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Omnibus

Bachmann Admits She Took Earmarks After Claiming Otherwise

Minnesota Independent | Posted 04.17.2009 | Politics

Read More: Michelle Bachmann, Economic Stimulus Package, Michele Bachmann, Earmarks, Michele Bachman, Michele Bachmann Earmarks, Omnibus, Pork, House Rep Michele Bachmann, Rep. Michele Bachmann, Politics News

Just days after saying she had requested zero earmarks for her district, Rep. Michele Bachmann admitted to Fox News' Brian Wilson that she had indeed ...

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Palin: More Earmark Hypocrisy

Mother Jones | Posted 04.12.2009 | Politics

Read More: Palin Omnibus, Sarah Palin, Sarah Palin Earmarks, Omnibus, Omnibus Earmarks, Palin Earmarks, Palin, Politics News

On the campaign trail last year, Alaska's Republican governor, Sarah Palin, sold herself as a crusading reformer who despised earmarks--those federal ...

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Enough Hand-Wringing Over Cuba

Jake Colvin | Posted 04.12.2009 | World

Read More: Appropriations, Omnibus Spending Bill, Congress, Omnibus, Cuba, US-Cuba Relations, Cuban Embargo, Foreign Policy, World News
Jake Colvin

The changes to Cuba policy in the omnibus bill are small but important. Congress has shown a willingness to ease provisions of the embargo and forge a path forward for future changes.

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Obama Issues Signing Statement On Spending Package

AP | PHILIP ELLIOTT | Posted 04.11.2009 | Politics

Read More: Barack Obama, Obama, President Obama, Omnibus, Omnibus Spending Bill, Omnibus Earmarks, Obama Omnibus, Politics News

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama, sounding weary of criticism over federal earmarks, defended Congress' pet projects Wednesday as he signed a...

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Pssst, They're Stealing from You. Again.

John W. Whitehead | Posted 04.11.2009 | Politics

Read More: Pork Barrel Spending, Omnibus, Earmarks, Stimulus Earmarks, Pork-Barrel-Spending, Stimulus Package, Stimulus-Package-Earmarks, Spending Bill Earmarks, Omnibus Spending Bill, Pork, Spending-Bill-Earmarks, Politics News
John W. Whitehead

Despite our president's pledge to ban all earmarks, the Omnibus spending bill is loaded with ridiculous, wasteful projects that have absolutely nothing to do with keeping the federal government operating.

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Obama Earmark Reform Remarks (FULL TEXT)

AP/MSNBC | Posted 04.11.2009 | Politics

Read More: Obama Earmark Reform, Obama Earmark Speech, Spending Bill, Obama Spending Bill, President Obama, 100 Days, Omnibus, Obama Spending, Obama Earmarks, Politics News

President Barack Obama plans to sign a massive spending bill to keep the federal government running, even though it is stashed with the very kinds of ...

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Congress Caves To Contractors On Online Stimulus Transparency

Washington Independent | Posted 04.11.2009 | Politics

Read More: Contractors, Harry Reid, Omnibus, Economic Stimulus Package, Online Contracts, Politics News

Internet junkies and wonks alike may have jumped the gun in looking forward to the new online transparency hyped by House members who vowed to put con...

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Menendez Drops Omnibus Opposition

Politico | Posted 04.10.2009 | Politics

Read More: Cuba Embargo, Robert Menendez Omnibus, Omnibus, Senate Democrats, Robert Menendez, Cuba, Politics News

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) pushed back strongly Tuesday against criticism from the left over his initial opposition to the $410 billion omnibus spe...

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Democrats Stung By Dissenters

Washington Post | Shailagh Murray | Posted 04.09.2009 | Politics

Read More: Omnibus Spending, Omnibus, $410 Billion Spending Bill, Democratic Split on Omnibus, Politics News

Democratic leaders in Congress did not expect much Republican support as they pressed President Obama's ambitious legislative agenda. But the pushback...

