Key vote on immigration set in Senate

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate headed Monday for a crucial test vote on White House-backed immigration legislation offering the prize of U.S. citizenship to millions and pouring new technology and manpower into the border.

Ahead of the vote set for early evening, around a dozen Republican lawmakers had indicated support, setting up a solid bipartisan margin of victory within reach of the 70 votes supporters are hoping for when the bill comes to a final vote at the end of this week. No defections have been suggested so far among the 54 votes controlled by Democrats.

The measure includes changes to the original border security provisions in the bill that would double the size of the U.S. Border Patrol at a cost of around $30 billion and complete 700 miles of fencing. At the same time it sets out a pathway to citizenship for some 11 million immigrants living in the United States illegally, who would be permitted to get permanent resident green cards only once all the border changes had been put in place, about a decade after enactment of the legislation.

At the White House Monday, President Barack Obama called on lawmakers to take quick action on the immigration overhaul.

"I would urge that the Senate bring this to the floor," he said. "And I hope that we can get the strongest possible vote out of the Senate so that we can then move to the House and get this done before the summer break."

The president spoke in the Roosevelt Room before meeting with business leaders supporting the immigration bill. He said the legislation doesn't represent everything he sought, "but it does adhere to the core principles that we need for comprehensive immigration reform."

"Now is the time to do it," he added.

Meanwhile, on the Senate floor, supporters and opponents traded arguments ahead of the vote.

"It's my hope that this evening Republicans will join me in putting in place the toughest border security measures we've ever had in this nation," said Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., who developed the new border security requirements with Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D.

Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., a leading opponent, insisted that the promised border security never would materialize.

"The amnesty occurs first, and just like so often in the past, the promises never occur," Sessions said.

But Corker and other supporters pointed to comments from Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, a Republican immigration hardliner, who touted the proposed border changes as a "victory for Arizona" in an interview on Fox News Channel Monday.

The developments came at the start of a crucial week for the immigration bill, a signature issue for the Obama administration, Capitol Hill Democrats, and even some Republicans.

Monday's vote is the key procedural hurdle that would clear the way for a vote later in the week on revisions to the bill including the border security changes and a range of other new provisions aimed at locking down support from wavering senators. These include limits to what newly legalized immigrants can claim in Social Security benefits, added at the behest of Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and provisions designed to aid Alaska seafood processers and attract support from Alaska's two senators.

Final passage of the underlying bill should come by Friday. In addition to securing the border and allowing eventual citizenship to those here illegally, the bill would create new visa programs to bring tens of thousands of high- and low-skilled workers to the country, and require all employers to check their workers' legal status. In many states such employer checks are now only voluntary.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce announced it was launching a new seven-figure ad buy Monday in support of the bill. "Call Congress. End de facto amnesty. Create jobs and economic growth by supporting conservative immigration reforms," the ad said.

On the other side, a political committee run by tea party Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas issued an action alert calling on supporters to lobby senators against the bill. "It will encourage more illegal immigration and must be stopped," read his appeal.

Victory in the Senate would be no guarantee of success in the Republican-controlled House, where many conservatives oppose citizenship for people in this country illegally. The House Judiciary Committee has been passing narrowly focused, single-issue immigration bills — in contrast to the Senate's comprehensive approach — and Speaker House Boehner, R-Ohio, has not indicated how he'll proceed.

Negotiations between the two chambers are not expected until the fall at earliest, and opponents of the legislation are predicting it will be stopped in the House.

"It will pass the Senate, but it's dead on arrival in the House," Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said on CNN on Sunday. "The House is much closer to me, and I think they think border security has to come first before you get immigration reform."

___=

Associated Press writer Jim Kuhnhenn contributed to this report.

Via Yahoo News!

U.S. debt plan heads to Senate

Washington (CNN) -- Top administration and congressional officials are expected to continue talks Friday on a potential deal tying roughly $3 trillion in new savings over the next decade to an increase in the debt ceiling.

The negotiations -- necessary to stave off an unprecedented national default that could prove economically devastating -- are testing the ability of leaders on both sides of the aisle to legislate effectively in an era of increasingly shrill and unyielding partisanship.

Republicans, feeling the pressure of tea party populism, remain staunchly opposed to any tax increases. Democrats are desperately trying to protect one of their party's primary legacies -- entitlements such as Social Security and Medicare, programs forged at the height of the New Deal and Great Society.

What, if anything, either side is prepared to yield remains an open question.

"Neither party is blameless for the decisions that led to this debt, but both parties have a responsibility to come together and solve the problem," President Barack Obama wrote in an op-ed appearing in Friday's USA Today. "That's what the American people expect of us."

Some congressional Democrats appeared to be on the verge of open revolt against their own president Thursday night after hearing some of the details in the $3 trillion plan -- a package many of them contend does not do nearly enough to ensure wealthier Americans share in the burden of stemming the tide of Washington's red ink.

