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Tea Party activists hit the Hill, arrested outside Pelosi's office.

Washington (CNN) - GOP leaders and thousands of Tea Party movement protesters gathered on Capitol Hill Thursday to call House Democrats' health care reform bill a full-blown government takeover of the nation' health care system.

"My colleagues and I last week were wracking our brains trying to figure out what could we do, because quite simply Republicans don't have the votes to kill this bill," Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota told the crowd. "Every lever of power is controlled by one party now in DC. We tried to figure out what we could do. We knew that we were limited. But what we knew was unlimited was the voice of persuasion of the American people, and that's why you are here today with your voice of persuasion.

"....Let me assure you your efforts to stop this bill are being heard loud and clear. And I will guarantee you that we are committed to making sure that not one Republican will vote for this bill."

Actor John Ratzenberger, known partly for his role as Cliff Clavin in the 1980s sitcom "Cheers," slammed the Democratic bill as a form of socialism.

"These are Woodstock Democrats," he said at the rally. "We have to remember where their philosophy comes from. It doesn't come from America. It comes from overseas. It comes from socialism. And socialism is a philosophy of failure."

Police later arrested 12 protesters outside Pelosi's office for unlawful entry or disorderly conduct, according to Capitol Hill police spokeswoman Sgt. Kimberly Schneider.
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Tea Party activists hit the Hill, arrested outside Pelosi's office.

Washington (CNN) - GOP leaders and thousands of Tea Party movement protesters gathered on Capitol Hill Thursday to call House Democrats' health care reform bill a full-blown government takeover of the nation' health care system.

"My colleagues and I last week were wracking our brains trying to figure out what could we do, because quite simply Republicans don't have the votes to kill this bill," Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota told the crowd. "Every lever of power is controlled by one party now in DC. We tried to figure out what we could do. We knew that we were limited. But what we knew was unlimited was the voice of persuasion of the American people, and that's why you are here today with your voice of persuasion.

"....Let me assure you your efforts to stop this bill are being heard loud and clear. And I will guarantee you that we are committed to making sure that not one Republican will vote for this bill."

Actor John Ratzenberger, known partly for his role as Cliff Clavin in the 1980s sitcom "Cheers," slammed the Democratic bill as a form of socialism.

"These are Woodstock Democrats," he said at the rally. "We have to remember where their philosophy comes from. It doesn't come from America. It comes from overseas. It comes from socialism. And socialism is a philosophy of failure."

Police later arrested 12 protesters outside Pelosi's office for unlawful entry or disorderly conduct, according to Capitol Hill police spokeswoman Sgt. Kimberly Schneider.
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Sen. Max Baucus says he likes the idea of a public option, but he doesn't think he can get the votes with it.

(CNN) - As lawmakers huddled this summer to put together the framework for health care legislation, it quickly became evident that the battle over President Obama's top priority would be neither quick nor easy.

After months of debate and missed deadlines, the public option has emerged as the main sticking point.

From the beginning, some Democrats said they wouldn't pass a bill without a government-sponsored, public option, while other Democrats and most Republicans said they'd say no to any plan that included one.

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(Photo credit: Peter Hamby/CNN)

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar is joined by a cow named Maggie during a press conference on Capitol Hill on Tuesday.

Posing with the cow, Klobuchar and five other Democratic Senators called for more federal support for dairy farmers.

(CNN) – Six high school-aged Senate pages are sick with flu symptoms that could be the H1N1 swine flu, but doctors are "not overly concerned" about an outbreak of the virus on Capitol Hill, Senate Sgt. at Arms Terry Gainer told CNN Wednesday.

Two of the pages have recovered to the point that they are expected back to work Thursday, Gainer said.

Five of the pages received treatment in their rooms at the page dorm on Capitol Hill. One intern, who lives locally, was treated at home.

None was hospitalized.

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A suspicious package discovered Monday in the entrance of the Capitol Visitor Center.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - A suspicious package discovered Monday in the entrance of the Capitol Visitor Center caused authorities to evacuate the facility and destroy the package.