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Vitter Slams 'Bloated' Omnibus While Benefiting From $249 Million In Earmarks

Think Progress | Posted 04.09.2009 | Politics

Read More: Vitter Prostitute, Earmarks, Sen. David Vitter, Senate Omnibus Bill, Omnibus Spending Bill, Omnibus, Vitter DC Madam, Omnibus Earmarks, David Vitter, Vitter, Senator David Vitter, Politics News

Republicans like Sens. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and Lindsey Graham (R-AZ), have been attacking the $410 billion omnibus spending bill, claiming that it has too ...

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Inside The Senate Omnibus Disaster: Reid Reportedly "Beside Himself"

Politico | Posted 04.09.2009 | Politics

Read More: Ben Nelson, James Clyburn, Dick Durbin, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Senate Omnibus Bill, Senate Democrats, Omnibus, Politics News

Passage of the $410 billion, leftover-from-last-year omnibus spending bill was supposed to be a perfunctory, pro forma task. Instead, it's become a co...

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Pelosi, Senate Dems In "Ugly" Swearing Match Over Omnibus

Politico | Posted 04.06.2009 | Politics

Read More: Omnibus Spending Bill, Harry Reid, Omnibus, Continuing Resolution, Nancy Pelosi, Politics News

After an angry, swearing late night meeting among top Democrats, Congress voted Friday to give itself another five days to try to complete a long-over...

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Senate Dems May Punish Bayh, Feingold For Omnibus Opposition

The Hill | Posted 04.06.2009 | Politics

Read More: Senator Evan Bayh, Evan Bayh, Russ Feingold, Senator Russ Feingold, Omnibus Spending Bill, Senate Democrats, Omnibus, Politics News

Senate Democrats are debating whether Sens. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) and Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) should be punished for opposing a $410 billion omnibus. Som...

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Boehner Rush Limbaugh Op-Ed: It's A Dem Conspiracy

Huffington Post | Stuart Whatley | Posted 04.05.2009 | Politics

Read More: Rush Limbaugh, Boehner, John Boehner, Senate Republicans, Omnibus Spending Bill, Omnibus, Stimulus, House Republicans, Economic Stimulus Package, Rep. John Boehner, Stimulus Package, Obama Budget, Gop, Republicans, Politics News

House Minority Leader John Boehner has responded to the ongoing deification of radio host Rush Limbaugh in a Washington Post op-ed Thursday. Boehner ...

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Senate Rejects McCain In Bipartisan Fashion

Chris Weigant | Posted 04.04.2009 | Politics

Read More: Leader, Bipartisan Outreach, President Obama, Mccaskill, Kennedy, 2009 Budget, Mccain, Democratic, Obama, Omnibus, El Rushbo, President, Republican, Snowe, Pelosi, Bayh, Alexander, Nancy Pelosi, Stimulus Package, Limbaugh, Reid, John McCain, Specter, House, Rush Limbaugh, Collins, Budget, Democrat, Congress, Bipartisan, Democrats, Stimulus, Barack Obama, Earmarks, Chris Weigant, Party Leader, Shelby, Harry Reid, Bipartisanship, Senate, Bond, Murkowski, Earmark, Sessions, Cochran, Johanns, Conrad, Bennett, Politics News
Chris Weigant

The bottom line of this story is that nine out of forty-one Republican senators just broke ranks with their party and voted to strip a McCain amendment from a budget bill.

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Vitter Champions Family Values In Omnibus Debate

Talking Points Memo | Posted 04.04.2009 | Politics

Read More: Omnibus Spending Bill, Family Planning, Omnibus, Planned Parenthood, David Vitter, Senator David Vitter, Politics News

Sen. David Vitter (R-LA), whose career became mired in the D.C. Madam prostitution scandal back in 2007, and is now headed into his 2010 re-election c...

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"Earmarks" in Omnibus Budget Bill: Not Pork, Just Obama Proving He Can Be Taught

M.S. Bellows, Jr. | Posted 04.02.2009 | Politics

Read More: Off the Bus, Recovery and Reconciliation, John McCain, Mara Liasson, Earmarks, Spending, Budget, M.S. Bellows, Npr, Warranted Wiretaps, Omnibus, Pork, Stimulus Package, Barack Obama, Politics News
M.S. Bellows, Jr.

