Event Planners Slam Kerry's Bank-Party Ban

Republican Rep. Walter Jones says president violated war powers

(NEWSER) - Calls for President Obama's impeachment have come down the pike before, most recently from Grover Norquist . This time a Republican representative—North Carolina's Walter Jones—has introduced a House resolution that would authorize Obama's impeachment for using the military without official permission from Congress, RawStory reports. Jones, a former Democrat who switched sides in the 1990s, backed Ron Paul in the 2008 election and has been a vocal critic of the president's power to make war. More»

Kerry falls behind with mere $193M

(NEWSER) - It’s been a tough year for most of us, but the richest in Congress, it seems, have only gotten richer: This year’s 50 wealthiest members are worth a collective $200 million more than last year’s, the Hill notes. Among them:

• With a minimum net worth of $287 million, Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, knocked John Kerry out of the top spot this year, leading the rest of Congress by tens of millions. McCaul’s wealth comes largely from his family; his father-in-law founded Clear Channel Communications.

Senators fight back against growing opposition

(NEWSER) - With congressional opposition to US involvement in Libya mounting, Johns Kerry and McCain are offering their support to the mission. They've introduced a resolution backing American engagement in the NATO effort for a year. But the senators don’t support the use of US ground troops in the country, CNN reports. “I believe the president did the right thing by intervening to stop a looming humanitarian disaster,” said McCain. More»

John Kerry, Darrell Issa, Jane Harman lead list

(NEWSER) - Financial disclosure forms from 2009 are in, and the Hill has ranked the 50 wealthiest lawmakers (27 Democrats and 23 Republicans) from the House and Senate. Here's the top 5:

1. John Kerry, $188.6 million: Kerry's wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, is the source of his wealth, though the $188.6 million is something of an estimate—several assets are listed as being worth "over $1,000,000."
2. Rep. Darrell Issa, $160.1 million: His net worth actually dropped by $4 million in 2009 because of investment loses. His wealth came from his founding of a company that makes car security alarms.

Pass the energy bill as a first step

(NEWSER) - Unleash the "energy revolution," writes David Brooks today, making his pitch for the Kerry-Lieberman-Graham bill. It's imperfect, but an essential start. "Energy innovation is the railroad legislation of today," he argues, and if the US wants to remain the world's "pre-eminent nation," it needs a fundamental overhaul of how it thinks and invests. More»