The talks have now become a race against the clock. If Congress fails to raise the $14.3 trillion limit by August 2, Americans could face rising interest rates, a declining dollar and increasingly jittery financial markets, among other problems.

The Democratic-controlled Senate is expected to cast aside the House GOP's so-called "cut, cap, and balance" plan Friday -- a plan that would tie a debt ceiling increase to sweeping reductions in federal spending, caps on future expenditures, and a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.

Voting on the measure allows Republicans to demonstrate their preference for steps favored by many in the tea party movement even as GOP leaders try to find a middle ground with Democrats.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, dismissed the vote Friday morning as a waste of time.

"There is simply no more time to waste debating and voting on measures that have no hopes of becoming law," Reid said. There is "no more time to waste playing partisan games."

Reid's remarks triggered any angry response from Sen. Dan Coats, R-Indiana, who accused the Democratic leader of obstructing a resolution.

"The well gets poisoned last evening by the majority leader and gets poisoned again this morning," Coats said. "Those of us who have worked our tails off to try to get something done are told that this is a piece of crap."

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, is set to meet behind closed doors Friday with House Republicans. Boehner told reporters Thursday that while some members of his caucus wouldn't compromise, he didn't believe they "would be anywhere close the majority."

Obama and Vice President Joe Biden huddled with top congressional Democrats on Thursday night. The president is scheduled to take his call for compromise on the road Friday, holding a town hall meeting at the University of Maryland.

Spokesmen for Obama and Boehner have denied that any deal is imminent.

Regardless, attention continue to swirl around the prospects of the $3 trillion compromise. The possible deal remains in limbo over a disagreement on whether to extend Bush-era tax cuts for families earning more than $250,000 a year, according to congressional aides who spoke on condition of not being identified.

Nothing has been agreed to yet, they noted.

The possible deal would include spending cuts expected to total $1 trillion or more agreed to in earlier negotiations led by Biden, the sources said. It would reform entitlement programs by changing the eligibility age for Medicare over time, and using a more restrictive inflation index for Social Security benefits, according to the sources.

On taxes, it would permanently extend the Bush tax cuts for families earning less than $250,000 while allowing the cuts to expire at the end of 2012 for those with income above that, the aides said. At the same time, the deal would include a commitment to reform the tax code next year, which is expected to lower all tax rates and eliminate loopholes and subsidies, the sources said.

Boehner, however, wants the deal to make all of the Bush tax cuts permanent while keeping the commitment to tax reform, the sources said. Republicans oppose any tax increases, and their resistance has been a major obstacle to any deal in the negotiations so far.

Some sources said the deal would work in two stages, with spending cuts and a debt ceiling increase occurring right away while entitlement reforms and tax reforms would occur later.

It is unclear -- even if a deal is reached -- that any sweeping package can be approved by the August 2 deadline.

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney signaled to reporters earlier in the week that the president may now be willing to sign a short-term debt limit extension if Democratic and Republican leaders are close to agreement on a broad plan that includes both tax hikes and spending reforms.

Obama previously indicated he would veto any short-term extension.

Meanwhile, lawmakers are also continuing discussions focused on the $3.7 trillion debt reduction blueprint put forward by the "Gang of Six," a group of three Democratic and three Republican senators.

Under the group's proposal, $500 billion in budget savings would be immediately imposed, with marginal income tax rates reduced and the controversial alternative minimum tax ultimately abolished.

The plan would create three tax brackets with rates from 8% to 12%, 14% to 22%, and 23% to 29% -- part of a new structure designed to generate an additional $1 trillion in revenue. It would require cost changes to Medicare's growth rate formula as well as $80 billion in Pentagon cuts.

Obama has praised the plan, calling it "broadly consistent" with his approach to debt reduction because it mixes tax changes, entitlement reforms and spending reductions.

The proposal, however, has been hit with a barrage of criticism from both the right and the left. Conservatives have complained about some of the plan's tax changes, while liberals have warned it would cut entitlement benefits too deeply.

If all else fails, party leaders could still turn to a fallback plan initially put forward by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky. The measure would give Obama the power to raise the borrowing limit by a total of $2.5 trillion, but also require three congressional votes on the issue before the 2012 general election.

Specifically, Obama would be required to submit three requests for debt ceiling hikes -- a $700 billion increase and two $900 billion increases. Along with each request, the president would have to submit a list of recommended spending cuts exceeding the debt ceiling increase. The cuts would not need to be enacted in order for the ceiling to rise.

Congress would vote on -- and presumably pass -- "resolutions of disapproval" for each request. Obama would likely veto each resolution. Unless Congress manages to override the president's vetoes -- considered highly unlikely -- the debt ceiling would increase.

The unusual scheme would allow most Republicans and some more conservative Democrats to vote against any debt ceiling hike while still allowing it to clear.

