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CHICAGO (AP) — Ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich says in a new book that White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel wanted his help in arranging to leave the Obama administration after two years to reclaim his seat in Congress. Blagojevich writes in "The Governor" that Emanuel spoke with him about whether it was possible to appoint a "placeholder" to the congressional seat Emanuel was giving up so that he could win back the seat in 2010 and continue his efforts to become speaker some day.

Bob McDonnell-Governor Huck PAC and Governor Huckabee are proud to endorse Bob McDonnell for Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Bob started his political career in Virginia in 1991 by serving in the House of Delegates. It was his first election victory and he has not lost since. Bob has served as Virginia’s Attorney General since 2006. Since taking office as Attorney General McDonnell has seen 83 of his 94 legislative proposals become law, most with overwhelming bipartisan support. To learn more about Bob McDonnell, please visit his web site http://www.bobmcdonnell.com Ken Cuccinelli - Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is the...

McGreevey tells wife: You'll get zilch from me BY ADAM NICHOLS DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER Saturday, September 15th 2007, 4:00 AM Jim McGreevey yesterday accused his soon-to-be-ex wife of "greedily" grabbing at the perks of being New Jersey's First Lady - and refusing to give them back. In legal papers packed with snide and catty comments, the openly gay McGreevey told estranged wife Dina Matos McGreevey she can expect to get nothing from him. Matos McGreevey had asked him to pony up $4,000 a month in alimony to help her live a lavish lifestyle like his. "Her jealousy and contempt...

Governor Sebelius announced today that she appointed James Charles "Chuck" Droege(*see news items) to fill the seat of Judge Steve Leben, who Sebelius appointed to the Court of Appeals in April. Droege has donated $13,700 to the Kansas Democratic State Committee, and a number of Democratic candidates, including Govenor Sebelius and Attorney General Paul Morrison. The number and amounts of these donations show that Droege may be a Democratic Party partisan.We can only hope that as a District Judge, Droege protects society from sexual predators and child molesters more than he did as a defense attorney:"Jury says man is a...

GOP FL Gov Charlie Crist Gov. Charlie Crist invokes Robert F. Kennedy and channels Al Gore on global warming. He embraces paper trails for voting machines. Florida's most powerful Republican pays homage to the teachers union and speaks so passionately about civil rights that one legislator dubbed him "Florida's first black governor." What's a Democrat to do? "Gov. Crist is a political nightmare for the Democrats," said state Senate Democratic Leader Steve Geller. "How do we run against somebody who whenever we come up with a good idea, he goes, 'Hey that's a good idea, let's do that.' " State...

MSNBC’s Chris Matthews ran afoul of censors by using "the f-word” during a Wednesday appearance on the ‘Imus in the Morning’ show. Matthews, the fast-talking and brash host of the popular MSNBC show "Hardball,” was praising former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani’s 2008 candidacy when he went on a rant about "city guys” like Giuliani versus the "southerners,” such as President George W. Bush, who run for national office. Matthews: "We love good mayors because we love our cities and Giuliani is a city guy . . . I’m so sick of Southern guys with ranches running this country....

AUSTIN - Can the four major candidates for Texas governor debate each other for an hour on live television without being seen or heard? Probably not, but Belo Corp., sponsor of the only such gubernatorial showdown this fall, will test that possibility Friday night, both with its restrictive distribution rules and the time slot. Originating in Dallas, the debate will be carried live on the company's WFAA flagship; Belo affiliates in Houston (KHOU-Channel 11), San Antonio and Austin; Belo's Texas Cable News (TXCN) and will be streamed live on their Web sites. TV stations in smaller towns outside Belo markets...

Former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey's gay sex life blossomed as an eighth-grader and continued with trysts in seedy Times Square sex shops and at an abandoned synagogue in Washington, D.C., he reveals in his new memoir. The disgraced pol also admits that as governor, he presided over a corrupt political machine at a time when he had only $7,000 to his name, according to a copy of the book obtained by The Post. The tell-all is filled with sex - including his first hookup as a teen with a "cute, blond, skinny" schoolmate he'd fantasized about.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - New Jersey's casinos ushered the last of the gamblers away from slot machines and tables Wednesday, and janitors locked the doors behind them as a state government shutdown claimed its latest victims. In the first mass closure in the 28-year history of Atlantic City's legalized gambling trade, all 12 casinos were dark. Gov. Jon S. Corzine addressed the Legislature at the Statehouse Wednesday morning, defending his position as a stalemate over the state budget entered its fifth day with no deal in sight. Corzine wants to raise the state sale tax from 6 percent to 7...

