How many Speaker candidates does it take to screw-in a light bulb?
At least 14?
The legislative reality is that 150 House Representatives vote for the Speaker of the House, so how many candidates are needed? Apparently, no less than 14 candidates have “thrown their hats into the ring” for a shot at beating long-time incumbent Speaker Tom Craddick, who has shown consistently that he “eats” turncoat representatives “for breakfast”.
Winter is often a time when we forget about the real problems of the environment. When it snows we think there can’t be anything like global warming going on, for instance. That’s why I’m glad that several organizations, both non-profit and commercial, are carrying out advertising programs that are well designed, highly creative and thought provoking on the subject of environmental dangers and the causes our way of life creates.
Imagine life under these conditions: Living in limbo under a foreign occupier. Having no self-determination, no right of return, and no power over your daily life. Being in constant fear, economically strangled, and collectively punished.
Two former top aides of President George W. Bush dimiss claims that Vice President Dick Cheney was the "power behind the throne" or the puppetmaster who controlled the Presidency, saying the claims are "myth" or just plain "hooey."
In interviews with The Washington Post, former White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten and former National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley try to redefine the public perception of Bush’s eight years in office.
They say "the decider" really made the decisions although they admit there was a period in the Bush Presidency when others made decisions for him.
As Americans, we enter 2009 riding a tidal wave of crisis: a plummeting economy, multiple wars and a nation torn apart by bitter partisanship.
Yet we ride that wave on a surfboard of hope driven by a new President, a promise of change and a commitment to approach our many problems by building coalitions and crossing the angry battle lines of partisanship.
It’s no longer a question of "can we do it?" It becomes a mandate of "we must do it."
President-elect Barack Obama will meet with congressional leaders to discuss his economic stimulus plan and other legislative issues soon after his arrival in Washington in the coming days.
Obama and his family planned to fly to Washington on Sunday after their holiday vacation in Hawaii and a stopover in Chicago.
The president-elect was to meet with congressional leaders Monday, according to a senior Democratic congressional aide. Obama will meet with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, then join with them in a meeting with GOP leaders, said the aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he had not been authorized to discuss the plans.
By insisting that Hamas go first in any cease-fire with Israel, the Bush administration is sticking to its support for the Jewish state’s right of self-defense while stopping short of encouraging an Israeli ground assault aimed at fully reoccupying the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
Motorists are driving less and buying less gasoline, which means fuel taxes aren’t raising enough money to keep pace with the cost of road, bridge and transit programs.
That has the federal commission that oversees financing for transportation talking about increasing the federal fuel tax.
A 50 percent increase in gasoline and diesel fuel taxes is being urged by the commission to finance highway construction and repair until the government devises another way for motorists to pay for using public roads.
Despite early reservations, New York state’s most powerful legislative leader now says he’ll support Caroline Kennedy for the U.S. Senate if the governor names her to the seat expected to be vacated by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.
State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver told the New York Post he’s rethinking his views on Kennedy because he feels Gov. David Paterson will soon pick her to replace Clinton, President-elect Barack Obama’s choice as secretary of state.