Senate Dems Bring Down Concealed-Weapons Measure

No more 'throwing up our hands,' says NY sen.

(NEWSER) - Sen. Charles Schumer has been quiet the past few years, with the onetime attack dog turning to bipartisan dealmaking. Now he’s among the Democratic Senate leadership—and as Congress wages war over taxes, he’s resumed his old role as a firebrand, writes Manu Raju for Politico . Over the past couple of days, the New York senator has been hammering Republicans for acting on behalf of America’s richest people—while Harry Reid and Dick Durbin have been noticeably quiet. More»

Divisions among lawmakers may make reaching goal impossible

(NEWSER) - President Obama has called for the passage of a health care bill by August—but that would require an unusually smooth few weeks on Capitol Hill, Politico reports. The Senate Finance Committee hasn’t released a version of the bill planned for early June; disagreements among Democrats in both chambers have made consensus on that side of the aisle look difficult. If nothing’s done by August, the midterm elections could make passing a measure this year difficult. More»

Kennedy, Collins named most bipartisan

(NEWSER) - If you want to reach across the aisle in the Senate, chances are you're stretching toward Ted Kennedy or Susan Collins, according to a Hill survey of the upper chamber. “I’d love to co-sponsor every piece of legislation with Ted Kennedy,” says Sen. Richard Burr. The most partisan least faves? Democrat Patrick Leahy, for whom Dick Cheney had some explicit advice in 2004, and Republican Jim Bunning is so partisan that many Dems won’t talk to him except about baseball. More»

(NEWSER) - Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin told his junior colleague, Roland Burris, that he should resign during a meeting today, the Chicago Tribune reports. Burris declined, and also would not confirm whether or not he would run in 2010, despite earlier accounts that he would give up the seat. Durbin said he was “disappointed” by both responses, and will not support Burris in a future campaign. More»

It's already legal in 4 states, but gun control advocates appalled

(NEWSER) - Bills are in the works in at least 12 states to allow residents to buy and carry concealed weapons without a permit, USA Today reports. Gun control advocates are naturally appalled. "They want a gun in every nook and cranny in society with no permission needed," fumed a Brady Campaign official. "This is just a recipe for disaster." But proponents point out that the four states that already allow carrying guns without a permit—Alaska, Arizona, Vermont, and Wyoming—have low crime rates. More»