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(CNN) – The embattled community organizing group ACORN filed a federal lawsuit Thursday challenging a law passed by Congress that denies it federal funding.

Related: Liberal Dem blasts ACORN

The congressional appropriations resolution specifically provides that no federal dollars be provided to ACORN "or any of ACORN's affiliates, subsidiaries, or allied organizations."

In a release announcing the suit, an attorney for ACORN said Congress had overstepped its authority in singling out the organization for denial of federal funding.

"It's not the job of Congress to be the judge, jury, and executioner," Jules Lobel, an attorney with the Center for Constitutional Rights, said in the statement. "We have due process in this country, and our Constitution forbids lawmakers from singling out a person or group for punishment without a fair investigation and trial. Congress, as well as individuals and organizations must abide by the rule of law."

ACORN's lawsuit alleges that Congress' action is unconstitutional and seeks a court order prohibiting the federal government enforcing or complying with the congressional resolution.
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Washington (CNN) – President Obama has directed a review of all intelligence in the federal government's files relating to last week's shootings at Fort Hood, especially any intelligence relating to the alleged shooter Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, according to the presidential memorandum released by the White House Thursday.

Obama has also directed that an immediate review be done of how "any such intelligence was handled, shared, and acted upon within individual departments and agencies and what intelligence was shared with others," the presidential memorandum said.

In the memorandum, Obama also directs that the preliminary results of the review be provided by November 30.

The memo is addressed to the Secretary of Defense, the Director of National Intelligence, and the Director of the FBI. Obama asked for the inventory and review on November 6, the day after the Fort Hood shootings, but the president's memo was not released by the White House until Thursday.

Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan has been charged with 13 preliminary counts of premeditated murder stemming from last week's shooting at Fort Hood Army Post, an Army investigator said Thursday.

Washington (CNN) - CENTCOM Commander Gen. David Petraeus is once again shooting down any suggestions that he has aspirations to run for the White House in 2012.

In an exclusive interview on CNN Newsroom Wednesday, Kyra Phillips asked Petraeus whether the door might be open for a 2012 run.

"I'll close it right here, right now," Petraeus said. "I will remind you of the great country song that used to ask 'What about no don't you understand.'"

In an interview with Politico in September of this year, former GOP Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole said he would like to see Petraeus mount a White House bid.

(CNN) – In a letter released Wednesday, Jenny Sanford, the wife of embattled South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, said she and her family are persevering after a difficult year in which her husband admitted to an extramarital affair. And South Carolina's first lady endorsed Republican Nikki Haley's candidacy to be the state's next governor.

Haley, a South Carolina legislator and an ally of Gov. Sanford, is one of five Republicans who have formally announced bids to replace Jenny Sanford's husband.

In the letter to Haley's supporters, Sanford praised her husband's tenure as governor.

"I'm proud of the work Mark and his Administration have done over almost seven years now, trying very hard to move the ball forward on [growing the economy, improving public schools, and reforming government]."

Sanford also praises Haley as "principled, conservative, tough, and smart."

"So when I'm asked my wish for South Carolina's future, my wish is for a leader of state government like Nikki Haley," Sanford writes.

"And there's one other thing," Sanford writes before broaching the subject of her family's challenges in the last year.

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Washington (CNN) – Dede Scozzafava, the woman who has become the symbol of moderate Republicanism, is taking a shot at former Republican vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin, the woman who has become the darling of the Republican Party's conservative grassroots.

In a new interview, the state assemblywoman also lets loose on former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who chose to endorse Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman over Scozzafava, her party's official nominee, in the closely-watched race in New York's 23rd congressional district.

The Hoffman campaign and many of his supporters targeted Scozzafava on some of her more moderate views, particularly on social issues.

The growing conservative support for Hoffman, including the endorsements from Palin and other prominent conservatives, eventually led Scozzafava - who had been hand-picked by local party leaders - to drop out of the race just days before Election Day.

"How can Sarah Palin come out and endorse someone who can't answer some basic questions?" Scozzafava told the Washington Post. "Do these people even know who they are endorsing?"

