BeltwayBlips - Latest Political News Articles

Push for Health Votes in Final Hours

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 00:59:18 +0000

The 220-215 health vote late Saturday gave Obama and the Democrats virtually no margin to spare. The intense push showed a leadership team that was unsure of passage up to the final hours.

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: White House, Barack Obama

Same-Sex Marriage Faces an Uphill Battle in Albany, if It Makes It to a Vote

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 00:52:38 +0000

After an upset in Maine, gay rights advocates and their opponents are looking to New York, where it was unclear whether the State Senate would pass the measure.

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: Other

Obama to meet with Israel's Netanyahu on Monday (AFP)

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 00:40:47 +0000

AFP - US President Barack Obama will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday for the first time since US efforts to restart Middle East peace talks stalled, a White House official said.

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: White House, Barack Obama, Benjamin Netanyahu

Provision in a Bill Aimed at Helping Needle Exchanges Would Hurt Most of Them

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 00:33:52 +0000

The provision would ban federally financed needle exchanges from being within 1,000 feet of any place children might gather, and would apply to most of the the exchanges.

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: Congress, House of Representatives

Clinton: Berlin Wall festivities not just a party

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 00:08:39 +0000

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton urged Europeans and Americans on Sunday to see the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall as a call to action against new global threats.

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: Congress, Hillary Rodham Clinton

Jerry Brown leads poll of gloomy California voters

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 23:55:36 +0000

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - California Attorney General Jerry Brown is by far the most popular candidate for governor in next year's election, but most voters in his party are unhappy that he is the only major Democrat running, according to a new poll on Sunday.

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: Congress, General David Petraeus, Sherrod Brown, Gallup Poll

Obama will meet Netanyahu at White House

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 23:49:38 +0000

The White House announced Sunday that President Barack Obama will be meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu during the Israeli prime minister's trip to Washington, ending days of uncertainty.

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: White House, Barack Obama, Benjamin Netanyahu, Washington, D.C

Requests Rise for Jobless-Aid Program

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 23:31:56 +0000

A U.S. program that pays generous benefits to jobless people displaced by global trade has been swamped with applications in recent months, leaving potential beneficiaries in limbo.

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: Other

Netanyahu's Washington trip clouded by Abbas threat

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 22:48:20 +0000

TEL AVIV, Israel (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew to Washington on Sunday with the U.S. Middle East peace drive in crisis over a threat by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to stand down.

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: World, Benjamin Netanyahu, Washington, D.C, Mahmoud Abbas

Pelosi's hard push pays off (Politico)

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 22:39:03 +0000

Politico - Pelosi is proving more practical than her frequent caricature as an activist, upper-crust liberal suggests.

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: Congress, Nancy Pelosi

Clinton: Berlin Wall festivities not just a party (AP)

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 22:15:53 +0000

AP - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton urged Europeans and Americans on Sunday to see the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall as a call to action against new global threats.

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: Congress, Hillary Rodham Clinton

State of the Union: John King's Crib Sheet for November 8

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 22:07:18 +0000

In his Crib Sheet, CNN's John King looks back at Sunday's talk shows and ahead to the topics that will be making news this week. The dramatic late Saturday House vote in favor of sweeping health care changes was a major topic of the Sunday conversation, with the debate breaking down this way: *Democrats saw the victory, as narrow as it was, as a major step forward and a momentum boost they say dramatically increases the odds of getting legislation to President Obama this year. *Republicans took the 220-215 margin – and the 39 Democrats who voted “No” – as proof of jitters in the Democratic ranks, and proof that they will end up on the winning side of politics of health care. Other major Sunday attention grabbers: *Gen. George Casey, the Army Chief of Staff, chose his words carefully when discussing the tragic massacre at Fort Hood. But he was emphatic in his appeal that Muslims serving in the Army and other military services should not face suspicion or ...

