robliberal.com » 2005

Jun 30 2005

Bush Critics Call for More Troops in Iraq photo…

Bush Critics Call for More Troops in Iraq photo
WASHINGTON (AP) – Congressional critics of President Bush’s stay-the-course commitment to the war in Iraq argued Wednesday that the administration lacks sufficient troops on the ground to mount a successful counterinsurgency. Democrats in particular criticized Bush for again raising the Sept. 11…

Nixon Son-In-Law Eyes Possible Senate Bid photo NEW YORK (AP) – Gearing up for a possible run for Senate against Hillary Rodham Clinton, former President Nixon’s son-in-law Edward Cox announced the formation Wednesday of an exploratory committee that includes Henry Kissinger and other GOP elders. The New York lawyer also accused Clinton of…
House GOP Pledges Fall Vote on Soc. Sec. photo WASHINGTON (AP) – After months of nervous poll-watching, Republican leaders announced Wednesday the House would vote by fall on legislation to establish individual accounts under Social Security. “This is not too far too fast. … This is a step we can take right now” to modernize the…
Senate Votes to Boost Veterans’ Health Aid photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate voted Wednesday spend an extra $1.5 billion on veterans’ health care this year as the Bush administration agreed to ask Congress for more money to cover a politically embarrassing shortfall. The 96-0 vote was a response to the Veterans Affairs Department’s announcement…
Nods of Agreement From Enlisted for Bush photo For those Americans with the greatest stake in the outcome of the war in Iraq – the people fighting it – President Bush’s call Tuesday to stay the course brought mostly sober nods of agreement. On the first anniversary of the handover of sovereignty to the Iraqis, Bush spoke to an audience of 700…
Panels Reduce Money for Global Development WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate’s version of a foreign aid bill would give President Bush $1.2 billion less than he wanted for a program to encourage global development. That is only slightly less than what the House sliced from the president’s request for the Millennium Challenge Account, a large…
Democrat Says Deal Near on Ethics Panel WASHINGTON (AP) – The top Democrat on the House ethics committee said Wednesday he was close to a deal with the Republican chairman to end the committee’s partisan stalemate and resume business, including a possible investigation of Majority Leader Tom DeLay. A senior Republican official, who…
Jury Convicts Five in Federal Vote Fraud EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. (AP) – The chairman of the city’s Democratic Party and four others were convicted Wednesday of scheming to buy votes with cash, cigarettes and liquor last November. Charles Powell Jr., 61, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit vote fraud, along with the city’s former…
House Panel Seeks to Curb Some Fundraising WASHINGTON (AP) – Upset by the millions of dollars that outside groups spent in the 2004 election, a House panel on Wednesday took a step toward limiting such organizations. The House Administration Committee, on a 5-3 vote, sent a bill to the full House that would place tax-exempt partisan groups…
Pa. House Session Halted After Slurs Fly HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – A Pennsylvania House session was suspended for more than an hour Wednesday after a black lawmaker, upset by a white colleague’s comments about ethnic groups, referred to him as a “cracker.” The comments came during debate on a bill that would allow residents of communities…
Poll Examines Schwarzenegger Re-Election photo SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – A majority of California voters does not want to see Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger re-elected, according to the latest poll showing the Republican’s political appeal sliding. The nonpartisan Field Poll of registered voters found that just 39 percent said they were inclined to…

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Nods of Agreement From Enlisted for Bush photo For those Americans with the greatest stake in the outcome of the war in Iraq – the people fighting it – President Bush’s call Tuesday to stay the course brought mostly sober nods of agreement. On the first anniversary of the handover of sovereignty to the Iraqis, Bush spoke to an audience of 700…
Nixon Called Indira Gandhi an ‘Old Witch’ WASHINGTON (AP) – President Nixon referred privately to Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as an “old witch” and national security adviser Henry Kissinger insulted Indians in general, according to transcripts of Oval Office tapes and newly declassified documents released Tuesday. Nixon and…
FBI Whistle-Blower to Run for Congress WASHINGTON (AP) – Former FBI whistle-blower Coleen Rowley will run for Congress as a Democrat in Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District, where she hopes to knock off GOP Rep. John Kline. “I’m concerned about the direction of the country,” Rowley said in a telephone interview Tuesday. “We have done…
Grassley Says Senators Dodging Soc. Sec. WASHINGTON (AP) – The Republican chairman of the Senate committee charged with producing a Social Security bill said Tuesday his colleagues “all want it to go away,” but he will not drop the issue even though his own committee is in a logjam. “Nobody really talks too much about Social Security,”…
Lawmaker Wants Probe on Immigrant Survey WASHINGTON (AP) – A Republican congressman wants an investigation of whether the Bush administration tried to suppress a survey indicating U.S. policies spurred immigrants to illegally enter the country. Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., said the U.S. Border Patrol’s three-week survey was discontinued…
Newsview: Troops a Favorite Bush Audience photo WASHINGTON (AP) – From his May 2003 “Mission Accomplished” speech aboard an aircraft carrier, to a Thanksgiving dinner in Baghdad, to Tuesday night’s speech to troops in North Carolina, President Bush has had no shortage of telegenic moments on Iraq – amid a nearly unrelenting string of bad news…
Frist, Reid Talk Potential Court Nominees photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Tuesday he’s been talking to Democratic leader Harry Reid about nominees for a potential vacancy on the Supreme Court but doesn’t have any inside information on whom President Bush might nominate. “Have Senator Reid and I talked about…
Nader Campaign Aide Pleads Guilty to Fraud VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) – The coordinator for Ralph Nader’s 2004 presidential campaign in Virginia pleaded guilty Tuesday to election fraud. James P. Polk, 47, will serve 30 days of home detention and was fined $2,500. Polk was accused of illegally certifying petitions to get Nader, an…
Congressman Gets U.S. Document Subpoena SAN DIEGO (AP) – A federal grand jury has subpoenaed documents from a California congressman related to the sale of the lawmaker’s home to a defense contractor who quickly put it back on the market and eventually sold it at a big loss. The subpoena issued to Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham was…
House Agrees to $3,100 Pay Raise for 2006 WASHINGTON (AP) – The House on Tuesday agreed to a $3,100 pay raise for Congress next year – to $165,200 – after defeating an effort to roll it back. In a 263-152 vote, the House blocked a bid by Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, to force an up-or-down vote on the pay raise. Instead, lawmakers will…

