Iowa

Iowa GOPers Attempting To Impeach Four Judges Who Overturned Same-Sex Marriage Ban

Jillian Rayfield | April 22, 2011, 6:13PM

Five GOP lawmakers in the Iowa House have introduced four resolutions, each one to impeach one of the four remaining state Supreme Court justices who ruled in favor of same-sex marriage in 2009.

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John Ensign

Ensign Still On The Ethics Hook After Resigning

Susan Crabtree | April 22, 2011, 3:47PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

Scandal-scarred Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) may have hoped resigning would keep quiet unsavory details and new charges surrounding his affair with a top staffer's wife, but he's not off the hook yet.

The Senate Ethics Committee issued a rare statement Friday signaling it would continue its investigation of Ensign's affair and steps he took to keep it quiet despite having formally resigned his Senate seat. Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Johnny Isakson (R-GA), the top Democrat and Republican on the panel respectively, said his resignation is "appropriate" and indicated they would wrap up work on the probe as soon as possible.

"The Senate Ethics Committee has worked diligently for nearly 22 months on this matter and will complete its work in a timely fashion," they said in the statement.

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9/11 First Responders

9/11 First Responders To Be Run Through FBI Terrorism Watch List Before Getting Health Care Benefits

Jillian Rayfield | April 22, 2011, 2:59PM

New York Firefighter Lt. Jerry Reilly on 9/11

Medical providers will soon inform 9/11 first responders about a provision in the James Zadroga 9/11 Health And Compensation law that requires them to be run through the FBI's terrorism watch list before they can receive health care benefits.

According to a letter obtained by Michael McAuliff of the Huffington Post, Dr. John Howard, director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, is instructing health care providers to tell their patients about the provision before they can begin to receive benefits in July.

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Kevin Harpham

Hate Crime Charge Added To Case Against MLK Day Bomb Suspect

Eric Lach | April 22, 2011, 2:57PM

Kevin William Harpham (Photo courtesy of KXLY.)

A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Washington has added a hate crime charge to the counts facing Kevin Harpham, the man suspected of planting a bomb in a backpack along a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day parade route in Spokane, Wash.

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Doug Kmiec

Republican Obama Supporter Resigns As Ambassador, Says State Dept. Nixed Reagan Article

Ryan J. Reilly | April 22, 2011, 12:25PM

Doug Kmiec, a prominent conservative supporter of President Barack Obama who submitted his resignation as the U.S. ambassador to Malta earlier this month, says the State Department improperly clamped down on articles he wrote about his Catholic faith and his admiration for President Ronald Reagan.

The former Justice Department official, one of Obama's most prominent conservative and pro-life supporters, spoke to me on Thursday by phone from the Malta embassy. He said it was the first time he had spoken to a reporter since his resignation letter was accepted out of respect to the request of the State Department that he not comment to the media until the President had a chance to act on his letter.

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Terry Jones

Quran-Burning Pastor's Gun Accidentally Goes Off In Michigan

Eric Lach | April 22, 2011, 9:55AM

Dr. Terry Jones, leader of the Dove World Outreach Center

Just when you thought the sad saga of Quran-burning Florida pastor Terry Jones couldn't get more absurd...

According to Southfield, Michigan police, Jones' .40-caliber handgun fired accidentally as he was leaving a television studio there on Thursday night. This is presumably the same handgun he said he intended to bring to his planned anti-sharia law protest in Dearborn, Michigan on Friday, though he's said he's come to Dearborn "totally in peace."

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Terry Jones

Dearborn Mayor To Terry Jones: If We Were Under Sharia Law Would We Have Three Strip Clubs?

Jillian Rayfield | April 21, 2011, 5:35PM

Mayor of Dearborn M Jack O'Reilly Jr. and Pastor Terry Jones

Jack O'Reilly Jr., the mayor of Dearborn, Michigan, has written an open letter to publicity-seeking, Quran-burning Florida pastor Terry Jones, in an effort to dissuade him from protesting in front of a Dearborn mosque. In the letter, O'Reilly tells Jones it's ridiculous to believe that the city is under Sharia law: "If Dearborn practiced Sharia law, would we have three adult entertainment bars and more alcohol-licensed bars and restaurants per capita than most other cities?"

