President Obama has chosen a former Bush administration official with a reputation for independence to be the new FBI director. James Comey broke with the Bush administration over its support for warrantless wiretapping. The pick shows a willingness on the president’s part to reach across the aisle, and Comey’s decision to buck the Bush administration should also make him acceptable to Democrats.
Letters sent to New York mayor Michael Bloomberg have tested positive for the deadly toxin ricin. The letters contained threatening references to the debate over gun control. Bloomberg has been at the forefront of the gun debate, spending millions to campaign against candidates who don’t support common sense gun safety measures. Several police officers who came in contact with the letters showed mild symptoms and are getting treatment.
A new PPP poll finds majorities of voters in three red states favor expanded background checks, and they’re angered by their senators’ rejection of them.
Republicans are now criticizing the president’s travel. They say it costs too much money to fly Air Force One while the rest of the federal government is tightening its belt.
President Obama’s approval rating is down in a new Quinnipiac poll. Meanwhile voters from all sides say an independent prosecutor should investigate the IRS.
The president says he doesn’t have much patience for those who deny climate change.
A Republican lawmaker from Oklahoma criticizes his own party and its ongoing war on the reproductive rights of women. State Rep. Doug Cox — a practicing physician — says the GOP’s position on everything from abortion to contraception to women’s health care represents a government intrusion into the personal lives of women.
Hardball staff