Archives
Thursday May 31st
Actor and Former U.S. Senator Fred Thompson has taken another step towards running for president. His campaign says he will file papers with the Federal Election Commission on June 4th that will allow him to fundraise and hire campaign staffers. With the filing of the so called "testing the waters" committee, Thompson is looking to raise a large amount of money in one day on June 4th which should put him in the first tier of Republican candidates. Thompson will make his official decision on whether to run in July possibly on the 4th of July.
President Bush has selected Robert Zoellick to be the next World Bank chief. Zoellick was formerly the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, the number two position in the State Department and the U.S. Trade Representative. He is expected to be approved by the World Bank's Board of Directors.
Friday May 25th
Congress passed a war funding bill without any timetable for troop withdrawals. The bill will be signed by President Bush in the coming days. The bill also includes an increase in the Federal minimum wage from the current $5.15 an hour to $7.25 and about $20 billion in domestic spending including money for veteran's health care.
Senate Democrats have scheduled a no confidence vote on Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez for mid-June. It is unclear whether or not the idea will have support of 60 Senators that is needed to prevent a filibuster.
House Minority Leader John Boehner had strong words for recently introduced immigration bill saying, "I promised the president today that I wouldn't say anything bad about ... this piece of sh*t bill." Several Congressman have stated sharp objections to the bill but it is unclear how many will vote against it.
Monday May 21th
New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson officially entered the Presidential race today. Richardson cited his resume and proven track record and hopes that will make him stand out from the other Democrats.
Bill Richardson and Mitt Romney are making gains in polls in both New Hampshire and Iowa. Richardson made it into double digits in both states. Romney took a double digit lead in New Hampshire after a large advertising campaign.
The immigration bill that was agreed upon by President Bush and a select group of Senators is facing heavy resistance from many Republicans and Democrats. It is unclear if it has a chance to pass in its current form.
Friday May 18th
U.S. Senator leaders and President Bush have agreed on a new immigration bill. The bill would allow illegal aliens in the U.S. to receive immediate work authorizations that would allow them to stay. They would be given special visas and placed on a path to permanent residence. Workers would be required to return to their home countries within 8 years and be allowed to return after paying a $5000 fine. The bill would also tighten border security by doubling the amount of border patrol agents, strengthening the fence between the U.S. and Mexico and making U.S. businesses who hire undocumented workers pay fines. The bill should be passed in the coming weeks.
World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz has resigned his position after a scandal regarding a promotion for Wolfowitz's girlfriend. Wolfowitz helped his girlfriend secure a high paying job in the U.S. State Department where he was formerly the Deputy Secretary of State.
Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez appears to be on his last legs. Senate Democrats are seeking a "no confidence" vote on Gonzalez. Senate Democrats and at least 5 Senate Republicans have called for the Attorney General to resign.
Monday May 14th
Last week was pretty uneventful when it came to election news. Rumors of a possible independent run by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska are still floating around. It is unclear which one of the two might be the Presidential candidate and which the Vice Presidential candidate. My guess would be that Bloomberg would be at the top of the ticket. The two met for a private dinner last week then Bloomberg redesigned his personal website for no apparent reason with many seeing it as a step towards running. Today Hagel said he would make up his mind on a possible Presidential or Vice Presidential run by "late summer".
Former U.S. Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich made some strong statements today saying, "I think right now that it is a great possibility," when asked if he would join the Presidential race. He said he won't decide until September on whether or not he will run. Regarding Hillary Clinton, Gingrich had this to say, "I think she has a very good chance of winning the presidency. ... I think unless Republicans are as committed to very fundamental change in Washington that they will almost certainly lose the election."
Monday May 7th
Yesterday in the French Presidential Election Conservative Nicolas Sarkozy was elected President of France. Sarkozy has promised better relations with the U.S. telling "my American friends that they can rely on our friendship".
A new CNN Opinion Research Corporation poll shows John McCain moving within 2 points of Rudy Giuliani in the race for the Republican Presidential nomination. The poll has Giuliani at 25%, McCain at 23% and Fred Thompson who hasn't even announced he is running in third at 13%.
Friday May 4th
The first Republican debate took place last night. According to many, Mitt Romney performed very well and could be considered the winner. Time will tell if Romney gets a bump from his performance.
John McCain appeared solid and appears to be trying to return to the straight talking ways that made him popular.
Rudy Giuliani came out in support of abortion rights for women saying that is would be ok if the Supreme Court upheld Roe vs. Wade. It will be interesting to see if this hurts him in Republican Primary polling.
The Florida Legislature passed a bill that will move the Florida Primary to Tuesday after the New Hampshire Primary which means it will be January 29th barring a change in the NH date. Florida Republican Governor Charlie Crist has been in support of the change and will sign the bill.
U.S. Senator and Presidential Candidate Barack Obama has been given a Secret Service detail after non-specific threats had been made against himself. This is the earliest a candidate has ever received Secret Service protection. Senator Hillary Clinton also has a Secret Service detail that she has had since she became the First Lady.