Republican Sen. John Ensign of Nevada won't seek reelection

Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) will not seek reelection in 2012, bringing to an end a tumultuous several years following an extramarital affair with a former staff member.

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/07/AR2011030704306.html?wprss=rss_politics

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Why, Oh Why, Was Obama in Iowa?

James Taranto, Wall Street Journal
"With a key test of the GOP presidential field just over a month and a half away, candidates are descending on Iowa this week to sharpen their appeal to voters in the first caucus state," the Hill reports. "Four announced or potential Republican candidates, including former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R), are visiting the Hawkeye State this week--as is the man they are looking to defeat in 2012: President Obama."We suppose the pool of "potential" candidates includes every natural-born citizen over 33½ other than Bill Clinton and George W. Bush--but fine,...

Source: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2011/06/30/why_oh_why_was_obama_in_iowa_258430.html

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Blocking debt limit increase could jeopardize Social Security checks

USA Today:

WASHINGTON ? Social Security payments to millions of retirees and people with disabilities could be threatened if President Obama and Congress can't agree to increase the government's debt limit by Aug. 2, a new analysis shows.

Although the Treasury Department likely could avoid delaying Social Security checks, the analysis by the Bipartisan Policy Center points up the depth of the cuts that would be needed if the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling isn't raised.

It shows that in August, the government could not afford to meet 44% of its obligations. Since the $134 billion deficit for that month couldn't be covered with more borrowing, programs would have to be cut.

If Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, unemployment benefits, payments to defense contractors and interest payments on Treasury bonds were exempt, that would be all the government could afford for the month. No money for troops or veterans. No tax refunds. No food stamps or welfare. No federal salaries or benefits.

The problem here is obviously congressional Republicans who have steadfastly refused to increase the debt limit. There are now 22 House Republicans who have effectively pledged to oppose any increase whatsoever. If John Boehner loses six Republicans, then he won't be able to muster enough votes to increase the debt limit without Democratic support.

The thing to keep in mind here is that if we do reach the debt limit, it's not entirely clear what the legal obligations of the White House would be?in other words, whether they would actually be legally obligated to restrain spending. The issue is that reaching the debt limit involves the collision of contradictory legislation (the conflict between legislation that authorized spending and legislation limiting the debt limit). Plus, you also have constitutional questions about whether the debt ceiling is constitutional in the first place. So it's not entirely clear what the law requires, and the Obama administration should be reserving every legal option it has in order to avoid the damage that could be caused if Republicans fail to raise the debt limit.

Source: http://feeds.dailykos.com/~r/dailykos/index/~3/I0jxl4nDB0c/-Blocking-debt-limit-increase-could-jeopardize-Social-Security-checks

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Avoiding Greece's Tragedy

Source: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2011/06/30/avoiding_greece039s_tragedy_258460.html

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Obama Adviser Defends Libya Policy to Senate

The legal adviser to the State Department said the administration might have been better served by consulting with Congress on Libya.

Source: http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=0c5a26498300c73e8638892192506884

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Obama Administration Appeals Bankruptcy Ruling Against Gay Marriage Ban

The Obama administration appealed a bankruptcy court ruling that found the federal ban on gay marriage unconstitutional.

Source: http://feeds.foxnews.com/~r/foxnews/politics/~3/sVCcq9fEQlw/

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Brown vetoes Fair Treatment for Farm Workers Act

Photo: UFW

Forget anything you heard about California Gov. Jerry Brown as a champion of farmworkers. After 12 days of rallies imploring him to sign the Fair Treatment for Farm Workers Act, with one hour left to make a decision, Brown vetoed the bill.

Opposition came from the usual suspects:

Opponents of the bill included a large coalition of business and agricultural interests, including the California Chamber of Commerce, the California Grocers Assn., the California Restaurant Assn. and the Western Growers Assn.

Arturo Rodriguez, president of the United Farm Workers, said in a statement:

"What never changes in politics is power. Governor Brown accepted the arguments made by the powerful agribusiness lobby and rejected the cause of powerless farm workers."

So much for Gov. Moonbeam. Now he's Gov. Lickspittle.

Source: http://feeds.dailykos.com/~r/dailykos/index/~3/i_ylBXvDvvg/-Brown-vetoes-Fair-Treatment-for-Farm-Workers-Act

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The number killing the economy

When you're talking about the economy, start the conversation and end the conversation with the number 350.

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/cnn_allpolitics/~3/uBqJdgi5SYc/index.html

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Reaction to Obama's news conference

President Obama held his first news conference since March on Wednesday and was asked questions on a wide range of issues from debt ceiling talks between the White House and Congress to gay rights to Afghanistan and Libya.

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/cnn_allpolitics/~3/wZemCLY6bW8/index.html

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GOP imposes $100 fines on AWOL Wisconsin Senate Democrats

MADISON, Wis. -- Republicans in the Wisconsin Senate have voted to fine the chamber's AWOL Democrats $100 for each day they miss of the legislative session.

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/09/AR2011030903629.html?wprss=rss_politics

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Bachmann Defends Founding Fathers Claim

The presidential hopeful defends her claim that the Founding Fathers fought to end slavery.

Source: http://feeds.abcnews.com/click.phdo?i=a5e930a177e1cb0c9eb0708f5b40f7eb

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Campaign to repeal Ohio's SB 5 delivers more than 1,000,000 signatures

Photo: Progress Ohio

The effort to get a referendum on Ohio's SB 5 needed 231,149 valid signatures from 44 counties. Today, pro-repeal groups marched in Columbus to deliver 1,298,301 petition signatures to the secretary of state.

Two weeks ago, when the repeal campaign announced that more than 700,000 signatures had been collected, Chris Bowers provided an overview:

The only public polls released on SB 5 have shown wide majorities of Ohio voter in favor of repeal. A Quinnipiac poll from mid-May showed repeal ahead 54%-36%, while a PPP poll from later in May showed repeal winning 55%-35%.

This signature gathering campaign does not just force a November referendum on the bill. It actually prevents the bill from going into law until the results of the referendum are certified. As such, if the repeal wins in November, which seems likely, then SB 5 will never become law. This is shaping up to become a total defeat for Ohio Governor John Kasich and his union-busting allies.

That defeat won't come without a lot more hard work, but today the campaign to get enough signatures to force a referendum ends, and the campaign to win the referendum begins.

Source: http://feeds.dailykos.com/~r/dailykos/index/~3/bogCsMWW6xQ/-Campaign-to-repeal-Ohios-SB-5-delivers-more-than-1,000,000-signatures

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Bristol Palin: Virginity Was 'Stolen'

Bristol Palin's contention that former boyfriend Levi Johnston "stole" her virginity is no attempt to blame him for their first sexual encounter, she said on "Good Morning American" today.
"I'm not accusing Levi of date rape or rape at all," Palin said on "GMA." "But I'm just looking back with the adult eyes I now have and just thinking, 'That was a foolish decision.'"

Source: http://feeds.abcnews.com/click.phdo?i=95cad8f5fd4f9dcd7c1dcd18f18114df

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