These officials _ both Democrats and others briefed _ also say top lawmakers in the House are considering imposing a new tax on certain health insurance benefits as one of numerous options to help pay for expanding coverage to the uninsured. No details are available, and these officials stressed that no final decisions have been made.

The sources spoke on condition of anonymity, saying they did not want to pre-empt a presentation set for Tuesday for members of the House Democratic rank and file.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

WASHINGTON (AP) _ President Barack Obama is making a mistake on health care by insisting on a government insurance option for the middle class, influential Republicans said in a letter to the White House released Monday.

It could cost him chances for broad support across the political divide, the nine lawmakers, all members of the Senate Finance Committee, warned. Source: The Huffington Post. Click here to continue reading.

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Sotomayor, who grew up in a New York City housing project and went on to Princeton and Yale universities, “says she still looks over her shoulder and wonders if she measures up,” Mrs. Obama said at Howard University, chiming in on Sotomayor’s behalf as her husband began a Mideast trip.

It was a subtle but pointed counter to Republicans who have cited Sotomayor’s speeches and writings about how her background affects her work as a judge to question whether she would let her personal biases interfere with her judicial decisions.

Hours earlier, Gingrich told supporters in a letter that he shouldn’t have called Sotomayor a racist, adding that the word had been “perhaps too strong and direct.” But he said the 2001 speech that prompted his remark, in which Sotomayor said she hoped the rulings of a “wise Latina” would be better than those of a white male without similar experiences, was still unacceptable.

Gingrich conceded that Sotomayor’s rulings have “shown more caution and moderation” than her speeches and writings, but he said the 2001 comments “reveal a betrayal of a fundamental principle of the American system _ that everyone is equal before the law.”

Sotomayor, 54, would be the first Hispanic and the third woman to serve on the high court.

Gingrich’s comments and similar ones by radio host Rush Limbaugh _ who on Wednesday said Sotomayor would bring “racism” and “bigotry” to the court _ have enraged Sotomayor’s backers and caused problems for GOP figures who have been pushing to bring more diversity to the party.

By:JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS Source:The HuffingtonPost. Click here to continue reading.

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Some of the new media tools that helped propel President Obama to the White House are going to get their first test run on the international stage Thursday, when he delivers a long-awaited speech to the Muslim world.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said administration officials are planning to use text messaging and social networking sites like Facebook to help engage the world, especially young people, during and after the speech in Cairo.

Gibbs said the goal is to “not only draw people in to see the speech but to have them discuss it as well” to keep the conversation going long after the actual speech is delivered.

For example, the U.S. State Department is planning to send text messages about Obama’s speech to users worldwide who sign up at www.america.gov. The texts will be sent out in four languages — Arabic, Persian, Urdu and English — and will enable users “to reply and give feedback” in real time, according to Gibbs.

The White House, which usually sends out transcripts of presidential speeches in English, will release the transcript in 13 different languages this time around.

Administration officials estimate that there are 20 million users of Facebook in the Arab countries and are setting up live chats on that site in order to get a conversation going online. From CNN’s Ed Henry

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In a White House statement issued Wednesday, Obama says he is confident that with Leach as chairman, the endowment will continue its mission of “supporting the humanities and giving the American public access to the rich resources of our culture.”

Leach represented Iowa in Congress for 30 years. He endorsed Obama in the presidential election, and spoke at the Democratic National Convention. Source:The Huffington Post.

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“If we don’t get it done this year, we’re not going to get it done,” Obama told supporters by phone as he flew home on Air Force One from a West Coast fundraising trip.

Obama’s political organization, Organizing for America, invited campaign volunteers to a midday conference call to describe a nationwide June 6 kickoff for its health care campaign. The president’s message to his re-election campaign-in-waiting was simple: If volunteers don’t pressure lawmakers to support the White House’s goal on health care, Washington would drag its feet and nothing would change.

“The election in November, it didn’t bring about change. It gave us an opportunity for change,” Obama said.

For the full story at MSNBC.com, click here.

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Wood, who serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals in Chicago, is among a small number of people being seriously considered for the high court. She was in Washington on Wednesday for a conference at Georgetown University. Wood declined to answer questions about the Supreme Court position at the event.

Four months into his presidency, Obama has the opportunity to nominate someone who could serve on the high court for decades. The Democratic president’s choice is not expected to shake up the ideological makeup of the court; Justice David Souter, who is retiring, has been a reliably liberal vote. Source: MSNBC. Click here to continue reading.

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WASHINGTON – The Federal Election Commission has dismissed a complaint over the $150,000-plus designer wardrobe the Republican Party bought to outfit vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, the good-government group that filed the complaint, argued that candidates aren’t supposed to use donor money for personal expenses such as clothes. The FEC ruled Tuesday that the ban doesn’t apply to party money, however.

The Alaska governor was Sen. John McCain’s pick for vice president. The purchases from such high-end stores as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus drew criticism for Palin, the self-described hockey mom.

The Republican National Committee told the commission that party money rather than candidate campaign money was used for the purchases.

“We have no information to the contrary,” the FEC wrote in its decision.

The RNC also argued that the shopping spree was allowed under campaign finance rules that let the party spend on behalf of and in coordination with presidential campaigns.

$150,000 spent
The RNC spent at least $150,000 on designer clothing, accessories and hair and makeup services for Palin after she became McCain’s running mate in September. The high-end duds contrasted with the down-to-earth image that Palin and the campaign sought to craft for her.

The purchases included $75,062 worth at Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis; $49,425 at Saks Fifth Avenue; $9,447 at Macy’s; and $789 at the luxury retailer Barneys New York. Goods were also bought for Palin family members, such as $4,902 spent at upscale men’s store Atelier and $92 at Pacifier, a Minneapolis baby boutique.

Melanie Sloan, CREW’s executive director, argued that the commission’s decision opens the door for political parties to buy lavish wardrobes for candidates to use, and that contributes to the public’s cynicism about politicians.

“It’s typical of the FEC to never take on anybody for anything,” Sloan said. “It seems like the kind of thing they should have come down on, but they seem to think their hands are tied.”

For the full story at MSNBC.com, click here. 

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