CNN

Washington (CNN) - White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs made a dig at former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin Tuesday during the White House daily briefing.

"I wrote a few things down. I wrote eggs milk and bread, but I crossed out bread just so I can make pancakes for Ethan if it snows," Gibbs said showing the palm of his hand with notes written on it. "Then I wrote down hope and change just in case I forgot that."

Gibbs was apparently taking a jab at Palin who had notes written on her hand during a question and answer session at the Tea Party Convention Saturday night in Nashville, Tennessee.

It was later determined Palin had written the words "Energy," "Tax Cuts," and "Lift American Spirits" in her palm.

(CNN) – With Washington blanketed in snow and the federal government shut down, the State Department used Twitter Tuesday to announce that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would soon be traveling to Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Clinton's trips are usually announced in the daily press conferences, followed by a press release and then possibly by a tweet. But Clinton's visits to Qatar and Saudi Arabia were made public on Twitter first and then a news release was sent out approximately two hours later.

The tweet came from @DipNote, the official U.S. Department of State Twitter account: "Secretary Clinton will travel to Qatar and Saudi Arabia, February 13-16, 2010. #hillarytravel."

Washington (CNN) – First lady Michelle Obama sidestepped questions Tuesday about former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who has been publicly critical of her husband's presidency.

"I try not to make or set opinions about people I haven't had any substantive interaction with," Michelle Obama said in an interview scheduled to air on CNN's Larry King Live. "I mean, I know what you see on TV."

Asked later if she considered the 2008 vice presidential nominee to be a "phenomenon," the first lady again withheld criticizing Palin.

"Again, I mean, I think it's wonderful to have strong, female voices out there, but I don't know her," Obama said.

With her keynote address at last week's Tea Party convention, Palin has continued a pattern of hard-hitting critiques of President Obama that began on the campaign trail in 2008.

The first lady did defend her husband's record after a year in the Oval Office. "Democracy is about critique and the president is not immune to criticism," she said.
Read the rest of this entry »

Carville: The Saints are a large part of the fabric of the community here and have helped to bring everyone together in the toughest of times.

Underdogs and comebacks are hailed in American culture; perhaps this is why there will be so much said and written about our New Orleans Saints’ 31-17 victory in Super Bowl XLIV and what it means to a once-water-logged city and its tenacious residents.

I am as excited about the outcome of the game as any other member of the Who Dat Nation, but perhaps as important as bringing home the Vince Lombardi trophy, this win gives New Orleans an opportunity to highlight how far she has come and how promising her future looks today.

For as challenging a decade as the 2000s were for New Orleans, the 2010s may prove to be the brightest time in the city’s nearly 300-year history. The confluence of the Saints’ win and the historic mayoral election, which Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu won in a landside across racial lines, line up for the city’s best two days since the Battle of New Orleans in 1815.

While we celebrate the team’s victory this evening at the parade, the city and the region will also be celebrating how far we have come as a community. The Saints are a large part of the fabric of the community here and have helped to bring everyone together in the toughest of times. Following the Super Bowl and the mayoral election, there is a unity of spirit and purpose unlike any time in our history. And it’s on display for the world to see.

President Barack Obama said Tuesday his televised health care summit with Republican leaders on February 25 should involve true give-and-take.

Washington (CNN) – President Barack Obama said Tuesday his televised health care summit with Republican leaders on February 25 should involve true give-and-take negotiations instead of mere "political theater."

In a rare appearance at the daily White House media briefing, Obama said he wants the meeting - which also will include health care experts - to "establish some common facts" on the health care issue and reach agreement on the most pressing health care problems facing the country.

To signal his willingness to compromise, Obama said he would consider a Republican push to include limits on medical malpractice lawsuits in a health care bill if the proposal can be shown to truly reduce overall health care costs. The president acknowledged the issue could "make my party uncomfortable," an apparent nod to traditional Democratic support among trial lawyers who oppose such limits.

However, Obama said bipartisanship on health care reform cannot mean only that "Democrats give up everything they believe in."

