Liza Porteus Viana -- Politics Daily

Published: 05/27/09

Sen. Roland Burris Says He Was Only 'Placating' Blagojevich

Sen. Roland Burris - mired in a pay-to-play investigation involving impeached former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich - says not only did he never intend to pay Blago a cent to get Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat, but he was essentially full of BS when he told the governor's brother he would donate some money to his campaign."I was only placating the governor's brother," the Illinois Democrat told MSNBC's Chris Matthews tonight, as Matthews went over and over certain portions of the just-released transcripts of Burris' phone conversations with Rob Blagojevich, the governor's brother, which seem ...

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Published: 05/27/09

Lawyers for White House: Sonia Sotomayor is No Activist

The White House trotted out an array of lawyers today to essentially send the message that Sonia Sotomayor is no judicial activist. Lawyers that know her personally or who have combed through some of her decisions say they see no proof that she would be an "activist" judge, in fact, she very well may be just the opposite."Judge Sotomayor is not a judge that goes out on a limb" to issue her version of the law, said University of Colorado law professor Scott Ross.After listening to them on a conference call today, one would almost think Sotomayor would be seen more favorably by Republicans than ...

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Published: 05/26/09

NJ Governor's Race: Chris Christie's Opponents Protest Sean Hannity

The feisty New Jersey governor's race is coming to Manhattan.FOX News' Sean Hannity last week interviewed Republican Chris Christie, the former U.S. attorney battling for against Bogota, NJ, Mayor Steve Lonegan for their party's nomination to run against incumbent Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine this fall. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani joined him on the set. But apparently, some Lonegan supporters aren't thrilled that Hannity had Christie in his show, and not Lonegan, so they're planning a protest at 7 p.m. ET tonight outside of FOX headquarters in Midtown Manhattan. The pro-Lonegan blog, ...

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Published: 05/21/09

Rhode Island Rep. Offers to Waterboard Bush for Charity

It turns out the waterboarding-for-charity idea is a popular sport these days.Sean Hannity and Keith Olbermann had a very public feud over who was going to be waterboarded and for how long -- proceeds of which would go to charity. Wasn't at all funny, but sadly, it sure was good cable and blog fodder, no? Well now we've got a Rhode Island lawmaker offering to pay $100 a second for someone to endure the simulated drowning -- and that someone is former President Bush. Democratic state Rep. Rod Driver has sent letters via certified mail to Bush, Dick Cheney and former Secretary of State ...

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Published: 05/20/09

Movies, Anti-Piracy Caucus: Stop Stealing Our Stuff

New topic that has nothing to do with Nancy Pelosi, Rush Limbaugh, Michael Steele. Gasp!Members of the Congressional International Anti-Piracy Caucus (IAPC) today released its 2009 Priority Watch List of countries where piracy -- the theft of anything that's supposed to be enjoy intellectual property protections, including CDs, DVDs, even car parts and medicines, often via the Internet -- has reached alarming levels. Canada, China, Mexico, Russia and Spain made it to this year's list. The United States government has its own list of countries to watch because of rampant IP theft, but that list ...

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Published: 05/20/09

Colin Powell Bites Back at Dick Cheney, Rush Limbaugh

I've been waiting for this moment. Ever since Dick Cheney essentially disowned Colin Powell on behalf of the Republican Party -- mostly for his endorsement of Barack Obama during the White House race -- and Rush Limbaugh said Powell should just become a Democrat already and be done with it, I've been wondering when Powell would emerge. Well it seems like now he has, and he isn't stooping quite as low as Cheney or Limbaugh.Speaking before 1,500 business leaders in Boston -- as well as Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and supermodel wife Gisele Bundchen -- Tuesday night, the former Bush ...

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Published: 05/14/09

Rep. John Shadegg: Mark Sanford Could Lead GOP, Not Rush Limbaugh

More proof today that while they may not know exactly who their leader is, Republicans still cringe when people refer to conservative talk-show host Rush Limbaugh as "the" guy. "I don't believe Rush Limbaugh was elected," Rep. John Shadegg, R-Ariz., said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" this morning when someone referenced Limbaugh as the "party leader." "Rush Limbaugh is a television personality. I don't think he's head of the Republican Party, last I looked." "I'm not sure there is a clear leader of the Republican Party" party at the moment, he continued, adding that "we're in the process of trying ...

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Published: 05/14/09

John Boehner: CIA Didn't Lie, But Maybe Nancy Pelosi Did

House Republican Leader John Boehner isn't buying what Nancy Pelosi is selling - that she didn't know waterboarding was being used in September of 2002. And he doesn't think anyone else should buy it either, particularly because the CIA says it's sticking by its story that Pelosi and others did know it would be used. The "problem" is that "the Speaker has too many stories on this issue ... she's provided more questions than she has provided answers," Boehner, R-Ohio, told reporters today just after Pelosi left the podium to try to clarify what she knew about enhanced interrogation techniques ...

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Published: 05/11/09

With Corzine in Trouble, Biden Comes to New Jersey

I live in New Jersey. I'm from New York but live in New Jersey. It's important I make that distinction, since when you grow up in New York, you grow up with this rivalry toward New Jersey that you never quite understand. (Some may have their own opinions as to why this is, but since I'm waiting to hear from a certain New Jersey educational institution about grad school, I'll just say that I've come to appreciate many aspects of this wonderful state that I haven't before - aside from the drivers who terrify me and never follow proper road rules.) It's a similar feud between Maryland (I've lived ...

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Published: 05/8/09

GOP: Waterboarding Never Happened at Gitmo But 'Nemo' Did

In their latest attempt to keep the Obama administration from shutting down Guantanamo Bay too soon - if at all - Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, says the detention camp is getting a bad rep and it should stay opened. He visited Gitmo last week, and writes in The Hill: "Guantanamo Bay has been inaccurately portrayed as a site of ongoing detainee torture and mistreatment – nothing could be further from the truth. We have done a grave injustice by allowing widespread misperceptions of the facility to be perpetuated."He goes on to say that, "contrary to popular belief," waterboarding never ...

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