WaPos Weiner Moves Over to The Fix

U.S. Senator Max Baucus To Marry Melodee Hanes
Senator Max Baucus has, at the age of 69, proposed to Melodee Hanes - the woman he had previously recommended as Montana’s U.S. Attorney while the two were living together. Talking Points Memo shares that the Democrat popped the question over Christmas in Montana’s capital, Helena. Hanes and Baucus’ relationship has, understandably, been one rocked by its fair share of Controversy, with Hanes choosing to eschew her hopes to become U.S. Attorney in light of her relationsh...

Liberal comeuppance
TPM — aka Talking Points Memo — tried a gotcha. And the gotcha bit back. Its point is that unionized, over-regulated and over-taxed states are not alone in having huge Deficits in their State Government programs. From TPM: “This month the state’s part-time legislature goes back into session, and the state is starting at potentially a $25 billion deficit on a two-year Budget of around $95 billion. That’s enormous. And there’s not much fat to cut. The whole bu...

Capitol Hill rookies jettison Tea on arrival
Incoming House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, center, would not comment on Tuesday night's swanky Fundraiser for freshman Republican lawmakers. (Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images) WASHINGTON — Capitol Hill will be abuzz today with the arrival of a new class of Republican lawmakers who charged into office with a promise to shun the ways of Washington. But even as they publicly bash the capital's culture, many have quietly begun to embrace it. Several freshmen have hired Lobbyists — pre-e...

New lawmakers are stars, briefly
On Wednesday at noon, incoming GOP Rep. Robert Schilling, a pizzeria owner from Illinois, will raise his right hand and undergo an unforgettable, life-altering change. What will he be doing the morning of the momentous occasion? Continue Reading Text Size - + reset Politico 44 “Maybe 20 push-ups,” shrugged his wife, Christie, “or changing some baby diapers.” For many in the historic class of 96 freshmen, the swearing-in ceremony is a high-water mark for their rookie...

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HOH's One-Minute Recess: Overheard on the Hill
Former New Mexico Rep. Wilson Considering Senate Bid 22 minutes ago Retiring Rep. Davis Joins Law Firm 2:10 p.m. A woman plays the role of Uncle Sam during the Carnivoil rally July 27 on Capitol Hill. The Clean Energy Works rally, which was billed as “The Greatest Mess on Earth,” was aimed at BP and its handling of a months-long Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico caused by the April 20 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig. Featuring more than 80 pages of analysis, this essenti...

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Streetsblog Capitol Hill is a daily news source focusing on transportation and infrastructure issues. Our mission is to pull back the curtain and connect local advocates with the national transportation policy-making process, demystifying the federal Bureaucracy. Tips, Comments, Questions? Contact us We want to hear from you! Fill out our survey, and you could win a $100 Amazon Gift Card. “The reform movement need not shed too many tears for the DC transportation lobby. There are worse t...

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More headlines at Streetsblog Capitol Hill ...

Todays Headlines
More headlines at Streetsblog Capitol Hill ...

New Lawmakers Bring Business Resumes
The 87 new Republican lawmakers who will be sworn in Wednesday represent the biggest GOP class in decades, and many are eager to show they're revolutionaries eager to turn the Capitol upside down. More Hot Business Issues on Capitol Hill ...

HOH's One-Minute Recess: Leisurely Sunday
It’s back to work for Congress, but at least one Member spent the weekend taking in a little culture. Not a Subscriber? To continue reading, sign up for a free trial. Heard on the Hill: Who’s the Flake-Out? A woman plays the role of Uncle Sam during the Carnivoil rally July 27 on Capitol Hill. The Clean Energy Works rally, which was billed as “The Greatest Mess on Earth,” was aimed at BP and its handling of a months-long Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico caused by the April ...

New Congress Kicks Off Today, But Senate Not Set to Stay Around for Long
ABC News’ Matthew Jaffe reports: Buckle your seatbelts - today at noon the 112th Congress will kick off on Capitol Hill. On the House side of the Hill, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, will hand over the gavel to incoming Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-OH, as the GOP takes control of the lower chamber. Over on the Senate side, the changes are far less drastic. Democrats retain their majority, although it will shrink from 58 senators to 53, including two Independents Sen. Joe Lieberman and B...

Doug Heye to leave RNC
Doug Heye, Communications Director of the Republican National Committee and one of D.C.'s best known young GOP operatives, said Sunday night that he plans to leave his job after next week's RNC winter meeting, when a new chairman will be chosen. Heye's boss, RNC chairman Michael Steele, is seeking Reelection, but Heye has not been involved in the campaign. The spokesman said he wanted to make a "clean transition" ahead of the RNC election. Continue Reading Text Size - + reset POLI...

Todays Headlines
Streetsblog Capitol Hill is a daily news source focusing on transportation and infrastructure issues. Our mission is to pull back the curtain and connect local advocates with the national transportation policy-making process, demystifying the federal Bureaucracy. Tips, Comments, Questions? Contact us We want to hear from you! Fill out our survey, and you could win a $100 Amazon Gift Card. “No matter which way you put it, expanding bridge capacity for the purpose of moving private motor v...

