The House is expected to pass a stopgap measure on Tuesday to fund the government for the next two weeks while House and Senate negotiators work on a longer-term solution. Senate Democrats are still mulling over whether they want to pass the House bill or send it back with amendments, but it’s looking likely that something will pass …
In the ArenaUncategorized
No Fly
Given the fact that Qaddafi is using fixed-wing jets against his own people, I don’t think that a NATO–emphasize: NATO–enforced no fly zone would be an unreasonable military option at this point.
In the ArenaUncategorized
Tehranny
Via Andrew Sullivan–who, it saddens me to say, has flown from the Atlantic to our rival, NewsBeast: The Iranian tyranny has apparently arrested the two most prominent reform figures, Mir-Hussein Mousavi and Mehdi Kharroubi and their wives. I interviewed both men when I covered the Iranian elections in 2009 (indeed, I was the last …
Raymond Davis Case Tests U.S.-Pakistan Intelligence Ties
By TIME contributor Mark Benjamin
The first details of a possible deal to spring Raymond Davis from Pakistan surfaced late last week, providing a potential boost for the CIA in what has become a public relations disaster for the agency that at times has seemed like it just couldn’t get much worse. Davis is the agency operative …
Does Gingrich Support Intervening in Libya?
Back in 2005, Newt Gingrich authored a Congressionally-mandated study of UN reform with the Obama administration’s current Middle East envoy, George Mitchell. Among their many recommendations, Gingrich and Mitchell said the U.S. and U.N. should support countries intervening to stop war crimes in other countries even without the approval …
Rick Scott Goes to War With a Republican Legislature
Tim Padgett, our guy in Florida, chronicles the unrelenting governor’s knack for vexing friends and foes alike in Tallahassee.
Like [Former South Carolina Governor Mark] Sanford, the multimillionaire Scott is a fan of my-way-or-the-highway gestures. Florida’s legislature, like most in the U.S., is hardly a heroic institution. But it was
…
Not Exactly “A Comfortable Pair of Shoes,” But…
Obama in his Monday address to governors at the White House:
I also know that many of you are making decisions regarding your public workforces, and I know how difficult that can be. I recently froze the salaries of federal employees for two years. It wasn’t something that I wanted to do, but I did it because of the very tough
…
Republicans Draw Economists’ Concern in Budget Fight
Mark Zandi, the chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, is out with a new report today suggesting that the economy could lose 700,000 jobs by the end of next year if Republicans push through $61 billion in cuts called for in their 2011 budget proposal.
A former McCain adviser and stimulus booster whom John Boehner once called “President …
Obama to States: If You Can Do Health Reform Better, Go For It
In a speech to governors, President Obama just endorsed a plan to allow states to opt out of major provisions of the Affordable Care Act just as it’s set to kick in. Saying he recognizes that not everyone is a member of the “Affordable Care Act fan club,” Obama said, “I agree with Mitt Romney that…states should have the power to …
Morning Must Reads: Governors
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie shares a toast with his table mates as President Obama plays host to a dinner for the National Governor’s Association in Washington on February 27. (REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)
–A federal government shutdown won’t happen this week, but that doesn’t mean anyone can spot budget consensus on the …
In the Shutdown Showdown, A Temporary Reprieve
At the end of this week, hundreds of thousands of workers will be furloughed, agencies shuttered and new government benefits suspended if Congress doesn’t act to reopen cash flow to the federal infrastructure. Rhetorical volleys between Democrats and Republicans in recent days suggest a short-lived agreement is near, and March 4 won’t …
Welcome to the Emergency Room. Papers Please.
Arizona, which passed a controversial immigration bill last year, is again debating measures to discourage undocumented immigrants from living in the state.
A series of new bills, championed by Republican Senate President Russell Pearce, would make it illegal for such people to drive in Arizona. It would also require businesses to use …
White House Announces Punishment For Libya, Muammar Gaddafi
At the top of the White House briefing, Press Secretary Jay Carney announced a number of steps the U.S. is taking against Muammar Gaddafi. These include:
–Suspending embassy operations in Tripoli. (A charter plane with U.S. personnel has departed for Istanbul.) “It has been shuttered,” says Carney. [UPDATE: Patrick Kennedy, the …