N.J. Gov. tells lawmakers to end shutdownBy TOM HESTER Jr., Associated Press Writer 1 minute ago New Jersey Gov. Jon S. Corzine speaks to the media at the New Jersey Statehouse Monday, July 3, 2006, in Trenton, N.J. about the state's ongoing budget impasse. Corzine said state lawmakers must report to the Statehouse on the July Fourth holiday and stay there until they adopt a budget.(AP Photo/Mel Evans) TRENTON, N.J. - Gov. Jon S. Corzine hauled lawmakers in to work on the July Fourth holiday, imploring them to end a budget standoff that has shut down many government services, while...

Data on illegal immigrants kept secret 2 agencies cite privacy in denying info to prosecutors Two federal agencies are refusing to turn over a mountain of evidence that investigators could use to indict the nation's burgeoning work force of illegal immigrants and the firms that employ them. The Internal Revenue Service and the Social Security Administration routinely collect strong evidence of potential workplace crimes, including names and addresses of millions of people who are using bogus Social Security numbers, their wage records, and the identities of the bosses who knowingly hire them. But they keep those facts secret. The two...

PHOENIX - Siding with public sentiment over prosecutors, Gov. Janet Napolitano signed legislation Monday to make it easier for those who kill others to claim self-defense. The action on SB 1145 came despite a plea from the association that represents prosecutors from around the state who urged her to reject the measure because of provisions that would put new requirements on them to convict those who say they had no choice but to shoot another person. But gubernatorial press aide Jeanine L'Ecuyer said Napolitano received more than 1,200 e-mail messages in the last 24 hours urging her to sign the...

HOUSTON -- Counties that were saddled with chaos and traffic-choked highways before Hurricane Rita are defying an order from Gov. Rick Perry to empower one person to make evacuation decisions during a disaster. Instead, a group of elected Gulf Coast leaders adopted a different plan Tuesday that puts the authority in the hands of a 15-person committee _ even though the ultimate power to evacuate still rests with individual counties.

Gov. Orders Better Storm-Evacuation Plan Wednesday March 22, 2006 12:01 AM By LIZ AUSTIN Associated Press Writer AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Gov. Rick Perry ordered state officials Tuesday to develop an improved hurricane-evacuation plan, including devising a way to open major highways to one-way outbound traffic if a storm approaches Texas. The reforms were meant to prevent another chaotic evacuation like the one that preceded Hurricane Rita last September, when about 60 people died while fleeing the storm and many motorists became stuck in heavy traffic. ``Our goal is to learn from the lessons that Hurricane Rita taught us and...

Dems shadow Steele at public eventsGOP complains about Democratic researcher at non-campaign appearances; Lierman says so what? Friday, March 17, 2006 by Thomas Dennison Staff Writer Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele’s run for U.S. Senate has been attracting attention from friends and foes alike. Gazette file photoANNAPOLIS — For the past several weeks, the Maryland Democratic Party has dispatched a researcher to record, photograph and shadow Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele, a Republican U.S. Senate candidate, at his public events around the state. The researcher, Jennifer Sconyers, has attended several events, ranging from a career day at Crossland High School...

State wants more control of levee boards Jeremy Alford Daily Comet Capitol Correspondent October 28. 2005 12:00AM New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin testifies as Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco (on screen) listens via video teleconference in front of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure joint hearing on rebuilding New Orleans while on Capitol Hill in Washington, October 18, 2005. REUTERS/Larry Downing BATON ROUGE — Administrative officials are expected to push a set of proposals during the special session that convenes next Sunday to grant the state greater oversight of local levee boards. Gov. Kathleen Blanco announced her intentions this week as...

La. Gov. Blamed for Slow Removal of Bodies By LARA JAKES JORDAN Associated Press Writer Louisiana Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu, left, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, background center, and Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco leave a meeting where they addressed the immediate, post-hurricane priorities for the New Orleans hospitality industry, Thursday, Oct. 20, 2005, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Cheryl Gerber) WASHINGTON — Bodies of people killed by Hurricane Katrina went uncollected for more than a week in the New Orleans area as the federal government waited for Louisiana's governor to decide what to do with them, according to memos released Thursday...

