Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

News Sections

Newser Specials

Congress

Started by D Lim; Last updated Feb 28, 08 4:17 PM CST by D Lim | View history

Rate it:

Print

E-mail

|

Digg

Seed this on Newsvine

Add this link to Del.icio.us

StumbleUpon

| Edit thread | Notify editors | + Start a new thread

Congress

"Congress consists of one-third, more or less, scoundrels; two-thirds, more or less, idiots; and three-thirds, more or less, poltroons." -H.L. Mencken

Stories

Stories 141 - 160 of 323

<< Prev 1 ... 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 ... 17 Next >>

March 2008
- Kevorkian Declares Bid for House Seat
  
  Detroit Free Press | Mar 24, 08 5:30 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Euthanasia advocate Jack Kevorkian declared a bid for Congress in Detroit today, the Detroit Free Press reports. In a free-wheeling press conference, he admitted to being apolitical but vowed to trumpet individual rights in his campaign. “You can’t take my innate rights away from me without a fight,” said Kevorkian, who will run as an independent in a highly competitive district. More »
- Mass. Rep Vows to Legalize Pot
  
  Politico | Mar 23, 08 4:44 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Rep. Barney Frank will move to legalize “small amounts” of marijuana, Politico reports, citing Americans who think use of the drug is no big deal. “It's time for the politicians to catch up to the public,” said the Massachusetts Democrat on "Real Time with Bill Maher." But it’ll be tough for him to get a vote on such legislation, the Crypt notes. More »
- Va. Senator Not the Firebrand Many Expected
  
  Washington Post | Mar 21, 08 4:35 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Virginia Sen. James Webb hasn’t played the part of hot-tempered agitator many expected in his freshman term, the Washington Post reports. Making friends and taking legislative strides, Webb “has vaulted to a position of influence,” said one colleague. But "the job of getting out and speaking with constituents and hearing their concerns seems to be something he hasn't warmed up to," one analyst says. More »
- Hill Newbies Slow to Commit
  
  Time | Mar 17, 08 6:00 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A surprising number of freshman congressmen are holdouts in the Dems' superdelegate derby, Time reports, with half of the House's 40 newbies and six of eight rookie senators still officially undecided. Impressive that they're tough enough to take the pressure, the magazine notes, but they also may be more averse to making enemies. More »
- Senate Rejects Temporary Ban on Pork
  
  CNN | Mar 14, 08 7:59 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The Senate soundly rejected a bid to ban pork barrel spending for a year last night, despite the support of all three presidential candidates who returned to DC for a day of heavy voting, CNN reports. Both the House and Senate also passed budget plans—largely symbolic moves in an election year—that would allow many of President Bush's tax cuts to expire in about three years. More »
- GOPer Drafts $1.4T Proposal to Tweak Obama
  
  Politico | Mar 13, 08 3:15 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Some of Barack Obama’s boldest campaign-trail talking points are headed for a Senate vote—in the form of a budget amendment from a Republican. No, Wayne Allard isn't jumping GOP ship, but rather wrote the Obama-esque legislation to embarrass the Democratic candidate by pointing up his profligate ways, Martin Kady II writes in Politico. The proposal would cost $1.4 trillion over five years. More »
- Dr. Death Set to Make House Call
  
  Oakland (Mich.) Press | Mar 12, 08 2:28 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Jack Kevorkian, the Michigan doctor who says he's helped at least 130 die and who's been convicted of second-degree murder in one such assisted suicide, says he plans to run for Congress in a Detroit suburb, the Oakland (Mich.) Press reports. Kevorkian, 79, will make an independent bid against the incumbent Republican; he’ll need 3,000 signatures to get on the ballot. More »
- Boeing Doesn't Deserve Military Monopoly
  
  Time | Mar 9, 08 9:45 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - There’s fury on Capitol Hill (and the campaign trail) over a $40 billion Air Force contract going to a European team, Mark Thompson notes in Time , but it’s entirely appropriate for the military to get the best technology it can. Indeed, anger over the snub to Boeing shows lawmakers at their worst, worrying about hometown pork instead of defense needs. More »
- Dem Physicist Nails House Seat in Ill. GOP Stronghold
  
  Chicago Tribune | Mar 9, 08 7:00 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Little-known Democratic physicist Bill Foster beat Illinois Republican Jim Oberweis yesterday in a special election to fill Dennis Hastert's vacated seat in Congress. The Democrat's victory in the GOP suburban stronghold west of Chicago may herald more trouble for Republicans during fall elections, writes the Chicago Tribune. "Voters are ready for a change. They want new leadership in Washington," said Senator Dick Durbin. More »
- Subprime Lender CEOs Defend Exec Pay
  
  New York Times | Mar 7, 08 3:50 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Banking executives who took home huge paychecks even as the subprime mortgage crisis battered their companies appeared before Congress today to defend their actions. Democrats on the House Oversight Committee grilled them about their enormous pay packages as Republicans apologized to them and questioned the premise of the hearing, the New York Times reports. More »
February 2008
- 10 Senate Seats Likely to Flip
  
  Washington Post | Feb 29, 08 3:55 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - The presidency isn’t the only job up for grabs this November. The Washington Post’ s Chris Cillizza runs down (in order) the Senate seats most likely to flip parties: Ex-Virginia governor Mark Warner (D) is mounting a “sure-thing bid.” The survivor of the New Mexico GOP primary will likely fall to Rep. Tom Udall (D). Ex-NH governor Jeanne Shaheen (D) leads incumbent John Sununu by 18 points. More »
- Dems' Advice on Reading: 'Blah Blah Blah'
  
  Washington Post | Feb 28, 08 5:24 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Your Democratic congressional representative may do well to avoid the advice from Nancy Pelosi's office regarding “Read Across America” day next Monday, writes Washington Post blogger Mary Ann Akers. An email on how to deal with the big day urges Dems to stress the damage done to education programs by Bush—then offers these words on the importance of reading: "blah, blah, blah, blah." More »
- Universal Health Crossing Lines
  
  Washington Post | Feb 28, 08 4:22 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - While presidential candidates are busy bickering about how to achieve universal health care, a bill in the Senate has quietly acquired 12 supporters—the biggest bipartisan coalition ever gathered behind universal health care legislation, Ruth Marcus writes in the Washington Post . Sponsors Ron Wyden and Bob Bennett hope the radical bill—with "something for everyone to dislike," Marcus says—will be ready when the next president takes office. More »
- Get Off 'Dead Asses' and Raise Cash, Rep. Tells GOP
  
  Politico | Feb 27, 08 4:44 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - House Minority Leader John Boehner yesterday told Republican colleagues to get off their “dead asses” and raise money for the fall election, Politico reports. Ahead of a March 12 dinner, only 15 representatives have met fundraising goals, 42 members have failed—and 142 haven’t even set goals. The GOP's congressional committee currently has $6.4 million to the Democrats' $35.5 million. More »
- Mortgage Crisis: Judges to the Rescue?
  
  Los Angeles Times | Feb 26, 08 1:00 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Over the loud objections of lenders, Senate Democrats are lining up behind a plan to give bankruptcy judges the power to alter mortgages, the LA Times reports. The proposals could go to the floor as early as today. “This bill will have more impact… than any other option currently on the table,” said Jack Kemp, housing secretary in the first Bush administration. More »