CNN poll: Majority disapprove of Obama for first time
Washington (CNN) – For the first time, a CNN poll has found that a majority of Americans disapprove of President Obama's job performance.
According to a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Monday, 51 percent of respondents disapprove of Obama's job performance and 46 percent approve of it.
Obama's approval rating has dropped steadily each month since December, when it was 54 percent. His highest approval rating in a CNN poll was 76 percent in February 2009 shortly after he took office.
The new poll was conducted before the House on Sunday narrowly approved the Obama administration's signature domestic policy proposal: health care reform.
Senate Republicans lose first health care battle on parliamentary rules
Washington (CNN) - Senate sources in both parties tell CNN the Senate parliamentarian told Republicans he will not rule in their favor, if they try to stop the health care fixes bill, changes to the Senate health care bill that the House passed on Sunday, from even coming to the Senate floor.
In a private meeting Monday with the parliamentarian, Alan Frumin, Republican aides argued that the fixes bill violates rules of the so-called reconciliation process because of the way it affects social security. For that reason, GOP aides said they argued, the bill should not even be allowed to be debated.
But late Monday, both a senior Republican and a Democratic aide told CNN Frumin informed both parties he disagreed with the GOP assessment, and would not block the health care fixes bill.
It was the first of many attempts Republicans say they will make to try to use the limiting rules surrounding reconciliation, to amend or even kill the package of fixes that house democrats are relying on the senate to pass.
ACORN community organizing group to close
ACORN's board has approved the steps required "to responsibly manage the process of bringing its operations to a close over the coming months," the group said in a statement Monday. (Photo Credit: Getty Images/File)
(CNN) - The community organizing group ACORN announced Monday it is closing its operations amid falling revenues.
The announcement came a day after the board of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now met and approved the steps required "to responsibly manage the process of bringing its operations to a close over the coming months," an ACORN statement read.
The group's remaining state affiliates and field offices will close by April 1 and a plan will be developed to pay its debts, the statement said.
"ACORN's members have a great deal to be proud of - from promoting homeownership to helping rebuild New Orleans, from raising wages to winning safer streets, from training community leaders to promoting voter participation - ACORN members have worked hard to create stronger to communities, a more inclusive democracy, and a more just nation," it said.
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Holder, Senate Republicans showdown abruptly postponed
Washington (CNN) - Attorney General Eric Holder finally sent his answers from a November hearing to Senate Republicans Monday, on what was presumed to be the eve of an expected showdown between Holder and the GOP lawmakers over plans to close Guantanamo Bay prison and put detainees on trial in civilian courts.
But while Holder, his aides and Republican lawmakers were separately intently planning for the hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senate Democrats were fretting about potentially missing the White House party to celebrate passage of a health care bill, aides acknowledged.
Judiciary Chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, postponed the hearing late Monday to the consternation of both the Justice Department and the GOP. Holder is out of town on travel the rest of this week, and Congress is out the following week, so no new hearing date is scheduled.
The last-minute delivery of Justice Department responses to questions asked by the Republicans more than four months ago appeared to fuel an already agitated group of senators from the staunchly partisan Senate judiciary panel. GOP staff members were scrambling to go through the documents in advance of what they expected would be Holder's scheduled 9:30 a.m. appearance before the committee.
Aide: Obama more excited by bill passing than being elected
Washington (CNN) – The significance of Sunday night’s historic health care reform vote in the House was not lost on President Obama, according to one of his senior aides.
“I haven’t seen the president so happy about anything – other than his family – as long as I’ve known him and worked with him,” White House senior adviser David Axelrod said Monday on CNN’s The Situation Room. “Even Election Night, he was not as excited as he was last night.”
Asked again by CNN’s Wolf Blitzer about the president’s reaction, Axelrod reiterated the unprecedented nature of the moment for the president.
“I am here to bear witness, Wolf,” Axelrod said. “That is absolutely the case. He was excited that night [on Election Night] but not the way he was last night. Last night, he had the feeling of satisfaction that we had actually helped so many people across this country and given the American people more security and more peace of mind, and that this is something that will benefit generations to come.”
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Reports emerge of vandalism at Democratic offices
(CNN) - Democratic offices in at least three states have reported instances of vandalism that party members say possibly were tied to Sunday's historic vote on health care reform.
Early Monday morning, a glass panel at the Tucson office of U.S. Rep. Gabrille Giffords, D-Arizona, was shattered, spokesman C.J. Karamargin told CNN. It wasn't clear how the window was shattered, but visitors have to go through the a gated courtyard to enter the office, and staffers suspect someone may have shot a pellet gun at the glass, he said.
Nothing was taken from the congresswoman's office, Karamargin said.
Staffers had stayed late at the office the night before because of the health care vote, but had left before the incident, he added. The office has never experience anything like it since Giffords' staff occupied the office in January 2007, Karamargin said, adding that staffers do believe the incident was linked to the health care vote in Washington.
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CNN/Opinion Research Poll – March 19-21 – Obama
TOPICS: Obama overall approval rating, Obama approval rating on economy, health care, Afghanistan, Iraq, terrorism, unemployment, deficit, environment, immigration, education
Bachmann introduces bill to repeal health care reform
Washington (CNN) – Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minnesota, has introduced a bill to repeal Democrats' health care reform legislation, her office announced Monday.
President Obama and Democrats in Congress "have ignored the will of the people and have chosen to ram through their trillion-dollar health care bill despite the American people's overwhelming objection to it," Bachmann said in a written statement.
Despite the long odds of repeal, several prominent Republicans - including former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and House Minority Whip Eric Cantor - have joined the chorus of those calling for the bill to be overturned.
Bachmann said "the American people won't ever forget the irresponsible actions of this Administration and Democratic Majority."
Soon after passage of the historic bill Sunday night in the House, Sen. Jim DeMint, R-South Carolina, also announced plans to seek to repeal the health care reform legislation.
Updated 6:49 p.m.: A spokesman for the Democratic National Committee has responded to Republican calls to repeal Democrats' health care reform legislation. “While Democrats have delivered reform that will make care more affordable and reliable, Republicans would allow insurance companies to continue to charge whatever they wanted for care and take it away when you got sick," DNC national press secretary Hari Sevugan said in a written statement. "Republicans may finally have a plan, but it quite literally is plan to go backwards, and that’s not one we can afford.”
Follow Martina Stewart on Twitter: @MMStewartCNN
Update: Senate panel OKs Wall Street reform
Washington (CNNMoney.com) - A key banking panel took only minutes Monday to approve a sweeping regulatory reform measure aimed at warding off future collapses in the financial system.
The Senate Banking Committee voted 13-10 in favor of the bill put forth by panel chairman Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., moving it to the full Senate just after Dodd gaveled the hearing to order at 5 p.m. ET.
Senate panel starts work on Wall Street reform
Washington (CNNMoney.com) - A key banking panel was scheduled to begin consideration Monday of a draft bill of sweeping regulatory changes aimed at warding off future collapses in the financial system.
The bill put forth by Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., would create a new consumer regulator housed inside the Federal Reserve to ensure consumers get a fair shake with mortgages and credit cards. It would also push banks and financial firms to strengthen capital cushions and create a new process for taking down giant failing companies and preventing future Wall Street bailouts.
The Senate banking panel was scheduled to start meeting at 5 p.m. ET Monday and could pass the bill along party lines as early as this evening. They may move quickly, because the 10 Republicans on the 23-member panel won't offer any changes and plan to oppose the bill, said a source familiar with the negotiations.
Republican lawmakers have told Democrats that they are willing to work with Democrats and hammer out a bipartisan bill before it goes to the floor in coming months, Congressional aides say.
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