Texas Sen. Hutchison to Seek Third Term photo DALLAS (AP) – Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison officially announced Monday that she will seek a third term, saying she could have beaten Gov. Rick Perry next year but decided she could serve Texas better by staying in the Senate. The 61-year-old GOP senator denied getting any pressure from Republican…
No Retirement Announcements at High Court photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The mystery surrounding Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist’s future took much of the attention Monday as the Supreme Court finished its business with no retirements. Rehnquist, who is 80 and has cancer, could step down anytime. He chose not to make any comments about his plans…
Former Political Foes Take Maine Boat Ride photo KENNEBUNKPORT, Maine (AP) – Former President Bill Clinton joined his one-time political foe, former President George H.W. Bush, for a boat ride on the Atlantic Ocean after attending a book-signing Monday in South Portland. Clinton was seen kneeling to pet a dog when he arrived at Walker’s Point,…
Senators Seek Rules for Gitmo Detainees photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Two Democratic senators, just back from Guantanamo Bay, said Monday that Congress should come up with concrete rules for handling detainees at the U.S. prison there. Sens. Ron Wyden of Oregon and Ben Nelson of Nebraska said more precise rules would help ensure that prisoners…
Spokane Mayor Appeals Ruling on Recall SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) – Lawyers for Mayor James E. West, accused of offering city jobs to men he met in a gay online chat room, are appealing a judge’s ruling allowing a recall petition drive to proceed. West, former state Senate leader and opponent of gay rights, has denied any criminal or…
Pentagon Stresses Political Action in Iraq photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Top U.S. military officials are increasingly emphasizing political solutions rather than military ones to Iraq’s insurgency, a shift acknowledging the difficulty they and the Iraqi government face in stopping the violence. Gen. George Casey, the U.S. commander of the…
Watchdog Group Files Complaint Vs. Frist WASHINGTON (AP) – A watchdog group on Monday filed a complaint against Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist with the Federal Election Commission, alleging that his campaign committees failed to adequately disclose a $1.4 million loan. The complaint from Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in…
Report: Judical Election Spending Soars Campaign spending for state supreme court races across the nation soared in 2004, with $24.4 million poured into television ads as elections to the bench drew increased attention from interest groups and political parties, according to an analysis released Monday. The latest number more than…
Web Site Makes Gov’t. Reports Available WASHINGTON (AP) – A new Web site aims to make widely available to the public certain government reports about topics from terrorism to Social Security that congressional researchers prepare and distribute now only to lawmakers. The site – - links more than a half-dozen existing collections of…
Bush Kicks Off White House T-Ball Season photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush and two dozen kids from inner-city teams kicked off the fifth season of White House T-ball Sunday on the South Lawn. The president performed the equivalent of throwing out the first pitch when he leaned over, placed a ball on the tee at home plate and shouted,…

Rumsfeld: U.S. Met With Iraq Insurgents photo LONDON (AP) – Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld acknowledged Sunday that U.S. officials met with insurgents in Iraq, after a British newspaper reported two such meetings took place recently at a villa north of Baghdad. Insurgent commanders “apparently came face to face” with four American…
Groups: U.S. Misusing Law in Terror Fight WASHINGTON (AP) – The Bush administration has misused a federal law to detain at least 70 terrorism suspects since the Sept. 11 attacks, two advocacy groups contend. Administration officials defend the detentions by pointing out that judges approved material witness warrants. The material witness…
Ex-FBI Chief: Deep Throat Sought Vengeance WASHINGTON (AP) – L. Patrick Gray, the FBI chief during the Watergate break-in, says he believes deputy W. Mark Felt became the anonymous source known as Deep Throat because he was angry at being passed over as J. Edgar Hoover’s successor and wanted to sabotage Gray. “I think there was a sense of…
Okla. Doctor-Turned-Senator Juggles Jobs MUSKOGEE, Okla. (AP) – It’s a Monday morning and by 7:30 a.m., Dr. Tom Coburn already has put 2 1/2 hours on the job. He’s made the rounds at the hospital. Now, expectant mothers and an elderly man with hardening of the arteries await exams at his clinic in a rambling strip mall. Lab reports sit a…
Schwarzenegger, Democrats Exploring Truce photo Throughout the spring, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger feuded bitterly with Democrats in the Legislature over government reform measures he wants voters to consider in a special election this November. Lately, however, the partisan chill has begun to thaw as recent polls have shown both…
AP: Blagojevich Contributor Gets Contracts SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) – A major contributor to Gov. Rod Blagojevich has received a half a million dollars in contracts for cleaning work that experts say is unnecessary or could be performed less expensively by state employees. In one case, PWS Environmental Inc. got more than $7,000 to clean a…
Blair’s Son to Intern for House Committee LONDON (AP) – Prime Minister Tony Blair’s eldest son will intern for a U.S. congressional committee, Blair’s office said Sunday. Euan Blair, 21, will take a short, unpaid internship with the House Rules Committee, a spokesman for the prime minister’s office said. He did not specify when the…
Growing Numbers Question Media’s Fairness WASHINGTON (AP) – Despite growing doubts about the news media’s patriotism, most people still have a positive view of news outlets like their daily newspaper, local TV, network television news and cable news networks, a poll found. While the public views much of the news media favorably, they are…
Obama’s Stand Against Patriot Act Cheered CHICAGO (AP) – To the cheers of thousands of librarians, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama on Saturday called for the Senate to rewrite the USA Patriot Act to prevent investigators from scanning library records and bookstore sales slips. Libraries should be “sanctuaries of learning where we are free to read…
Rumsfeld: Iraq Insurgency Could Last Years photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Sunday he is bracing for even more violence in Iraq and acknowledged that the insurgency “could go on for any number of years.” Defeating the insurgency may take as long as 12 years, he said, with Iraqi security forces, not U.S. and…

High Court to End Term With Big Decisions photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court ends its work Monday with the highest of drama: an anticipated retirement, a ruling on the constitutionality of government Ten Commandments displays and decisions in other major cases. Traditionally there is an air of suspense as the justices meet for the final…
Lawmakers: Guantanamo Conditions Improve photo GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba (AP) – During a tour of the U.S. prison for suspected terrorists on Saturday, House Republicans and Democrats, including one who has advocated closing the facility, said the United States has made progress in improving conditions and protecting detainees’ rights….
Newsview: Bush Losing Support for Iraq War photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush is casting about for ways to turn the tide of public opinion on Iraq. He is running into a growing level of skepticism, new strains in Republican unity and more frequent comparisons to the Vietnam conflict of almost four decades ago. A new stepped-up public…
Home Sale Causes Woes for Rep. Cunningham photo SAN DIEGO (AP) – U.S. Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham has a reputation for both brashness and emotion. The tough-talking former Navy “Top Gun” fighter pilot once said that President Clinton’s anti-war activities during the Vietnam War would result in being “tried as a traitor and even shot” if he had…
JFK Adviser Fred Dutton Dies at 82 WASHINGTON (AP) – Frederick G. Dutton, an adviser to President Kennedy and an assistant secretary of state, died Saturday. He was 82. Dutton was admitted to George Washington University Hospital on June 6 for treatment of a moderate hemorrhagic bleed, according to his wife, Nancy. He had a mild…
W.Va. Rejects $5.5B Pension Bond Proposal photo CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) – Voters on Saturday narrowly rejected Gov. Joe Manchin’s attempt to repair West Virginia’s ailing retirement system by selling up to $5.5 billion in bonds. With 87 percent the state’s 1,965 precincts reporting, about 53 percent of voters had rejected the pension bond…
White House Stands Behind Rove Comments photo WASHINGTON (AP) – A White House official said Friday the administration finds it “somewhat puzzling” that Democrats are demanding presidential adviser Karl Rove’s apology or resignation for implying that liberals are soft on terrorism. “I think Karl was very specific, very accurate, in who he was…
Senate Moves to Strengthen FOI Act WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate took steps Friday to ensure that Congress clearly explains future efforts to restrict the public’s access to government documents. Approved by a voice vote, the Senate bill requires that future legislation containing new exemptions to what records are open for public…
Dean: Democrats Must Cultivate Hispanics photo SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) – The Democratic Party is losing more and more Hispanic voters to the Republicans and must cultivate them if it is to win the 2008 presidential victory, Democratic Party leader Howard Dean told Latino officials on Friday. More than 7 million Latinos – of Central and…
House Approves Cuts to Labor Programs WASHINGTON (AP) – Funding for job training, rural health care, low-income schools and help for people lacking health insurance would face big cuts under a bill passed Friday by the House. The measure, which passed 250-151, contains $142.5 billion in spending under Congress’ control for labor,…