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips:

Why Some Democrats Voted Against the House Health Bill

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 21:59:40 +0000

Brody Mullins reports on health care from Washington The nearly 40 Democrats who voted against the Houses health-care legislation Saturday comprised a mix of party moderates, Southerners and freshman facing tough re-election fights. They also included two Democrats who surprised party leaders by voting against the measure. An analysis of the vote shows that 22 of the 39 Democrats who crossed the aisle to join Republicans in opposing the bill were members of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition, including three of the group’s four leaders. These Democrats, who oppose big government deficits, had expressed concern before the vote that the legislation called for too much federal spending. Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D., S.D.), a member of the Blue Dogs leadership, said in a statement before the vote that she was concerned about the effect of the House bill on the nations long-term deficit, and more specifically, its failure to start bringing down the deficit and ...

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips:

Obama delays start of Asia trip to attend memorial (Reuters)

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 21:58:08 +0000

Reuters - President Barack Obama will delay the start of his visit to Asia this week to attend a memorial service for soldiers killed in a mass shooting at a U.S. military base, an administration official said on Sunday.

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: White House, Barack Obama

Obama delays start of Asia trip to attend memorial

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 21:58:08 +0000

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will delay the start of his visit to Asia this week to attend a memorial service for soldiers killed in a mass shooting at a U.S. military base, an administration official said on Sunday.

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: White House, Barack Obama, Washington, D.C

Obama to meet Netanyahu amid doubt on peace talks

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 21:52:01 +0000

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will hold talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington on Monday, amid Washington's faltering efforts to jump-start stalled Middle East peace talks.

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: White House, Washington, D.C, Barack Obama, Benjamin Netanyahu

Gorbachev gives Obama advice on Afghanistan

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 21:14:07 +0000

Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev said Sunday that he does not think President Obama should send additional troops to Afghanistan. Washington (CNN) – As the American public and the global community await the completion of the Obama administration’s extensive review of U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan, Mikhail Gorbachev, the former president of the Soviet Union, said Sunday that, instead of sending more troops, Obama should begin to the lay the groundwork to withdraw from Afghanistan. “I think that what’s needed is not additional forces,” the former Soviet leader said through a translator, “this is something that we discussed, too, years ago but we decided not to do it. And I think our experience deserves attention.” Instead of more troops, Gorbachev said the Soviets decided to emphasize domestic development in Afghanistan and promoting national reconciliation between the various clans in the country. In deciding how to proceed in Afghanistan, Gorbachev said the ...

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips:

GOP Lawmaker’s Health-Care Vote May Boost Re-election Odds

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 21:02:50 +0000

Brody Mullins reports from Washington on Congress Heading into this weekend, Republican Rep. Anh Joseph Cao of Louisiana was considered by some political pundits as the single, most-likely Republican lawmaker to lose re-election in 2010. Cao may have given his career a little self-administered CPR on Saturday night, when he became the only Republican in the House to cross party lines and vote for the Democrats health-care legislation. Elected on the GOP ticket in the 2008 election, Cao won one of the most-Democratic districts in the country. In the presidential election the same year, Barack Obama received about three times as many votes as Republican John McCain in that district. One factor behind Caos victory was that his Democrat opponent, incumbent Rep. William Jefferson, was awaiting trial on 16 counts of corruption after authorities found bundles of cash stuffed in his freezer. Despite being under indictment, Jefferson lost to Cao by less than 2,000 votes. Some political ...

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips:

Obama Calls Health Care Bill’s Passage ‘Courageous’

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 20:57:15 +0000

President Obama, seeking to build momentum on Capitol Hill, urged the Senate to “take the baton and bring this effort to the finish line.”

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips:

US Supreme Court to examine life behind bars for juveniles (AFP)

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 20:56:09 +0000

AFP - The US Supreme Court will Monday wrestle with the merits of convicting juveniles who have not committed murder to life in prison without the possibility of parole -- a fate shared by 109 US prisoners, all of whom are non-white.

