robliberal.com » 2005

Jul 31 2005

Doctors Give Bush High Marks on Physical photoB…

Doctors Give Bush High Marks on Physical photo
BETHESDA, Md. (AP) – President Bush was pronounced “fit for duty” after an annual checkup Saturday that showed that the 59-year-old commander in chief, an avid mountain bike rider, has lost 8 pounds since his last physical exam in December. “I’m feeling pretty good,” Bush said as he left the…

Feinstein Gears Up for Roberts Hearings photo WASHINGTON (AP) – John Roberts would replace the first woman on the Supreme Court at a time when interest groups are more focused than ever on the court’s position on abortion. Only one female lawmaker will question Roberts publicly and then vote on whether his nomination should advance to the…
Bush Urges Congress Not to Rest on Laurels photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush on Saturday celebrated victories Congress handed him this week, but he urged lawmakers not to rest on their laurels and to quickly approve his nomination of John Roberts to serve on the Supreme Court. Senators should use their August recess “to prepare to act on my…
Congress Sends Bush Two Hard-Fought Bills photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Wrapping up work before their summer vacations, Congress shipped President Bush hard-fought bills overhauling energy policies, providing nearly $300 billion for highway and mass transit projects and rescuing funds-depleted veterans health care programs with a $1.5 billion…
Inouye: GOP Not Doing Enough for Troops WASHINGTON (AP) – Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, an Army veteran who lost his right arm in World War II, criticized Republicans on Saturday for not doing enough to help troops fighting in or returning from Iraq. In the Democrats’ weekly radio address, Inouye said Senate Republicans were focusing on…
Carter: Guantanamo Detentions Disgraceful BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) – Former President Carter said Saturday the detention of terror suspects at the Guantanamo Bay Naval base was an embarrassment and had given extremists an excuse to attack the United States. Carter also criticized the U.S.-led war in Iraq as “unnecessary and unjust.” “I…
Image Woes Dog Bloomberg in NYC Election photo NEW YORK (AP) – Does a mayor with a private plane, a sprawling Manhattan townhouse, ritzy vacation homes and a personal fortune worth billions understand the woes of average people? New Yorkers aren’t convinced. While Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s approval ratings have ballooned and his poll margins…
CAFTA Expected to Benefit U.S. Consumers photo WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. shoppers should get a price break on shirts and pants made in Central America. American farmers and manufacturers are hoping to gain new sales in the region. U.S. sugar growers, however, are fretting about increased competition now that Congress has passed and sent to the…
Ex-Ohio Mayor Target of Corruption Probe CLEVELAND (AP) – The city’s longest-serving mayor, who turned around a rustbelt city known for a river that once was so polluted that it caught fire, now finds himself at the center of federal allegations that corruption that permeated his administration. Documents leaked in a case involving an…
Teele’s Legacy in Doubt After Suicide photo MIAMI (AP) – Former city and county commissioner Arthur Teele Jr. has long been regarded as the political force behind a public transportation system and many minority-owned businesses, but his legacy is now overshadowed by corruption charges and his public suicide. The Vietnam veteran and…
Frist Breaks With Bush on Stem-Cell Bill photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist endorsed government-funded research on human embryonic stem cells Friday, breaking with President Bush and the religious conservatives he’s been courting for a 2008 presidential bid. He drew praise from former first lady Nancy Reagan. “It isn’t…

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Frist Breaks With Bush on Stem-Cell Bill photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist endorsed government-funded research on human embryonic stem cells Friday, breaking with President Bush and the religious conservatives he’s been courting for a 2008 presidential bid. He drew praise from former first lady Nancy Reagan. “It isn’t…
Officials: Bush Plans to Install Bolton photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Administration officials say President Bush is preparing to use constitutional powers rarely employed for major appointments to bypass the Senate and install – if only temporarily – John Bolton as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Bush intends to use a recess appointment to…
Senate to Begin Roberts Hearings Sept. 6 photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee John Roberts will begin the day after Labor Day, but Senate Democrats say the White House must release more documents to ensure he’s wearing a justice’s black robes before the new term begins in October. “There is no reason why the…
Congress Passes Far-Reaching Energy Bill photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Four years after President Bush called for an overhaul of the nation’s energy agenda, Congress presented him with a mammoth plan he said he was eager to sign – even though it costs twice as much as he wanted and won’t open an Alaska wildlife refuge to oil drilling. The Senate…
Senate Votes to Guard Gunmakers From Suits WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate voted Friday to shield firearms manufacturers, dealers and importers from lawsuits brought by victims of gun crimes, a measure opponents said had been ordered up by the gun lobby. The 65-31 vote passed a bill that supporters said protects the industry from financial…
Senate Confirms Hughes, Cox for Posts photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate on Friday approved the nomination of Karen Hughes, a former political adviser to President Bush, as the State Department’s top public relations official, and Rep. Christopher Cox to chair the Securities and Exchange Commission. Hughes’ main assignment as undersecretary…
Libertarians Propose Taking Breyer’s Land PLAINFIELD, N.H. (AP) – Libertarians upset about a Supreme Court ruling on land taking have proposed seizing a justice’s vacation home and turning it into a park, echoing efforts aimed at another justice who lives in the state. Organizers are trying to collect enough signatures to go before the…
Goldwater’s Nephew to Run for Arizona Gov. PHOENIX (AP) – The nephew of Barry Goldwater, the right-wing U.S. senator who was the 1964 Republican presidential nominee, said Friday that he is running for governor of Arizona. Don Goldwater confirmed his candidacy to seek the nomination to challenge Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano, but he…
N.C. Republican Switched Vote on CAFTA photo CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) – For weeks, Rep. Robin Hayes, R-N.C., was colorfully adamant in his opposition to the Central American Free Trade Agreement. “What does CAFTA sound like? NAFTA,” Hayes declared. “It’s not in the best interests of a core constituency I represent. Every time I drive through…
Bush Holds Fast to Stem-Cell Veto Threat photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush went out of his way Friday to show he had no hard feelings with Bill Frist after the Senate majority leader broke with him on human embryonic stem cell research. But Bush held fast to his veto threat. Frist had called Bush Thursday evening and said he was going to…

