Tweet The next time you’re gritting your teeth as you fill your tank with $4 gas, here’s something to consider: Your pain is their gain. The last of the Big Five oil companies announced first-quarter earnings Friday, so the totals are in. Between the five of them, ExxonMobil, BP, Shell, Chevron, and ConocoPhillips made $34 [...]

Tweet President Obama’s aides have quietly turned the key in the engine of the massive campaign-in-waiting that’s been operating under the name Organizing for America for the last two years, and will begin his re-election with the sort of online and field organizations most presidential campaigns would be glad to have 16 months from now. [...]

Tweet President Barack Obama’s speech at Miami Dade College: 7:17 P.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, Miami Dade!  (Applause.)  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Please, everyone, be seated. Hafeeza, thank you for that wonderful introduction.  (Applause.)  To Dr. Padrón, Dr. Vicente, to the board of trustees, the faculty, parents, family, friends, and, most important, the class of [...]

TweetAfter recently undertaking a journey to walk — not fly — across the United States in the “Grounded” storyline and reconnect with the country and everyday Americans, Superman appears to be taking another step that could have major implications for his national identity: in Action Comics #900… …Superman announces that he is going to give [...]

Tweet NEW YORK — For years, Donald Trump has boasted that his casinos are free of the taint of organized crime, using this claim to distinguish his gambling ventures from competitors. But Trump’s casinos turn out not to be so squeaky clean. One of his prime Atlantic City developments, the Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino, [...]

Tweet Democrats with ties to the Obama White House on Friday are launching a two-pronged fundraising effort aimed at countering deep-pocketed GOP groups in 2012 — and adopting some of the same policies on unlimited, secret donations that President Barack Obama himself has long opposed, the organizers tell POLITICO. The two groups, Priorities USA and [...]

TweetSen. Jack Latvala, R-St. Petersburg, stood to blast Senate leadership for failing to allow a series of amendments on a parimutuel bill to end live racing at greyhound tracks. “The best way that we can craft a parimutuel bill is if everybody comes to the table,” he said. “I have great respect for the institution…” He [...]

TweetA few weeks ago, we brought you a story about how not to lobby. Today brings another tip: When offering a “courtesy amendment” to a lawmaker on behalf of a bill sponsor, make sure the sponsor is actually pushing the amendment. Lobbyist Matt Blair learned that lesson this week when he gave a courtesy amendment to Sen. Jack [...]

Tweet   There’s clear evidence that Mike Huckabee is taking the prospect of running for president more seriously now than a few months ago. The question is whether it’s too late. He’s planning a meet-and-greet with GOP members of Congress at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington next week, along with a fundraiser for his [...]

TweetSen. JD Alexander, the Senate budget chief now handling a controversial immigration crackdown proposal, told reporters Friday that he uses the federal government’s e-Verify system. A citrus grower, Alexander said he turns prospective employees away if they don’t clear the system. But he did not give e-Verify a ringing endorsement. “It takes a while to really know [...]