In the interview, Scozzafava - who ended up backing the race's victor, Democrat Bill Owens - sounded a bitter note about how she was treated by members of her own party.

"It was organized," Scozzafava told the Post about the attacks against her by Palin, other prominent conservative figures, and conservative advocacy groups. "There is a lot of us who consider ourselves Republicans, of the Party of Lincoln. If they don't want us with them, we're going to work against them."

Washington (CNN) – As the American public and the global community await the completion of the Obama administration’s extensive review of U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan, Mikhail Gorbachev, the former president of the Soviet Union, said Sunday that, instead of sending more troops, Obama should begin to the lay the groundwork to withdraw from Afghanistan.

“I think that what’s needed is not additional forces,” the former Soviet leader said through a translator, “this is something that we discussed, too, years ago but we decided not to do it. And I think our experience deserves attention.”

WATCH: The entire Gorbachev interview

Instead of more troops, Gorbachev said the Soviets decided to emphasize domestic development in Afghanistan and promoting national reconciliation between the various clans in the country. In deciding how to proceed in Afghanistan, Gorbachev said the Soviet Union also consulted with other countries including the United States, Iran, Pakistan, and India.

Soviet troops occupied Afghanistan in 1979. They withdrew a decade later after facing stiff resistance from Afghan fighters, who were backed by the United States and Pakistan. The conflict killed 13,000 Soviet soldiers and more than a million Afghan civilians.

But the former world leader added that Afghanistan’s history as a staging ground for international terrorism could not be ignored.

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Washington (CNN) - Fresh off his win last week in Virginia's gubernatorial race, Republican Robert McDonnell wasted no time Sunday taking issue with health care reform, the Democrats' biggest domestic policy item of 2009.

Asked about the public health insurance option contained in the House health care reform bill passed late Saturday night, and about the different variations of the public option that could still be included in the final version of the Senate bill, Virginia's governor-elect said he was not keen on having his state involved in government-provided health insurance.

"[T]he public option does not seem to be something that is going to help us in Virginia," McDonnell said Sunday on CNN's State of the Union.

"However they structure it," McDonell also told CNN Chief National Correspondent John King, "if it gives flexibility to states, I think that's a good thing." He added that he was "very concerned about turning this signifcant section of the American economy over to the federal government."

McDonnell also stood by his campaign promise not to raise taxes in his state.

"I think that's the worst thing you do in a recession is to raise taxes on - on the citizens. We're going to have hundreds of billions of dollars in new taxes at the federal level with this health care bill. When the tax cuts [passed under former Pres. George W. Bush] expire in 2011, it's going to be a crushing increase in new taxes."

"People want a better bang for their buck out of their government," McDonnell also told King, "and [they] don't want to have a tax increase every time we have an economic downturn."

Updated: 1:28 p.m.

Washington (CNN) – The Army Chief of Staff hesitated Sunday to get into any details of the investigation into Thursday’s shootings at Fort Hood. At the same time, Gen. George Casey said he was ‘concerned’ that the incident could result in a potential backlash against Muslim soldiers.

Maj. Nadal Malik Hasan, a U.S.-born citizen of Palestinian descent, is the sole suspect in the shootings.

Appearing on CNN’s State of the Union, Casey told CNN Chief National Correspondent John King “there’s an ongoing investigation and I can’t speak to the particulars of the investigation or to any motivation of Maj. Hasan.”

Echoing recent comments by President Obama and Texas’ Republican senators, Casey cautioned against speculating about the causes behind the shootings.

“We have to be careful,” Casey told King, “because we can’t jump to conclusions now based on little snippets of information that have come out.”

Casey said he was “concerned that this increased speculation could cause a backlash against some of our Muslim soldiers” and added that he had asked leaders in his service to be on the lookout for signs of a backlash.

“As great a tragedy as this was, it would be a shame if our diversity became a casualty as well,” the Army Chief of Staff also said Sunday.

