The Washington Independent

Politics

NAACP report: Florida among 4 states with ‘most restrictive’ felon disenfranchisement laws

A report released earlier this month by the NAACP found that Florida is among the states with the “most restrictive” felon disenfranchisement “laws in the country” — one of many aspects of the state’s voting practices that will limit voter participation among minorities, according to the group.

Republican chairman has ‘confidence’ in Vern Buchanan, despite ethics investigations

Rep. Pete Sessions, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, says he has “confidence” in Committee Finance Chairman Vern Buchanan, despite a U.S. Department of Justice criminal investigation and an Office of Congressional Ethics investigation into the Sarasota congressman over an alleged campaign finance scheme to reimburse employees who contributed to his campaign.

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Physicians criticize Huckabee’s personhood-promoting ‘Gift of Life’

Partnering with Citizens United, former presidential contender and Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is promoting “fetal personhood” by narrating Gift of Life, a film that promotes legislative action meant to overturn the landmark abortion rights act Roe v. Wade. The board chair of Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health argues that

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Omnibus bill commits $4 million to combat white-nose syndrome

Congress allotted $4 million on Friday to study and combat the outbreak of white-nose syndrome — a mysterious and menacing disease that is killing off North American bats by the millions.

Incandescent lightbulbs win congressional reprieve at 11th hour

Congress didn’t just agree to keep the government’s lights on through the rest of the fiscal year. It is also ensuring it has the option of doing so with high-energy-consuming incandescent 100-watt lightbulbs.

Hitchens’ death leaves craven people in power to sigh with relief

Christopher Hitchens died yesterday of cancer. He was a learned and caustic cultural critic who wrote for the popular press and who was at his best when eviscerating the hypocrisy and pretense of people in power. He famously hated organized religion. It’s easy to imagine that, had Hitchens ever trained More…

Allen West compares Democratic ‘propaganda’ to Nazis’

Rep. Allen West, R-Fort Lauderdale, does not like the fact that a strong majority of Americans disapproves of Congress and is pinning the blame on Republicans. According to a recent interview with Politico, West thinks the Democratic Party’s messaging is the reason for the belief — messaging he says

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Tea party fears U.N. intervention in 2012 election

The tea party has added another item to its list of reasons to fear the United Nations: Some in the movement say the U.N. is planning to intervene in the United States’ upcoming elections.

Gingrich, like Romney, promises to exclude gay couples from marriage if president

By | 12.16.11 | 11:43 am

Though it was presidential candidate Mitt Romney who hardened his stance opposing same-sex marriage during Thursday night’s GOP presidential debate in Sioux City, Iowa, it was his strongest rival, Newt Gingrich, who demonstrated his commitment to excluding same-sex couples from marriage by signing the National Organization More…

Homeland Security severs immigration-enforcement ties with Arizona sheriff

The Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday it is immediately terminating its immigration-enforcement agreements with the office of Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Ariz.