The rest of the Capitol Building complex and congressional offices were unaffected by the security scare, according to CNN journalists on the scene. More than 10 emergency vehicles, including two designed for handling hazardous materials, converged on the area.

At one point, a Capitol Police advisory sent by e-mail to House staff members alerted them to an emergency situation.

"The U.S. Capitol Police is in the process of disrupting the suspicious package located at the CVC entrance," said the e-mail obtained by CNN. "You may hear a loud bang or pop. There is no need for you to take any additional
action."

A few minutes later, security personnel destroyed the package with a loud single bang that startled onlookers gathered outside the visitors' center, which opened last December. No injuries were reported in the incident that jammed pedestrian and vehicle traffic in the immediate vicinity.

Concerns over recent Taliban gains in Pakistan and Afghanistan are taking center stage on Capitol Hill.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Concerns over recent Taliban gains in Pakistan and Afghanistan are taking center stage on Capitol Hill Tuesday as President Obama's point man for the region testifies before a key House committee.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Afghan President Hamid Karzai will also be visiting key congressional leaders and policymakers in advance of meetings with Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton later this week.

The visits are part of a series of tri-lateral meetings aimed at coordinating strategy in the region.

Obama's special representative to the region, veteran diplomat Richard Holbrooke, is expected tell members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee that increased military and civilian aid is urgently needed in Pakistan.

Obama said last week that Pakistan's government appears "very fragile" and noted that it doesn't "seem to have the capacity to deliver basic services." The president argued that the United States has "huge national
security interests in making sure that Pakistan is stable" and doesn't end up a "nuclear-armed militant state."

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WASHINGTON (CNN) – It's not your imagination - things are getting a bit wilder in Washington.

Weeks after the National Park Service caught a raccoon who'd been stalking White House grounds, Capitol Police nabbed another furry fugitive Monday: a possibly rabid possum spotted near the Rayburn House Office Building.

As the possum took refuge in a nearby tree, officers isolated the area and called for animal control officials. Animal control caged and removed the animal from the scene so its condition could be determined.

Police found five guns and a sword in a car during a traffic stop near the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Police found five guns and a sword in a car during a traffic stop near the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday.

Capitol Hill officers became suspicious as they questioned a man driving a white Pontiac, a spokeswoman said. The officers, based on their conversation, grew concerned about the possibility that he had hazardous materials in his car, she said.

The driver, who was alone at the time, was taken into custody and a hazardous materials team was dispatched to the scene. While no such materials were found, the team discovered the firearms and the sword, Sgt. Kimberly Schneider noted.

Charges were pending Tuesday evening, she added.

A Pennsylvania Congressman is concerned about souvenirs intended for sale in the Capitol Hill Visitors Center that are imported from China.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Washington souvenirs worth $100,000 - including images of the Capitol dome and printings of the U.S. Constitution - are locked in storage, blocked from sale in the new U.S. Capitol Visitors Center because the items are made in China.

Rep. Bob Brady, D-Pennsylvania, chairman of the House Administration Committee, told CNN Radio that he warned operators of the visitors center not
to purchase merchandise made outside the United States, but they did it anyway.

Although the center has the goods in hand, Brady said, "I'm not allowing them to sell those products."

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CNN=Politics Daily is The Best Political Podcast from The Best Political Team.

(CNN) – They call him “Rahmbo.” In the latest installment of CNN=Politics Daily, Rahm Emanuel is known for his tough tactics as a power on Capitol Hill, but sources close to him say there is more to the man than meets the eye. CNN’s Alina Cho takes a closer look at the pit bull politician, Barack Obama’s new chief of staff.

Plus: Barack Obama promised healthcare reform before the economy crumbled. Can the president-elect still keep his word? CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta has the latest “Memo to the President.”