Casey was quick to add that he does not think there is currently discrimination against the roughly 3,000 Muslims who serve in the Army as active duty soldiers or in the reserves.

Updated: 11:41 a.m.

Washington (CNN) – The FRC Action PAC, the Family Research Council's political action committee, announced Thursday that it's endorsing former Florida state legislator Marco Rubio's 2010 Senate bid.

"Marco Rubio has been a true friend of the family and the culture of life as a state legislator in Florida," Tony Perkins, FRC Action president, said in a statement announcing the endorsement. "Rep. Rubio's many years of advocacy on behalf of pro-family causes will serve him well in the Senate. FRC Action PAC believes that Marco Rubio will be a true advocate for the issues that best uphold and strengthen families. We are proud to support his candidacy."

Rubio is set to face off against Florida Gov. Charlie Crist in Florida's GOP Senate primary. After conservative pressure forced moderate Republican Dede Scozzafava out of the race in New York's 23rd congressional district, many of the same activists - who have made similar complaints about Crist's candidacy - pledged to repeat the performance.
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Washington (CNN) - A representative for former President Bill Clinton is confirming a report that a scheduled event featuring Clinton and former President George W. Bush has been cancelled by the two ex-presidents.

Radio City Music Hall had announced that the two former presidents were set to share the legendary venue's stage on February 25.

But the New York Post reported on Wednesday afternoon that Bush and Clinton have cancelled the event because the promoter had "overhyped" the joint appearance.

In an e-mail to CNN, Clinton spokesman Matt McKenna confirmed the New York Post's report.

Earlier, McKenna had stressed that the New York event would not be a heated debate.

"Just a moderated conversation...no fireworks," he said.

Earlier: Bush, Clinton to appear at Radio City Music Hall

–CNN's Alexander Mooney and Kay Jones contributed to this report.

(CNN) – The Republican Party nominee in this week’s special congressional election in New York endorsed her Democratic opponent Sunday, one day after releasing supporters from their commitment to support her.

New York Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava said she was backing Democrat Bill Owens over Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman in the special election for ex-GOP Rep. John McHugh’s seat in this northern New York congressional district. McHugh resigned to become Secretary of the Army.

“Since announcing the suspension of my campaign, I have thought long and hard about what is best for the people of this District, and how to answer your questions,” she said in a statement obtained by CNN. “This is not a decision that I have made lightly.”

“In Bill Owens, I see a sense of duty and integrity that will guide him beyond political partisanship. He will be an independent voice devoted to doing what is right for New York. Bill understands this district and its people, and when he represents us in Congress he will put our interests first.”

“I am supporting Bill Owens for Congress and urge you to do the same.”

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Washington (CNN) – Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour had blunt words on CNN’s State of the Union about the conservative uprising that toppled a moderate Republican candidate in New York’s 23rd Congressional District.

“They should’ve had a primary,” the former Republican National Committee chairman said of the ill-fated decision by local party leaders in upstate New York to anoint Dede Scozzafava as the establishment choice in Tuesday’s special election.

Many conservatives disagreed that Scozzafava was the right fit for the conservative district and conservative Republican Doug Hoffman decided to mount a challenge to her as the candidate of New York’s Conservative Party.

With polls showing her lagging behind Hoffman and her Democratic opponent and without sufficient fundraising to defend against attacks coming from both ends of the political spectrum, Scozzafava made the surprise announcement Saturday that she was dropping out of the special election in the longtime Republican district.

Barbour described Scozzafava as having been “endorsed by six or seven people” in the local party leadership. And the Mississippi governor faulted the New York Republican Party chairman at the time for “letting a handful of people pick somebody who is not just a liberal Republican - she’s more liberal than many of the Democrats.

“But that’s not the issue,” Barbour continued, “The issue is that people didn’t get a choice and so they didn’t feel beholden to [Scozzafava].“They should’ve had a primary. They should have let Republicans choose who they wanted to have as their nominee instead of it being inside baseball, smoke-filled room – the kind of stuff that we’ve all tried to get rid of.”

