Yahoo! News: Politics News

---

• Bill Clinton says election offers sharp contrast
• Dems seek Clinton luster; move Obama's big speech
• Analysis: Record US debt hardly dents the campaign
• Muslim Arab-American Green Lantern adds diversity to superheroes
• Guinea's embattled elections commission chief to step down
• CNOOC asks for US security review of Nexen acquisition
• Bill Clinton to argue Obama re-election is critical for economy
• Live Blog: Democratic National Convention 2012; Bill Clinton, Elizabeth Warren
• Politics and truth: Uneasy partners, easy enemies
• Colombia names team for peace talks with FARC rebels
• More cuts could change Pentagon view on big arms mergers
• Italy says committed to keeping ILVA steel plant open
• Bill Clinton says election offers sharp contrast
• Dutch pro-European parties lead in opinion polls
• Democrats change platform to add God, Jerusalem
• Romney raps Obama over growing debt, food stamp record
• Ryan praises Bill Clinton on day of his DNC speech
• Dems seek Clinton luster; move Obama's big speech
• Nevada's 'none' voting option not dead yet
• Turkish jets hit Kurdish militant positions-sources
• Pentagon maps Japan radiation, says U.S. personnel safe
• After Criticism, Previous 2008 Democratic Platform Language on Jerusalem, "God-Given Potential" to Be Re-inserted in 2012 Platform
• Iraq's role in Syria war poses problems for US
• Chicago mayor shifting to pro-Obama super PAC
• Democrats reinstate platform language on Jerusalem
• Clinton speech likely to stir thoughts of Hillary
• Three suspects plead guilty to Ohio bridge-bombing plot
• U.S. arms buyer foresees more program terminations
• Mali requests military assistance to free north
• Secret Service probing theft of Romney tax records
• Michigan high court allows pro-union measure on November ballot
• Beau Biden: 'My Mom Could Take' Paul Ryan in a Marathon
• Is it a bird, a plane? No, it's Putin, human crane

Bill Clinton says election offers sharp contrast Posted: 05 Sep 2012 03:17 PM PDT Former President Bill Clinton says the presidential election offers a sharp contrast between the Republican advocacy of a winner-take-all society and the Democratic vision of shared prosperity.

Dems seek Clinton luster; move Obama's big speech Posted: 05 Sep 2012 03:08 PM PDT President Barack Obama has "laid the foundation for a more modern, more well-balanced economy" after inheriting a mess when he took office, former President Bill Clinton said Wednesday in a Democratic National Convention appeal for economically-strapped voters to stand by the man in the Oval Office.

Analysis: Record US debt hardly dents the campaign Posted: 05 Sep 2012 01:14 PM PDT Some unpleasant, uninvited guests dropped in on the Democratic convention.

Muslim Arab-American Green Lantern adds diversity to superheroes Posted: 05 Sep 2012 03:33 PM PDT NEW YORK (Reuters) - DC Comics introduced a new Green Lantern on Wednesday - a Muslim from Dearborn, Michigan, who leaves behind street racing to join an intergalactic police force. Simon Baz, the muscular protagonist in his early 20s with the Arabic word for courage, "al-shuja'a," tattooed on his arm, is the latest example of superhero diversity in the comic book world. His debut comes after DC Comics unveiled a gay Green Lantern in June and Marvel Comics presented a half-black, half-Latino Spider-Man last year. "In typical comic books there's a big handsome white guy and that's it. ...

Guinea's embattled elections commission chief to step down Posted: 05 Sep 2012 03:32 PM PDT CONAKRY (Reuters) - The president of Guinea's national election commission on Wednesday said he will step down amid a political stalemate over parliamentary polls and following months of pressure from opposition supporters. The mineral-rich west African nation has struggled to complete a transition to civilian rule since 2010 because the final step in the process -- parliamentary elections -- has been repeatedly delayed by disputes between rival political camps. ...

CNOOC asks for US security review of Nexen acquisition Posted: 05 Sep 2012 03:30 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - China's state-owned oil company CNOOC has formally asked the U.S. government to review its $15.1 billion takeover bid for Canada's Nexen for any national security concerns, a CNOOC spokesman said on Wednesday. About 10 percent of the Canadian oil producer's assets are in the United States. The CNOOC spokesman reiterated that the deal does not threaten U.S. security. CNOOC declined to comment on the precise date when the company filed its paperwork with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). ...

Bill Clinton to argue Obama re-election is critical for economy Posted: 05 Sep 2012 03:29 PM PDT CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Reuters) - Former President Bill Clinton will argue in his speech to the Democratic convention on Wednesday that President Barack Obama's re-election is critical to restoring a vibrant, job-generating economy. Clinton, the party's most popular elder statesman, will highlight the second night of the convention with a speech designed to remind voters of the budget surpluses and job growth he led in the 1990s during his two terms in the White House. ...

Live Blog: Democratic National Convention 2012; Bill Clinton, Elizabeth Warren Posted: 05 Sep 2012 03:22 PM PDT Tune into ABC News on Thursday. Diane Sawyer Interviews First Lady Michelle Obama tomorrow on World News, hours before Barack Obama takes the stage to accept his party's nomination and argue he deserves a second term. But first, lets live blog. We'll have live commentary...