"Bipartisanship depends on a willingness among both Democrats and Republicans to put aside matters of party for the good of the country," he said.

Read the rest of this entry »

New York (CNNMoney.com) - Senate Democrats' draft plan for job creation, circulated Tuesday, contains a couple of employment measures and a lot of leftover business.

What's not included in the draft legislation is additional funds for states or stimulus money for infrastructure, which Republicans have said they will not support.

President Obama met with Senate and House leaders on both sides of the aisle Tuesday to push for a jobs proposal. The House passed a $154 billion bill in December, but momentum has stalled in the Senate, where Democrats recently lost their 60-vote filibuster-proof edge.

While Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said lawmakers need to pass a jobs bill this week, Republicans were not so sure. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said GOP lawmakers need to know more about the package.

"My members need to be able to feel like they understand what they are being called upon to support," McConnell said.

The Republican leader, meanwhile, said he'd like to explore a competing vision for job creation that centers around international trade and clean energy.

Read the rest of this entry »

Washington (CNN) – New York Gov. David Paterson vowed Tuesday that he would not allow unfounded rumors to drive him from office and pledged to run for his own four year term in November.

"Let me let you know this: The only way I am not going to be governor next year is at the ballot box and the only way that I will be leaving office before is in a box," Paterson said at news conference he called Tuesday to discuss the winter storm headed for his state.

While the focus of the news conference was supposed to be about the weather, Paterson was peppered with questions about his personal life. The governor has been dogged for weeks by rumors of womanizing and illegal drug use.

"There hasn't been one shred of evidence that any of these charges that were made against me were even true," said a defiant Paterson, who stood behind a podium with the state seal.

Read the rest of this entry »

Washington braced Tuesday for a second major winter storm. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Washington (CNN) - The wheels of justice have been slowed but not paralyzed by the one-two punch of wintry blasts forcing much of the federal government to shut down this week.

Justice officials said Tuesday that essential personnel - including Attorney General Eric Holder - have managed to keep critical counterterrorism and other priority missions up and running - even as the nation's capital is buried in snow and bracing for more.

"All of the necessary national security functions and public safety functions are fully operational," FBI Assistant Director Michael Kortan told CNN.

But the weather has forced the closing of various U.S. attorneys' offices, affecting more than a thousand federal prosecutors and support staff in the Washington metro area alone.

Read the rest of this entry »

Washington (CNN) – Nearly two-thirds of Americans want Congress to keep trying to pass a health care reform bill, according to a new national poll.

The ABC News/Washington Post survey released Tuesday afternoon also indicates that the public spreads the blame when it comes to a lack of bipartisanship in the nation's capital.

Fifty-eight percent of people questioned in the poll say that congressional Republicans aren't doing enough to seek compromise with President Barack Obama on important issues, with 44 percent feeling that Obama is doing too little to forge compromise with the GOP.

The survey indicates that 56 percent of independent voters say congressional Republicans aren't doing enough to try and work with the president and Democrats in Congress. Half of independents see the president as too unwilling to compromise and 28 percent feel both parties are not doing enough when it comes to bipartisanship.

According to the poll, 63 percent of Americans think federal lawmakers should keep trying to pass a comprehensive health care reform plan, including 88 percent of Democrats questioned, 56 percent of independents and 42 percent of Republicans. Fifty-five percent of Republicans feel Congress should give up on health care reform.
Read the rest of this entry »

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will not intervene on behalf of 10 Americans detained in Haiti.

Washington (CNN) – Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will not get directly involved in the case of the 10 Americans detained in Haiti on child abduction charges, a State Department spokesman said Tuesday.

"It would be highly unusual for the secretary of state to intervene in a case involving the judicial process of another country," spokesman P.J. Crowley said in an off-camera question-and-answer session.

Reginald Brown - the Washington lawyer who represents one of the detained Americans - sent a letter to Clinton on Tuesday asking her to personally intervene with Haitian authorities.

