Boehner and other Republicans say the latest jobs report is an indication the stimulus plan has not worked.

(CNN) – Republicans are taking aim at their Democratic colleagues over the latest jobs report indicating unemployment has risen to 9.5 percent, calling it evidence the massive economic stimulus bill pushed by President Obama earlier this year has not worked.

"Today's employment report reminds us that spending, taxing, and borrowing with reckless abandon is no way to create more jobs, yet that is exactly what Democrats in charge of Washington have done all year long," House Minority Leader John Boehner said in a statement.  "Middle-class families and small businesses are hurting, and they're looking to Washington for real solutions that won't raise their taxes and drive future generations into even deeper debt."

The National Republican Congressional Committee also released a statement noting Obama administration officials once claimed the stimulus bill would contain the unemployment rate under 8 percent.

"Where are the stimulus-created jobs?" the NRCC asks.

Palin says she has the endurance to beat President Obama in a road race.

(CNN) – Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is confident Barack Obama can be beaten — in a long distance run.

The former Republican vice presidential candidate told Runner's World Magazine if it came down to a foot race between the two famous politicians, she'd likely come out on top.

"I betcha I'd have more endurance," Palin said in an interview published on the magazine's Web site Tuesday. "My one claim to fame in my own little internal running circle is a sub-four marathon. It wasn't necessarily a good running time, but it proves I have the endurance within me to at least gut it out and that is something.

"If you ever talk to my old coaches they'd tell you, too," she continued. "What I lacked in physical strength or skill I made up for in determination and endurance. So if [it] were a long race that required a lot of endurance I'd win."

The avid runner also revealed an accident she had only days before the vice presidential debate last fall, when she fell on a trail while jogging at Sen. John McCain's Arizona ranch.

"I was so stinkin' embarrassed that a golf cart full of Secret Service guys had to pull up beside me," she said of the fall. "My hands just got torn up and I was dripping blood. In the debate you could see a big fat ugly Band-Aid on my right hand."

Declaring "sweat is my sanity," Palin also said some of her worst days on the campaign trail were those when McCain staffers did not schedule time for her to run.

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(CNN) – Minnesota Sen.-elect Al Franken is set to have a busy first few weeks on the job.

The Democrat said Tuesday he's been told he will serve on the Judiciary Committee — the panel which will hear testimony from Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotmayor on her appointment to the high court.

Franken told reporters Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid also told him he will serve on the Senate Committee of Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and the Senate Special Committee on Aging.

(CNN) — Former Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman Tuesday officially conceded defeat in his 2008 reelection bid, hours after the state's high court paved the way for Democrat Al Franken's victory.

"I just had a conversation with Al Franken congratulating him on his victory," Coleman said in a press conference with reporters. "I told him it’s the best job he'll ever have representing Minnesota in the United States Senate.

"The Supreme Court has spoken, I will respect its decision, and abide by its results," Coleman also said.

Laura Bush is speaking out on the ongoing situation in Burma.

(CNN) – Former First Lady Laura Bush — who has kept a low profile since her husband's administration came to an end — is speaking out on a cause she championed while in the White House: the ongoing situation in Burma.

In a Washington Post op-ed set to be published in the paper's Sunday edition, Bush draws parallels between the events in Iran and Burma (Myanmar), and urges the United Nations to press the ruling regime there to end human rights abuses.

"In the past 21 months, the number of political prisoners incarcerated by the junta has doubled," Bush writes in the op-ed. "Within the past 10 days, two Burmese citizens were sentenced to 18 months in prison. Their offense: praying in a Buddhist pagoda for the release of the jailed opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. That is only the tip of the regime's brutality."

Suu Kyi, under house arrest for 13 of the past 19 years, had been expected to be freed by the military junta last month, until the new subversion charge was filed.  Suu Kyi is accused of violating her house arrest by offering temporary shelter to American John William Yettaw, who swam to her lakeside home on May 3. She said she doesn't know Yettaw, didn't know of his plans and didn't do anything wrong.

Related: Myanmar's Suu Kyi turns 64 in prison

Her supporters say the arrest is meant to keep her confined so she cannot participate in the general elections that the junta has scheduled for next year.  President Obama urged for her release last month.

In her op-ed, Bush also says the ruling regime has forced tens of thousands of child soldiers into its army, closed churches and mosques, and imprisoned comedians and bloggers who take aim at the government.

"With U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon planning to visit Burma this summer, it is crucial that he press the regime to take immediate steps to end human rights abuses, particularly in ethnic minority areas," writes Bush. "There have been 38 U.N. resolutions condemning these abuses, yet the horrors continue unabated. Under the junta's brutal rule, too many lives have been wasted, lives whose talents could have helped all of Burma prosper."

