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Secretary Kathleen Sebelius discusses abortion coverage in the Senate health bill with a representative from BlogHer on December 21, 2009

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17, 2009 – The demonstrated bravery and resolve of the nearly 3,000 Canadian forces serving in Afghanistan reflects the commitment necessary to achieve success there, the commander of U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan said in the Canadian capital yesterday. Canadian forces’ efforts in mentoring Afghan security forces and their work in infrastructure development projects in southern Afghanistan’s Kandahar province are greatly appreciated, Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal said at the Conference of Defence Associations Institute in Ottawa. “The courage and determination of Canadian forces are an inspiration to our coalition,” McChrystal said, noting that Canada, with about...

WASHINGTON (AFP) – US President Barack Obama on Saturday praised Republicans who expressed support for his health care reform, saying it was time for Congress to "rise above" political posturing and pass his proposals. "That is the spirit of national purpose that we must summon right now," Obama said in his weekly radio address. "Now is the time to rise above the politics of the moment," he continued. "Now is the time to come together as Americans." The president noted that this past week Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg came out in support...

The Burlington Township School District in New Jersey is no stranger to political controversy. The district, which is being criticized for a video that shows elementary school students singing President Obama's praises, drew howls in March 2007 when it hosted an "emergency management exercise" at Burlington Township High School.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Despite the content of a letter bearing his signature, Gov. Charlie Crist does not want to share an anti-Semitic movie with all Floridians. Crist's office sent a letter thanking John Ubele for providing the governor with a copy of the film "Jud Suss." The film is recognized as one of history's most incendiary. The brief thank-you note was dated June 30 and bore the governor's automated signature. It praised Ubele's thoughtfulness and generosity and said Crist would be delighted to share the DVD with the people of Florida. "I was surprised considering the stigma that has been...

WASHINGTON – The Senate's top Democrat praised federal judge Sonia Sotomayor Tuesday as an extraordinarily well-qualified Supreme Court nominee whose background as an "underdog" appeals to Americans. "We have the whole package here," said Sen. Harry Reid, seated beside Sotomayor as the two began a meeting in his Capitol office. He called her life story "compelling." "America identifies with the underdog, and you've been an underdog many times in your life," .. He said she has been tested many times in her life and always emerged as the "top dog."

BOSTON – The head of the Republican Party said Tuesday he regrets the public interpretation of comments in which he said the GOP voted against Mitt Romney last year in part because he was a Mormon. "Chairman Steele regrets the way his comments have been interpreted," Republican National Committee spokeswoman Gail Gitcho said in a statement. "Chairman Steele believes Mitt Romney is a respected and influential voice in the Republican Party and looks to his leadership and ideas to help move our party and our nation in the right direction." Gitcho is a former Romney campaign staffer. A Romney aide...

They may be in different political parties, but Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had nothing but praise today for President Barack Obama's first 100 days in office. The Republican governor was at a press conference in the Capitol Rotunda Tuesday to urge the Legislature to vote for a bill that would slate $3.6 million for educational tuition breaks for the California National Guard. ... But the governor saved his most exuberant remarks for his assessment of Obama's performance. "I think he has done an extraordinary job of reaching out," he said, adding that Obama has contacted officials in California to talk about...

Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons said President-elect Barack Obama's meeting Tuesday with many of the nation's governors was "productive and helpful," and he was encouraged by Obama's promise to push an economic stimulus package. --snip-- Gibbons also said that while in Philadelphia for the meeting with Obama he got an agreement from California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to work on a joint effort with both states' congressional delegations to push construction of a high-speed, mag-lev train between Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

CRAWFORD, Texas (AFP) – US President George W. Bush on Saturday praised legislators from both major parties for approving the 700 billion dollar financial system bailout package, but warned that relief would not be instant. "Congress took a big step in the direction of at least giving us the tools necessary to bring some stability into the marketplace," Bush said during a visit to Midland, Texas. "Got to get credit for them of course so that people feel comfortable about conducting business," the president said, adding: "There's a lot of work to be done." The Senate approved the measure on...

Obama praises John McCain in this video:

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, weighing in on the presidential race, said that both Republican presidential candidate John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama are on the right track in "talking about bringing people together" across partisan lines. And, he said that the high profile and competing endorsements the Kennedy family - not including his wife Maria Shriver - in the Democratic presidential contest represents a dramatic departure from past years. "What's interesting is that, within the family, for the first time you have different opinions," he said. "I've been in the family 30 years, and I've never seen that...that's really the...

