Articles of Interest 12-14-07

328 Days until Election Day

MORNING UPDATE:

We are exploring the possibility of hosted a second Republican presidential debate before the January 15th primary.  We have been talking to several television networks and looking at various possible venues, one being the Detroit Auto Show.  We are in early stages of checking out our options…but it could be a great opportunity for Michigan.

Former Representative Andrew “Rocky” Raczkowski and Representative Jack Hoogendyk are serious considering running for the United States Senate against long time incumbent Carl Levin.  This could be an exciting prospect, please encourage your favorite potential candidate to enter the race.

Give a Gift this Holiday Season that Will Last a Lifetime!

The Michigan Republicans moved their headquarters to the Secchia-Weiser Republican Center in 2006 and plan to install a legacy site to honor those who have served the party and the citizens of Michigan.  The legacy site will create a well-deserved tribute to honor Michigan’s past, present, and future Republican leaders!  Buy a brick to celebrate, to inspire, or to commemorate friends, family, or yourself this holiday season!  They are a great way to honor others in memoriam, birthdays, anniversaries, or any special occasion.  Your honoree will receive a certificate commemorating their personalized brick.  Choose from our four different options and be a part of the Michigan Republican Party Legacy! 

To order your personalized Legacy Brick please visit www.migop.org/legacy, or contact Erin Meteer, Major Donor Program Manager at emeteer@migop.org. 

THE REST OF THE STORY:

No further commentary today.

Saul Anuzis

STATE STORIES

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071214/AUTO01/712140358

35 mpg rule nears reality

Senate OKs pared down energy bill; House, Bush approval expected soon

December 14, 2007

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON

-- Regulations that will fundamentally change the vehicles that

Detroit

's automakers build and sell were passed by the Senate on Thursday night by an 86-8 vote. The approval of the historic, national energy bill increases fuel efficiency regulations for the first time in decades. Fuel efficiency requirements will increase 40 percent to 35 miles per gallon by 2020. Automakers will have to meet the regulations starting in 2011. The bill moves back to the House for a final vote, where it is expected to pass, and then goes to President Bush for his signature.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071213/BUSINESS01/71213094

Senate approves fuel economy increase for cars, SUVs

December 13, 2007

By JUSTIN HYDE

WASHINGTON

-- The U.S. Senate passed a historic 40% increase in fuel economy standards Thursday, clearing a path to becoming law after Democrats shed a $21.8 billion tax plan in the face of a Republican filibuster and a veto threat from the Bush Administration. The revised bill passed 86-8, and the White House said President George W. Bush would sign it after House approval. As part of the flurry of last-minute changes, Michigan Sen. Carl Levin attempted to squeeze in some help for Detroit automakers by inserting a statement asserting that Congress and federal auto safety regulators have the final say over fuel economy rules.

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/ryan-will-not-seek-top-gop-slot-on-ways-and-means-2007-12-13.html

Ryan will not seek top GOP slot on Ways and Means 

December 13, 2007 

By Jackie Kucinich

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) will not make a bid for the top Republican slot on the powerful Ways and Means Committee. Ryan, the ranking member of the Budget Committee, told The Hill on Thursday that he is content with his position on the budget panel. Ryan ranks ninth in seniority among Ways and Means Republicans who are running for reelection. 

Ryan has been mentioned as a possible contender for the top Republican spot on Ways and Means since ranking member Jim McCrery (R-La.) announced last week he is not seeking reelection. But after declining to say whether he would run for the spot over the last several days, Ryan is now officially out of what is a two-man race between Reps. Wally Herger (R-Calif.) and Dave Camp (R-Mich.).

http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071213/NEWS01/712130385/1001/NEWS

Granholm, lawmakers given coal for Christmas

Published December 13, 2007

By Chris Andrews

Anti-tax groups figure Gov. Jennifer Granholm and lawmakers who raised taxes deserve lumps of coal for Christmas - so they delivered a truckload to the Capitol today.

