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Diplomatic source told Israel Radio that Jerusalem expects Obama to back Egyptian military in its efforts to stabilize country following Morsi's presidency. The Israeli government expects US President Barack Obama to avoid pursuing the same "naïve" policies in its dealings with the post-Mohamed Morsi Egypt as he did in his handling of the crisis that brought down Hosni Mubarak, a senior official told Israel Radio. Jerusalem, which made no secret of its displeasure with Obama for what government officials believe was his abandonment of a key ally, is hopeful that the US will back the military's efforts to stabilize the...

<p>Outside observers might not have much trouble calling the events in Egypt on Wednesday a military coup. When a khaki-clad, beret-wearing general commandeers state TV to announce that the constitution is suspended and the president no longer president, “coup” seems like a pretty safe word.</p>

In 2011, President Obama quickly called on President Mubarak to acquiesce to demonstrators’ demands and leave office. With Mubarak out of the way, Obama proceeded to support the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, who succeeded in stealing the revolution. Obama’s support extended to an ex-con named Muhammad Morsi. By his own admission, Morsi was in prison during the January 25 demonstration. But he was in contact with members of Hamas, who broke into the prison and freed Morsi and other Muslim Brotherhood prisoners. When Morsi ran for the presidency, Obama continued to support him, even when it was clear that the close...

Existing federal law may force the U.S. government to do something previously proposed by Rand Paul: cut off foreign aid to Egypt. Under Section 508, “none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available pursuant to this Act shall be obligated or expended to finance directly any assistance to any country whose duly elected head of government is deposed by a military coup or decree.” While President Obama has been careful to avoid labeling the ouster of democratically elected Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi a coup, the provision is not subject to presidential waiver. Last year, Paul introduced legislation to suspend...

The way Rand Paul sees it, the 86 senators who opposed his amendment to freeze $1.5 billion in annual aid to Egypt voted "against the rule of law" on Wednesday. Paul's amendment to the transportation spending bill would have halted aid to the country until elections were held and redirected the money to domestic bridge repairs instead. In Paul’s defense, a 2010 law requires halting U.S. aid to any country that undergoes a military coup. The problem, however, is that the U.S. has failed to make the determination that the military’s ousting of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi on July 3...

Another Republican senator is weighing in against a plan hatched by GOP conservatives to tie a new budget deal to defunding the implementation of Obamacare. “I think it’s a silly effort,” Bob Corker said on MSNBC. “What people are really saying who are behind that effort is we don’t have the courage to roll up our sleeves and deal with real deficit reduction and spending decisions. We want to take ourselves out of the debate and act like we’re being principled to the American people…” (snip) Other Republicans have offered similar remarks, with Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), one of the...

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid challenged House Republicans to forgo their own debate and pass the Senate’s immigration bill instead, telling Speaker John A. Boehner to ignore his Republican colleagues in order to get a bill done. In remarks kicking off Congress’ stretch run to its August summer vacation, Mr. Reid said the Senate’s 68-32 vote in late June to pass its immigration bill should be a beacon for the House. “Our responsibility didn’t end with that vote. Now it’s our responsibility to convince our colleagues in the House they should vote with us,” said Mr. Reid, Nevada Democrat.

Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee (R) suggested in an interview Friday that he supports the border security deal crafted by Sens. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) . . . . //////////////////// Excerpt only.

WIMP (wmp) n. A subatomic particle that has a large mass and interacts with other matter primarily through gravitation. n. Informal. 1. a weak, ineffectual, timid person. Political Representing a state like North Dakota and scoring a 47% from Heritage Action while working overtime to save Democrats and pass a dying amnesty bill --------------------------------------------------------- Imagine if Democrats elected senators from blue states in the northeast who worked behind closed doors with Ted Cruz to craft national right to work legislation or a compromise plan to privatize Social Security? That’s about as likely as Lady Gaga joining the Family Research Council....

The fallout from the Internal Revenue Service targeting scandal is going to be felt in many other federal agencies and programs, including Obamacare and immigration reform, Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker says. "This episode is going to have a big effect … There are multiple, multiple issues that have to be addressed,'' Corker told "The Steve Malzberg Show'' on Newsmax TV. "This is a wakeup call for all of those who see our large government and the way people can be coerced … For instance, as we move to immigration reform, just being aware … of judgments that take place within...

