Former Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman, who’s reportedly been pondering a challenge to Michael Steele as chair of the Republican National Committee, has canceled
Former Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman, who’s reportedly been pondering a challenge to Michael Steele as chair of the Republican National Committee, has canceled plans to attend this week’s four-day RNC confab in Kansas City. Coleman was scheduled to be at the event, but changed plans without much explanation. “His decision to stay away from the meeting could be a sign that Coleman is trying to tamp down chatter about a possible challenge to chairman Michael Steele, after his early jockeying irked some RNC members,” CNN reports.
Late last month, Politico reported that high-ranking Republicans “are buzzing about the prospect of a Chairman Coleman.” It’s not the first time the notion has been bandied about: in January 2009, after losing to Al Franken (D-Minn.) in the protracted Senate election, recount and contest, Coleman’s name came up as a potential for the top RNC job.
While Rep. Michele Bachmann (D-Minn.) addressed CPAC 2009 audiences enthusing, “Michael Steele, you be da man,” a series of scandals in the RNC, gaffes by Steele and lagging fundraising by the organization suggest that, to some GOPers at least, that may not still be the case. But as Marc Ambinder states, chaos within the RNC — which undoubtedly a change at the group’s top slot would qualify as — could harm Republicans chances of winning a majority in the House of Representatives this fall. Perhaps that’s reason enough for Coleman to bag his trip to Kansas City?
$1.3 trillion in federal spending unaccounted for, report finds
Despite calls for independent bodies to keep government accountable, the Sunlight Foundation’s most recent Clearspending report has found the federal
$1.89 billion given to states to fight HIV
The federal government Monday announced more than $1.89 billion in funding to states to fight the HIV epidemic with access to care and with more cash for the failing AIDS Drug Assistance Program. According to an HHS press release , $813 million of that money will go directly to the ADAP programming. An additional $8,386,340 will be issued as a supplement to 36 states and territories currently facing a litany of unmet needs and access issues.
1 Brigade and 1 Battalion
ISTANBUL – It’s 10 p.m. in the lowest level of the Istanbul airport. In 20 minutes I’ll be allowed to board my plane to Kabul, bringing me to the
1. Brian Schweitzer
As governor of Montana, Schweitzer doesn’t represent one of the most highly populated, high-profile electoral states in the country. But this
#1 in Conspiracy Theories
Andrew Young’s tell-all biography of John Edwards, hitting shelves next week, is surging in one Amazon.com category in particular. #1 in Conspiracy
$1 Million for Toomey
Pat Toomey, the former Club for Growth president and leading Republican candidate in Pennsylvania’s 2010 Senate race, has announced a $1 million haul in the
$1 Trillion for Fannie and Freddie?
That is the worst-case scenario, according to Egan-Jones Ratings Co., quoted in a Bloomberg article making the rounds. The agency says that if home prices
$1.3 Million for Brown
The GOP’s candidate in the Massachusetts special election raised more than one million dollars -- double the goal -- in a 24-hour moneybomb on the Ron Paul
Ten Loopholes That Can’t Make It Into FinReg
Dan Pfeiffer, the White House communications director, wrote a blog post that lists the loopholes lobbyists most want inserted into Sen. Chris Dodd’s (D-Conn.)
Bachmann uncomfortable over earmarks ban
Republicans appear to have boxed themselves into a corner with their portrayal of earmarks as wasteful spending, as many of them have backed a moratorium on
Troubled mine holds hope for U.S. rare earth industry
China currently controls 97 percent of the world’s rare earth production. The Mountain Pass Mine could change that -- if it can overcome serious environmental concerns.