Obama exhorts Republicans to put politics aside
ABOARD Air Force ONE (AP) — Ending a two-week Vacation, President Obama is appealing to newly-empowered Republicans to resist jockeying for the White House in 2012 and work with him to get The Economy growing and the jobless back to work. Facing anything but a political soft landing after his holiday stay in Hawaii, Mr. Obama told reporters en route to the capital Tuesday that he understands that Republicans, who recaptured the House in last fall's Elections, "are going to play to their ba...

Boehner plans takeover amid phony austerity
Here in the days of high Unemployment and a lagging economy, Republicans promise a low-key kickoff to the their takeover of control of the House of Representatives this week — a sharp contrast to the fancy celebrations of four years ago when Nancy Pelosi and he Democrats swept into power. But the low-key show is mostly that — show.  The whole affair, while appearing austere, will appear more of a Budget affair than expensive celebration. “It will be expensive and the lobby...

Did Sen. Lincoln know gay people?
If you weren’t looking for it, you would have missed it. One year ago today, a special person passed away. A gay person…from Fayetteville…who had an impact on the world. Henry Lee Woods Jr. was once editor of the University of Arkansas yearbook before making a career in politics in Washington, D.C. His impact at the University of Arkansas is most visible through a decade old award in his name for outstanding Student leaders. His impact on the LGBTQ movement is far more subtle. ...

What might 5% cut in House budget mean?
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- The Republicans about to take over the House have big plans to try to cut federal spending. First on the chopping block: Congressional travel, postage, staff salaries and other office expenses. Of course, that won't make a dent in the nation's Deficit. But for 435 lawmakers, who last year were allotted about $1.5 million each, the cut will mean trimming their Budgets by $75,000 -- the equivalent of about 1.5 full-time Staffers. There are some obvious places for lawmakers ...

Washington Mayor Protests Plan to Strip Vote in Congress
Washington Mayor Vincent Gray and city residents protested on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, saying they were outraged by a Republican plan to take away power from the District's sole representative in Congress....

New lawmakers get ready to govern, compromise
WASHINGTON — The office name plates are posted, key committee assignments doled out and the staff members are - more or less - in place. For the history-making class of freshmen who flipped the House from Democratic to Republican control, now comes the hard part: governing in opposition to a president intent on his own re-election. Halfway through Barack Obama's presidential term, the new Republican lawmakers causing the hubbub on Capitol Hill this week say they are focused on a mandate ...

GM's Akerson to meet with Michigan's U.S. representatives
One of the leaders of the meeting is expected to be U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, a St. Joseph Republican who takes over as chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee this week. The committee is a key one in setting regulations and passing laws that affect the domestic Auto Industry. The meeting was set up by Upton and a former Energy and Commerce chairman, U.S. Rep. John Dingell, the Dearborn Democrat who has served longer in the House than anyone in hist...

Congressional Week Ahead
It might seem like members of the 111th Congress just left, but the 112th Congress arrives Wednesday, bringing with it an extensive new cast of lawmakers and Republican control of the House. More than 90 new House members and a dozen new senators will take the oath of office when the House and Senate convene at noon on Wednesday. Shortly thereafter, Nancy Pelosi will turn over the speaker’s gavel and the management of the House to John A. Boehner of Ohio, a 20-year Congressional Veteran who w...

The '90s May Hold Lessons For The New GOP Majority
When the 112th Congress convenes this week, the Republicans will be in control of the House for the first time since 2006. Democrats will continue to have the majority in the Senate, although a much smaller one than they are used to. Some observers see a striking resemblance to the House that was elected in 1994, when a big Republican surge ended 40 years of Democratic rule in that chamber. This week, a new Republican majority rides in on an even bigger electoral wave, and they may have learned ...

Senator Jim DeMint: Conservative Of The Year 2010
Human Events has named Senator Jim DeMint the 2010 Conservative of the Year. They asked me to write the profile. He did not start out a conservative fighter.  He was no warrior when he first arrived on Capitol Hill in 1999.  Jim DeMint had replaced Rep. Bob Inglis in South Carolina’s 4th Congressional District.  Inglis had vacated the seat to run a losing race against Senator Ernest Hollins.   DeMint’s tenure started out like that of most freshmen congressmen — anonym

Early Morning Swim: Republicans Playing Chicken with Debt Ceiling, Reports Chris Hayes on MSNBC
Batshit. Tea Party champion Sen. Jim DeMint says he’s ready for a “showdown” with President Obama over raising the government Debt ceiling. DeMint’s threat is setting up a high-stakes game of chicken on Capitol Hill with Republicans demanding stark Spending Cuts before they consider raising the Debt Limit and Democrats warning that a failure to do so would trash the country’s Credit Rating and risk a government shutdown. “This needs to be a big showdown,R...