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    <title>National Politics for Richmond Times-Dispatch</title>
    <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/</link>
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        <title>National Politics for Richmond Times-Dispatch</title>
        <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/</link>
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    <description></description>
    <dc:language>en</dc:language>
    <dc:creator>Richmond Times-Dispatch</dc:creator>
    <dc:rights>Copyright 2009</dc:rights>
    <dc:date>2009-11-20T16:40:17-05:00</dc:date>

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         <item>
          <title>Senate health bottom line: $849 billion overhaul</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/HLTH191_20091118-233601/306696/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
WASHINGTON&#8212;Setting up a historic year-end debate, Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid revealed his long-awaited version of legislation to reshape the nation&#8217;s health-care system last night, a measure designed to extend coverage to 94 percent of eligible Americans and bar private industry from denying insurance because of pre-existing medical conditions.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/HLTH191_20091118-233601/306696/#When:05:01:00Z</guid>
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          <title>Schwarzenegger rules out another run for office</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/schwarzenegger_rules_out_another_run_for_office/306483/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger won&#8217;t say what his plans are when his term expires next year, but it won&#8217;t be running for another office.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:53:03 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/schwarzenegger_rules_out_another_run_for_office/306483/#When:15:53:03Z</guid>
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          <title>Roving S.C. governor due for ethics panel review</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/SCGAT18_20091118-075001/306470/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
COLUMBIA, S.C.&#8212;South Carolina&#8217;s State Ethics Commission is set to decide whether a three-month investigation provides enough evidence that Gov. Mark Sanford broke state laws. The closed-door commission meeting today is pivotal to efforts by some state legislators to impeach Sanford. House Speaker Bobby Harrell says he&#8217;s seen nothing so far that merits removing Sanford from office and the investigation would have to show serious crimes or misconduct.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 07:50:01 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/SCGAT18_20091118-075001/306470/#When:12:50:01Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Obama says he&#8217;s not losing weight</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/OBAMGAT18_20091118-070201/306466/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
BEIJING&#8212;President Barack Obama says he feels the pressure of being commander-in-chief but it&#8217;s not causing him to lose weight. Obama says media reports that he&#8217;s skipping meals and shedding pounds under the stress of deciding a new Afghanistan war strategy are untrue. He says his weight fluctuates about five pounds and has for the last thirty years.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 07:02:01 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/OBAMGAT18_20091118-070201/306466/#When:12:02:01Z</guid>
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          <title>Obama approval rating falls below 50 percent</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/POLLGAT18_20091118-065002/306462/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
President Barack Obama&#8217;s approval rating has fallen below 50 percent for the first time in polling by Quinnipiac University as U.S. voter discontent grows over the war in Afghanistan. Obama&#8217;s job approval rating fell to 48 percent in the Nov. 9-16 survey of registered voters nationwide by the Hamden, Conn.-based university, with 42 percent polled saying they disapproved of the job he is doing.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:50:02 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/POLLGAT18_20091118-065002/306462/#When:11:50:02Z</guid>
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          <title>Senate to honor Byrd&#8217;s milestone today</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/BYRDGAT18_20091118-064001/306460/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
WASHINGTON&#8212;West Virginia Sen. Robert C. Byrd has become the longest-serving lawmaker in congressional history, a milestone to be marked today with a Senate resolution. &#8220;I look forward to serving you for the next 56 years and 320 days,&#8220; Byrd said in a statement marking the occasion. His only regret, Byrd said, was that his late wife, Erma, was not there with him.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:40:01 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/BYRDGAT18_20091118-064001/306460/#When:11:40:01Z</guid>
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          <title>Obama says he&#8217;s unlikely to read Palin&#8217;s book</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/MAVGAT18_20091118-061002/306456/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
BEIJING&#8212;Sarah Palin&#8217;s new book may already be a best-seller, but President Barack Obama says he probably won&#8217;t read it. The president says he&#8217;s sure sales of &#8220;Going Rogue&#8221; will do well without his readership. While he wouldn&#8217;t say whether he thinks Palin will run for president in 2012, he says she has proved to be a popular figure with a large following in the Republican party.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:10:02 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/MAVGAT18_20091118-061002/306456/#When:11:10:02Z</guid>
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          <title>Sunday talk shows</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/TALK15_20091114-192004/305715/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani; Sens. Jack Reed, D-R.I., and Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.; Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases. &nbsp; Meet the Press (NBC, 9)  Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton; Education Secretary Arne Duncan; former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga.; the Rev. Al Sharpton.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:01:45 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/TALK15_20091114-192004/305715/#When:05:01:45Z</guid>
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          <title>GOP chairman ends abortion insurance for employees</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/ABORGAT13_20091113-093201/305496/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
WASHINGTON&#8212;A chagrined GOP Chairman Michael Steele has told Republican National Committee staff to immediately stop providing RNC employees with insurance for elective abortions - an option that Republicans strongly oppose as Democrats try to pass a health care overhaul bill. &#8220;Money from our loyal donors should not be used for this purpose,&#8220; Steele said in a statement late yesterday after learning of the abortion coverage from a news report. &#8220;I don&#8217;t know why this policy existed in the past, but it will not exist under my administration. Consider this issue settled.&#8220;           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:32:01 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/ABORGAT13_20091113-093201/305496/#When:14:32:01Z</guid>
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          <title>White House&#8217;s top laywer reportedly resigning</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/CRAGAT13_20091113-091201/305495/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
TOKYO&#8212;The White House&#8217;s top lawyer is announcing his resignation today, senior administration officials told The Associated Press this morning. White House counsel Greg Craig has been the subject of questions about his future since late summer, dogged by talk that President Barack Obama&#8217;s promise to close the controversial Guantanamo Bay military prison by January went awry under Craig&#8217;s leadership.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:12:01 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/CRAGAT13_20091113-091201/305495/#When:14:12:01Z</guid>
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          <title>UPDATE: John King replacing Dobbs show on CNN</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/lou_dobbs_leaving_cnn_for_new_opportunities/305255/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
John King is replacing Lou Dobbs on CNN.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 06:13:50 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/lou_dobbs_leaving_cnn_for_new_opportunities/305255/#When:11:13:50Z</guid>
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          <title>UPDATE: Health bill vote could be tomorrow or Sunday</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/house_dems_push_for_votes_on_health_bill_tomorrow/304062/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
House Democrats are scrambling to secure enough support to pass President Barack Obama&#8217;s historic health overhaul initiative, working to soothe last-minute concerns from rank-and-file Democrats ahead of a make-or-break vote.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:44:33 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/house_dems_push_for_votes_on_health_bill_tomorrow/304062/#When:11:44:33Z</guid>
