Yahoo! News: Politics News

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• Obama could face election-year jam on gay marriage
• Romney success in focus on campaign trail
• April leap or May slog, Romney on pace to GOP nod
• Sensing victory, Romney turns attention to Obama fight
• Obama could face election-year jam on gay marriage
• Supreme Court takes up healthcare in secrecy
• Poll: Republicans follow healthcare case closely
• Harrisburg receiver Unkovic resigns-mayor's office
• U.S. drones attack militants in Pakistan, Yemen
• New Canada reviews to apply to existing projects
• Is It Over Yet?, Badger Recall, Calif. Geography, Call the Astronaut an Astronaut (PM Note)
• Yemen LNG pipeline blown up, output halted after drone attack
• Obama Tightens Spigot on Iran's Oil
• California campaign treasurer pleads guilty to fraud
• Obama says enough world oil to crack down on Iran sales
• UK says report of Afghan plot to kill envoys is credible
• Mitt Romney Delivers Powerful Speech, Pivots to the General Election
• Hungarian president vows to stay on
• U.S. farmers to plant the most corn in 75 years
• Rick Santorum Tells Voters 'Don't Settle' Like in 2008
• Romney success in focus on campaign trail
• Florida teen's body showed no sign of fight, funeral director says
• Campaign treasurer pleads guilty to looting $7M
• Obama Blasts GOP 'You're On Your Own Economics'
• Analysis: Storm clouds gather over Monti's Italy reform drive
• U.S. displacing Japan as No. 1 for highest corp taxes
• U.S. displacing Japan as No 1 for highest corp taxes
• Outspoken Morocco rapper charged over "insulting" song
• Hezbollah says world no longer seeks overthrow of Syria's Assad
• Syrian army must pull back first under Annan plan
• Far Off California Primary Gets A Little Closer
• House Republicans discuss reviving earmarks
• Obama raising campaign cash in Vermont, Maine

Obama could face election-year jam on gay marriage Posted: President Barack Obama could be caught in an election-year bind on gay marriage, wedged between the pressure of supporters who want him to back same-sex marriage and the political perils of igniting an explosive social issue in the midst of the campaign.

Romney success in focus on campaign trail Posted: Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney on Friday defended his personal wealth amid intensifying criticism from President Barack Obama's re-election campaign, which is trying to portray the former businessman as out of touch with most Americans.

April leap or May slog, Romney on pace to GOP nod Posted: April looks good for Mitt Romney, with its string of Midwestern and Eastern primaries seemingly tailor-made for the Republican presidential front-runner.

Sensing victory, Romney turns attention to Obama fight Posted: APPLETON, Wisconsin (Reuters) - Closing in on the Republican nomination, presidential hopeful Mitt Romney turned his attention on Friday to a general election fight with President Barack Obama over the U.S. economy. At the start of a five-day blitz in Wisconsin that could prove crucial to the Republican race, Romney ignored his three party rivals and tried to position himself as the presumed nominee to face Obama in the November 6 election. ...

Obama could face election-year jam on gay marriage Posted: President Barack Obama could be caught in an election-year bind on gay marriage, wedged between the pressure of supporters who want him to back same-sex marriage and the political perils of igniting an explosive social issue in the midst of the campaign.

Supreme Court takes up healthcare in secrecy Posted: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Supreme Court justices on Friday held closed-door deliberations on President Barack Obama's healthcare overhaul law, likely casting preliminary votes on how they will eventually rule on their highest-profile case in years. In an institution known for keeping its secrets, no leaks are likely before formal opinions have been written and announced from the bench. That is not expected to occur until late June, when the court is set to go on its regular summer recess. ...

Poll: Republicans follow healthcare case closely Posted: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration's healthcare law continues to be a stronger rallying point for Republicans than for Democrats, according to a Reuters/Ipsos online poll released on Friday. The poll found a partisan split in how closely people are following a Supreme Court case about the two-year-old law: 80 percent of Republicans are aware of the legal fight, compared to 62 percent of Democrats. It also found that 51 percent of Republicans said they would be "much more likely" to vote for a member of Congress who favors repeal of the law. ...

Harrisburg receiver Unkovic resigns-mayor's office Posted: Harrisburg, Pa (Reuters) - The receiver appointed to oversee the finances of cash-strapped Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, unexpectedly resigned after just four months on the job, throwing into disarray plans to help the city deal with its debt problems. David Unkovic was appointed in December to help Harrisburg, the state's capital, work through $317 million of debt incurred by cost overruns from the upgrade of the city's incinerator. This week a court ruled a second receiver was needed, solely for the incinerator, in addition to Unkovic who was the state appointed receiver for the city. ...

