links for 2010-08-30

President Obama will likely phone his predecessor, President George W. Bush, before delivering his speech Tuesday on the Iraq war.

Obama will visit troops in Fort Bliss, Texas, which is in Bush's home state, before returning to Washington to deliver his address from the Oval Office in the evening.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs acknowledged their divergent views on the Iraq war during the daily press briefing Monday, but said "I don't believe there are plans to see him, but my sense is, it will be one of the calls he makes tomorrow."

Obama also spoke with Bush before his Feb. 2009 speech that set the withdrawal date for combat troops.

Gibbs said Obama will not utter the words "mission accomplished," as Bush declared in 2003, and will stress during his speech that there is more work to be done in Iraq despite the end of combat phase of the war.
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Bush did not say Mission Accomplished and I doubt Obama will thank Bush for anything

Longtime Dallas congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson has awarded thousands of dollars in college scholarships to four relatives and a top aide's two children since 2005, using foundation funds set aside for black lawmakers' causes.
The recipients were ineligible under anti-nepotism rules of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, which provided the money. And all of the awards violated a foundation requirement that scholarship winners live or study in a caucus member's district.

Johnson, a Democrat, denied any favoritism when asked about the scholarships last week. Two days later, she acknowledged in a statement released by her office that she had violated the rules but said she had done so "unknowingly" and would work with the foundation to "rectify the financial situation."
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Rectify = pay the money back and resign from office?

Doubtful…….

In the first Rasmussen Reports post-primary survey of West Virginia’s U.S. Senate race, Democratic Governor Joe Manchin attracts 48% of the vote while Republican businessman John Raese earns 42%.

The latest statewide telephone survey of Likely Voters shows four percent (4%) prefer some other candidate while seven percent (7%) are undecided.
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Wow, this race may indeed become close in the GOP favorable election climate.

The Obama administration plans to set up an emergency loan program for the unemployed and a government mortgage refinancing effort in the next few weeks to help homeowners after home sales dropped in July, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan said.

“The July numbers were worse than we expected, worse than the general market expected, and we are concerned,” Donovan said on CNN’s “State of the Union” program yesterday. “That’s why we are taking additional steps to move forward.”

The administration will begin a Federal Housing Authority refinancing effort to help borrowers who are struggling to pay their mortgages, and will start an emergency homeowners’ loan program for unemployed borrowers so they can stay in their homes, Donovan said.
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The latest Obama bailout

More redistribution and didn't government involvement in the housing market start the current economic collapse?

Carly Fiorina, the Republican Senate candidate from California, will travel to the Middle East over the Labor Day weekend to shore up her foreign policy credentials.
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Demonstrates a vigorous candidacy as compared to worn out Babara Boxer

Marty Wilson, her campaign manager, said the candidate wants to be updated on the region, according to the Associated Press.

The trip is funded by the Republican Jewish Coalition, AP reported.