Senate

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CIA Chief Sheds Little Light on Tapes

Hayden grilled by Senate panel, says videos predate him

(Newser) - Senators grilled CIA chief Michael Hayden for 90 minutes today, but his appearance behind closed doors shed little light on the agency's destruction of interrogation videotapes, the AP reports. Hayden's session was "useful and not yet complete," said Sen. Jay Rockefeller of the intelligence panel. Afterward, Hayden said...

Senator Attacks Free-Spending Megachurches

Tax-exempt status at odds with ministers' perks: Grassley

(Newser) - Sen. Charles Grassley thinks big-spending pastors of so-called “megachurches” might be abusing their tax-exempt status, NPR reports. Ministers in these stadium-sized churches preach a gospel of wealth, and practice what they preach—driving Rolls Royces, flying in private jets, living in mansions. “Maybe that's not illegal,” the...

Revisiting Hillary-Rudy, Round 1
Revisiting Hillary-Rudy, Round 1
Nov 29, 2007 11:49 AM CST

Revisiting Hillary-Rudy, Round 1

Clinton faced uphill '00 NY race—until Giuliani showed true colors

(Newser) - Before Rudy Giuliani withdrew from the 2000 US Senate race in New York, Hillary Clinton had become the “arms-folded sighing mother of a forever misbehaving teenager,” the New York Times writes, neutralizing her opponent’s skills and drawing out his temper. And, Salon writes, Rudy’s attempts to...

Lott Likely to Snare Lobby Job
Lott Likely to Snare Lobby Job
Nov 27, 2007 2:50 AM CST

Lott Likely to Snare Lobby Job

Timing of departure suggests he'll return as lobbyist

(Newser) - Republican Minority Whip Trent Lott is quitting the Senate—but he's probably not leaving Washington or politics for very long. The timing of Lott's departure suggests he is planning a lucrative career as a lobbyist, reports MSNBC. A resignation in 2008 would have required a two-year "timeout" before Lott...

GOP Senators Kill Dem Iraq Withdrawal Bill

Timetable remains sticking point; Repub measure also fails

(Newser) - Senate Republicans today blocked a bill that would have funded the Iraq war and set a withdrawal deadline of December 15, 2008. The legislation cleared the House but received only 53 of 60 needed votes in the Senate. "It's telling our soldiers, you're losers, when they're winners. So we're...

Congress Torn on Telecom Immunity
Congress Torn on Telecom Immunity
Nov 16, 2007 7:48 AM CST

Congress Torn on Telecom Immunity

Senate panel sidesteps; House passes bill without it

(Newser) - Congress is conflicted over proposed immunity laws that would retroactively protect telecoms from suits alleging they illegally handed the government information on calls. The Senate Intelligence Committee endorsed immunity 13-2 last month, but the Judiciary Committee left the immunity section out of the document it approved yesterday. The House passed...

House Votes to Tighten Controls on Lenders

But Senate deadlock could keep bill tied up for months

(Newser) - The House has passed a bill intended to protect mortgage borrowers by imposing stricter regulations on lenders. But it's unlikely it will become law before the new year, given the Senate's problem passing a less controversial bill that also aims to mitigate the subprime lending crisis. The House measure bars...

Senate Confirms Mukasey as AG
Senate Confirms Mukasey as AG
Nov 8, 2007 10:32 PM CST

Senate Confirms Mukasey as AG

Bush nominee overcomes waterboarding flap

(Newser) - The Senate tonight approved retired judge Michael Mukasey to be the next attorney general, AP reports. Mukasey, whose refusal to declare that waterboarding is illegal nearly torpedoed his nomination, will replace Alberto Gonzales. "This is the only chance we have," said Dianne Feinstein before the 53-40 vote, referring...

Obama Backers Sought to Block Colbert In SC

Board members say top Dems 'pressured' them to keep comic off ballot

(Newser) - Top Obama supporters in South Carolina called up members of the deciding Democratic council to oppose Stephen Colbert's bid for a ballot berth, CNN reports. One voter said he felt “pressured” by the phone call from former US Senate nominee Inez Tenenbaum, who said Colbert's presence "wouldn't be...

Doggone It, Will People Like Sen. Franken?

