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Washington (CNN) - Mortgage company executives and government officials faced an angry congressional committee Tuesday concerning some of the problems with the administration's mortgage aid program aimed at avoiding foreclosures. Many of the complaints lodged by members of the House Financial Services Committee focused on the slow pace of converting trial mortgage modifications into permanent ones under the program.

While over 680,000 borrowers now have temporary adjustments which last for several months, only a small fraction of those people have been offered new permanent mortgages.

"We are terribly frustrated," Committee Chairman Rep. Barney Frank (D-Massachusetts) told the hearing.

"Why can't we do so something...I am frustrated," Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Missouri) said.

In an attempt to dramatically raise the number of homeowners whose mortgages are permanently revised, the government last week announced new steps to pressure companies, including such steps as sending Treasury Department and Fannie Mae personnel to the largest 7 mortgage servicers to personally make sure applications are being processed efficiently; giving the companies specific targets and publishing more detailed information about the institutions' conversion rates.

"I think the banks have a long way to go to get up to their full potential," Assistant Treasury Secretary Herb Allison told the committee, adding the institutions recently made progress towards more conversions. "Lights need to be shine on each of these banks."
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Boston, Massachusetts (CNN) - If you look at his travel schedule crisscrossing the country, you might think Mitt Romney was still running for office.

Since February, he has attended nine events for senatorial candidates, appeared at more than a dozen rallies or fundraisers for those running for governor this year or next, and spoken at almost two dozen meetings of Republican Party groups or conservative organizations. And he has finished a new book.

"This is a pivotal time in the history of our country," Romney said recently at his political action committee's office.

As the Republican Party searches for ways to rebound from its recent losses and leaders who can be turned to, Romney clearly is trying to position himself to be one of them.

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FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA (CNN) – Fresh off the announcement that President Barack Obama will stump for him later this month, Virginia gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds stumped on Saturday throughout the key battleground area of Northern Virginia, in the Washington suburbs.

The suburbs around Washington are considered crucial to the outcome of the contest for governor, and a recent Washington Post poll showed Deeds trailing his Republican opponent Bob McDonnell in this area. Several statewide polls have also shown Deeds behind McDonnell in the race.

"Let me dispel any rumor of my demise," Deeds told an enthusiastic crowd of Hispanic and organized labor supporters at a Spanish restaurant.

Deeds on Saturday was stumping in areas populated by several key ethnic groups, accompanied by incumbent Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, who cannot run for re-election.

After weeks of guessing of whether and when the President would make a return visit to campaign for the Democratic nominee, Deeds' campaign was thrilled when it could announce on Friday a return visit for Oct. 27. The President had attended a fundraiser and rally in August. Obama was the first Democrat to carry Virginia in a presidential election since 1964.

"We registered...almost 600,000 new voters last year. We had 74% turnout, turnout for Barack Obama. I think it is a win-win," Deeds told CNN. Deeds has previously blamed the national economic picture for some of his campaign's problems and said he supports most of the president's policies.

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WASHINGTON (CNN) - After holding its fire for much of the year while being criticized by members of Congress and administration officials, the insurance industry is now going on the attack.The industry's trade group, America's Health Insurance Plans, has now hit the airwaves with a massive ad buy attacking the bill passed Tuesday by the Senate Finance Committee.

"Most people agree we need to reform health care but is it right to ask 10 million seniors on Medicare Advantage for more than their fair share. Congress has proposed more than $100 billion in cuts to Medicare Advantage," the ad states, referring to the private insurance plan offered by Medicare to some recipients.

The ad - which airing in Louisiana, Colorado, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico and Pennsylvania - does not mention specific legislators, but does ask viewers to "call your senators and tell them we need health care reform that protects seniors." The group will not say how much it is spending on the ad buy, but does say it is in the seven-figure range.

For its actions AHIP is drawing fire from critics since it had participated in talks for several months about how to achieve health care reform and had previously aired an ad supporting supporting the concept.

Earlier this week, the group released a controversial study it commissioned claiming the Senate Finance Committee bill would result in premium increases of up to $4,000 for a family. However, the study conducted by the consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers did not take into account some of the proposed subsidies that would be offered to low-income families to help them pay for insurance, and the firm has said such provisions would offset some of the impact it estimated.

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WASHINGTON (CNN) – Congressional hearings called by Wisconsin Sen. Russ Feingold - one of the leading Democratic critics of executive branch "czars" who do not require Senate confirmation - drew a dismissive shrug from the White House Tuesday.

