American Politics Today

COLUMBIA, S.C. -After going AWOL for seven days, Gov. Mark Sanford admitted Wednesday that he'd secretly flown to Argentina to visit a woman with whom he'd been having an affair. He apologized to his wife and four sons and said he will resign as head of the Republican Governors Association.Questions about Sanford's whereabouts arose early this week. For two days after reporters started asking questions, his office had said he had gone hiking on the Appalachian Trial. Sanford's announcement came a day after another prominent Republican, Sen. John Ensign of Nevada, apologized to his GOP Senate colleagues after revealing last week that he had an affair with a campaign staffer and was resigning from the GOP leadership. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#31534113 http://news.aol.com/article/sc-gov-mark-sanford-admits-hes-had-an/538741?cid=12 http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ap_on_re_us/us_sc_governor_where http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

Republican Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma will present a report Tuesday questioning 100 uses of federal stimulus money, including a $3.4-million tunnel underneath U.S. Highway 27 near Tallahassee to protect turtles and other forms of wildlife. The White House officials moved to debunk the report, questioning its accuracy or saying Coburn was motivated by ideology. http://blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/2009/06/mocking-stimulus-money-for-a-florida-turtle-tunnel-.html

Obama proposes sweeping financial regulatory overhaul Wednesday 17 June 2009 US President Barack Obama has proposed what he called the biggest overhaul of the financial regulatory system since the 1930s. The changes will inject the government further into the financial markets and banking and investment systems. US President Barack Obama Wednesday proposed what he said was the most sweeping overhaul of the financial regulatory system since reforms implemented after the 1930s Great Depression. The reforms will inject the government much further into the financial markets and banking and investment system -- even as some critics of the president say he did not go far enough. "We did not choose how this crisis began. But we do have a choice in the legacy this crisis leaves behind," Obama said in remarks released by the White House. "So today, my administration is proposing a sweeping overhaul of the financial regulatory system, a transformation on a scale not seen...

The Republicans all the time dreaming of Barack Obama failure. Dick Cheney and Newt Gingrich are both betting on failure by the Obama administration. Cheney and Gingrich are worth paying attention to - not as presidential contenders but as very sophisticated conservative political combatants. Both are brass knuckled politicians, steeped in the Lee Atwater school of anything goes wedge politics. And both are laying down clear markers for the debate to come. Cheney's torture campaign managed to spook querulous Democrats about Guantanamo and force Obama into the lists to respond to him. Cheney's speeches were less analysis than rant, but they told a clear story: America is at war. Evil enemies lurk in dark corners. After 911, the Bush administration took the steps necessary - some of them harsh, some unspeakable, but all necessary - to keep us safe. Now Obama is dismantling vital elements in that protection, emboldening our enemies, confusing our friends, and weakening our...