State Dept. Now Says Bolton Interviewed WASHINGTON (AP) – John Bolton, President Bush’s nominee for U.N. ambassador, mistakenly told Congress he had not been interviewed or testified in any investigation over the past five years, the State Department said Thursday. Bolton was interviewed by the State Department inspector general in 2003…
Senate Rejects Move to Sue Gun Dealers WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate sparred Thursday over legislation to shield the firearms industry from some lawsuits, rejecting an argument that gun makers and others are liable if they irresponsibly allowed a criminal to obtain a weapon and use it to kill or wound. “We should not protect those folks…
Gonzales Urged to Rescind FOIA Rules photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The Associated Press and other news organizations are encouraging Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to rescind a policy restricting public access to government information. The change was put in place by Gonzales’ predecessor, John Ashcroft, shortly after the attacks of Sept. 11,…
Frist to Back Funding of Stem Cell Study WASHINGTON (AP) – Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, breaking with President Bush, plans to announce support of legislation to expand federal financing for embryonic stem cell research, increasing the possibility Congress will enact the measure, a Senate aide knowledgeable about Frist’s plans said…
GOP Holdouts Made CAFTA Vote Dramatic photo WASHINGTON (AP) – A lot of effort went into passing a trade pact so small that the House Republicans’ top vote counter compared it to “having a free trade agreement with New Jersey.” The Central American Free Trade Agreement squeaked to passage Thursday just after midnight with a 217-215 vote that…
GOP Puts Up First Senate Campaign Ad WASHINGTON (AP) – Republicans accuse West Virginia Sen. Robert Byrd of sharply changing his priorities over the last five decades in the first television ad purchased by either of the campaign committees in a warmup to the 2006 congressional campaign. The Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee…
Ethics Charges Filed Against Ex-Ohio Aide COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Gov. Bob Taft’s former top aide was charged Thursday with failing to report staying at the Florida home of a coin dealer who is at the heart of a state investment scandal. Brian Hicks, Taft’s chief of staff before leaving in 2003 to become a lobbyist, was accused of failing…
Fla. Ex-Commissioner Said Upset Over Story photo MIAMI (AP) – A former city commissioner who committed suicide was distraught about an online story that detailed his alleged contacts with drug dealers, reputed homosexual affairs and the corruption charges he faced, acquaintances said Thursday. Arthur E. Teele Jr. killed himself Wednesday in the…
Spokane Mayor Wants Recall Effort Blocked SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) – Lawyers for Mayor James West, accused of offering city jobs to men he met in a gay online chat room, asked the state Supreme Court on Thursday to reject a recall effort seeking to remove him from office. They argued that a Superior Court judge erred in allowing a recall…
Newsview: Bush Gets Wins Under His Belt photo WASHINGTON (AP) – After a rocky start, President Bush is scoring legislative wins that could be important tests of his ability to push laws through Congress in his second term. While his centerpiece proposal to restructure Social Security continues to languish, Bush’s close victory on a trade bill…

White House Postpones Bush Visit to Scouts photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Bad weather forced the cancellation of President Bush’s trip Wednesday to the Boy Scouts’ national jamboree where tens of thousands of youngsters have been saddened by the deaths of four of their leaders in a tragic accident. The president was to have flown by helicopter to the…
Rice Asked if Bolton Testified in Leak Case photo WASHINGTON (AP) – A Democratic opponent of John Bolton asked Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Wednesday whether the nominee for U.N. ambassador had testified to a grand jury about the leak of CIA operative’s identity. Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee say they want to…
Miami Ex-Official Kills Himself at Paper photo MIAMI (AP) – A former city commissioner recently indicted on corruption charges fatally shot himself Wednesday in the lobby of The Miami Herald building, authorities said. Arthur E. Teele Jr. shot himself in the head shortly after 6 p.m., police said. He had just asked a security guard if he could…
Senate Leader Takes No Chance on NRA Bill WASHINGTON (AP) – Until lawmakers vote on a top-priority gun rights bill, nothing else happens in the Senate. And that includes Congress’ prized monthlong vacation. That’s the way Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist has toughened up his style in the final days before the August break was to begin,…
McCain Revives Straight Talk America PAC WASHINGTON (AP) – Sen. John McCain, often mentioned as a possible GOP presidential candidate in 2008, has reactivated his political action committee, known as Straight Talk America. “He’s inundated with invitations and requests from candidates at all levels of the ballot as well as state and local…
Roberts Would Be Fourth Catholic on Court photo If John Roberts is confirmed, he will be the fourth Roman Catholic on the Supreme Court, an all-time high that is focusing attention on how faith might influence law on the high court. From abortion to capital punishment to physician-assisted suicide, the upcoming term offers plenty of issues in…
Santorum Now Open to ‘08 White House Run WASHINGTON (AP) – Two days after saying he had no intention of running for president in 2008, Republican Sen. Rick Santorum said Wednesday there was a slight possibility he could run after all. “There’s a remote chance that that could change, but that’s not my intention,” Santorum told The…
Pataki Says He Won’t Run for Re-Election photo ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) – Republican George Pataki, who brought down Democratic icon Mario Cuomo in 1994 to become governor of New York, said Wednesday he will not seek a fourth term next year and “come 2007, I will follow a new path, find new challenges.” While Pataki is eyeing a possible run for the…
San Diego Mayoral Campaign Gets Aggressive photo SAN DIEGO (AP) – The two candidates heading into a November runoff for mayor of this troubled seaside city set an aggressive tone a day after the election Wednesday, with the Republican former police chief accusing the Democratic surf shop owner of being part of politics as usual. As a member of…
NASA Halts Shuttle Flights Over Foam Issue photo SPACE CENTER, Houston (AP) – NASA grounded future shuttle flights Wednesday because a big chunk of insulating foam flew off Discovery’s fuel tank during liftoff – as it did in Columbia’s doomed mission – but this time apparently missed the spacecraft. “Until we’re ready, we won’t go fly again. I…

GOP Presses for Timetable on Roberts Vote photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Frustrated Senate Democrats struggled to unearth Supreme Court nominee John Roberts’ elusive views on abortion, civil rights and other controversial issues Tuesday, digging through newly released government documents while criticizing the White House for refusing access to…
Frist Delays Showdown With White House WASHINGTON (AP) – The Republican-run Senate postponed fights with the Bush administration over the treatment of terror suspects and military base closings Tuesday after GOP leaders failed to derail proposals opposed by the White House. The decision by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., to…
Documents Show Roberts Aiding O’Connor WASHINGTON (AP) – As a young Justice Department lawyer, John Roberts helped guide Supreme Court nominee Sandra Day O’Connor through the Senate confirmation process he now confronts as the choice to replace her. Roberts was just six weeks into his job when he drafted a memo to Kenneth Starr…
Senate Changes Line of Succession WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate approved a bill Tuesday to raise the homeland security secretary from last to eighth place in the presidential line of succession, just after the attorney general. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, passed without objection just before the chamber…
Panel OKs Karen Hughes for State Dept. WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday unanimously approved the nomination of Karen Hughes, a former political adviser to President Bush, as the State Department’s top public relations official. The Senate is expected to complete the confirmation process this week…
Bush Celebrates Shuttle’s Launch photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush celebrated Tuesday’s launch of the space shuttle Discovery, applauding the mission after watching the crew’s takeoff on television and wishing them “a safe and successful mission.” “I thank the men and women of NASA who have dedicated themselves to putting our…
Romney Says Abortion Views Have ‘Evolved’ photo BOSTON (AP) – Abortion. Stem cell research. Emergency contraception. Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a Republican from a liberal state who is flirting with a 2008 presidential bid, has begun carefully redefining his positions on these hot-button social issues. When he ran for governor in 2002,…
Some Papers Pull, Edit ‘Doonesbury’ Strip KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – It may be President Bush’s nickname for key political adviser Karl Rove, but some editors don’t think it belongs in their newspapers. About a dozen papers objected to Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s “Doonesbury” comic strips, and some either pulled or edited them. The strips…
Pataki to Announce Campaign Plans in Sept. TROY, N.Y. (AP) – Gov. George Pataki, eyeing a possible 2008 bid for the Republican presidential nomination, said Tuesday he’ll announce by the end of September whether he will seek re-election to a fourth term next year. Pataki said he has a timetable for making his decision, but he declined to…
San Diego Voters Choose Mayor – Again photo SAN DIEGO (AP) – The nation’s seventh-biggest city held its second mayor’s election in nine months Tuesday, trying to fill the void created when the former leader resigned in scandal and his interim replacement was convicted of corruption. The leading candidate was maverick City Councilwoman Donna…