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: Other

Partybuckers (CQPolitics.com)

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 20:53:36 +0000

CQPolitics.com - Owens Already a Target Over Health Care

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: Other, Health care

No easy options as Obama agonises over Afghan war (AFP)

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 20:52:15 +0000

AFP - With Hamid Karzai confirmed as Afghan president for another five years, the pressure is on Barack Obama to declare his plans for winning a war which commanders say is in danger of being lost.

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: White House, Barack Obama, Hamid Karzai

Iraqi parliament passes crucial election law (McClatchy Newspapers)

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 20:43:00 +0000

McClatchy Newspapers - BAGHDAD — After nearly a dozen delays and a final, rowdy session, Iraq's parliament on Sunday passed a law setting national elections for January, averting for now a political crisis that threatened to unravel the country's slow progress toward stability.

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: World, Iraq

CQ Transcript: Govs. Barbour, Rendell, Gen. Casey on NBC's 'Meet the Press' (CQPolitics.com)

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 20:42:20 +0000

CQPolitics.com - CQ Transcriptwire

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: Other

Asia opens to Obama on debut tour (AFP)

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 20:40:28 +0000

AFP - Barack Obama this week heads to Asia for the first time as president, seeking to show the region and a rising China the United States is not in decline nor distracted by multiple crises elsewhere.

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: White House, Barack Obama, China, United States

Democrats brace for next step in health care fight (AFP)

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 20:07:16 +0000

AFP - Democrats Sunday girded for the next battle to push the most sweeping US health care overhaul in a half-century through Congress, after handing President Barack Obama victory in a narrow House vote.

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: White House, Barack Obama, Health care

House health care vote is just the first step (McClatchy Newspapers)

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 20:06:00 +0000

McClatchy Newspapers - WASHINGTON — Any momentum from Saturday's historic House approval of a sweeping health care overhaul is likely to be short-lived as the focus moves to the Senate, where progress has been stalled for weeks.

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: Other, Washington, D.C, Health care

Cao jolts House (Politico)

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 19:58:42 +0000

Politico - Anh 'Joseph' Cao hands Democrats their only Republican vote on health care reform.

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: Other

Obama Heralds House Passage of Health Bill

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 19:58:04 +0000

Brody Mullins reports from Washington on health-care legislation. President Barack Obama welcomed the Houses passage of health-care legislation last night. In a statement delivered from the Rose Garden on Sunday , Obama said he took pride in the legislation and noted that his critics had said this couldnt be done. The House late Saturday narrowly passed the bill, by a 220-215 vote. Only one Republican crossed party lines to back the measure. Obama said the legislation would improve Americans access to health care, bring down costs and strengthen Medicare. He also said the overhaul would be fully paid for, and would reduce the deficit in the long term. Given the heated and often-misleading rhetoric surrounding this legislation, I know that this was a courageous vote for many members of Congress, and I’m grateful to them and for the rest of their colleagues for taking us this far, Obama said. The president urged the Senate to take the baton and bring this ...

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips:

Obama hails Iraq's approval of 2010 election law (AFP)

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 19:52:48 +0000

AFP - Iraq's fractious MPs on Sunday finally approved a law to govern the country's general election in early 2010, a move hailed by US President Barack Obama as an important step towards a lasting peace.

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: White House, Iraq, Barack Obama, Approval Ratings

CQ Transcript: Gen. Casey, Gov.-elect McDonnell on CNN's 'State of the Union' (CQPolitics.com)

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 19:46:25 +0000

CQPolitics.com - CQ Transcriptswire

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: Other, Bob McDonnell

CQ Transcript: President Obama's on House Passage of Health Care Overhaul Bill (CQPolitics.com)

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 19:33:17 +0000

CQPolitics.com - Released by the White House

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: White House, Barack Obama, Health care

NYC mayor not humbled by close election

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 19:27:18 +0000

After Mayor Michael Bloomberg was nearly unseated by his little-known challenger, the ever-confident billionaire declared it a "great week" and threw a ticker-tape parade.

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: Other, Michael Bloomberg

Poll shows gloomy view in Calif.

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 19:11:49 +0000

Californians hold Obama in high regard, but have a grim outlook on their state's future.

