Stories You Should Know (2/9/10)

Washington Post (Washington, DC)
Pennsylvania Rep. John Murtha (D), a Vietnam veteran and the longest serving Congressman from Pennsylvania, died yesterday at 77 years old.

Wall Street Journal (USA)
This weekend, Americans were treated to something new: Barack Obama defending his war policies by suggesting they merely continue his predecessor’s practices. The defense is illuminating, not least for its implicit recognition that George W. Bush has more credibility on fighting terrorists than does the sitting president.

Fox Indianapolis (Indianapolis, IN)
Former Republican Senator Dan Coats appears to be lagging behind other potential candidates when it comes to qualifying for the May primary.

ABC News (USA)
Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., had blocked more than 80 presidential nominations now before the Senate, but tonight he relented, saying he had simply been trying “to get the White House’s attention” on two important national security issues related to his state.

New York Times (New York, NY)
Still bruised by his presidential run and struggling to find his footing in the fractured Republican Party, Senator John McCain remains a formidable force in his home state. Most political analysts suggest that Mr. Hayworth begins as the underdog, and Mr. McCain’s supporters say they are confident. But McCain is turning to the right in the face of the primary attack.

Fox News (USA)
U.S. Rep. John Boozman decision to make a go for Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln’s seat makes him the ninth Republican named as a potential challenger, but a recent survey shows the congressman isn’t fighting for elbow room.

Stories You Should Know (2/8/10)

Wall Street Journal (USA)
President Barack Obama, seeking to give new momentum to his languishing health-care legislation, said he would sit down with Republican and Democratic lawmakers to exchange ideas on an issue that has deeply divided the parties.

Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, PA)
When U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter switched from a Republican to a Democrat last year, some Democratic loyalists in Pennsylvania said hell would freeze over before they’d embrace an old foe they had been battling in statewide elections for 30 years.

Chicago Tribune (Chicago, IL)
A tearful Scott Lee Cohen stepped down Sunday, saying he didn’t want to jeopardize the Democratic Party ticket. After Cohen won the Democratic nomination for Lt. Governor on Tuesday, word spread that he once was accused of abusing his ex-wife and holding a knife to the throat of an ex-girlfriend. He also admits using steroids in the past.

USA Today (USA)
Sarah Palin declared “America is ready for another revolution” and repeatedly assailed President Obama on Saturday before adoring “tea party” activists, a seemingly natural right-wing constituency should she run for president.

UPI (USA)
One-time Wall Street supporters of U.S. President Barack Obama are turning against him as he pushes for new regulations, The New York Times reported Monday.

Brown Seated as 41st GOP Senator

Yesterday, pro-choice Republican Senator Scott Brown was seated as the 41st Senator from Massachusetts. Brown is proving to be a welcome change on Capitol Hill. His common sense views on a myriad of issues have placed him in a unique position to help shift the GOP agenda away from divisive social issues and toward the vital concerns of jobs and the economy.  Brown joins a group of real Republicans, including Senators Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, who are able to have strong wins in what are often viewed as Democratic strong holds.

Bipartisanship is going to be imperative in these next months on Capitol Hill. The American people are angered by the Democrats’ refusal to allow Republicans at the drafting table as health care has been rammed through Congress. It is our sincerest hope that the moderate Republicans will be able to bring their fiscally conservative values to future talks- if the Democrats follow through on their new promises to open up the process to Republican input.

Stories You Should Know (2/5/10)

New York Times (New York, NY)
Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes conceded defeat Thursday in the Democratic primary for governor, promising to help Gov. Pat Quinn win in November.

Washington Post (Washington, DC)
President Obama will appoint a commission to tackle the nation’s budget problems with or without the cooperation of Republican congressional leaders, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said Thursday.

Bloomberg News (USA)
The unemployment rate in the U.S. unexpectedly declined in January to 9.7 percent, the lowest level since August, while payrolls dropped as companies boosted worker hours and overtime instead of taking on new hires.

New York Daily News (New York, NY)
Memo to Rush Limbaugh: Sarah Palin’s distaste for jerks who use “retard” as an insult goes for right-wing pals like you, too. After calling out Rahm Emanuel, Palin is taking on fellow right wingers in the already divided Tea Party sphere.

Stories You Should Know (2/4/10)

CNN (USA)
As the Tea Party’s first national convention gets under way, members are united in their anger but divided over the future of the movement.

WJZ13 (Dover, DE)
New Castle County executive Chris Coons is stepping into the void left by Attorney General Beau Biden and will seek the Democratic nomination for the Senate seat formerly held by Biden’s father.

Chicago Sun-Times (Chicago, IL)
Only a few hundred votes separate Bill Brady and Kirk Dillard in the GOP race for Illinois governor. Brady says he’s 700 votes ahead. Dillard says he’s only 100 votes behind. The Associated Press reports Brady 750 votes ahead with 99 percent of the state’s precincts reporting.

CBS News (USA)
“If I’m a RINO, then so is Ronald Reagan. I’m [a] less taxing, less spending, less government, more freedom kind of guy and I just take a pragmatic common sense approach to government. And if that’s not what the people want, they’ll let me know. But I’m confident that it is,” FL Governor and Senate Candidate Charlie Crist told the “Early Show”.