Campaign 2008 Begins, Led by Clinton photo COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Hillary Rodham Clinton said Monday the nation has “gone off track” in Republican hands since the prosperous years of her husband’s presidency, making her case along with other potential 2008 Democratic candidates to a group that helped Bill Clinton win the White House. Sen….
Bush to Hold Summit on Giving to Charities photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush said Monday that he will hold a White House summit next spring to encourage corporations and foundations to give more money to churches and religious charities. Bush announced the summit as he met behind closed doors with 17 leaders of black churches and community…
Cheney, in NYC, Plugs Roberts Nomination photo NEW YORK (AP) – Vice President Dick Cheney urged the U.S. Senate on Monday to put partisan politicking aside as it considers whether to confirm Supreme Court nominee John Roberts. Speaking at a campaign fundraiser on Staten Island, Cheney praised Roberts, a federal appeals court judge, as one of…
GOP Senators Push Detainee Treatment Rules photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Senate Republicans pushed ahead Monday with legislation that would set rules for the treatment and interrogation of terrorism suspects in U.S. custody, despite a White House veto threat. The Bush administration, led by Vice President Dick Cheney, is working to kill the amendments…
House, Senate Near Deal on Energy Bill photo WASHINGTON (AP) – House and Senate negotiators moved close to agreement late Monday on the non-tax portion of a sweeping energy bill, tackling a series of last-minute amendments that included one aimed at slowing China’s attempt to buy U.S. energy companies. The conferees, despite Senate…
Democratic Senators Press CIA Leak Probe WASHINGTON (AP) – More than two dozen Democratic senators on Monday asked Congress to investigate the leak of a CIA officer’s identity. “Americans deserve a Congress that holds Washington accountable for the truth about our national security,” said Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., who authored the…
Mass. Governor Vetoes Contraception Bill photo BOSTON (AP) – Gov. Mitt Romney vetoed a bill Monday expanding access to emergency contraception, angering abortion rights advocates while pleasing anti-abortion activists crucial to a 2008 presidential run. The veto could end up being overturned by lawmakers because the bill passed with veto-proof…
House Requests FTC Probe of ‘GTA’ Game WASHINGTON (AP) – An uproar over hidden, sexually explicit scenes in the video game “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas” spread to the halls of Congress on Monday. On a 355-21 vote, the House passed a resolution asking the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the game’s manufacturer, Rockstar Games,…
Appeal Filed on Schwarzenegger Measure photo SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – Supporters of a ballot measure aimed at redrawing congressional and legislative districts filed an appeal Monday and were granted a temporary suspension of a lower court ruling ordering the proposal off the ballot. The measure, one of three backed by Gov. Arnold…
GOP Sen. Santorum Rules Out 2008 Bid photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Republican Sen. Rick Santorum said Monday he has no intention to seek the presidency in 2008. The Pennsylvania conservative, who recently wrote a book titled “It Takes a Family,” said he couldn’t imagine putting his family through another campaign after his re-election bid in…

White House Won’t Show All Roberts Papers photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Citing privacy and precedent, the Bush administration indicated Sunday it does not intend to release all memos and other documents written by Supreme Court nominee John Roberts when he worked for two Republican presidents. The leading Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee,…
Teamsters, SEIU Decide to Bolt AFL-CIO photo CHICAGO (AP) – Jolting organized labor, the Teamsters and a massive service employees’ union decided Sunday to bolt the AFL-CIO, paving way for two other labor groups to sever ties in the movement’s biggest schism since the 1930s. The four dissident unions, representing nearly one-third of the…
Senate to Vote on Repealing Estate Tax photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Senate Republicans will push for a vote this week on permanently repealing the estate tax even though the GOP appears to lack enough support to get past Democrats’ objections. The tax has fallen as a result of gradually escalating exemptions and decreasing rates since President…
Gonzales Says He Told Card About CIA Probe WASHINGTON (AP) – Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Sunday that he notified White House chief of staff Andy Card after the Justice Department opened an investigation into who revealed a covert CIA officer’s identity, but waited 12 hours to tell anyone else in the executive mansion. The White…
Centrist Dems Urge Military Enlargement COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Centrists who contend Democrats cannot retake the White House until voters trust the party to protect them said Sunday the Army should expand by 100,000 soldiers and that colleges should open their campuses to military recruiters. “A Democrat has to show the toughness to…
Angry Americans Want to Take Souter’s Land photo WEARE, N.H. (AP) – Near the foot of an unmarked, dead-end dirt road sits a humble, mud-colored farmhouse. A sign on a mailbox jutting from a tilted post spells “SOUTER.” Some folks want to make that “Hotel Souter.” People from across the country are getting behind a campaign to seize Supreme Court…
San Diego Mayoral Hopefuls See Dark Times photo SAN DIEGO (AP) – Candidates bidding to replace Mayor Dick Murphy, who resigned amid a wave of scandal, offer nothing but bitter medicine for the nation’s seventh-largest city. Their debates are filled with dark talk about filing for bankruptcy, slashing jobs and turning over the city’s beleaguered…
Lawmakers Remove Roadblock to Energy Bill WASHINGTON (AP) – House and Senate conferees abandoned giving makers of the gasoline additive MTBE liability protection against environmental lawsuits on Sunday, removing the major roadblock to enactment of broad energy legislation. Senate negotiators rejected a House proposal for an $11.4 billion…
Gonzales: Blasts Show Patriot Act Needed photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Sunday that bombings in London and Egypt make a strong case for renewing the post-9/11 law that critics say infringes on civil liberties. Gonzales also credited the Patriot Act with preventing a follow-up to the domestic terrorist attack on…
Kerry Sees Armstrong As a Politician photo SAINT-ETIENNE, France (AP) – Sen. John Kerry thinks Lance Armstrong would make a terrific politician – but fears he’d be running for the other party. Watching Armstrong during his warmup for Saturday’s time trial, the Democrat from Massachusetts listed the Texan’s winning qualities. “What’s made…

