Obama Salutes Troops On 10th Anniversary Of Afghan War

President Barack Obama praised American troops Friday in a statement acknowledging the 10 year anniversary of the war in Afghanistan.

“Thanks to the extraordinary service of these Americans, our citizens are safer and our nation is more secure,” the statement reads. “In delivering justice to Osama bin Laden and many other al Qaeda leaders, we are closer than ever to defeating al Qaeda and its murderous network.”

The President added that the U.S. is now “responsibly ending today’s wars from a position of strength,” pointing to the ongoing transition of security responsibilities to Afghan forces and the heavy withdrawal from Iraq.

Romney To Warn Against Isolationism

GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney will deliver a major foreign policy speech today.

Romney, considered by most to be his party’s frontrunner in the 2012 race, will call for America to serve as a global leader militarily.

“This is America’s moment,” Romney will say. “We should embrace the challenge, not shrink from it, not crawl into an isolationist shell, not wave the white flag of surrender, nor give in to those who assert America’s moment has passed. That is utter nonsense.”

Fox News has more on the story…

Tensions Rise On Capitol Hill Over Potential Transcontinental Pipeline

By Mike Hothi

The oil industry and environmental groups squared off Friday on Capitol Hill regarding the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline which would transport oil from Alberta, Canada through the United States to Texas.

Tensions rose as both sides made public comments that garnered loud applause and the occasional boos.

“We appreciate that you say that the State Department hasn’t made a decision yet on this issue but in fact we don’t believe you,” said Maura Cowley of the Energy Action Coalition. “Emails detail a relationship between TransCanada and the State Department that in fact suggest that the two might be collaborating on lobby efforts and we think the Department of Justice needs to intervene immediately.”

Cowley was referring to recently released emails linking a former employee of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and a current TransCanada lobbyist to the State Department. The emails revealed that State Department officials coached TransCanada on what to say during the environmental review process.

Environmentalists expressed concerns about the risks involved with running a pipeline through America’s heartland.

“Water, not oil is the essential ingredient for life. We can ill afford to waste or contaminate one drop of that water,” said Randy Thompson who traveled from Nebraska to express his concerns.

Proponents of the Keystone XL Pipeline touted the potential for new jobs created and added that the pipeline would decrease dependence on foreign oil.

“It will improve our national security, contribute to a long term stable energy supply for the United States, and create jobs,” said Charles Barnard a proponent of the pipeline from Virginia.

Reid Goes Nuclear

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) orchestrated a major change in Senate rules Friday, invoking the “nuclear option” in an effort to prevent Republicans from adding amendments to Democrats’ Chinese currency legislation.

The controversial procedure requires only 51 votes, and passed with a slim party line vote of 51-48. The result enraged Senate Republicans.

“In the United States Senate the minority is entitled to be heard. Not entitled to win, but entitled to be heard,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), visibly frustrated, said on the Senate floor.
The key amendment that Republicans were attempting to link to the bill was the President’s jobs plan, which was unlikely to pass and would have embarrassed Democrats. McConnell noted that Reid’s move was an inappropriate way to dodge an uncomfortable vote.

“The price of being in the majority is you have to take bad votes,” McConnell explained.

Report: Nevada Shifting Its Caucuses To Mid January

The Nevada Republican party is moving the state’s caucuses up to January 14^th, according to a report from Politico.

The shift means that the primary season could start as soon as late December, since New Hampshire will likely hold its primary in early January and Iowa will hold theirs a week prior.

Nevada isn’t the only state to move the election dates. Florida’s GOP recently butted heads with national Republicans over their decision to schedule their primary on January 31^st.