Also: Hillary Clinton, Bill Richardson, Joe Biden - it seems that those who ran against the president-elect get a place in his cabinet. CNN’s Frank Sesno takes a look at Obama’s team of rivals.

Finally: Congress may be in love with its new half-billion dollar Capitol Hill visitor’s center, but there is no love for the lawmakers. CNN’s Jim Acosta reports.

Click here to subscribe to CNN=Politics Daily.

Old bills may get new life on Capitol Hill now that Democrats have increased their congressional muscle and taken control of the White House.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - Spend tens if not hundreds of billions to boost the economy. Pass a law giving homeowners more leverage over lenders. Do more to address the growing ranks of unemployed workers.

There's a new day for economic policy in Washington.

The Democrats not only took back the White House - they gained a stronger hand in both chambers of Congress. As a result, in the 10 weeks before President-elect Barack Obama takes office and the months that follow, legislative leaders will likely revive a series of measures that failed to gain traction in the past year.

At the top of the agenda: stimulating the flagging economy.

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Key Republicans blasted the Treasury Department Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Key Republicans on Capitol Hill Wednesday blasted the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve for orchestrating an $85 billion bailout of insurance giant American International Group.

The criticism came a day after lawmakers were surprised by the news that taxpayers would again be called on to shore up a member of the struggling financial sector.

"Once again the Fed has put the taxpayers on the hook for billions of dollars to bail out an institution that put greed ahead of responsibility and used their good name to take risky bets that did not pay off," said Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Kentucky, a member of the banking committee.

A spokesman for Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama, the top Republican on the banking committee, said the senator "profoundly disagrees with the decision to use taxpayer dollars to bail out a private company" and is upset the government has sent an inconsistent message to the markets by bailing out AIG after it just refused to save investment bank Lehman Brothers from bankruptcy.

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Washington is debating the effects of oil speculation.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - It's the $64,000 question on Capitol Hill this week: what is responsible for the record escalation on oil prices?

Speculators have taken much of the blame. But on Wednesday, one of the nation's leading energy analysts said that it's more complicated than that and the cause is multi-faceted.

"In such circumstances as these, there is a tendency to seek a single explanation," said Daniel Yergin, in testimony before the Joint Economic Committee. "History, however, demonstrates that changes of this scale and significance result not from a single cause, but rather from a confluence of factors.

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(CNN) - Indiana voters elected the second Muslim congressman in U.S. history Tuesday.

Andre Carson, the grandson of the late U.S. Rep. Julia Carson and a Muslim convert, was elected in a special election, with 54 percent of the popular vote to Republican opponent Jon Elrod's 44 percent.

Julia Carson represented Indiana's 7th district for 10 years. Her grandson, a member of the Indianapolis City Council since August, will serve out the remainder of her term. In a primary in May, he will seek to be the Democratic nominee for a full two-year term.

In Carson's victory speech Tuesday, he said one of his biggest concerns was bringing U.S. troops home from Iraq.

The first and only other Muslim member of the U.S. Congress is first-term Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison.

–CNN's Emily Sherman

Watch Dana Bash's report about a new $1 trillion tax bill proposed by Congressional Democrats.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – A leading Democrat calls it a matter of fairness and equity while a leading Republican calls it a political "gift." Watch Dana Bash's report about a new tax bill that is likely to cause a fight on Capitol Hill.

Related video: Watch Rep. Charlie Rangel discuss the tax bill on American Morning

Related: CNNMoney.com: Giant tax overhaul bill unveiled

Click here to see CNN's new political portal: CNNPolitics.com

Protesters block the entrance to the Cannon House Office Building on Monday.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Police on Monday arrested dozens of protesters who blocked the doors and streets outside congressional buildings near the U.S. Capitol.Nearly 60 were arrested on various charges, including unlawful assembly, said Sgt. Kimberly Schneider, spokeswoman for the U.S. Capitol police.

Police handcuffed a female protester dressed in a black pullover emblazoned with "Blackwater" and the U.S. security contractor's paw print symbol.

– CNN Producer Paul Courson

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