Politics Daily

Hawaii Considers Bill to Ignore Repeated Requests for Obama's Birth Certificate

Christopher Weber — 2010-03-17T15:00:00 00:00

The small but vocal group of conspiracists who question whether Barack Obama was born in the United States continues to pepper the state of Hawaii with requests for the president's birth certificate -- and some state officials are fed up. Now a bill has been introduced in the state House to allow government workers to ignore the repeated demands of the Obama skeptics known as birthers, The Associated Press reported.

Hawaii officials have repeatedly issued statements that Obama was born in the state and that the Health Department holds a copy of his original birth certificate. A copy of the document has been made available on the Internet.

That hasn't stopped some Obama opponents from continually submitting requests for the certificate, at a rate of up to 20 a week. They believe Obama is not native-born and therefore is ineligible to be president.

Supporters of the bill, introduced by state Sen. Will Espero, a Democrat, say that responding to the "vexatious requesters" wastes time, resources and money.

"They're spurred on by these 'birther' blogs who direct them to bombard the Health Department even though they have no legitimate right to the information," department spokeswoman Janice Okubo told USA Today. "They've been misled to believe that the state of Hawaii gives out birth information to anyone who requests it, but really our law protects birth information. We're entrusted with protecting people's vital records. To open them up would mean opening them up to identity theft and other types of concerns."

Nobody at a state House Judiciary Committee hearing on the bill questioned whether the president was born in Hawaii, but some criticized the idea of legislating against government openness.

"When people want to get more information, the way to fuel that fire is to say, 'We're now going to draw down a veil of secrecy,' " said state Rep. Cynthia Thielen, a Republican.

The committee was expected to schedule a vote on the bill.

Read the bill here.

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Iraq Corruption Cases Focus on Americans in Rebuilding Projects

Christopher Weber — 2010-03-15T18:15:00 00:00

Filed under: Iraq, Scandal, Investigations, Crime

More than 50 corruption cases have been opened in the last six months by U.S. investigators looking into the dealings of Americans involved in the $150 million Iraq reconstruction project.

Some of the cases concern suspects who allegedly mailed tens of thousands of dollars to themselves from Iraq or who stuffed money into duffel bags and suitcases when leaving the country, The New York Times reported. Others are suspected of wiring millions of dollars at a time back home or to foreign accounts in Ghana, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Britain.

Starting last summer, investigators began scrutinizing large cash transactions and were led to cases involving land deals, car purchases, loan payments and gambling debts. According to the Times:

There have already been dozens of indictments and convictions for corruption since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. But the new cases seem to confirm what investigators have long speculated: that the chaos, weak oversight and wide use of cash payments in the reconstruction program in Iraq allowed many more Americans who took bribes or stole money to get off scot-free.

"I've had a continuing sense that there is ongoing fraud that we have not been able to nail down," said Stuart W. Bowen Jr., who leads the Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, an independent oversight agency. "This spate of new cases is evidence that that sense was reasonably well placed."

A similar probe of rebuilding funds for Afghanistan began last month.

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FCC Wants to Speed Up Your Internet Connection

Christopher Weber — 2010-03-15T18:00:00 00:00

Filed under: Media, Obama Administration, Internet

Affordable and faster Internet connections would be available to all Americans under a sweeping new proposal by the Federal Communications Commission to overhaul the U.S. broadband system.

The FCC plan to wire the entire country for broadband will be delivered to Congress on Tuesday but is available online now. It reflects the White House position that high-speed Internet access is not a luxury but critical for economic development, education and health care, The Associated Press reported.

"To me, broadband is an infrastructure challenge that's very akin to what we've faced in the past with telephones and electricity," FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski told the AP. Genachowski has made the national broadband plan his top priority.

The ten-year goal is to give 100 million homes broadband connections of 100 megabits per second -- at least 20 times faster than most home connections now.

The proposal also seeks to put super-fast one-gigabit-per-second Internet access in public facilities such as schools, hospitals and government buildings in every U.S. community, The Los Angeles Times reported.