(CNN) — President Obama used his weekly radio and video address Saturday to praise an energy overhaul bill narrowly passed by the House of Representatives.

"Make no mistake: this is a jobs bill," Obama said in the address. "We’re already seeing why this is true in the clean energy investments we’re making through the Recovery Act."

Obama also said the legislation would wean America's dependence on foreign oil and cut down on pollution.

"This legislation will finally make clean energy the profitable kind of energy," he said. "That will lead to the creation of new businesses and entire new industries."

The bill, which passed 219-212 with little Republican support Friday evening, aims to reduce nationwide greenhouse gas emissions 17 percent by 2020 and 83 percent by 2050 through a so-called "cap-and-trade" program under which companies would buy and sell emissions credits.

In his own video address Saturday, House Minority leader John Boehner argued the bill would have the unintended consequence of devastating the country's battered industrial base while pushing polluting industries to countries with lower environmental standards.

Full text of Obama address after the jump

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Robert Gibbs said he talked to President Obama Friday morning about the death of Michael Jackson.

(CNN) — President Obama thinks Michael Jackson was a "spectacular performer" but also a man with aspects of his life that were "sad and tragic," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Friday.

"I talked to him about it this morning," Gibbs said in the White House's first reaction to Jackson's death. "Look, he said to me that obviously Michael Jackson was a spectacular performer, a music icon. I think everybody remembers hearing his songs, watching the moon walk on television during Motown's 25th anniversary."

"But the president also said, look, he had aspects of his life were sad and tragic," Gibbs added. "His condolences went out to the Jackson family and to fans who mourn his loss."

Gibbs was quickly pressed over why the White House did not issue a formal statement on Jackson's death.

"Because I just said it," he said.

Palin is upset with a blogger who doctored a photo of herself and son Trig.

(CNN) – A week after a high-profile uproar with comedian David Letterman over the late-night host's joke about her daughter, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is again sharply responding to the appearance of her children in the public sphere.

Palin's latest response comes after liberal Alaskan Blogger Linda Kellen Biegel doctored a photograph of the former Republican vice presidential candidate with her 1-year-old son Trig, who suffers from Down Syndrome.

Biegel, who blogs in support of the Alaska Democratic Party under the name "Celtic Diva," superimposed a picture of conservative Alaskan radio host Eddie Burke over Trig's face in an apparent effort to show how close the radio host is with the Alaskan governor.

"Recently we learned of a malicious desecration of a photo of the Governor and baby Trig that has become an iconic representation of a mother's love for a special needs child," Palin spokeswoman Meghan Stapelton said in a statement provided to CNN. "The mere idea of someone doctoring the photo of a special needs baby is appalling."

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A South Carolina paper is calling on Sanford to resign.

(CNN) — A day after Mark Sanford admitted to an extramarital affair, one South Carolina newspaper is calling on the state's governor to resign.

"Mark Sanford cannot navigate a deep and painful personal crisis and lead the state through its economic crisis at the same time," read an editorial printed in The Spartanburg Herald-Journal. "This kind of personal issue is consuming. It will be more than a distraction from his duties as governor, it will be a higher priority."

The editorial comes after Sanford admitted he was in Argentina for the past five days to see a woman with whom he had cheated on his wife. Sanford said he did not tell his staff, or his wife, where he was going.

"The Palmetto State needs an effective spokesman who can talk to potential employers and convince them of the benefits of doing business in South Carolina without having to answer questions about his personal life," the editorial states.

Sanford immediately resigned his post as chairman of the Republican Governors Association, but has not indicated any similar plans with regard to the governorship.

Cheney is writing a book.

(CNN) – Having made his rounds on the cable news circuit over the last few months, former vice president Dick Cheney is now headed to a book store near you.

Cheney has struck a deal with publishing house Simon & Schuster to write his memoirs covering a more than 40-year career in government, stretching all the way back to his roles in the Nixon and Ford administrations.

“It has been a tremendous privilege to serve during some of the most interesting and challenging times, as well as with some of the most fascinating people, in American history,” Cheney said in a statement provided to CNN. “I look forward to writing about these experiences for the first time.”

The book will be published by Simon & Schuster's Threshold Editions, where former Cheney aide and current CNN contributor Mary Matalin serves as editor-in-chief.

The deal — which media reports have suggested is worth in excess of $2 million — is the latest to be struck by Robert Barnett, the Washington lawyer who most recently negotiated a book deal for Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. Barnett has also negotiated multimillion dollar deals for the Clintons and President Obama.

