44 S.C. governor faces 37 charges he broke state ethics laws

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:19:23 -0500

By Jim Davenport Associated Press COLUMBIA, S.C. -- South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford faces ethics charges he broke state laws more than three dozen times by violating rules on airplane travel and campaign money, according to details of the allegations released Monday. The civil charges, which carry a maximum $74,000 in fines, stem from a three-month investigation by the state ethics commission and could be pivotal in a push by some lawmakers to remove him from office. The state attorney general is deciding whether the governor would face any criminal charges. Continue reading»

Republican committee members call for unity around conservative principles

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:59:17 -0500

Attorney James Bopp, pictured in 2006. (Linda Davidson/The Washington Post) Updated 5:57 p.m. By Perry Bacon Jr. Conservative Indiana Republican James Bopp Jr. on Monday began circulating a draft resolution calling on the Republican National Committee to end funding and endorsements for any candidate who deviates from three or more of its ten planks. Bop, an attorney, is vice chairman of the RNC; ten other committee members signed onto his call to arms. "I think we have a very urgent task as Republicans and that is to reclaim our conservative bona fides and supporting liberal Republican party-splitters is very damaging to that task," Bopp said, referring to the saga in the New York 23rd congressional district earlier this month, where the Republican withdrew and endorsed the Democrat in what had been a three-way race also pitting her against a member of the Conservative Party. "So the resolution puts our money

Barack Obama's Facebook feed

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:34:47 -0500

Our colleagues at Slate have released the latest version of their hit satirical feature, "Barack Obama's Facebook Feed." This edition has updates on health care and Sarah Palin -- as well as Khalid Sheikh Muhammad's iTunes playlist.

Al Gore on SNL: 'We're melting. Love, the Glaciers'

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:24:47 -0500

In case you missed it: former vice president Al Gore was on Saturday Night Live over the weekend in honor of NBC's "Green Week," joining Seth Meyers to promote Gore's new book Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis. On the show, Gore proposed -- with his usual deadpan -- a series of outlandish schemes to call attention to climate change, such as taping toy guns to trees and planting them in congressmen's yards in the middle of the night or delivering letters, along with a bucket of ice water, from the glaciers.

Official: U.S. emissions target will be part of climate talks

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:49:00 -0500

By Juliet Eilperin The U.S. will identify a near-term emission reduction target as part of an effort to reach a comprehensive climate agreement in Copenhagen next month, senior administration officials said Monday. The officials, who briefed a group of reporters on the condition that they would not be identified, said the U.S. delegation would put forward a target as long as other major greenhouse emitters, including major developing nations, did the same. One official said any specific greenhouse gas cut the U.S. offers would reflect the fact that Congress has yet to finalize climate legislation. The House has passed a bill calling for a 17 percent reduction from 2005 levels by 2020 and an 80 percent cut by 2050. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee has passed legislation with a 20 percent reduction by 2020, but that number is expected to drop as more centrist lawmakers weigh in on

From Obama, a new focus on math and science education -- and a new plum for prize-winners

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:07:57 -0500

President Obama poses with students from various schools following his remarks on science, technology, engineering and math education initiatives at the White House. (Jason Reed/Reuters) By Michael D. Shear President Obama today announced partnerships with private businesses to increase achievement in math and science, saying the country must do more to compete with the world in those areas. The new federal campaign will encourage businesses and non profit groups -- including the Discovery Channel, Intel, and Time Warner -- to focus more energy and money to teach kids about math and science. "The hard truth is that for decades we have been losing ground," Obama told a group in the East Room of the White House Monday, noting that American students are rated 21st in the world in science and 25th in math. "We all believe that we can't allow division and indifference to imperil our position in the world."

Sen. Nelson indicates supports for opt-in public option

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 13:51:53 -0500

By John Amick and T. Rees Shapiro A day after the Senate voted to take up the health care reform bill, President Obama's top domestic priority dominated the discussion on Sunday morning talk shows. ABC: THIS WEEK - Nelson pushes opt-in public option On ABC's "This Week," Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) reiterated his likely support of an opt-in provision for the public option. But Nelson, a moderate who voted Saturday to send the bill to the Senate floor for debate, said that "if there are a whole host of other items that are the same as they are right now," he would not vote for the bill. Those include the Senate's language on abortion, which is less restrictive on public funding than the House version. "It depends on what the public option is," Nelson said. "I am opposed to the public option... where the states have to opt out. I

44: Obama says Asia trip about jobs

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:00:00 -0500

By Scott Wilson President Obama used his weekly radio and Internet address Saturday to draw a line between his recent trip to the economic engines of Asia and job creation at home, calling it a "task I will continue to focus on relentlessly in the weeks and months ahead." Obama's message, which he recorded before leaving Seoul, South Korea, the last leg of his Asia trip, highlights the mounting political concern in the White House over what so far appears to be a jobless economic recovery. While expanding for the first time in more than a year, the economy continues to shed jobs, a trend that ranks as the chief worry of the electorate in poll after poll. The national unemployment rate has pushed above 10 percent for the first time in decades.