McConnell and Reid are also working on two critical additions to the plan, according to congressional aides in both parties. One would add up to roughly $1.5 trillion in spending cuts agreed to in earlier talks led by Vice President Joe Biden; the other would create a commission meant to find more major spending cuts, tax increases and entitlement reforms.

Changes agreed to by the commission -- composed of an equal number of House and Senate Democrats and Republicans -- would be subject to a strict up-or-down vote by Congress. No amendments would be allowed.

Sources say the panel would be modeled after the Base Closing and Realignment Commission, which managed to close hundreds of military bases that Congress could not otherwise bring itself to shut down.

CNN's Ted Barrett, Kevin Bohn, Kate Bolduan, Tom Cohen, Lisa Desjardins, Deirdre Walsh and Jessica Yellin contributed to this report

CNN

Canadian Senate moves to end postal shutdown (Reuters)

OTTAWA (Reuters) – Canadians could begin receiving mail again within two days after the Senate on Sunday endorsed back-to-work legislation ending the labor dispute that shut down the postal service.

The Senate held a rare weekend session to approve the government measure that was passed by the House of Commons on Saturday after a 58-hour filibuster by opposition MPs who said the bill was unfair to the workers.

Canada Post locked out the nearly 48,000 workers June 15 after more than a week of rotating strikes that the company said had caused mail deliveries to drop by nearly 50 percent.

The Conservative government said it had no choice but to intervene because contract negotiations between the company and union had failed, and a prolonged dispute posed a threat to the national economy.

Mail deliveries could resume Tuesday, officials said.

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers said its members will return to work as ordered, but warned that the order does not resolve the issues that lead to the dispute. It may challenge the legislation in court.

In addition to wages and pensions, the company and union are at odds over how the system should adjust to technological changes that seen customers drop traditional mail in favor of writing emails and using the Internet to pay bills.

The legislation provides for an arbitrator to pick between the offers made by the union or Canada Post, but it includes a controversial measure that sets the pay increase at less than the company had already offered the union.

If the arbitrator accepts Canada Post's offer, the company would also be allowed to offer new hires lower salaries, pensions and vacations than its existing workers now get.

(Reporting Allan Dowd, editing by Anthony Boadle)

Yahoo! News

CIA, Senate hackers gleefully promise more

(CNN) -- They've breached or busted the websites of the CIA, PBS and the U.S. Senate, and launched at least part of an extended attack on Sony, whose PlayStation Network was brought to a grinding halt for the better part of a month.

And, to hear them tell it, it's all for a laugh.

Meet Lulz Security, or LulzSec, the gleeful and secretive band of hackers who appear to be responsible for a string of high-profile and sometimes embarrassing Internet attacks.

Their most recent strike, and arguably the most ambitious, was a distributed denial-of-service attack Wednesday that shut down the Central Intelligence Agency's website for a couple of hours.

A DDoS attack is fairly easy with the right software. But the group has also hacked into sites ranging from Sony Pictures to porn sites, often publishing the passwords and other personal information they find.

Instead of hiding in the dark shadows of the Internet, they are front-and-center on an active Twitter feed fueled with taunts, crude jokes and hints about future attacks.

For those who don't speak the language, "lulz" is an offshoot of "LOL," webspeak for laughing out loud. Think of it as a substitute for "just for a laugh."

"Lulz Security, where the entertainment is always at your expense, whether you realize it or not," read a recent post on the account. "Wrecking your infrastructures since 2011."

Analysts said the group appears to be some sort of spin-off of "Anonymous," the loose coalition of hackers that grew to prominence through their support of whistle-blower site WikiLeaks.

But while Anonymous has its own set of moral codes and is largely politically motivated, LulzSec tends to be random.

For every hack like the one on PBS, which the group said came out of anger over a documentary about WikiLeaks, there's the cracking of porn site pron.com -- and a subsequent public list of members' e-mail addresses and passwords.

Breaches are often followed by cautionary notes: Some have even denigrated their own hacking abilities, saying the sites they targeted were incredibly easy to penetrate.

"These seem like they're probably some kids in the garage or something that are just having fun," said David Gorodyansky, CEO and co-founder of security software firm AnchorFree.

A request for comment sent to the group's Twitter account was not returned Thursday.

Click on the group's website and the theme song from "The Love Boat" plays over an image of what the group calls "The Lulz Boat." The logo is a cartoon dandy in top hat, monocle and handlebar mustache.

But if the attitude is lighthearted (They've even set up a request line with a 614 Columbus, Ohio, area code, to solicit future target suggestions), the consequences can be serious.

For example, on Thursday LulzSec posted what it said were 62,000 e-mails and their passwords, gleaned from unknown sources (Gizmodo has posted a tool to help discover if your account is one of them).

Afterward, they retweeted messages from several followers who bragged they'd gotten access to PayPal, Amazon, Facebook and other accounts from the list.

One follower claimed to have hacked into a woman's Facebook account and broken up with her boyfriend.