Daughter Liz Cheney called her father a "student of history" and said he has already begun collecting his thoughts in longhand and on his laptop computer.

"He wants to make sure that his story is told, and told in a way that his grandchildren will be able to understand and appreciate even 20 or 30 years from now," Liz Cheney told the New York Times.

Cheney mostly avoided addressing the media while in office, but has since become a vocal critic of the Obama administration's national security policies. His book, set to hit stores in the spring of 2011, will come on the heels of President Bush's memoir. That book is slated for release in fall of 2010.

Other Bush administration officials currently working on books including top aide Karl Rove, former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, and former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

Giuliani hasn't decided on a run for governor.

(CNN) — Rudy Giuliani fueled speculation Wednesday he is considering a run for governor with a high-profile op-ed in the New York Times, but the former mayor told reporters he hasn't decided one way or another on a potential run just yet.

In a conference call Wednesday morning, Giuliani denied the op-ed — in which he proposes a series of measures to fix the state's gridlocked government — was meant to be a signal he is actively interested in running for governor in 2010.

"I know how to send signals, if I wanted to I would do it." Giuliani said. "I am not leaning [in either direction]."

In the op-ed, which Giuliani says is "not a partisan criticism," the former Republican presidential candidate calls for a statewide constitutional convention to institute a series of reforms, including changes in the budgeting process, term-limits for law makers, and campaign finance reform.

Two polls out this week show Giuliani would easily top current New York Gov. David Paterson in an election match-up, but would face a considerably more challenging bid against the state's attorney general, Andrew Cuomo.

Giuliani largely withheld criticizing Paterson directly Wednesday. "There is enough blame for all to share," he said.

Huckabee endorsed Rubio in a video message Tuesday.

(CNN) – Former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee officially endorsed Marco Rubio's Senate bid Tuesday, becoming the latest conservative to break with the national party over the GOP Senate primary race in Florida.

"I had a chance to get to know Marco over the years, spent a lot of time in Florida with him. And I've never seen a more energetic, articulate, principled conservative as Marco Rubio," Huckabee said in a video posted on his Web site.

"Marco loves liberty. He loves the idea that people can work hard and maybe get to keep something of what they worked hard for. That's the difference," he added.

Rubio faces Charlie Crist, the popular Florida governor, for the nomination. Crist immediately won the support of the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee as well as a string of GOP leaders in Congress.

Conservative activists and bloggers have expressed disappointment the party was so quick to write off Rubio, a charismatic 38-year-old of Cuban descent whose quick rise in state politics and conservative credentials have won admiration from many in the party.

Huckabee's endorsement — first leaked accidentally more than three weeks ago — comes a week after South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint also threw his support behind Rubio, declaring he was "convinced" the former Florida House Speaker could beat Crist.

Recent polls show Crist with more than a 30-point lead in the race, though primary voters won't head to the polls for more than a year.

Iranian women demonstrate Saturday in front of the White House.

(CNN) — As the aftermath of the Iranian election continues to unfold, a new national survey out Monday shows a slim majority of Americans approve of how President Obama is handling the situation there.

According to a new ABC News/Washington Post poll, 52 percent give the president high marks for his response to the crisis in Iran while 36 percent disapprove. The poll is the first survey to come out in the wake of the country's disputed election just over a week ago.

The president wins stronger marks when it comes to his handling of foreign affairs in general. There, 61 percent approve while 32 percent disapprove.

Top Republicans — including Arizona Sen. John McCain — have criticized Obama for appearing to refrain from direct criticism of the disputed election result and the treatment of protesters over the last week.

Obama has called such attacks 'unjust,' but has also said he does not want to appear as if he is "meddling in Iranian elections."

"The last thing that I want to do is to have the United States be a foil for those forces inside Iran who would love nothing better than to make this an argument about the United States," Obama told CBS in an airing Monday.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs Monday also defended the president's ongoing response to the situation in Iran.

"The president continued to watch the situation evolve in Iran and speak out forcefully on behalf of justice and to warn the government against the use of violence," Gibbs said.

Obama is also expected to address the situation at a press conference Tuesday.

The poll, conducted from June 18-21, surveyed 1,001 adult Americans and carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

President Obama has to decide about the World Cup, Gibbs said.

(CNN) — President Obama has plans meet with FIFA President Sepp Blatter, but has yet to decide if he will attend next year's World Cup in South Africa.

"I'm told for scheduling that the president has accepted a meeting with the head of FIFA World Cup but that we have not yet all together made plans," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Monday in response to an ESPN report that the president had already committed to attending the event.