State dinner superlatives

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:17:09 -0500

By Sarah Lovenheim State dinners, banquets paid for by the government and hosted by a head of state, are held to foster relationships following serious conversations concerning foreign affairs. Many U.S. presidents have held state dinners in the State Dining Room at the White House, a room that seats 120 people. Guests typically include foreign dignitaries, members of Congress and the president's cabinet, among others. The occasion's marked by entertainment, a four or five course meal and speeches. Black or white tie dress is often required. Then-President Clinton laughs during a toast by French President Jacques Chirac at a state dinner honoring Chirac in February of 1996 at the White House. (AP Photo/St. Petersburg Times, John Pendygraft) A peek into the past recalls some state dinners to remember. Below you'll find a list of superlatives -- these nuggets can serve as dinner table banter on Tuesday, as President Obama hosts

Gallup: Obama approval rating drops below 50 percent for the first time

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:27:34 -0500

By Garance Franke-Ruta President Obama's job approval rating has dropped below 50 percent for the first time since he assumed office, according to Gallup's tracking poll. The poll averages results over three days. When Obama took office, the poll measured his approval rating at 68 percent for the Jan. 21-23, 2009, period. His approval rating was as high as 54 percent just two weeks ago, but the overall trend line has been down since the summer. "Although the current decline below 50 percent has symbolic significance, most of the recent decline in support for Obama occurred in July and August," explains pollster Jeffrey L. Jones. "He began July at 60 percent approval. The ongoing, contentious debate over national health-care reform has likely served as a drag on his public support, as have continuing economic problems. Americans are also concerned about the Obama administration's reliance on government spending to solve the

DNC raised $11 million in October -- and is raising more off Sarah Palin

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:12:23 -0500

Updated 11:55 p.m. By Garance Franke-Ruta The Democratic Party raised $11.5 million in October, a record month for a non-presidential election year in the post-McCain-Feingold era, according to a party source. That leaves the Democratic National Committee with $12.9 million in cash on hand and $4.4 million in outstanding debts. The Republican National Committee raised $8.7 million in October has $11.2 million cash and no debt. All told, the DNC has raised $66.3 million so far this year, compared to the Republican National Committee's $69.2 million. Including transfers and in-kind donations, the total haul this year at the DNC was $73.3 million, compared to $76.9 million at the RNC, according to Democratic and Republican sources. On Friday, the DNC e-mailed a fundraising solicitation that seeks to take advantage of former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's return to the news. "Remember, this is the person who coined the term 'Death Panels'

Senate ethics committee admonishes Burris

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:12:45 -0500

By Paul Kane Sen. Roland W. Burris (D-Ill.) has been admonished by the Senate ethics committee for his public comments about his appointment last December to the body. In a three-page "public letter of qualified admonition" issued Friday, the committee formally reprimanded Burris for statements -- some made under oath to an Illinois legislative committee -- in which he denied trying to raise any campaign contributions for indicted former governor Rod Blagojevich for his political committees. Continue reading at Capitol Briefing»

A Saturday night date with health reform

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:40:36 -0500

By Ben Pershing Cancel those weekend plans: You've now got a date Saturday night with health-care reform. The Senate measure faces a key procedural vote Saturday evening, and Harry Reid is still working to assemble the requisite 60 votes. Politico says Reid and fellow Democrats "projected confidence they could clear the first hurdle for health reform." The Washington Post writes that "a tepid assessment of the public insurance plan he crafted emerged as the latest potential obstacle" to passage. USA Today notes that the public option in the Senate bill "would cover less than 1.5% of the population," raising questions about how much impact the provision will actually have, positive or negative. The New York Times says that Reid has essentially taken "ownership" of the Senate bill, which, if it eventually becomes law, "would be the biggest accomplishment of his career. Should the bill fall victim to the complex political,

FEC relaxes rule on luxury-jet travel by candidates

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:07:13 -0500

By Dan Eggen The Federal Election Commission on Thursday eased restrictions on the use of luxury jets by federal candidates, ruling that Senate and presidential candidates can pay discount prices for private air travel as long as they are not doing so on behalf of their own campaigns. Campaign-finance reform advocates immediately condemned the decision and said it will severely undermine the impact of 2007 ethics legislation, which was aimed at requiring all federal candidates to pay full freight when riding on private jets owned by corporate sponsors or wealthy donors. But the FEC, by a vote of 4 to 2, ruled that a candidate is not actually a candidate if they are traveling on behalf of their leadership political action committee (PAC), a party PAC or any other committee not explicitly tied to an individual election campaign. The distinction does not apply to House candidates, who "are generally prohibited

White House adviser is open to additional economic stimulus

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:55:32 -0500

By Alec MacGillis In a sign of the gathering momentum for additional economic stimulus, a top White House economic adviser on Thursday expressed openness to the possibility of additional aid to local governments to prevent layoffs or even to the creation of a new public jobs program to spur employment. Jared Bernstein, Vice President Biden's chief economic adviser, said in a speech at a Brookings Institution conference that, with unemployment now at 10.2 percent, the administration is looking for new ways to assure that the apparent uptick in the economy -- the GDP rose by more than 3 percent last quarter -- translates into more hiring. In addressing the possibility of fiscal relief for cities and new public jobs programs, both of which were touted in a Brookings' paper for the conference, Bernstein emphasized that he was not expressing any official administration preferences about how to proceed. But his comments

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Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:55:32 -0500