The Coal-ition, as it called itself, included the Michigan Taxpayers Alliance, the Michigan Fair Tax Association and Americans for Prosperity, among others."The Legislature doesn't deserve a very Merry Christmas. It deserves these lumps of coal this year," said Leon Drolet, executive director of the Michigan Taxpayers Alliance. "Our objection is the way they handled the budget and tax situation."

http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071213/NEWS06/712130409/1008

Hi,

Michigan

! Meet 2 GOP candidates

December 13, 2007

BY KATHLEEN GRAY

The political focus may be on

Iowa

and

New Hampshire

, but

Michigan

hasn't been totally ignored by presidential candidates. Two presidential candidates -- Republicans Mitt Romney and Ron Paul -- began airing ads recently trying to sway

Michigan

voters before the Jan. 15 presidential primary election. Paul, the congressman from

Texas

, was on the air first with radio ads last week. One statewide spot talks about his opposition to the North American Free Trade Act; another ad running in metro

Detroit

introduces Paul to voters.

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071213/OPINION01/712130311/1007/OPINION

Services tax is repealed, but at what cost?

Small firms should back officials who cut spending, stop tax hikes

December 13, 2007

Michael W. Rogers and Todd Anderson

State legislators and the governor concluded a wild roller-coaster ride for business tax policy when they at the last minute on Dec. 1 repealed the 6 percent sales tax on services. The replacement: a 21.99 percent surcharge on the Michigan Business Tax. The action wrapped up a contentious and emotional two months of struggle for the

Michigan

business community. Faced with a new sales tax on services that was almost universally despised by small business owners, the Small Business Association of Michigan and its members fought for outright repeal and no replacement revenue -- a principled stand that faced tough sledding against an ideologically divided state Legislature and a governor who insisted that Michigan's budget had already been "cut to the bone."

http://blog.mlive.com/citpat_opinion/2007/12/state_shouldnt_pay_for_pricey.html

State shouldn't pay for pricey building

Jackson Citizen Patriot Editorial

December 13, 2007

With the sorry shape of state finances, it's hard to fathom why a legislative panel this summer approved leasing a new state police headquarters for millions of dollars. The question now: Should the state fight to get out of a bad deal? The answer ought to be yes.

The Granholm administration is pushing to ditch the current headquarters on

Harrison Road

. It needs repair, and officials say a new site could consolidate operations. The new location at

Kalamazoo Street

and

Grand Avenue

would put 550 workers in downtown

Lansing

.

http://www.livingstondaily.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071213/NEWS01/712130324

Ward explores canceling early primary

By Dan Meisler

DAILY PRESS & ARGUS

The potential for voter confusion, low turnout, disenfranchisement and bad publicity for the state in

Michigan

's Jan. 15 presidential primary election has prompted a local lawmaker to explore the possibility of trying to cancel it. State Rep. Chris Ward, R-Genoa Township, said the primary, which was moved to an earlier date by the Democratic and Republican parties to try to gain more influence with the candidates, could become a "black eye" for the state.

http://www.record-eagle.com/opinion/local_story_347094632.html

Legislation will safeguard water

December 13, 2007

By SEN. PATTY BIRKHOLZ

A recent guest column by Mike Delp noted that Senate Bill 212, which I sponsored, "would seriously impact the waters of

Michigan

." Several points in the column warrant rebuttal. First, the bill is part of a comprehensive legislative package, including Senate Bills 858-860, developed to provide stringent, yet reasonable, laws to further safeguard our waters. Senate Bill 212 will adopt the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact.

http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071213/POLITICS/712130310/1022/POLITICS

Lawmakers spar over

Mackinac

Bridge

funds

Senator's pitch to use $5.25M from feds rather than toll fee hikes to pay for fixes faces likely veto.

December 13, 2007

By Kathy Barks Hoffman

LANSING

-- A state senator is pushing a measure that would use transportation dollars for maintenance on the

Mackinac

Bridge

rather than toll increases. Republican Sen. Jason Allen of

Traverse City

said it makes sense to use $5.25 million in federal transportation funds so tourism and business isn't harmed by the increase, which could hike the toll for cars from $2.50 to $4. Gov. Jennifer Granholm vetoed a similar move in 2003, and it didn't sound likely this week that she'd support Allen's idea.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071213/NEWS06/71213089/1008

House approves Promise Zones legislation

December 13, 2007

By CRHIS CHRISTOFF

LANSING

-- School districts with high levels of poverty could capture some local school taxes and combine them with private funds to pay for graduating seniors' college tuition, under legislation approved by the House today. The program, called Promise Zones, was proposed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm earlier this year. The House bill now goes to the Senate.

http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/michigan/index.ssf?/base/sports-26/1197581646113380.xml&storylist=newsmichigan

Granholm plans to allow mixed martial arts events

12/13/2007

The Associated Press   

LANSING

,

Mich.

