Clinton: Senate Must Ratify START During Lame-Duck Session

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton paid a rare visit to Capitol Hill Thursday, meeting with Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-Mass.) to discuss efforts to ratify the new START missile treaty between the United States and Russia. Afterwards, Clinton addressed reporters.

“Support for new START by our entire military leadership, our intelligence community, six former secretaries of state, five former secretaries of defense, three former national security advisors, and seven former commanders of U.S. Strategic Command is an extraordinary endorsement of why this treaty needs to be passed, and passed in the lame duck session.”

Kerry’s committee passed the treaty 14-4 earlier this month. 67 votes are required to fully ratify START.

“I look forward to the vote in the lame duck session that will once again demonstrate the Senate joining all of its predecessors in years past to continue to support arms control treaty,” Clinton said.

Pelosi Endorses Rahm

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Caif.) told reporters on Thursday that she would support set-to-resign White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel in his planned bid to run for Mayor of Chicago.

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Bloomberg Offers Lawmakers Grim Prediction

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I) told members of a House Judiciary panel today that without immigration reform, the U.S. could lose its status as a global powerhouse.

“If Congress does not act soon to reform immigration, there is a great danger that [the U.S.] will lose the reputation as the land of the free and the home of the brave,” Bloomberg said.

Bloomberg and media tycoon Rupert Murdoch both testified at this morning’s hearing. Earlier this year, the duo launched an aggressive campaign for immigration reform.

Rahm To Resign, Rouse To Replace Him

White House officials have confirmed that tomorrow will be Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel’s last day on the job. Emanuel is expected to announce his intent to run for Mayor of Chicago.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs refused to elaborate, but told reporters that President Barack Obama will make a “personnel announcement” tomorrow at 11:05 am in the East Room.

It is no secret that Emanuel has been contemplating running for Mayor of his hometown ever since longtime Mayor Richard Daley announced this summer that he would not seek re-election. Emanuel told CBS News back in April that he would run, but not against Daley, whom he once worked for before eventually being elected to the House of Representatives. Should he decide to run, Emanuel would have until November 22 to file his candidacy for next February’s general election.

It is all but guaranteed that the president will tap one of his senior advisers, Pete Rouse, to serve as Emanuel’s replacement on an interim basis. Rouse previously worked as Obama’s chief of staff when he was a Senator, and before that spent nearly 30 years on Capitol Hill. The Washington Post reported in September 2009 that Rouse was leading the White House effort to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center.

During the past year, scattered reports have surfaced alleging that Emanuel’s rugged style has alienated others within the White House. Yet, when asked by reporters today whether some would be happy to see Emanuel go, Gibbs disagreed.

“Rahm has an incredible amount of energy every day. “He always has ideas.”

Democrats Should Stop Attacking GOP Over Social Security, Says Ryan

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said Thursday that Democrats are using his proposals to reform Social Security to scare voters into opposing Republicans this fall.

Ryan, regarded by many as a rising star in the GOP, told participants at an event hosted by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget on Capitol Hill that  his ‘Roadmap for America’s Future’ should not be used as a campaign tool.

“We’ve got to get beyond weaponizing these issues for political gain in the short run,” he said. “We’ve got to get through this political moment. The political weaponization of entitlement reform is very unfortunate. It’s hurting our chances of actually getting bipartisan agreement in the near future. It’s unfortunate but we’ve got to get out there.”