"None of that should be allowed under Sharia law," O'Reilly said.

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Lobbyists

What The Lobbyists' Lobbyist Is Lobbying For

Ryan J. Reilly | April 21, 2011, 3:45PM

Howard Marlowe

Howard Marlowe thinks disclosure is important. Technically, the longtime lobbyist will tell you, he didn't even have to register on behalf of the American League of Lobbyists (ALL), since his position as president is on a volunteer basis. But register he did, on behalf of his own lobbying firm Marlowe & Company, a few months after taking over ALL in January.

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Keith Ellison

Keith Ellison Spars With Sean Hannity: 'Stop Making It Like Only Muslims Are The Problem'

Jillian Rayfield | April 21, 2011, 1:10PM

Sean Hannity and Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN)

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) -- one of two Muslims currently serving in Congress -- went on Sean Hannity's show Wednesday night to discuss the controversy surrounding last month's Muslim "radicalization" hearings by Rep. Peter King, and the results were predictably charged.

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Bobby Jindal

Critics Blast Jindal's Hush-Hush Health Care Privatization Push

Eric Lach | April 21, 2011, 12:37PM

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal

With his state facing a $1.6 billion budget hole, Governor Bobby Jindal is pushing to privatize the agency that manages Louisiana state employees' health insurance, even though -- or perhaps, because -- it's managed to amass a half billion dollar surplus. The Jindal administration is keeping quiet on the move, while critics are blasting it as a shortsighted plan that will benefit private interests, at the expense of the state's.

Last week, just as questions about Jindal's push to privatize the state's Office of Group Benefits (OGB) were getting louder, the agency's chief executive officer, Tommy Teague, was dismissed. This despite the fact that the agency had racked up most of its sizeable reserves during Teague's tenure at the top.

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Michigan

Michigan GOPers Put Teachers On Notice, As Strike Looms

Eric Lach | April 21, 2011, 11:40AM

On Wednesday, the Michigan House's Committee on Education discussed two bills aimed at upping the consequences on teachers who strike illegally, amid reports that the Michigan Education Association, the state's largest teachers union, is considering just such a move.

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Michael Scanlon

Judge: Abramoff Pal Scanlon Must Pay $17.7M To Firm For Victim Restitution

Ryan J. Reilly | April 21, 2011, 10:37AM

Michael Scanlon

Former Jack Abramoff business partner Michael Scanlon cannot challenge a law firm's demand that he pay almost $17.7 million in restitution for money they gave to victims of his fraud scheme, a federal judge ruled last night.

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Sharia

Missouri House Passes Ban On Sharia Law

Jillian Rayfield | April 21, 2011, 10:22AM

The Missouri House of Representatives passed a bill Wednesday that would stop the courts from considering Sharia law, or any other "foreign law, legal code, or system" when ruling on cases.

The bill, which was introduced back in March, passed by a vote of 102-51.

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Gun Rights

Arizona Legislature Approves Colt Revolver As Official State Gun

David Taintor | April 20, 2011, 6:24PM

Arizona is hot on Utah's heels, following its lead to designate its own official state gun.

The Arizona House early Wednesday narrowly approved the Colt Single Action Army Revolver as the state's official gun. The bill had been rejected earlier in an all-night session, the AP reports, but it eventually won approval by a 32-25 vote.

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Dem Rep To Introduce Bill Aimed At Squelching Tea Party License Plates

Melissa Jeltsen | April 20, 2011, 5:45PM

A bill to introduce specialty Tea Party license plates in Arizona -- the sales of which would be used to fund Tea Party causes -- is now on its way to Governor Jan Brewer (R) for approval after being passed through the State Legislature Monday evening.

But if Brewer signs the bill, Arizona may risk losing 15 percent of its federal highway funding, if Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NY) gets his way.

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David Barton

Top Social Conservative David Barton: The Bible, Pilgrims Would Oppose 'Wicked' Net Neutrality

Jillian Rayfield | April 20, 2011, 4:06PM

David Barton

Social conservative and evangelical David Barton is against net neutrality because he says it goes against the principles of Ben Franklin, the Pilgrims, and the Bible.