Ex-CIA Officer Rips Bush Over Plame Leak photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush is jeopardizing national security by not disciplining Karl Rove for his role in leaking the name of a CIA officer, and has hampered efforts to recruit informants in the war on terror, former U.S. intelligence officers say. Former CIA analyst Larry Johnson used the…
Schwarzenegger Cuts Ties With Competition photo SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has cut business ties with an annual bodybuilding competition that bears his name, taking another step to distance himself from makers of nutritional supplements. The governor was paid a fee each year to attend the bodybuilding event called the…
Obama a Celebrity Despite Low-Key Approach PEKIN, Ill. (AP) – The line forms the moment Sen. Barack Obama is done speaking, a procession of admirers clutching copies of his book, magazines, scraps of paper, disposable cameras and one homemade American flag. It doesn’t take long before someone pops the question. An elderly woman, dressed in…
Roberts’ White House Papers Show Sly Wit photo SIMI VALLEY, Calif. (AP) – John Roberts was not afraid to jab an elbow on policy or dispense opinion with a dash of sarcasm when he was a young lawyer in the Reagan White House. President Bush’s Supreme Court nominee was a stickler for legal nuance who used a finely tuned political radar to steer…
Poll: Many in U.S., Japan Oppose Iraq War photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Despite many disagreements, people in the United States and Japan have the same general view of how their governments are handling Iraq: More than half in each country disapprove. An Associated Press-Kyodo poll found that 55 percent in the U.S. disapprove of their government’s…
Feud Shows Organized Labor at Crossroads photo CHICAGO (AP) – Labor’s toughest negotiators are turning their bruising tactics on each other, playing a high-stakes game of chicken inside the AFL-CIO at a perilous time for the long-fading union movement. A politically charged feud over the future of organized labor comes to a climax this week…
Washington Insider Takes on Envoy Role photo BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) – He is virtually unknown to most Americans. Yet since the day of the Sept. 11 attacks, Zalmay Khalilzad has handled some of his country’s most-delicate diplomatic assignments. Now, the man known at the White House and CIA as just “Zal” takes on his biggest challenge – running…
Spoof of Bush Wins Faux Faulkner Contest photo JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – A scathing parody that likens President Bush to the “idiot” in William Faulkner’s novel “The Sound and the Fury” has won this year’s Faulkner write-alike contest – and touched off a literary spat. Organizers of the Faux Faulkner competition are accusing Hemispheres, the…
POW and VP Candidate Stockdale Buried photo ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) – Retired Navy Vice Adm. James Stockdale, one of the country’s most decorated Vietnam war veterans and a one-time vice presidential candidate, was buried Saturday at the Naval Academy. About 500 people, including several Medal of Honor recipients and fellow former prisoners of…
Detroit Mayoral Challenger Raises $1.5M DETROIT (AP) – Former deputy mayor Freman Hendrix has raised about $1.5 million so far this year for his campaign for mayor – three times the amount raised by incumbent Kwame Kilpatrick. Kilpatrick raised $482,051 from Jan. 1 to July 17, according to campaign finance reports obtained by the…

Bush, Mom Pitch Social Security Overhaul photo ATLANTA (AP) – Former first lady Barbara Bush teamed up with her son the president on Friday in trying to drum up support among older Americans for his Social Security and Medicare plans. He called his 80-year-old mother “my favorite senior citizen,” and she tartly reminded him that at age 59 he…
Kerry Film Did Not Violate Election Law BALTIMORE (AP) – Sinclair Broadcasting did not violate federal election law by running portions of a documentary critical of John Kerry’s Vietnam-era anti-war activities, the Federal Elections Commission announced Friday. Suburban Baltimore-based Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc., owner of 62…
Bush Chooses Two Democratic Members of SEC WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush nominated two people Friday to fill Democratic positions on the Securities and Exchange Commission. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., had asked Bush to nominate Annette Nazareth, the SEC’s director of market regulation, to fill one of the vacancies and to…
Electricity Initiative Off Calif. Ballot SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – A Sacramento court on Friday ordered another initiative off California’s November ballot – an attempt by consumer advocates to re-regulate the state’s electricity market. A three-judge appeals court panel ruled that Proposition 80 was “unquestionably invalid on its face”…
Ex-CIA Officers Rip Bush Over Rove Leak photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Former U.S. intelligence officers criticized President Bush on Friday for not disciplining Karl Rove in connection with the leak of the name of a CIA officer, saying Bush’s lack of action has jeopardized national security. In a hearing held by Senate and House Democrats examining…
Tom Tancredo Eyes White House Run photo DENVER (AP) – Tom Tancredo has been called a one-trick pony of a politician, a man out of step with his party, a bigot. The Republican congressman vehemently opposes illegal immigration, and he created an uproar last week when he talked about nuking Muslim holy sites. No matter, Tancredo is…
Jeb Bush Recounts Meeting With Roberts photo TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – Gov. Jeb Bush blasted a Florida congressman Friday for suggesting that Supreme Court nominee John Roberts be disqualified because of a brief meeting the governor and Roberts had during the 2000 presidential recount. An expert in constitutional law then in the private…
Dean Urges Dems to Court Pro-Life Voters photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Democrats need to reach out to voters who oppose abortion rights and promote candidates who share that view, the head of the party said Friday. Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, told a group of college Democrats that their party has to change its…
White House Threatens Defense Bill Veto photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The Bush administration is threatening to veto a sweeping defense bill if lawmakers try to delay the latest round of military base closures to spare installations back home. In a statement, the administration said it would “strongly oppose any amendment to weaken, delay or…
Karen Hughes on Track to Confirmation photo WASHINGTON (AP) – A scaled-back Senate Foreign Relations Committee showered praise Friday on Karen Hughes and put the former political adviser to President Bush on a fast track to confirmation as the State Department’s top public relations official. Only two senators attended the hearing. In the…

