Entries
McCain Blames Obama for Debt Stalemate
Politico reports : Hitting President Barack Obama for urging lawmakers to “eat your peas, ” Sen. John McCain said Thursday that he’s not impressed with the president’s negotiating style, but is still holding out for a last-minute deal to raise the debt ceiling because he “can’t imagine us …
You Read it First at FrumForum
Where should your primary source be for commentary on the War of 1812? FrumForum of course! Jonathan Rauch and Alex Massie are re-litigating the war of 1812 at Andrew Sullivan's site. As so often, it's worth remembering ... you read it first at FrumForum : When the U.S. went to war with …Reid: Cantor's Too "Childish" For Debt Talks
Politico reports : Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) lashed out at House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) in a floor speech saying he's acting "childish" and he has "shown he shouldn't be at the table." Citing anonymous Republicans criticizing Cantor in a POLITICO article, …
Obama May Move Debt Talks To Camp David
Bloomberg reports : President Barack Obama may summon congressional leaders to a Camp David summit this weekend after the latest round of White House negotiations on the deficit ended on a tense note and Moody’s Investors Service warned the stalemate could jeopardize the U.S.’s credit …
TSA To Test Risk-Based Airport Screening
The Associated Press reports : The Transportation Security Administration plans to test a program that would pre-screen certain travelers who volunteer more personal information so they can be vetted to potentially receive expedited screening at the checkpoint. This is the Obama administrat…
Pentagon Reveals Largest-Ever Cyber Theft
The New York Times reports : The Defense Department suffered one of its worst digital attacks in history in March, when foreign hackers broke into the computers of a corporate contractor and obtained 24, 000 sensitive Pentagon files during a single intrusion, senior officials said on …
Pelosi: GOP May Not Act On Debt Until Markets Plummet
The Hill reports : House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) warned Thursday that it might require financial markets to plummet before Republican leaders agree to raise the nation's debt ceiling. "I don't need to see markets drop 400 points, but Republicans may need to see markets drop …
Satellite Photos Show Mass Graves In Sudan
The Associated Press reports : Sudan activists on Thursday called for the United States and the international community to intervene in a region of Sudan inaccessible to outsiders after a U.S. group released satellite photos of what they said appear to be mass graves. The Satellite Sentinel …
GOP Stands by Brazilian Cotton Subsidies
As the Republicans in Congress continue to push President Obama to approve deep budget cuts as a condition for raising the debt ceiling, most of them refuse to repeal a program that seems like a clear case of wasteful spending. As the Republicans in Congress continue to push President Obama to …Will Contractors Sue After Default Day?
If contractors don't get paid after the debt ceiling is not raised, will they sue the federal government? What happens on the day after Aug 2 if the debt ceiling is not raised? Frum Forum this week contacted a number of government vendors and contractors who unanimously stated: they had no …Poll: Public Trusts Obama Over GOP On Economy
Politico reports : A majority of U.S. voters give a thumbs down to President Barack Obama’s handling of the economy, but they trust him more than congressional Republicans to get the country back on track — and favor his approach to trimming the nation’s debt, a poll out Thursday finds. …
McCain Calls For Cyber Security Panel
Reuters reports : Republican Senator John McCain called on Wednesday for the creation of a bipartisan panel to draft long-sought legislation to combat data breaches and espionage aimed at U.S. companies and defense networks. "The only way to move comprehensive cyber security legislation …
Jobless Claims Fall For Second Week
The Associated Press reports : Fewer people sought unemployment benefits last week, an encouraging sign the job market may be slowly improving. Weekly applications dropped 22,000 to a seasonally adjusted 405,000, the Labor Department said, the lowest level in almost three months. The …
Moody's May Downgrade U.S. Debt
Reuters reports : The United States may lose its top-notch credit rating in the next few weeks if lawmakers fail to increase the country's legal borrowing limit and the government misses debt payments, Moody's Investors Service warned on Wednesday. Moody's is the first of the big-three …
Retail Sales Up Slightly In June After May Drop
The Associated Press reports : Consumers spent more on cars and in big chain stores in June but falling gas prices held back retail sales. The Commerce Department said Thursday that retail sales rose a modest 0.1 percent last month. That follows a 0.1 percent decrease in May, the first …
Blast Hits Funeral For Karzai's Half Brother, Killing 4
The New York Times reports : An explosion ripped through one of the largest mosques here on Thursday as hundreds of mourners gathered to pay their respects to President Hamid Karzai ’s half brother, who was assassinated earlier this week. The attack raised fears that the city was …
China Urges U.S. To Act Responsibly On Debt
The New York Times reports : China, the United States’ biggest creditor, urged the U.S. government on Thursday to act to protect investors’ interests, highlighting rising concerns around the globe about the protracted budget talks taking place in Washington. U.S. policy makers are …
Black: Murdoch a "Great Bad Man"
Conrad Black writes : Rupert Murdoch is probably the most successful media proprietor and operator in history. There is no possible argument about his boldness, vision and skill of execution in conquering the British tabloid market, leading vertical media integration by uniting film …
Signs of Good News in the Recovery
The economy is currently very weak, but as I write in my column for The Week, there are some signs of good news. The economy is currently very weak, but as I write in my column for The Week , there are some signs of good news. It's been a summer of bad news: Bad job news, bad housing news, …