Read the FCC proposal here.

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McCain Challenger Hayworth on Gay Marriage: Could Human-Horse Unions Be Next?

Christopher Weber — 2010-03-15T12:30:00 00:00

Filed under: Senate, Republicans, John McCain, Media, Gay Rights

J.D. Hayworth, the former congressman challenging Sen. John McCain in Arizona's Republican primary, said he supports a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriages because otherwise men might end up marrying horses.

Hayworth appeared on an Orlando, Fla., radio station over the weekend. When asked about the gay marriage decision handed down by the Massachusetts Supreme Court, he had what The Huffington Post described as a "Rick Santorum 'man on dog' moment."

"You see, the Massachusetts Supreme Court, when it started this move toward same-sex marriage, actually defined marriage -- now get this -- it defined marriage as simply, 'the establishment of intimacy,' " Hayworth said. "Now how dangerous is that? I mean, I don't mean to be absurd about it, but I guess I can make the point of absurdity with an absurd point -- I guess that would mean if you really had affection for your horse, I guess you could marry your horse. It's just the wrong way to go, and the only way to protect the institution of marriage is with that federal marriage amendment that I support."

Listen to Hayworth's comments here:

In 2003, then-Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) offered a similar response to a gay marriage question during an interview with The Associated Press.

"In every society, the definition of marriage has not ever to my knowledge included homosexuality," Santorum said. "That's not to pick on homosexuality. It's not, you know, man on child, man on dog, or whatever the case may be. If the Supreme Court says that you have the right to consensual sex within your home, then you have the right to bigamy, you have the right to polygamy, you have the right to incest, you have the right to adultery. You have the right to anything."

McCain has said he opposes a federal marriage amendment, though he has backed state-level laws banning same-sex nuptials.

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Terrorism Suspect Worked at U.S. Nuclear Plants

Christopher Weber — 2010-03-12T19:21:00 00:00

Filed under: Terror, Yemen

A New Jersey man arrested in a roundup of al-Qaeda suspects in Yemen this month worked at nuclear plants in the United States, officials said.

Authorities are investigating whether Sharif Mobley, 26, might have had access to sensitive information that would have been useful to terrorists, The Associated Press reported.

Between 2002 and 2008, when he moved to Yemen, Mobley performed routine maintenance at plants in Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. NRC officials said a laborer of Mobley's status typically would not have access to security-related information.

Mobley, a U.S. citizen, passed all federal background checks and security screenings, New York's Daily News reported.

A spokesman for the Yemeni embassy in Washington said there was no immediate connection between Mobley's arrest in Yemen and his work at the plants.

Mobley was detained along with 10 other al-Qaeda suspects in a security sweep in Yemen's capital of San'a.

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Tax Refunds To Be Delayed in Some States

Christopher Weber — 2010-03-12T17:05:00 00:00

Filed under: Taxes

Residents of a half dozen states will have to wait up to five months for their tax returns as officials freeze funds because of budget shortfalls, USA Today reported.

Hawaiians may not see refunds until August because the cash-strapped state has pushed the payouts into the next fiscal period, which begins in July.

New York, struggling with a $9 billion deficit, may delay $500 million in refunds to keep the state from running out of money, Gov. David Paterson said.

"It's an indicator of how bad it is," Scott Pattison, executive director of the National Association of State Budget Officers, told the newspaper. "You know things are bad when you have to do that."

Most states typically issue refunds within 30 days.

Officials in California, which in 2009 offered residents IOUs, said they expected refunds to go out on time this year.

States where residents can expect a delayed refund: Hawaii, Alabama, North Carolina, Kansas, Idaho, and New York.

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Christian Leader Calls for Glenn Beck Boycott Over 'Social Justice' Comments

Christopher Weber — 2010-03-11T22:10:00 00:00

Filed under: Religion, Media

An evangelical leader in Washington called on Christians to boycott Glenn Beck, a week after the Fox News personality told his audience that "social justice," the term many churches use to describe their efforts to address poverty and human rights, is a "code word" for communism and Nazism.