"This is all the result of a colossal misunderstanding and we are hoping it will resolve itself," Brown said about the arrest and detention of his client, Jim Allen, and the other nine Americans. "We would appreciate it if you could continue to devote significant personal attention to this matter, as we are confident that with your assistance this misunderstanding could be quickly resolved."

He asked Clinton to make "a personal request" to Haitian authorities to allow Allen to speak to his wife and her lawyers and to have fresh supplies.

"As far as I can tell, the one thing our detained American citizens have been able to do is communicate with just about anybody who wants to talk with them," Crowley said at the State Department. "If family members wish to talk to them, I think that is something that can be easily facilitated through our embassy in Port au Prince or through the Haitian government."

Read the rest of this entry »

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Tuesday that negotiators are close to an agreement on a jobs package.

Washington (CNN) - Senate negotiators are close to a bipartisan agreement on a jobs package and the Senate could work through the weekend to pass it, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Tuesday.

The measure, which aides said has a price tag of about $85 billion, combines tax breaks for businesses that hire new workers with spending on infrastructure and extended benefits for the unemployed.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell warned Democrats that his members might need more time to study the bill before voting on it. "My members need to be able to feel like they understand what they are being called upon to support," he said on the Senate floor.

For Democrats, swift passage is critical. In addition to believing the aid is desperately needed in order to kick start hiring, Democrats are anxious to recover from their set back on health care reform and prove to voters they can get things done.
Read the rest of this entry »

Last December a billboard popped up north of Minneapolis on I-35 featuring former President George W. Bush's image next to the words "Miss Me Yet?". (Photo by Bob Collins/ Minnesota Public Radio)

(CNN) – A political mystery of sorts in Minnesota may have been solved.

A billboard popped up north of Minneapolis on I-35 featuring former President George W. Bush's image next to the words "Miss Me Yet?" last December. But until Tuesday it wasn't known who paid for it.

While the identities of the sign owners are still unclear, the general manager of the advertising company who owns the billboard space told Minnesota Public Radio it was financed by "a group of small business owners who feel like Washington is against them."

"They wish to remain anonymous. They thought it was a fun way of getting out their message," said Mary Teske, of Schubert & Hoey Outdoor Advertising.

Schubert & Hoey did not return CNN's request for comment.

Governor David Paterson defended himself Monday in an interview with the Associated Press.

(CNN) - New York Gov. David Paterson defended himself Monday from rumors of womanizing and drug use, describing these unfounded reports as "outrageous," during an interview with the Associated Press.

"For the last couple of weeks I have been the subject of what, even by Albany standards, has been a spate of outrageous rumors about me," Paterson told the AP.

Despite rumors of drug use and gallivanting, Paterson told the AP he hasn't used an illegal substance since his early 20's and rarely eats dinner outside of his home. He also said he hasn't had sexual relations with another woman in more than 10 years. Both Paterson and his wife have previously admitted to extramarital affairs in their past.

The embattled Democratic governor, who is serving the remainder of former Gov. Elliot Spitzer's term, also criticized some reports in the media about his life as "callous and sleazy."

Paterson specifically pointed his finger at the New York Post, which reported late last month that a state police officer caught the governor involved with a woman who wasn't his wife. Paterson said the room he was supposedly caught in doesn't even exist. The Post stood by its reporting in a statement to CNN.

Paterson also blamed the spate of rumors on an investigation that The New York Times is reportedly working on about Paterson's private life. The governor said that investigation has "spawned a bunch of speculations that are so way out that it's shocking."

Read the rest of this entry »

Washington (CNN) – President Obama threatened Tuesday to use his power to bypass Congress and make appointments to key positions in his administration if Senate Republicans do not allow votes on their nominations.

Obama said he asked GOP leaders during a meeting at the White House "to put a stop to these holds in which nominees for critical jobs are denied a vote for months."

"If the Senate does not act, and I made this very clear, if the Senate does not act to confirm these nominees, I will consider making several recess appointments during the upcoming recess," Obama said. "Because we can't afford to allow politics to stand in the way of a well-functioning government."