Sen. John McCain joins Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to endorse California ballot measures. Photo Credit: By Jim Ruymen -- Reuters

Former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld drew first blood Thursday against 2006 governor's race front-runner Eliot Spitzer, claiming the Democrat's public persona is based on the power of intimidation... Spitzer "has a marvelous public persona right now, based 100 percent on terror power, the power of ruination," said Weld, who is seeking the Republican nomination for governor in New York.

Kathleen Babineaux Blanco On January 12, 2004, Kathleen Babineaux Blanco became the first woman to serve as governor of Louisiana. In her long, distinguished career, Governor Blanco has served the people with a vision of creating a new Louisiana, filled with hope and opportunity for all citizens. As Governor, her top priorities include: providing affordable, accessible healthcare, improving the state’s education system, and creating a strong and vibrant economy. In her inaugural address, Governor Blanco outlined her priorities as governor: “We face important challenges in this new century: expanding our economy and creating quality jobs; building an effective health care...

“I’m very proud of Keysha and all our students and teachers who are working hard at school,” Governor Bush said. “Keysha is an excellent student, an avid reader, and a great person. With the help of countless parents, teachers and administrators we are making it possible for all students to not only dream the biggest possible dreams but also achieve them, like Keysha did.” Governor Jeb Bush today met a fourth grader from rural north-central Florida who scored in the top five percent of all Florida fourth graders on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. According to her parents, Keysha Horn...

WASHINGTON — Free speech advocates are frustrated with a host of American companies they say have been collaborating with oppressive regimes in countries like China, Iran and Saudi Arabia, to help them filter and monitor the Internet activity of their citizens. Big technology names like Microsoft, Yahoo! and Cisco have been criticized roundly in recent years for providing foreign governments with the tools they need to crack down on Internet use, but critics say they have not been able to do much more than complain. "These companies' lack of ethics is extremely worrisome," said Lucie Morillon, the Washington representative of...

<p>It's become clear that Virginia's gubernatorial election between former Attorney General Jerry Kilgore and Lt. Gov. Tim Kaine will not be the only state race between a conservative Republican and a liberal Democrat this year.</p> <p>Virginia Republicans should be delighted by the news that Leslie Byrne, a liberal politician who previously served in the House of Delegates, the state Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, won the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor this month with approximately 35 percent of the vote.</p>

A Tale of Two Governors & Executive Powers: Gov. Blagojevich and Gov. Bush By Ruben Obregon On Friday Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojefich issued an excutive order which requires drug stores to dispense prescribed emergency contraceptives. "No hassles, no lecture, just fill the prescription," Blagojevich said. The emergency order, which remains in place, is an example of the discretionary authority which a Governor has. How come this minion of the culture of death had the courage and will to exercise his executive power and Gov. Bush didn’t? Why did Gov. Bush claim his hands were tied, when he had the power...

Ousted Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore said Friday he is considering running for governor in 2006. "I'll be praying about it and considering it," told reporters. Moore was ousted in November 2003 for defying a federal judge's order to remove his 5,280-pound Ten Commandments monument from public display in the state judicial building. He appealed his ouster to the U.S. Supreme Court (news - web sites), but lost. If Moore were to run as a Republican, he could face a GOP primary battle with Gov. Bob Riley, who has not yet said whether he will seek a second...

SOURCES: NY GOV PATAKI WORKS BEHIND SCENES TO BE CONSIDERED HOMELAND SECURITY SEC ... DEVELOPING...

In a season typified by lawsuits against manger scenes, crosses and even the words "Merry Christmas," a California case is taking the "separation of church and state" one step further – dealing with whether it's unconstitutional to read the Declaration of Independence in public school. Attorneys for the Alliance Defense Fund filed suit Monday against the Cupertino Union School District for prohibiting a teacher from providing supplemental handouts to students about American history because the historical documents contain some references to God and religion. "Throwing aside all common sense, the district has chosen to censor men such as George Washington...

Can't a guy catch a break? A systems failure that suspended Southern California air travel for 3 1/2 hours Tuesday night also caused Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to miss a heavily anticipated — and high-ticket — Beverly Hills fundraiser for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Bill Jones. Tuesday's dinner was the only general election fundraiser Schwarzenegger had scheduled with Jones, who has struggled to use the governor's popularity as a springboard for his campaign to unseat incumbent Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer. Schwarzenegger's staff refused to let media attend the reception and dinner for about 550 people at the Beverly Hilton's Grand Ballroom,...