Right Wing Watch reports that Barton was speaking with his co-host Rick Green on their radio show Tuesday, and declared that net neutrality is "wicked stuff, and I don't use that word very often, but this is wicked stuff."

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Focus On The Family

Right-Wing Warns Of 'Homosexual Indoctrination' In Public Schools

Jillian Rayfield | April 20, 2011, 11:26AM

To hear some on the political right talk about it, "homosexual indoctrination" is already a problem in public schools -- and it's about to get much, much worse.

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Project Gunrunner

Issa Says ATF Not Cooperating With Subpoena, Threatens Contempt Proceedings

Ryan J. Reilly | April 20, 2011, 11:20AM

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA)

The chairman of the House Oversight Committee says that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is not cooperating with his committee's probe of the controversial Project Gunrunner and said he'll be forced to begin contempt proceedings unless that changes soon.

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U.S. Marshals Service

Three Charged In Connection To U.S. Marshal's Death

Ryan J. Reilly | April 20, 2011, 10:35AM

Deputy U.S. Marshal Derek Hotsinpiller

Two family members and an associate of fugitive Charles Smith, whose attempted apprehension in February ended in a shootout in which Deputy Marshal Derek Hotsinpiller was killed, have been charged in connection with helping him hide out from the feds.

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David Rivera

Rep. Rivera Raises Only $75K In 1st Quarter

Eric Lach | April 20, 2011, 9:44AM

Rep. David Rivera (R-FL)

Embattled freshman Florida Rep. David Rivera (R-FL) raised just $75,374 in the first quarter of 2011, Federal Election Commission documents show.

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Workforce Central Florida

Florida Job Center Fights Unemployment By Spending $14,000 On Superhero Capes

Jon Terbush | April 20, 2011, 8:41AM

It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's just an unemployed guy in a red cape.

A Florida unemployment agency is under investigation for spending $14,000 in public funds on red superhero capes as part or broader campaign that frames joblessness as a battle between good and evil. The agency, Workforce Central Florida, even created a fictional villain, Dr. Evil Unemployment, whose superpower is apparently handing out pink slips in a bid to somehow take over the world.

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Orange County

OC GOPer Apologizes For Obama-As-Chimp Pic, Says 'I Am Not A Racist'

Jillian Rayfield | April 19, 2011, 4:42PM

Orange County Republican party official Marilyn Davenport has apologized for sending out a picture of President Obama as a chimp, beside chimp parents.

In an e-mail sent Monday night to fellow members of the Orange County Republican Central Committee, Davenport wrote: "To my fellow Americans and to everyone else who has seen this email I forwarded and was offended by my action, I humbly apologize and ask for your forgiveness of my unwise behavior. I say unwise because at the time I received and forwarded the email, I didn't stop to think about the historic implications and other examples of how this could be offensive."

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CAIR

Right-Wing, Peter King Accuse DOJ Of Dropping CAIR Probe For Political Reasons

Jillian Rayfield | April 19, 2011, 2:11PM

Rep. Peter King (R-NY) and Attorney General Eric Holder

There's a brand-new Muslim conspiracy theory in town.

Rep. Peter King (R-NY), who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee, has sent a letter to the Department of Justice demanding that it explain a report that they dropped a probe of suspected terrorism ties among Council On American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) officials. "It raises the most serious question for the Justice Department to decline to even attempt to prosecute individuals and organizations, accused by a US Attorney and found by a federal judge, to have a nexus with fundraising for an organization which conducts terror attacks upon civilians," King wrote in his letter.

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PrimeTel

Phone Sex Company Controls Nearly 25% Of 1-800 Numbers

Eric Lach | April 19, 2011, 12:52PM

A Philadelphia company called PrimeTel Communications has, over the past 13 years, acquired nearly a quarter of all 1-800 numbers in the U.S. and Canada, according to a report by the Associated Press. PrimeTel now controls 1.7 million 1-800 numbers, more than any other company, and, the AP says, many of those numbers redirect to a phone-sex service run by a company with close ties to PrimeTel.