House Votes to Extend Patriot Act photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The House voted Thursday to extend the USA Patriot Act, the nation’s main anti-terrorism tool, just hours after televisions in the Capitol beamed images of a new attack in London. As similar legislation worked its way through the Senate, House Republicans generally cast the law…
Poll: Roberts’ Abortion Stance of Interest photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Just over half of all Americans – and a solid majority of women – want to know John Roberts’ position on abortion before the Senate votes on whether to elevate him to the Supreme Court. Most people don’t yet know enough about Roberts to form an opinion on him, but among those who…
Pentagon Cites Progress in Iraq Democracy photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The Pentagon told Congress on Thursday that progress toward establishing democracy in Iraq is on track despite an adaptable and deadly insurgency, but it offered no estimate of when U.S. troops would start withdrawing. In its most comprehensive public assessment yet of conditions…
Redistricting Measure Off Calif. Ballot photo SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – A judge kicked Arnold Schwarzenegger’s redistricting measure off the special election ballot Thursday, a crushing blow for a proposition that was held up as a centerpiece of the governor’s campaign to reform state government. The judge ruled that supporters violated…
Analysts: Trade Deal Would Cost Taxpayers photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The Bush administration’s free-trade agreement with Central America would cost taxpayers $50 million a year in loan forfeitures by sugar farmers, the Congressional Budget Office says. An administration official said Thursday that the analysis was unrealistic and that there would…
Democratic Fundraising Up Sharply From ‘04 WASHINGTON (AP) – Democrats raised $86.3 million in the first half of this year, beating their total for the same period in 2003 by more than 50 percent. Republican fundraising increased slightly over the same nonelection-year periods. Overall, the GOP still held a sizable fundraising edge, taking…
Senators Demand More Information on MTBE WASHINGTON (AP) – Twenty-one senators asked the Environmental Protection Agency for more information Thursday about an internal paper that reportedly concludes that the gasoline additive MTBE may cause cancer. Key elements of the document, which has not been made public, surfaced as lawmakers…
Iraq War Vet Runs for Congress in Ohio photo SEAMAN, Ohio (AP) – A few months ago, Paul Hackett was flushing out insurgents and avoiding ambushes in Fallujah, Ramadi and other hotspots in the Iraq. Today, the Marine is trying to round up votes in small southern Ohio towns like this one. Hackett, a Democrat, is running in a special election…
Highway Negotiators Remain at Odds WASHINGTON (AP) – House and Senate negotiators were still at odds Thursday over how billions of dollars in federal highway money should be divided among the states, prolonging talks on a long-delayed surface transportation bill. With a compromise still beyond their grasp, the House and Senate were…
Santorum Meets Group Upset by Comments WASHINGTON (AP) – Catholic Sen. Rick Santorum assured abuse victims Thursday that he would look into why the Justice Department has yet to respond to their request for an investigation of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy. The meeting between Santorum, R-Pa., and three members of the Survivors…

Democratic Filibuster of Roberts Unlikely photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The possibility of a Democratic filibuster against Supreme Court nominee John Roberts in the Republican-controlled Senate seemed to all but disappear Wednesday. One influential Democrat said Roberts was “in the ballpark” of being a nonconfrontational selection. A Democrat on the…
House Votes Against Early Iraq Withdrawal WASHINGTON (AP) – Calls for an early withdrawal from Iraq are a mistake that will only embolden terrorists, the House resolved Wednesday. The resolution drew opposition from Democrats, who said it implied that questioning President Bush’s Iraq policies is unpatriotic. The measure, approved…
Feds: Media Law Would Undermine Terror War photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The fight against terrorism would be undermined by a law to protect reporters from going to jail when they refuse to reveal their sources, the Bush administration said Wednesday. Democrats, meanwhile, continued to pelt the White House over presidential adviser Karl Rove’s role in…
Scientist Testifies on Global Warming WASHINGTON (AP) – Global warming is caused primarily by humans and “nearly all climate scientists today” agree with that viewpoint, the new head of the National Academy of Sciences – a climate scientist himself – said Wednesday. Ralph Cicerone’s views contrasted with Bush administration officials’…
Montana Gov. Talked Up As 2008 Contender photo HELENA, Mont. (AP) – Gov. Brian Schweitzer sits in his Capitol office, scanning a recent Roll Call article in which pundits float his name as a possible presidential contender. They say the “rancher-politician from Big Sky Country” might be the Democrats’”best shot to take back the White House.”…
O’Connor: Bush’s Nominee Is ‘First Rate’ photo SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) – Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor said Wednesday that the man President Bush nominated to replace her is “first rate,” but she’s disappointed in a sense that the nominee isn’t a woman. O’Connor didn’t learn of the nomination of federal appeals court judge John G….
Lugar Among Roberts’ Donation Recipients photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Supreme Court nominee John G. Roberts has donated to the political campaigns of several Republican candidates, including one senator who will vote on Roberts’ appointment to the high court. In recent election years, Roberts has contributed more than $3,700 to Republican…
Bush: U.S. Working to Prevent Attacks photo BALTIMORE (AP) – Nearly two weeks after terrorists launched a deadly strike on the London mass transit system, President Bush sought Wednesday to reassure Americans that his administration is working overtime to prevent attacks in the United States. “What I’m telling you is that we’re focused…
Canada 4th Nation to Legalize Gay Marriage photo TORONTO (AP) – Canada legalized gay marriage Wednesday, becoming the world’s fourth nation to grant full legal rights to same-sex couples. Supreme Court Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin signed the legislation making it law, hours after it was approved by the Senate late Tuesday night despite…
Muslims Keep Up Criticism of Tancredo photo KUWAIT CITY (AP) – Muslims from Indonesia to the Middle East on Wednesday labeled as aggressive and irresponsible a U.S. congressman’s suggestion that the United States could “take out” Islamic holy sites if Muslim attackers targeted America in a nuclear strike. Some demanded an apology. Many said…

IBM profit rises, shares up nearly 5 pct IBM , the world’s largest computer company, on Monday posted better-than-expected quarterly earnings after a rebound in its services and software businesses, and its shares rose nearly 5 percent. Second-quarter earnings, excluding the…
Stocks drop as Citigroup disappoints U.S. stocks fell on Monday, ending the S&P 500’s seven-day rally, after Citigroup’s second-quarter profit missed analysts’ forecasts and cooled investors’ optimism about the strength of earnings to come. Shares of Citigroup Inc. , the…
Mattel profit misses forecasts Mattel Inc. , the largest U.S. toymaker, on Monday posted a disappointing quarterly profit on soaring costs of raw materials, while rival Hasbro Inc.’s earnings jumped 57 percent, beating expectations, on strong demand for Star Wars merchandise….
Maytag to weigh Whirlpool takeover offer Appliance maker Maytag Corp. on Monday said it would weigh a higher, unsolicited takeover offer from its larger U.S. rival Whirlpool Corp. , even though it has agreed to be acquired by a group led by Ripplewood Holdings LLC. Maytag’s…
Stocks slip on Citi earnings miss, IBM up U.S. stocks fell on Monday, ending a seven-day rally, after Citigroup Inc. , said its second-quarter profit missed analysts’ forecasts, but a rise in quarterly operating income at International Business Machines Corp. may renew investors’…
CORRECTED: IBM second-quarter IBM , the world’s largest computer company, on Monday reported a rise in quarterly operating income, which excludes the effects of job cuts, the sale of its PC business and a legal settlement with Microsoft.
Citigroup profit misses views Citigroup Inc. on Monday reported second-quarter profit that missed analyst forecasts, as fixed-income trading revenue plunged and higher U.S. bankruptcies hurt credit cards. Citigroup shares were the biggest drag on the Dow Jones…
Bank of America profit rises 12 percent Bank of America Corp. on Monday said second-quarter profit rose 12 percent, helped by growth in credit card fees, deposits and commercial lending. But the No. 2 U.S. bank’s shares fell after the narrowing gap between short- and long-term
Unocal board meets again U.S. oil producer Unocal Corp. held a second board meeting to discuss a fine-tuned $18.5 billion bid from state-run Chinese firm CNOOC Ltd. , people familiar with the matter said on Monday.
Stocks slip as Citigroup falls short U.S. stocks fell on Monday after Citigroup Inc. , the world’s largest financial services company said its quarterly earnings missed analysts’ forecasts, ending a run of seven consecutive higher closes for Nasdaq and the S&P.