Rural areas questioning incentives Thursday, December 11, 2003 5:58AM EST By AMY GARDNER AND CHRIS SERRES, Staff Writers Robert Neal, a laid-off textile worker from Cabarrus County, traveled to Raleigh this week looking for good news for his community and others that have lost thousands of manufacturing jobs. He came away disappointed. In a special session called by Gov. Mike Easley, lawmakers passed a $240 million package that provides tax breaks for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., other cigarette makers and pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. Most of the immediate benefits will go to companies doing business in two of the...

WASHINGTON - President Bush came to office saying he was a fiscal conservative, but federal spending has skyrocketed on his watch. And it's not just the Pentagon that's getting more federal dollars. Overall spending is up by at least 16 percent since he took office, far more than the 2 percent average annual inflation rate over the same period. According to one recent analysis, the government now spends $20,000 a year for every household in America, the most since World War II. In the meantime, the $236 billion federal surplus that Bush inherited in January 2001 has turned into a...

Gov. Bush 'alarmed' as Broward County's election woes deepen By Scott Wyman, Linda Kleindienst and Buddy Nevins Staff Writers Posted October 22 2003 Gov. Jeb Bush expressed alarm Tuesday over the growing crisis in Broward County's elections office and refused to rule out the possibility that he might try to wrest control from Elections Supervisor Miriam Oliphant. Bush acknowledged that his legal team is again reviewing what authority he has to intervene and ensure fair and accurate elections. He said the state's top election official, Secretary of State Glenda Hood, will brief him Friday about the findings of a task...

Now look who's hiding special-interest donations Fri Sep 26, 6:36 AM ET California Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante wanted to raise money quickly for the state's gubernatorial-recall election this fall. So his campaign found a way for Indian casinos, labor unions and other special-interest donors to get around the state's $21,000 limit on individual contributions. Almost immediately, however, the media and Bustamante's election rivals were able to detect the ploy. The reason: California's strict requirements for prompt disclosure of political giving. On Monday, a judge ordered more than $4 million of the donations returned. The timely exposure of other special-interest contributions...

The effort to recall Gov. Gray Davis of California is like a runaway train, fueled by voter anger and political aspirations. But as we race toward the Oct. 7 election date, the public and the courts should take time to consider the major flaws of the process. If the recall vote goes ahead as planned, it will plow over the United States Constitution and the fundamental rights of voters. The problem stems from this rather circuitous phrase in California election law: "no vote cast in the recall election shall be counted for any candidate unless the voter also voted for...

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Hi Everyone. I put a mini Freep into action today at the largest Veteran's Day Parade in the USA. So it seemed only fitting that I should lurk no more and share with you all. My 11 year old son and I went to the Parade to pay our respects. My Dad's cousin Maj. James Carlton was MIA in 'Nam. My grandfather was in London during the Blitz. (He came home a changed man for sure.) My Uncle Earl was a Helicopter Gunner in 'Nam. He was my hero! He died after the war. We also wanted to pay our...

<p>In the most hotly contested statewide race, Democrat Phil Bredesen beat Republican Van Hilleary in the battle to succeed term-limited Gov. Don Sundquist.</p> <p>With 93% of state precincts reporting, Bredesen performed particularly well in traditional Republican-leaning East Tennessee while winning handily in the Democratic strongholds of Shelby and Davidson counties. Hilleary posted strong results in suburban Williamson County and parts of rural East Tennessee but it was not enough to win a fierce 18-month campaign against Bredesen, Nashville's former mayor.</p>

NJ has within its borders a scandal which makes the Clinton/Lewinsky matter a walk in the park. The press has danced around the real issue. It will be revealed that what has occured in the Garden State is a scandal of the greatest importance. It will lead to the resignation of its current Governor James McGreevey due to his abuse of office and the NJ tax payers to prop up Golan Cipel. The nature of their real relationship is on the verge of breaking into the spotlight. This will be earth shattering.

<p>The two major candidates for governor are not promising the moon, but they are pledging to make the state better by paying teachers more, increasing tourism advertising, expanding industrial recruitment, helping colleges and paying TennCare providers more of what they are due.</p>

Gubernatorial rivals on the record Bredesen proud of big deals and projects on resume By Paula Wade wade@gomemphis.com September 23, 2002 NASHVILLE - Phil Bredesen campaigns on the theme of bringing better management to state government, but his reputation in Nashville, where he was mayor for eight years, is as a builder and dealmaker. And he knows very well that each of those deals - the one that brought the pro football Titans to Nashville and built a stadium; the one that built the new downtown arena; the tax breaks that lured computer giant Dell, pushed expansion of the Opryland...

