To the dismay of the Seneca Nation of Indians the House of Representatives followed the lead of the U.S. Senate and overwhelmingly approved the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act, sending the measure to President Obama. The Senecas called the PACT Act vote a “sucker punch to our federal treaty rights” and “a victory for Philip Morris and other global tobacco companies to wipe out competition anyway they can.” If signed by Obama, the legislation would ban the delivery of tobacco products through the U.S. mail. For the Senecas, that would curtail a significant business and, they say, jeopardize 1,000 jobs...
President Barack Obama had exhausted most of his health care reform arguments with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus during a White House meeting last Thursday when he made a more personal pitch that resonated with many skeptics in the room. One caucus member told POLITICO that Obama won him over by “essentially [saying] that the fate of his presidency” hinged on this week’s health reform vote in the House. The member, who requested anonymity, likened Obama’s remarks to an earlier meeting with progressives when the president said a victory was necessary to keep him “strong” for the next three...
Reader Stephen T. worries: "I have a bad feeling that failure of healthcare will impel Democrats to unite on amnesty in order to hand Obama *some* victory to redeem his loser administration... Do you foresee any of this happening? The short answer is "No...Graham was essentially saying "If you guys use reconciliation to pass health care, even I won't be your cabana boy, and that's saying something." As for the bigger point that the failure of health care would impel Democrats to seek a win on immigration, I find it hard to imagine. Look at what Rep. Jason Altmire told...
In addition to promising an end to Republicans’ out-of-control spending, Democrats vowed to “drain the swamp” of corruption in Washington D.C. prior to winning their Congressional majorities in 2006. Of course that was just an entrée for the real “hope and change” to come, as Barack Obama stormed to victory in the presidential election two years later promising to “change Washington” – and cut taxes for a majority of Americans. In both cases, Democrats positioned themselves to the right of Republicans on fiscal issues – which obviously wasn’t very hard to do given the GOP’s record of excess – and...
Dear xxxx, Over the weekend, members of the Virginia General Assembly budget conference committee met to hash out the final details of the budget that will arrive on Governor McDonell's desk. As you remember, there were two budget amendments remaining that would have been detrimental to women's reproductive health care. Members met behind closed doors, and when the final version of the budget was presented, both of Del. Marshall's harmful budget amendments had been stripped out. In a year when resources across the state are being severely restricted, this is a huge victory! The budget can still be amended by...
Dear xxxx, Over the weekend, members of the Virginia General Assembly budget conference committee met to hash out the final details of the budget that will arrive on Governor McDonell's desk. As you remember, there were two budget amendments remaining that would have been detrimental to women's reproductive health care. Members met behind closed doors, and when the final version of the budget was presented, both of Del. Marshall's harmful budget amendments had been stripped out. In a year when resources across the state are being severely restricted, this is a huge victory! The budget can still be amended by...
In the next 10 years, some 27,000 gas stations could go under in Japan, thanks to the rising popularity of hybrid and electric vehicles. While some might count that as a victory for the greening of the auto industry, it also could paralyze Japan's rural agricultural communities, reports the Daily Yomiuri. About 2,000 gas stations have closed in the country in recent years, the English-language paper said, and a Japanese gasoline dealers association estimates that number will rise markedly by 2020, when it expects eco-friendly cars to account for half of new car purchases in the country and make up...
"Tea parties win key victory in ousting Congress Court rules 'no precedent' stopping voters from recall of U.S. senator Tea partiers in New Jersey have moved one step closer to ousting a sitting U.S. senator that they say has shown "a total disregard for the people's wishes." New Jersey Tea Parties United and the Sussex County Tea Party have joined forces to try an unprecedented way of sending a message to Washington: removing a senator through a recall vote. A three-judge appellate panel ruled today that the New Jersey secretary of state must accept the tea partiers' notice of intent...
(snip) McCain this year finds himself in a primary battle with former U.S. Rep. J.D. Hayworth in his effort to win a fifth six-year term in Arizona. "I'm confident of victory but I have taken every race I've ever been in seriously, and I take this one seriously as well," he said. He said he holds town-hall-style meetings throughout his home state, just as he did in New Hampshire during his 2000 and 2008 presidential campaigns. But, he added, "None are quite like Peterborough," which he called his favorite venue. McCain said that from Arizona to New Hampshire, jobs and...
Washington (CNN) -- Five more House Democrats said Tuesday that they will vote against Senate health care legislation, which puts opponents of reform just 11 votes shy of the 216 needed to prevent President Obama from scoring a major victory on his top domestic priority. An ongoing CNN analysis shows that opposition in the House to the Senate health care plan has reached 205 members. A total of 27 House Democrats, including nine who supported the House plan in November, have indicated that they would join a unified Republican caucus in opposing the Senate plan, which passed in that chamber...
Thursday, March 18, 2010
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