It's unclear whether LulzSec members played a role in the Sony PlayStation Network breach that compromised the information of 77 million users. But they've posted on their website what they claim is proprietary information from Sony Pictures and other Sony properties' websites.

After the U.S. Senate breach, LulzSec posted what it called a "just-for-kicks" release of some internal data.

"We don't like the US government very much," it wrote. "Their boats are weak, their lulz are low, and their sites aren't very secure. In an attempt to help them fix their issues, we've decided to donate additional lulz in the form of owning them some more!"

To help avoid such attacks, Gorodyansky suggested website owners make sure to encrypt them. Using Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (https), instead of the "http" that most sites use, makes data more difficult to obtain.

He also urged organizations, businesses and governments to make sure they are running the latest updates, or firmware, for their security tools.

"You may have the latest and most expensive equipment, but if you don't update the firmware as soon as it comes out, it's very easy for the hackers to exploit," he said.

CNN

Senate report: Rethink U.S. aid to Afghanistan

Washington (CNN) -- The United States' nation-building projects in Afghanistan can claim only limited success and the troubled nation risks sinking into deeper crisis after a U.S. troop withdrawal, according to a congressional report issued Wednesday.

The two-year investigation found that, despite the roughly $18.8 billion spent in aid to Afghanistan over the past decade, more than to any other country, the United States should "have no illusions" about the value of its programs aimed at stabilization.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee report details the use of aid dollars in areas of Afghanistan cleared of the Taliban and urges the administration to reconsider how the money is being spent.

The Senate panel's report said the Obama administration is pursuing an aid strategy in line with counterinsurgency theories that "deserve careful, ongoing scrutiny to see if they yield intended results."

"Foreign aid, when misspent, can fuel corruption, distort labor and goods markets, undermine the host government's ability to exert control over resources, and contribute to insecurity," it said.

The sobering document comes as debate rages over the extent of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan and President Barack Obama considers the size of an initial U.S. troop drawdown and how best to hand over responsibilities now under military control.

Obama discussed transition with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in an hourlong video teleconference Wednesday, White House spokesman Jay Carney said. Obama has not made any decisions yet regarding a drawdown, Carney said.

"We welcome the report, even though we do not endorse all of the conclusions of it," he said. "It's important to note that Afghanistan has made significant progress, and the presumption that our assistance has contributed little and that Afghanistan has made no progress is just simply wrong and we disagree with that."

He cited the training of Afghan forces as an example.

Also Wednesday, the Senate committee grilled Ryan Crocker, tapped by Obama to be the next U.S. ambassador in Kabul, at confirmation hearings. Crocker, the former ambassador to Iraq, acknowledged that problems like corruption stand as impediments to success in Afghanistan.

"We wrestled with the same thing in Iraq and you don't get positive change overnight," he told the senators.

"I am under no illusions of the difficulty of the challenge," Crocker said. "If Iraq was hard -- and it was hard -- Afghanistan in many respects is harder."

About 97% of Afghanistan's gross domestic product is related to international military and donor community spending, the report said, citing the World Bank.

"Afghanistan could suffer a severe economic depression when foreign troops leave in 2014 unless the proper planning begins now," the report said.

"The administration is understandably anxious for immediate results to demonstrate to Afghans and Americans alike that we are making progress," it said. "However, insecurity, abject poverty, weak indigenous capacity, and widespread corruption create challenges for spending money. High staff turnover, pressure from the military, imbalances between military and civilian resources, unpredictable funding levels from Congress, and changing political timelines have further complicated efforts."

Among the problems cited by the senators was the use of U.S. contractors.

It said the United States relies heavily on such contractors but noted a lack of robust oversight. Much of U.S. aid goes not to the Afghan government but into the hands of international companies.

"This practice can weaken the ability of the Afghan state to execute its budget, lead to redundant and unsustainable donor projects, and fuel corruption," the report said.

But Carney defended the use of contractors. "Civilian assistance is important but it represents a small proportion of the overall cost of our mission in Afghanistan," he said. "But it is an essential component of our critical national security strategy in Afghanistan."

CNN

Senate bill uses Libya assets for humanitarian aid (AP)

WASHINGTON – Leading senators of both parties say they will soon push legislation letting President Barack Obama confiscate up to $10 billion in seized Libyan government assets and use it for humanitarian aid in that war-torn country.

None of the money could be used to supply Libyan rebels with weapons or military equipment.

The bill comes four months into the rebel effort to oust Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. The U.S. has frozen more than $30 billion in Gadhafi regime assets, and opposition leaders have appealed repeatedly for financial help.

The legislation was announced by South Dakota Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson and Alabama GOP Sen. Richard Shelby, leaders of the Senate Banking Committee. It is co-sponsored by leading lawmakers from the Senate Foreign Relations, Armed Services and Homeland Security panels.