Bush Says No Timetable for Iraq Withdrawal photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Despite growing anxiety about the war in Iraq, President Bush refused to set a timetable Friday for bringing home U.S. troops and declared, “I’m not giving up on the mission. We’re doing the right thing.” Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, with Bush at a White House news…
Cheney Says Guantanamo Prisoners Well Fed photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Defending the treatment of prisoners at the U.S. jail in Guantanamo Bay, Vice President Dick Cheney said they are well treated, well fed and “living in the tropics.” The Bush administration has faced allegations of inmate abuse at the jail and of unjustly detaining suspects….
W.Va. Set to Vote on $5.5B Pension Bond CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) – Amid the backdrop of natonwide funding shortfalls for state and local pension plans, West Virginians prepared to vote Saturday on whether to repair their ailing retirement system with up to $5.5 billion in bonds. The state constitution requires an amendment for Gov. Joe…
Dean: Democrats Must Cultivate Hispanics photo SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) – The Democratic Party is losing more and more Hispanic voters to the Republicans and must cultivate them if it is to win the 2008 presidential victory, Democratic Party leader Howard Dean told Latino officials on Friday. More than 7 million Latinos – of Central and…
White House Stands Behind Rove Comments photo WASHINGTON (AP) – A White House official said Friday the administration finds it “somewhat puzzling” that Democrats are demanding presidential adviser Karl Rove’s apology or resignation for implying that liberals are soft on terrorism. “I think Karl was very specific, very accurate, in who he was…
House Blocks Federal Coverage of Viagra WASHINGTON (AP) – Impotence drugs such as Viagra would not be covered by Medicaid and Medicare, the government health programs for the poor and the aged, under new prohibitions approved by the House on Friday. By a 285-121 vote, the House approved an amendment by Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, to stop…
Minnesota Government May Have a Shutdown photo LAKE ELMO, Minn. (AP) – Like most high school students, Jana Graczyk couldn’t have cared less about the political warfare at the state Capitol. That is, until it threatened her chance to get the prized possession of most teenagers – a driver’s license. Minnesotans like Graczyk are suddenly paying…
Panhandler Battle Takes on Racial Tone photo ATLANTA (AP) – A proposed ordinance to bar panhandlers from accosting people in Atlanta’s tourist section has run headlong into the politics of race in this city of the New South that likes to portray itself as having moved beyond black and white. Hoping to boost convention business and tidy up…
Jeb Bush Signs Bill for Florida’s Growth BRANDON, Fla. (AP) – Gov. Jeb Bush on Friday signed into law landmark legislation that overhauls the state’s growth and development guidelines for the first time in two decades and calls for $1.5 billion in state money to be spent during the next year on new highways, classrooms and water…
Cheney Visits Orthopedist in Colorado VAIL, Colo. (AP) – Vice President Dick Cheney visited a renowned orthopedist Friday while in town for a forum held by a conservative think tank, his spokeswoman said. Cheney met with Dr. Richard Steadman to evaluate an old football injury to his knee, Cheney spokeswoman Lea Anne McBride said….

Dems Say Rove Should Apologize or Resign photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Democrats said Thursday that White House adviser Karl Rove should either apologize or resign for accusing liberals of wanting “therapy and understanding” for the Sept. 11 attackers, escalating partisan rancor that threatens to consume Washington. Rove’s comments – and the…
Mass. Governor Weighing Presidental Run photo BOSTON (AP) – Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney says his wife’s health will be a key factor in whether he runs for president in 2008. She has multiple sclerosis. Romney, who has acknowledged he is considering a presidential bid but also says he might run for re-election as governor, raised the issue…
Senate Dems Want Consult on Court Pick WASHINGTON (AP) – Senate Democrats are urging President Bush to consult with them on a possible Supreme Court nomination to help avoid the kind of controversy that engulfed his lower court picks. “The way to avoid the divisiveness and discord that occurred over past judicial nominations is through…
Senate Nearly Done With Energy Agenda photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate neared completion of a sweeping national energy agenda late Thursday that would promote conservation and environmentally friendly fuels. But senators rejected a last-minute bid to substantially raise automobile fuel economy over the next decade. The massive energy…
New Mexico Governor Says He’ll Slow Down SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) – New Mexico’s lead-footed governor has promised to put on the brakes – most of the time, anyway. Democratic Gov. Bill Richardson, whose penchant for exceeding the speed limit has made headlines and drawn criticism from Republicans, said Thursday he would slow down. “Sometimes…
Ohio Governor Struggles With Scandal COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – What should have been a time of triumph for Ohio’s governor after a tepid six years in office has become a nightmare of heavy investment losses for the state and allegations of political favoritism and cover-up. Republican Gov. Bob Taft, a member of one of America’s most…
Cheney: Bush May Forgo Private Accounts photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Vice President Dick Cheney left open the possibility Thursday that President Bush would sign a bill to overhaul Social Security without his embattled proposal for personal accounts financed from payroll taxes. “I wouldn’t say that,” Cheney said, when asked if Bush would sign a…
Sen. Sees No Bias Hires in Nominee Record WASHINGTON (AP) – Research into a State Department nominee’s hiring record has not revealed evidence of systematic discrimination since racial comments led her to resign from Wellesley College’s board of trustees in 1987, Sen. Barack Obama said Thursday. Henrietta Holsman Fore, currently director…
Ariz. Senate Ex-President to Run for Gov. PHOENIX (AP) – Former state Senate President John Greene announced Thursday he’s running for the Republican nomination for Arizona governor in hopes of ousting first-term Democratic incumbent Janet Napolitano. Greene, who served six years in the Senate in the 1990s, said Napolitano has done little…
Pol of Mexican Heritage Aims at Immigrants BOISE, Idaho (AP) – He is a grandson of Mexican immigrants who has been called a traitor to his people for building his political career on attacks against illegal immigration. Canyon County Commissioner Robert Vasquez entered the race for Congress earlier this month, and did it in…

