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<p>Matt Brandon, secretary-treasurer of the Service Employees International Union Local 73, which represents the aviation police officers, said he doesn’t understand why the officers are prohibited from carrying guns.</p> <p>He said the union has been unable to get the aviation department to change the no gun policy, which dates to the early 1990s.</p>

President Barack Obama has cancelled his rally that was scheduled for Tuesday morning in Colorado Springs to monitor Hurricane Sandy, according to a White House press release. Obama will return to Washington to continue to monitor the hurricane following a campaign event in Ohio on Monday. A campaign event that was scheduled in Northern Virginia on Monday was also cancelled because of the storm. According to a statement made by the White House Saturday night, “The President is being regularly updated on the storm and ongoing preparations, and he has directed his team to continue to bring all available resources...

WASHINGTON – The Pentagon said Monday the military intervention in Libya cost the U.S. an extra $608 million in the first few of weeks of the operation. Spending is down significantly, though not as much as expected. Defense Department spokeswoman Navy Cmdr. Kathleen Kesler said it will take several weeks to tally exactly how much has been spent. But $608 million is the price tag officials have estimated through April 4 — or for 17 days of the mission, the most recent figures available. The estimate shows a large drop from what the U.S. spent in the early days of...

"Noting the interdependence among peace, security and development, President Rousseff and President Obama reaffirmed their desire to build a just and inclusive world order, which promotes democracy, human rights and social justice." "They reaffirmed the imperative to modernize the international financial institutions in a way that reflects the changes in the world economy and moves towards global financial stability, sustainable development and poverty reduction." "They welcomed the strengthening of the collaboration on environment and climate change, including under the Common Agenda on Environment and the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation Regarding Climate Change, and agreed to include in the Common...

Before protesters stormed the capitol, the Mayor of the City of Madison tried to pull a fast one. The Governor's budget repair bill was on the fast track, and Madison Mayor Dave Ciesliewicz was racing against the clock to pass new union contracts first. E-mails obtained by the FOX6 Investigators show that the mayor enlisted the help of State Senator Mark Miller. They both tried to convince the Secretary of State to hold up the bill by taking the maximum 10 days allowed by law before publishing the bill. They were trying to buy some time so they could ratify...

[LIVE THREAD] This is the place to post the ongoing exploits of the good guys and bad guys involved in Wisconsin's continuing constitutional crisis...

Illinois Tea Party members confront Wisconsin Democrat Senators who had fled their state to avoid a vote on budget-cutting measures. Senator Jim Holperin (D) is featured in this video. Video at link

Wisconsin GOP Senate Leader Sends State Troopers After Missing Top Democrat Published February 18, 2011 | FoxNews.com The top Republican in the Wisconsin state Senate has asked Gov. Scott Walker to send state troopers after Democratic leader Mark Miller as Democrats boycott a vote on a bill that would end collective bargaining rights for unionized public employees. Senate Democrats have been missing from the Capitol for a day and a half. Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald says he has asked Gov. Scott Walker to send two state troopers to Miller's home in Monona. He says he believes the troopers are...

For Americans who don't think the welfare state riots of France or Greece can happen here, we recommend a look at the union and Democratic Party spectacle now unfolding in Wisconsin. Over the past few days, thousands have swarmed the state capital and airwaves to intimidate lawmakers and disrupt Governor Scott Walker's plan to level the playing field between taxpayers and government unions. Mr. Walker's very modest proposal would take away the ability of most government employees to collectively bargain for benefits. They could still bargain for higher wages, but future wage increases would be capped at the federal Consumer...

Capitol Chaos: State Patrol Goes After Democratic SenatorsBy Jay Sorgi MADISON - According to the Wisconsin senate majority leader, the Governor's office is sending out state troopers to go after Wisconsin's Democratic Senate members to bring in a vote on Governor Walker's budget bill which would dramatically limit government workers union's ability to negotiate many of their benefits. "They are prepared to dispatch state troopers to go out to some of the residences of some of the senators," said Republican State Senator Scott Fitzgerald on Newsradio 620 WTMJ's "Midday with Charlie Sykes." "We don't know that everybody is out of...

What is happening in Wisconsin is disturbing. Protesters have jumped on the Egypt bandwagon, claiming that “Cairo has moved to Madison,” which trivializes the real brutality and lack of openness of the Mubarak regime, and claims a moral standing for the unions that they simply have not earned. The issue is that the state faces a $137 million budget shortfall (in the short term, and about $4 billion over the long term), and the government unions have negotiated benefit packages for themselves that are no longer sustainable. Something has to give, but the unions and Democrats are working together to...

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Gov. Jerry Brown announced this afternoon that he is closing three field offices, including Fresno's, and will not have a cabinet secretary or deputy cabinet secretaries. Brown ... is reducing his press and communications staff and closing field offices in San Diego, Fresno and Riverside.

Tax the poor some more. That is exactly what one of Mark Dayton's tax hike proposals will do. He proposes a 30 percent surtax on consumer loans that carry an interest rate in excess of 15 percent annually. Minnesota would become a national outlier as the only state with a surtax on loans. The Minnesota Legislature passed this surtax on consumer loans in 2009 and it was vetoed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty. The authors of this surtax said they wanted to tax predatory credit card companies instead of taxing their constituents. Some lawmakers were concerned that this surtax would hurt...

Although no final decision has been made because of family considerations, ABC News has learned that White House officials are preparing for Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel to announce on Friday -- as Congress adjourns for recess -- that he is leaving his post to explore a run for mayor of Chicago.

An Israeli man, Abed al-Azzam, 34, suspected in a series of stabbings in Virginia and Michigan was arrested at the Atlanta airport as he tried to board a plane bound for Israel. A spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the agency's officers arrested the man at about 10 p.m. Wednesday night at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, as he attempted to board a Delta flight for Tel Aviv. The suspect was handed over to the FBI and Atlanta police.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 22, 2009 CONTACT: J.P. Duffy, (866) FRC-NEWS Senator Landrieu Closes Office: Constituents Turned Away at the Door, Callers Reach Only Busy Signals December 22, 2009 FRC's Tony Perkins Calls Closure the "Height of Arrogance" Baton Rouge, LA - This afternoon, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins attempted to deliver a letter to Senator Mary Landrieu's Baton Rouge office only to be told by a federal marshal that her offices were "closed for the holidays." Over 150 concerned citizens joined Perkins at a rally in front of Senator Landrieu's office to urge the Senator to oppose the...

But we Americans seem to have short memories. What else could explain the fact that we, generally speaking, so-often lambaste the French, calling them “cowards” for not allying themselves fully with us in every instance? We constantly throw in their faces the fact that we came to their rescue in World Wars I and II. And we’ve all heard the jokes: “Surplus French military rifles for sale. Never fired. Dropped once.”

Wow, if this is true Minnesota is gonna be a huge free for all in '06. Everybody and their brother will run for this seat. The DFL still has a large reservoir of talent even though the GOP has pulled to almost parity in recent elections. Opinions anyone?

JPost.com » News » Security-Diplomacy » PM fires Elon and Lieberman Jun. 1, 2004 23:47 | Updated Jun. 4, 2004 16:19 PM fires Elon and Lieberman By TOVAH LAZAROFF Cabinet secretary Yisrael Maimon spoke Friday morning with all Israeli Cabinet ministers, informing them of prime minister Ariel Sharon's decision to dismiss Transportation Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Tourism Minister Benny Elon. Once all the ministers were informed, as is demanded by Israeli law, messengers were sent to Elon and Lieberman's homes with their letters of dismissal. "According to the protocols of the law I have decided to relieve you of your...