Yahoo! News

Senate committee to mull extending FBI director's term

President Obama wants FBI Director Robert Mueller to stay on the job for another two years.FBI Director Robert Mueller nears 10 years in his postPresident Obama wants a 10-year limit extended for MuellerObama says 12 years will allow for continuity during transitions at the CIA and PentagonLawmakers expected to ratify an extension, but one says it could be a "risky" precedent

Washington (CNN) -- President Barack Obama's request for FBI Director Robert Mueller to stay on for another two years takes an important step Wednesday, when the Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing on what could be a precedent-setting job extension.

Mueller's term ends September 4, exactly a decade after he took the job as director of the FBI. Under current law, an FBI director may serve no more than 10 years, but Obama wants the law changed to allow Mueller to serve a total of 12 years.

The White House has said it needs continuity in national security at the FBI while changes are taking place at the CIA and Pentagon.

Scheduled witnesses for Wednesday's hearing include Mueller; former Deputy Attorney General James B. Comey; William W. Van Alstyne, professor at William & Mary Law School; and John C. Harrison, professor at University of Virginia School of Law.

Capitol Hill staffers have expected lawmakers to approve the extension quickly and quietly before they leave for their August break.

But scattered grumbling by some agents and legislative concerns about establishing a precedent loom.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has said he is "open" to the extension. But he said he sees "a risky precedent" and urged a hearing on the issue.

The FBI Agents Association, an organization of rank-and-file agents, said it stands by its May 12 statement backing the two-year extension.

However, FBI Agents Association President Konrad Motyka noted the irony of Mueller staying on while FBI supervisors -- under a Mueller policy -- can be forced out after seven years if they are not promoted.

"In petitioning to extend Director Mueller's term, President Obama cited the need for stability," Motyka said. "Likewise in these extraordinary times, the FBIAA is renewing its call upon the director to terminate the "up or out" policy, a program with negative consequences for continuity and stability," Motyka said.

One agent said there's a wide range of views on FBI management and policy.

"I can tell you I think the majority of FBI agents are frustrated or even angry about various policies or practices, but that doesn't mean they're aimed at Director Mueller," the agent said.

"The number of agents who would want him replaced is much lower," said the agent, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to comment.

FBI and Justice Department sources have acknowledged a lingering resentment among some longtime agents resistant to changes pushed by the hard-charging director. But other officials point to the "up or out" policy as an example of change needed to help transform the FBI into a more modern, efficient organization with a focus on counterterrorism.

CNN

US Senate delegation in China amid crackdown

Associated Press

Print Email Share Comments Recommend Tweet

BEIJING –  An unusually large group of 10 U.S. senators visited China on Wednesday amid a major crackdown by authorities on the country's embattled dissident community.

It was one of the largest and most senior Senatorial delegations ever to set foot in China. The visit had been in the works for some time, but was delayed by negotiations in Washington over the federal budget.

On Wednesday, members of the delegation led by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid met Vice Premier Wang Qishan and central bank chief Zhou Xiaochuan in Beijing to discuss trade and finance.

Details of the talks were not immediately released, but Wang said the size of the delegation showed the importance Washington placed on the bilateral relationship.

Reid said he expected the talks to be "free flowing."

The group was scheduled to meet Thursday with Vice President Xi Jinping, widely touted as China's next leader, and the head of China's rubber-stamp legislature, Wu Bangguo, before traveling on to the cities of Chengdu and Xi'an. Their visit was expected to last three days.

"During meetings with Chinese officials, the group will discuss issues including clean energy, trade issues, currency, foreign policy and human rights," the delegation said in a statement issued on its arrival in Hong Kong on Monday.

China's yawning trade surplus with the United States and accusations that it deliberately undervalues its currency, the yuan, to boost exports are expected to feature prominently in the talks.

Along with Reid, a Democrat from Nevada, the delegation includes Democratic senators Chuck Schumer of New York and Dick Durbin of Illinois, along with Republicans Richard Shelby of Alabama and Mike Enzi of Wyoming.

Dozens of well-known Chinese lawyers and activists from across the country have vanished, been interrogated or criminally detained for subversion in the 2-month-old crackdown, apparently sparked by the Chinese government's fears of a Middle East-style anti-government protest movement.

Human rights groups say the crackdown is on a scale not seen in many years, with security forces employing arbitrary tactics to detain people in their homes in defiance of Chinese law. China has responded to complaints over the crackdown by accusing those detained, including internationally renowned artist Ai Weiwei, of seeking to use the law as cover for attacks on the ruling Communist Party.

Print Email Share Comments Recommend Tweet View ArticleLeave a CommentSort: NewestSort: Oldest Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. You must login to comment.

View Article

View All Comments

Latest VideosMore »

View the Original article

Ex-U.S. commander in Iraq may run for Senate in Texas

Updated at 10 a.m. ET

Several news organizations are reporting that retired Army lieutenant general Ricardo Sanchez, a former commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, is close to mounting a bid for the U.S. Senate in Texas.

