US Senate News

The ploy had been hatched behind closed doors by Democrat leaders of both houses. via PittsburghLIVE.com

“I offer myself as a candidate with the most extensive experience in public office. I have experience in getting the job done”

After hours of deliberations, Republicans nominated first term Del. Robert Wittman on Saturday to vie for the vacant seat in Congress created by the death last month of Rep. via Eastern Shore News

“No one has been able to truly identify the existence of these devices.”

Members of Congress have warned about the dangers of suitcase nuclear weapons. Hollywood has made television shows and movies about them. via News Observer

“The war and Iraq has divided America, but none of us is divided in our appreciation and our love and affection for those men and women in the military who are serving the cause of freedom”

Republican John McCain found himself on the giving and receiving ends of the tributes Sunday during a ceremony at the New Hampshire Veterans Cemetery.

The Arizona senator and presidential hopeful joined state officials and several hundred people on a cold, sunny morning for a Veterans Day ceremony, and was repeatedly thanked for his service during the years he spent as a Vietnam prisoner of war.

McCain in turn paid tribute to military members serving in Iraq and thanked those at home for supporting the troops regardless of how they may feel about the war. Read more

“But I'd like to say, just because it is excessive doesn't necessarily mean it's wrong.”

An Atlanta megachurch took in $69 million in 2006, according to a financial statement the church's minister released in response to a Senate investigation into him and five other well-known televangelists.

The Rev. Creflo Dollar disclosed the World Changers Church International's financial information to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, but said the money he spends is his own.

Dollar said his income comes from personal investments, including businesses and real estate ventures. But the church gave him a Rolls Royce, which he mainly uses for special occasions, he said. Read more

“There were skilled enough individuals on board this ship. They didn't carry out their missions correctly”

Federal officials want a bird's-eye view of San Francisco Bay to observe environmental damage caused by the area's worst oil spill in nearly two decades.

U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thad Allen planned to take an aerial tour of the damage Sunday.

A preliminary Coast Guard investigation found that 'human error,' not mechanical failure, caused the cargo ship Cosco Busan to sideswipe a support on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, leaving a gash nearly 100 feet long on the side of the 926-foot vessel. Read more

The sign war is well underway inside and outside Veterans Memorial Auditorium, the site of this evening's Jefferson Jackson dinner. via The Swamp

Legislation introduced by several Virginia lawmakers today would exempt from federal taxation payments made from the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund to victims of the Virginia Tech tragedy and their family members. via WAVY-TV Portsmouth

A man who police said attempted to run over an emergency responder while drunk has political ties. via TheKSBWChannel

“If anyone considering an outside expenditure thinks they are benefiting me, I would prefer they do not air the ads. If there are ads up, I believe they should come down.”

Republican John McCain, climbing in polls but lagging in money, is negotiating a $3 million loan while some of his backers launch an independent advertising effort seemingly at odds with his years of fighting outside influence in campaigns.

The ad campaign, financed by contributions from undisclosed donors, drew a prompt rebuke from McCain.

'I condemn them,' he told The Associated Press on Friday. 'They are a violation of everything I believe in.'

Steps under way inside and outside McCain's campaign indicate a degree of urgency as the first nominating contests draw near and as he shows signs of resurgence after a dismal spring and summer. Read more

“A lot of people are being exposed to data that are misleading. Graduation rates look higher than they really are in a lot of cases”

WASHINGTON - If Congress doesn't get the job done, Education Secretary Margaret Spellings says she'll consider using her authority to require states to report high school graduation rates in a more uniform and ... via KSTP-TV Minneapolis

“If (gas) hits $3.50 a gallon, then I think you'll see ... that hue and cry of the past”

Former Exxon Mobil Corporation Chairman and CEO Lee Raymond discusses energy pricing and profits on Capitol Hill before a joint hearing of the Senate Commerce and Energy and Natural Resources Committee in this ... via Kansas.com

“We need to build on our export growth momentum and the best way to do that is to pass the four free trade agreements with Peru, Colombia, Panama and Korea”

A falling dollar boosted U.S. exports to record highs, pushing the trade deficit down to its lowest level in 28 months. via South Florida Sun-Sentinel

“I'm not presumptuous enough to think I'd be considered”

Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland endorsed Hillary Rodham Clinton Friday, calling the New York senator "the strongest candidate our party can bring forth" and contending his state will be crucial in the 2008 election. via Newsday.com

“The effects of the oil spill could persist for months and possibly years”

An oil soaked bird is treated during evaluations at the International Bird Rescue Research Center in Cordelia, Calif., Friday, Nov. via KansasCity.com

“I think every one of the programs has a direct benefit for the population, whether it's food security or energy”

Buried in a massive farm bill moving through the Senate is money for handmade cheese, repairs to historic barns and programs for stressed-out farmers _ spending that critics say is wasteful.

For that and other reasons the $286 billion bill has been excoriated as too expensive by conservatives, taxpayer advocates and the Bush administration, which is threatening to veto it.

Still, the five-year legislation remains politically popular in Congress, where lawmakers see ample opportunity to include policies and projects that help their states as they head toward an election year. And those who object to the bill's large tab often end up supporting it for fear of opposing programs popular with their voters. Read more

“Veterans who seek help face a Walter Reed-like nightmare _ a system that is crumbling and failing to serve them when they need it most”

The Labor Department sought to defend its record Thursday of providing help to reservists who are denied their old civilian jobs when they come back from war.

Lawmakers said the system is broken; one senator called the procedures for veterans seeking help a confusing 'Walter Reed-like nightmare.'

Charles Ciccolella, the department's assistant secretary for veterans' employment and training, acknowledged that officials could do a better job protecting the legal rights of troops who take leave from work to fight for their country. Read more

“Although I was not aware at the time of the contest that the employee disguised his skin color, I believe that it was inappropriate for me to recognize any individual wearing an escaped prisoner costume”

A top immigration official acknowledged on Thursday that she should not have praised an employee who wore an escaped prisoner costume to an agency event on Halloween. via Press of Atlantic City

“Bernanke may not have his finger on the easing trigger, but he likely won't hesitate to squeeze again if ... the economy weakens more than anticipated”

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Thursday that economic growth will slow noticeably in coming months while surging oil costs will raise inflation pressures. But he said the economy is nowhere close to the stagflation nightmare of the 1970s and he predicted an economic rebound by mid-2008.

Testifying before the Joint Economic Committee, Bernanke acknowledged a host of problems facing the economy, from a deeper-than-expected housing slump to a lingering credit crunch and now sharply rising oil prices and a falling value of the dollar, both of which increase inflation threats. Read more

“It makes no sense, in that most of these (occupied) trailers are closed up and locked during the day.”

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is barring employees from entering thousands of stored travel trailers over concerns about hazardous fumes, while more than 48,000 other trailers continue to be used by ... via Press of Atlantic City