Seven Senate Republicans sent a letter to the White House yesterday, saying that they had “serious reservations” about the nomination of Erroll Southers to lead the Transportation Security Administration. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) also “placed a hold on the nomination, pending the White House response to the senators’ questions.” Southers’ nomination had previously been held up by Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC).
“Some wealthy contributors are shunning the Republican National Committee and donating instead to the other GOP campaign committees or directly to candidates – in many cases because of discontent with the leadership” of RNC Chairman Michael Steele. “I don’t plan to give to the Republican National Committee this cycle, and no other major donor I know is planning to either,” RNC member Christine Toretti.
Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin is scheduled to headline the first-ever Tea Party Convention in Nashville, TN next month. Several “talk show hosts will kick off the convention with a reception and townhall meeting” on Feb. 4, and tickets are reportedly selling quickly. Other scheduled speakers include Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) and WorldNetDaily founder Joseph Farah.
Following a meeting with Democratic leaders yesterday, President Obama “expressed his preference” for a tax on “high-end health insurance plans” that is included in the Senate’s health care bill. The tax is not included in the House’s version of health care legislation and is expected to be a bitter point of contention between the two chambers.
Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) “went after” Republicans yesterday for politicizing the failed Christmas day bombing. “Led by former Vice President Dick Cheney, they have resorted to partisan denunciations that serve no legitimate purpose and have no place in the nation’s vital debate over how to fight terrorism,” Kerry said.
A new report by Afghan Rights Monitor (ARM) has found that three children a day are now dying in the war in Afghanistan. ARM estimates that 1,050 Afghans under the age of 18 were killed last year.
The public may be able to “see delayed tapes of the high-profile federal trial on Proposition 8 that begins Monday in San Francisco.” “Pending approval by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals,” the judge presiding over the case will “let court cameras capture the trial daily and post the tapes, via YouTube,” to the court’s website.
Yemen’s Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi told the press yesterday that his country’s government is opposed to U.S. troops engaging in combat in its country. Al-Qirbi noted that “there is a lot of sensitivity” to the idea of foreign troops in Yemen, and his preference is for logistical support.
“Both the percentage and the number of black and Mexican-American law students declined” from 1993 to 2008, a new Columbia Law School study has found. “Even though their scores and grades are improving, and are very close to those of white applicants, African-Americans and Mexican-Americans are increasingly being shut out of law schools,” said Columbia professor Conrad Johnson.
And finally: The President and First Lady’s images are gracing various advertisements these days, including a giant billboard in Times Square. The only problem? The Obamas never endorsed the companies’ products or causes.
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