Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Nuclear Plant Crisis Continues in Japan - valiant attempts to avoid a major catastrophe continue as multiple nuclear reactors face meltdowns. High radiation levels forced the remaining crew of technicians to leave temporarily, before returning. The Washington Post has an update here.

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Diplomatic Standoff Ends in Pakistan - the American former C.I.A. operative who was arrested after killing two Pakistanis, has been released. The U.S. had claimed he was protected by diplomatic immunity. The release came after the families of the deceased accepted a payment of money from the United States. The NY Times has more here.

This incident has strained the already fragile U.S./Pakistan relationship.

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Clinton Tours Tahrir Square - the site of the mass demonstrations in Cairo which led to the removal of Egyptian President Mubarak. Steps continue to be made leading to a democratic election. MSNBC.com has more here.

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Building Industry Hits New Lows - building permits were at their lowest ever on record as new home construction dropped 22.5% last month. Interest rates continue to be at the lowest ever available to buyers, but is not spurring sales. Reuters.com has more here.

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House Passes 3 Week Budget - Senate Next - the vote was 271-158 with 54 Republicans voting against it and 85 Democrats voting for it. The vote in the Senate will likely come today as the current two week stopgap funding bill expires Friday. TheHill.com has more here.

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Will Strickland Be Next DNC Chair? - the former governor of Ohio who lost in his reelection bid last year is emerging as one of the favorites to replace Tim Kaine who is likely to step down to run for U.S. Senate in Virginia. Politico.com has a good read here.

I look to see a woman picked to lead the Democratic Party with former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, a likely choice.

The DNC is meeting tonight in D.C. and President Obama is expected to attend.

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Sarah Palin's Favorability Drops Among Republicans - it is now 58%, down 30 points from the 2008 election. More importantly, her unfavorable rating among Republicans is 37% and much higher than other leading contenders for the 2012 Republican nomination for president. CNN.com has more here.

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Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Nuclear Crisis Continues in Japan - four nuclear plants have been damaged significantly and desperate attempts are being made to keep radiation leaks at a minimum. Meanwhile, the japan stock exchange has lost 30% since the earthquake hit the country. Reuters.com has an update here.

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New York Stock Exchange Invokes Rule 48 to Slow Drop - Dow was down 273 at the open and rule 48 was invoked to slow down a run on the market. As I predicted yesterday, this comes as a result of the disaster in Japan. Bloomberg.com has more here.

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Obama Works to Receive Attention and Support to End "No Child left Behind" - the president follows up on his announcement yesterday with a series of interviews today. he is calling for Congress to end "No Child Left Behind" as he wants to see education reform. politico.com has more here.

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Kaine Tells Students He is Running For Senate - during a speech to University of Richmond students. What has been widely rumored, the DNC chair is now likely to make it official in the near future. He would face the presumptive Republican nominee George Allen. The other hot rumors surround who will be Kaine's replacement. You can read more here.

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House Republicans Want To Repeal Wall Street Reform Bill - The Dodd-Frank Act faces repeal by a series of five bills put forward by House Republicans. TheHill.com has more here.

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Hillary Clinton in Cairo - all reports indicate the U.S. is not officially endorsing a no-fly zone in Libya. Instead, the U.S. will let the debate take place in the United Nations, where it is expected to be stopped by a veto by China. You can read more here.

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Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Economic Meltdown Next for Japan? - an monumental earthquake, a tsunami, and nuclear reactors experiencing radiation leaks, the impact on the already fragile economy in Japan is likely to be major. The Tokoyo stock exchange dropped 6.18% Monday. Look to see this also effect the U.S. economy. ThePage.com has more here.

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Lack of Agreement on U.S. Budget - expect a three week extension to be passed by Congress this week as emocrats and republicans are unable to agree on funding levels for the remainder of this fiscal year. Still looming is the budget for next year which begins October 1, 2011 and the raising of the debt ceiling expected to be reached within the next month. Cnn.com has more here.

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Obama to Speak at Virginia School Today - at Kenmore Middle School in Arlington, the president will talk about education reform which will include more power to states. TheHill.com has more here.

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Obama Op-Ed on Gun Control - yesterday, in the Arizona Star, the president wrote about the need to come to agreement on gun control reforms. Two months after the tragedy in Tucson, the president's op-ed is weak and late, disappointing those on the left who had wished for a stronger statement from the president. You can read the op-ed here.

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Duke Energy 10 Million Line of Credit for Democratic Convention Raises Eyebrows - Democrats put the message out early their 2012 national convention in Charlotte would not be funded by corporate interests. Politico.com has more here.

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Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Japan Tsunami Leading to Nuclear Plant Meltdowns - if an earthquake and tsunami wasn't enough for the people of Japan to endure, the attempts to cools down a nuclear reactor are failing. The Washington Post has more here.

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Uprising in Libya Lacks Coordination - the initial support fueled by dissatisfied youth in Libya is being beaten back by the forces loyal to Gaddafi. The Arab states voted to support a no-fly zone if imposed by the U.N., but at this point, with no one in control of the rebellion, the ultimate results which would come from further support to rebels is questionable. The NY Times has more here.

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Israel Announces More Homes to be Built in West Bank - further aggravating a longstanding problem between Palestinians and Israel. The announcement to build more homes came after the murder of three Israeli children in a settlement by unknown attackers. Meanwhile, the U.S. brokered peace talks between Israel and Palestine remained stalled. Reuters.com has more here.

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Fabulous 14 Return to Wisconsin - the state senators who fled to Illinois to avoid a vote on collective bargaining, were greeted by huge cheering crowds. CNN.com has more here.

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Some House Republicans Uneasy About Another Stop Gap Funding Bill - the current continuing resolution expires on March 18 and negotiations have led to another three week extension to be voted on this week which contains 6 Billion in cuts. However, some House Republicans are not happy with another short term extension and fear their requested 61 Billion in cuts for the remainder of the current fiscal year will not eventually pass. TheHill.com has more here.

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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell Says No to Raising Debt Ceiling - appearing on Fox News, he says Republicans in the Senate will not vote to raise the debt ceiling unless their is a credible effort to reduce the nation's long term debt. Politico.com has more here.

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