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          <title>Senate Democrats advance climate bill without GOP</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/CLIMGAT05_20091105-104401/303846/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
WASHINGTON&#8212;Ignoring a Republican boycott, Senate Democrats pushed a precedent-setting climate bill through a key committee today. Rep. Barbara Boxer, chairman of the Senate Environment &amp; Public Works Committee, had delayed the crucial vote for days because of a Republican protest over whether the cost of the legislation had been fully examined. But the California Democrat moved quickly to pass the bill, which for the first time would set mandatory limits on heat-trapping gases, without any of the seven GOP senators on the panel present. The measure cleared the panel on a 11-1 vote.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:44:01 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/CLIMGAT05_20091105-104401/303846/#When:15:44:01Z</guid>
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          <title>White House distances itself from electoral losses</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/white_house_distances_itself_from_electoral_losses/303600/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The White House distanced itself Wednesday from Democratic losses in two states, saying the races hinged on local issues and were not a referendum on President Barack Obama.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:58:57 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/white_house_distances_itself_from_electoral_losses/303600/#When:15:58:57Z</guid>
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          <title>Former H&#45;P CEO Carly Fiorina announces Senate bid</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/former_hewlett-packard_ceo_carly_fiorina_announces_bid_for_u.s._senate/303598/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Fiorina says her priorities would be creating jobs, cutting government spending and expanding access to health care &#8212; but not through a national health care system.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:47:34 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/former_hewlett-packard_ceo_carly_fiorina_announces_bid_for_u.s._senate/303598/#When:15:47:34Z</guid>
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          <title>Republican chairman: Election returns show &#8216;transcendent&#8217; GOP</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/republican_chairman_election_returns_show_transcendent_gop/303597/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
 An ebullient Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele asserted Wednesday that GOP victories in governors&#8217; races in New Jersey and Virginia demonstrate &#8220;a transcendent party&#8221; on the move again. Democratic Party Chairman Timothy M. Kaine said that nothing about the election returns amounted to a repudiation of President Barack Obama.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:20:34 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/republican_chairman_election_returns_show_transcendent_gop/303597/#When:15:20:34Z</guid>
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          <title>Congressman, late for flight, parks SUV on airport curb</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/PARKGAT04_20091104-093201/303595/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
CHARLOTTE, N.C.&#8212;A North Carolina congressman dashing to catch a plane dumped his sport utility vehicle at the end of a row of properly parked cars at Charlotte&#8217;s airport. The Gaston Gazette reports today that Republican Rep. Patrick McHenry parked his Ford Explorer straddling a curb in a parking lot at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport on Sunday.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:32:01 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/PARKGAT04_20091104-093201/303595/#When:14:32:01Z</guid>
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          <title>UPDATE: Gay marriage vote fails in Maine</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/MAINGAT04_20091104-055802/303573/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
PORTLAND, Maine&#8212;Cecelia Burnett and Ann Swanson had already set their wedding date. When they joined about 1,000 other gay marriage supporters for an election night party in a Holiday Inn ballroom, they hoped to celebrate the vote that would make it possible. Instead, they went home at midnight, dejected and near tears after a failed bid to make Maine the first state to approve same-sex marriage at the ballot box.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:58:02 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/MAINGAT04_20091104-055802/303573/#When:10:58:02Z</guid>
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          <title>Republican Christie captures NJ governor&#8217;s seat</title>
          <link>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_NJ_GOVERNOR?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;11&#45;03&#45;17&#45;29&#45;56</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
TRENTON, N.J. (AP)&#8212;Chris Christie, an aggressive former prosecutor who racked up a perfect conviction rate in public corruption cases and became the darling of New Jersey&#8217;s Republican Party establishment, has unseated the deep-pocketed but unpopular Gov. Jon Corzine.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:15:04 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_NJ_GOVERNOR?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;11&#45;03&#45;17&#45;29&#45;56#When:04:15:04Z</guid>
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          <title>George W. Bush watching postseason baseball&#8212;in Japan</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/BUSHGAT03_20091103-095401/303373/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
TOKYO&#8212;Former President George W. Bush threw out the ceremonial first pitch before Game 3 of the Japan Series between the Yomiuri Giants and Nippon Ham Fighters. Bush, wearing a Yomiuri warmup jacket, took the mound today at Tokyo Dome and threw a pitch to Giants catcher Shinnosuke Abe that bounced once in the dirt before being caught.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:54:01 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/BUSHGAT03_20091103-095401/303373/#When:14:54:01Z</guid>
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          <title>Obama welcomes foreign leaders to the White House</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/obama_welcomes_foreign_leaders_to_the_white_house/303357/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
President Barack Obama is welcoming German Chancellor Angela Merkel to the White House. The two leaders will hold a morning meeting in the Oval Office.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:21:30 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/obama_welcomes_foreign_leaders_to_the_white_house/303357/#When:11:21:30Z</guid>
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          <title>Tight N.J. governor&#8217;s race goes down to the wire</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/tight_n.j._governors_race_goes_down_to_the_wire/303194/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
New Jersey&#8217;s candidates for governor are darting through the state on the last day of a campaign being billed as a vote on President Barack Obama&#8217;s popularity.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:26:39 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/tight_n.j._governors_race_goes_down_to_the_wire/303194/#When:18:26:39Z</guid>
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          <title>President says private, public sectors must create jobs</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/president_says_private_public_sectors_must_create_jobs/303190/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
President Barack Obama says the public and private sectors must find more ways to create jobs to continue the U.S. climb out of an economic recession.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:58:12 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/president_says_private_public_sectors_must_create_jobs/303190/#When:16:58:12Z</guid>
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          <title>Romney says Obama economic stimulus plan is a failure</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/romney_says_obama_economic_stimulus_plan_is_a_failure/303180/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
 Former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney says the time has come to stop the economic stimulus program, contending that it has not worked as the Obama administration planned.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:11:43 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/romney_says_obama_economic_stimulus_plan_is_a_failure/303180/#When:15:11:43Z</guid>
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          <title>Cheney FBI interview: 72 instances of can&#8217;t recall</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/DICKGAT02_20091102-062402/303162/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
WASHINGTON&#8212;Federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald famously declared in the Valerie Plame affair that &#8220;there is a cloud over the vice president.&#8220; Last week&#8217;s release of an FBI interview summary of Dick Cheney&#8217;s answers in the criminal investigation underscores why Fitzgerald felt that way. On 72 occasions, according to the 28-page FBI summary, Cheney equivocated to the FBI during his lengthy May 2004 interview, saying he could not be certain in his answers to questions about matters large and small in the Plame controversy.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:24:02 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/DICKGAT02_20091102-062402/303162/#When:11:24:02Z</guid>
