Castle Considering Independent Bid

Delaware Rep. Mike Castle (R), who lost his Senate primary race to conservative challenger Christine O’Donnell earlier this month, will commission polls to gauge his chances of winning as an Independent, according to Politico…

Rouse Ready If Emanuel Bolts

Pete Rouse, a senior adviser to President Barack Obama, has offered to serve as White House Chief of Staff on an interim basis should current COS Rahm Emanuel decide to run for Mayor of Chicago. Politico has more…

Landrieu Blocks OMB Confirmation

Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) on Thursday used her authority to place a hold on President Barack Obama’s nominee to become the next Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director, Jacob ‘Jack’ Lew. The Louisiana Democrat said she would block Lew’s confirmation until the administration either lifts or significantly alters a six-month moratorium it placed on offshore deepwater drilling.

“Although Mr. Lew clearly possesses the expertise necessary to serve as one of the President’s most important economic advisors, I found that he lacked sufficient concern for the host of economic challenges confronting the Gulf Coast,” Sen. Landrieu wrote in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).

“The fact that the most acute of these economic challenges, the moratorium, results from a direct (and reversible) federal action only serves to harden my stance on Mr. Lew’s nomination. I cannot support further action on Mr. Lew’s nomination to be a key economic advisor to the President until I am convinced that the President and his Administration understand the detrimental impacts that the actual and de facto moratoria continue to have on the Gulf Coast.”

Before Landrieu announced her hold, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted 22-1 to confirm Lew and send his nomination to the floor.

In Controversial Speech At UN, Ahmadinejad Proposes Investigation Into 9/11

As protesters marched across the street from the United Nations to condemn the Iranian regime’s human rights abuse, US delegates walked out of the General Assembly today in protest against Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s provocative speech. 

The Iranian President says the the United Nations should set up an independent fact finding group to look in to the events of 9/11, and went as far as advancing three possible scenarios explaining the attack: “1-That a very powerful and complex terrorist group, able to successfully cross all layers of American intelligence and security, carried out the attack.- This is the main view point advocated by American statesmen. 2- That some segments within the US government orchestrated the attack to reverse the declining American economy and its grip on the Middle East in order also to save the Zionist regime. The majority of American people as well as other nations politicians agree with this view. 3- It was carried out by a terrorist group but the American government supported and took advantage of the situation. Apparently, this viewpoint has fewer proponents.” 

Obama Blames GOP For Blocking DISCLOSE Act

The White House released the following statement from President Barack Obama in response to today’s 59-39 vote in the Senate that prevented cloture from being reached on the Disclose Act:

“I am deeply disappointed by the unanimous Republican blockade in the Senate of the DISCLOSE Act, a critical piece of legislation that would control the flood of special interest money into our elections. Today’s decision by a partisan minority to block this legislation is a victory for special interests and U.S. corporations – including foreign-controlled ones – who are now allowed to spend unlimited money to fill our airwaves, mailboxes and phone lines right up until Election Day. And it comes at the expense of the American people, who no longer have the right to know who is financing these ads in an attempt to influence an election for their preferred candidate. Wall Street, the insurance lobby, oil companies and other special interests are now one step closer to taking Congress back and returning to the days when lobbyists wrote the laws. But despite today’s setback, I will continue fighting to ensure that our democracy stays where it belongs — in the hands of the American people.”