Other News

Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wisc.) plans to introduce a bill next week that he believes will reduce the federal deficit by about $500 billion, he said in a tweet Saturday afternoon

"The deficit hit a new record. My Control Spending Now Act coming next week will slash it by half a trillion and control future spending."

Although the Wisconsin Democrat -- a fierce foe of deficit spending -- has provided only scant details about his forthcoming bill, he did say in a press release on Friday that his effort consists of about 40 smaller deficit-reducing proposals that have recently fallen by the wayside. Among them are earmark reforms, subsidy controls and waste-prevention measures, he said.

“Fiscal responsibility is a Wisconsin tradition and something I have focused on throughout my time in the Senate,” Feingold noted Friday in a statement.  “With our nation facing record deficits, Americans are rightly concerned that their children and grandchildren will be forced to shoulder this burden.

"That is why I am committed to enacting budget reform and earmark reform, stopping funds from going to wasteful projects and making other programs and projects more efficient to protect taxpayer dollars,” he added.

Feingold's announcement arrives on the heels of the Treasury Department's final 2009 budget analysis. In it, White House officials note the federal deficit topped more than $1.4 trillion last fiscal year -- its highest ever.

House Republicans on Thursday accused their Democratic colleagues of running away from a vote to subpoena embattled mortgage lender Countrywide Financial.

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, had demanded a vote to subpoena the lender, which is accused of providing discount loans to Democratic members of Congress and others as part of an illicit "VIP" lending program.

According to a release from Issa's office, Democratic committee members abandoned the scheduled 2 p.m. vote, citing a conflict with a Financial Services Committee hearing. Democratic members then walked out of the hearing room.

Issa tweeted his disappointment during the scheduled vote:

In the Oversight GOP staff room waiting with Team Oversight to go out for the cage match/Countrywide VIP mortgage program vote.

Dems aren't showing up!

We have a GOP quorum

But no Dems have shown up. Now votes! Saved by the Bell: the Congressional Years? #tcot

They snuck out the back door!

"The benefits and strategy behind the Countrywide VIP program were reminiscent of the benefits Jack Abramoff bestowed on individuals with political influence. It needs to investigate Countrywide's efforts to buy influence," said Issa in the release.

"Democrats may have skated out of today's vote, but they can rest assured that Republicans will again demand a vote to hold Countrywide accountable," Issa added.

The Republican lawmaker has long favored a sweeping investigation into the troubled company. But the Senate Ethics Committee has cleared the recipients of the loans -- Sens. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) and Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) -- of any wrongdoing in the matter.

The Ethics Committee only examined potential wrongdoing by the two senators who fell under their jurisdiction -- it did not cast judgment on the other 25,000 "VIP" loans or on the Countrywide officials who offered the loans.

Some Republicans have also been identified as "VIPs" including George W. Bush's HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson and Bush Postmaster General John Potter.

The office of committee chairman Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.) did not respond to a request for comment.

Cross-posted to the Briefing Room

A Republican member of Congress took to Twitter today to offer his prayers for a boy who allegedly became trapped in a helium balloon that flew away.

The 6-year-old boy reportedly climbed into the large balloon outside his Colorado home, which then became untied and ascended into the air. The balloon recently landed, but the boy was not found inside.

Rep. Gresham Barrett (R-S.C.) tweeted his prayers for the boy:

Praying for the safe return of the boy stuck in the balloon in Colorado. Our thoughts are with his family.

Looks like they brought the balloon down safely #saveballoonboy

Reports are now saying that there is no boy inside of the balloon. Our prayers continue for the boy and his family.

Cable news networks cut away from coverage of President Barack Obama's town hall meeting in New Orleans this afternoon to report the story.

Barrett tweeted using his campaign Twitter account; he is running for governor of South Carolina.

A Republican member of Congress tweeted on Thursday that he was bumped from a cable news interview due to coverage a helium filled balloon that may have floated away carrying a young boy.

Cable news networks cut away from President Barack Obama's town hall meeting this afternoon to cover the balloon story. A 6-year-old boy in Colorado allegedly climbed into the balloon at his home, which then flew away. The balloon landed, but the boy was not found inside.

Rep. Phil Roe (R-Texas) tweeted that he was bumped due to the wall-to-wall coverage:

Had not forseen FOX interview cancelled due to @thenewyorkpost 6 yr old boy stuck in homemade hot-air balloon, hurdling thru CO sky: http://bit.ly/4FBQCN

Dems won't work with GOP - Rep. Dean Heller (R-Nev.)
Unused stimulus money should help small biz - Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.)

