TresSugar

Briefing Book! Burris Ignores Trouble, Gears Up For Election

LibertySugar — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 12:30:19 -0800

Illinois Sen. Roland Burris is gearing up for his 2010 election bid. - Wonkette
Lobbyist Vicki Iseman speaks out, says she did not have an affair with John McCain. - Huffington Post
World's first Jackie Chan museum opening in Shanghai. - Shanghaiist
Model sues after runway slip. - Lemondrop
Newt Gingrich is back with new NYT magazine profile. - Town Hall
CIA destroyed 100 terror interrogation tapes. - Huffington Post

Should Senator Roland Burris Step Down?

CitizenSugar — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 03:00:39 -0800

Ex-IL governor Rod Blagojevich has cast a net of scandal big enough to cover that hair of his.

Thanks to revelations that (not-quite-ex) IL Senator Roland Burris might not have been honest about how he came to be appointed by Blagojevich, Burris has become increasingly isolated in Washington and in Illinois. The Senate Ethics Committee and the state prosecutor's office are currently investigating him.

After previously denying that he had any inappropriate conversations about the Senate seat, Burris admitted last week that he tried to raise money for Blagojevich while also expressing his interest in Obama's vacant seat.

Burris's lawyers are preparing a document to show that he hasn't changed his story. Something tells me you're in trouble if you have to prepare a document to show you've kept your story straight.

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Do You Think the Roland Burris Affair Is Fair?

CitizenSugar — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 09:30:47 -0800

We've all heard the tale by now: Illinois’s governor Roland Burris was appointed to replace President-elect Barack Obama as a US Senator, only he was appointed by Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who was recently arrested by federal agents and accused of trying to sell the seat to raise campaign money. While most critics admit Burris is qualified, Democratic party leaders said they wouldn’t recognize anybody Blagojevich named.

Burris went on The Early Show yesterday and dismissed his critics, saying his appointment was valid and even showed up for the Senate later in the day, only to be refused. He then announced he was rejected for the seat while lawmakers waited the gaveling of the 111th Congress into session. Burris's lawyers were quick to say an "extraordinarily arbitrary and unlawful process is afoot." The news today is that Burris is sitting down with Senate leaders and may be granted a seat, despite all the hoopla.

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Front Page: Optimism Rises Ceasefire Plan in Gaza

LibertySugar — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 08:00:27 -0800

Hope for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict in Gaza has increased with the news that Israel has agreed "on the principles" of a ceasefire proposal. Hamas said there were "positive signs but no agreement yet." - BBC
Lawmakers are pushing Barack Obama to embrace deficit-reduction goals while he promotes a spending and tax-cutting plan. Yesterday, Obama said he would "bring a long-overdue sense of responsibility and accountability to Washington" and called the need for budget reform "an absolute necessity." - AP

Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White says he's being unfairly blamed by members of the Senate for not seating Roland Burris. - Chicago Tribune
Barack Obama will announce his pick for "chief performance officer," a newly created position that will work on the federal budget and to reform government. - CNN
Pakistani leaders say India's suggestions that official agencies may have been involved in training November's Mumbai terrorists are pushing the region to war. - United Press International
HBO has landed the rights to the inaugural ceremony and will kick off coverage of Inauguration week with an exclusive telecast of a star-studded opening ceremony on Sunday, Jan. 18. It will offer the event free to cable and satellite subscribers. - Hollywood Reporter

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Front Page: Blagojevich Announces Pick for Obama Seat

LibertySugar — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 08:10:04 -0800

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich's selection of former state Attorney General Roland Burris to Barack Obama's Senate seat brings race into the drama surrounding the embattled governor, who is facing impeachment for trying to sell the Obama seat. With Obama out, Burris would be the only African American in the Senate. - Chicago Sun Times
Israel has rejected the proposal of a 48-hour cease-fire in Gaza after five straight days of air attacks. The country didn't rule out future diplomacy and is open to ways of increasing humanitarian aid. - New York Times
A militant arrested in Pakistan has confessed involvement in the Mumbai terror attacks in November and is giving investigators details of the plot. - AP
On Thursday, Cuba will mark the 50th anniversary of the revolution that turned the country into a communist state and Cold War hot spot. The country is currently facing economic gloom and the poor health of former leader Fidel Castro. - Reuters
President-elect Barack Obama plans to move to Washington this weekend, and begin meetings next week on reviving the economy. Obama's daughters, Sasha and Malia, also start classes Monday at Sidwell Friends School. - Boston Globe

Front Page: Israel Pushes Into Southern Gaza on Day 12 of Fire

LibertySugar — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 08:00:53 -0800

Israeli troops moved to the southern Gaza Strip today, ignoring an effort by European envoys to broker a cease-fire. Palestinian officials said the death toll in Gaza has risen to about 560 since Israel began airstrikes on Dec. 27. At least nine Israelis have been killed. - Washington Post
President-elect Barack Obama told House Speaker Nancy Pelosi he favors a grand total of $775 billion for the US economic stimulus plan. - Bloomberg
Consumers are reeling from a recession, job uncertainty, tighter credit, and falling stock portfolios, and it shows. Wal-Mart Stores could be one of the only retailers to post a rise in December sales, as US retail sales continue to fall. - Reuters
Barack Obama's pick for head of CIA, Leon Panetta, is churning a mixed reaction from CIA officials. He has been described as a "fabulous choice" to lead the agency and conversely "inexperienced" with intelligence manners. - ABC News
Despite support against his appointment to the US Senate, Roland Burris told the The Early Show he plans to take his seat as Illinois's junior senator. Burris, who was selected to take Barack Obama's Senate seat, brushed off his critics, saying his appointment by the scandal-plagued governor, Rod Blagojevich, is legal and valid - CBS News

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Front Page: Guantanamo Abuses May Be Worse Under Obama

CitizenSugar — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 07:54:10 -0800

Abuse at Guantanamo Bay prison has worsened since Obama took office because guards want to "get their kicks in" before the camp closes, according to a lawyer representing detainees. - Reuters
President Obama is set to unveil his $3 trillion budget to the public today. - ABC News
General Motors reported a $9.6 billion loss for the fourth quarter. Its executives will lobby the US government for more aid. - CNN
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will promise more than $900 million in aid to Gaza as she prepares to dive into the Arab-Israeli conflict. - Reuters

The governor of Afghanistan's troubled Helmand province believes reconciliation with the Taliban is possible. - BBC News
Senator Roland Burris's son got a job from ex Gov. Rod Blagojevich, according to new revelations. - Chicago Sun Times

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Briefing Book! Atheist Bus Ads Roll in London Today

LibertySugar — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:30:07 -0800

Religion: Eight-hundred buses with atheist ads, which were funded by a special campaign, hit the streets in London today. - Boing Boing
Colbert & Colmes: Alan Colmes joined Stephen Colbert and guest-hosted the Colbert Report, Monday night. The two took on the Roland Burris appointment. - Huffingtion Post
Assassination Risk: Ann Coulter told CBS that George Bush is at a greater risk of assassination than Barack Obama.- 23/6
House: Seven habits of highly effective freshmen. - Politico
Anti-green: The mechanical art of destroying the rain forest. - Good