Free Republic

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, in a nationally televised Spanish-language speech, faulted the White House Tuesday for policies he said pushed more Americans into poverty and failed to address a crisis in education. "America can do better," the mayor said in response to President Bush's State of the Union address. "Under this administration, 4 million people have fallen from the working class into the ranks of the poor," the mayor said. "Six million children are on the verge of failing out of school and 11 million Americans can't read a bus schedule or fill out a job application....

National Democratic leaders today will ask Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine (D) to deliver the party’s response to the president’s State of the Union address, believing that the new governor can best deliver their 2006 message of inclusiveness, American values and high ethical standards. Sources said that Senate and House Minority Leaders Harry Reid (Nev.) and Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who chairs the Democratic Governors’ Association, plan to call Kaine today to offer him the assignment. Kaine was sworn in as Virginia’s governor last weekend, succeeding fellow Democrat Mark Warner, under whom he served as lieutenant...

More than 30 Iraq and Persian Gulf War veterans have entered congressional races across the country as Democrats, hoping to capitalize on their military experience to topple the incumbent Republican majority. In Colorado, two former military men, Jay Fawcett and Bill Winter, are vying for the House seats of two strong, entrenched Republicans: Rep. Joel Hefley of the 5th Congressional District and Rep. Tom Tancredo of the 6th Congressional District, respectively. "Do we understand military and foreign affairs? You bet," Fawcett said. "Most of us have been to the point where you get a direct dose of military and foreign...

Sen. Barbara Mikulski Calls for White House to 'Come Clean' About CIA LeakWASHINGTON Nov 5, 2005 — President Bush should "come clean" about any White House officials involved in the leak of the name of undercover CIA operative Valerie Plame and "honor his pledge to fire all those involved," Sen. Barbara Mikulski of Maryland said Saturday in the Democrats' weekly radio address. "It's been one week since the vice president's chief of staff was indicted, and there are still very serious questions about how his White House misused and manufactured intelligence to sell and defend the war in Iraq," Mikulski said.

Wednesday, January 07, 2004 Dean's Statement on Bush Administration Immigration Proposal BURLINGTON--Governor Howard Dean issued the following statement in response to President Bush's immigration proposal: "I share the disappointment of millions of hardworking immigrants who had hoped the President would show true leadership in addressing the difficult issue of immigration reform. "The President's proposal will help big corporations who currently employ undocumented workers. "But it does nothing to place hardworking immigrants on a path to citizenship and would create a permanent underclass of service workers with second-class status. "President Bush's decision to raise immigration at this juncture appears to be...

WASHINGTON, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Democrats said on Saturday that even as the nation prepared for a possible war with Iraq, lawmakers should not ignore the challenges facing the U.S. economy and pressing health care issues."The president rightly seeks to marshal our national resolve against the purveyors of hatred and violence who have made America their target," Sen. Robert Torricelli of New Jersey said in the weekly Democratic radio address. "But shouldn't we be equally as vigilant about attacking the economic challenges we now face?"Torricelli, whose ethics lapses put him in a tight race for reelection, said the nation's challenges...