WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Satirical TV anchorman Stephen Colbert may not have a dog in this fight, but his name alone may have helped a Pomeranian-Chihuahua mix puppy beat a 6-year-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel. Stephen Colbert el dos rips the prize away from Mozart in the weekly competition. In the online doggie beauty pageant, the canine Steven Colbert el dos won the latest weekly semifinal, which enables him to compete for a $1 million grand prize. Colbert el dos from Georgia beat Mozart, or MoMo as he's known to his family and friends in New Orleans, Louisiana, to win cutest dog of the week. "While it certainly would have been a lot of fun for MoMo to win this past week, we're excited for Stephen Colbert el dos and his owners. What a fun and entertaining ride it's been so far." said  piano teacher Cara McCool, MoMo's owner. "We're just happy for the attention this has brought to our charities as well as others supported by so many cute dogs in this competition," McCool said. Her charities included:  Redeemer Presbyterian Disaster Relief, Desire Street Ministries, Louisiana Teachers Save Our Students fund, Cavalier Rescue USA, Musical Arts Society of New Orleans, the Louisiana SPCA, and Teach for America. Colbert el dos' winnings are pledged to attract a stork to his owners' house. The owners, Bryan and his wife, Allyson, are newlyweds and are hoping to use the prize money for in vitro fertilization treatments to start a family. Colbert el dos' owners asked not to have their last names published to protect their privacy. There is some controversy over the weekly contest results. When the polls closed on Saturday at midnight Pacific time, Mozart was up by 131 votes. But on Monday the competition posted a message on its blog saying Mozart's fans had cheated. "Mozart obviously worked very hard to receive over 4,500 valid votes in Week 8, but it's unfortunate that the judges had to remove 428 votes due to excessive voter accounts."  The Cutest Dog Competition Web site, run by the All American Pet Brands, also said, "there is no evidence that Mozart's owner had any part in the creation of these fraudulent accounts. Colbert's votes showed no signs of cheating." More than 60,000 people have uploaded photos of their adorable dogs to the contest's Web site. Voters have to register an e-mail account with the competition. The rules state only one vote per e-mail address per day. "The fraudulent accounts, with e-mail addresses only one number apart, were all created on the same days, from the same computers, and all votes cast from these 70-plus accounts were received within one minute of each other from the same computers (which generally means the owner of these accounts simply logged off and logged back onto another account to vote again)," according to the competition Web site. Bryan said he was shocked when he found out on Monday his dog had won. "On Saturday night, I went to bed and we were down 150 votes," he said. "I know they announced the winners on the blog and I saw winner for Week 8 and I was expecting to see Mozart and I saw Stephen Colbert el dos and I just couldn't believe it." He said it was a great day for the 7-month-old puppy and his owners. Their four-legged family includes three other dogs, all rescues, but they bought Colbert el dos from Puppies Galore in Lawrenceville, Georgia. When they met him, he was 2 months old, barely weighed a pound and would not eat. The manager of the store said the puppy was regressing after he was separated from his siblings. Now Stephen Colbert el dos is eating well and, "He's as hyper as any puppy you'll see," Bryan said. Last week, they entered the competition and said they only told a few friends and family members. They posted a note on a Stephen Colbert fan site and support

who beat mozart in dog beauty pageant
What happened to Mozart?
What are the voting rules?
What breed of dog is Mozart?
What is Mozarts age?
Who won the dog beauty pageant?
What does the website say?

Answer: Stephen Colbert

Answer: Stephen Colbert el dos rips the prize away from

Answer: state only one vote per e-mail address per day.

Answer: Cavalier King Charles spaniel.

Answer: 7-month-old puppy

Answer: Steven Colbert el dos

Answer: "Mozart obviously worked very hard to receive over 4,500 valid votes in Week 8, but it's unfortunate that the judges had to remove 428 votes due to excessive voter accounts."

Summary:
"Stephen Colbert el dos" beats Mozart in dog beauty pageant .
Contest Web site says Mozart fans violated the voting rules .
Mozart, a 6-year-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel, had been winning .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice invited the woman set to replace her as the nation's top diplomat, Sen. Hillary Clinton, to dinner Monday night, a State Department spokesman said.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, left, and Sen. Hillary Clinton dined together Monday night.

The dinner took place at Rice's home in the Watergate complex in downtown Washington, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. The meeting lasted for two hours, he said.

"They talked just very generally about policy -- the challenges, the opportunities -- talked a little bit about the job of secretary of state, talked about the 'building,' managing a big operation," McCormack said.

The two dined after Clinton met with members of President-elect Barack Obama's State Department transition team on Monday.

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said Tuesday that important information often is exchanged during such dinners between outgoing and incoming secretaries of state.

Albright, who was former President Bill Clinton's top diplomat during his second term, said she had a similar dinner with Colin Powell, President Bush's first secretary of state, in 2001.  Watch Albright give her advice to Obama Â»

"I'm sure they had a social part of it, but Secretary Rice told her what the major challenges are, how the department works -- we call it 'the building' -- and, generally, I think they are very nice times," Albright said.