On his "God's Politics" blog, the Rev. Jim Wallis urged Christians to switch off Beck's popular radio and television programs for good because of his comments about social justice.

Beck told Christians to discuss the term with their priests and pastors and to leave their churches if leaders would not reconsider their emphasis on social justice.

"I don't know if Beck is just strange, just trying to be controversial, or just trying to make money," wrote Wallis, who heads the antipoverty group Sojourners. "But in any case, what he has said attacks the very heart of our Christian faith, and Christians should no longer watch his show."

Wallis wasn't the only one Beck offended, The New York Times reported:

With his comments Mr. Beck, in vilifying churches that promote "social justice," managed to insult just about every mainline Protestant, Roman Catholic, African-American, Hispanic and Asian congregation in the country -- not to mention plenty of evangelical ones.

Even Mormon scholars in Mr. Beck's own church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said in interviews that Mr. Beck seemed ignorant of just how central social justice teaching was to Mormonism.

"I beg you, look for the words 'social justice' or 'economic justice' on your church Web site," Beck said last week. " If you find it, run as fast as you can. Social justice and economic justice, they are code words. Now, am I advising people to leave their church? Yes!"

Later, Beck held up cards, one with a hammer and sickle and the other with a swastika. "Communists are on the left, and the Nazis are on the right. That's what people say. But they both subscribe to one philosophy, and they flew one banner. . . But on each banner, read the words, here in America: 'social justice.' They talked about economic justice, rights of the workers, redistribution of wealth, and surprisingly, democracy."

Beck hasn't commented on the boycott.

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New York AG Andrew Cuomo Recuses Himself from David Paterson Probes

Christopher Weber — 2010-03-11T20:08:00 00:00

Filed under: Democrats, Scandal, Investigations

New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has removed himself from his office's investigations of Gov. David Paterson and appointed an independent counsel, as he apparently gears up to announce his own gubernatorial run.

Cuomo said Thursday that Judith Kaye, the former chief judge of New York's highest court, would lead the inquiries into Paterson's handling of an aide's domestic violence case and whether the governor lied about soliciting World Series tickets.

"This is an unfortunate situation and these are unfortunate days," Cuomo told reporters of the scandals surrounding Paterson.

As for his own expected bid for governor, Cuomo remained noncommittal, though he is widely expected to run.

"At the appropriate time, I will be announcing my political intentions," Cuomo said.

Paterson dropped out of the race last month as details emerged about his efforts to prevent a woman from going public with charges of abuse against one of his top aides. That was followed by a report by the State Commission on Public Integrity that said Paterson had testified falsely during a probe into whether he had accepted free World Series tickets last fall.

Kaye, the first woman to serve on the state's high court, was appointed in 1983 by Cuomo's father, former Gov. Mario Cuomo. She retired in 2008 and now works for the international law firm Skadden, Arps.

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Virginia Lawmakers Vote to Block National Health Care Overhaul

Christopher Weber — 2010-03-11T16:13:00 00:00

Filed under: Health Care, Obama Administration

Virginia's General Assembly has become the first state legislature to approve a measure that would block any federal efforts to institute health care reform.

The legislation passed, 80-17, Wednesday in the House of Delegates, after having already made it through the Senate. The bill now heads to the desk of Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell, who has promised to sign it, The Associated Press reported.

Supporters say the move preserves Virginia's sovereignty, but the legality of such legislation is under question since federal laws generally supersede those of states.

"We never gave Washington the power to force us to buy any products of any kind," Del. Charles Poindexter told Richmond's CBS News affiliate. "Insurance is a product. They're saying I have to buy insurance."

The Assembly is controlled by Republicans but 21 of 39 Democrats backed the bill.

Thirty-four other state legislatures have filed or proposed similar measures rejecting mandated health insurance, according to the AP.