"I would assume that Congress and Senator Feingold have more weighty topics to grapple with than - than something like this," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters. The White House did not send a witness to Tuesday's hearing.

The administration's absence drew criticism from Feingold, whose hearing examined the history and legality of the positions.

"I called this hearing today because I think this is a serious issue that deserves serious study," Feingold, chairman of the Senate Judiciary constitution subcommittee, said in his opening statement.

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WASHINGTON (CNN) - President Obama's address to Congress Wednesday was heavily salted with statistics.

"There are now more than 30 million American citizens who cannot get coverage. In just a two year period, one in every three Americans goes without health care coverage at some point. And every day, 14,000 Americans lose their coverage," he said.

It's not a new approach - the president's health care speeches are generally awash in figures - but the choice of figures may be significant.

"Even for folks who are weathering this economic storm, and have health care right now, all it takes is one stroke of bad luck - an accident or an illness, a divorce, a lost job - to become one of the nearly 46 million uninsured or the millions who have health care, but really can't afford what they've got," President Obama said March 5 as he kicked off the health care summit at the White House.

Yesterday, a new night brought a new number - one which may reflect a conscious shift in emphasis on the president's part.

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(CNN) – The special election to fill Massachusetts' vacant Senate seat will be held on either January 19 or January 26, the Massachusetts secretary of state confirms.

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick will make the final decision on the exact date.

If a primary is needed that would be held either December 8 if the earlier general election date is chosen or December 15 if the latter one is chosen.

Massachusetts law currently states the special election has to be held between 145 and 160 days after a seat is vacated. Galvin gave his proposal to the governor's office Thursday.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - As Alaska governor, Sarah Palin last year received a wide variety of unique gifts, according to a supplemental disclosure form submitted to the state government. They included a gun case embroidered with "Sarah" on it sent from Tennessee; a piece of glass elephant jewelry from a California woman, an embroidered cross-stitched blanket entitled "The Special Child" from a Texas woman; and a hand-painted plate with Palin's picture on from a stoneware studio in Kansas.

Palin is required to report all gifts she received by December 31, 2008 in a cumulative value exceeding $250 from a single source.

In the disclosure letter sent to the Alaska Public Offices Commission on Tuesday, her lawyer, Thomas Van Flein, says many gifts were deemed under that total. "Because it can be intrinsically difficult to place a monetary value on some gifts, particularly unique gifts that may be hand made, Governor Palin's disclosure errs on the side of disclosure, even if the value is unknown but could be greater than $250 but may in face be less."

A New Jersey woman sent 2 Army flags she personally made.

Also received by Palin: jewelry made from renewable materials, a piece of stained glass, a custom Bible hand bound in goatskin leather, more than two dozen books and some cds.

The gifts were either sent to her home, the Governor's mansion, her offices or her parents.

PERRY, Florida (CNN) – Acknowledging his amazement at the crowds gathered to debate health care at his town halls, Rep. Allen Boyd, D-Florida, faced three large gatherings on Monday with many questioners voicing skepticism about the proposals being debated in Washington.

"Never have I had this attendance ... that is a good thing," Boyd said as he started his third event of the day.

Boyd, in his seventh term, represents a conservative area in northern Florida. A fiscal conservative, he is part of the group of House Democrats known as the Blue Dogs.

At the first event of the day in Cross City, he held up a copy of the bill passed by the Energy and Commerce Committee and embraced by the congressional leadership.

"I cannot support this bill in the version it is in now," he said. "We can do better. We can make it better."

Related video: Blue Dog says no to bill

He emphasized to the skeptical crowds that he will work to reduce quickly-rising medical costs; that any bill must not add to the deficit; and that Blue Dogs like himself fought to delay consideration by the full House of Representatives to allow members to hear directly from constituents during the August recess.

When a questioner, Ray Evans, said he believed the President wants to do too much at once and asked whether Boyd would "be willing to scrap everything" and start over to do pursue reform more incrementally, the congressman responded: "I think that is an excellent idea ... we may end up there."

In a later interview with CNN, he said the idea had been been floated with the congressional leadership. He said that with the strong emotions and heated opposition he is seeing, the idea of doing health reform in a more piecemeal fashion is something he is strongly considering.

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WASHINGTON (CNN) - One of the nine U.S. Attorneys whose firings sparked a political uproar is getting a second chance at the job. After being pushed by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, for several months, President Obama is nominating Daniel Bogden to again hold the post of U.S. Attorney for Nevada.

