3 reasons not to celebrate the shutdown deal
(CNN) - It took more than two weeks, but Congress finally reached a shutdown-ending, debt ceiling-raising deal that satisfies both sides of the aisle.
Or maybe it doesn't. Who can tell in this flurry of gamesmanship and posturing?
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Gov. Rick Scott meets with Florida protesters on 'stand your ground'
Tallahassee, Florida (CNN) - Florida Gov. Rick Scott said Thursday that while he mourns with the parents of Trayvon Martin after their son's death, he had no plans to amend his state's controversial "stand your ground" law.
"I put together a task force of 19 individuals, bipartisan. They traveled the state. They listened to ordinary citizens. They listened to experts, and they concluded that we didn't need to make a change in the law, and I agree with their conclusion," he said.
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Military chiefs oppose removing commanders from sexual assault probes
(CNN) - Calling sexual assault in the military "an enemy to morale and readiness," Sen. James Inhofe urged his colleagues on the Senate Armed Services committee to tread carefully in tackling the issue.
Inhofe, R-Oklahoma, said he is opposed to any legislation "removing commanders from their indispensable roles" in the military justice system and noted that military and civilian courts are different animals because members of the military do not enjoy the same rights as civilians.
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Obama offers salute to Korean War vets as Afghanistan war winds down
(CNN) - President Barack Obama gave a special salute Monday to Americans who lost their lives fighting in the Korean War, noting the upcoming 60th anniversary of the conflict's end, and asked Americans to remember the troops' work in Afghanistan as that war winds down.
"Last Memorial Day, I stood here and spoke about how, for the first time in nine years, Americans were no longer fighting and dying in Iraq. Today, a transition is under way in Afghanistan, and our troops are coming home," the president said after laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns. "This time next year, we will mark the final Memorial Day of our war in Afghanistan."
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Election season bluster: Threats to move to Canada, a Trump call for 'revolution!'
(CNN) - It happens every four years, usually right around September.
Calls come in from all over the United States from people threatening to flee their homeland if a candidate they despise wins the Oval Office.
FULL STORYMarion Barry's remarks on Asians' 'dirty shops' ignite criticism after primary win
(CNN) - Washington Councilman and former Mayor Marion Barry spent Thursday firmly defending, explaining and elaborating upon on a comment many feel was disparaging to Asians in his district.
The remark came Tuesday, following his victory in the primary to retain his Ward 8 council seat. During a speech about the dire need for economic improvements in his ward, the city's poorest, Barry said, “We've got to do something about these Asians coming in and opening up businesses and dirty shops."
FULL STORYSpeaker-in-waiting Boehner eager to see 'this institution function again'
(CNN) - It has to be one of the least attractive jobs in the world, given the economy and partisan vitriol, but Rep. John Boehner says he's ready to take the House helm even if he doesn't have all the answers.
Boehner, who with Tuesday's political sea change is poised to replace Rep. Nancy Pelosi as House speaker in January, will likely face a White House with veto power and a hostile Democratic Senate.
Experts: Angry rhetoric protected, but can be disturbing
Experts say that as anger heightens, fringe messages are crossing into the mainstream. (PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images)
(CNN) - Letting disgruntled citizens vent is important to national security, experts say, but some messages emanating from angry Americans in recent weeks have pressed the boundaries of free speech.
Politicians have reported slurs as well as threatening letters and phone calls. Congressmen have reported vandalism to their offices. One said he was spit on. Another said his brother's gas line was cut after a Tea Party member posted his address online.
Tea Party leaders denounce the threats and deny involvement, pointing to fringe elements - not Tea Party members, per se, but groups with degrees of overlapping ideologies.
But the angry rhetoric is not isolated to fringe groups. Both mainstream liberal and conservative camps have joined the chorus, and while some of the language sounds threatening, most of it is protected.
McCain still backing away from 'strong fundamentals' statement
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/09/16/art.mccainam.cnn.jpg caption="McCain appeared on CNN's American Morning Tuesday."](CNN) - Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain continued to back away from his assertion that the "the fundamentals of our economy are strong" during a CNN interview Tuesday.
Watch McCain on American Morning
On Monday, after taking heat from Sen. Barack Obama's campaign for his earlier statement, McCain adjusted his language to say the American worker was the strength of the economy.
Watch: McCain's economy comment hammered
On Tuesday, McCain said the U.S. economy will rebound with the help of the American worker, which he called "the fundamental strength" of the U.S. economy.
The problems with the American economy are the result of rampant government spending and poor government checks on corporations, McCain said.
"I'll restrain spending. That's the reason our economy is in trouble today," McCain said.
Biden blames Bush, McCain for 'god-awful economic mess'
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/09/16/art.bidenam.cnn.jpg caption="Biden appeared on CNN's American Morning Tuesday."](CNN) - Sen. Joe Biden, the Democratic vice presidential candidate, said Tuesday that "the middle class is dying" and Sen. Barack Obama's economic plan will reverse that trend by lowering their taxes and raising those of people making $250,000 or more.
Watch Biden on American Morning
"Create jobs, keep people in their homes and increase regulatory oversight of the very people John (McCain) has refused to regulate," Biden said, summing up Obama's plan for repairing the ailing economy.
Earlier: Biden hammers McCain over economy
"We're letting taxes expire for the very wealthy and giving the middle class a fighting chance," he said.
Asked if that amounted to income redistribution, Biden replied, "I don't care what you call it. The middle class is dying."
"The American worker's been left out in the cold," he said.
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