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          <title>Sunday talk shows</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/TALK01_20091031-212601/302895/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh. &nbsp; Meet the Press (NBC, 9)  Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner; Obama campaign manager David Plouffe; author Jon Krakauer. &nbsp; This Week (ABC, 10)  White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett. &nbsp; Face the Nation (CBS, 10:30)  White House senior adviser David Axelrod; Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, I-Conn.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:01:55 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/TALK01_20091031-212601/302895/#When:04:01:55Z</guid>
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          <title>After all the fuss, government health plan would cover few</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/after_all_the_fuss_government_health_plan_would_cover_few/302845/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
What&#8217;s all the fuss about? After all the noise over Democrats&#8217; push for a government insurance plan to compete with private carriers, coverage numbers are finally in: Two percent.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:48:55 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/after_all_the_fuss_government_health_plan_would_cover_few/302845/#When:16:48:55Z</guid>
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          <title>Winfrey, Clooney among first White House guests, newly released records show</title>
          <link>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_WHITE_HOUSE_VISITORS?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;10&#45;31&#45;10&#45;07&#45;52</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Celebrities George Clooney and Oprah Winfrey and prominent lobbyists, corporate executives and Democratic fundraisers were among the first to score visits with President Barack Obama, his wife Michelle or top aides at the White House, newly released records show.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:39:14 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_WHITE_HOUSE_VISITORS?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;10&#45;31&#45;10&#45;07&#45;52#When:16:39:14Z</guid>
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          <title>Obama highlights fresh signs of economic growth</title>
          <link>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA_ECONOMY?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;10&#45;31&#45;09&#45;46&#45;25</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
President Barack Obama said Saturday that reports the economy is growing again and that more than 1 million jobs were saved or created by his stimulus plan show &#8220;we are moving in the right direction.&#8220;           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:30:39 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA_ECONOMY?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;10&#45;31&#45;09&#45;46&#45;25#When:16:30:39Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Barnes defends Obama&#8217;s handling of stimulus</title>
          <link>http://static.mgnetwork.com/rtd/flash/Barnes/Index.html</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
In a conversation with Times-Dispatch Staff Writer David Ress, Obama domestic policy advisor says federal role isn&#8217;t &#8220;master puppeteer.&#8220;           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:20:11 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://static.mgnetwork.com/rtd/flash/Barnes/Index.html#When:19:20:11Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>N.C. panel penalizes former governor for unreported flights, seeks inquiry</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/n.c._panel_penalizes_former_governor_for_unreported_flights_seeks_inquiry/302601/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
North Carolina elections officials have penalized former Gov. Mike Easley&#8217;s campaign $100,000 for unreported airplane flights and asked prosecutors to investigate whether laws were broken.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:19:56 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/n.c._panel_penalizes_former_governor_for_unreported_flights_seeks_inquiry/302601/#When:17:19:56Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Congressional ethics report leaked, discloses internal probes</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/congressional_ethics_report_leaked_discloses_internal_probes/302579/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Internal investigations into the conduct of several House members have been exposed in an extraordinary, Internet-era breach of security involving the secretive process by which Congress polices lawmaker ethics.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2009 07:08:02 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/congressional_ethics_report_leaked_discloses_internal_probes/302579/#When:12:08:02Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>HIV, Afghanistan, and Pakistan on Obama&#8217;s agenda today</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/hiv_afghanistan_and_pakistan_on_obamas_agenda_today/302568/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
President Barack Obama is set to sign an extension of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS bill.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2009 06:19:54 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/hiv_afghanistan_and_pakistan_on_obamas_agenda_today/302568/#When:11:19:54Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Obama extolls new GDP figures as &#8216;welcome news&#8217;</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/obama_extolls_new_gdp_figures_as_welcome_news/302357/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
President Barack Obama is hailing new figures showing the economy grew at a 3.5 percent rate in the third quarter, saying the country has &#8220;come a long way&#8221; since early this year.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:34:44 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/obama_extolls_new_gdp_figures_as_welcome_news/302357/#When:16:34:44Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Sunday talk shows</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/TALK25_20091024-210403/301443/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah; Sens. Carl Levin, D-Mich., and Jon Kyl, R-Ariz.; R. Bruce Josten of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Mike Tuffin of America&#8217;s Health Insurance Plans. &nbsp; Meet the Press (NBC, 9)  Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y. &nbsp; This Week (ABC, 10)  Sens. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Claire McCaskill, D-Mo.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:01:39 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/TALK25_20091024-210403/301443/#When:05:01:39Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Senate panel passes bills to recognize 6 Va. tribes, Lumbees of N.C.</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/senate_panel_passes_bills_to_recognize_6_va._tribes_lumbees_of_n.c/300984/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Six Indian tribes in Virginia and the Lumbees of North Carolina would gain federal recognition and become eligible for federal aid under legislation approved Thursday by a Senate committee.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:12:24 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/senate_panel_passes_bills_to_recognize_6_va._tribes_lumbees_of_n.c/300984/#When:21:12:24Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Source: House Democrats trim health bill to $871 billion</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/HLTH21_20091020-220201/300562/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
WASHINGTON&#8212;House Democrats are aiming to scale back the cost of their health-care bill by giving the government a strong hand in selling insurance in competition with the private market. President Barack Obama has sought to spend no more than $900 billion during a 10-year period. The initial cost of the House bill was more than $1 trillion.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:01:28 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/HLTH21_20091020-220201/300562/#When:05:01:28Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>S.C. Republican chairmen apologize for Jewish remark</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/s.c._republican_chairmen_apologize_for_jewish_remark/300464/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Two Republican county officials in South Carolina are apologizing after they disparaged Jews in a newspaper op-ed in support of a fiscally conservative U.S. senator.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:11:52 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/s.c._republican_chairmen_apologize_for_jewish_remark/300464/#When:16:11:52Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Poll: Corzine, Christie tied in N.J. governor&#8217;s race</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/poll_corzine_christie_tied_in_n.j._governors_race/300441/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
