Steele admits stumbles, announces re-election bid
Washington (CNN) - Michael Steele broke a weeks-long silence Monday night and announced that he will seek a second term as chairman of the Republican National Committee.
Steele revealed his intentions in a lengthy private conference call with RNC members, several of whom relayed the news to CNN.
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Richard Holbrooke, noted diplomat, passes away
WASHINGTON (CNN) - Richard C. Holbrooke, the high-octane diplomat who spearheaded the end of the Bosnian war and most recently served as the Obama administration's point man in the volatile Afghan-Pakistani war zone, has died, officials said.
The 69-year-old diplomat died Monday at George Washington University Hospital. He was admitted last Friday after feeling ill. Doctors performed surgery Saturday to repair a tear in his aorta.
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Tax deal clears key Senate hurdle
WASHINGTON (CNN) - The hotly contested tax deal negotiated by President Barack Obama and Republican leaders cleared a key Senate procedural hurdle Monday, with both parties strongly supporting a motion to end debate on the measure.
Final Senate approval could come as early as Tuesday on the package that includes extending for two years the Bush-era tax cuts set to expire December 31, as well as extending unemployment benefits for 13 months, cutting the payroll tax by 2 percentage points for a year and continuing a series of other tax breaks.
Reagan receives centennial stamp
Washington (CNN) - Former President Ronald Reagan was remembered Monday with a unique birthday gift: his own postage stamp. Reagan's 100th birthday is coming up on February 6th, 2011.
The price of a President Reagan stamp has gone up over the years. The first stamp dedicated to the late president was issued at 37 cents. The new stamp will cost 44 cents, and is expected to become a forever stamp.
The stamp was revealed during a ceremony at the Reagan Library in California that was attended by former first lady Nancy Reagan. James C. Miller, a former member of Reagan's cabinet and current member of the Board of Governors of the U.S. Postal Service, also made remarks.
"With President Reagan, what you saw was what you got: humble, honest, and trustworthy," Miller said. He remembered Reagan as someone who "had extraordinary trust in the goodness and good sense of the American people" and pledged to do everything he can to make Reagan's centennial stamp a forever stamp.
The new stamp, a third dedicated to Reagan, will go on sale in February of 2011.
American Sauce: What else is in the MegaTaxDeal?
(CNN) - The U.S. Senate voted Monday to move forward with a tax deal that would extend Bush-era tax cuts. If it becomes law, it would cost more than:
· The Iraq and Afghanistan Wars from 2001-2008 ($752 Billion according to CBO)
· The stimulus bill ($787 Billion over ten years, from CBO)
· The entire domestic output of South Korea last year ($832 Billion says the World Bank)
The Congressional megadeal on taxes and unemployment is slated to add some $857 Billion to the US debt. Of course, it also keeps billions in Americans' pockets. In this week's American Sauce, we lay out what is in the relatively short bill that feels like a Russian novel. We also tackle Congress' procrastination list and an issue almost ignored: rising gas prices. Click here to listen.
Keep reading for a look at what else is in this tax deal, by size.
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Tax deal has enough votes to move forward in Senate
Washington (CNN)–A tax and benefits package negotiated by President Barack Obama and Republicans received enough votes Monday to clear a key procedural hurdle in the Senate, according to an unofficial CNN count. No official final tally has been declared in order to allow voting to continue for senators delayed by inclement weather.
Congress and Obama likely to delay start of their holiday breaks
Washington (CNN) - President Barack Obama will remain in Washington for as long as Congress stays in session, and that likely means later than the scheduled start of his Christmas break, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Monday.
Saturday is supposed to be the start of the Senate's Christmas recess and the day Obama and the first family head for Hawaii.
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Former Steele adviser to enter RNC race
Washington (CNN) - Gentry Collins, the Republican National Committee's ex-political director, will enter the race to replace Chairman Michael Steele on Monday, sources close to Collins told CNN.
Collins, a veteran political operative, resigned his RNC post last month with a blistering letter to Steele which accused the controversial chairman of poor financial oversight that may have cost the GOP several House seats in the midterm elections.
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Obama to hit airwaves across the country
Washington (CNN) – As the Senate takes up the compromise he reached with Republicans to extend the Bush era tax cuts on Monday, President Obama will sit down for interviews with four local television stations from across the country to press for quick passage in Congress.
Obama will be interviewed by reporters from stations in Columbus, Ohio, Denver, Des Moines, and Tampa/St. Petersburg.
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Angle eyes Tea Party prospects for 2012
(CNN) - Former Nevada Republican Senate candidate Sharron Angle on Monday announced plans to form a new political action committee (PAC) called "The Patriot Caucus."
Angle, a Tea Party- backed candidate who lost to Democrat and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in the 2010 election, said in a statement posted on her Facebook page, "The tea party movement stood with me through a hard fought race against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid."
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