Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Obama Criticizes Republicans on Budget Talks - he chided the GOP for taking a vacation at a time when the nation is on the verge of default. The president called on Congress to stay in session to work out a solution on debt reduction and raising the debt ceiling. Obama also stayed firm with calls from Democratic leaders to raise revenues on the wealthy. The Washington Post has more here.

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) replied in a letter to the president that the House will not pass a raise in the debt ceiling with any tax cuts included in a deficit reduction bill. He will follow up with a speech in Pennsylvania today.

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Health Care Law Upheld by Federal Circuit Court - on an appeal relating to the constitutional aspect of the "individual mandate" of the law. The three judge panel rejected the argument the requirement to purchase insurance violated the "commerce clause" powers of congress. TPM.com has more here.

This argument is headed to an eventual ruling by the Supreme Court, where recent 5-4 decisions, along ideological lines, indicate the "individual mandate" could well be determined unconstitutional.

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Minnesota State Government Shutdown Looms - a district court judge ruled yesterday "core" government services must be funded, regardless of an agreement on the state budget. These services include the administration of federal welfare programs. You can read more here.

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Vote on Petraus Scheduled For Today - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has scheduled the confirmation vote for General David Petraus to become the next director of the C.I.A. for today. An easy confirmation is expected.

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Senate Votes to Reduce Number of Confirmations - recognizing political gridlock has resulted in many appointed positions remaining unfilled, the Senate yesterday voted to exempt 170 positions from the confirmation process. In a separate vote, the Senate voted to also reduce 250 positions from appointed part time boards and commissions from the confirmation process. The NY Times has more here.

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NATO Says They Are Not Supplying Arms To Libyan Rebels - this comes as member countries France and Britain have announced they are supplying arms to the rebels. At issue, is the U.N. resolution which authorizes NATO to use force to protect civilians. Reuters.com has more here.

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Pakistan Asks U.S. To Stop Using Air Base for Drone Attacks - in another sign of the tension that exists between the U.S. and Pakistan. A U.S. official says this was news to him and the missions were continuing. CNN.com has more here.

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