 In another indication that the New Jersey governor&#8217;s race will go down to the wire, a new poll finds Gov. Jon Corzine and Republican Chris Christie tied among likely voters at 39 percent each.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 20 Oct 2009 06:42:45 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/poll_corzine_christie_tied_in_n.j._governors_race/300441/#When:11:42:45Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Sotomayor says feds chose her clothes for her</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/SOTOGAT19_20091019-060601/300246/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
NEW HAVEN, Conn.&#8212;Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor says her nomination process was so tightly scripted that even her clothes were chosen for her. Sotomayor made the comments when she appeared at her 30th Yale Law School reunion on Saturday. The New Haven Register reports that Sotomayor spoke to 1,800 alumni, students and faculty, describing her recent grueling nomination process.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 19 Oct 2009 06:06:01 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/SOTOGAT19_20091019-060601/300246/#When:11:06:01Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Sunday talk shows</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/TALK18_20091017-182404/299985/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Sens. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., Arlen Specter, D-Pa., and John Thune, R-S.D.; Terry McAuliffe, former Democratic National Committee chairman. &nbsp; Meet the Press (NBC, 9)  White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett; Sens. Christopher J. Dodd, D-Conn., and Jon Kyl, R-Ariz.; California first lady Maria Shriver; John Podesta, head of the Center for American Progress.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:01:51 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/TALK18_20091017-182404/299985/#When:05:01:51Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>House, Senate Democrats at odds on health reform</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/HEAL18_20091017-211607/300017/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
WASHINGTON&#8212;You think Democrats and Republicans are at odds over health care? They&#8217;ve got nothing on House and Senate Democrats going after each other. The intraparty disputes may prove the most grueling test of all as Congress tries to write a bill that fulfills President Barack Obama&#8217;s goal of extending coverage to millions of Americans and reining in rising medical costs.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:01:43 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/HEAL18_20091017-211607/300017/#When:05:01:43Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Biden&#8217;s son says he&#8217;s inclined to make Senate run</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/bidens_son_says_hes_inclined_to_make_senate_run/299502/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Vice President Joe Biden&#8217;s son, who has returned after serving a tour with the Army National Guard in Iraq, says he&#8217;ll take his time to decide whether to seek his father&#8217;s Senate seat.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 15 Oct 2009 08:01:57 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/bidens_son_says_hes_inclined_to_make_senate_run/299502/#When:13:01:57Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Second GOP senator open to health care overhaul</title>
          <link>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_HEALTH_CARE_OVERHAUL?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;10&#45;14&#45;07&#45;27&#45;20</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
A second Republican senator signaled Wednesday she&#8217;s open to voting for sweeping health care legislation this year, putting President Barack Obama closer to a historic achievement that has eluded generations of Democratic leaders.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 14 Oct 2009 07:32:34 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_HEALTH_CARE_OVERHAUL?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;10&#45;14&#45;07&#45;27&#45;20#When:12:32:34Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Snowe says health care bill a &#8216;good place to start&#8217;</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/snowe_says_health_care_bill_a_good_place_to_start/299266/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The only Republican who supported advancing the Senate Finance Committee&#8217;s version of health care reform says she believes that&#8217;s what constituents expected from her.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 14 Oct 2009 07:20:03 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/snowe_says_health_care_bill_a_good_place_to_start/299266/#When:12:20:03Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Health care bill gains GOP backer, clears hurdle</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/HLTH14_20091013-222405/299225/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
WASHINGTON&#8212;Historic legislation to expand U.S. health care and control costs won its first Republican supporter yesterday and cleared a key Senate hurdle, a double-barreled triumph that propelled President Barack Obama&#8217;s signature issue toward votes this fall in both houses of Congress. &#8220;When history calls, history calls,&#8220; said Maine Republican Olympia J. Snowe, whose declaration of support ended weeks of suspense and provided the only drama of a 14-9 vote in the Senate Finance Committee. With her decision, the 62-year-old lawmaker bucked her own leadership on the most high-profile issue of the year in Congress, and gave the drive to remake health care at least a hint of the bipartisanship that Obama seeks.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:01:41 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/HLTH14_20091013-222405/299225/#When:05:01:41Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Senate committee approves health overhaul bill</title>
          <link>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_HEALTH_CARE_OVERHAUL?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;10&#45;13&#45;06&#45;50&#45;58</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
A pivotal Senate committee has approved a sweeping remake of the country&#8217;s health care system, delivering a long-sought boost to President Barack Obama&#8217;s goal of expanding coverage.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 13 Oct 2009 06:59:52 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_HEALTH_CARE_OVERHAUL?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;10&#45;13&#45;06&#45;50&#45;58#When:11:59:52Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Sunday talk shows</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/TALK11_20091010-183003/298667/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Wynn Resorts Ltd. CEO Steve Wynn; Govs. Jennifer Granholm, D-Mich., and Mitch Daniels, R-Ind. &nbsp; Meet the Press (NBC, 9)  Sens. Carl Levin, D-Mich., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.; retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey; retired Gen. Richard Myers, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. &nbsp; This Week (ABC, 10)  Sens. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga.; Rep. James McGovern, D-Mass.; retired Army Gen. Jack Keane.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 11 Oct 2009 00:01:19 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/TALK11_20091010-183003/298667/#When:05:01:19Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Fla. GOP members shoot Muslim targets at gun range</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/fla._gop_members_shoot_muslim_targets_at_gun_range/298383/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
South Florida Republicans held a weekly meeting at a gun range, shooting at targets including cut-outs of a Muslim holding a rocket-propelled grenade launcher.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 09 Oct 2009 06:57:13 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/fla._gop_members_shoot_muslim_targets_at_gun_range/298383/#When:11:57:13Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Senate panel to vote on health care bill next week</title>
          <link>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_HEALTH_CARE_OVERHAUL?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;10&#45;08&#45;12&#45;13&#45;35</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The Senate&#8217;s top Democrat on Thursday accused Republicans of a strategy of &#8220;distortion, distractions and deception&#8221; on health care as he announced a pivotal committee will vote next week on a comprehensive bill. Republicans said the legislation still costs too much and expands the reach of government.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:17:40 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_HEALTH_CARE_OVERHAUL?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;10&#45;08&#45;12&#45;13&#45;35#When:18:17:40Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Poll shows Brown with big lead in Calif. governor&#8217;s race</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/poll_shows_brown_with_big_lead_in_calif._governors_race/298165/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
A new Field Poll shows California Attorney General Jerry Brown with a strong lead in next year&#8217;s race for governor, even before he&#8217;s declared himself a candidate and despite months of campaigning by his Democratic rival and three Republicans vying for their party&#8217;s nomination.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:12:48 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/poll_shows_brown_with_big_lead_in_calif._governors_race/298165/#When:14:12:48Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Cantor to talk over health care policy with Hoyer</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/cantor_to_talk_over_health_care_policy_with_hoyer/298163/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
