Author: Laurie Kellman
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Trump names Priebus White House chief of staff
WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump named Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus his White House chief of staff, elevating one of his loyal GOP advisers with a deep expertise of the Washington establishment Trump has vowed to shake up. Priebus, a close ally of House Speaker Paul Ryan, called the appointment “an honor” and predicted…
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Poll: Young voters now coming through for Hillary Clinton
WASHINGTON — Liane Golightly has finally decided who she’ll vote for on Election Day. Hillary Clinton is not a choice the 30-year-old Republican would have predicted, nor one that excites her. But the former supporter of Ohio Gov. John Kasich says it’s the only choice she can make. “I kind of wish it were somebody…
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Christie, Giuliani: If Trump didn’t pay taxes, he’s ‘genius’
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump may or may not have paid federal income taxes for years after losing nearly $916 million. But if he did avoid paying taxes, he’s a “genius” at taking advantage of a loophole-ridden law, his supporters said Sunday. The New York Times on Sunday published “a very, very good story for Donald…
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Poll: Most young Americans say parties don’t represent them
WASHINGTON — Most young Americans say the Republican and Democratic parties don’t represent them, a critical data point after a year of ferocious presidential primaries that forced partisans on both sides to confront what — and whom — they stand for. That’s according to a new GenForward poll that shows the disconnect holds true across…
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Ricin in Obama letter, odd packages scramble Hil
WASHINGTON — Letters sent to President Barack Obama and a Mississippi senator tested positive for poisonous ricin in preliminary checks Wednesday, and authorities chased reports of other suspicious mail at a U.S. Capitol already on edge. An FBI intelligence bulletin obtained by The Associated Press said the letters to Obama and Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss.,…
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Hasn’t worked? Obama stands up for Romney’s wife
WASHINGTON — The White House — and President Barack Obama himself — rushed into a damage control campaign Thursday to blunt the impact of a Democratic consultant’s suggestion that Ann Romney isn’t qualified to discuss the economy because she “hasn’t worked a day in her life.” “It was the wrong thing to say,” Obama declared…
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U.S. Senate halts bill to revise birth control rule
WASHINGTON — In an election year battle mixing birth control, religion and politics, Democrats narrowly blocked an effort by Senate Republicans to overturn President Barack Obama’s order that most employers or their insurers cover the cost of contraceptives. The 51-48 vote on Thursday killed a measure that would have allowed employers and insurers to opt…
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Analysis: Debate debut lifts Bachmann’s clout
WASHINGTON — Rep. Michele Bachmann’s smooth presidential debate performance stands to make her a bigger force in the Republican Party after years of errors and hyperbole. Her new credibility could pose problems for GOP leaders trying to put together a deal with President Barack Obama on reducing the nation’s debt. Bachmann resolutely opposes letting the…
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Republicans bring up Kagan’s record on military
WASHINGTON — Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan on Tuesday defended her policy of barring military recruiters from the Harvard Law School career counseling office, saying the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell” policy violated its anti-discrimination policy. “We were trying to make sure that military recruiters had full and complete access to our students,” Kagan told Republican…
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U.S. lawmakers reporting more threats of violence
WASHINGTON — The number of serious threats, including death threats, against members of Congress jumped in the past three months during the heated debate over the new U.S. health care law. The leader of the House of Representatives, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the target of phone attacks that brought an arrest this week, said in an…