Rove: Dems Didn’t Get 9/11 Consequences NEW YORK (AP) – Speaking in a Manhattan ballroom just a few miles north of ground zero, Karl Rove said on Wednesday night that the Democratic party did not understand the consequences of the Sept. 11 attacks. “Liberals saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments and…
Papers: Lobbyist, Partner Bilked Tribes photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his partner created tax-exempt groups to funnel money to themselves from Indian tribes trying to build political support for their casinos, according to documents released at a Senate hearing Wednesday. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., chairman of the Senate…
House GOP Crafts Social Security Bill photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Blending conservative principles with political caution, key Republicans rallied Wednesday behind a plan to introduce Social Security personal accounts on a more modest scale than President Bush favors. “Our bill is the first bite at a bigger reform,” Texas Rep. Sam Johnson said…
Gregoire Aims to Move Past Wash. Election photo OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) – Democratic Gov. Christine Gregoire said Wednesday it is time for her opponents to move on now that a judge has upheld her remarkably close election victory. In her first full-scale interview since a judge dismissed Republican claims of fraud and other misdeeds in last fall’s…
Senate Defeats Move to Cap Climate Gases photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate soundly defeated a proposal Wednesday for mandatory reductions in heat-trapping pollution that may be warming the Earth. Supporters managed to get five fewer votes than they did two years ago. The proposal to cap greenhouse gases at 2000 levels, within five years, lost…
Fla. Dems Missed Payment Blamed on Error TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – An employee mistake led to the Florida Democratic Party not paying some of its Social Security and payroll taxes in 2003, a former chairman said Wednesday in the wake of the party being slapped with a lien by the Internal Revenue Service. Former party chief Scott Maddox,…
Ohio Parties Still Sniping Over 2004 Vote WASHINGTON (AP) – The 2004 presidential election in Ohio was settled when President Bush won the decisive state. But the state’s vote still is a sore point for many, including the two political parties. Democrats released a report Wednesday that said Ohio voters had to deal with long lines, poorly…
Ex-Attorneys General: Cut Convict’s Term DENVER (AP) – A day after U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales defended mandatory federal sentencing laws, four of his predecessors filed a court brief Wednesday saying a Utah drug dealer received an unconstitutionally long prison term. More than 150 other ex-Justice Department officials also…
Tenn. Lawmaker Pleads Innocent to Charges MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – A state lawmaker indicted in an undercover probe of public corruption pleaded innocent Wednesday to federal bribery and extortion charges. State Rep. Chris Newton is the only Republican among five current or former state lawmakers charged in two-year FBI investigation code…
Schiavo Activist to Seek Fla. Senate Seat JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) – Randall Terry, who founded the militant anti-abortion group Operation Rescue and helped lead the effort to reinsert Terri Schiavo’s feeding tube, announced Wednesday he is running for the state Senate, setting the stage for a GOP primary in which Schiavo could be the…

AP: Tribe Told to Reroute DeLay Checks ELTON, La. (AP) – A casino-rich tribe wrote checks for at least $55,000 to House Majority Leader Tom DeLay’s political groups, but the donations were never publicly disclosed and the tribe was directed to divert the money to other groups that helped Republicans, tribal documents show. Lobbyist…
Dems Raise $22.6M So Far, Lag Behind GOP photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The Democratic National Committee has raised $22.6 million this year through fundraisers, direct mail and online, but still trails the national GOP by a 2-1 margin, Democrats said Tuesday. DNC Chairman Howard Dean has been traveling to fundraisers around the country in recent…
Sen. Durbin Apologizes for Gitmo Remarks photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Under fire from Republicans and some fellow Democrats, Sen. Dick Durbin apologized Tuesday for comparing American interrogators at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp to Nazis and other historically infamous figures. “Some may believe that my remarks crossed the line,” the Illinois…
Senate Backs Offshore Energy Inventory photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate voted Tuesday to inventory all offshore oil and gas resources – a step environmentalists saw as a threat to bans on drilling – and debated a challenge to President Bush’s climate-change policies. Many senators from coastal states criticized the offshore energy…
Social Security Bill Eases Up on Accounts photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Key House Republicans scrambled Tuesday to craft Social Security legislation that sidetracks the most controversial elements of President Bush’s plan, officials said, the latest sign of unease with the administration’s campaign for personal accounts financed from payroll taxes….
Biden Accuses Bush of Misleading on Iraq photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Two days after announcing his intention to seek the presidency, Democratic Sen. Joe Biden on Tuesday accused President Bush of “misleading statements and premature declarations of victory” in Iraq and called on him to change course. “The disconnect between the administration’s…
Florida Democratic Party Faces IRS Lien TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – The Florida Democratic Party has been slapped with a lien by the Internal Revenue Service for failing to pay payroll and Social Security taxes in 2003. Meanwhile, the state party’s budget and finance committee voted Tuesday to ask for a new audit to account for more than…
Dean Answers Cheney’s Barb About Mother photo BOSTON (AP) – Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean, responding to criticism from the vice president, said he doesn’t “care if Dick Cheney likes my mother or not.” The vice president said in a recent interview that Dean was not the type of person to lead a political party and mentioned the…
Rhetoric Takes Nasty Turn in Congress WASHINGTON (AP) – A Republican accuses Democrats of demonizing Christians. A Democrat talks of Nazis in connection with the treatment of terror suspects. Both sides cry foul, and apologies are hard to come by. It’s just another day of vitriolic gotchas at the Capitol. House Republicans on Tuesday…
Schwarzenegger Seeks Deal As Ratings Slip photo SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – Responding to a precipitous drop in popularity, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday said he wants to seek compromise with Democrats on the state budget and on issues he has placed before voters for a November special election. “I feel that there is an agreement to be…