U.S. drones attack militants in Pakistan, Yemen Posted: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S.-operated drones carried out deadly missile strikes against suspected al Qaeda targets in Pakistan and Yemen on Friday, U.S. government sources said. There was no connection between the targets in the two locations, other than the fact that both sets of militants who were attacked were believed to have had some connection with al Qaeda affiliates, according to the sources. Reports from Aden said that at least five suspected al Qaeda militants traveling in a car in southern Yemen's Shabwa province were killed when a drone strike set their vehicle on fire. ...

New Canada reviews to apply to existing projects Posted: OTTAWA/CALGARY (Reuters) - Streamlined rules for approving mines and pipelines in Canada will apply to existing environmental reviews and could have an impact on Enbridge Inc's proposed Northern Gateway oil pipeline, Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver told Reuters on Friday. Canada's Conservative government on Thursday said it would soon unveil measures to speed up the process of environmental assessments for projects, including setting firm timetables for formal hearings. ...

Is It Over Yet?, Badger Recall, Calif. Geography, Call the Astronaut an Astronaut (PM Note) Posted: Is It Over Yet? Gingrich Hints at an Alliance – Flailing presidential candidate Newt Gingrich says he's been talking with Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum about the best way to beat President Obama, but the non-Romney candidates aren't showing signs of dropping out. Gingrich told...

Yemen LNG pipeline blown up, output halted after drone attack Posted: ADEN (Reuters) - A U.S. drone attack killed at least five suspected al Qaeda militants in southern Yemen on Friday, and gunmen retaliated by blowing up an LNG pipeline, forcing output to be stopped, officials and energy workers said. The drone set fire to the militants' car in the southern province of Shabwa and killed all its occupants, one official said. One bystander was also killed and five were wounded, officials and residents told Reuters. ...

Obama Tightens Spigot on Iran's Oil Posted: President Obama is moving forward with toughened sanctions against Iran's oil exports after determining there is enough crude on the world market to allow U.S. allies to stop purchasing Iranian oil, the White House said today. "I determine… that there is a sufficient supply of...

California campaign treasurer pleads guilty to fraud Posted: SACRAMENTO (Reuters) - A Democratic campaign treasurer accused of draining up to $20 million from the war chests of Senator Dianne Feinstein and others pleaded guilty on Friday to fraud charges, in a case a prosecutor compared to that of Bernard Madoff. Kinde Durkee, 59, who was charged with five counts of mail fraud, entered her plea to all counts in federal court in Sacramento. She faces up to 14 years in prison. ...

Obama says enough world oil to crack down on Iran sales Posted: BURLINGTON, Vt./WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama vowed on Friday to forge ahead with tough sanctions on Iran, saying there was enough oil in the world market - including emergency stockpiles - to allow countries to cut Iranian imports. In his decision, required by a sanctions law he signed in December, Obama said increased production by some countries as well as "the existence of strategic reserves" helped him come to the conclusion that sanctions can advance. ...

UK says report of Afghan plot to kill envoys is credible Posted: LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's outgoing ambassador to Afghanistan said on Friday there was "some credibility" to reports that an Afghan governor plotted to kill the U.S., French and British envoys to Kabul in 2009, but that there was not enough evidence for a trial. U.S. investigators allege former governor Ghulam Qawis Abu Bakr ordered a 2009 suicide bombing that killed two U.S. soldiers, and that he plotted to kill the U.S., French and British ambassadors in November 2009, the Wall Street Journal said on Thursday. ...

Mitt Romney Delivers Powerful Speech, Pivots to the General Election Posted: APPLETON, Wis. – Mitt Romney, delivering his most presidential speech to date, ignored his fellow GOP candidates, looked past the remaining primaries, and urged voters in Wisconsin today to join him on the path to Election Day, posing a confident contrast between himself and the...

Hungarian president vows to stay on Posted: BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungarian President Pal Schmitt resisted pressure on Friday to quit, saying there was no link between a plagiarism row that cost him his doctorate and his role as head of state, pledging to defend his reputation by writing a new thesis. The controversy comes at a sensitive time for Hungary as it tries to resolve a lengthy dispute with the European Union on contested new laws to unlock stalled talks on financial support. ...

U.S. farmers to plant the most corn in 75 years Posted: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. farmers will plant the most corn in 75 years to cash in on higher prices, topping expectations at the expense of soybean and spring wheat sowings, according to a U.S. government report on Friday. The dramatic expansion raised hopes that the next harvest would ease razor-thin supplies that have kept corn prices near historic highs. The Agriculture Department, in a separate report, said supplies in storage as of March 1 were smaller than expected, making a big crop imperative. ...

Rick Santorum Tells Voters 'Don't Settle' Like in 2008 Posted: EAU CLAIRE, Wisc. – Rick Santorum warned Republican voters not to "settle" on a nominee like they did four years ago and pointed to the Democrats prolonged battle in 2008 as of a party fighting for their principles – something Republicans should do aspire to...

Romney success in focus on campaign trail Posted: Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney on Friday defended his personal wealth amid intensifying criticism from President Barack Obama's re-election campaign, which is trying to portray the former businessman as out of touch with most Americans.