Politico confirmed that Sanchez, who retired in 2006, appears to have been recruited by Democrats for the race to succeed GOP Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, who is not running for re-election next year.

Sanchez was commander of coalition forces in Iraq at the time of the Abu Ghraib scandal, in which Iraqi prisoners were abused during aggressive interrogations. Sanchez, who now lives in San Antonio, told The Monitor of McAllen, Texas, in 2006 that he was forced to retire because of Abu Ghraib. In his 2008 memoir, he was critical of the Bush administration's handling of the Iraq war.

Democrats face an uphill battle in Texas, where Republicans hold every major statewide office. Republican John McCain easily won the 2008 presidential campaign in Texas, outpacing Democrat Barack Obama, 55%-44%.

Still, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray placed Texas on her list of six states that her party can win in the 2012 elections. Part of that, she said, is attributed to the changing demographics of the state, which has grown and become more Hispanic since the 2000 Census.

Matt Canter, a DSCC spokesman, had this to say about Sanchez:

General Sanchez has spent his entire life serving our country, and there's no question he would be a strong candidate if he decides to continue to serve his country in the U.S. Senate. He has a tremendous life story, growing up poor, rising to the rank of general in the Army, and bravely leading more than a hundred thousand troops in both Gulf Wars. He would bring a new perspective to the Senate, as well as a proven commitment to our nation's security and the men and women who fight to protect it. He's exactly the kind of independent leader who can win in Texas.

A host of big-name Republicans -- including Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, former Dallas mayor Tom Leppert, and former Texas Railroad commissioner Michael Williams -- are considering running for the GOP Senate nomination in Texas next year.

Brian Walsh, communications director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said today that the GOP looks forward to hearing Sanchez's stance on issues. The NRSC stands ready for a fight.

"Whomever the Democrats ultimately nominate, Republicans can only hope that person campaigns side-by-side with Barack Obama in Texas and national Democrats decide to spend millions of dollars in the Lone Star state," Walsh said.

Sanchez's candidacy was first reported by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The retired officer said he would "neither confirm nor deny" his possible candidacy.

Tags:Kay Bailey HutchisonPatty MurrayRicardo Sanchez .div-wrapper

View the Original article

California Senate Bill Mandates Gay History in Schools

Associated Press

Print Email Share Comments Recommend Tweet

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people would be added to the lengthy list of social and ethnic groups that public schools must include in social studies lessons under a landmark bill passed Thursday by the California Senate.

If the bill is adopted by the state Assembly and signed by Gov. Jerry Brown, California would become the first state to require the teaching of gay history.

Supporters say the move is needed to counter anti-gay stereotypes and beliefs that make children in those groups vulnerable to bullying and suicide.

Opponents counter that such instruction would further burden an already crowded curriculum and expose students to a subject that some parents find objectionable.

The legislation, sponsored by Democratic Sen. Mark Leno of San Francisco, passed on a 23-14 party line vote. It also would add disabled people to the curriculum.

The bill gives school districts flexibility in deciding what to include in the lessons and at what grades students would receive them.

But starting in the 2013-14 school year, it would prohibit districts and the California Board of Education from using textbooks or other instructional materials that reflect adversely on gay, bisexual and transgender Americans.

Appealing to colleagues for support, Leno said gay children still struggle routinely with verbal and physical abuse at school, even though society is more accepting than when he was a gay youth in the 1960s.

"We are second-class citizens and children are listening," he said. "When they see their teachers don't step up to the plate when their classmate is being harassed literally to death, they are listening and they get the message that there is something wrong with those people."

Republican Sen. Doug La Malfa of Butte opposed the bill.

"I'm deeply troubled kids would have to contemplate at a very, very early age, when many of us are teaching abstinence ... what is sexuality," he said.

California law already requires schools to cover the contributions to the state and nation of women, African Americans, Mexican Americans, entrepreneurs, Asian Americans, European Americans, American Indians and labor.

Print Email Share Comments Recommend Tweet View ArticleLeave a CommentSort: NewestSort: Oldest Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. You must login to comment.

View Article

View All Comments

Latest Politics VideosMore »

View the Original article

Senate Defeats Effort to Cut Off Funds for Health Care Law

Associated Press

Print Email Share Comments Recommend Tweet

The Senate has rejected an effort to cut off funds for President Obama's health care law.

The vote Thursday was 53-47, strictly along party lines. Republicans had pressed for a vote on the resolution as part of the negotiated deal to cut spending struck by Obama and congressional leaders last week.

Moderate Democrats facing tough re-election campaigns next year voted with their party to keep the cash flowing to the law.

Print Email Share Comments Recommend Tweet View ArticleLeave a CommentSort: NewestSort: Oldest Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. You must login to comment.

