POLITICAL NEWS

Shamrock ceremony had inauspicious start It was a balmy March day in Washington as the Irish ambassador to the U.S. headed to the White House. He carried a small gift for the president: a box of Irish shamrock, in honor of St. Patrick's Day. Idaho challenges national health care plan; more states may follow Idaho on Wednesday became the first state to pass a law saying no thanks to part of President Obama's health care proposal. Rep. Kucinich switches his health care vote Health care reform advocates inched closer to victory Wednesday morning as a high-profile liberal Democrat switched his position and announced his intention to vote for a sweeping $875 billion plan under consideration in the House of Representatives. Sources: Health care bill to cost $940B The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that the Dems' revised bill will cost $940 billion over the next 10 years, sources say. Capitol Hill jobs you have never heard of The battle over health care and whether to use the shortcut tactic known as reconciliation to push it through has thrust the Senate parliamentarian into the spotlight. Backstage job suddenly in spotlight in health care fight After a year of hostile debate and partisan cage fights, some of the toughest decisions about health care reform have fallen to one man. Kucinich flip tweaks health care math Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich's announcement Wednesday morning that he will support the Senate's health care legislation has reduced the bill's opponents in the House to 204, now 12 votes shy of the 216 needed to prevent President Obama from scoring a major victory on his top domestic priority. Education chief pitches No Child rewrite plan Saying the United States is "falling behind" in education, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan worked Wednesday to persuade lawmakers that the Obama administration's plan to rewrite a federal education law is the right move for the nation's students and schools. House Democratic holdouts wrestle with health care vote As a vote on health care nears, House Democratic leaders are trying to woo party holdouts still wrestling with their decision. Kucinich: 'This is a first step' Rep. Dennis Kucinich said Wednesday that he will continue to work toward a single-payer program, despite his decision to reverse course and support President Obama's health care plan. RSS feeds Increase Website Traffic