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NEWS ABOUT: Democrat

Franken: I Can't Wait to Start Work

Senator-elect stresses loyalty to state, downplays Dem. supermajority

(Newser) - Al Franken said he was “thrilled and honored by the faith Minnesotans placed in me” after the state Supreme Court declared him the winner of the Senate recount, CNN reports. "I'm so excited to finally be able to get to work " said Franken, who added that he... More »

If Health Care Push Fails, Blame Dems

Public wants a public option; why do 'centrists' oppose it?

(Newser) - Now ought to be a good time to reform health care. With costs up and coverage down, polls show the public overwhelmingly favors change. Unfortunately, “a handful of Democratic senators are still determined to party like it’s 1993,” writes Paul Krugman of the New York Times. These... More »

Obama Still Scaring Up Gun Sales

FBI reports surge in background checks

(Newser) - The surge in gun and ammunition sales that started with Barack Obama's presidency shows no sign of abating, NPR reports. In California, gun sales are up 32% from a year ago, and the FBI has reported a consistent rise in applications for background checks. Gun retailers and consumers continue to... More »

With Friends Like These...

My client was drunk, stupid, sleazy—oh, and black, argues Jefferson's lawyer

(Newser) - What do you say when you’re defending William Jefferson, on trial for allegedly taking $100,000 in bribe money and hiding it in his freezer? Pretty much whatever the heck you can think of, writes Dana Milbank of the Washington Post. The lawyer for the then-Congressman opened his defense... More »

Rift Widens Between Palin, New Senator

His frustration at project delays is 'uninformed,' officials say

(Newser) - Sarah Palin's relationships with junior Sen. Mark Begich and her predecessor in the governor's office just keep getting testier and testier, reports the Anchorage Daily News. Both Begich and former Gov. Frank Murkowski have complained of late that a proposed gas pipeline from Alaska to the rest of the country... More »

Rush, Newt Push Media to the Right

They're mainstream while progressives are ignored: Dionne

(Newser) - Media coverage of Barack Obama is closed-minded and biased—in favor of conservatives. "Rush Limbaugh's sneezes or Newt Gingrich's tweets" circulate like wildfire, but criticism of the president from the Democratic left goes unheard, writes EJ Dionne of the Washington Post. The result is a skewed picture in which... More »

Democratic Congressman Plans Run Against Specter

Sestak unswayed by recent party switch

(Newser) - Geez, what's a guy got to do to win some love from his own political party? Even though Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania switched parties to become a Democrat, he's still going to face a big-name challenger in a party primary. Rep. Joe Sestak told Wolf Blitzer on CNN today... More »

Specter Finds His Inner Democrat

After rocky beginning, GOP turncoat sticks to new side of aisle

(Newser) - Arlen Specter’s first days as a Democrat may not have gone well, but since then he’s settled in and sided with his new party on nearly every vote, Politico reports. He’s gone from staunch opponent of the Employee Free Choice act to a key negotiator for it,... More »

Obama Courts GOP Moderates, but Quietly

President seeks support on health care

(Newser) - President Obama would love to have a few Republicans in his corner on health care, but he’s keeping courting efforts low-key, Politico reports. Last week, chief of staff Rahm Emanuel invited a dozen moderate House Republicans to a casual White House meeting, and the president stopped by to chat.... More »

Democrats Lose Patience Over Wars, Gitmo

Support ebbs on left as Obama's security plans look uncertain

(Newser) - Democrats are having misgivings about the war in Afghanistan and the shuttering of Guantanamo Bay, particularly in the more liberal House, the New York Times reports. Though Congress is sure to approve another $96.7 billion in war funding, the House took out $80 million to close Guantanamo, saying the... More »

Big Biz, Dems Rebel on Offshore Tax Reforms

Business groups and lawmakers worry about effect on US competitiveness

(Newser) - President Obama’s plan to crack down on the tax practices of US-based multinationals has elicited much squawking from business groups and lawmakers who fear it may limit the competitiveness of American firms, the Hill reports. Even Democrats have greeted Obama’s proposals with trepidation: “I want to make... More »

Specter Enjoys 20-Point Lead Over Toomey

But Tom Ridge would be a stiffer challenge if he nabbed GOP nom

(Newser) - Arlen Specter beat Pat Toomey 53% to 33% in a Quinnipiac poll of Pennsylvanians’ preferred candidate for US senator. But against Tom Ridge, who may become the Republican candidate, Specter's lead grows more precarious—voters prefer Specter to Ridge by a margin of 46% to 43%, the Quinnipiac poll showed.... More »

Silver: Specter Will Shift Left, But Not Too Far

(Newser) - Now that Arlen Specter is flying the Democratic colors, his new party can expect a tangible—if modest—change in his voting behavior, writes Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight.com. "Democrats have ample reason to be pleased," writes Silver, who crunched the numbers of all previous congressional party-switchers. "... More »

Defector Specter Just Playing to Pa. Primary Politics

Shrewd senator had no future as a Republican

(Newser) - Why did Arlen Specter defect? It’s tempting to paint Specter as part of a post-Obama ideological realignment, but there’s a much more concrete explanation, Eric Kleefeld writes for Talking Points Memo: reelection. Pennsylvania is a closed-primary state, and between 150,000 and 200,000 registered Republicans switched parties... More »

Don't Let Dems Steal NY Election: GOP to Donors

(Newser) - Republicans are rallying donors behind Jim Tedisco in preparation for a possible legal battle over the results of yesterday’s US House election in upstate New York, the Hill reports. In an email to donors today, GOP leaders say Democrats are preparing to “steal” the seat. Democratic candidate Jim... More »

Senate Dems Are Tanking the Party... Again

Why the left can't seem to govern

(Newser) - Congressional Democrats killed Bill Clinton’s agenda, and Jimmy Carter’s agenda, and it looks like they’re gunning for Barack Obama’s, too, writes Jonathan Chait in the New Republic. George Bush didn’t win the popular vote and had just 50 GOP Senators, but was still able to... More »

Dean: I Wanted to Be Health Sec

But ex-DNC chair says Obama's choice will do 'fine'

(Newser) - Former DNC Chairman Howard Dean says he made no secret of his desire to be in Barack Obama's Cabinet. "I was pretty clear that I would have liked to have been Secretary of Health and Human Services," he tells the Huffington Post. As for the president's pick,... More »

Democrat Governor May Reject Stimulus Funds

Bredesen of Tenn. joins GOP critics

(Newser) - A Democrat has joined the ranks of GOP governors who may turn down stimulus funds. Gov. Phil Bredesen of Tennessee says the state may reject $143 million for unemployed workers because it won't be able to afford the long-term budget repercussions, reports the Tennessean. Six other governors, all of them... More »

Obama Blasts GOP on Stimulus

President ditches teleprompter; comes out swinging against critics

(Newser) - Barack Obama's speech to Democratic lawmakers last night sounded more like a campaign rally than a presidential address as he ditched his teleprompter to lay into the GOP, Politico reports. The president slammed Republican criticism of spending in his stimulus plan. "What do you think a stimulus is?" he... More »

Rahm Eyes Future Return to Congress

He warns contender he may be back one day

(Newser) - White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel may be enjoying his new White House gig, but he hasn't written off a return to Congress, reports the Chicago Tribune reports. Emanuel told Illinois State Representative John Fritchey—one of 11 Democrats bidding for his vacated  Chicago post—that "he may... More »

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