(AP) — Gov. Jennifer Granholm plans to sign legislation aimed at regulating mixed martial arts events in

Michigan

. Backers say the bills are needed to draw professional events such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship to the state. Opponents say

Michigan

shouldn't welcome a violent sport. The legislation passed Thursday by a 23-13 vote in the state Senate. It would expand state law covering boxing to include contests sponsored by mixed martial arts organizations. The fights can include karate, judo and wrestling moves along with boxing. They're growing in popularity at arenas, on television and through pay-per-view events.

http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071213/OPINION01/712130354/1068/OPINION

Give

Michigan

cities their due

December 13, 2007

Detroit

Free Press Editorial

State government has paid little attention to cities in recent years -- and most of what

Lansing

has done has been bad, such as cutting revenue sharing. So a package of bills introduced with bipartisan backing last week in the state Senate is a welcome turn. The legislation was crafted mostly by Sen. Jason Allen,

R-Traverse

City

, chairman of the Commerce Committee. The 15 bills don't call for new state spending but rather give city leaders more tools, including tax abatements and enterprise zones, to redevelop downtowns and attract jobs. These incentives show how state government can help cities -- the economic engines of

Michigan

-- even when money is tight. They give local governments more ways to develop the attractive, vibrant downtowns that young entrepreneurs, in particular, seek.

http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071213/NEWS06/712130356

Mich.

government: It's lean on workers, fat on fringe benefits

December 13, 2007

BY

DAWSON

BELL

Fewer employees carry the workload for state and local government and public schools in

Michigan

than in most other states, a new study shows. But state government employees are paid better and have much better fringe benefits than all but a few states, the study by the Citizens Research Council of Michigan also revealed.

Michigan

ranked 45th among the states in the number of public employees per 10,000 residents.

http://blog.mlive.com/flintjournal/newsnow/2007/12/students_now_feeling_pinch_of.html

Students now feeling pinch of delayed state budget

December 13, 2007

by Beata Mostafavi

FLINT

-- The state's budget problem is now becoming Kathleen Camp's problem -- how to pay for college. Because the state took so long to agree on a budget this year, Camp still hasn't received grant money for classes at

Rochester

College

's

Flint

extension site.

Instead of arriving in October, grant money that goes to low-income students attending private colleges now won't get to Camp until at least mid-January, according to a letter from the college. "I was counting on that just like a lot of other people," said Camp, 23, of

Flint

, who is in the midst of taking final exams. "They keep delaying it further and further. It's really stressful." Students such as Camp are forced to find alternative ways to pay for classes as thousands of dollars in state financial aid is being awarded months later than planned.

NATIONAL STORIES

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071213/UPDATE/712130491

Democrats target taxes in

Iowa

debate

December, 13 2007

By Nedra Pickler

JOHNSTON

,

Iowa

-- Democratic presidential rivals called for higher taxes on the wealthiest Americans and on some corporations Thursday and said any thought of balancing the federal budget would have to wait. "We're not going to be able to dig ourselves out" of Bush-era deficits in the next year or two, said Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, one of six Democratic rivals sharing a debate stage for the final time before Iowa's leadoff Jan. 3 caucuses. Asked about eliminating deficits, several of the Democrats responded by mentioning higher taxes on the wealthy and on big corporations.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/12/statusquo_on_tuesday_is_good_n.html

Status-Quo on Tuesday Good News for GOP

December 12, 2007

By Stuart Rothenberg

Republicans got some good news Tuesday when they won special elections in

Ohio

and

Virginia

to retain two Congressional seats that became open upon the death of sitting GOP U.S. House members. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee didn't seriously contest Virginia's open 1st District, but the DCCC and the National Republican Congressional Committee ended up pouring considerable resources into Ohio's 5th C.D. Republicans have reason to feel good about holding both seats, particularly given the nasty GOP primary in Ohio 5 and the party's continued problems in the Buckeye State.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1207/7366.html

HRC troubles may pose problem for Giuliani

Dec 12, 2007

By: Ben Smith and Jonathan Martin

You know the type: He doesn't like her, he picks on her, but in the end — he needs her.