Proud of my spouse - Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.)
Met with Colombian ambassador to U.S. - Rep. Dave Reichert (R-Wash.)
Going to China - Sec. Gary Locke (Commerce Dept.)
Natural gas = energy solution - Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah)
Will we get Countrywide subpoena? - Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.)
Limbaugh NFL boycott?? - David Waldman (DailyKos)
Help our campaign - Rep. Charlie Melancon (D-La.)
Healthcare bill to cost $2 trillion - Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.)

Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) tweeted on Thursday to express his opposition to the passage of the Homeland Security appropriations bill, which allows Guantanamo Bay prisoners to stand trial in the U.S.

The measure was opposed by a broad swatch of Republicans, who claimed that terror trials in the U.S. would pose security concerns and provides undeserving individuals with American legal protections.

He tweeted:

I voted NO on Homeland Security bill....it let's GITMO detainees into USA and is a 22% increase in overall appropriations

Chaffetz was one of the first lawmakers to tweet about the vote, which represents a positive step for the Obama administration's effort to close the Gitmo facility by January.

The provision does not allow Gitmo detainees to be transferred to U.S. prisons, en masse. Republicans also opposed that move, arguing it would increase the chances of another terror attack on U.S. soil. Instead, the bill only allows a prisoner who is facing trial to be transferred.

Upon President Barack Obama's visit to San Francisco Thursday evening, the Republican National Committee (RNC) is reminding people of a controversial remark he made there last year.

At an April 2008 fundraising event in San Francisco, then-candidate Obama raised the ire of many, saying that small town Americans are bitter because "they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."

Obama later said he used the wrong words to describe their mood, but the RNC did not miss out on their opportunity to bring up the president's comment. Their research team tweeted:

Meanwhile, Obama heads to San Fran for fundraiser. Remember his last San Fran trip? Or are you still bitter... http://is.gd/4l7ne

In the linked blog post, the RNC provides a quote of Obama's remark. The president is traveling to San Francisco to speak at a Democratic National Committee fundraising dinner.

The RNC made the tweet using the new @RNCResearch account, created in conjunction with the launch of their new website.

Obama is spending the first portion of the day in New Orleans.

The office of George W. Bush on Thursday stamped out recent rumors that the former president may begin to personally use Twitter.

Yesterday, a tweet from Twitter co-founder Biz Stone suggested that George W. Bush may take to Twitter now that he has his own BlackBerry mobile device. The rumor spread around numerous websites, including the Twitter Room.

Bush spokesman David Sherzer told The Hill on Thursday morning that the former president does not have plans to start using Twitter, though he does admire the microblogging site.

When asked if he could rule out Bush ever tweeting, Sherzer replied, "Yes, I would."

Sherzer said that the @GeorgeWBush is owned by the George W. Bush Foundation, which is responsible for establishing his library on the campus of Southern Methodist University. But he said the account would be used for the purpose of sharing information about the library, not personally by Bush.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) took to Twitter on Thursday to share a video from the first health bill merger meeting held yesterday with top Senate Democrats and administration officials.

Reid is tasked with combining the Senate Finance Committee bill -- which passed on Tuesday -- and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (HELP) bill. The public option is the major sticking point in combining the two versions; the Finance Committee did not include it while the HELP Committee did include it.

Reid tweeted:

I know many of you are watching the Senate as we move fwd on health reform. Here is video of 1st mtg combining bills http://bit.ly/1VBFGz

The effort to share footage from the meeting may be an effort to increase transparency in response to criticism from some Republican lawmakers that the final health bill will be drafted behind closed doors.

In the video, Reid offers support for the public option using rhetoric mirroring the White House's take on the issue. Both have not promised to include it, but have expressed support for the idea.

"We're going to look at many options. I believe one option should be the public option. I've always
believed in it," he said in the video. "I'm going to work very hard to see what we can do to have this in a bill. I think it's one way to keep the insurance companies honest and have a level playing field."

As to when President Barack Obama will sign a bill, Reid stayed mum, saying it would happen in the "not distant future."'

AIG bonus hearings = fireworks - Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.)
Dollar falling - Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.)
Stimulus crerating Ohio jobs - Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio)
Dems working behind closed doors on healthcare - Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.)
Why do pro-market Republicans oppose insurance measure? - kos
Afghan government needs to be more effective - DipNote (State Dept.)
Va. has lost jobs, should Obama tout stimulus there? - RNC Research
Baucus bill is a tax bill - Rep. Lee Terry (R-Neb.)
High speed rail in America - Rep. Albio Sires (D-N.J.)
Daggett strikes back at Christie, RGA - Nathan Daschle (DGA)