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California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger repeated today on "This Week" that he'd take any state aid money GOP governors like Gov. Mark Sanford, R-S.C. turn down -- a position that has raised the ire of many of his Republican colleagues in Washington, D.C. this weekend. "Governor Sanford says that he does not want to take the money, the federal stimulus package money. And I want to say to him: 'I'll take it.' I'm more than happy to take his money or any other governor in this country that doesn't want to take this money, I take it, because we in California...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Maine's Susan Collins says time is getting short as House and Senate negotiators reach for a final deal with the White House on economic stimulus legislation. Conferees from the two chambers today agreed to pare the measure to below $800 billion. The $838 billion Senate bill that cleared earlier this week had the backing of only three of 41 Republicans -- but that was enough to give it the 60 votes it needed. Collins and fellow Mainer Olympia Snowe were among those who broke ranks with most Republicans. Collins told reporters today that she hopes other GOP...

Remember the days when Sen. John McCain was the Democratic Party’s best friend? And a BFF, as well, to the Mainstream Media? Well, they’re ba-a-a-ck.

Sen. John McCain, D-Ariz., took on his own party this morning for continuing to criticize the way President-elect Barack Obama has handled the scandal surrounding Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Sen. McCain talks to George in his first Sunday interview since the election."In all due respect to the Republican National Committee... I think we should try to be working constructively together, not only on an issue such as this, but on the economy stimulus package, reforms that are necessary," McCain said in an exclusive "This Week" interview with George Stephanopoulos. RNC Chairman Mike Duncan has released a statement every day since...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Sen. John McCain says he's ready to work President-elect Barack Obama on economic and national security issues. McCain, who lost the presidential election to Obama, says there will be some areas of disagreement. But he says the nation's problems are too big for political divisiveness. The Arizona senator says people want the government to unite and work together.

The undocumented Irish in the United States were discussed at Shannon airport last night when the Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea TD met former US Republican presidential candidate senator John McCain. After the meeting, Mr O'Dea said: "We met for about 40 minutes and it was very productive and cordial. Senator McCain has committed to raising the issue of the undocumented Irish with president-elect Obama on his return to the US." Mr McCain's aircraft made a refuelling stop at Shannon on his way back to the US after spending the past week on a regional tour with two other members...

No, Barack, Medical Care is Not a 'Right'by Dr. Lee Hieb (more by this author) Posted 10/08/2008 ET Updated 10/08/2008 ET At last night’s presidential debate, Barack Obama led the charge for government run health care by declaring in no uncertain terms that health care is a “right”. I suppose he thinks Tom and the boys accidentally left that one out of the Constitution. Or maybe it is an extension (in his mind) of the right to life. But let’s think about this a minute. When our American form of government was created to form “a more perfect union” by...

When the United States and its key European allies ignored Russia’s protests and recognized Kosovo’s declaration of independence from Serbia in February, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice blithely insisted that the Kosovo situation was unique and set no international precedent whatsoever. Prominent members of the foreign policy communities in Europe and the United States echoed her argument. Moscow’s August 26 decision to recognize the independence of Georgia’s separatist enclaves of South Ossetia and Abkhazia demonstrates the arrogant folly of that position. In just a matter of months, the Kosovo precedent has backfired on the United States and generated dangerous tensions...

Barack Obama branded John McCain a stooge of profit-soaked oil giants as the White House rivals duelled on high petrol prices and energy policy exactly three months from US Presidential election day. Celebrating his 47th birthday, Senator Obama launched a stinging counterattack after the Republican Senator McCain had cast him as a vacuous celebrity unfit to lead at a time of gathering crisis. Unveiling a new energy plan, Senator Obama promised a 10-year, $US150 billion ($A161.43 billion) drive to cut US ''addiction'' to oil from global hot spots like the Middle East and Venezuela. ''Breaking our oil addiction is one...

Recently I re-examined the September 1967 decision of the Arab League summit in Khartoum - the famous three no's - no recognition, no negotiations and no peace with Israel. Here we are 40 years later and instead of speaking about the Arab-Israeli conflict, we speak about Arab-Israeli relationships - complex and diverse. Peace, albeit cold, with Jordan and Egypt. The Saudis continue to speak about the Arab Peace Initiative (API) and even Hamas wants a cease-fire agreement with Israel. Syria is calling for direct negotiations with Israel. The Palestinians claim that Israelis are holding back on making progress toward peace...

Since February 2005, I have been writing this column in the Jerusalem Post every other week. The talkbacks to my articles which also appear on jpost.com are consistently angry, aggressive, and opposed to almost everything I write. The responses to my repeated calls for taking steps toward peace with our neighbors have been complete rejection. The basis of opposition comes from those who question the very existence of the Palestinian people. Others, who might be willing to recognize that Palestinians do exist, are not wiling to accept the reality of their presence on any part of the Land of Israel....