If recent polls are any guide, the guy in that particular stormy and symbiotic relationship is Rudy Giuliani, and the object of his complicated emotions is none other than Hillary Rodham Clinton. The Democratic front-runner has been a staple of Giuliani's pitch to Republican voters. He talks about her incessantly — and sometimes talks to her when she's not there. He attacked her in Web ads and TV ads and in the mail, mimicked her, criticized specific domestic policy programs and even distributed a color-coded map purporting to demonstrate that Giuliani alone among the Republicans could beat

Clinton

. Giuliani's unspoken pitch, according to GOP pollster Tony Fabrizio, goes something like this: "You need me to protect you from her. And no matter how bad you think I am, she is far worse."

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/G/GIULIANI_ADWATCH?SITE=MIDTN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Giuliani ad focuses on immigration

December 13, 2007

By Holly Ramer

TITLE: "Will."

LENGTH: 30 seconds.

AIRING:

New Hampshire

and

Boston

.

SCRIPT: Rudy Giuliani: "People are frustrated over immigration because the government has been talking about solving this for twenty or twenty-five years, and it's just gotten worse. What we need here is leadership. Build a fence. Train the border patrol. Have a Border Stat system. Have a tamper-proof ID card. And then if you become a citizen, you have to be able to read English, write English, speak English and understand American civics. We can end illegal immigration. The technology exists to do it, the people exist to do it. Now we need the political leadership and will to get it done. I'm Rudy Giuliani and I approve this message."

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/12/10/rudy_catholics/?CFID=9289963&CFTOKEN=79906769

Are you there, God? It's me, Rudy

An unholy trinity of issues -- abortion, immigration and his messy personal life -- could hurt Giuliani's chances with his key constituency, Catholic voters.

December 10, 2007

By Thomas F. Schaller

Late last spring, Bishop Thomas J. Tobin of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence opened his mail to find an invitation to a local fundraising event for Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani. Tobin made national headlines when he responded to the invitation by penning a column for the Rhode Island Catholic about Rudy Giuliani's abortion views, chastising the former

New York

mayor for saying he believes abortion is morally wrong yet supports reproductive choice for women as a matter of public policy.

http://www.newsday.com/news/columnists/ny-oppink5498381dec13,0,5656889.column

Huckabee, like Reagan, wouldn't be an 'easy kill'

December 13, 2007

By James P. Pinkerton

So is Mike Huckabee an "easy kill" for the Democrats? And are the Republicans the distinct underdogs, no matter whom they nominate for the presidency? Maybe. After all, in public opinion surveys, the critical "right track/wrong track" question shows negative feelings predominating by a 2-to-1 or even 3-to-1 margin. That's bad news for the incumbent party, in terms of holding the White House.

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071213/POLITICS/712130373/1374/POLITICS01

Huckabee emerges as man to beat

The night's focus on domestic issues also brings out fresh facets from other frontrunners.

December 13, 2007

By Peter S. Canellos

WASHINGTON

-- When Rep. Tom Tancredo of

Colorado

looked down the lineup of fellow Republican presidential candidates and said he had a question for the governor "because you're leading the pack now," former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney straightened up as if readying himself for a punch. But Tancredo interjected, "No, no no," and pointed instead at former

Arkansas

governor Mike Huckabee, as Romney receded with a locked-jaw smile. Wednesday's Des Moines Register debate underscored the changes in the Republican presidential race, with most participants clearly believing that Huckabee -- not Romney -- is the man to beat in the Jan. 3

Iowa

caucuses, while those two and as many as three other candidates compete for the lead in the half-dozen other states also voting in January.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/H/HUCKABEE_WOMEN?SITE=MIDTN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Huckabee defends women's rights record

December 13, 2007

By ANDREW DeMILLO

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) -- Republican Mike Huckabee's record on women's rights is coming under increased scrutiny, including his endorsement of the Southern Baptist Convention's stance that women should "submit graciously" to their husbands and his opposition to sending women into combat.