The United States will "shortly" begin arming Syrian rebels, looking to boost moderate factions over al Qaida-affiliated extremists whose rise would be a national security "nightmare," the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee told CBS News on Tuesday.

The Republican plan to block debate on Senate Bill 649, which requires background checks on almost all gun purchases and transfers, failed spectacularly Thursday morning when sixteen Republican Senators joined almost all of the Democrats to vote in favor opening debate on the bill. Among those voting to defeat the filibuster were 9 Democrats with “A” ratings from the National Rifle Association, and 12 A-rated Republicans (out of 16 Republican “ayes”). Two Democrats, Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR) and Sen. Mark Begich (D-AK), joined the majority of Republican Senators who tried to prevent debate, much less a vote, on the bill....

Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee and Gov. Haslam partying at the White House. -The unemployment rate in TN is 7.8%, higher than the national average. -Median household income in TN is $40k, $10k below the national average and down 2.5% over the last 12 months, down 8% on 3 years ago. -While natural gas gets cheaper the Tennessee Valley Authority have increased rates in 2012 and plan to do so again this year. Sen. Bob Corker who voted to bailout Wall Street in 2008 parties while contributing to the decline and ruin of the state of Tennessee.

We’ve spent plenty of time covering the litany of complaints being raised against Chuck Hagel’s nomination for SecDef based on various policy positions he’s taken or past comments he’s made. But now a different and less discussed – though already well known – aspect of his past is bubbling back to the surface. During the round of Sunday morning shows, Senator Bob Corker weighed in, asking whether Hagel has the proper temperament for an upper level management position. Raising concerns about former Sen. Chuck Hagel’s nomination as defense secretary, Sen. Bob Corker said Sunday the former Nebraska senator’s temperament should...

If you watched Obama’s comments this afternoon you would not be remiss to think it was actually a campaign event. Obama came out, flanked by ‘middle class Americans’ or what Twitchy aptly referred to as a “human rainbow,” and played the blame game all while reminding Americans Republicans that he won the election. Oh, and the “middle class taxpayers” repeatedly applauding when Obama took shots at Congress for its inaction thus far really helped set the pep rally vibe, too. GOP lawmakers weren’t thrilled with the comments, either: Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) said President Obama likely lost votes for the...

Leading Democrats are putting together fallback proposals if Washington fails to reach a deal on the “fiscal cliff” that would allow the party to cast itself as seeking to cut taxes. “Of course, I’ve got a backup plan in the event that we don’t succeed here,” Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said Friday. “I’m sure the White House has one too.” Tax rates are set to expire on most households in January if Congress does not act to extend some of the rates, something some Democrats have long seen as giving their party an advantage....

Bob Corker says he — and probably many other GOP senators — would consider raising the top tax rate paid by the wealthiest Americans if it meant reforming big entitlement programs such as Medicare.

For the first time in more than three weeks, President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner met face-to-face today at the White House to talk about avoiding the fiscal cliff. … The White House afternoon talks, conducted without cameras or any announcement until they were over, came as some Republicans were showing more flexibility about approving higher tax rates for the wealthy, one of the president’s demands to keep the country from the so-called fiscal cliff—a mixture of across-the-board tax increases and spending cuts that many economists say would send the country back into recession. “Let’s face it. He does...

Tenn. Democrat Party urges voters to vote against their own nominee - works for pro-life group NASHVILLE, August 7, 2012, (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Democratic Party of Tennessee is taking the unusual step of urging citizens to vote against its own nominee for U.S. Senate, because he works for a pro-life organization it deems a “hate group.” Mark Clayton won the party’s primary by a two-to-one margin over his next closest competitor, Gary Gene Davis. Former NBC Empty Nest star Park Overall came in third. Clayton has long been active with Public Advocate, a national pro-life, pro-family organization. “Mark Clayton is...

The Tennessee Democratic Party is refusing to support the US Senate candidate chosen by the Democrats of their state: a man by the name of Mark Clayton, who openly espouses libertarian/conservative positions.  They say he belongs to a "hate group" -- Public Advocates.  All I know of the group is what its page says; check it out and decide for yourself. In any case, it strikes me that the Democrats should be embarrassed.  Does an opponent of gay rights (even a seemingly outspoken one) and a self-described conservative/libertarian attract more antipathy from them than their other recent colorful Senate contenders --...