HAVANA Jan 7, 2007 (AP)— American "peace mom" Cindy Sheehan called for the closure of the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as she and other activists arrived here Saturday to draw attention to the nearly 400 terror suspects held at the remote site. Sheehan is among 12 human rights and anti-war activists who will travel across this Caribbean island next week, arriving at the main gate of the Guantanamo base in eastern Cuba on Thursday five years after the first prisoners were flown in. "Anyone who knows me, knows that I am not afraid of anything," Sheehan said...

Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chávez is an ally of the Iranian mullahs, a supporter of North Korea, a close friend of Fidel Castro and a good customer for Vladimir Putin's weapon factories. Now he's also a business partner of Joseph P. Kennedy II. The former Democratic Congressman describes the deal he's cooked up with Mr. Chávez as charity for low-income consumers of heating oil. But it's worth asking what the price of this largesse is to Venezuelans and to U.S. security interests. The arrangement is this: Mr. Chávez's Citgo--a Houston-based oil company owned by the Venezuelan government--is supplying home heating oil...

While North Korea was gearing up to launch a long range missile and five rockets into the Sea of Japan this week, sending a grim message to the entire world, out at Saddleback Church Rick Warren was announcing that he will soon be bringing his message of purpose to North Korea where he reportedly will be addressing an audience of 15,000. “God is using Rick Warren to be a messenger of peace!” gushed one Saddleback member. There is great hope in Lake Forest that Rick Warren's message in that stadium will cause Kim Jong II to drop his nuclear purposes...

There was more good news about the economy today. The Conference Board announced that consumer confidence is now at its highest level since May 2002. Yet, on Tuesday’s “Hardball,” host Chris Matthews just couldn’t admit on television – with people watching – that the economy is actually doing well. Instead, he stuttered, stammered, and referred to the current economic condition as “not terrible.” Yep. 4.8 percent unemployment and 17 straight quarters of positive economic growth in Matthews’ view is “not terrible.”In a segment featuring Pat Buchanan and former Clinton transportation secretary Rodney Slater, the threesome were discussing potential changes in...

TRANSCRIPT FROM TUCKER CARLSON SHOW: Adding to the sexism, elitism, faith, and threat cards in the White House arsenal, comes the "far right" card. Speaking in support of Harriet Miers on Tucker Carlson's MSNBC show last night was Brad Blakeman, described by Carlson as "a former deputy assistant to President Bush [who] shared an office with Harriet Miers for three years." I'm posting the entire transcript of the Blakeman interview below. Go to the parts in bold to see the "far right" business. CARLSON: ...today one of the many questions regarding Harriet Miers has been answered, in part, anyway, in...

TRANSLATION FROM SPANISH: CARACAS.-The U.S. reverend and activist affirmed that the political model of Venezuela constitutes an example for all the nations of the world, shortly after arriving last night to the nation, he told a local radio station. In his first words on arriving to Venezuelan soil, Jackson cited the just distribution of natural resources and the revindication of minority rights as some of the positive points of the 'revolutionary' process that impels the government of President Hugo Chavez, he told Union Radio. The defender of civil rights of Afro-Americans indicated that in his three-day visit to the country...

The New York Times last week offered a specious attack on Lynne Stewart's conviction in an embarrassingly ill-informed op-ed by Andrew Napolitano, Fox News's "Senior Judicial Analyst." A little background before we examine this commentator's latest wade out of his depth. Napolitano was once a midlevel state-court judge in New Jersey. Assuming for argument's sake that this experience is a sure sign of actual legal expertise, it would be an exceedingly narrow one: to wit, he might be thought an authority on the constitution and laws of the Garden State. Fox, however, has opportunistically chosen to ignore the "New Jersey"...

Boston Globe columnist Thomas Oliphant (he of the annoying, "heh-heh-heh-heh" laugh) visited the Imus show this morning and lived up to his longstanding prefix, "Ignorant". And if you think I'm being cruel about his laugh, don't worry, it was openly mocked on the program by, if you can believe it, Camilla Parker-Bowles. Or maybe that was an impersonator, I'm not sure. In any event, his comments have defined a high-water mark for ignorance. Allow me to describe what kind of garbage he dispensed this morning...

It's fairly clear to me that the media is about ready to name former Army National Guard Lieutenant Colonel Bill Burkett as the source of the forged memos in the "Danron Affair" and hope that things end there. CBS is, I'm quite sure, ready to pounce upon this line. They probably won't fire Dan Rather. Instead, they'll fire producer Mary Mapes (the apparent driving force behind the story) and then plead they were duped by a man who, it just happens, has spent time in mental institutions and can therefore be depicted as a crazy fraudster. However, it is equally...