Huckabee, an ordained Southern Baptist minister, defended his record Thursday, saying he appointed many women to high positions in state government and on his staff during his 10 1/2 years as

Arkansas

governor.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&refer=columnist_carlson&sid=aneD6Y6YObVE

Huckabee's Boom May Be About Ready to Bust

December 13, 2007

by Margaret Carlson

Mike Huckabee is having his moment, if you haven't heard. The folksy, witty Baptist preacher with the Gomer Pyle face deserves it, if for nothing other than giving the

U.S.

presidential debates a touch of humanity. He really is a compassionate conservative, the kind who drives the low-tax, small-government wing of his party insane. Don't the Christian conservatives realize they are the foot soldiers of the Republican party, not its candidates?

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/12/12/513283.aspx?CFID=9289963&CFTOKEN=79906769

Romney downplays Huck's poll position

Wednesday, December 12 2007

by Mark Murray

JOHNSTON

,

IA

-- At a post-debate party at the home of a supporter here, Romney downplayed Huckabee's recent surge in the polls and suggested it would be followed by an "agonizing reappraisal" of his rival. "I know some people thought that it's just impossible for Mitt Romney to win in

Iowa

. Why look, there's a new surge going on. But, you know -- I've lived through surges," he said. "There was the McCain surge. there was the Giuliani surge. then came the Fred Thompson surge. Now we got the Huckabee surge, and all the surges that have come before were followed by the agonizing reappraisal as people took a look at their positions and their record. And when that happened those numbers came back down

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/12/AR2007121202425.html?CFID=9289963&CFTOKEN=79906769

A Family Duty

Thursday, December 13, 2007

By Michael E. Ruane

About an hour before kickoff, the white-haired man in the crew-neck sweater pulls out his cellphone and calls his son. "Hey, where are you, Jack?" he says. "I'm at the game." Jack, a 21-year-old Naval Academy midshipman whose formal name is John Sidney McCain IV, has just marched onto the field at Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium with hundreds of classmates, wearing dark overcoats and white scarves. It is the morning of the Army-Navy game, and the midshipman's father, John Sidney McCain III, a senator from

Arizona

and candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, is besieged in the Navy hospitality suite.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/1213/p01s04-uspo.html?CFID=9289963&CFTOKEN=79906769

Fred Thompson: a maverick conservative who loves the law

The GOP presidential hopeful has often defied his party and colleagues to chart his own course.

December 13, 2007

By Ariel Sabar

Washington - Just a couple of weeks after the 1999 shooting massacre at Columbine High School, with emotions still raw and bipartisan calls for tougher action against crime, Sen. Fred Thompson (R) of Tennessee convened a hearing whose title, "Federalism and Crime Control," sounded like a law class. In his opening remarks, Senator Thompson pointedly noted his vote a few years earlier against a school gun ban. It should not have become law, he suggested, nor should

Washington

enact new laws now. "It's a deeply rooted constitutional principle that the general police power belongs to the states," he said, before calling a parade of scholarly witnesses to buttress his argument.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8TGQ4M00&show_article=1

Clinton

Adviser Out After Obama Comment 

Dec 13, 2007

By PHILIP ELLIOTT

CONCORD

,

N.H.

(AP) - Presidential contender Hillary Rodham Clinton on Thursday accepted the resignation of a top adviser who a day earlier suggested voters should ask rival Barack Obama if he were a drug dealer. Bill Shaheen, a national co-chairman for the

Clinton

campaign, raised the issue during a Wednesday interview with The Washington Post, posted on washingtonpost.com. "I made a mistake and in light of what happened, I have made the personal decision that I will step down as the co-chair of the Hillary for President campaign," Shaheen said in a statement released by the campaign. "This election is too important and we must all get back to electing the best qualified candidate who has the record of making change happen in this country. That candidate is Hillary Clinton."

http://unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=John+DiStaso\'s+Granite+Status:+No+firewall+in+NH+for+Hillary&articleId=356716f0-8412-46b1-bf48-a021d3f09dc1