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: White House, Barack Obama, Gallup Poll

Obama touts health, Iraq 'milestones'

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 19:06:32 +0000

President Obama makes a rare Sunday public appearance to praise what he called “two milestones.”

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: White House, Barack Obama, Iraq

Army’s Top General Backs Troop Boost For Afghanistan

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 18:55:22 +0000

Peter Spiegel reports from Washington on defense. The Armys top general, who has long raised concerns that repeated deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan could damage the militarys readiness, said he backed an increase in U.S. forces in Afghanistan. The comments by Gen. George Casey , the Army chief of staff, were the latest sign that the Obama administration is leaning towards dispatching thousands of reinforcements to bolster existing U.S. troops fighting in Afghanistan. I believe that we need to put additional forces into Afghanistan to give Gen. [Stanley] McChrystal the ability to both dampen the success of the Taliban while we train the Afghan security forces, Casey said on the NBC News program Meet the Press, referring to the U.S. commander in Kabul. Casey declined to say whether he backed McChrystals specific request for 40,000 additional troops. But he joins other senior military officials, including Adm. Mike Mullen , chairman of the Joint Chiefs of ...

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips:

Iraq poll law step toward U.S. withdrawal: Obama (Reuters)

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 18:44:57 +0000

Reuters - President Barack Obama said on Sunday the approval of a long-delayed election law by Iraq's parliament would allow the polls to go ahead early next year and pave the way for the withdrawal of U.S. forces.

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: White House, Barack Obama, Iraq, Gallup Poll

Iraq poll law step toward U.S. withdrawal: Obama

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 18:44:57 +0000

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Sunday the approval of a long-delayed election law by Iraq's parliament would allow the polls to go ahead early next year and pave the way for the withdrawal of U.S. forces.

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: White House, Barack Obama, Iraq, Washington, D.C, Gallup Poll

GOP says Dems put agenda ahead of country

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 18:41:57 +0000

Democrats just don't get the election message from voters and are pushing a liberal, big government agenda at their party's peril, Republican officials say.

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: Other, Democratic National Committee

McDonnell: Stay With Issues 'People Care About' (CQPolitics.com)

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 18:34:16 +0000

CQPolitics.com - Sticking to conservative principles but keeping in mind that citizens are focused on quality-of-life issues could be a winning prescription for Republicans in 2010, Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell of Virginia said Sunday.

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: Congress, Bob McDonnell, Virginia Foxx

Obama: Now up to Senate to complete work on health care bill

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 18:32:24 +0000

Washington (CNN) - President Barack Obama on Sunday praised the "historic" House vote to pass a bill overhauling the nation's ailing health care system, and said now it is time for the Senate to "take the baton" and complete its work. The House passed its health care bill late Saturday night by a 220-215 vote, with 39 Democrats in opposition and one Republican supporting it. Senate approval is considered less certain due to opposition by all Republicans and some moderate Democrats. Obama called the support by many House members "courageous" in the face of what he called "the heated and often misleading rhetoric around this legislation."

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: White House, Barack Obama, Health care, Washington, D.C, CNN

Obama calls new election law a milestone for Iraq (AP)

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 18:29:37 +0000

AP - President Barack Obama is calling the Iraqi parliament's passage of a much-delayed election law an a milestone as the Iraqi people take charge of their future.

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: White House, Barack Obama, Iraq

Obama says it's now Senate's turn on health care (AP)

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 18:24:37 +0000

AP - President Barack Obama says it's now up to the Senate to take the baton from the House and pass a bill aimed at overhauling the nation's health care system.

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: White House, Barack Obama, Health care

Army Chief of Staff Concerned for Muslim Troops

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 18:16:15 +0000

General George Casey Jr. said he worried speculation about the beliefs of Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan could “cause a backlash against some of our Muslim soldiers.”