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New E-mails Could Expand Sen. John Ensign Investigation

Christopher Weber — 2010-03-10T21:42:00 00:00

Filed under: Senate, Republicans, Scandal, Investigations, Congress

E-mails obtained by the FBI and congressional ethics investigators provide new evidence about Sen. John Ensign's efforts to allegedly provide lobbying jobs for the husband of his former mistress, in violation of Senate rules, The New York Times reported late Wednesday.

Ensign (R-Nev.) asked a Las Vegas development company to hire the husband, Douglas Hampton, after the firm had requested the senator's help on several energy projects in 2008, according to the e-mails.

Ensign had denied knowing the work might involve congressional lobbying but the e-mails apparently contradict that claim, according to the Times. It is the first written evidence tying the senator to efforts to find clients for Hampton after Ensign had an affair with his wife, Cynthia Hampton, the newspaper said.

Investigators are also examining a $96,000 payment Ensign's parents made to Douglas Hampton, one of the senator's closest friends and top aides.

"Senator Ensign has stated clearly, he has not violated any law or Senate ethics rule," said Rebecca Fisher, the senator's spokeswoman.

Ensign first admitted his affair with Cynthia Hampton in June 2009 after being prodded by Republican senators to end the affair.

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Minorities in U.S. Could Become the Majority in 40 Years

Christopher Weber — 2010-03-10T20:30:00 00:00

Filed under: Race

Minorities are on their way to majority status in the U.S., and demographers say 2010 could be the "tipping point" -- the first year the number of babies born to non-white Americans outnumbers children born to whites.

Minorities made up 48 percent of children born in 2008, the last year census estimates are available, compared to 37 percent in 1990, The Associated Press reported. This year that number is expected to top 50 percent.

If the trend continues, minorities are expected to become the U.S. majority within 40 years. Whites currently make up two-thirds of the total population.

"Census projections suggest America may become a minority-majority country by the middle of the century. For America's children, the future is now," University of New Hampshire sociologist Kenneth Johnson told the AP.

A major reason for the switch is the fact that a growing number of Hispanic women in their prime childbearing years are immigrating to the U.S.

The numbers will come into greater focus after the conclusion of the 2010 census, which begins next week.

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Expanded Audit Program to Go After Government Waste, Fraud

Christopher Weber — 2010-03-10T19:30:00 00:00

Filed under: Health Care, Obama Administration

The government is increasing the use of audits that go after waste and fraud, particularly within Medicare, Medicaid, and other state-run health care programs, the White House announced Wednesday.

President Obama signed a memorandum ordering federal agencies to expand the "payment recapture audit" program, which compensates private sector auditors who uncover fraud or waste, The Los Angeles Times reported. The auditors get to keep a portion of any improper payments they find.

The technique will be used to examine a variety of government programs but will focus on Medicare and Medicaid.

Pilot payment recapture audits in California, New York, and Texas recovered $900 million in taxpayer money from 2005 to 2008, the White House said.

The White House estimates that the audits could return at least $2 billion to the government over the next three years, according to CBS News.

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Harry Reid Promises Filibuster Reform

Christopher Weber — 2010-03-10T17:34:00 00:00

Filed under: Senate, Democrats, Congress, Harry Reid

Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Wednesday he supports changing filibuster rules, pledging that the Senate would consider revisions next year.

The filibuster -- a procedure used in the Senate to delay or block action on a measure -- has been "abused," and the current level of obstruction is unacceptable, Reid told a group of liberal bloggers, according to The Huffington Post.

"But we're going to take a look at the filibuster. Next Congress, we're going to take a look at it," Reid said. "We are likely to have to make some changes in it because the Republicans have abused that just like the spitball was abused in baseball and the four-corner offense was abused in basketball."

Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) have previously pushed for reforms to the filibuster. Schumer is planning to hold hearings on the issue in the Rules and Administration Committee later this month, Roll Call reported.

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House Democrats Ban Earmarks for Private Contractors

Christopher Weber — 2010-03-10T15:30:00 00:00

Filed under: House, Democrats, Congress

Democrats in the House said Wednesday they will ban lawmakers from using spending bills to steer federal money to for-profit companies in their home states.

Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.) announced the crackdown on earmarks for private firms, which are offered no-bid contracts and often return the favor with campaign contributions, The Associated Press reported.

The ban could mean 1,000 fewer earmarks in a year, saving billions of dollars, Obey said.

The move comes as House Democrats try to deflect criticism that they have not aggressively enforced ethics rules Speaker Nancy Pelosi put in place in 2007, USA Today reported.

Republicans in the House are considering a ban on all earmarks as a way to appeal to voters fed up with Washington's profligate spending.

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) praised the move by House Democrats on Tuesday and pledged to force a vote this week on a similar earmark ban in the Senate.

"Nancy Pelosi and I don't agree on many things, but if she's willing to take a stand for taxpayers, I'll work with her to put an end to the earmark favor factory," DeMint said in a statement.

Congress awarded nearly $16 billion in earmarks for the current fiscal year, according to the watchdog group Taxpayers for Common Sense.

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National Worker ID Card Proposed for Immigration Plan

Christopher Weber — 2010-03-09T20:00:00 00:00

Filed under: Immigration

A comprehensive immigration bill coming together in the Senate could include a requirement that all American workers obtain a national biometric identification card.

Under the proposal, all legal U.S. workers, including citizens and immigrants, would get an ID card with information such as fingerprints embedded onto it, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

The effort is being spearheaded by Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). They and their supporters say requiring companies to hire only people with worker ID cards would keep illegal immigrants from taking American jobs.

Privacy advocates fear such a card, which is common in European countries, would become a de facto national ID that would allow the government to track citizens.

Schumer and Graham hope to meet with President Obama on the issue this week. An administration official told the Journal the White House had no position on the worker ID card.

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Former John Edwards Staffer Could End Up In Jail Over Sex Tape

Christopher Weber — 2010-03-09T19:00:00 00:00

Filed under: John Edwards, Scandal, Video

A North Carolina judge said he was considering sending former John Edwards staffer Andrew Young and his wife, Cheri, to jail for not turning over all copies of a sex tape featuring the onetime presidential candidate and his mistress, Rielle Hunter.

Superior Court Judge Abraham Jones said Tuesday that the couple had not been truthful about the number of copies made of the tape and how many people have seen it, the Raleigh News & Observer reported.

The judge gave the couple until Friday to account for discrepancies in their story about the handling of the tape and other items related to a lawsuit by Hunter, according to The Associated Press.

Last month the judge held Andrew and Cheri Young in contempt. Tuesday's was the fourth court hearing on the matter.

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In Israel, Biden Condemns East Jerusalem Settlements

Christopher Weber — 2010-03-09T17:19:00 00:00

Filed under: Joe Biden, Foreign Policy, Obama Administration

Vice President Joe Biden released a statement shortly after arriving in Israel Tuesday that condemns a decision by the government to allow new settlements in disputed east Jerusalem.

Israel's announcement of the construction of 1,600 new homes for Jews in east Jerusalem came just hours after Biden met with President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"The substance and timing of the announcement, particularly with the launching of proximity talks, is precisely the kind of step that undermines the trust we need right now and runs counter to the constructive discussions that I've had here in Israel," Biden said in a statement released by the White House. "We must build an atmosphere to support negotiations, not complicate them."

U.S. Middle East peace envoy George Mitchell would act an an intermediary between the Israelis and Palestinians in the indirect proximity talks.

Biden is in the Middle East to reassure Israelis that the U.S. will stand in the way of Iran's nuclear program. He also wants to prod Israel to resume peace talks with Palestinians, who oppose the settlements.

At their meeting earlier, Biden told Peres there "is absolutely no space between the United States and Israel in terms of Israel's security."

