FAA Chief Charged With Drunk Driving

UPDATE: FAA head Randy Babbitt has been placed on leave after his DWI arrest according to a statement released by the Department of Transportation. Deputy administrator Michael Huerta will serve as acting FAA leader

Story updated by Mike Hothi at 2:55p.m. EST…

WASHINGTON — At least he wasn’t flying a plane.

Randolph “Randy” Babbitt, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was charged with drunk driving over the weekend.

Babbitt was arrested without incident on Saturday for driving on the wrong side of the road, according to The Washington Post. Fairfax City police spotted him on the Old Lee Highway.

Babbitt was reportedly released on his own recognizance. He faces a February 2 court date, a Fairfax City police spokesman told the Post.

President Obama nominated Babbitt to become the 16th FAA Administrator in 2009. Babbitt has previously served under President Bill Clinton as FAA Management Advisory Council.

Neither the FAA or Department of Transportation have issued statements on the arrest.

White House Reuniting With Rahm Emanuel For Faith Based Conference

By Tim Young

The White is hosting faith-based conference tomorrow with the administration’s former Chief of Staff, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

The conference, entitled, “Connecting Communities for the Common Good,” is part of a series of regional conferences put on by the White House’s Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships aimed at promoting conversation over how the government can work with nonprofits to “create jobs, promote economic development, prevent youth violence and promote healthy communities.” It will be held at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

The keynote speaker at tomorrow’s conference will be U.S. Small Business Administration Deputy Administrator Marie Johns. The conference will also feature a panel discussion by regional faith and community leaders.

Troop Levels Down To 9,500 In Iraq

There are only 9,500 U.S. troops currently in Iraq, the Defense Department announced Monday.

The number is a sharp decrease from the 40,000 troops that were stationed in the country when President Barack Obama announced plans to withdraw all U.S. troops in late October.

All U.S. combat troops are scheduled to be out of the country by January 1^st, marking the end of nearly 9 years of military involvement.

OWS: Gingrich "Rolling Around In Dirty Money"

Occupy Wall Street is taking aim at Presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich after the former Speaker of the House publicly advised the demonstrators to “get a job, right after you take a bath” during a GOP forum Saturday.

“It is Gingrich who is truly filthy from rolling around in dirty money,” a statement from the OWS reads.

The Occupy movement cited Gingrich’s post-Congressional work, including his stint at Freddie Mac, an $840,000 payment from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, $312,500 from the ethanol lobby as well as his think tank jobs.

“One of the 1%’s most successful and moneyed lobbyists, Gingrich is now running for President to more fully institutionalize inequality and the entrenched plutocratic system,” the statement says.

Occupy Wall Street demonstrators plan to play off of Gingrich’s remarks by protesting outside of a Manhattan fundraiser Monday while wearing robes and shower caps.

Georgia Gun Owners Take Aim At Gingrich

By Mike Hothi

Grassroots guns rights groups in Georgia blasted GOP presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich today for supporting gun control laws during his time as Speaker of the House.

In a statement Monday, the group stated “Georgia Gun Owners know Newt’s history of gun control. He represented parts of our state for 20 years. He’s been playing both sides of the gun issue as long as we can remember.”

Prior to becoming Speaker, Gingrich had an “A” rating with Gun Owners of America (GOA). However, once he came to power the GOA dropped his rating to a “D.”

The activists said today that Gingrich spoke against more gun regulations despite supporting gun control legislation in the House.

Gingrich had stated, “as long as I am Speaker of this House, no gun control legislation is going to move in committee or on the floor of this House and there will be no further erosion of their rights.” However, Gingrich supported a gun control bill that stripped Second Amendment rights from citizens charged with misdemeanor domestic violence.

“Newt Gingrich is no friend of gun owners,” said the group. “I wish Georgia Gun Owners had a mountaintop to scream this information from.”

This criticism of Gingrich comes as he has achieved frontrunner status in Iowa less than a month away from the Iowa caucuses.