No firewall in NH for Hillary

December 13, 2007

By JOHN DISTASO

REPORTS OF of

New Hampshire

as a firewall for Hillary Clinton have apparently been greatly exaggerated.New Hampshire is no longer her firewall. It's a battleground, a free for all, and -- dare we say? -- a potential last stand for the former Granite State Democratic frontrunner.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20071213/NATION/112130047/1028/election

Winfrey helps Obama expand S.C. lead

December 13, 2007

By Donald Lambro and Ralph Z. Hallow

Sen. Barack Obama has expanded his lead over Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in the run-up to South Carolina's Jan. 26 Democratic presidential primary, drawing increased black voter support after Oprah Winfrey's campaign appearances there, a new survey shows.

An InsiderAdvantage poll of 480 likely Democratic voters conducted Dec. 8-9, during and after the TV talk-show star's whirlwind two-day visit, shows Mr. Obama of

Illinois

leading the

New York

senator 28 percent to 22 percent. Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards trailed in third place with 14 percent.

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071213/POLITICS/712130383/1374/POLITICS01

Nation's safety key GOP issue: Candidates aim security policies at conservatives

Thursday, December 13, 2007

By Gordon Trowbridge and Gary Heinlein

For

Vietnam

veteran Marlin Newburn, a simple rule will apply when he votes in

Michigan

's Republican presidential primary: No weak-on-defense moderates need apply. "There are people in this world who are evil, always have been," said Newburn, 59, an Auburn Hills psychologist. "And there are appeasers in this country who want to pretend it's not so." For Newburn and many other voters, even in economy-conscious

Michigan

,

Iraq

and terrorism are major concerns. And even with some recent national polls showing economic worries rising in the nation's consciousness, the candidates' campaigns and the dominance of the

Iraq

war issue in

Washington

guarantee that national security will remain at or near the top of voters' minds throughout the 2008 campaign.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/thecrypt/1207/Senate_Judiciary_approves_contempt_resolutions_against_Rove_Bolten.html

Senate Judiciary approves contempt resolutions against Rove, Bolten

December 13, 2007

By John Bresnahan

The Senate Judiciary Committee has approved contempt resolutions against Karl Rove, the former top aide to President Bush, and Joshua Bolten, the current White House chief of staff. The vote was 12-7.The criminal contempt resolutions now move to the Senate floor, although no action on them is expected until next year. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), ranking member of Judiciary, voted in favor of issuing the contempt resolutions, saying the committee's oversight responsibilities must be upheld. Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) also supported the resolutions." is a vote that I would prefer not to make," Specter said. "It is a vote I make with reluctance."

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CONGRESS_GRINCH_DEMOCRATS?SITE=MIDTN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

9 Dems say no to Christmas resolution

December 13, 2007

By MATTHEW DALY

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Rep. Jim McDermott says he is no Grinch, even though he voted against Christmas. The Democrat from

Washington

state says he was protesting an expected veto of a children's health insurance bill when he voted against a resolution recognizing the importance of Christmas. "While the Republicans are passing a resolution celebrating Christmas, the president was vetoing health care for children. There's a little bit of irony going on around here," McDermott said Thursday.The Christmas measure was approved 372-9 on Tuesday night. Democrats cast all the no votes. Beside McDermott, the other dissenting votes came from Reps.

Gary

Ackerman and Yvette Clarke of

New York

; Barbara Lee, Pete Stark and

Lynn

Woolsey of

California

; Diana DeGette of

Colorado

; Alcee Hastings of

Florida

; and Bobby Scott of

Virginia

.

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071213/POLITICS/712130374/1374

Democrats differ on Iraq

Top three presidential candidates depart from each other's views in defending their policy.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

By Gordon Trowbridge

As with Republicans, the top Democratic presidential candidates largely agree on the broad outlines of strategy for

Iraq

,

Iran

and the war on terror. But especially on

Iraq

, there are significant differences on details and tone.Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards all would move to reduce the

U.S.

troop presence in

Iraq

, though none advocates an immediate total withdrawal. But each has had to defend that policy in different ways.