Roberts Has Solid Conservative Credentials photo WASHINGTON (AP) – John G. Roberts has solid conservative credentials and a lengthy background as a government lawyer and a private attorney whose clients ranged from big companies to welfare recipients. But his record as a judge is short and relatively nondescript. Roberts, 50, has been on the…
Newsview: Roberts Not Overly Conservative photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush gave the right wing what it wanted, a certified conservative who could tip the Supreme Court to the right. At the same time, he robbed liberals of what they sought – a fire-breathing ideologue who would trigger an epic fight. In selecting Judge John G. Roberts,…
Memo Gets Attention in Probe of CIA Leak photo WASHINGTON (AP) – A State Department memo that has caught the attention of prosecutors describes a CIA officer’s role in sending her husband to Africa and disputes administration claims that Iraq was shopping for uranium, a retired department official said Tuesday. The classified memo was sent to…
Poll: Public Sees Bush As Less Trustworthy photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Americans have growing doubts about President Bush’s honesty and his effectiveness, according to a poll taken at a time people are uneasy with the war in Iraq, uncertain about the economy and nervous about the terrorist threat. Half of those in the poll taken by the Pew Research…
Bigger Amtrak Budget Brings Veto Threat photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush’s plans to close down Amtrak’s money-losing long distance routes were dealt another setback Tuesday as a Senate panel approved a sizable boost to the budget for the ailing railroad. The move earned an immediate veto threat from the Bush administration. The latest…
Chances Dim for Vote on Stem Cell Bill WASHINGTON (AP) – Chances for a Senate vote soon on stem cell research grew uncertain Tuesday as the sponsors of a half-dozen bills haggled with each other and Majority Leader Bill Frist over which should come up for debate. Asked whether the bill was stuck or even dead for the year, Frist,…
House Extends Highway Legislation Again WASHINGTON (AP) – A two-year struggle to come up with a new federal highway spending bill was being extended for two days Tuesday as an agreement continued to elude House and Senate negotiators. For the ninth time since the six-year law expired in September 2003, the House approved a stopgap…
GOP, Dems Court Hispanics at Conference photo PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Democratic and Republican leaders touted their parties’ records on inclusion Tuesday, courting voters at the annual conference of a Hispanic civil rights group. In a sign of the growing political clout of Hispanics, the Democratic National Committee and Republican National…
U.S., Turkey Condemn Congressman’s Remarks photo ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) – Top U.S. and Turkish officials on Tuesday condemned comments made last week by Rep. Tom Tancredo that the United States could “take out” Islamic holy sites if there was a nuclear attack on America by Muslim fundamentalists. The Colorado Republican refused to apologize…
Roberts Impressed Bush With Story of Rise photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush’s search for a Supreme Court nominee began with a list of 11 names. It ended after John G. Roberts sat down with Bush and the first family’s two dogs and impressed the president with the story of his rise to prominence from small-town Indiana. Bush is known for…

McClellan: Bush Nixed Iraq Election Funds photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The White House considered funding candidates in Iraq’s January election, but President Bush decided against it, his press secretary said Monday. While publicly the Bush administration was saying the United States would live with whatever government was elected in free and fair…
U.S. Again Seeks $280B in Tobacco Profits photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The Justice Department is trying again to force tobacco companies to turn over $280 billion in profits that prosecutors say were the result of a campaign to mislead the public about the dangers of smoking. Government lawyers asked the Supreme Court on Monday to throw out an…
RNC Raised $59.4M in First Half of Year photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The Republican National Committee collected nearly $60 million through the first half of the year, giving the GOP a solid financial footing for the midterm congressional elections in 2006. The committee received $59.4 million in contributions, record fundraising in a…
Bush Wants New Justice in Place by Oct. photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush said Monday he would move swiftly to fill a Supreme Court opening, while Republican strategists said he is concentrating on female candidates and is close to a decision. Bush said he is still evaluating prospects and needs to talk with some face-to-face. But he…
Governors: Driver’s License Costs to Soar photo DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Fees for a new driver’s license could triple. Lines at motor vehicles offices could stretch out the door. Governors warned Monday that states and consumers would bear much of the burden for a terrorism-driven push to turn licenses into a national ID card. “It’s a huge…
Spellings, Clinton Disagree on Hispanics photo PHILADELPHIA (AP) – U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings said Monday the “achievement gap is beginning to close” between Hispanic and white students, while Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton countered that she’s not convinced the federal government is doing enough to help Hispanic youth get…
Panel Has Reservations About Base Closings photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The base-closing commission expressed deep reservations Monday about parts of the Pentagon’s proposal to restructure domestic military bases, including its plan to disband or move dozens of Air National Guard units. On the eve of a vote by the commission on whether to add about a…
San Diego Mayor, Councilman Convicted photo SAN DIEGO (AP) – A federal jury Monday convicted San Diego’s new acting mayor and a city councilman of taking payoffs from a strip club owner to help repeal a “no-touching” law at nude clubs, the latest blow to a city awash in scandal. Michael Zucchet, who became interim mayor over the weekend,…
NRA Moves Convention From Columbus, Ohio COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – The National Rifle Association said Monday it is pulling its 2007 national convention out of Columbus because of the city’s ban on assault weapons. The City Council passed a ban July 12 outlawing the sale or possession of semiautomatic rifles with pistol grips and detachable…
Californians to Vote on Drug Measures Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called a November special election last month to push several initiatives aimed at reshaping state government. But the fall ballot’s costliest political skirmish so far has nothing to do with the governor’s “year of reform” political agenda. Two competing prescription…