Politics and truth: Uneasy partners, easy enemies Posted: 05 Sep 2012 03:20 PM PDT It's unprecedented, the experts say: The volume and audacity of distortion, deception and truth-stretching in this year's presidential campaign has political fact-checkers busier than ever in their pursuit of the truth. But whose truth, precisely? And, in the context of a bitter campaign, does the actual truth — and the responsibility of a politician to tell it — really matter?

Colombia names team for peace talks with FARC rebels Posted: 05 Sep 2012 03:20 PM PDT BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos unveiled on Wednesday a six-man team to negotiate with Marxist FARC rebels in the hope of ending almost 50 years of war. A decade after the last attempt to end Latin America's longest-running insurgency failed, the negotiators led by former Vice President Humberto de la Calle are to travel to Norway next month to meet the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. The negotiations will then move to Cuba. ...

More cuts could change Pentagon view on big arms mergers Posted: 05 Sep 2012 03:20 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Failure by Congress to avert an additional $500 billion in U.S. defense spending cuts could make the Pentagon rethink its current position, which frowns on additional mergers among top-tier companies in the weapons industry, a top Defense Department official told Reuters. Top Pentagon officials told industry last year that mounting budget pressures could result in increased mergers, spinoffs and market departures among weapons makers, although they said they did not believe consolidation was needed among the largest companies in the sector. ...

Italy says committed to keeping ILVA steel plant open Posted: 05 Sep 2012 03:17 PM PDT ROME (Reuters) - The Italian government is committed to keeping open a giant ILVA steel mill in the southern city of Taranto that was threatened with closure due to heavy pollution, it said on Wednesday. Closing the plant would cost about 8 billion euros ($10.08 billion) a year in increased imports, unemployment support, reduced tax revenues and depressed spending in the area, the government said in a statement. In July prosecutors ordered the partial closure of the plant, which is the biggest of its kind in Europe. ...

Bill Clinton says election offers sharp contrast Posted: 05 Sep 2012 03:17 PM PDT Former President Bill Clinton says the presidential election offers a sharp contrast between the Republican advocacy of a winner-take-all society and the Democratic vision of shared prosperity.

Dutch pro-European parties lead in opinion polls Posted: 05 Sep 2012 03:16 PM PDT AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Two pro-European political parties in the Netherlands that backed bailouts are leading in the opinion polls one week before an election dominated by the euro zone crisis and austerity measures, three surveys showed on Wednesday. Prime Minister Mark Rutte's fiscally conservative Liberal Party would win the most seats, the new polls showed, followed closely by the Labour Party, which is pro-euro but opposes tough austerity measures. ...

Democrats change platform to add God, Jerusalem Posted: 05 Sep 2012 03:16 PM PDT Democrats have changed their convention platform to add a mention of God and declare that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel.

Romney raps Obama over growing debt, food stamp record Posted: 05 Sep 2012 03:11 PM PDT WEST LEBANON, New Hampshire (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney blasted U.S. President Barack Obama over the size of the national debt and the record number of Americans on food stamps, in a jab on the eve of a major speech by the Democrat. Romney said "two big numbers out this week" prove that Americans are not better off than when Obama took office in 2009. "We've gone from $10 trillion that the president inherited from all prior presidents to $16 trillion," Romney told reporters in the swing state of New Hampshire. ...

Ryan praises Bill Clinton on day of his DNC speech Posted: 05 Sep 2012 03:11 PM PDT Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan on Wednesday held Bill Clinton up as a model of reform and Barack Obama as his opposite, hours before the former president's speech to the Democratic National Convention.

Dems seek Clinton luster; move Obama's big speech Posted: 05 Sep 2012 03:08 PM PDT President Barack Obama has "laid the foundation for a more modern, more well-balanced economy" after inheriting a mess when he took office, former President Bill Clinton said Wednesday in a Democratic National Convention appeal for economically-strapped voters to stand by the man in the Oval Office.

Nevada's 'none' voting option not dead yet Posted: 05 Sep 2012 03:05 PM PDT Nevada's "none of the above" voting option will be on the November ballot following an emergency stay sought by the secretary of state's office and granted by a federal appeals court.

Turkish jets hit Kurdish militant positions-sources Posted: 05 Sep 2012 03:02 PM PDT DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (Reuters) - Turkish fighter planes and attack helicopters pounded suspected Kurdish militant positions near the southeastern border with Syria and Iraq late on Wednesday in a major air-and-ground operation, security sources said. "Around 2,000 soldiers are involved in the operation. Cobra helicopters ... are bombing targets on the Kato mountain," a security source told Reuters, referring to a location in Turkey's southeastern Sirnak province. Around 10 F-16 fighter planes had been sent to support the operation, the source said. ...