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Washington (CNN) – Trying to explain successful efforts by conservatives to topple the Republican establishment’s pick to run in an upstate New York congressional special election, a leading Republican said Sunday that he thinks the country is in the midst of a “political rebellion” driven largely by people who have not previously been vocal in the political process.

“We’re in the middle, I think, of a political rebellion going on in America,” House Majority Leader John Boehner said on CNN’s State of the Union, ”And this rebellion is by people who really have not been actively involved in the political process and they don’t really care if you’re a Democrat or a Republican. They want to see people who are going to stand up and protect the future for our kids and grandkids.”

Boehner also told CNN Chief National Correspondent John King that Republicans will have “a difficult road to walk to work with relatively new entrants into the political system to show them, that by and large, we are the party that represents their interests.”

But Boehner also tried to downplay the significance of Saturday’s surprise announcement by moderate Republican Dede Scozzafava who decided to bow out of a hotly contested three-way race in New York’s 23rd Congressional District.

“This is a pretty unusual situation,” Boehner said of the decision by conservative Republican Doug Hoffman to run against Scozzafava on the Conservative Party ticket in Tuesday’s special election. “Clearly,” Boehner observed, [Scozzafava] would be on the left side of our party.”

Notwithstanding that GOP civil war that brewed in New York’s 23rd district until Scozzafava’s announcement Saturday, the leading House Republican said his party still casts a big, welcome tent to all those who would call themselves Republican.
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Washington (CNN) – With debate poised to begin in the House this week on Democrats’ nearly 2000-page health care reform bill, House Minority Leader John Boehner said Sunday that House Republicans intend to present their own health care bill.

“We are going to have a proposal,” the Ohio Republican said Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union, “And I would hope that the [House] Speaker [Nancy Pelosi] will allow us to have a debate and a vote on our proposal.”

Boehner added that this party intends to take eight or nine different ideas for health care reform currently available on www.healthcare.gop.gov and craft them into a single bill that Republicans will propose an alternative to the Democratic bill unveiled last Thursday.

Boehner also laid out for CNN Chief National Correspondent John King some of the key attributes of the GOP plan. “We do not increase taxes, we do not cut Medicare and Medicaid and we do not have mandates on individuals or businesses.”

Boehner also had a number of criticisms of the Democratic bill debuted late last week.

“This not affordable,” Boehner said as he patted a copy of the Democratic health care bill, “What this is going to do is bankrupt America. It’s going to cost millions of Americans their jobs and cut benefits for seniors. This is not what the American people want. They want a more gradual approach to fixing our current system.”

Related: House Democrats unveil $894 billion health care bill

Washington (CNN) - A new BlackBerry application released Thursday by the office of House Minority Whip Eric Cantor is the latest technology upgrade for Republicans.

The new "WhipCast" application is "designed to directly communicate with users in real-time," Cantor's office said in an e-mail.

"Today's launch of the WhipCast BlackBerry app is the latest demonstration of our commitment to modernize the way we communicate with Americans from coast-to-coast," Cantor said in an accompanying statement.

The new application - which was tested by Cantor's new media team before its public rollout - will deliver text, audio, image and video updates to users, according to Cantor's office. "WhipCast" also gives users access to Republican talking points, policy discussions, polling information, and floor schedule updates.
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WASHINGTON (CNN) – Florida Democrat Rep. Alan Grayson issued a written apology Tuesday evening for a comment for a month-old comment that has stirred controversy on Capitol Hill in recent days.

During a September radio interview, Grayson called Linda Robertson, an aide to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke who has also worked as a lobbyist, a "K Street whore."

In a statement issued Tuesday evening, Grayson said his comment was inappropriate.

"I offer my sincere apology," Grayson said in the statement, "I did not intend to use a term that is often, and correctly, seen as disrespectful of women.

"This characterization of Ms. Robertson, made during a radio interview last month in the context of the debate over whether the Federal Reserve should be independently audited, was inappropriate, and I apologize."

Just hours earlier, a spokesman for Grayson had defended the comment in a statement to CNN.
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