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: Other, General David Petraeus, U.S. Army

GOP: Democrats Ignored Voter Wishes In Passing Health Bill

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 17:58:18 +0000

Brody Mullins reports from Washington on Congress Republican lawmakers on Sunday said the Houses approval of a sweeping health-care bill, passed with the support of only one Republican, showed that Democrats had misinterpreted the results of last weeks gubernatorial elections. Republicans appearing on the Sunday morning talk shows said GOP wins in the New Jersey and Virginia gubernatorial races last Tuesday showed that Americans are opposed to new government spending and programs. Tuesday’s votes were an effort by the American people to send a message to [Democrats] that they are tired of the borrowing, the spending, the bailouts, the takeovers, Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana said on Fox News Sunday. But last night, on a narrow, partisan vote, the Democrats put their liberal, big-government agenda ahead of the American people. Democrats said Tuesdays gubernatorial elections were not a referendum on a health-care overhaul or other national issues. Maryland Rep. ...

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips:

Lieberman Expresses Concern Over House Health Bill

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 17:50:49 +0000

Brody Mullins reports on Congress. Sen. Joe Lieberman (I., Conn.) said he was concerned about the health-care bill passed by the House on Saturday, and reiterated that he would oppose any legislation that included a government-run health insurance option. If the public option plan is in there, as a matter of conscience, I will not support the legislation, Lieberman told Fox News Sunday. The House late Saturday narrowly passed a bill to overhaul the nation’s health-care system, by a vote of 220-215 and with only one Republican joining Democrats to support the measure. In the Senate, Liebermans vote is critical because if he were to join Republicans to oppose health-care legislation, Democrats could fall short of the 60 votes needed to bring the bill to a vote on the Senate floor. Lieberman said he was concerned about the new government spending that the health-care legislation would entail, saying government deficits have grown too large. I dont want to do ...

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips:

McDonnell pegs win to Va. issues

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 17:43:20 +0000

Gov.-elect says his victory is not the result of fallout over the national agenda.

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: Other, Bob McDonnell

CQ Transcript: Gen. Casey, Gov. Kaine, RNC Chairman Steele on ABC's 'This Week' (CQPolitics.com)

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 17:42:24 +0000

CQPolitics.com - CQ Transcriptswire

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: Other

Lieberman will seek committee hearing on Fort Hood shootings

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 17:19:38 +0000

(CNN) - Sen. Joseph Lieberman said Sunday he intends to launch a Senate committee hearing on whether the Fort Hood shootings were a terrorist act and if the Army should have taken pre-emptive steps due to reported signs of Islamic extremism by the suspected gunman. "I'm intending to begin a congressional investigation of my Homeland Security Committee into what were the motives of (Maj. Nidal Malik) Hasan in carrying out this mass murder," the Connecticut independent, who belongs to the Democratic caucus, said on "FOX News Sunday." If Hasan was showing signs of being an Islamic extremist, the Army should have acted on that earlier and "he should have been gone," said Lieberman, the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Saying it was too early to know Hasan's exact motive, Lieberman declared that if reports of the alleged gunman's possible Islamic extremism are true, then "the murder of these 13 people was a terrorist act." "We don't know enough to ...

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: Congress, Joe Lieberman, Homeland Security, Appropriations Committee, Lindsey Graham, U.S. Army

Update: Lone GOP vote came after call from President Obama

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 17:03:41 +0000

Washington (CNN) - Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao was the only Republican to vote in favor of the Democratic health care bill that passed the House late Saturday, a vote that came after President Obama called to personally to ask for his support, Cao told CNN. The president dialed the freshman congressman from Louisiana around noon on Saturday, hours before a vote on an amendment offered by anti-abortion Democrats that banned most abortion coverage from the public option and other insurance providers in the insurance "exchange" the legislation would create. That measure passed later in the evening. Cao said he explained to the president he could not support the health care bill without the amendment, but said he would support the bill if the abortion measure passed. It was a sentiment he also expressed to House GOP leadership ahead of the vote, he said. Earlier: I put needs of my district first, Cao says The final vote came after several discussions about the bill with White House officials. ...

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: White House, Barack Obama, Howard Dean, Health care, Peter DeFazio, CNN