So there's some pork in the budget, and Republicans want it out, and if some of it comes out then they can claim they made Obama blink, and maybe they'll vote for it? Wow!

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Ryan Grim

Red States Gobble Up Omnibus Earmarks

HuffingtonPost.com | Ryan Grim | Posted 04.02.2009 | Politics

Read More: Mitch McConnell, Senate Republicans, Dianne Feinstein, Omnibus Spending Bill, Robert Byrd, Thad Cochran, Roger Wicker, Omnibus, Mary Landrieu, Omnibus Earmarks, Kit Bond, Senate GOP, Earmarks, Harry Reid, Richard Shelby, Senate Democrats, David Vitter, Politics News

If it's budget time, it's good to be a red state. And it's very good to be Mississippi. According to an analysis by the nonpartisan Taxpayers for Co...

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GOP's Risky New Gambit: A "Spending Freeze"

Washington Independent | Posted 03.28.2009 | Politics

Read More: Economic Stimulus Package, Spending Freeze, John Boehner, House GOP, Stimulus Package, Mike Pence Republican Strategy, Omnibus Spending Bill, Gop, Mike Pence, Omnibus, House Republicans, Politics News

Between to Monday's Fiscal Responsibility Summit and Tuesday's presidential address to Congress, the White House's economic message shifted to new ter...

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Ryan Grim

McConnell Won't Call For Earmark Ban In Omnibus Budget

HuffingtonPost.com | Ryan Grim | Posted 03.27.2009 | Politics

Read More: Mitch McConnell, Mitch McConnell Senate, Mitch Mcconnell Earmarks, Sen. Mitch McConnell, Omnibus, Mitch McConnell Kentucky, Mitch Mcconnell Stimulus, Politics News

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) twice declined to call for all earmarks to be stripped from the omnibus spending bill now before Congre...

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Democrats Should Just Say No To Budget Filibusters

Chris Weigant | Posted 03.21.2009 | Politics

Read More: Blue Dog, President Obama, Budget, Appropriations, Filibuster, Democrat, Obama, Federal Budget, Omnibus, Democrats, Filibuster Proof, Barack Obama, President, Chris Weigant, Parliamentarian, Bills, Harry Reid, Obstructionist, Obstructionism, Byrd Rule, Republicans, Bill, Reid, Senate, Reconciliation, Politics News
Chris Weigant

A little-known rule in the Senate may dramatically change the balance of power between the parties during the upcoming budgetary process.

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Friday Talking Points [49] -- Before And After The First Debate

Chris Weigant | Posted 10.27.2008 | Politics

Read More: Debate, Barney Frank, Mccain, Red to Blue, Campaign, Dscc, Sarah Palin, Offshore Drilling, Bailout, 2008, Midotw, Nancy Pelosi, Craig Ferguson, Katie Couric, Drilling, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Pork, Reid, Great Depression, Presidential Debate, Budget, Congress, Letterman, Joe Biden, 08, Barack Obama, Biden, Election, Howie Klein, 08 Election, Elections, Mddotw, Leadership Challenge, Appropriations Bill, Harry Reid, Credit Card, Dodd, Debates, Adjournment, Senate, Bill of Rights, Obama, Chris Dodd, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Cbs, Omnibus, Presidential Debates, Bush, Pelosi, Continuing Resolution, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, 2008 Campaign, Financial Crisis, 700 Billion, Adjourn, John McCain, House, 2008 Elections, 2008 Election, Ferguson, 08 Campaign, Offshore Drilling Ban, Palin, Late Night, 2008 Presidential Race, David Letterman, Frank, Politics News
Chris Weigant

[UPDATED -- See part 2 in the Talking Points section.] This week's column will be presented in a sort of semi-liveblogging fashion. What you're getti...

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Left Behind

Patrick Barry | Posted 10.11.2008 | Politics

Read More: Europe, John McCain, Science & Technology, Cern, Particle Collider, Taxes, Chicago, Iraq, Obama, Mccain, R&D, Bush, Omnibus, Fermilab, Politics News
Patrick Barry

By Pat Barry and Hanna Lundqvist It's easy to look at science as an apolitical issue, something apart from partisan discord. But today's news of the...

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