Governors Use Meeting to Polish Messages photo DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Republican or Democrat, most governors have two things in common. First, they want to be president. Secondly, they know that to be president they must find new policies and language that help voters feel less anxious about their place in a rapidly changing society. “People…
CNN Stands by Novak During Federal Probe photo BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) – Journalist Robert Novak’s status as a CNN contributor will remain unaffected during a federal probe into the revelation of a CIA officer’s identity, executives at the news channel said Sunday. “I think we’re all aware that no one really knows what’s going on in the…
Specter Says He’d Like Swing-Voter Justice photo WASHINGTON (AP) – The chairman of the Senate committee that will oversee hearings on President Bush’s Supreme Court nominee said Sunday that he would like to see a moderate in the tradition of retiring Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and perhaps someone with experience in politics. Pennsylvania…
Free Trips Yield Bonuses for Lawmakers photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Globe-trotting members of Congress reap a valuable fringe benefit they do not disclose: frequent-flier miles from trips they take at the expense of special interests or taxpayers. It does not take long for the miles to add up for free personal travel or upgrades to first class….
Governors Discuss Concerns Over Medicare photo DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Governors came together Sunday on sweeping Medicaid changes that could help President Bush’s budget goals, even as more than a dozen of the chief executives are weighing a legal fight over new Medicare policy that will cost states hundreds of millions of dollars. The focus…
N.J. Dems Work to Blunt GOP Candidate photo TRENTON, N.J. (AP) – Sen. Jon Corzine probably never thought he would need to woo environmentalists in the race for governor of New Jersey. The liberal Democrat has consistently earned high marks for his pro-environmental voting record, and green activists’ loyalty to New Jersey Democrats seemed…
Senate to Vote on Hawaiian Self-Rule Bill photo HONOLULU (AP) – After six years of trying, Sen. Daniel Akaka hopes to finally see a vote in the Senate this week on one of the hardest-fought measures of his congressional career – his bill to grant his fellow Native Hawaiians federal recognition. “It will have a historical impact,” said Akaka,…
Leahy Braces for Fight Over Court Nominee photo WASHINGTON (AP) – If a fight breaks out over President Bush’s pick for the Supreme Court, Sen. Patrick Leahy will be the razor’s edge of the Democratic resistance, answering a demand in his party for sharp elbows and a tart tongue. Hopeful talk of consultation and consensus has peppered the…
Bush Seeks ‘Mainstream’ Court Nominee photo WASHINGTON (AP) – President Bush gave the nation several clues Saturday about the person he will nominate for a seat on the Supreme Court, except for the most important one – a name. In his weekly radio address, Bush said his eventual nominee will be a “fair-minded individual who represents the…
Va. Gubernatorial Candidates Square Off photo WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. (AP) – In their first debate of the gubernatorial election year, Democrat Tim Kaine and Republican Jerry Kilgore traded barbed one-liners as they squared off on abortion, the death penalty and state spending. Kaine, the lieutenant governor, said Saturday that he…

Cheney Has Mild Case of Esophagitis photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Vice President Dick Cheney has a mild case of esophagitis and some small dilation of the arteries behind both knees, his office said Saturday after he completed a two-part annual physical. Cheney, 64, was at George Washington University Hospital for a colonoscopy, an upper…
2006 Elections Loom Over Governors Summit photo DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Money, ambition and hype are rising fast for a slew of governors races that voters will decide next year, with allegations in Florida of mismanaging money and charges flying over job losses and outsourcing in Michigan. Presidential politics aside in this state where the…
Leahy Braces for Fight Over Court Nominee photo WASHINGTON (AP) – If a fight breaks out over President Bush’s pick for the Supreme Court, Sen. Patrick Leahy will be the razor’s edge of the Democratic resistance, answering a demand in his party for sharp elbows and a tart tongue. Hopeful talk of consultation and consensus has peppered the…
Governors Voice National Guard Concerns photo DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The nation’s governors voiced sharp worries Saturday for the National Guard troops they share with the federal government, saying changes caused by the huge demands of the war in Iraq need more examination. More than 30 governors gathered here for their summer meeting,…
Schwarzenegger: Magazine Deal No Conflict photo SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – Although Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger pulled the plug on at least $5 million in payments from fitness magazines, he said he never felt there was a conflict of interest. Schwarzenegger was criticized last week after it was revealed he vetoed a bill regulating food…
GOP Scrambles to Fill Veterans’ Shortfall photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Fellow Republicans warned House Speaker Dennis Hastert and Majority Leader Tom DeLay more than a year ago that the government would come up short – by at least $750 million – for veterans’ health care. The leaders’ response: Fire the messengers. Now that the Bush administration…
Minorities Seek More Primary Influence WASHINGTON (AP) – The Democrats’ election calendar leaves minorities feeling left out of the presidential nominating process because it starts with two states, Iowa and New Hampshire, that don’t reflect the nation’s diverse population, activists told the party on Saturday. Speaking on behalf of…
Congressman Urges Better Transit Security WASHINGTON (AP) – The nation’s public transportation system is vulnerable to a terrorist attack and measures must be immediately taken to keep trains, subways and buses safe for million of Americans, Rep. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., said Saturday. “The subway and bus bombings in London once again…
Calif. Lawmaker’s Arrest Stuns Colleagues photo BURBANK, Calif. (AP) – She was “the quintessential soccer mom,” ferrying three sons to games while handling the politics of this Los Angeles suburb so well that even City Hall gadflies liked her. Stacey Murphy spearheaded city projects and, two years ago, organized a big thank-you luncheon for…
Rove E-Mailed Security Official About Talk photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Prosecutors investigating a CIA officer’s blown cover gathered e-mail evidence that a top White House intelligence official knew Bush confidant Karl Rove had spoken to a reporter just days before the journalist identified the covert operative. Rove told then-deputy national…

Schwarzenegger to End Ties to Magazines photo SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Friday he will end his multimillion-dollar consulting deal with two fitness magazines amid criticism that the work was a conflict of interest. The governor said he will relinquish his title as executive editor of Muscle & Fitness and Flex…
Rove E-Mailed Security Official About Talk photo WASHINGTON (AP) – After mentioning a CIA operative to a reporter, Bush confidant Karl Rove alerted the president’s No. 2 security adviser about the interview and said he tried to steer the journalist away from allegations the operative’s husband was making about faulty Iraq intelligence. The July…
Iowa Governor to Head Leadership Council photo DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Gov. Tom Vilsack was named Friday as the head of the Democratic Leadership Council, the centrist-leaning group that helped propel former President Clinton to the White House in 1992. The post significantly increases Vilsack’s national profile and gives the potential 2008…
Lawmakers Ask Santorum to Apologize WASHINGTON (AP) – The Massachusetts congressional delegation Friday sent a letter to a Pennsylvania senator demanding an apology for what they called his “outrageous, erroneous and insensitive” comments in a column linking Boston’s liberalism to the clergy sex abuse scandal. “We are deeply…
San Diego Mayor Quits in Midst of Scandal photo SAN DIEGO (AP) – Mayor Dick Murphy packed his belongings and bid farewell to his staff Friday, ending a rocky 4 1/2-year tenure that was cut short when he resigned amid a wave of scandal. “This is a day of sadness, but you know, this really ought to be a day of pride,” he told about two dozen…
Candidate Returns Penthouse Donations TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Gallagher has refunded $3,000 in campaign donations from companies tied to Penthouse magazine. Gallagher, Florida’s chief financial officer, said he rejected the money because the magazine doesn’t reflect his conservative views. “I…
Bush: CAFTA Can Help Shore Up Democracy photo DALLAS, N.C. (AP) – President Bush portrayed an endangered free-trade treaty as another front in the global war on terror Friday, suggesting his Central America Free Trade Agreement was not only good for commerce but for shoring up fragile democracies in the region. “It’s in our interest that…
Sen. Clinton Raises $6M in Past 3 Months WASHINGTON (AP) – In a Senate race that could have implications for the 2008 presidential contest, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton raised more than $6 million between April and June. Campaign reports filed by Senate candidates Friday with the Federal Election Commission showed the former first lady, a…
Ill. Lawmaker Said Faced Racial Profiling CHICAGO (AP) – A black state senator said he was the victim of racial profiling when a white officer pulled his car over and waved a gun in his face. Sen. James Meeks, who is also a minister, said the incident happened Wednesday night when his driver was taking him, his wife and his son home from…
Calif. Lawmaker Nabbed on Drug Suspicion BURBANK, Calif. (AP) – A city councilwoman was arrested on suspicion of cocaine possession after her boyfriend told authorities they had used the drug together and he had associated with a notorious street gang and sold guns to a member. Councilwoman Stacey Jo Murphy, 47, was arrested Wednesday…