"It's just a matter of really turning over the most important job in the world on foreign policy," she added.

Albright said Clinton will have to get up to speed on a number of issues, including the status of negotiations the U.S. is engaged in, who will be part of her team and how she will work with other members of Obama's national security team.

"I know from talking to her that she has a great sense of excitement and desire to ... reintroduce America to the rest of the world," said Albright, who said she thought that Clinton would be "a very great secretary of state."

Earlier, Rice said she was looking forward to meeting her successor and said she believes Clinton will do "a great job."

"I talked with her and we're going to sit down, and I'm really looking forward to it. I've known her a long time, and she is someone that I admire," Rice told CNN on Sunday.

Despite being from different parties -- and Clinton's tough criticism of Bush's foreign policy while she was a Democratic presidential candidate -- Rice has been effusive in her praise of the former first lady.

"President-elect Obama has made his choice, and he's made a terrific choice. Hillary Clinton is somebody of intelligence, and she'll do a great job," Rice told ABC News on Sunday.

"She also has what's most important to being secretary of state, and that is that you love this country, and you represent it from a basis of faith in its values. And I know that she will do that," Rice added.

Obama's decision to tap Clinton as his top diplomat already has brought about changes. On Tuesday, former President Clinton released the corporate sponsors of a Clinton Global Initiative meeting in Hong Kong, a practice he previously has resisted.

The sponsors of last week's meeting included CLSA, Laureate, the Roberson Foundation, Citi, the Li Ka Shing Foundation, The Economist, HP, Ogilvy, Suzlon, Thomson Reuters and CNN.

The former president agreed to make it a regular practice to disclose the sponsors of his global initiative as part of a deal with the Obama transition team to allow the nomination of his wife to go forward.

He also has agreed to allow State Department officials to review his speeches and other personal activities.

Where did the Dinner between the Secretary of State and Sen. Hillary Clinton take place?

In what city did Bill Clinton release the names of Sponsors of Clinton Global Initiative

Who did the Secretary of State invite to dinner?

Answer: at Rice's home in the Watergate complex in downtown Washington,

Answer: Sen. Hillary Clinton,

Answer: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

Answer: former President Clinton

Answer: Hong Kong,

Answer: Sen. Hillary Clinton,

Answer: Hillary Clinton,

Answer: Hong Kong,

Summary:
Secretary of state invites Sen. Hillary Clinton to dinner at her Washington home .
Such dinners allow for exchange of important information, ex-secretary of state says .
Bill Clinton releases names of sponsors of Clinton Global Initiative in Hong Kong .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton had $6.4 million in presidential campaign debt at the end of November, according to a report filed Saturday with the Federal Election Commission.

Hillary Clinton says she hopes to have her campaign debt paid before her possible confirmation as secretary of state.

The amount, though still significant, represents the lowest level of debt the New York senator's failed presidential campaign has reported this year. Clinton's campaign debt reached its peak, $12 million, at the end of June and has gradually fallen since then.

Clinton said she hopes to pay off her debt before her possible confirmation as secretary of state.

Clinton has also officially forgiven the $13.2 million she personally loaned her campaign. Under the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law, presidential candidates who loan their campaigns money from personal funds may only be paid back if they do so by the national party convention -- in this case, the Democratic National Convention held last August in Denver.

Clinton began November with $985,000 in her campaign account and raised nearly $290,000 by the end of the month. Her campaign paid out $1.2 million, mainly to unpaid vendors, ending the month with $188,000 in the bank.

The $6.4 million in remaining debt is owed to a total of 16 creditors.

The largest unpaid amount is owed to Penn, Schoen & Berland, a political consulting and polling firm that advised Clinton during her presidential bid.

The firm's president, Mark Penn, served as chief strategist to Clinton for most of her campaign until he was forced out of his position in April after revelations that he lobbied for a U.S.-Colombia trade deal on behalf of the Colombian government despite Clinton's opposition to the measure. However, he never left the campaign entirely.

What does Hillary Clinton owe more than $6m for?

Answer: to have her campaign debt paid before her possible confirmation as secretary of state.

Answer: $6.4 million in presidential campaign

Answer: before her possible confirmation as secretary of state.

Answer: the $13.2 million she personally loaned her campaign.