MANCHESTER, N.H. - Rudy Giuliani said Monday that if his achievements as president are as good as the crime-reduction results of his New York police commissioner, a man now under criminal investigation himself, "this country will be in great shape." Giuliani, in an interview with The Associated Press, acknowledged mistakes by Bernard Kerik, who was police commissioner when Giuliani was mayor. But he said crime reduction for the city was more important. Kerik, whom Giuliani pushed to head the federal Department of Homeland Security, is under investigation on what could be multiple felony charges. Giuliani said he hadn't spoken to...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 10, 2007 – The former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff praised the United Service Organizations yesterday for the support the group gives men and women in uniform. Retired Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, a new USO board member, represented the organization in accepting a check for $325,000 from S&K Sales. The company does business with the Defense Commissary Agency and raised the money through its annual fundraising effort. S&K has donated more than $2 million to the USO over the past 10 years, Mark Phillips, a USO spokesman, said. During yesterday’s check-presentation ceremony here,...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 7, 2007 – Vice President Richard B. Cheney yesterday praised U.S. servicemembers waging the war on terror and their fellow Americans who support them as they put their lives on the line. Vice President Richard B. Cheney delivers remarks to the annual convention of the Marine Corps League in Albuquerque, N.M., Aug. 6, 2007. He praised the military for its commitment to the nation’s security and thanked league members for supporting them. White House photo by David Bohrer  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “We're not a country that takes our military for granted,” the vice president...

WASHINGTON, June 26, 2007 – Standing in the Pentagon briefing room here, preparing to record a video message to troops deployed abroad, 70-year-old Charlie Daniels’ jaws, covered in tufts of white whiskers, work away at a wad of gum. As the camera starts rolling, he halts production. Charlie Daniels addresses an audience of military and civilian personnel in the Pentagon after receiving the Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service for his support of U.S. troops around the world, as Michael L. Dominguez, principal deputy under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness, looks on,...

DUBAI (AFP) - Al-Qaeda number two Ayman al-Zawahiri praised the slain Taliban commander Mullah Dadullah and called his death a "good omen for victory" against the US-led coalition in Afghanistan, in a video posted on the Internet Tuesday. Dadullah, known as the Taliban's top military strategist, was killed in southern Afghanistan's Helmand province on May 11 in a joint Afghan and international operation. One-legged Dadullah was the most senior Taliban figure to be killed since the 2001 toppling of the extremist group's government. A purported voice recording of Zawahiri confirms Dadullah's death in the video produced by As-Sahab, a media...

CRAWFORD, Texas - Thankful for a breakthrough, President Bush on Saturday praised senators of both parties for delivering a potential deal to overhaul U.S. immigration policy. The compromise aims to grant legal status to millions of people in the country unlawfully, stiffen border security and create a program for temporary workers. It also would reshape requirements for new immigrants and take measures to prevent illegal workers from getting jobs. "I realize that many hold strong convictions on this issue, and reaching an agreement was not easy," Bush said in his weekly radio address. "I appreciate the effort of senators who...

Defence Secretary Des Browne meets with soldiers from B Company, 1 Yorkshire Regiment, 19 Light Brigade. Photo by Cpl. Wayne Beeching, RAF. BASRAH — On a visit to 19 Light Brigade, Defence Secretary Des Browne said that the determination and courage of British troops has made an immense contribution to security in the area. It has been a demanding six month tour for the men and women of 19 Light Brigade who return to the UK within the next few weeks, and Browne wanted to thank them personally for their efforts.Speaking from the multinational forces base at Basrah Air Station, Mr...

We're still not sure what Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's era of "post-partisanship" actually is, but maybe this is it. The Republican governor, who has not demonstrated much enthusiasm about any of the Republican presidential candidates, just issued a statement heaping praise on Democrat Barack Obama for introducing a global warming bill in the Senate. "I applaud Senator Obama for introducing legislation to establish a national version of California's groundbreaking Low Carbon Fuel Standard. By adopting our approach of employing enforceable standards and market competition to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Senator Obama's legislation, like the bipartisan legislation proposed by California Senator Dianne...