Obama urges Dems to come together for health care
WASHINGTON (AP) — Victory within reach, President Barack Obama exhorted House Democrats on Saturday to stay true to their party's legacy and make history by bringing health insurance to millions of struggling families now left out. Leaders exuded confidence as they defused thorny problems in the countdown to a landmark vote. Obama evoked Abraham Lincoln's moral compass and extolled Democratic achievements such as Social Security and Medicare — once controversial, now an essential part of the social fabric — on a day marked by a frenetic hunt for votes inside the Capitol and angry tea party demonstrations at the door. Some protesters hurled racial insults at black members of Congress.
Former Interior Secretary Udall dies at age 90
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Stewart Udall, who sowed the seeds of the modern environmental movement as secretary of the interior during the 1960s and later became a crusader for victims of radiation exposure from the government's Cold War nuclear programs, died Saturday. He was 90. A statement from Udall's family, released through the office of his son, Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., said he died of natural causes at his home in Santa Fe, surrounded by his children and their families.
Obama close to health law success that eluded past
WASHINGTON (AP) — Rarely does the government, that big, clumsy, poorly regarded oaf, pull off anything short of war that touches all lives with one act, one stroke of a president's pen. Such a moment now seems near. After a year of riotous argument, decades of failure and a century of spoiled hopes, the United States is reaching for a system of medical care that extends coverage nearly to all citizens. The change that's coming, if Sunday's tussle in the House goes President Barack Obama's way, would reshape a sixth of the economy and shatter the status quo.
LaHood's Japan trip to focus on Toyota safety
WASHINGTON (AP) — Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says he'll go to Japan this summer for talks with Toyota executives about the sudden acceleration problem plaguing some Toyotas. LaHood also says he'll examine Japan's high-speed rail system.
Obama to Iranians: We want brighter future for you
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama told Iranians in an online video message that the U.S. wants more educational and cultural exchanges, and lamented that Tehran's leaders have "turned their backs" on good faith overtures in the past to expand opportunities for their people. State radio in Iran quickly accused the Americans of "pursuing the same Iranophobic policy" as always.
Conservative Party backs ex-Rep. Lazio for NY gov
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Leaders of the state Conservative Party are giving their critical backing for governor to former Rep. Rick Lazio (LA'-zee-oh). The endorsement came Saturday at a meeting of the Conservative Party in Brooklyn. State Conservative Party Chairman Michael Long says the Republican Lazio won the vote by a 5-to-1 margin.
Bernanke: Keep Fed as watchdog of small US banks
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke made a fresh pitch Saturday to retain oversight of small banks, contending that what the Fed learns from that role helps it assess the overall health of the entire U.S. financial system. Bernanke, in a speech to the Independent Community Bankers of America's meeting in Orlando, Fla., argued against a Senate proposal that would scale back the Fed's banking duties.
Former press secretary for Lady Bird Johnson dies
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Liz Carpenter, an author and former press secretary to first lady Lady Bird Johnson, died Saturday at an Austin hospital after contracting pneumonia earlier in the week, said her daughter, Christy Carpenter. Carpenter was 89. On Nov. 22, 1963, Carpenter scribbled the 58 words that Lyndon Johnson delivered to the nation when he returned to Washington, D.C., from Dallas following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy:
Obama order: Bring advance teams home from Asia
WASHINGTON (AP) — Rooms were booked, limousines waiting, snipers staking out positions. Then President Barack Obama ditched plans to visit Guam, Indonesia and Australia — health care trumping Asia, an expected House vote Sunday grounding Air Force One's planned departure that day. Obama's decision Thursday morning to call off his first international trip of the year left scores of White House aides holding briefing books in Jakarta, Indonesia, and Sydney; motorcades lined up with nowhere to go; and security personal in place at sites Obama wouldn't visit.
Obama tells Congress: Act soon on financial reform
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. needs major changes to its financial system so consumers are better protected, banks fortified and the economy safeguarded from sliding into another Depression, President Barack Obama said Saturday. In his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama told Congress to act quickly and pass "commonsense rules that will our allow markets to function fairly and freely while reining in the worst practices of the financial industry."