"I am extremely honored that President Obama has nominated me," Bogden told CNN in an e-mail message. "I sincerely appreciate the opportunity this nomination presents for me to return to public service...so I can again pursue justice on behalf of the citizens of Nevada and the American people.

Bogden, one of 4 picks for U.S. attorney posts the White House announced Friday, said "I look forward to the challenge and great opportunity to again lead" the U.S. Attorney's Office.

"These fine men and women have demonstrated the extensive knowledge of the law and deep commitment to public service Americans deserve from their United States Attorneys," Obama said. "It is with the utmost confidence in their ability and integrity that I nominate them for the weighty task of pursuing justice on behalf of the American people."

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WASHINGTON (CNN) – Despite an earlier announcement from a California Republican women's group, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin will not be speaking to an event sponsored by the group scheduled for next weekend at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, a spokeswoman for her political action committee said Thursday night - the latest such high-profile incident of confusion over the governor's schedule over the past few months.

“As repeatedly stated to several in the media over the last week, former Governor Sarah Palin is not committed to attend the Simi Valley Republican Women’s event at the Reagan Library and in fact is not attending the event,” read a statement from Meghan Stapleton that was posted on Palin‘s Facebook site.

“Neither the Governor’s state staff nor SarahPAC has ever committed to attending this event or speaking at this event, and even requested that the Governor's name be removed from the invitation several weeks ago.”

Stapleton said Palin “has other work and commitments to take care of at that time” but did not elaborate.

Palin has been plugged as a headliner at several major events - including the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, and a major GOP fundraiser in Washington this spring - after organizers of the events believed they had received assurances from her representatives, only to learn that either the former governor's aides in Alaska or her staff at SarahPAC had been unaware of the commitment. That set of advisors would then announce publicly that Palin had never planned to attend the event.

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ANCHORAGE, Alaska (CNN) – If Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin thought her decision to step down might end ethics accusations against her, she quickly found out she was wrong.

Just days after her bombshell resignation announcement, a new ethics complaint was filed with state authorities arguing that she should not be able to claim per diem funds when she stays at her Wasilla, Alaska, home instead of Anchorage or Juneau, where she has offices. The complaint says she was charging the state when she stayed in Wasilla and commuted to her offices.

The governor's mansion is located in Juneau.

Palin claims she is the target of the "politics of personal destruction," as she and some staff members face 19 filings regarding allegations of ethical violations.

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(CNN) - A person close to Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin with knowledge of her thinking told CNN Monday that her decision to end her term early "is not part of a grand strategy" to run for president, and that he does not believe she will mount a White House bid - but conceded that, as far as he knows, she has not ruled out the prospect.

Her decision to step down sprang from personal considerations, he said. The combination of family duties and commuting posed a major challenge. "Her life is very difficult," he said. "She cannot spend time with her family."

Another strike against Palin continuing her government service: her mounting legal bills. "Life is not happy for her" right now, he said. Once she decided not to run for re-election, he believes it made perfect sense to step down as soon as possible. The move frees her to raise money for candidates, push causes she cares about, and have the freedom to travel as she pleases.

He's not aware of any single event that served as the immediate catalyst for Palin's decision, but adds that she was underpressure to make a decision whether or not she would seek another term as governor, so others in the state GOP could prepare for the race.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Liberty University's College Democrats again will be recognized by the school after the two sides reached a compromise, school and club officials say.

Controversy ensued last month after the school announced it was revoking official recognition for the chapter, citing moral beliefs held by its parent organization. Specifically, Liberty was upset with the national Democrats' views supporting abortion rights and same-sex marriage.

In an agreement announced Tuesday, whose terms begin with the fall semester, Liberty will classify all political clubs as "unofficial" - meaning they will not receive any funding from the institution, but can use its facilities. According to the university's new policy, posted on its Web site, such groups will be able to use Liberty's name "as long as they make it clear they are not being endorsed by the university."

The college Democrats were never going to be banned from the campus. Now the school will treat the College Democrats and Republicans in the same manner.

"We had no policy governing unofficial clubs before all of this controversy," Chancellor Jerry Falwell, Jr. said in a statement on the university's Web site. "The new policy will allow Liberty to protect its Christian mission and at the same time will allow the political clubs to achieve their objectives."