Bush Defends Guantanamo, Iraq Tactics photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush said Monday he thinks about Iraq “every day because I understand we have kids in harm’s way,” yet he is determined to complete the mission there. He defended U.S. tactics in Iraq and at the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay. At a joint news conference with European…
Lobbying Heats Up As Climate Vote Nears WASHINGTON (AP) – Industry groups and environmentalists lobbied hard to sway lawmakers’ votes Monday as the Senate prepared for a major challenge to President Bush’s global warming policy as part of emerging energy legislation. At the same time, the Senate agreed unanimously without debate to…
FBI Chief Won’t Mandate Terror Expertise photo WASHINGTON (AP) – FBI supervisors in the war on terror have acknowledged they lacked expertise, but Director Robert Mueller says he is unwilling to require such managers to have backgrounds in Arabic, the Middle East or international issues. “Let me tell you that we want to develop that within the…
American Indians Offer to Settle Suit WASHINGTON (AP) – American Indians suing the Interior Department for more than a century’s worth of lost royalties said Monday they were willing to settle for $27.5 billion if Congress agreed not to draw the money from other Indian Country programs. The class-action lawsuit has lingered in U.S….
High Court Orders New Death Penalty Trial photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court on Monday threw out yet another sentence for a death row inmate, issuing a warning to state courts in a 17-year-old Pennsylvania case that shoddy defense work wouldn’t be tolerated. The justices have been particularly active in death penalty issues this session,…
Gov’t. Collected Airline Passenger Data WASHINGTON (AP) – The federal agency in charge of aviation security collected extensive personal information about airline passengers even though Congress forbade it and officials said they wouldn’t do it, according to documents obtained Monday by The Associated Press. The Transportation Security…
Republican: Democrats Demonize Christians WASHINGTON (AP) – The House passed a mammoth defense spending bill Monday evening, but only after a Republican congressman was forced to take back remarks accusing Democrats of “demonizing Christians.” The rhetorical warfare came as the House considered a proposal by Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., to…
Clinton Says Close or Clean Up Guantanamo LONDON (AP) – Former President Clinton said the U.S. prison camp at Guantanamo Bay should close or improve its record on prisoner abuse, a British newspaper reported Monday. Clinton told the Financial Times the camp should “be closed down or cleaned up.” “It is time that there are no more stories…
Senate Negotiators Make Highway Bill Offer WASHINGTON (AP) – Senate negotiators on Monday proposed a compromise plan for a long-term highway bill, hoping to break an impasse that has stalled action on the massive spending bill for nearly two years, aides said. The Senate proposal called for spending $290 billion over six years for highway,…
Conservatives Tout Anti-Hillary Book ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) – Conservative groups are promoting a Hillary Rodham Clinton biography that hits bookstores Tuesday as a work so damning it could destroy any possible bid for the presidency in 2008. The 305-page book, “The Truth About Hillary: What She Knew, When She Knew It, and How Far She’ll…

Biden Intends to Seek Presidency in 2008 photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., said Sunday he intends to run for president in 2008. But Biden, who also sought the nomination in 1988, said he would give himself until the end of this year to determine if he really can raise enough money and attract enough support. Going after the…
FBI Failed to Hire Mideast Terror Experts photo WASHINGTON (AP) – In sworn testimony that contrasts with their promises to the public, the FBI managers who crafted the post-Sept. 11 fight against terrorism say expertise about the Mideast or terrorism was not important in choosing the agents they promoted to top jobs. And they still do not…
McCain Expects U.S. in Iraq 2 More Years photo WASHINGTON (AP) – A leading Republican senator said Sunday it probably would take “at least a couple more years” before enough Iraqis are capable of securing their country, a prime condition set by the Bush administration for beginning to withdraw U.S. troops. “I don’t think Americans believe that…
Schwarzenegger Calls for Special Election photo SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – In some ways, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “Year of Reform” special election isn’t so special. Californians already have voted on several measures similar to those he placed on the Nov. 8 ballot and at least two of them went down to defeat. Schwarzenegger’s supporters say the…
Daley Pushes Ordinance to Close Taverns CHICAGO (AP) – Taverns and booze are entwined with Chicago’s history and lore – from Al Capone’s bootlegging empire to the tavern owner whose curse on the Cubs is blamed for keeping them out of the World Series for a half century. But the dark, cool watering holes where for decades laborers…
Byrd Memoir Laments Early Fling With Klan MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) – The Ku Klux Klan is the central paradox of Robert C. Byrd’s life – “an extraordinarily foolish mistake” that has haunted him for 40 years but the very thing that launched one of the longest careers in the U.S. Senate. “It has emerged throughout my life to haunt and…
NYC Squabbles Over Daily Trash Management photo NEW YORK (AP) – In one week, New Yorkers throw out enough garbage to equal the weight of the Empire State Building, and there’s a battle brewing in City Hall to change the way the city gets rid of it. Each day, 50,000 tons of trash are hauled through the streets and carted out of the city by a…
U.S. War Plans Much-Discussed in Memos photo LONDON (AP) – President Bush’s government has been accused of exaggerating the risks of Saddam Hussein’s weapons and Iraq’s ties to al-Qaida before the war to justify the invasion. That’s one reason the most quoted section of the eight secret Downing Street memos that have been leaked to the…
Spokane Mayor Debates Privacy Online SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) – After what Mayor James West called his “brutal outing” by a newspaper that published transcripts of his conversations from a gay chat room, he complained in an e-mail to the city’s commission on race relations. West asked: “Should we all fear that our private conversations…
Bush: Pulling Out of Iraq Not an Option photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush said Saturday that pulling out of Iraq now is not an option, rejecting calls by some lawmakers and many people asked in polls to start bringing U.S. troops home. “The terrorists and insurgents are trying to get us to retreat. Their goal is to get us to leave before…

U.S. War Plans Much-Discussed in Memos photo LONDON (AP) – President Bush’s government has been accused of exaggerating the risks of Saddam Hussein’s weapons and Iraq’s ties to al-Qaida before the war to justify the invasion. That’s one reason the most quoted section of the eight secret Downing Street memos that have been leaked to the…
Dems: Private Accounts Would Hurt Farmers RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – President Bush’s proposal to allow taxpayers to invest part of their Social Security taxes would have an amplified, negative effect on farm families who depend on the government program in retirement, Rep. Bob Etheridge, D-N.C., said Saturday. “Farm families have tight…
Senators Debate Future of Backing Ethanol photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The first caucuses of the 2008 presidential campaign are more than two years in the distance, but Iowa’s interest in ethanol knows no season. That may help explain why Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., nearly alone among senators from the Northeast, voted recently to fend off an attack…
Reed Makes First Run for Office in Ga. photo ATLANTA (AP) – For two decades, Ralph Reed made his mark as a squeaky-clean political operator and a driving force behind the Christian right. Now he’s trying to get himself into elected office amid allegations he raked in money from the same gambling interests he once called “a cancer on the…
Strayhorn to Enter Texas GOP Primary AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – Carole Keeton Strayhorn, the fast-talking state comptroller who makes sport of chastising Republican Gov. Rick Perry, said Saturday she would challenge the governor in next year’s GOP primary. “Now is time to replace a do-nothin’ drugstore cowboy with one tough grandma,”…
Georgia Gov. Fined by Ethics Commission photo ATLANTA (AP) – The state ethics commission fined Gov. Sonny Perdue $1,900 for campaign violations and ordered him to repay more than $18,000 in contributions – most of it to his wife for using her company’s airplane. The ruling Friday – negotiated ahead of time and approved by Perdue’s lawyers -…
Dean Condemns ‘Anti-Semitic Literature’ photo WASHINGTON (AP) – A handful of people at Democratic National Headquarters distributed material critical of Israel during a public forum questioning the Bush administration’s Iraq policy, drawing an angry response and charges of anti-Semitism from party chairman Howard Dean on Friday. “We disavow…
Frist Meets Backers on Second S.C. Visit photo COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist visited South Carolina for the second time in less than a month Friday, touring a hydroelectric plant and testing the political water in a state that will be key in the 2008 presidential primary. Frist was peppered with questions about his…
Senator Regrets if Remarks Misunderstood WASHINGTON (AP) – Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said Friday that he regretted any misunderstandings caused by his comments earlier this week comparing American interrogators at Guantanamo Bay to Nazis. The White House, Senate Republicans and others had called for an apology after Durbin’s comments…
Dean Takes Fundraising Effort to Texas photo HOUSTON (AP) – Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean is taking his party’s fundraising efforts to President Bush’s backyard – Texas. Dean is scheduled to appear at events in Houston, Austin and Corpus Christi this weekend, taking his message to a Republican stronghold that had been written off by…

