yahoo politics

AP - A criminal investigation into the leak of tens of thousands of secret Afghanistan war logs could go beyond the military, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday, and he did not rule out that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange could be a target.

AP - On the surface, a judge's decision to block tough provisions of Arizona's immigration law was a defeat for the state's Republican governor and a win for the Democratic Obama administration. But neither party is sure it will play out that way politically, either this fall or beyond.

AP - Vote early, vote often. It's an old joke in Illinois politics but state residents will be choosing twice in November to fill President Barack Obama's former Senate seat.

Politico - The quietly approved resolution lets staff to testify in grand jury probe of Nevada Republican's affair.

AP - House investigators accused veteran New York Rep. Charles Rangel of 13 violations of congressional ethics standards on Thursday, throwing a cloud over his four-decade political career and raising worries for fellow Democrats about the fall elections.

Politico - Nevertheless, Brewer swears she will be "relentless" in pursuing an appeal for the immigration law.

AP - On the surface, a judge's decision to block tough provisions of Arizona's immigration law was a defeat for the state's Republican governor and a win for the Democratic Obama administration. But neither party is sure it will play out that way politically, either this fall or beyond.

AP - WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's election-year jobs agenda suffered a new setback Thursday when Senate Republicans blocked a bill creating a $30 billion government fund to help open up lending for credit-starved small businesses.

McClatchy Newspapers - WASHINGTON — Two former top officials of Arlington National Cemetery faced hostile questioning on Capitol Hill Thursday about years of negligence that led to unmarked and mismarked graves and mishandled remains.

McClatchy Newspapers - WASHINGTON — A special House of Representatives subcommittee on Thursday outlined 13 counts of ethics violations against Rep. Charles Rangel, the former chairman of the powerful tax-writing Ways and Means Committee. The charges place his political career in jeopardy and could put Democrats on the defensive as November's elections approach.

Politico - Lawmakers are disheartened by the investigation and worried about the public's growing skepticism.

AP - President Barack Obama's nominee to be chief of U.S. intelligence, James R. Clapper, was unanimously approved Thursday by the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Politico - A new book details Dino Rossi's bloody 2004 recount against now-Gov. Christine Gregoire.

Ann Coulter - While engaging in astonishing viciousness, vulgarity and violence toward Republicans, liberals accuse cheerful, law-abiding Tea Party activists of being violent racists.

AP - President Barack Obama says the government will recover all the taxpayer money his administration used to bail out the auto industry last year.

Politico - The report charges that he broke the chamber's rules.

CQPolitics.com - House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer confidently painted a rosy picture Thursday of House Democrats' prospects in the midterm elections.

CQPolitics.com - Corporations would be required to give their shareholders an annual vote on how much money to spend on political activities under a bill approved by the House Financial Services Committee on Thursday.

Politico - The House Majority Leader said Thursday Democrats would do better than many political analysts' predictions.

McClatchy Newspapers - MESQUITE, Nev. — Something about Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., bothers people, and it's jeopardizing the re-election of one of Washington's most powerful figures.