View Article

View All Comments

Latest Politics VideosMore »

View the Original article

Obama Calls His Senate Vote Against Lifting Debt Ceiling a Mistake

Associated Press

Print Email Share Comments Recommend Tweet

President Obama says his vote as a senator in 2006 against raising the debt limit was a mistake motivated by politics.

Obama also says Senate Democrats will bear the burden this time around when Congress votes on whether to lift the cap.

The U.S. will hit its debt limit of $14.3 trillion by May 16. The government could be thrown into default if Congress doesn't raise the limit by then or soon after.

Republicans who control the House are demanding that Obama agree to major spending cuts in exchange for their votes.

Obama told ABC News on Thursday that no senator likes to be tagged as voting to increase the debt limit. But as president, he says he has a different perspective on the consequences.

Print Email Share Comments Recommend Tweet View ArticleLeave a CommentSort: NewestSort: Oldest Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. You must login to comment.

View Article

View All Comments

Latest Politics VideosMore »

View the Original article

Senate chairman says Goldman Sachs 'misled' clients and Congress

The chairman of a bipartisan Senate panel investigating the financial crisis says Goldman Sachs "misled" their clients and the Congress and called the tactics used by the Wall Street firm in its handling of subprime mortgages "disgraceful."

The panel concluded after a two-year probe that Goldman Sachs Group Inc. profited from the crisis by betting billions against the subprime market, then deceived investors and Congress about its conduct.

Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., says some of the findings in the 635-page report by the Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations will be referred to the Justice Department and the SEC for possible criminal or civil action.

Asked if he was disappointed that no Wall Street figures had been jailed in connection with the crisis, Levin responded, "There's still time," the Times reports.

Read full subcommittee report here.

"In my judgment, Goldman clearly misled their clients and they misled the Congress," Levin told reporters before the report was issued Wednesday, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Levin said the panel has found new evidence that shows Goldman's misleading of investors went beyond that one case. The report also charges that Goldman CEO Lloyd Blankfein and other executives misled the panel when it testified last April.

"Goldman was, I think, the only major bank that did well during the recession. We tried to find out, 'How is it they did well?' "Levin said. "The tactics that they used

View the Original article

Liberal Congresswoman Announces Bid for Ensign Seat in Senate

Associated Press

Print Email Share Comments Recommend Tweet

Congresswoman Shelley Berkley will run for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Nevada Republican John Ensign.

Berkley's campaign released a statement Thursday in Washington putting the seven-term Democrat from Las Vegas in a race against northern Nevada GOP Congressman Dean Heller.

Berkley and Heller each easily won re-election in November, and have been considered front-runners to replace Ensign since he announced in March that he won't seek a third term. A Democratic lawyer, Byron Georgiou, is also in the race.

Berkley's 60 and a liberal Democrat. She's a former state assemblywoman elected in 1999 to a congressional seat formerly held by Ensign.

Berkley has tried in recent months to extend unemployment benefits and provide relief for struggling homeowners in a state with the nation's highest jobless and foreclosure rates.

Print Email Share Comments Recommend Tweet View ArticleLeave a CommentSort: NewestSort: Oldest Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. You must login to comment.

View Article

View All Comments

Latest Politics VideosMore »

View the Original article

Olympian Carl Lewis to Run for New Jersey State Senate

Associated Press

Print Email Share Comments Recommend Tweet

TRENTON, N.J. -- Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis is planning to run for New Jersey Senate.

A state Democratic Party official says Lewis will announce his candidacy on Monday.

Lewis has called a 2 p.m. news conference in Burlington County to announce his "political plans."

His advisory, issued Sunday night, contained no specific details.

However, a party official speaking on condition of anonymity so as not to upstage the 49-year-old Lewis, says the civic activist and four-time medalist plans to run in the 8th legislative district.

The seat is now held by Republican Dawn Addiego.

Monday is the filing deadline for anyone who wants to run for the New Jersey Legislature.

All 120 seats of the Senate and Assembly will be on November's ballot.

Both houses are controlled by Democrats.

Print Email Share Comments Recommend Tweet View ArticleLeave a CommentSort: NewestSort: Oldest Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. You must login to comment.

View Article

View All Comments

Latest Politics VideosMore »

View the Original article

Ex-congressman Ed Case jumps into Hawaii Senate race

In a statement posted Sunday on his campaign website, Case said his own polling shows he would prevail against Lingle.

"I know I can serve Hawaii and our country well in the U.S. Senate, know we can mount a solid statewide campaign (and) know we have a good chance of prevailing," Case said.

Case was first elected to the U.S. House in 2002 but gave up his seat to mount an upstart, intraparty primary bid Akaka. Case lost that race and dropped out of a race last year for a special election in the 1st Congressional District.

Tags:Linda LingleDaniel AkakaEd Case .div-wrapper

View the Original article

Budget Deal Guarantees Senate Vote on Repeal of Obama Health Care Law

AP2011

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nev., left, pauses during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, April 8, 2011. (AP)

When the GOP-led House voted in January to repeal President Obama's health care law, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he wouldn't even take up the measure in his chamber and he scorned Republicans for wasting time on "symbolic votes."