Frist Meets Backers on Second S.C. Visit photo COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist visited South Carolina for the second time in less than a month Friday, touring a hydroelectric plant and testing the political water in a state that will be key in the 2008 presidential primary. Frist was peppered with questions about his…
Bush: New Medicare Plan Benefits Seniors photo MAPLE GROVE, Minn. (AP) – President Bush on Friday portrayed the government’s new Medicare prescription-drug plan as a great bargain for seniors, but he said that persuading all of them to sign up will be “a massive education assignment.” “It makes people nervous” when they are told to fill out…
Dean Takes Fundraising Effort to Texas photo HOUSTON (AP) – Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean is taking his party’s fundraising efforts to President Bush’s backyard – Texas. Dean is scheduled to appear at events in Houston, Austin and Corpus Christi this weekend, taking his message to a Republican stronghold that had been written off by…
Senator Regrets if Remarks Misunderstood WASHINGTON (AP) – Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said Friday that he regretted any misunderstandings caused by his comments earlier this week comparing American interrogators at Guantanamo Bay to Nazis. The White House, Senate Republicans and others had called for an apology after Durbin’s comments…
Sen. Hutchison Says She Won’t Run for Gov. AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison announced Friday that she will run for a third Senate term, ending months of speculation that she would challenge Texas Gov. Rick Perry next year in the Republican primary. An e-mail distributed by Hutchison’s campaign said she would make the…
Probe Sought in Terri Schiavo 911 Call photo TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – Gov. Jeb Bush said Friday that a prosecutor has agreed to investigate why Terri Schiavo collapsed 15 years ago, citing an alleged time gap between when her husband found her and when he called 911. Bush said his request for the probe was not meant to suggest wrongdoing by…
GOP Senator Wants White House Climate Deal WASHINGTON (AP) – A leading Republican senator, trying to shepherd a broad energy bill through the Senate, is urging the White House and other GOP senators to support a compromise proposal on global warming, including mandatory curbs on climate-changing pollution. Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., met…
RNC Nets $52.9M in First 5 Months of Year WASHINGTON (AP) – The Republican National Committee has taken in $52.9 million from January through May, maintaining its strong fundraising despite a ban on six-figure donations. The RNC raised $10.3 million last month alone, it said Friday. The committee started June with $32.6 million on hand….
Nancy Reagan Eyes Senate Stem-Cell Support photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Nancy Reagan is poised to take on President Bush – quietly, behind the scenes – over stem cell research, anxious to put federal funding behind research that could cure Alzheimer’s disease suffered by her late husband. She’s done it before, making calls to wavering lawmakers when…
Iowa Gov. to Restore Felons’ Voting Rights DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Gov. Tom Vilsack said Friday he will soon sign an order restoring the voting rights of convicted felons who have served their sentences. Currently, felons can apply for the right to vote, but it must be approved by the state’s parole board and the governor in a lengthy…

House Ready to Give Pentagon $45B for Wars WASHINGTON (AP) – The House was poised to give the Pentagon an additional $45 billion for wars next year, even as public support for combat in Iraq wanes and lawmakers press for an exit strategy. While President Bush has not asked yet for more war funds, lawmakers included money for military…
Bush Seeks to Calm Anxieties About Iraq photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Facing growing pressure to bring troops home from Iraq, President Bush is launching a public relations campaign to try to calm anxieties about the war. Bush scheduled a major address for June 28, the one-year anniversary of the transfer of sovereignty from the U.S.-led coalition…
Senate GOP Aims for Bolton Vote Next Week WASHINGTON (AP) – Senate Republicans will make a second attempt Monday to break a Democratic filibuster blocking a confirmation vote on John Bolton, President Bush’s choice for U.N. ambassador, Majority Leader Bill Frist announced Thursday. Democrats said they were ready. “It’s unlikely that…
White House Castigates Durbin for Remarks WASHINGTON (AP) – The White House and Senate Republicans on Thursday assailed a Democrat for comparing American interrogators at Guantanamo Bay to Nazis, Soviet gulags and Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot. It is “beyond belief” that Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin would compare the treatment of dangerous…
Bush Talks About Faith at Prayer Breakfast photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush has never been shy about talking about his faith, and he has been getting more opportunities with the increasing popularity of prayer breakfasts. Bush doesn’t typically lead the worship at these events, but speaks easily of his faith and humbly of his place before…
Chief Justice Marks Court Anniversary WASHINGTON (AP) – William H. Rehnquist was tapped to be chief justice 19 years ago Friday, and while conventional wisdom says his combination of age and cancer won’t allow him to stay around for a 20th, some court watchers are not so sure. They point out that he looks better than he had been, is…
Md. Woman Files Suit Vs. Rep. Sherwood WASHINGTON (AP) – A woman who accused Rep. Don Sherwood, R-Pa., of trying to choke her during an encounter at his Capitol Hill apartment last fall is suing him for $5.5 million. Cynthia Ore, 29, of Rockville, Md., alleges in the suit filed in Superior Court that during her five-year relationship…
Ex-Congressman Gephardt to Join Law Firm ST. LOUIS (AP) – Former Congressman Dick Gephardt is joining a law firm where he will work as a senior counselor within its government affairs practice. Gephardt, 64, who also twice ran for the Democratic presidential nomination, will work part-time for DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary in Washington,…
Schwarzenegger Shrugs Off College Protest SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday dismissed the jeers and catcalls directed at him during a college commencement speech earlier this week, saying the protesters were inspired by unions who oppose his November special election. Schwarzenegger said he thought most of…
Patriot Act Critics Laud Vote to Limit Use WASHINGTON (AP) – Advocates of rewriting the USA Patriot Act are claiming momentum after the House, despite a White House veto threat, voted to restrict investigators from using the anti-terrorism law to peek at library records and bookstore sales slips. Wednesday’s 238-187 vote came as lawmakers…

