In Tallahassee, a federal judge has blocked state elections officials from enforcing tough restrictions on groups that conduct voter registration drives.http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2012/06/01/154135685/judge-justice-department-weigh-in-on-who-can-vote-in-florida?ft=1&f=1014
And in Washington, the Justice Department has sent a letter to Florida telling it to immediately halt efforts to purge from the voting rolls people suspected of being noncitizens.
Top Political News: June 1,2012
Top Political News: May 31, 2012
Bill Internicola, a 91-yar-old World War II veteran, was born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., and now lives in Florida's Broward County. He recently received a letter from county elections officials asking him to show proof he was a U.S. citizen or be removed from the voting rolls.http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2012/05/31/154020289/world-war-ii-vet-caught-up-in-floridas-voter-purge-controversy?ft=1&f=1014
Internicola says he was "flabbergasted."
"To me, it's like an insult," he says. "They sent me a form to fill out. And I filled out the form and I sent it back to them with a copy of my discharge paper and a copy of my tour of duty in the ETO, which is the European Theater of Operations."
"Why is this happening less than three months before an election?" Deutch said. "Why is there only a 30-day period for people to be able to respond? It looks like there is an effort to purge a large number of voters from the rolls whether they're eligible voters or not."
The White House, most Democrats, abortion rights groups and some Asian-American organizations opposed the bill, saying it could lead to racial profiling of Asian-American women and subject doctors who do not report suspected sex-selection abortions to criminal charges.http://www.npr.org/2012/05/31/154074122/ban-on-sex-selection-abortion-up-for-house-vote?ft=1&f=1014
"The administration opposes gender discrimination in all forms, but the end result of this legislation would be to subject doctors to criminal prosecution if they fail to determine the motivations behind a very personal and private decision," White House spokeswoman Jamie Smith said in a statement. "The government should not intrude in medical decisions or private family matters in this way."
Poised to triumphantly clinch the Republican nomination for president, Romney instead was upstaged Tuesday by supporter Donald Trump's new birther-on-steroids shtick that stole the headlines and the candidate's big moment.
Then on Thursday, ready to embarrass President Obama by holding a "surprise" press event in front of Solyndra, the Obama-touted California solar energy company that failed after getting a $535 million government loan guarantee, Romney was upstaged yet again.
This time, by not one, but two events the cable news channels carried live during and after his photo-op event: Obama hosting former President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush for the unveiling of their official portraits — a good humored affair that was just the second time the former president has been back in the White House since his term ended.
And then? Wall-to-wall coverage of a potential verdict in the John Edwards' political corruption trial.
The news Thursday was also filled with reports that a federal appeals court had found unconstitutional the Defense of Marriage Act that bars same sex marriage.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2012/05/31/154086783/romneys-week-upstaged-time-and-again?ft=1&f=1014
Retail giant Wal-Mart became the latest, and possibly highest-profile corporation to drop its membership in the American Legislative Exchange Council. The conservative group helped replicate Florida's Stand Your Ground gun law in other states.http://www.npr.org/2012/05/31/154093271/wal-mart-to-leave-conservative-legislative-group?ft=1&f=1014
In 2008, Powell endorsed Barack Obama. He has not endorsed anyone yet this election cycle, but he was unabashedly critical of Romney.http://www.npr.org/2012/05/31/154085970/romneys-foreign-policy-views-comfort-unsettle-gop?ft=1&f=1014
"For example, when Gov. Romney not too long ago said the Russian Federation is our No. 1 geostrategic threat — well, c'mon, Mitt. I think that isn't the case," Powell said.
Powell also criticized Romney for filling his campaign with neoconservative advisers.
Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens said Wednesday night he expects that the court has already had second thoughts about parts of its controversial Citizens United ruling that eased restrictions on corporate spending in political campaigns.
The sharply divided court ruled that independent spending by corporations does "not give rise to corruption or the appearance of corruption." Stevens, who dissented from that 2010 decision, said that at some point the court will have to issue an opinion "explicitly crafting an exception that will create a crack in the foundation" of that ruling.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501363_162-57444204/stevens-second-thoughts-likely-in-citizens-united/
The setup of the 17-country euro currency union is unsustainable, the head of the European Central Bank has told EU leaders, warning they must quickly come up with a broad vision for the future to get the bloc through the current financial crisis.http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-05/D9V3RA5G0.htm
The U.N. human rights chief is calling for an independent investigation into last week's slaughter of dozens of civilians in the Syrian town of Houla, as activists on Friday reported the killing of at least 12 more civilians.http://www.voanews.com/content/un-rights-body-discuss-syrian-slaughter/1145957.html
Toss Up States Obama Needs to Win
These are the toss up states. Obama needs 27 electoral votes to win.