Pentagon maps Japan radiation, says U.S. personnel safe Posted: 05 Sep 2012 03:01 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon on Wednesday posted a website mapping the amount of radiation to which the tens of thousands of Americans in Japan at the time of last year's earthquake and nuclear disaster were exposed and said none of the doses posed health risks. The 9.0 magnitude March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami devastated the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant north of Tokyo, triggering meltdowns, spewing radiation and prompting the Pentagon to announce voluntary evacuation for families of service members stationed in Japan. ...

After Criticism, Previous 2008 Democratic Platform Language on Jerusalem, "God-Given Potential" to Be Re-inserted in 2012 Platform Posted: 05 Sep 2012 02:57 PM PDT A Democratic source tells ABC News that the 2012 Democratic Platform is being "updated to reflect the president's position that Jerusalem is and will remain the capital of Israel." The Platform will also will be updated to include language mentioning "God" that had been taken...

Iraq's role in Syria war poses problems for US Posted: 05 Sep 2012 02:52 PM PDT Iraq's acquiescence in possibly allowing Iranian weapons deliveries to the Syrian regime demonstrates Washington's limited influence in postwar Iraq, its inability to halt Syria's 18-month conflict and its continued struggle against Tehran for supremacy in the region.

Chicago mayor shifting to pro-Obama super PAC Posted: 05 Sep 2012 02:48 PM PDT President Barack Obama's national campaign co-chairman, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, is stepping down to help raise money for a "super" political committee supporting Obama. The move reflects increasing alarm by Democrats being outspent by Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and shows that despite legal limits, the lines between campaigns and super PACs are blurry.

Democrats reinstate platform language on Jerusalem Posted: 05 Sep 2012 02:45 PM PDT CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Reuters) - Democrats reinstated language in the party platform on Wednesday declaring Jerusalem to be the capital of Israel after Republicans accused them of showing weak support for the longtime U.S. ally. A Democratic official said the language was being reinstated to reflect the personal view of President Barack Obama. The platform wording was changed in a voice vote among Democratic delegates on the floor of their convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. ...

Clinton speech likely to stir thoughts of Hillary Posted: 05 Sep 2012 02:43 PM PDT While former President Bill Clinton is the star of the Democratic convention Wednesday night, the evening's most talked-about celebrity might be the Clinton conspicuously absent from the stage: Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Three suspects plead guilty to Ohio bridge-bombing plot Posted: 05 Sep 2012 02:41 PM PDT (Reuters) - Three self-described anarchists pleaded guilty on Wednesday in an Ohio federal court to plotting to blow up a four-lane highway bridge near Cleveland in April, authorities said. Douglas Wright, 26, Brandon Baxter, 20, and Connor Stevens, 20, all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and attempted use of an explosive device to destroy property used in interstate commerce, authorities said in a statement. ...

U.S. arms buyer foresees more program terminations Posted: 05 Sep 2012 02:36 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon may have to kill or cut some arms programs and slow spending on research and development even if Congress delays automatic budget cuts due to take effect in January, the top U.S. arms buyer said on Wednesday. Chief executives of major U.S. arms makers told Reuters this week that they are preparing for a significant decline in Pentagon spending even if the nearly $500 billion across-the-board cuts are averted. The automatic cuts, called sequestration, are set to kick in on January 2 unless Congress acts to delay or repeal a mandated $1. ...

Mali requests military assistance to free north Posted: 05 Sep 2012 02:30 PM PDT ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Mali's interim leader has made a formal request to West African regional body ECOWAS for military assistance to help free the country's north, which has been occupied since April by Islamist fighters, a senior Malian official said on Wednesday. Leaders of an influential former military junta, however, immediately rejected the possible deployment of foreign troops on Malian soil. "Mali is in danger, and that danger is a cross-border danger. ...

Secret Service probing theft of Romney tax records Posted: 05 Sep 2012 02:24 PM PDT The Secret Service says it's investigating the reported theft of copies of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's federal tax records before 2010. A letter sent anonymously to Tennessee political and newspaper offices demanded $1 million to prevent their disclosure.

Michigan high court allows pro-union measure on November ballot Posted: 05 Sep 2012 02:23 PM PDT (Reuters) - Michigan voters may decide in November whether to enshrine a right to collective bargaining in the state's constitution, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday, in a victory for labor unions in the state that is home to major auto companies. The ruling allows the measure to be placed on the November 6 ballot and marks the latest showdown between organized labor, Republicans and business groups that have sought limits on collective bargaining. ...

Beau Biden: 'My Mom Could Take' Paul Ryan in a Marathon Posted: 05 Sep 2012 02:23 PM PDT Beau Biden, son of Vice President Joe Biden, bashed Paul Ryan Wednesday for shaving more than an hour off his marathon time and even turned his attack into a family matter, saying "my mom could take him." "The Romney-Ryan budget means what it says. I...

Is it a bird, a plane? No, it's Putin, human crane Posted: 05 Sep 2012 02:20 PM PDT MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has tracked a Siberian tiger and posed with a polar bear, on Wednesday took his love of wildlife to new heights by flying with cranes - to lead them on a migration route. Putin has communed with wild animals several times as part of an effort to create the image of a clean-living, nature-loving person during his 12 years as Russia's paramount leader. ...

You are subscribed to email updates from Politics News Headlines - Yahoo! News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610