Source: Rove Got CIA Agent ID From Media photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Presidential confidant Karl Rove testified to a grand jury that he learned the identity of a CIA operative originally from journalists, then informally discussed the information with a Time magazine reporter days before the story broke, according to a person briefed on the…
Dems Seek Probe on Rove Role in CIA Leak photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Democrats stirred the pot Thursday in the case of powerful presidential aide Karl Rove and the news leak that unmasked a CIA agent. They triggered a partisan clash in the Senate, sought a House investigation and brought the husband of the undercover operative to the Capitol,…
Bush Aims to Woo Blacks at Ind. Gathering photo INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – President Bush tried to woo blacks in a supportive Indiana crowd Thursday while, for the fifth time skipping the NAACP annual convention. Bush hasn’t spoken to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s convention since he first ran for president in 2000…
San Diego Mayor to Exit Amid Second Term photo SAN DIEGO (AP) – As he prepared to leave office Friday – only eight months after getting re-elected – Mayor Dick Murphy said he never wanted a second term in the first place. The 62-year-old former judge said a “combination of duty and flattery” convinced him to run again. Now, Murphy is leaving…
Specter Does Senate Work Despite Cancer photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Arlen Specter has never seen “Zelig,” the Woody Allen mockumentary about the life of a man who materializes at key events in history, but he might recognize shades of himself in the film. In between chemotherapy treatments for Hodgkin’s disease, Specter is everywhere in…
Agassi Won’t Seek Congress Seat in 2006 photo CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) – Andre Agassi has made it official: He’s not running for Congress in Nevada’s 2006 elections. Gil Eisner, a retired Summerlin resident, sought to draft Agassi, who lives in Las Vegas, to run for the 3rd Congressional District seat held by Rep. Jon Porter, a Republican. He…
Schwarzenegger Slammed for Fitness Fortune photo SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger came under fire Thursday for accepting millions of dollars from fitness magazines in a consulting deal that critics say represents a clear conflict of interest. Schwarzenegger is being paid at least $5 million over five years to serve as a…
GOP, Democratic Parties at NAACP Summit photo MILWAUKEE (AP) – Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman told NAACP members Thursday the GOP was wrong for ignoring the black vote for decades and said he hoped the groups could restore their historic bond. “By the ’70s and into the ’80s and ’90s, the Democrat Party solidified its…
Missing JFK Artifacts Arrive at Library BOSTON (AP) – Several artifacts from John F. Kennedy’s presidency have arrived at the Kennedy Library and Museum, including a piece of wood from the platform believed to be where Kennedy stood while he took the oath of office in 1961. The items, which arrived last week, were briefly displayed on…
Calif. Congressman Won’t Seek Re-Election photo SAN MARCOS, Calif. (AP) – A California congressman who is under federal investigation for his dealings with a defense contractor announced Thursday that he will not seek re-election. U.S. Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham made the disclosure at a hastily arranged news conference. “The time has come for…

White House Touts Falling Budget Deficit photo WASHINGTON (AP) – After three years of steadily climbing budget shortfalls, President Bush finally had some good fiscal news Wednesday: Surging revenues and a steady economy have led to a steep drop in the expected deficit for this year. The annual White House midyear budget report projects that…
Kennedy Rips Santorum for 2002 Column WASHINGTON (AP) – In a rare personal attack on the Senate floor, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy accused Sen. Rick Santorum on Wednesday of being self-righteous and insensitive for a column he wrote three years ago linking Boston’s liberalism to the sex abuse scandal in its Catholic diocese. Santorum,…
Sen. Clinton Wants Video Game Access Probe WASHINGTON (AP) – Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who has attacked violent video games as “a silent epidemic” among children, said she wants a federal investigation into one of the most popular, “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.” Clinton, D-N.Y., is asking the Federal Trade Commission to probe how…
Lawmakers Warn Against Unocal Takeover WASHINGTON (AP) – A Chinese company’s attempt to take over California-based Unocal threatens U.S. security and would give China political leverage in areas where the oil company has resources, lawmakers said Wednesday. “The simple fact is that energy is a strategic commodity,” said Rep. Duncan…
House Panel OKs Patriot Act Provisions WASHINGTON (AP) – The Republican-led House Intelligence Committee approved Democratic provisions Wednesday that would place modest controls over the ways the FBI can monitor terror suspects under the Patriot Act. Committee chairman Peter Hoekstra, R-Mich., opened the session to the public in a…
Two U.S. Senators Propose U.N. Reform Bill photo UNITED NATIONS (AP) – The United Nations reacted warily Wednesday to a bill proposed by two U.S. Senators that gives the United States the right – but not the requirement – to withhold dues if the United Nations doesn’t enact wide-ranging reforms. The bill, which was introduced Tuesday, got a…
Affirmative Action’s Arthur Fletcher Dies WASHINGTON (AP) – Arthur Fletcher, an adviser to Republican presidents and an early booster of affirmative action, died of natural causes Tuesday at his Washington home. He was 80. Fletcher served as an adviser to Presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan and George H.W. Bush. As an official in Nixon’s Labor…
Clinton Defends Wife’s Abortion Remarks photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Former President Clinton, defending his senator-wife’s statements on abortion, said Wednesday that Democrats are held to a double standard. The comment came during remarks to Campus Progress, a left-leaning student group. He said young people in his party should speak directly to…
Bush Daughters Edge Back Into Spotlight photo DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (AP) – In front of the television cameras, Jenna Bush listens silently to Tanzanian orphans who have been left by AIDS with no family. Across the continent in South Africa, twin sister Barbara quietly cares for children afflicted with the devastating disease. First lady…
Lawmaker Sees Delay in Soc. Sec. Debate photo WASHINGTON (AP) – Despite initially believing it would debate Social Security legislation in early June, the House Ways and Means Committee may not get started until at least September, the chairman said Wednesday. Rep. Bill Thomas, R-Calif., said his schedule bogged down because of the Central…

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