The Senate is scheduled to be in recess next week.
Read the rest of this entry »

 Washington (CNN) - Iran "continue(s) to pursue a course that would lead to (nuclear) weaponization and that is not acceptable," President Barack Obama said Tuesday. "We have bent over backwards to say we are willing to have a constructive conversation" with Iran about its nuclear program, he said in a surprise appearance at the White House daily press briefing.

Now the United States and its allies are "developing a significant regime of sanctions that will indicate to them how alone they are," he said. Obama said negotiations on proposed sanctions for Iran "are moving along." But one of the difficulties of dealing with Iran, Obama added, is that "it's not always clear who is speaking on behalf of the government" in Tehran. The president indicated there are signs Iran is still pursuing nuclear weapons.

"The door's still open" to discussions with the Iranian government, he added. But "we are going to be looking at a variety of ways" in the weeks ahead to show the Iranian regime its current approach is unacceptable, he said.

Washington (CNN) - President Barack Obama indicated Tuesday he's open to "incremental steps" on job growth legislation.

"It's realistic for us to get a package moving quickly that may not include all the things I think need to be done," he said.

Obama said he hoped an initial bill would help "build trust" and allow Congress to then move on to other measures.

"We spent a lot of time in this meeting discussing a jobs package and how we can move forward on that," Obama said. "And if there are additional ideas, I will consider them."

Full story

Grover Norquist endorsed Senate hopeful Marco Rubio on Tuesday.

Washington (CNN) - Florida Senate hopeful Marco Rubio has secured yet another endorsement from a national conservative leader.

Grover Norquist, the president of the anti-tax group Americans for Tax Reform, endorsed the Republican candidate Tuesday.

"I have followed Marco Rubio's career very closely and am proud to support him in his bid for U.S. Senate," Norquist said in a statement. "In closely examining his record, I remain convinced he has been the most courageous, pro-taxpayer legislative leader in the country and will continue this path in the U.S. Senate."

Rubio is locked in a tight GOP primary race against Florida Gov. Charlie Crist.

Rubio, once considered a long shot candidate, has secured endorsements in recent weeks from House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence and Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan.

Sen. Ben Nelson will oppose President Obama's nominee for the National Labor Relations Board

(CNN) - Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson joined Republican lawmakers in opposing President Obama's controversial nominee for the National Labor Relations Board.

Nelson said Monday he would vote against seating union lawyer Craig Becker on the five-member board because "he would pursue a personal agenda."

"This is of great concern, considering that the Board's main responsibility is to resolve labor disputes with an even and impartial hand. In addition, the nominee's statements fly in the face of Nebraska's Right to Work laws, which have been credited in part with our excellent business climate that has attracted employers and many good jobs to Nebraska," the Nebraska senator said in a statement.

Becker has served as an associate general counsel to the Service Employees International Union and the AFL-CIO. Republicans have stalled his nomination because of his union ties and concerns that he would sidestep Congress and make pro-union changes to the law.

In a statement before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee last week, Becker said "should I be confirmed, I will always remain faithful to the will of Congress."

He also said he has represented "not simply unions but also individual employees, belonging to no labor organization, in diverse trades and professions - from prison guards to retail clerks, from hospital administrators to home-care workers."

Read the rest of this entry »

President Barack Obama holds a bipartisan meeting at the White House Tuesday morning. Jobs, the economy, and health care are expected to be on the agenda.

Washington (CNN) - President Barack Obama holds a bipartisan meeting at the White House Tuesday morning. Jobs, the economy, and health care are expected to be on the agenda.

CNN's Ed Henry reports that the same group of leaders who will attend the February 25 bipartisan health care meeting are teaming up at the White House for this meeting and that it will be a prelude to set the table for the health care talks later this month.

Expected to attend the meeting are Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Minority Leader John Boehner and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer.

Tuesday's meeting is the first of what the president called for in his State of the Union address last month.

"I would like to begin monthly meetings with both the Democratic and Republican leadership. I know you can't wait," said the president in his January 27 prime time address.

- CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report