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The president of local biotechnology firm GenPhar is accused of defrauding the federal government out of at least $3.6 million the company received to research vaccines against deadly diseases. The charges are contained in federal indictments unsealed today that also accuse GenPhar president Jian-Yun Dong and his estranged wife of making at least $31,000 in illegal campaign contributions to U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham and his political action committee. Dong, who also is chief executive officer of GenPhar, is accused of submitting false claims to federal agencies, converting grant funds to his own use and committing wire fraud to scam the...

(snip) Hoping to pull in some more cash for the final stretch of the general election, the Brown campaign also circulated a fundraising letter penned by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R). Romney touts Brown's credentials as a fiscal conservative while also noting, in bold, that he would become the critical 41st Republican vote against the health care bill when it comes back to the Senate for final passage. Democrats passed the bill on Christmas Eve with 60 votes, just enough to overcome the prospect of a GOP filibuster. (snip)

...As an early Palin supporter, I cheered for the feisty small-town Alaskan who wasn't part of the political and cultural elite. But when she started talking, revealing that she had no interesting thoughts about national governance, I was reminded of why a political elite matters...

A hilarious new Republican anti-tax YouTube video shows that, finally, Democrats and their lackeys (read: Jon Stewart) no longer own the Web. When I heard this week about a new pro-Republican, anti-tax video on YouTube, I was expecting something along the lines of the cringe-worthy “Young Conservative Rappers” featured everywhere from Mike Huckabee’s show on Fox to Bill Maher.

Bristol Palin's new abstinence campaign shines a light on the Republican Party's unhealthy attitude about sex and desire. BY MEGHAN MCCAIN The first time I ever heard about oral sex was during the Lewinsky scandal. Mostly, I remember being confused by President Clinton’s response—“it depends on what the meaning of ‘is’ is”. When it comes to sex, politicians face all sorts of double standards: who is allowed to have sex with whom, what constitutes sex, and whether it’s appropriate, to name a few. Candie’s Foundation’s announcement that they were partnering with Bristol Palin to promote an abstinence-only campaign has caused...

Politics: Our former secretary of state savages as "mean-spirited" and "driven by social conservatism" the party that gave him prominence. Americans, don't you know, really want more taxes and more government. Seems there's no shortage of advice these days from inside and outside the GOP on what the Republican Party needs to do to return to power. Colin Powell is no exception as he continues to snipe at the party that, thanks to appointments by Presidents Reagan, Bush and Bush, made him a national icon. "The Republican Party is in deep trouble," the former general and secretary of state told...

Coming soon to a battleground state near you: a new effort to revive the image of the Republican Party and to counter President Obama's characterization of Republicans as "the party of 'no.'" CNN has learned that the new initiative, called the National Council for a New America, will be announced Thursday. It will involve an outreach by an interesting mix of GOP officials... [John McCain and Jeb Bush]. In addition to Sen. McCain and Gov. Bush, GOP sources familiar with the plans tell CNN others involved in the new group's "National Panel Of Experts" will include: [Barbour, Jindal and Romney]...

U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said Wednesday closing the U.S.-Mexico border should be an option in combatting the H1N1, or swine flu strain that has hit Mexico City hard and shown up in Phoenix, San Diego and New York City. His comments comes as the World Health Organization raised the threat level that the Mexican swine flu could be become a global flu pandemic. McCain said U.S authorities are working hard to identify and contain the Mexican swine flu in the U.S. But the Arizona senator also said closing the border should be an option.

Via the Standard. This is what they’re going to do to pass the time in Congress between bailouts? Jerk around with a hot-button issue guaranteed to enrage all sides and exacerbate Democratic infighting while the economy’s melting down and the Iran nuclear clock ticks on? Why not toss social security onto the table too, just to really get the juices flowing?

I've been traveling in New York and Texas, and it's all Obamarama all the time. People mention Sarah Palin (there was appreciative laughter the other day in Houston when a speaker said wistfully that the Alaska governor may soon discover the power of silence), and now and then President Bush (not often—people move on with a finality that is brutal), but the topic is Barack Obama. There is continuing national curiosity at and discussion of the mystery of the man—what does he think, what will he do?—coupled with a great sense of expectation, and a high sense of anxiety. The...

MIAMI, Oct 13, 2008 /PRNewswire -- Senator Allied with ACORN as Recently as 2006, Now Turns Cold Shoulder U.S. Senator John McCain's recent attacks on the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), are puzzling given his historic support for the organization and its efforts on behalf of immigrant Americans. As recently as February 20, 2006, Senator McCain was the keynote speaker at an ACORN-sponsored Immigration Rally in Miami, Florida at Miami Dade College - Wolfson Campus. The rally, co-sponsored by ACORN in partnership with the New American Opportunity campaign (NAOC), Catholic League Services - Archdiocese of Miami, Florida...

How Many Non-Citizen Voters? Enough to Make a Difference October 13, 2008 By David Simcox The Impact of Non-Citizen Voting on American Elections Executive Summary The approaching 2008 general elections underscore concern that the growing access of non-citizens to the ballot box could distort the outcome. Groups arguing for easier access to the polls deny there is a problem at all, seeing restrictive registration and identification rules as anti-democratic and even racist. They dismiss non-citizen voting as rare, not criminal in intent or concerted, and more harmful than beneficial to non-citizens. Yet anecdotal evidence persists and grows that non-citizens are...

Are you sick and tired of John McCain's mealy-mouthed nonsense about Barak Obama. "He's a good man." "We have no reason to fear Barak Obama." There's only one way to make this guy understand reality. Send him and his campaign people a message that if he doesn't get with the program he's gonna start losing the very voters he's depending on. Tell there's nothing to be gained by spreading this "Obama is OK" nonsense. Tell him for every "undecided" vote he thinks he'll get by being "Mr. Nice Guy" you'll see to it he loses ones. Tell him Obama is...

After days of watching in silence, McCain calms the crowd at his Minnesota town meeting. “I want everyone to be respectful. And let’s make sure we are, because that’s the way politics is done in America.” Tells one supporter who says he’s scared of an Obama presidency: “I have to tell you, he is a decent person, a person that you do not have to be scared [of] as president of the United States.” After a woman calls Obama “an Arab,” McCain interrupts to say: “No, ma’am. He is a decent family man, citizen