But Gibbs, who noted he was a soccer player in college, joked that he and a handful of other staffers are urging the president to go.

"I can assure you a small group have assembled in order to move the president in that direction," he said.

Inhofe has said he will vote against Sotomayor.

(CNN) — As Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor continues to make the rounds on Capitol Hill, at least one senator is refusing to meet with her.

Sen. James Inhofe, the Oklahoma Republican who previously voted against Sotomayor's current post as a federal appeals court judge, told the Tulsa World Thursday it is a "foregone conclusion" that he would not support Obama's pick for the high court.

"If you voted against anyone on the circuit [court], I have never been able to see how you turn around when the bar is actually higher and support it at a higher level," Inhofe also said.

So when it came time for Sotomayor to meet with Inhofe to discuss her judicial philosophy, the Oklahoman declined.

"The reason is he already knows how he is going to vote and it's probably best not to take up her time, she's very busy," Inhofe communications director Jared Young told CNN.

Meanwhile, fellow Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn, also a Republican, met with Sotomayor Thursday, having what he described as a "philosophical discussion" with the high court nominee.

"It was more a philosophical discussion [about] life, problems in our country, difficulties we face," Coburn said.

Inhofe isn't the first Republican to explicitly proclaim his opposition to Sotomayor. Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts — who also voted against Sotomayor's nomination to the appeals court 11 years ago — said late last month he would again oppose her. A spokeswoman for Roberts did not know if the Kansas Republican has plans to meet with the nominee.

Sotomayor has met with more than 70 senators since Obama tapped her for the Supreme Court late last month.

(CNN) — MoveOn.org is targeting a Democratic senator Friday over her apparent opposition to the health care proposal President Obama has proposed.

In a radio ad airing in the New Orleans market, the liberal political action committee criticizes Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu for expressing opposition to legislation that would provide Americans with a choice of public health care.

"Why is Mary Landrieu opposing the president's plan to provide health care choices for all Americans, including the option to join a high quality public health insurance plan?" the ad's narrator says, noting the senator has received "$1.6 million in campaign contributions from the health care industry — the same industry that's now spending millions to stop the president's plan."

After initially signaling she would be in favor of a public option last year, Landrieu told reporters last week she was against any health care reform package that offered such a policy.

"I'm not open to a public option," she said. "However, I will remain open to a compromise, a full compromise. [A] public option is not something that I support. I don't think it's the right way to go."

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Steele is raising money to counter-program ABC.

(CNN) — National Republicans — miffed over ABC News' decision to broadcast a primetime special next featuring President Obama making the case for his healthcare proposal — are looking to raise $100,000 to hit the airwaves with their own health care reform proposal.

"ABC News will be promoting Obamacare at virtually every opportunity, from 'Good Morning America' to 'Nightline,' and reach from ABC News' Web sites all the way to the White House's East Room," Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele writes in an e-mail titled "URGENT" to supporters Thursday.

"Please help us raise the nearly $100,000 we need to buy air time to get the truth about the disastrous consequences of the Obama Democrats' government-run health care plans out to the American people," he adds.

The letter comes a day after the RNC sent a memo to GOP members of Congress urging them to take to the local airwaves next week to discuss the party's approach to health care reform.

The RNC told congressional offices Wednesday that it will pay for and help schedule the interviews with local television reporters in their states and districts.

Edwards isn't ruling out politics in the future.

(CNN) – In his first at-length interview in the year since he admitted to an extramarital affair, former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards says he's still not sure whether it was a mistake to run for the White House knowing his act of infidelity could be exposed.

"Did it make sense to run and stay in the race? Time will tell," Edwards told the Washington Post in an interview published on the paper's Web site Wednesday.

The former North Carolina senator credited his run with highlighting the issue of poverty and pushing his chief Democratic competitors — Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama — toward more progressive stances on a host of issues.

"If you were to ask people during the campaign who's talking most about [poverty], it was me," Edwards said in the interview. "There's a desperate need in the world for a voice of leadership on this issue… The president's got a lot to do, he's got a lot of people to be responsible for, so I'm not critical of him. But there does need to be an aggressive voice beside the president."

The comments come a month after his wife Elizabeth embarked on a high-profile book tour, during which she documented at length her anguishing reaction to Edwards' affair with a campaign staffer three years earlier.

Edwards — the 2004 vice presidential candidate and onetime frontrunner for an Obama cabinet post — also said he is not ruling out a future in politics.

"Sometimes you just keep your head down and work hard and see what happens," he said.