Florida teen's body showed no sign of fight, funeral director says Posted: MIAMI (Reuters) - The Florida funeral director who prepared Trayvon Martin's body for burial said there were no bruises or other signs of a fight like the one described by the neighborhood watch volunteer who killed him. The only injury on the 17-year-old's body was the fatal gunshot wound in his chest, funeral director Richard Kurtz told the CBS4 television station in Miami. George Zimmerman told police he shot Martin inside a gated community in central Florida on February 26 in self-defense after Martin attacked him and repeatedly bashed his head into a concrete walkway. ...

Campaign treasurer pleads guilty to looting $7M Posted: A former California campaign treasurer pleaded guilty Friday to looting at least $7 million from the accounts of dozens of Democratic candidates and political organizations, in one of the nation's most egregious political embezzlement cases.

Obama Blasts GOP 'You're On Your Own Economics' Posted: President Obama today delivered an impassioned attack on what he called Republicans' "cramped narrow conception" of liberty, during a fiery speech at a campaign fundraiser in Vermont. Before an electrified crowd of 4500 – his largest of the campaign to date – Obama framed the...

Analysis: Storm clouds gather over Monti's Italy reform drive Posted: ROME (Reuters) - Storm clouds are gathering over Mario Monti's efforts to transform the Italian economy, with his approval ratings dropping, mounting protests against his reforms and a damaging row with the parties that sustain him in parliament. Monti shot out of the blocks after being appointed prime minister in November and quickly implemented tough austerity measures to fend off the debt crisis. But he now risks running into political quicksands that will slow down and weaken the much harder task of reviving a notoriously stagnant economy. ...

U.S. displacing Japan as No. 1 for highest corp taxes Posted: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States will hold the dubious distinction starting on Sunday of having the developed world's highest corporate tax rate after Japan's drops to 38.01 percent, setting the stage for much political posturing but probably little tax reform. Japan and the United States have been tied for the top combined, statutory corporate rate, with levies of 39.5 percent and 39.2 percent, respectively. These rates include central government, regional and local taxes. ...

U.S. displacing Japan as No 1 for highest corp taxes Posted: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States will hold the dubious distinction starting on Sunday of having the developed world's highest corporate tax rate after Japan's drops to 38.01 percent, setting the stage for much political posturing but probably little tax reform. Japan and the United States have been tied for the top combined, statutory corporate rate, with levies of 39.5 percent and 39.2 percent, respectively. These rates include central government, regional and local taxes. ...

Outspoken Morocco rapper charged over "insulting" song Posted: RABAT (Reuters) - A Moroccan rapper was charged on Friday with insulting public authorities in a song that was posted on YouTube, at the start of a trial criticised by his supporters as a new attempt to muzzle an outspoken critic of the monarchy. The court, in Casablanca, adjourned the trial of Mouad Belrhouat, known as El-Haqed or "The Sullen One", to April 4 and refused him bail, his lawyer Hatim Bekkar said. ...

Hezbollah says world no longer seeks overthrow of Syria's Assad Posted: BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's Hezbollah group said on Friday Arab and international efforts to end the conflict in Syria have moved away from demanding that President Bashar al-Assad steps down and now appear focused on achieving political dialogue. Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, a key Assad ally, also said rebels who have fought a year-long campaign to oust Assad were incapable of toppling him and that the option of foreign military intervention in Syria was a "closed subject". ...

Syrian army must pull back first under Annan plan Posted: BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian artillery hit parts of Homs city and at least 37 people were killed in clashes around Syria on Friday, opposition activists said, as peace envoy Kofi Annan told President Bashar al-Assad his forces must be first to cease fire and withdraw. "The deadline is now," Annan's spokesman Ahmad Fawzi said in Geneva. "We expect him to implement this plan immediately." An army pullback to bases would permit a safe return to mass, peaceful protest, said anti-government activists. But there was no sign of any risk-free demonstrations on Friday. ...

Far Off California Primary Gets A Little Closer Posted: ABC News' Michael Falcone reports: SAN DIEGO — California has two things the Republican presidential candidates want more than anything these days: plenty of wealthy GOP donors willing to write big checks and the largest treasure-trove of delegates in the country. More than two months...

House Republicans discuss reviving earmarks Posted: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The huge federal transportation bill was in tatters in early March when Representative Mike Rogers of Alabama posed a heretical idea for breaking through gridlock in the House. In a closed-door meeting with fellow Republicans, Rogers recommended reviving a proven legislative sweetener that became politically toxic a year ago. Bring back earmarks, Rogers, who was first elected to Congress in 2002, told his colleagues. ...

Obama raising campaign cash in Vermont, Maine Posted: Raising campaign cash in reliably Democratic Vermont, President Barack Obama on Friday called this year's presidential race a "clarifying election" that will determine what the country stands for.

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