Tax cuts are cornerstone of Hilleary's conservatism By James W. Brosnan brosnanj@shns.com September 23, 2002 WASHINGTON - If Rep. Van Hilleary (R-Tenn.) were to govern as he votes, he would require a two-thirds vote of the legislature to raise taxes, and he'd seek term limits for legislators and committee chairmen. If he were to follow as governor the same policies he does as congressman, Hilleary would favor spending taxpayer funds on school vouchers and charter schools over new spending to reduce average class sizes or to build schools. During Hilleary's eight years in Congress, he also opposed affirmative action, gun...

For Bredesen, new challenge tops leisurely life of wealth By Paula Wade wade@gomemphis.com September 22, 2002 NASHVILLE - From the inscriptions in Phil Bredesen's senior class yearbook at Red Jacket School, it's clear his classmates expected him to do great things: "...don't forget that after you graduate from Harvard and become president, I'll be around to be your office boy. . ." signed Ronald Miller, captain of the football team that senior year in 1961. "I'm really proud to have been your classmate. . . . When you make it to the White House, don't forget your 'first lady,' "...

Hilleary's GOP values inherited like a bloodline By Richard Locker locker@gomemphis.com September 22, 2002 SPRING CITY, Tenn. - Republican gubernatorial candidate Van Hilleary's political conservatism has deep roots. His grandfather, a textiles industrialist, ran for Congress in 1936 to protest President Roosevelt's New Deal. He lost. His parents campaigned for former Republican senator Bill Brock of Chattanooga. His father fought union attempts to organize the family-owned textile plant and won. Eight years ago, Van Hilleary was a foot soldier in the conservative army that swept Republicans to power in Tennessee and the U.S. Congress when he won the 4th Congressional...

Hilleary poll shows he trails by 1 point Tennessee Poll had him 8 points behind By Tom Humphrey, News-Sentinel Nashville bureau September 22, 2002 Republican Van Hilleary's latest poll indicates he is within a single percentage point of catching up to Democrat Phil Bredesen in the gubernatorial race. The poll of 500 likely voters by The Anderson Group, completed Sept. 13, showed Bredesen at 39.2 percent and Hilleary at 38.6 percent. The poll also included Independent candidates Ed Sanders, who registered at 3.6 percent support, and John Jay Hooker, listed at 3 percent. Another 15.6 percent were undecided. A Republican...

Bredesen leads poll by 8 points Undecided voters could change it all By Tom Humphrey Knoxville News-Sentinel September 15, 2002 Democrat Phil Bredesen leads Republican Van Hilleary by 8 percentage points in the race for governor, but undecided voters could turn the race around, according to a new Tennessee Poll. Despite Bredesen's current "comfortable advantage," Hilleary is "by no means out of the race," said Dr. Michael Gant, professor of political science at UT-Knoxville and director of the Social Science Institute. Gant designed the survey questionnaire and analyzed the results. Commissioned by the News-Sentinel, the survey of 516 registered voters...

Former Governor Thomas Salmon is thinking about running for the U-S Senate again -- this time challenging fellow Democrat Patrick Leahy. But some party members are questioning the move. Salmon -- who is 70 -- says he hasn't made up his mind -- but he is thinking about it. Salmon served as governor from 1973 to 1977 -- then ran unsuccessfully for the Senate against Republican Robert Stafford. Since then he has served as interim UVM president and chairman of the Board at Green Mountain Power. But he says he's not ready to retire. Friends and fellow Democrats say it's...

Governor candidates stake positions while issue picks up steam By Bartholomew Sullivan sullivan@gomemphis.com July 22, 2002 Unless a lot of heads roll in the Tennessee General Assembly in the next four years, taxpayer-subsidized school vouchers for supplementing private school tuition are not likely to be an issue for the next governor of Tennessee. But gubernatorial candidates vying for their parties' nominations Aug. 1 recognize a hot national issue and have staked out positions, just in case. In general, the Democratic candidates oppose the use of tax dollars to send students to private schools while Republican candidates are divided on the...

Susan Adler Thorp: Unhappy days here again for state GOP Tennessee Democrats are a lucky bunch. After nearly eight years of wandering around the state's political landscape without elected leaders to guide them, the governor's office and a U.S. Senate seat may fall from the sky and land in their laps. Not since 1994 have Democrats had such a good chance to regain the political posts they lost when a Republican blitz decimated the Democratic Party in Tennessee. After losing the governor's office and two Senate seats, leaving the Demos with no official elected statewide to head the party, control...