House Republican Whip Eric Cantor says he&#8217;s going to sit down with Democratic leader Steny Hoyer and try to narrow their differences over health care.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 08 Oct 2009 08:59:21 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/cantor_to_talk_over_health_care_policy_with_hoyer/298163/#When:13:59:21Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>CBO: Health Bill costs $829 billion over decade</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/HLTH08_20091007-221805/298091/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Health-care legislation drafted by a key Senate committee would expand coverage to 94 percent of all eligible Americans at a 10-year cost of $829 billion, congressional budget experts said yesterday, a preliminary estimate likely to power the measure past a major hurdle within days. The Congressional Budget Office added that the measure would reduce federal deficits by $81 billion over a decade and probably lead to &#8220;continued reductions in federal budget deficits&#8221; in the years beyond.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:01:26 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/HLTH08_20091007-221805/298091/#When:05:01:26Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Opposition to Obama health care plan drops in poll</title>
          <link>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_AP_POLL_HEALTH_CARE?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;10&#45;07&#45;10&#45;34&#45;14</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The public is split 40-40 on supporting or opposing the health care legislation, the AP poll found. An even split is welcome news for Democrats and a sharp improvement from September.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:12:32 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_AP_POLL_HEALTH_CARE?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;10&#45;07&#45;10&#45;34&#45;14#When:16:12:32Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Bill allowing same&#45;sex marriage in DC introduced</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/bill_allowing_same-sex_marriage_in_dc_introduced/297763/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Same-sex couples would be allowed to marry in the nation&#8217;s capital under a bill introduced Tuesday by a District of Columbia councilman.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:42:08 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/bill_allowing_same-sex_marriage_in_dc_introduced/297763/#When:18:42:08Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Obama pitches health overhaul</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/HEAL06_20091005-215206/297649/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
WASHINGTON&#8212;On the cusp of a key legislative push, President Barack Obama yesterday filled the Rose Garden with 150 doctors supportive of his health-care overhaul, saying &#8220;nobody has more credibility with the American people on this issue than you do.&#8220; Obama&#8217;s White House event gave him another chance to frame the debate on his terms as his top domestic priority enters its most critical phase with legislation moving toward floor debates in the Senate and the House.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 06 Oct 2009 00:01:54 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/HEAL06_20091005-215206/297649/#When:05:01:54Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Surrounded by doctors, Obama pitches health care overhaul</title>
          <link>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA_DOCTORS?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;10&#45;05&#45;13&#45;22&#45;57</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
On the cusp of a key legislative push, President Barack Obama on Monday filled the Rose Garden with doctors supportive of his health care overhaul, saying &#8220;nobody has more credibility with the American people on this issue than you do.&#8220;
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:44:38 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA_DOCTORS?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;10&#45;05&#45;13&#45;22&#45;57#When:18:44:38Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>President Obama meets with doctors in health care push today</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/president_obama_meets_with_doctors_in_health_care_push_today/297565/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
President Barack Obama meets with doctors from across the country for a morning Rose Garden event on health care.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 05 Oct 2009 06:37:50 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/president_obama_meets_with_doctors_in_health_care_push_today/297565/#When:11:37:50Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Sunday talk shows</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/TALK04_20091003-200602/297288/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Sens. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., and Robert P. Casey Jr., D-Pa. &nbsp; Meet the Press (NBC, 9)  Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. &nbsp; This Week (ABC, 10)  Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan; Sens. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., and John Cornyn, R-Texas. &nbsp; Face the Nation (CBS, 10:30)            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 04 Oct 2009 00:01:09 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/TALK04_20091003-200602/297288/#When:05:01:09Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Health bill fate still in doubt; GOP criticizes it anew</title>
          <link>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_HEALTH_CARE_OVERHAUL?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;10&#45;02&#45;13&#45;00&#45;34</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Barack Obama has pushed closer than any president in generations to creating a basic health care safety net for most Americans, yet the fate of legislation delivering on his promise is far from certain.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:02:38 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_HEALTH_CARE_OVERHAUL?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;10&#45;02&#45;13&#45;00&#45;34#When:19:02:38Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>White House disputes Cantor&#8217;s Afghan war comment</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/white_house_disputes_cantors_afghan_war_comment/296480/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says House Minority Whip Eric Cantor&#8217;s claims that the administration is endangering U.S. troops by not deciding quickly on a new Afghan strategy was a &#8220;bunch of game playing.&#8220;           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:09:20 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/white_house_disputes_cantors_afghan_war_comment/296480/#When:19:09:20Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Bill Clinton speaks of vast, right&#45;wing conspiracy</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/BILLGAT28_20090928-062201/296007/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
WASHINGTON&#8212;Bill Clinton says a vast, right-wing conspiracy that once targeted him is now focusing on President Barack Obama. The ex-president made the comment in a television interview yesterday when he was asked about one of the signature moments of the Monica Lewinsky affair over a decade ago. Back then, first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton used the term &#8220;vast, right-wing conspiracy&#8221; to describe how her husband&#8217;s political enemies were out to destroy his presidency.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 28 Sep 2009 06:22:17 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/BILLGAT28_20090928-062201/296007/#When:11:22:17Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Former DNC head Kirk tapped to replace Kennedy</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/former_dnc_head_kirk_tapped_to_replace_kennedy/295192/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The governor of Massachusetts named former Democratic Party chairman Paul G. Kirk Jr. on Thursday to temporarily fill the late Sen. Edward Kennedy&#8217;s seat, acknowledging the appointment was controversial but saying the issues before Congress were &#8220;too important to Massachusetts for us to be one voice short.&#8220;
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:35:09 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/former_dnc_head_kirk_tapped_to_replace_kennedy/295192/#When:16:35:09Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Obama attends summits in NYC, Pittsburgh</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/OBAMGAT24_20090924-060201/295164/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
WASHINGTON&#8212;President Barack Obama moves from one summit of world leaders to another today. The early part of the day is devoted to meetings in and around the United Nations General Assembly. In the morning, Obama will chair a U.N. Security Council meeting, becoming the first American president to do so. Later, he and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown co-chair a meeting bringing together the Friends of Pakistan.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 24 Sep 2009 06:02:01 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/OBAMGAT24_20090924-060201/295164/#When:11:02:01Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Senators spar on health bill&#8217;s effect on seniors</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/HLTH24_20090923-205203/295028/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