Lawmakers Attend Picnic at White House photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush, frustrated that some of his legislative initiatives are stalled in Congress, was all smiles Wednesday evening as he hosted a congressional picnic where jugglers and a merry-go-round turned the South Lawn into a carnival. “I want to thank you for your hard work. I…
Congress Debates Rights of Gitmo Suspects photo WASHINGTON (AP) – A senior Republican, Sen. Arlen Specter, urged Congress on Wednesday to clarify prisoners’ rights at Guantanamo Bay, decrying a “crazy quilt” of legal decisions about the military’s handling of suspected terrorists. Other Republicans on Specter’s Judiciary Committee were divided…
Republican Releases Some Info on Bolton WASHINGTON (AP) – A leading Republican sought Wednesday to end the Senate impasse over John Bolton’s nomination to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations by providing Democrats with some information about secret intelligence intercepts they sought. Democrats rejected the effort by Sen. Pat…
Some Members of House Have Fallback Jobs photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Richard Pombo still counts himself as a fourth-generation cattle rancher, though he’s the chairman of the House Resources Committee. Allan Mollohan can add property manager to his other job title of top Democrat on the House Ethics Committee. While their Senate counterparts enjoy…
Bush’s Top Aides Have Significant Wealth WASHINGTON (AP) – They’re on the government payroll, but some of President Bush’s top aides have millions of dollars in stocks, real estate and other investments, according to financial disclosure forms released Wednesday. Senior adviser Karl Rove saw his stock and bond funds rise in value last…
House Leaders See Need for Ethics Process WASHINGTON (AP) – Faced with questions about a Southern California congressman’s real estate deal, House Republican and Democratic leaders said Wednesday that a functioning House ethics process is needed. A staffing dispute between the House Ethics Committee’s Republican chairman, Doc Hastings of…
Democrat Holds Up State Dept. Nomination WASHINGTON (AP) – Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., temporarily blocked a promotion for a White House aide Wednesday in a dispute over whether a wealthy Democratic fundraiser would be reappointed to a government oversight board. Biden asked that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee postpone a vote on…
Sen. Durbin Stands by Guantanamo Remarks CHICAGO (AP) – Sen. Dick Durbin refused to apologize Wednesday for comments he made on the Senate floor comparing the actions of American soldiers at Guantanamo Bay to Nazis, Soviet gulags and a “mad regime” like Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot’s in Cambodia. Durbin’s comments created a buzz on the…
LA Mayor-Elect Says Dems Must Talk Family photo FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) – Democrats must talk more about family values if they want to keep the support of Latino voters, Los Angeles’ newly elected mayor said Wednesday. Republicans were able to gain Hispanic votes in last year’s presidential election because they focused on religion and seemed…
White House Nixes Withholding U.N. Dues WASHINGTON (AP) – The Bush administration told Congress on Wednesday it opposes a bill to overhaul the way the United Nations works, citing a requirement the U.S. withhold dues if the organization fails to make changes. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Henry Hyde, chairman of the House International…

Bush Helps Republicans Raise $23 Million photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush stepped up his efforts to boost Republicans’ political fortunes by headlining two big-money fundraisers Tuesday, criticizing Democrats during both stops. At an evening congressional gala in Washington, Bush drew applause by calling for an overhaul of the tax code,…
Senate Confirms Griffith for Appeals Court photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate on Tuesday confirmed one of its former lawyers, Thomas B. Griffith, to sit on the U.S. Appeals Court, the sixth judge it has elevated to the federal appellate court in the last month. With a 73-24 vote, Griffith becomes the newest judge on the U.S. Circuit Court of…
Ex.-Mass. House Speaker Pleads Innocent BOSTON (AP) – Former House Speaker Thomas Finneran pleaded innocent Tuesday to charges he lied under oath about his role in redrawing legislative district lines. “The charges brought against me are false,” Finneran said after his arraignment on three counts of perjury and a single count of…
GOP Senators May Make 69 Retirement Age photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Key Senate Republicans are considering gradually raising the Social Security retirement age as high as 69 over several years as they struggle to jump-start legislation that President Bush has placed atop his second-term agenda, officials said Tuesday. Under current law, the…
Porn Star Carey Attends GOP Fundraiser photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Blond porn star, political candidate. And now you can add one more line to Mary Carey’s resume: Republican booster. Carey was in Washington Tuesday to attend the President’s Dinner, an annual fundraiser put on by the National Republican Congressional Committee and the National…
Senate GOP Turns Up Heat Over Bolton photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Senate Republicans sought Tuesday to increase the political heat on Democrats who have been stalling the nomination of President Bush’s choice to be U.N. ambassador. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said he would schedule a vote at the end of the week to cut off debate…
House GOP Defends DeLay, Rejects NASA Cut WASHINGTON (AP) – House Republicans beat back a Democratic challenge Tuesday to Majority Leader Tom DeLay, defeating an effort to cut $200 million from NASA’s Moon-Mars initiative and spend the money instead to aid local police. By a 230-196 vote, the House rejected an amendment by Rep. David…
Ex-AG Wins Va. Primary for Governor RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – Former Attorney General Jerry Kilgore easily won the Republican nomination for governor Tuesday over a small-town mayor best known for bankrolling the Jamaican bobsled team in the 1988 Winter Olympics. Kilgore’s victory with more than 80 percent of the vote sets up a November…
Ky. Transportation Officials Indicted FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) – Three officials of Kentucky’s Transportation Department were indicted Tuesday in an investigation into alleged political hiring and firing by Republican Gov. Ernie Fletcher’s administration. Acting Transportation Secretary Bill Nighbert, Deputy Secretary Jim Adams and…
Ex-White House Official to Join Fuel Co. WASHINGTON (AP) – A former White House official and one-time oil industry lobbyist whose editing of government reports on climate change prompted criticism from environmentalists will join Exxon Mobil Corp., the oil company said Tuesday. The White House announced over the weekend that Philip…

Congressional GOP Holding Gala With Bush photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Congressional Republicans expect to add at least $23 million to their party campaign funds Tuesday night at an annual fundraiser featuring President Bush. The National Republican Congressional Committee raised at least $14 million for House Republicans through the gala, while the…
Bush Vows to Speed Up Aid to Poor Nations photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush said Monday the United States would speed up delivery of funding to poor countries after African leaders complained that one of his signature aid projects was rife with red tape. In March 2002, Bush said he would begin distributing foreign aid with the Millennium…
Bush Welcomes Korean Author to White House photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Impressed by the memoir of North Korean who spent 10 years in a forced labor camp, President Bush invited the author for a sit-down in the Oval Office on Monday. Bush met for about 40 minutes with Chol-hwan Kang, author of “The Aquariums of Pyongyang: Ten Years in the North…
Bolton Nomination May Get Senate Vote Soon WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush’s embattled pick to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations could face a confirmation vote in the Senate within days. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., has privately indicated to the Democratic leadership that he wants a vote on John Bolton’s…
Cheney Responds to Guantanamo Critics photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Vice President Dick Cheney said Monday the United States’ image has not been damaged by allegations of prisoner abuse at Guantanamo Bay and that people who urge the closing of the prison “probably don’t agree with our policies anyway.” Cheney answered back to Guantanamo critics…
Schwarzenegger Calls for Special Nov. Vote photo SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday called a special election for November to try to change the way California spends money, picks its politicians and hires its teachers. He said the election would continue momentum from the historic 2003 recall that brought him to…
R.I. Mayor May Resume Talk Show for Now photo PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) – The state Board of Elections voted Monday to let a mayor resume hosting a weekly radio show while it asks the state’s highest court to decide if the free airtime violates campaign finance laws. Cranston Mayor Stephen Laffey, 43, hosted a call-in program for about two months…
Colo. Governor Assails U.S. Mad Cow Policy photo BRECKENRIDGE, Colo. (AP) – Colorado Gov. Bill Owens said Monday it is “hypocrisy” for the United States to pressure Japan to lift a ban on U.S. beef over mad cow concerns while banning Canadian beef for the same reason. “It’s this sort of hypocrisy that makes it very difficult for the U.S. to win…
Judge OKs Recall Effort Vs. Spokane Mayor photo SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) – A recall petition drive against Mayor James E. West over a gay sex scandal can proceed, a judge ruled Monday. Benton County Superior Court Judge Craig J. Matheson threw out two of the recall allegations against West. However, the allegation that West improperly offered city…
Ohio Congressional Hopefuls Stress Values photo WEST UNION, Ohio (AP) – Four Republican contenders in Ohio’s special congressional primary practically tripped over each other emphasizing family at a weekend picnic. Jean Schmidt, a former state lawmaker, had to leave early to attend her daughter’s dance recital. Bob McEwen, trying to get back to…

