Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Irene Passes Through - Clean Up Begins - not as bad as expected, but devastating nonetheless. The federal government is open today in Washington D.C. as hundreds of thousands remain without power. The Washington Post has an update here.

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Rebels Advance on Sirte in Libya - as the hunt for Gaddafi continues. His home town of Sirte is one of the last strongholds for the former ruler of Libya. NATO airs trikes have pounded Sirte for the last three days in an effort to soften it up for the invading rebels. Reuters.com has more here.

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Americans Rate Government Last - among 25 industries in the latest poll conducted by Gallup. The computer industry came in first with a 72% positive rating. Government came in last with a 17% positive rating with the oil and gas industry edging out government in the battle for last place with 20%. For a complete list of the 25 industries and how they fared, Gallup.com has more here.

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Krueger to Be Appointed White House Economic Adviser - by President Obama. Alan Krueger would replace Austan Goolsbee, if confirmed by the Senate. The position leading the white House Council of Economic Advisers has been a revolving door with Larry Summers and Christina Romer also serving in this capacity. Bloomberg.com has more here.

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Alabama Law Renews Focus On Immigration - the NY Times editorial today sheds light on the state of Alabama's attempt to deal with undocumented workers within their state and the many law suits underway to block the implementation of the law.

Of particular note, is a lawsuit brought by four leaders of separate churches who claim the law denied them the ability to act in the compassionate manner they are accustom to.

With the 2012 election underway, now is the perfect time to frame the debate and reach consensus on a federal immigration law which will strengthen U.S. borders, enact penalties to employers who hire undocumented workers, provide a reasonable pathway to citizenship, and update the nation's immigration procedures.

The argument that immigration is a national issue and should be dealt with as such, is correct.

What better time to have a debate and reach a consensus than during a presidential campaign when the highest number of voters are paying attention.

Let's hope it gets done.

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Is Rick Perry Dumb? - Not the question you want to be the headline of a column if you are running for President. But, appears it does on the homepage of Politico.com. The Republican Texas Governor has battled criticism for his lack of depth on issues ever since he entered politics decades ago. As a presidential candidate, it is sure to follow him.

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