Political Hotsheet (USA)
It’s early, but it appears the Hotsheet has a frontrunner for most astounding political ad of 2010. Check out this new spot from “Carly for California,” Republican California Senate candidate Carly Fiorina’s campaign organization- featuring sheep.

Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, CA)
In his first public defense of the arrest of a Nigerian man accused of trying to bomb an airplane on Christmas Day, Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. said Wednesday that he personally made the decision to prosecute Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab and that no one in the Washington intelligence community objected that the alleged Al Qaeda operative should instead be turned over to military interrogators as a prisoner of war.

Stories You Should Know (2/3/10)

Politico (Washington, DC)
Tuesday’s too-close-to-call Democratic primary election between Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and state Comptroller Dan Hynes has set the stage for what promises to be a nasty and brutish election year for governors across the nation.

New York Times (New York, NY)
Emboldened by the response to President Obama’s face-off with House Republicans last week, the White House is intensifying its push to engage Congressional Republicans in policy negotiations as a way to share the burden of governing and put more scrutiny on Republican initiatives.

Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN)
Two Republicans and two DFLers emerged at the front of a crowded pack Tuesday in the Minnesota governor’s race.

Washington Post’s The Fix (Washington, DC)
Senate Republicans scored a major coup in their attempt to broaden the playing field this November by luring former senator Dan Coats (R) into the race against Sen. Evan Bayh  (D) in Indiana.

Daily Herald (Highland Park, IL)
RMC endorsed Republican primary candidate Beth Coulson lost a heated race to Bob Dold last night for the 10th District in Illinois. With all 511 precincts reporting, unofficial results showed Dold defeating Coulson 18,352 to 14,442.

Illinois Primaries Taking Place Today!

Today, Illinois voters are heading to the polls to vote in the important 2010 primaries. Many pundits and politicos are paying close attention to the GOP Senate primary, which Rep. Mark Kirk (IL-10) is expected to win. Kirk is seen by many as the answer to a Democratic stronghold- and pegged as the next Scott Brown. The GOP Primary to replace Kirk in Congress is also heating up. State Representative Beth Coulson is an outstanding common sense Republican and is facing a long list of challengers, two of whom have gained in the closing weeks after strong fundraising efforts.

RMC will update our members tomorrow on the outcome of all the races in Illinois, including the Illinois-10 primary.

Stories You Should Know (2/2/2010)

Chicago Tribune (Chicago, IL)
Today’s primary election decides the nominees for a long list of important offices, from U.S. Senate to State Treasurer.

Boston Globe (Boston, MA)
Pentagon officials are expected to announce today that they will significantly relax enforcement of the ban on gays serving openly in the military, according to sources inside and outside the military who have been briefed on the plan.

Nashua Telegraph (Nashua, NH)
President Barack Obama will propose today using $30 billion in money repaid from the bailout of big banks to increase small bank lending to small business.

New York Post (New York, NY)
Comic-pundit Stephen Colbert went on a truth-seeking mission with Harold Ford Jr., last night, roasting the likely Senate hopeful over his past statements on gay marriage and abortion rights a week after he criticized him as a flip-flopper on his late-night show.

Stories You Should Know (2/1/10)

Washington Post (Washington, DC)
The Senate race in the President’s home state will be among the most symbolically important and expensive races in the country this year. After Republican Scott Brown’s victory in Massachusetts this month, the GOP sees a clear path to victory in this Democratic state — and his name is Mark Kirk.

Politico (Washington, DC)
Republicans averted an ideological showdown here Friday, passing a tepid party resolution in place of a candidate “purity test.”

Wall Street Journal (USA)
President Barack Obama will propose on Monday a $3.8 trillion budget for fiscal 2011 that projects the deficit will shoot up to a record $1.6 trillion this year, but would push the red ink down to about $700 billion, or 4% of the gross domestic product, by 2013, according to congressional aides.

Albany Times Union (Albany, NY)
At a private meeting, more Democratic Party officials called for Attorney General Andrew Cuomo – not Gov. David Paterson – to lead the Democratic slate in 2010.

The Hill (Washington, DC)
Congressional Republicans had sent a split message on bipartisanship by the end of last week, with House members welcoming President Barack Obama’s plea to work together yet with GOP senators holding up a pair of party-line votes as the most likely way forward for Congress.

RNC Negotiates on Purity Test

RMC National Board co-Chair Candy Straight has a new blog up at the Huffington Post today. Candy addressed the dangerous “purity test resolution” being pushed by Party extremists that would cut many of the RNC’s top recruits out of funding, and mandate the so-called litmus tests. Candy’s post, which reminds all of us that an inclusive big tent GOP is the one and only way to win elections and promote the real Republican agenda of sound fiscal policy and economic growth.

On the heels of this post came the RNC announcement that the resolution has been changed so that, while there is still a negative litmus test, it cannot be used to withhold funding. This shows that the RNC recognizes that refusing to endorse anyone who disagrees with the Party on controversial social issues- and instead embraces the core issues of the Republican Party- is foolish; but they still must appease the small group of extremists that continue to try to manipulate the GOP.

What are your thoughts on Candy’s post and the RNC resolution? Tell us on our Real Republican Majority blog here.