WASHINGTON&#8212;Sweeping health-care legislation cleared its first hurdles in the Senate Finance Committee yesterday as Democrats turned back a series of proposed changes by Republicans depicting the measure as a threat to Medicare. Yet even as they prevailed on politically charged votes, majority Democrats also tacitly conceded one point&#8212;that despite a pledge by President Barack Obama, some seniors who receive coverage from private insurers could lose some of the optional benefits they enjoy.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:01:30 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/HLTH24_20090923-205203/295028/#When:05:01:30Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Mass. lawmakers approve Kennedy succession change</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/KENN24_20090923-205203/295029/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
BOSTON&#8212;Massachusetts lawmakers yesterday fulfilled Sen. Edward M. Kennedy&#8217;s dying wish by granting the governor the power to appoint an interim replacement for him so President Barack Obama can regain a critical 60th U.S. Senate vote he needs to pass a health-care overhaul this year. The final House and Senate votes came after another vote in which House members refused to attach an emergency preamble to the bill. That left it up to Gov. Deval Patrick to decide whether he&#8217;ll force the measure into law immediately, instead of the normal 90 days required of all legislation.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:01:03 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/KENN24_20090923-205203/295029/#When:05:01:03Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Palin talks US&#45;China relations in speech in Asia</title>
          <link>http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_ASIA_SARAH_PALIN?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=INTERNATIONAL&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;09&#45;23&#45;14&#45;41&#45;27</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Months after abruptly resigning as Alaska&#8217;s governor, Sarah Palin resurfaced in Hong Kong on Wednesday more moderate in tone and better versed in international affairs, possibly laying the first brick for a 2012 White House bid.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:07:06 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_ASIA_SARAH_PALIN?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=INTERNATIONAL&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;09&#45;23&#45;14&#45;41&#45;27#When:21:07:06Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Confidant: Kennedys want ex&#45;DNC chairman in Senate</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/confidant_kennedys_want_ex-dnc_chairman_in_senate/294920/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The sons of the late Edward M. Kennedy have urged the governor to pick Paul G. Kirk Jr., the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, to temporarily replace their father in the U.S. Senate.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:41:07 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/confidant_kennedys_want_ex-dnc_chairman_in_senate/294920/#When:18:41:07Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Curt Schilling won&#8217;t run for Kennedy&#8217;s Senate seat</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/MASSGAT23_20090923-061201/294886/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
NEW YORK&#8212;Curt Schilling won&#8217;t test out just how popular he is in Massachusetts. The former Boston Red Sox pitcher, beloved in the state for his starring role in ending an 86-year championship drought, announced yesterday he isn&#8217;t running for Edward M. Kennedy&#8217;s seat in the U.S. Senate. Earlier this month, Schilling expressed interest in pursuing the post held by the Massachusetts Democrat for almost 50 years before he died in August. But appearing on &#8220;Joe Buck Live&#8221; on HBO last night, Schilling quashed the notion.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 23 Sep 2009 06:12:01 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/MASSGAT23_20090923-061201/294886/#When:11:12:01Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>ACORN names former Mass. attorney general its investigator</title>
          <link>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ACORN_INVESTIGATION?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;09&#45;22&#45;12&#45;13&#45;53</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The community activist group ACORN said Tuesday it has selected a former Massachusetts attorney general to investigate its housing program and other public service projects after employees were caught on video giving advice to a couple posing as a prostitute and pimp and Congress moved to cut off its federal funding.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:56:25 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ACORN_INVESTIGATION?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;09&#45;22&#45;12&#45;13&#45;53#When:19:56:25Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>W.Va.&#8216;s Byrd taken to hospital after fall in Va. home</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/w.va.s_byrd_taken_to_hospital_after_fall_in_va._home/294674/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Robert Byrd, the longest serving senator in history, has been taken to a hospital after a fall at home in the Washington suburbs.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:20:04 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/w.va.s_byrd_taken_to_hospital_after_fall_in_va._home/294674/#When:16:20:04Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Obama favors investigation into ACORN scandal</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/obama_favors_investigation_into_acorn_scandal/294451/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
President Barack Obama says there should be an investigation into the hidden-camera video involving employees at the activist group ACORN and a couple posing as a prostitute and her pimp.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 21 Sep 2009 06:32:55 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/obama_favors_investigation_into_acorn_scandal/294451/#When:11:32:55Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Sunday talk shows</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/TALK20_20090919-204204/294147/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
ACORN CEO Bertha Lewis; Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif.; Fred Smith, chairman and CEO of FedEx Corp.; Steve Odland, chairman and CEO of Office Depot Inc.; John Chambers, chairman and CEO of Cisco. &nbsp; Meet the Press (NBC, 9)  President Barack Obama; House Minority Leader John A. Boehner, R-Ohio; Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. &nbsp; This Week (ABC, 10)            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 20 Sep 2009 00:01:12 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/TALK20_20090919-204204/294147/#When:05:01:12Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Mass. governor says Obama discussed Kennedy replacement</title>
          <link>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_KENNEDY_SUCCESSOR?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=HOME&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;09&#45;18&#45;13&#45;57&#45;06</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Gov. Deval Patrick said Friday that President Barack Obama had personally talked to him about changing the Senate succession law in Massachusetts, and White House aides were pushing for him to gain the power to temporarily replace the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy amid the administration&#8217;s health care push.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:37:58 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_KENNEDY_SUCCESSOR?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=HOME&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;09&#45;18&#45;13&#45;57&#45;06#When:19:37:58Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Bush Cabinet official target of corruption probe</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/bush_cabinet_official_target_of_corruption_probe/293849/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The Justice Department has launched an investigation into whether former Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton illegally used her position to steer lucrative oil leases to Royal Dutch Shell PLC, the company she works for now, officials with both departments confirmed to The Associated Press.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:47:01 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/bush_cabinet_official_target_of_corruption_probe/293849/#When:18:47:01Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Senate panel deals setback to media shield bill</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/senate_panel_deals_setback_to_media_shield_bill/293580/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
A bill to give American journalists a limited right to protect confidential sources from disclosure was sidetracked Thursday, after senators from both parties said the current version could damage national security.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:09:51 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/senate_panel_deals_setback_to_media_shield_bill/293580/#When:20:09:51Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Health&#45;care plan closes some but not all gaps</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/HLTH171_20090916-234602/293509/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