Here is Biden's full statement on the planned settlements:

"I condemn the decision by the government of Israel to advance planning for new housing units in East Jerusalem. The substance and timing of the announcement, particularly with the launching of proximity talks, is precisely the kind of step that undermines the trust we need right now and runs counter to the constructive discussions that I've had here in Israel. We must build an atmosphere to support negotiations, not complicate them. This announcement underscores the need to get negotiations under way that can resolve all the outstanding issues of the conflict. The United States recognizes that Jerusalem is a deeply important issue for Israelis and Palestinians and for Jews, Muslims and Christians. We believe that through good faith negotiations, the parties can mutually agree on an outcome that realizes the aspirations of both parties for Jerusalem and safeguards its status for people around the world. Unilateral action taken by either party cannot prejudge the outcome of negotiations on permanent status issues. As George Mitchell said in announcing the proximity talks, "we encourage the parties and all concerned to refrain from any statements or actions which may inflame tensions or prejudice the outcome of these talks.""

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Hillary Clinton Says Elections Key to Haiti Stability, Promises U.S. Help

Christopher Weber — 2010-03-09T15:54:00 00:00

Filed under: Haiti

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton promised that the United States will work with Haiti to hold rescheduled elections as soon as possible, telling President Rene Preval that a national vote will help "ensure the stability" of the earthquake-ravaged country.

Clinton met with Preval Tuesday in Washington to discuss legislative elections, which were postponed after the Jan. 12 earthquake, as well as ongoing relief efforts in Haiti, The Los Angeles Times reported.

"I assured President Preval that the United States would work with the international community to hold elections as soon as appropriate," Clinton told reporters after the meeting.

Preval said he was confident elections would be held before he leaves office Feb. 11, 2011, to ensure a smooth transition, Reuters reported.

But both Preval and Clinton stressed that the extent of destruction meant that Haiti had more basic concerns, such as providing its citizens shelter, medical care and food and water. The quake killed some 220,000 people and caused up to $14 billion in damage.

Clinton said the U.S. would also seek to persuade more countries to grant trade benefits to Haiti. The U.S. has provided $700 million in assistance to the island, the poorest nation in the western hemisphere.

Preval will meet with President Obama Wednesday.

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New Foreclosures Plan Will Pay Homeowners to Sell

Christopher Weber — 2010-03-08T20:00:00 00:00

Filed under: Economy, Obama Administration

The government's mortgage modification plan hasn't helped as many defaulting homeowners as was hoped, so the Obama administration will try a different tack to avoid foreclosures. Instead of trying to keep people in their homes, the government will pay them to leave, The New York Times reported.

Under the new program going into effect April 5, homeowners at risk of defaulting would be allowed to sell for less than they owe. They could also get an additional cash payment.

Banks and other lenders will have to accept the short sale, forgiving the difference between the market price of the home and what they are owed.

The government money would serve as an incentive to bring all the parties to the table. Aside from the $1,000 payments that servicing banks get for loan modifications, they can get another $1,000 toward a second loan if one is made and, for the first time, the homeowners themselves would get a payment of $1,500 to help them relocate.

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Sin Tax on Sodas? NYC Mayor Says It Would Be Good for State

Christopher Weber — 2010-03-08T18:30:00 00:00

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is pushing lawmakers to pass a penny-per-ounce tax on sodas sold in the state in order to raise money that would prevent the need for cuts in health care services and education financing.

In his weekly radio address, Bloomberg urged the State Legislature to consider his plan as a way to help the state close its growing budget gap, Reuters reported.

"An extra 12 cents on a can of soda would raise nearly $1 billion, allowing us to keep community health services open and teachers in the classroom," Bloomberg said in Sunday's speech. "And, at the same time, it would help us fight a major problem plaguing our children: obesity."

The mayor would need state permission to impose a tax in New York City. In December, Gov. David Paterson said he supported a tax on sugary drinks, the Daily News reported.

The American Beverage Association, whose members include Coca-Cola, Pepsi and other soda makers, said Bloomberg's proposal would threaten jobs in its industry.

In the past, Bloomberg spearheaded bans on smoking and the use of trans fats in New York City bars and restaurants.

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