He can win with any of the following 19 minimum combinations:
2)
14)
16)
New Hampshire (4)
Iowa (6)
Colorado (9)
Wisconsin (10)
Missouri (10)
Arizona (11)
Virginia (13)
North Carolina (15)
Ohio (18)
Florida (29)
He can win with any of the following 19 minimum combinations:
1)
Florida (29)
Colorado (9)
Ohio (18)
3)
Virginia (13)
North Carolina (15)
4)
Missouri (10)
Ohio (18)
5)
Wisconsin (10)
Ohio (18)
6)
Colorado (9)
Ohio (18)
7)
New Hampshire (4)
Iowa (6)
Ohio (18)
8)
Missouri (10)
Arizona (11)
Virginia (13)
9)
Wisconsin (10)
Arizona (11)
Virginia (13)
10)
Colorado (9)
Arizona (11)
Virginia (13)
11)
Iowa (6)
Arizona (11)
Virginia (13)
12)
New Hampshire (4)
Arizona (11)
Virginia (13)
13)
Colorado (9)
Missouri (10)
Arizona (11)
14)
Iowa (6)
Missouri (10)
Arizona (11)
15)
Colorado (9)
Wisconsin (10)
Arizona (11)
16)
Iowa (6)
Wisconsin (10)
Arizona (11)
17)
Missouri (10)
Wisconsin (10)
Colorado (9)
18)
New Hampshire (4)
Iowa (6)
Colorado (9)
Missouri (10)
19)
New Hampshire (4)
Iowa (6)
Colorado (9)
Wisconsin (10)
Top Political News: May 30, 2012
This idea of the American dream as a collective enterprise is what sets Democrats apart from Republicans.http://www.npr.org/2012/05/30/153994202/obamas-own-story-defines-his-american-dream?ft=1&f=1014
"If you look at three basic values that underpin the American dream," says John Kenneth White, a political scientist and editor of The American Dream in the 21st Century, "they really are freedom, individual rights — which are closely tied to that — and equality of opportunity."
Republicans typically stress freedom, White says, and they tend to see government as a likely impediment.
Democrats like Obama focus on opportunity, and they see a vital role for government.
"Somebody who has a great idea in selling a great product or service, we want them to get rich. That's great. But we also want to make sure that we as a society are investing in that young kid who comes from a poor family who has incredible talent and might be able to get rich as well," Obama has said. "And that means we've got to build good schools. And we've got to make sure that that child can go to college."
And the survey had good news for President Obama: during the last half of the month, he improved his standing against GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney in Wisconsin.http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2012/05/30/154005230/new-wisconsin-poll-shows-walker-maintaining-lead-obama-gaining-strength?ft=1&f=1014
The new survey also showed Obama leading Romney among likely voters, 51 percent to 43 percent. Two weeks ago, the poll showed the presidential race tied at 46 percent each. Nearly half of the voters polled expressed an unfavorable opinion of Romney, with 40 percent saying they looked favorably on the former Massachusetts governor. Obama had a 55 percent favorability rating, with 41 percent saying they viewed him unfavorably.
With most media organizations now projecting that Mitt Romney has secured enough delegates to clinch the Republican presidential nomination, President Obama called the former Massachusetts governor to offer his congratulations.http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2012/05/30/153992011/obama-calls-romney-in-rare-moment-of-courtesy-between-candidates?ft=1&f=1014
Top Political News : May 29, 2012
The most potentially influential politician you've probably never heard of, former two-term Maine Gov. Angus King, on Tuesday officially entered the race to replace retiring moderate GOP Sen. Olympia Snowe.http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2012/05/29/153933439/maine-independent-aims-to-be-senate-king-acknowledges-potted-plant-potential?ft=1&f=1014
King, 68, an alternative-energy entrepreneur and supporter of President Obama, filed more than 6,000 signatures with Maine's secretary of state to ensure his place on November's ballot.
My goal is to stay as independent as I can. I want to be able to have that flexibility as long as possible. It may be that in order to be effective, I'm going to have to sign up with one of the other teams. I don't want to do that. On the other hand, I don't want to go down and be a potted plant. That wouldn't be fair to Maine.
What's coming? The Bush-era tax cuts expire along with the payroll tax break; the nation's borrowing authority bumps against its limit; and huge mandatory spending cuts — half targeting defense — are set to kick in.http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2012/05/29/153889383/dire-predictions-amid-another-looming-fiscal-battle?ft=1&f=1014
All this could trigger another recession, but Congress is not likely to do much about it until after November's election.
Last week, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office also weighed in: Unless Congress acts to change current law, it said, spending cuts and tax increases could shrivel next year's growth to a mere one-half of 1 percent, which would probably be seen as a recession.
"I say to the 41 Republicans and Sen. Hatch who sent me this letter, move on revenues, we could have had a deal a long time ago," he said. "The president said that when we got together at the White House last Wednesday."
Top Political News: Memorial Day Weekend Edition
Iran’s nuclear chief, reversing the country’s previous statements, said on state television on Sunday that the country would not halt its production of higher-grade uranium, suggesting that the Iranian government was veering back to a much harder line after talks in Baghdad with the West last week ended badly.http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/28/world/middleeast/iran-wont-halt-production-of-higher-grade-uranium.html?_r=1
President Obama has started hitting back at Republicans who accuse him of being the biggest-spending president in history, arguing that the increases in his budgets are the smallest in decades.http://www.npr.org/2012/05/28/153860608/obama-fires-back-on-spending-accusations?ft=1&f=1014
Host Rachel Martin talks with NPR's Scott Horsley about the aggressive campaigning in recent weeks by both President Obama and Mitt Romney. Both men are focusing on jobs and the economy.http://www.npr.org/2012/05/27/153812430/under-summer-sun-presidential-race-heats-up?ft=1&f=1014
GOP "Logic": More Jobs = Getting Worse
When Obama took office he were losing hundreds of thousands of jobs each month at a rapidly increasing rate. When Obama got election he slowed the loss of jobs until we started making gains in March 2012. We have been adding jobs for two consecutive years at the same rate as we were before the recession.
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