Clinton

voted for the 2002 authorization for the war and has refused to apologize for it; Edwards also voted to approve the authorization but now calls that a mistake; Obama voted against the war resolution and has contrasted his opposition from the state with his opponents changing views.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8TGOEMG0&show_article=1

Pelosi: Republicans `like'

Iraq

War 

Dec 13 2007

By CHARLES BABINGTON

WASHINGTON (AP) - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi lashed out at Republicans on Thursday, saying they want the

Iraq

war to drag on and are ignoring the public's priorities. "They like this war. They want this war to continue," Pelosi, D- Calif., told reporters. She expressed frustration over Republicans' ability to force majority Democrats to yield ground on taxes, spending, energy, war spending and other matters.

"We thought that they shared the view of so many people in our country that we needed a new direction in

Iraq

," Pelosi said at her weekly news conference in the Capitol. "But the Republicans have made it very clear that this is not just George Bush's war. This is the war of the Republicans in Congress."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/12/AR2007121202837_pf.html

Democrats Blaming Each Other For Failures

Thursday, December 13, 2007

By Jonathan Weisman and Paul Kane

When Democrats took control of Congress in January, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) pledged to jointly push an ambitious agenda to counter 12 years of Republican control. Now, as Congress struggles to adjourn for Christmas, relations between House Democrats and their colleagues in the Senate have devolved into finger-pointing. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.) accuses Senate Democratic leaders of developing "Stockholm syndrome," showing sympathy to their Republican captors by caving in on legislation to provide middle-class tax cuts paid for with tax increases on the super-rich, tying war funding to troop withdrawal timelines, and mandating renewable energy quotas. If Republicans want to filibuster a bill, Rangel said, Reid should keep the bill on the Senate floor and force the Republicans to talk it to death.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119750838630225395.html?mod=politics_first_element_hs

Intraparty Feuds Dog Democrats, Stall Congress

December 13, 2007

By David Rogers

WASHINGTON

-- Democrats took control of Congress last January promising a "new direction." A year later, the image that haunts them most is one symbolizing no direction at all: gridlock. Unfinished work is piling up -- legislation to aid borrowers affected by the housing mess, rescue millions of middle-class families from a big tax increase and put stricter gas-mileage limits on the auto industry. Two months into the new fiscal year, Democrats are still scrambling just to keep the government open.

http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2007/12/our-view-on-war.html

Our view on war in

Iraq

: Surge's success holds chance to seize the moment in Iraq

December 13, 2007

USA

Today Editorial

Instead, Democrats are lost in time, Bush lowers the bar for

Baghdad

.

Iraq

remains a violent place, but the trends are encouraging.

U.S.

and Iraqi casualties are down sharply. Fewer of the most lethal Iranian-made explosive devices are being used as roadside bombs. In community after community, Sunni groups who were once in league with al-Qaeda have switched sides and are working with the

U.S.

forces. On the Shiite side of

Iraq

's sectarian chasm, something similar is happening. About 70,000 local, pro-government groups, a bit like neighborhood watch groups, have formed to expose extremist militias, according to Stephen Biddle of the Council on Foreign Relations.

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSL1388657820071213?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&rpc=22&sp=true

Shield needed against

Iran

missile threat:

U.S.

December 13, 2007

By Andras Gergely

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - The United States needs a shield against what it sees as a growing missile threat from Iran, despite a recent report showing it had halted its nuclear weapons program, a U.S. official said on Thursday.Acting Undersecretary of State John Rood met Russian diplomats in Budapest on Thursday for a series of talks to allay Russian concerns about the radars and intercepting missiles Washington plans to place in the Czech Republic and Poland.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=071213172012.76988ebr&show_article=1

Gore wrong on US being climate change obstacle: US 

Dec 13 2007

AFP

The White House on Thursday slapped back at Nobel laureate Al Gore saying he was wrong to call the

United States

the obstable to success at the

Bali

climate change conference. "I think he is incorrect," spokeswoman Dana Perino said of Gore's remarks in Bali when he said the United States was the main obstacle to a climate change deal. "My own country, the

United States

is principally responsible for obstructing progress here in

Bali

. We all know that," Gore said to loud applause. "But my country is not the only one that can take steps to ensure that we move forward from

Bali

with progress and with hope."