law--WASHINGTON – A Republican drive to repeal the year-old health care law ended in party-line defeat in the Senate on Wednesday, leaving the Supreme Court to render a final, unpredictable verdict on an issue steeped in political and constitutional controversy. The vote was 47-51. Click here for article.

State of the Union: Obama calls for unity, yet challenges GOP --The president's State of the Union message focuses on bipartisanship and offers proposals sure to please conservatives. But the broad outlines of his expected reelection run are clearly visible. Click here for article.

Approaching Civility (if Perhaps Falling Short of Eloquence) in Debate Click here for article.

G.O.P. Bloc Presses Leaders to Slash Even More-- House Republican leaders confronted pressure from conservatives on Thursday to take more aggressive steps to cut federal spending, with a large group of lawmakers calling for outlays to be slashed by $2.5 trillion over the next decade, far more than the party has sought so far.Click here for article.

Should GOP Top Priority Be Healthcare Repeal? --The House plans to start debate this afternoon on whether to repeal last year's healthcare reforms, dubbed Obamacare by critics. Many have called the GOP’s efforts symbolic at best since it’s unlikely the Democrat-heavy Senate would pass such a bill, and even more unlikely President Obama would sign it. Click here for article.

Conrad to retire; Lieberman next? -- WASHINGTON - Sen. Kent Conrad of North Dakota on Tuesday became the first Democrat to announce he would not run for reelection in 2012, handing Republicans an early opportunity to gain a seat in a conservative-leaning stateClick here for article.

Will Limbaugh address ‘straight shooter’ billboard? --Will Rush Limbaugh address on Friday's radio show the controversial "straight shooter" ad that was yanked from a billboard this week in Tucson, Ariz., after Saturday's fatal shooting Click here for article.

Giffords' Husband Says She Feared She'd Be Shot --Mike Kelly, husband of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, tells ABC News Tuesday that Giffords had a prescient feeling about the Tucson shooting in which she was injured, telling him, "Someday I'm really worried that somebody's going to come up to me at one of these events with a gun." Click here for article.

"Blood Libel" Remark from Palin Sparks Controversy -As the New York Times' Michael Shear explained, "By using the term 'blood libel' to describe the criticism about political rhetoric after the shootings, Ms. Palin was inventing a new definition for an emotionally laden phrase. Blood libel is typically used to describe the false accusation that Jews murder Christian children to use their blood in religious rituals, in particular the baking of matzos for passover Click here for story

How Obama's Tucson Speech Elevated the Political Debate --The president memorialized the dead and celebrated the heroes. He could have stopped there. He could have decided not to tarnish their memory with politics. He made another decision, using just enough politics and the power of his office to build a memorial to their lives by calling the rest of us to live up to their example Click here for article.

Obama tells polarized nation: 'We can be better'-- TUCSON, Ariz. – Summoning the soul of a nation, President Barack Obama on Wednesday implored Americans to honor those slain and injured in the Arizona shootings by becoming better people, telling a polarized citizenry that it is time to talk with each other "in a way that heals, not in a way that wounds." Following a hospital bedside visit with Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, the target of the assassination, he said: "She knows we're here, and she knows we love her." Click here for article.

Tucson Prepares For President Barack Obama's Visit --TUCSON, Ariz. -- President Barack Obama will be joined by First Lady Michelle Obama for a memorial service in Tucson Wednesday night. Click here for more.

Congress mulls stepping up security --Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.) intends to reintroduce legislation this week that would enclose the House Gallery with a protective Plexiglas case to prevent members of the public from throwing explosive devices onto the House floor. Click here for article.

House suspends vote on health care repeal --WASHINGTON – The House of Representatives is postponing a vote on repealing the recently enacted health care law because of the shooting spree in Tucson, Ariz. that killed a federal judge and wounded Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.
Click here for article

FBI Follows Internet Trail of Tucson, Ariz. Gunman --Man who shot Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords left ominous video trail on web. Click here for video.

Who’s on the Line? Increasingly, Caller ID Is Duped Click here for article

POLITICAL VISUAL OF THE WEEK

Muppets Diss Fox News In Response To Accusations Of Being Anti-Oil

Click on picture for video

More Political videos, click here.

And Nothing But The Truth--NYC Taxi Advocates take to the air to refute Mayor Bloomberg's position on accessible taxis. Listen to the second segment on accessible taxi.

COMACTA or the Community Action Civic Association which is a 501(c)4 non- partisan organization that attempts to bring large policy, political and program issues down to the community level for debate and discussion. Besides the program we have a monthly radio show on WVOX AM (1460 AM) or www.wvox.com on the third Saturday of each month and COMACTA has weekly newspaper columns in local papers in four counties in NYS
mailto:nycommunityaction@gmail.com

NEWObamacare Is Losing CLASS Fast
--It may be only a few days since Congress began its new session, but it has already done some decent work. This week, the House Ways and Means Committee held the markup of H.R. 1173, which would repeal the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act.
Click here for article.

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