Top Senate Democrat Disagrees With President Over Manhattan Mosque

A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said in a statement today that the top Democrat does not agree with President Barack Obama’s assertion that it is acceptable for a mosque to be built just blocks from where the World Trade Center once stood.

“The First Amendment protects freedom of religion,” Reid spokesman Jim Manley told Politico. “Sen. Reid respects that but thinks that the mosque should be built someplace else…

Clinton: State Department Has To ‘Get Smart’ When It Comes To Spending

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Monday touched upon the importance of achieving fiscal responsibility within the State Department.

“We have got to get smart about how we spend our money, because we don’t have limitless resources,” Clinton said during an address at D.C.’s John Hopkins University.

Clinton explained that with unemployment so prevalent, she feels an obligation to reassure Americans that tax dollars allocated for diplomacy and development efforts are being used wisely.

“I have to be able to look them in the eye and tell them they are getting their money’s worth, and we just can’t keep doing what we’ve been doing and tell them that,” Clinton said.

Top House Democrat Reacts To Obama Mosque Comments

House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) told reporters on Monday that the decision to build a Mosque a few blocks from where the World Trade Center used to stand should be left to locals.

“When it comes to prayer and how any structure, any sanctuary, should be built, we have what we call in this country community standards, and community standards ought to be left up to the community,” said Clyburn after holding a press conference to discuss Democratic achievements this year.

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DOJ Clears Tom DeLay

The Department of Justice has ended its six-year investigation into the alleged ties between former House Majority Leader Tom Delay (R-Texas) and infamous lobbyist Jack Abramoff, according to DeLay’s lead attorney in the matter. Politico has more…

Gates To Step Down In 2011

Robert Gates intends to step down as Secretary of Defense sometime within 2011, the Secretary said during a recently published interview with Foreign Policy Magazine.

“It seems like somewhere there in 2011 is a logical opportunity to hand off,” Gates said. “I think that it would be a mistake to wait until January 2012.”

Gates replaced Donald Rumsfeld as Defense Secretary in 2006 during the Bush administration. Citing the need to maintain continuity in Iraq and Afghanistan, President Obama re-appointed Gates.