New York explores his blend of comedy, politics in Senate bid

(Newser) - Al Franken’s thus far successful run for US Senate has seen the comic playing a careful hand, getting serious on the trail but bringing along just enough humor to be himself. Politicians “need to be entertaining. But not too entertaining,” says New York’s Ariel Levy in...

Kentucky Dems Hope to Ride Blue Wave

Backlash may win them governor's office, Senate seat

(Newser) - Kentucky Dems are confident that they'll win the governor's office next week and grab a Senate seat in 2008, the Guardian reports. Polls put Steve Beshear up by 11 points in next week's gubernatorial contest, and Dems say Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is now beatable. "We are going...

Senate OKs Judge Opposed by Civil Rights Groups

He'll serve on federal court in the South

(Newser) - The Senate today confirmed a judge opposed by civil rights groups to a seat on a federal appeals court in the South. Judge Leslie Southwick will serve on the 5th Circuit, which comprises Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, the New York Times reports. A civil rights leader called the appointment  “...

Johnson to Run Despite Brain Hemorrhage

Colleagues amassed $2 million campaign chest in his absence

(Newser) - A brain hemorrhage won't stop South Dakota Senator Tim Johnson from seeking reelection, he said yesterday. He is still in therapy and gets around in a motorized wheelchair, but claims he is ready to run. "It is clear to my family, my doctors, and me that I am able...

Congress Drops Tax Hike for Private Equity

Superwealthy investors will get to keep tax breaks they now enjoy

(Newser) - A proposed tax hike on some of America's wealthiest investors isn't likely to happen this year, as Senate Democrats say they're shelving a bill that would have eliminated the special tax rate enjoyed by private-equity managers. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says a crowded legislative calendar makes considering the bill—...

Bush Reiterates: US Doesn’t 'Torture People'

President denies breaking law in wake of document revelations

(Newser) - Faced with newly disclosed Justice Department memos, President Bush once again denied the US tortures detainees, saying today that interrogation techniques save American lives, comply with “international obligations” and are fully disclosed to “appropriate members” of Congress. He said of detainees, “you bet we are going to...

Senate Shield Law Would Cover Bloggers

Controversial new measure defines 'journalist' broadly

(Newser) - A Senate bill that passed the Judiciary Committee yesterday would give bloggers the “reporter’s privilege” of protecting their sources. The federal shield law defines journalism broadly enough to include bloggers who write about public affairs. Critics, including US attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, say the bill would undermine national security,...

Mitt Veils His Mormonism
Mitt Veils His Mormonism
Oct 4, 2007 5:34 PM CDT

Mitt Veils His Mormonism

Disguising a central biographical peg leaves candidate Romney with authenticity problem

(Newser) - In downplaying his Mormonism, Mitt Romney is a candidate “who seems to have no history, and, as a result, no heart,” argues Newsweek. When Mitt boasts of his “Judeo-Christian tradition” roots, calls Jesus his “personal savior”—not Mormon terms—and says he hasn’t “...

Craig Can't Rescind Guilty Plea
Craig Can't Rescind Guilty Plea
Oct 4, 2007 2:06 PM CDT

Craig Can't Rescind Guilty Plea

Judge denies Idaho senator's request

(Newser) - A Minnesota judge today rejected Sen. Larry Craig's attempt to rescind his guilty plea in a June men's bathroom sex sting, saying it had been entered "accurately, voluntarily, and intelligently," CNN reports. There was no immediate response from the Idaho Republican, who had said he would resign if...

GOP Pillar Domenici Retiring From Senate

Hungry Democrats eye New Mexico seat

(Newser) - Senior New Mexico Senator Pete Domenici is expected to announce today that he won't seek reelection next year. The Republican lawmaker, 75, has been in the Senate for 35 years—six terms. His retirement sparks renewed hope among Democrats that they could capture a key seat in a state where...

Democrats Vote $150B For War
Democrats Vote $150B For War
Oct 2, 2007 3:06 AM CDT

Democrats Vote $150B For War

Will continue to pressure administration to end conflict

(Newser) - After failing to force the White House to bring significant numbers of troops home, Senate Democrats helped authorize another $150 billion to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The 92-3 funding approval came as the House planned legislation that will require President Bush to produce a coherent exit...

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