Campaign finance reformers and California based government transparency group Maplight held an AMA on Reddit Wednesday. The two-hour event addressed growing public concern over the high-profile Supreme Court case, McCutcheon v. FEC and the challenges posed by potentially unlimited spending on elections.
Representative Gage Froerer is currently trying to convince the Utah Substance Abuse Advisory Council to treat Cannabidiol extracts as something other than a controlled substance in order for the beneficial cannabinoid to be imported into the state without those involved fearing incarceration.
A statutorily imposed debt ceiling has been in effect since 1917 when the US Congress passed the Second Liberty Bond Act. Before 1917 there was no debt ceiling in force, but there were parliamentary procedural limitations on the level of possible debt that could be held by government.
With its last two former governors arrested, Illinois has become a political punch line. As if to throw more fuel on the fire, a 2011
report found that 14 Illinois counties had more registered voters than residents. It has also witnessed Illinois become a solidly Democratic state.
Benjamin Franklin once said that “The only things certain in life are death and taxes.” Mr. Franklin never encountered the 112
th or 113th Congress. Since the debt limit was officially set in 1917, the threat of passing that limit usually saw a smooth increase in the limit. Now, things are more than a little different and more difficult.
The Internet is full of sites that allow users to review, compare, and evaluate all sorts of products and services. One such that that I’m particularly fond of is , which bills itself as offering “nbiased hotel reviews, photos and travel advice for hotels and vacations.” But what happens if the reviews don’t go your way – can a hotel’s designation as the “Dirtiest Hotel in America” be the basis of a defamation lawsuit?
Candidate of the Independence Party Adolfo Carrion was excluded at the October 15 debate in the race for New York City mayor. The debate features Democratic nominee Bill de Blasio and Republican candidate Joe Lhota, but Carrion is staying quiet about this and future debates.
With Congress still unable to pass a budget deal and the debt ceiling deadline getting closer and closer, the congressional approval rating has
dropped to 11 percent. As a result, commentators have already begun speculating how these dismal numbers might affect the 2014 midterm elections.
Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin joined U.S. Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) for a little bit of face time in front of the World War II Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC. The three popular figures in the tea party made it clear that the Obama administration is using veterans as pawns in a larger political game.
"Our veterans should be above politics," Cruz said. "It is shameful that the administration is barricading and trying to shutdown the memorials."
He added:
Speaking on the Senate floor Monday, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) expressed confidence that a resolution to reopen the government ahead of Thursday's debt ceiling deadline would be reached.
Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) agreed that both sides would reach a deal before the week's end to reopen the government and raise the debt ceiling. Speaking on the floor, Senator Reid said he was, "very optimistic that we will reach an agreement that's reasonable in nature this week."