WASHINGTON&#8212;His calls for compromise rebuffed by Republicans, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Finance Committee unveiled sweeping legislation yesterday to remake the nation&#8217;s costly health-care system largely along the lines outlined by President Barack Obama. Sen. Max Baucus&#8217; proposal, months in the making, drew quick criticism from liberals who said his vision was too cramped and from Republicans who deemed it overly expansive. Yet whatever its fate, its mere release marked a critical turning point in Congress&#8217; long and tumultuous debate over Obama&#8217;s top domestic priority.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:01:35 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/HLTH171_20090916-234602/293509/#When:05:01:35Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Senate&#8217;s 10&#45;year health care plan would cost $856B</title>
          <link>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_HEALTH_CARE_OVERHAUL?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;09&#45;16&#45;10&#45;08&#45;45</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus has released his long-awaited health overhaul bill, moving forward with a landmark, $856 billion bill even though no Republicans are on board.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2009 09:56:51 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_HEALTH_CARE_OVERHAUL?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=US&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;09&#45;16&#45;10&#45;08&#45;45#When:14:56:51Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Political wrestling: Vince McMahon&#8217;s wife seeks Senate seat</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/WWEGAT16_20090916-085401/293245/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
GREENWICH, Conn.&#8212;World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. says Linda McMahon is stepping down as its chief executive to seek the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat from Connecticut now held by Democrat Christopher Dodd. WWE said in a statement this morning that McMahon&#8217;s husband, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, is assuming her duties as CEO.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2009 08:54:01 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/WWEGAT16_20090916-085401/293245/#When:13:54:01Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Jody Powell, Jimmy Carter&#8217;s press secretary, dead at 65</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/POWGAT15_20090915-063601/292976/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
WASHINGTON&#8212;Jody Powell, a public relations specialist for Jimmy Carter who helped orchestrate the once-obscure Georgia governor&#8217;s rise to the White House in 1976 and then served as his press secretary for the full administration, has died, The Washington Post reported today. The newspaper said Powell died yesterday at a hospital near his home in Cambridge, on Maryland&#8217;s Eastern Shore. He was 65.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 15 Sep 2009 06:36:02 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/POWGAT15_20090915-063601/292976/#When:11:36:02Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>GOP&#8217;s Wilson faces rebuke today from House Dems</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/GOGAT15_20090915-061802/292974/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
WASHINGTON&#8212;Barring a last-minute apology to Congress, Republican Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina faces what is likely to be a partisan vote scolding him for shouting &#8220;You lie!&#8220; at President Barack Obama. Democratic aides said House leaders were preparing to introduce a resolution of disapproval this afternoon, with a vote likely later in the day.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 15 Sep 2009 06:18:02 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/GOGAT15_20090915-061802/292974/#When:11:18:02Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>AFL&#45;CIO aims to build more political clout</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/LABO13_20090912-200202/292439/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
John Sweeney spent the past 14 years building the AFL-CIO into a political powerhouse for worker&#8217;s rights and other progressive Democratic causes. Yet over the same time, the ranks of union members continued to shrink, diminishing organized labor&#8217;s clout in the workplace. Frustration with Sweeney&#8217;s tenure and the dip in membership led seven unions to split from the AFL-CIO four years ago to form the rival Change to Win federation.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 13 Sep 2009 00:01:44 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/LABO13_20090912-200202/292439/#When:05:01:44Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Sunday talk shows</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/TALK13_20090912-202803/292449/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C.; Sens. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., Orrin G. Hatch, R-Utah, Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.; Andy Stern, president of the Service Employees International Union. &nbsp; Meet the Press (NBC, 9)  Sens. Richard J. Durbin, D-Ill., and John Cornyn, R-Texas; Howard Dean, former national Democratic Party chairman; former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 13 Sep 2009 00:01:18 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/TALK13_20090912-202803/292449/#When:05:01:18Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Marchers express ire at Obama</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/MARC13_20090912-215603/292546/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Thousands of demonstrators from across the country marched up Pennsylvania Avenue yesterday beneath assorted banners with a unified theme: anger at President Barack Obama and his agenda. Organizers of the loosely knit coalition of anti-tax, small-government proponents were hoping for a crowd of 25,000 to 50,000, billing the march as the largest gathering of fiscal conservatives in the history of the nation&#8217;s capital.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 13 Sep 2009 00:00:59 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/MARC13_20090912-215603/292546/#When:05:00:59Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Obama accepts lawmaker&#8217;s apology for floor remark</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/HEKL11_20090910-215807/292050/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama accepted a South Carolina Republican&#8217;s apology for shouting, &#8220;You lie!&#8220; during his speech to Congress, and House Democratic leaders showed no interest in sanctions against Rep. Joe Wilson. Obama said yesterday that Wilson apologized &#8220;quickly and without equivocation&#8221; and the congressman told reporters the shout-out was &#8220;spontaneous.&#8220;           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:01:51 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/HEKL11_20090910-215807/292050/#When:05:01:51Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Lawmakers denounce Obama&#45;heckling colleague</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/HECKLGAT10_20090910-065201/291827/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
WASHINGTON&#8212;Democrats and Republicans alike are denouncing Rep. Joe Wilson for shouting &#8220;You lie&#8221; at President Barack Obama during his speech to Congress, an extraordinary breach of decorum for which the South Carolina Republican swiftly apologized. &#8220;There&#8217;ll be time enough to consider whether or not we ought to make it clear that that action is unacceptable in the House of Representatives,&#8220; House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said late last night on WTOP radio when asked about possible punishment for Wilson. &#8220;I&#8217;ve talked to Republican members who share that view.&#8220;           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2009 06:52:01 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/HECKLGAT10_20090910-065201/291827/#When:11:52:01Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Ted Kennedy Jr. says he may someday seek office</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/TEDGAT09_20090909-132001/291576/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
NEW HAVEN, Conn.&#8212;Ted Kennedy Jr. said today he&#8217;s thought about following in his late father&#8217;s footsteps and running for political office, but has no immediate plans to do so. Kennedy, who lives in Branford, appeared at the Connecticut AFL-CIO convention in New Haven to speak about Sen. Edward Kennedy&#8217;s commitment to the labor movement. A resolution was passed calling Kennedy &#8220;labor&#8217;s champion.&#8220;           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:20:01 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/TEDGAT09_20090909-132001/291576/#When:18:20:01Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Hillary Clinton movie goes back to Supreme Court</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/HILLGAT09_20090909-091601/291568/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
