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Washington (CNN) - Several major labor unions are banding together to launch an ad campaign next week urging members of Congress to raise tax rates on the wealthiest Americans and to protect entitlement programs from major cuts as a solution to the looming fiscal cliff, a source with knowledge of the effort told CNN Friday.
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the Service Employees International Union and the National Education Association are banding together for this campaign, which will be launched next week. FULL POST
Washington (CNNMoney) - As Congressional leaders and President Obama met for talks about ways to avoid the fiscal cliff, party leaders redefined their hard lines on tax hikes for the wealthy.
Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, a key member of the House Democratic team, said Friday that President Obama's re-election leaves no doubt that Obama has a mandate to raise taxes on the rich.
(CNN) – Gov. Chris Christie became the latest Republican to distance himself from Mitt Romney Friday for saying President Barack Obama won last week's election by offering "gifts" to minority voters.
The New Jersey governor, who endorsed Romney early in the primary process and acted as one of the candidate's top surrogates, was more restrained in his criticism than some other Republicans, including Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, saying Romney was still smarting from a negative campaign that ended in an Election Day defeat. FULL POST
(CNN) – Cory Booker says he'll decide quickly on whether to make a bid next year for New Jersey governor.
But Newark’s Democratic mayor says his decision has been pushed back because of Hurricane Sandy, which slammed into the Northeast late last month, leaving many parts of the Garden State severely damaged. FULL POST
Washington (CNN) - Former CIA Director David Petraeus is expected to testify Friday before congressional lawmakers that he knew "almost immediately" the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, was the work of a loosely-formed militia with members sympathetic to al Qaeda.
Petraeus' testimony will be behind closed doors before Republican and Democratic members of the House and Senate intelligence committees looking into the September 11 attack that left four American dead, including U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens.
The CNN Washington Bureau’s morning speed read of the top stories making news from around the country and the world. Click on the headlines for more.
WASHINGTON/POLITICAL
CNN: Petraeus in the hot seat on the Hill: Former CIA director to testify about Benghazi attack Former CIA Director David Petraeus is expected to testify Friday before congressional lawmakers that he knew "almost immediately" the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, was the work of a loosely-formed militia with members sympathetic to al Qaeda. Petraeus' aim in testifying, according to an official with knowledge of the case, is to clear up "a lot of misrepresentations of what he told Congress initially."
CNN: Jindal says Romney 'gift' remark 'completely unhelpful' Gov. Bobby Jindal – the newly elected chair of the Republican Governors Association – reiterated Thursday his irritation at Mitt Romney's comments explaining his defeat in the presidential election. Romney was recorded telling donors on a conference call that President Barack Obama won votes by offering "gifts" to minorities and young voters. "This is not where the Republican Party needs to go,” Jindal told CNN. “If you want voters to like you, the first thing you've got to do is like them first."
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