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WASHINGTON (CNN) - As state officials warn California is on the brink of bankruptcy, state legislators are meeting trying to come up with their own way of closing the $24.3 billion deficit. Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last month proposed billions of dollars in cuts in education, health care, prisons and social services. But Democratic lawmakers have not lined up in support of the governor's solution. They, along with a variety of interest groups, argue slashing key programs is wrong because too many citizens would be hurt. Instead they are pushing such possibilities as new taxes on tobacco and oil extraction, short-term borrowing and taking money from a rainy day fund - all ideas Schwarzenegger has said he won't support.

"The bottom line for Assembly Democrats is that we are committed to ensuring that the state's fiscal emergency isn't allowed to be misused to eliminate the safety net in California or to eviscerate our public education system. We are working closely with the Senate and the governor to resolve the budget deficit by the end of the month to avoid a potential cash crisis," Assembly Speaker Karen Bass said in a statement last week.

The state's controller has said California will be out of money to pay its bills by the end of next month, and the governor says this is the time for hard choices because the state must get its fiscal house in order.

"I've heard accusations that I tried to shut down state government. I don't have to shut down state government because when they don't produce a budget on time we will run out of cash and therefore our government will shut down by itself," Schwarzenegger said Friday.

AIDS activists, unions and providers of senior services all have hit the streets in recent weeks to mount protests against the governor's proposed funding cutbacks.

For example, on the chopping block is $6 million for Alzheimer's research and more than $4 million in funding for adult care centers for those with the disease as well as nearly $500 million from programs for senior citizens.
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WASHINGTON (CNN) - As Democrats on Capitol Hill prepare to unveil landmark bills to dramatically overhaul the nation's health care system, the White House and the Democratic National Committee are mounting increased efforts to rally public support around the idea.

On Saturday the DNC's advocacy arm, Organizing for America, is sponsoring thousands of meetings across the country in which it says tens of thousands of activists will discuss how to change the system, will hear a message from President Obama encouraging their activities, and will be recruited to engage in other activities that will be held throughout the summer's "campaign for healthcare reform."

In the message, the President says after decades of trying real reform is possible, in part because some groups who have never worked before are now joining together. “But the most important seat at the table belongs to you. To get this done, I need your voice to be part of the debate, and it needs to happen now,” he says, according to an excerpt of his remarks obtained by CNN.

In March, the group sponsored a canvassing effort and collected hundreds of thousands of pledges of support for the administration's budget bill. It's also mounted an effort to support the president's Supreme Court pick, Judge Sonia Sotomayor. This effort, though, will be the most sustained to date on a key agenda item for the president.

Activists on all sides are gearing up for a crucial few months. The first public outlines of a bill could be unveiled within the next week, and the Senate Finance and Health, Education and Labor panels are trying to pass measures by the end of the month. President Obama has asked both the House and Senate to act before the August recess.

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WASHINGTON (CNN) – The Justice Department is dropping charges against the New Black Panther Party for Self-Defense and two of its members who were allegedly involved in voter intimidation on Election Day at a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania polling station.

A Justice spokesman said the department decided to take this action after winning an injunction earlier this month against a third member, Samir Shabazz, that prevents him from ever brandishing a weapon outside a polling place again as he was charged with doing last November.

Shabazz was one of the three persons, along with the New Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, charged with voter intimidation last January in a lawsuit filed under the Voting Rights Act. Shabazz will not face any jail time or a fine.
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WASHINGTON (CNN) - Turning a federal judge - even one like Sonia Sotomayor, who has gone through Senate confirmation hearings before - into a Supreme Court nominee ready for prime time takes a lot of preparation, mock hearings and coaching.

The Bush White House brought in outside advisers to shepherd nominees John Roberts and Samuel Alito through the minefield of the U.S. Senate.

The Obama administration built a team from within to lead the effort to confirm Sotomayor, including a large role for Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, a veteran member of the Judiciary Committee and the senior senator from Sotomayor's home state.

Cynthia Hogan, chief counsel to Vice President Biden, will lead the White House team, with assistance from several other Biden aides. Former Obama campaign adviser and transition spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter will handle message and communications, two administration officials tell CNN.

The vice president, a veteran of Supreme Court nominations from his time on the Judiciary Committee, is also expected to play a key role, an administration official confirmed to CNN.

Sotomayor has already started reaching out to members of Congress, talking by telephone Wednesday with the Senate majority and minority leaders as well as the two ranking members of the Judiciary Committee, the White House says.

The first key test for her will come in the one-on-one meetings with the senators who sit on that panel, expected to get underway next week.

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