But after Congress struck a last-minute budget deal Friday night to avert a government shutdown, Reid will have to eat his words.

The deal that funds the government through the end of September and cuts $38.5 billion from current spending levels also guarantees a debate and vote in the Senate on legislation that would repeal the president's signature on the domestic initiative that Republicans derisively call "Obamacare."

The deal also requires several studies that will force the Obama administration to disclose the full impact of the law's mandates, including a study on the cost of premiums; an audit of all the waivers given to businesses and unions that can't meet the new annual coverage limits; and a report on all of the contractors who have been hired to implement the law and the cost of those contracts to taxpayers.

While the repeal legislation is expected to fail, it will put Senate Democrats in an awkward position because they'll have to defend a law that polls show is still unpopular. And their votes will come ahead of next year's presidential election when Republicans will be trying to win control of the upper chamber.

Senate Democrats in conservative states like Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Claire MacCaskill of Missouri and Ben Nelson of Nebraska, who are all facing tough re-election bids next year, cannot be excited about the prospect of restating their position on the law. During last fall's midterm elections, many Democrats distanced themselves from the law as Republicans campaigned against it.

But some Republican lawmakers weren't impressed with what appeared to be a GOP coup.

Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., told Fox News Saturday that it's "good" that the Senate will vote on health care repeal along with defunding Planned Parenthood.

But she added, "We all know that those bills are not going to pass. It is merely to put their vote on the record."

"For the Democrats, they are not ashamed to vote against 'Obamacare' because they all voted for it," she said. "So I don't think that is a big win by any stretch of the imagination."

Print Email Share Comments Recommend Tweet View ArticleLeave a CommentSort: NewestSort: Oldest Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. You must login to comment.

View Article

View All Comments

Latest Politics VideosMore »

View the Original article

Obama poses test for Kaine in Va. Senate race

PreviousObama taps Wasserman Schultz to lead DNC

NextRon Paul 'close' to joining 2012 presidential race

To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters

View the Original article

DNC Boss Launches Senate Bid in Online Video

Associated Press

Print Email Share Comments Recommend Tweet

Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine said Tuesday he is running for the U.S. Senate, leaving an opening at the central committee as the party prepares for President Obama's re-election bid.

"I'm running for the United States Senate because America has big challenges and I'm convinced that Virginia has answers to help strengthen our nation," the former Virginia governor said in an online video.

The video never mentions his tenure at the partisan DNC and he appeals to work across party lines.

"While we still have an awful lot of work to do to help Virginians who are struggling in tough times, I know that Washington can learn a few things from Virginia. When we attack common obstacles -- instead of each other -- we solve problems and get things done," Kaine said.

Kaine would enter the race to succeed Democratic Sen. Jim Webb, who announced he was retiring from office after just one term.

Kaine has mulled a Senate run in recent weeks and had given strong signs he would mount a Senate campaign.

His candidacy leaves an opening for a DNC chairman to oversee the central party as Obama heads toward a re-election bid. The DNC also would have to help the party defend a majority in the U.S. Senate and fight to reclaim power in the U.S. House.

Among those under consideration to replace Kaine at as Democratic National Committee chairman are former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Illinois Sen. Richard Durbin. Party officials are weighing who would be the best surrogate for the president as he embarks on his re-election campaign. Both Strickland and Wasserman Schultz hail from all-important presidential battlegrounds, while Durbin is a close confidant of the president.

Kaine, who won election as governor in 2005, was among the first elected officials to back Obama's primary bid. Obama named him the DNC post and has nudged Kaine toward a run. Last week, he said Kaine was "not just a leader for Virginia; he's a leader for America."

On the Republican side, two former governors are competing for the nomination. Republican George Allen, who lost the Senate seat to Webb in 2006 and was governor from 1994 to 1998, announced his candidacy earlier this year.

He faces opposition for the nomination from tea party activist Jamie Radtke.

Allen was a strong 2008 presidential contender until a series of blunders derailed his Senate race and Webb won by just 9,000 votes.

Print Email Share Comments Recommend Tweet View ArticleLeave a CommentSort: NewestSort: Oldest Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. You must login to comment.

View Article

View All Comments

Latest Politics VideosMore »

View the Original article

Senate Dems Pin 2012 Hopes on Budget Battle

AP

Sen. Charles Schumer speaks to reporters about budget negotiations March 2 on Capitol Hill in Washington.

Democrats, who are barely clinging to a majority in the Senate, seem to be pinning their 2012 election hopes on exploiting the current budget impasse that has Republican leaders under pressure from Tea Party activists not to compromise.

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who is in charge of the party's messaging, was heard this week giving talking points on the budget to other Democratic senators during a news conference

View the Original article