Texas Governor Mobilizes Evangelicals photo DALLAS (AP) – Even for Texas, the scene was remarkable: The governor, flanked by an out-of-state televangelist and religious right leaders, signing legislation in a church school gymnasium amid shouts of “amen” from backers who just as well could have been attending a revival. It wasn’t just the…
Cheney Decries Dean’s Anti-GOP Remarks photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Howard Dean is “over the top,” Vice President Dick Cheney says, calling the Democrats’ chairman “not the kind of individual you want to have representing your political party.” “I’ve never been able to understand his appeal. Maybe his mother loved him, but I’ve never met anybody…
Newsview: GOP Aims to Shift Public Focus WASHINGTON (AP) – Senate Democrats blocked a few of President Bush’s conservative judicial nominees for years and then lost seats last fall. Now, they are accusing Republicans of devoting too much time to the issue and ignoring pocketbook concerns. It is a political pivot, designed to gain…
Cheney: No Plans to Shut Guantanamo Prison photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Vice President Dick Cheney, reacting to a growing chorus of calls to close the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay where terrorism suspects are held, says there are no present plans to do so. “The important thing here to understand is that the people that are at Guantanamo are bad…
GOP Congressman Wants Troops Out of Iraq RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – A Republican congressman who voted for the Iraq war said Sunday that “we’ve done about as much as we can do” in the country and that the reason for invading Iraq has proven false. Rep. Walter Jones of North Carolina will be among the lawmakers introducing legislation this week…
Ohio Congressional Hopefuls Stress Values photo WEST UNION, Ohio (AP) – Four Republican contenders in Ohio’s special congressional primary practically tripped over each other emphasizing family at a weekend picnic. Jean Schmidt, a former state lawmaker, had to leave early to attend her daughter’s dance recital. Bob McEwen, trying to get back to…
Western Governors Focus on Immigration BRECKENRIDGE, Colo. (AP) – Western governors who gathered Sunday for the opening day of an annual economic forum said they needed to join forces to deal with the impacts of increased immigration and the outsourcing of jobs overseas. Colorado Gov. Bill Owens, chairman of the Western Governor’s…
Senators Mentioned As Possible Justices WASHINGTON (AP) – If there is a Supreme Court vacancy this summer, President Bush may look no farther than the Capitol for a member of Congress who can be confirmed quickly. Past presidents have done it, more than two dozen times. While admittedly long shots, GOP Sens. Jon Kyl of Arizona and John…
GOP Sen. Suggests Closing Guantanamo Jail photo KEY WEST, Fla. (AP) – Sen. Mel Martinez said the Bush administration should consider closing the Guantanamo Bay prison for terrorism suspects – the first high-profile Republican to make the suggestion. “It’s become an icon for bad stories and at some point you wonder the cost-benefit ratio,”…
Bush Again Prods Congress on Agenda photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The future economic security of the nation is in the hands of Congress, President Bush said Saturday. Setting the stage for a week in which he will push stalled sections of his domestic agenda, Bush told his weekly radio audience that lawmakers need to get an energy bill to his…

Senators Mentioned As Possible Justices WASHINGTON (AP) – If there is a Supreme Court vacancy this summer, President Bush may look no farther than the Capitol for a member of Congress who can be confirmed quickly. Past presidents have done it, more than two dozen times. While admittedly long shots, GOP Sens. Jon Kyl of Arizona and John…
GOP Sen. Suggests Closing Guantanamo Jail photo KEY WEST, Fla. (AP) – Sen. Mel Martinez said the Bush administration should consider closing the Guantanamo Bay prison for terrorism suspects – the first high-profile Republican to make the suggestion. “It’s become an icon for bad stories and at some point you wonder the cost-benefit ratio,”…
Bush Focuses on Stalled Parts of Agenda photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The future economic security of the nation is in the hands of Congress, President Bush said Saturday. Setting the stage for a week in which he will push stalled sections of his domestic agenda, Bush told his weekly radio audience that lawmakers need to get an energy bill to his…
Cox Likely to Be Questioned on Past Work photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush’s choice to head the Securities and Exchange Commission, Rep. Christopher Cox, likely will be questioned at his confirmation hearing about his past work for a company accused by the government of defrauding investors, Senate aides said. Cox, a California Republican…
Tenn. Governor Pitches Medicaid Reform NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – A Democratic governor engulfed in a crisis with his state’s Medicaid program said Saturday it’s time to scrap the national health care plan for the poor and start over. Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen, delivering his party’s weekly radio address, said Medicaid reform needs to…
Ex-Calif. Gov. Davis Admits Energy Errors photo SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Former California Gov. Gray Davis now admits he was unprepared for the state’s 2000-2001 energy crisis that sent electricity bills soaring, brought rolling blackouts and helped bring an early end to his political career. The former Democratic governor said he erred by buying…
GOP Chairman Walks Out of Raucous Hearing photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The Republican chairman walked off with the gavel, leaving Democrats shouting into turned-off microphones at a raucous hearing on the Patriot Act. Friday’s House Judiciary Committee hearing, with the two sides accusing each other of being irresponsible and undemocratic, came as…
Weldon’s Candor Complicates Committee Post photo WASHINGTON (AP) – When it comes to counterterror strategy, maverick Rep. Curt Weldon tells it as he sees it – often to the extreme discomfort of fellow Republican lawmakers and the Bush administration. But his candor in a new book accusing the CIA of ignoring terror information has called Weldon’s…
GOP Rallies to Support Kilgore in Va. Race RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – Jerry Kilgore, the Republican favorite in Tuesday’s primary for Virginia governor, has never spoken ill of his opponent, George Fitch. In fact, the former state attorney general doesn’t speak of Fitch at all. When Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman came to…
Idaho Commissioner Will Run for Congress BOISE, Idaho (AP) – A local official of Mexican descent who has become a controversial figure for his hardline stance against illegal immigration announced Friday he would run for Congress. Canyon County Commissioner Robert Vasquez, the grandson of Mexican immigrants, said he would base his…

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