WASHINGTON&#8212;&#8220;Hillary: The Movie&#8221; is returning to the Supreme Court for a limited engagement and with the chance to overhaul laws governing federal campaigns ranging from the White House to the halls of Congress. The justices are hearing arguments in the case today for the second time. It began as a dispute over whether a 90-minute movie attacking Hillary Rodham Clinton&#8217;s presidential ambitions should be regulated as a campaign ad.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2009 09:16:01 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/HILLGAT09_20090909-091601/291568/#When:14:16:01Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Trainer spills secrets of Michelle Obama&#8217;s arms</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/ARMSGAT07_20090907-152401/291210/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
WASHINGTON (AP)&#8212;At last, the secret to first lady Michelle Obama&#8217;s sculpted arms? Tricep pushdowns and hammer curls. So says Cornell McClellan, Mrs. Obama&#8217;s longtime personal trainer, who described the workout routine of his famous client in the October issue of Women&#8217;s Health magazine. She began working with McClellan in 1997 at his Chicago fitness studio.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 07 Sep 2009 15:24:01 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Former Rep. Joseph Kennedy nixes Senate campaign</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/KENNGAT07_20090907-150002/291209/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
BOSTON (AP)&#8212;Former Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II, son of Robert F. Kennedy, has decided not to seek the U.S. Senate seat held by his late uncle, Edward M. Kennedy. In a statement today, the former six-term congressman says he cares about those seeking decent housing, fair wages and health care. But he says &#8220;the best way for me to contribute to those causes is by continuing my work at Citizens Energy Corp.&#8220;           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 07 Sep 2009 15:00:02 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Would&#45;be Kennedy successors emerging</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/KENNGAT01_20090901-113402/289722/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
BOSTON&#8212;Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley appears to be the first candidate in a special election for the Senate seat left open by the death of Edward Kennedy. A woman who said she was representing Coakley picked up nomination papers from the Secretary of State today. Coakley aides did not immediately return calls or e-mails seeking confirmation of her candidacy.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 01 Sep 2009 11:34:02 EST</pubDate>
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         <item>
          <title>Sunday talk shows</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/TALK30_20090829-191204/289222/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Former Vice President Dick Cheney. &nbsp; Meet the Press (NBC, 9)  Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Christopher J. Dodd, D-Conn.; Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, niece of the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy; Doris Kearns Goodwin, presidential historian; former Kennedy adviser Bob Shrum. &nbsp; This Week (ABC, 10)  Sens. Orrin G. Hatch, R-Utah, and Kerry.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 30 Aug 2009 00:01:33 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/TALK30_20090829-191204/289222/#When:05:01:33Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Obama lauds &#8216;greatest legislator&#8217;</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/BOST30_20090829-213403/289284/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Under gray skies, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy was mourned yesterday in an elaborate funeral that brought together four presidents, more than half the U.S. Senate, and Hollywood stars, sports legends and foreign dignitaries. History as well as deep loss pervaded the cold, rain-lashed morning. It bore all the somber trappings of a state funeral for a departed leader whose triumphs and tragedies had touched and inspired many around the world.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 30 Aug 2009 00:01:06 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/BOST30_20090829-213403/289284/#When:05:01:06Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Kennedy funeral: A sense of an era ending</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/ARLI30_20090829-213403/289283/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy was laid to rest alongside slain brothers John and Robert at Arlington National Cemetery last night, celebrated for &#8220;the dream he kept alive&#8221; across the decades since their deaths. After his funeral in Boston, where he was eulogized by President Barack Obama, the Massachusetts senator&#8217;s remains were brought to Washington. With flags over the Capitol flying at half-staff, his hearse stopped outside the Senate, where he served for 47 years. His widow, Vicki, embraced former staff members in the crowd.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 30 Aug 2009 00:01:04 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Prosecutor: Richardson not charged, not exonerated</title>
          <link>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_RICHARDSON_PROBE?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=HOME&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;08&#45;28&#45;14&#45;02&#45;51</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
New Mexico&#8217;s top federal prosecutor confirmed Friday that no charges will be brought against Democratic Gov. Bill Richardson and his former top aides after a probe of an alleged pay-to-play scheme prompted him to withdraw his nomination as U.S. commerce secretary.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:19:33 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_RICHARDSON_PROBE?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=HOME&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;08&#45;28&#45;14&#45;02&#45;51#When:19:19:33Z</guid>
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          <title>Elder Bush will not attend Kennedy funeral</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/elder_bush_will_not_attend_kennedy_funeral/288964/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The elder President George Bush will not be attending Sen. Edward Kennedy&#8217;s funeral.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 28 Aug 2009 09:24:30 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/elder_bush_will_not_attend_kennedy_funeral/288964/#When:14:24:30Z</guid>
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          <title>UPDATE: McCain recalls love of fight with friend Kennedy</title>
          <link>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_KENNEDY_MEMORIAL?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=HOME&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;08&#45;28&#45;08&#45;00&#45;49</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
More than 21,000 people filed past Sen. Edward Kennedy&#8217;s casket on Thursday. The library was supposed to close at 11 p.m., but the doors were left open until 2 a.m. on Friday.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 28 Aug 2009 08:11:38 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_KENNEDY_MEMORIAL?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=HOME&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2009&#45;08&#45;28&#45;08&#45;00&#45;49#When:13:11:38Z</guid>
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          <title>UPDATE: Thousands stand in line to pay final respects to Kennedy</title>
          <link>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_KENNEDY_MEMORIAL?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=HOME&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Crowds gathered to bid farewell to the last of the family&#8217;s brothers and mark the end of a national political chapter that was equal parts triumph and tragedy.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:02:27 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_KENNEDY_MEMORIAL?SITE=VARIT&amp;SECTION=HOME&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT#When:15:02:27Z</guid>
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          <title>Sanford rejects lieutenant governor&#8217;s call to resign</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/SANF27_20090826-211004/288529/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
COLUMBIA, S.C.&#8212;South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford rebuffed his lieutenant governor&#8217;s call to resign yesterday, saying he will not be &#8220;railroaded&#8221; out of office and plans to finish the last 16 months of his term. Sanford returned from a nearly weeklong disappearance in June to admit an affair with an Argentine woman, a revelation that led to questions about the legality of his travel on state, private and commercial planes.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:01:26 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/SANF27_20090826-211004/288529/#When:05:01:26Z</guid>
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          <title>SC gov will stay after lt. gov asks him to quit</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/sc_gov_will_stay_after_lt._gov_asks_him_to_quit/288420/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) &#8212; South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford says he appreciates the lieutenant governor&#8217;s offer to take over, but he plans to stay in office.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:47:36 EST</pubDate>
<guid>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/sc_gov_will_stay_after_lt._gov_asks_him_to_quit/288420/#When:22:47:36Z</guid>
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