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U.S. Commission on Civil Rights

With Bipartisan Balance Restored, Civil Rights Commission Will Examine Bullying Of LGBT Students

Ryan J. Reilly | April 19, 2011, 12:15PM

Commissioner on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Roberta Achtenberg and Michael Yaki, a member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

Following a Bush-era move to stack the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights with conservatives, the bipartisan balance of the commission has officially been restored. Democratic appointees on the commission are planning to drastically change the direction of the federal agency, which while under conservative control spent nearly a year and a half examining the Obama administration's handling of the New Black Panther Party voter intimidation case.

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James O'Keefe

James O'Keefe Grinds With Mary Landrieu Impersonator In New Music Video

Ryan J. Reilly | April 19, 2011, 9:20AM

James O'Keefe is out with a new music video that features him singing, dancing, smashing windows and grinding with a Sen. Mary Landrieu impersonator.

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National Organization for Marriage

Anti-Gay Marriage Group NOM Threatens To Sue Defector

Ryan J. Reilly | April 19, 2011, 8:50AM

Publicly, the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) has said they're not worried about Louis Marinelli -- the former employee who defected from the group and changed his viewpoint on same-sex marriage -- even writing that they "wish him well" with his "different focus." But behind the scenes, the president of NOM is threatening legal action against Marinelli and demanding he take down blog posts about NOM on his website.

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Stanley McChrystal

DoD Report Says McChrystal Profile Inaccurate, Rolling Stone Responds

Melissa Jeltsen | April 18, 2011, 4:34PM

General Stanley McChrystal

The award-winning Rolling Stone profile of General Stanley McChrystal -- which portrayed the former top general in Afghanistan as having a loose tongue when it came to the Obama administration -- effectively ended his military career.

But the Department of Defense is still maintaining McChrystal and his staff, who were quoted in the article making disparaging comments about Obama administration officials, were not at fault. An Inspector General report released Monday after a Freedom of Information Act request has cleared the general and his staff of any wrongdoing.

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Signing Statements

Obama Signing Statements Under Fire... From Bush White House Alum (VIDEO)

Ryan J. Reilly | April 18, 2011, 4:15PM

No doubt, President Barack Obama's use of signing statements -- most recently to disregard a provision of the 2011 spending bill which defunded four of his so-called "czars" -- goes against statements he made during the 2008 campaign.

But when Bush administration alumni start faulting Obama for using signing statements, it gets a bit tough to let that criticism fly by.

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Chuck Norris To Protect America From Sharia Law Invasion

Ryan J. Reilly | April 18, 2011, 2:00PM

American Actor Chuck Norris

Sharia-haters, take heart! In case the state bills outlawing Sharia law popping up around the country don't prove enough to prevent the Islamic takeover of America, Chuck Norris stands ready to defend the country, promising to deliver a roundhouse kick to "radical Islamists" who would "use the freedoms in our Constitution to expand the influence of Shariah law."

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Orange County

Orange Co. GOPer Says Obama-As-Chimp Pic Was Just A Joke Meant For Friends

Jillian Rayfield | April 18, 2011, 10:36AM

Orange County Republican party official Marilyn Davenport has sort-of apologized for sending out a racist picture of President Obama depicting him as a chimp being held by his chimp parents: "I'm sorry if my email offended anyone. I simply found it amusing regarding the character of Obama and all the questions surrounding his origin of birth."

She added: "Again, for those select few who might be truly offended by viewing a copy of an email I sent to a select list of friends and acquaintances, unlike the liberal left when they do the same, I offer my sincere apologies to you--the email was not meant for you."

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MEK

UN Calls For Inquiry Into Deadly Clash At MEK Camp In Iraq

Eric Lach | April 18, 2011, 10:24AM

Navi Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

The United Nations is calling on the government of Iraq to open an independent investigation into a deadly clash earlier this month at Camp Ashraf, home to members of the Iranian dissident group Mujahedin-e Khalq, or MEK.

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DOMA

Lamar Smith Says Founding Fathers Didn't Want Gay Marriage

Ryan J. Reilly | April 18, 2011, 10:13AM

Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX)

In yet another instance of House Republicans focusing on social rather than fiscal issues, a subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee on Friday held a hearing examining the Obama administration's decision not the defend the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in court because they found a provision of the law unconstitutional.

Several Republicans including Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, bashed the Justice Department's decision not to defend the law. House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) said last month that Congress would hire counsel to defend DOMA itself following a party line vote of the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Council.

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