Answer: presidential campaign

Summary:
Hillary Clinton still owes more than $6 million in presidential campaign debt .
Clinton has officially forgiven the $13.2 million personal loan to her campaign .
She hopes to have debt paid before her possible confirmation as secretary of state .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Security contractors in Iraq use some over-the-top tactics and overreact at times, a top U.S. general in Iraq said Friday. Members of a private security company prepare the way for a U.S. convoy in Baghdad, Iraq. Many in Iraq have witnessed security contractors operating in a questionable fashion, said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Joseph Anderson, chief of staff for the Multi-National Corps in Iraq. "I can certainly say I've seen them do some tactics that I thought were over the top. But that's something we've got to keep working out," Anderson said in a briefing to Pentagon reporters via teleconference from Iraq. His comments soon after Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he wants closer oversight of Pentagon contractors in Iraq. Gates has dispatched a team there to review accountability and oversight. Anderson did not offer specific examples of incidents he had seen. He agreed security contractors in Iraq have taken a lot of criticism, but he said they are in a tough position. "They obviously have a tough job to do in a tough environment. I don't know if they're overly aggressive. I think the question becomes what rules do they follow with respect to what the rules of engagement are," he said. The actions of private security contractors have come under scrutiny since a Baghdad shooting incident earlier this month. Iraqi authorities say Blackwater guards fired indiscriminately, killing as many as 20 civilians; Blackwater says its employees responded properly to an insurgent attack on a convoy. Under an order laid down by the U.S.-led occupation government in 2004, security contractors are not subject to Iraqi law for actions taken within their contracts, a condition that irritates Iraqi officials. About 137,000 civilians are working for the U.S. military in Iraq, Gates said Wednesday. That number includes at least 7,300 of the estimated 25,000 private security contractors working in Iraq, he said. After the Blackwater shootings, Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England issued a memo to commanders in Iraq outlining their responsibility for holding contractors accountable, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said. Anderson said the assessment team sent by Gates is getting a feel for how the military employs contractors, to what scale, what functions they're providing and what differentiates between Department of Defense and Department of State contractors in the security role. The State Department also is investigating the role of private security contractors. Ambassador Patrick Kennedy, a management and policy expert, will lead the effort, along with a high-level panel of outside experts, including retired Gen. George Joulwan, former commander of NATO forces in Europe; Stapleton Roy, former U.S. ambassador to China; and Eric Boswell, a former assistant secretary of state for diplomatic security. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice wants an interim report by next Friday.  E-mail to a friend

Who says  says he's seen private security contractors overreact  ?

Who does the defense secretary say he wants closer oversight of in Iraq?

Who wants closer oversight of contractors?

Answer: Security contractors in Iraq

Answer: U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Joseph Anderson,

Answer: Pentagon contractors

Answer: Defense Secretary Robert Gates

Answer: its employees responded properly to an insurgent attack on a convoy.

Answer: Security contractors in Iraq

Summary:
U.S. general says he's seen private security contractors overreact .
Defense secretary says he wants closer oversight of Pentagon contractors in Iraq .
Iraqi officials upset after civilians killed by Blackwater USA guards .
Blackwater says its contractors were attacked .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama on Thursday criticized a recent vote by Democratic presidential rival Sen. Hillary Clinton as helping to give President Bush a "blank check" to take military action against Iran.

Sen. Barack Obama says Sen. Hillary Clinton has shown "flawed" judgment.

"We know in the past that the president has used some of the flimsiest excuses to try to move his agenda regardless of what Congress says," Obama said in an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer.

Last month, Clinton voted to support a resolution declaring Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, an elite part of the Iranian military, a foreign terrorist group. (The nonbinding amendment to the Defense Authorization Act passed by a 76-22 vote.)

Obama said he would have voted against the measure but didn't because he was campaigning in New Hampshire at the time. He said it was impossible to know when votes will be scheduled in the Senate. "This is a problem" related to running for president, he said.

Obama said Clinton also had shown "flawed" judgment during the vote to authorize the Iraq war five years ago.

"We know that there was embodied in this legislation, or this resolution sent to the Senate, language that would say our Iraqi troop structures should in part be determined by our desire to deal with Iran," Obama said. "Now if you know that in the past the president has taken a blank check and cashed it, we don't want to repeat that mistake."

Clinton on Thursday defended her vote on the resolution during an interview on New Hampshire Public Radio, saying "what I voted on was a nonbinding resolution. It's not an amendment. It's not a law."

While Clinton was campaigning Sunday in New Hampton, Iowa, an audience member at a town hall-style meeting pressed her on why she voted for the Iran measure and asked why she hadn't learned from past "mistakes." Calling "the premise of the question" wrong, the senator from New York argued the resolution calls for the terrorist label so that sanctions can be imposed.

The sanctions, Clinton said, will in turn "send a clear message to the leadership" and lead to stronger diplomatic efforts.

Earlier this month, Clinton also co-sponsored legislation with Sen. Jim Webb, D-Virginia, that would prohibit military operations against Iran without congressional approval.

Obama's comments came on the fifth anniversary of the 77-23 Senate vote that authorized the president to use force against Iraq. Obama, then an Illinois state senator, spoke out against the resolution authorizing force at the time.

Clinton's 2002 vote shows a clear difference in judgment between the two of them, Obama said.  Watch as Obama questions Clinton's judgment »

"I don't think it disqualified her, but I think it speaks to her judgment and it speaks to my judgment," Obama said. "It speaks to how we will make decisions going forward.

"I think her judgment was flawed on this issue."

Obama said he also will step up efforts to clarify his differences with Clinton, whom many political observers view as the front-runner for the Democratic nomination.

"There's no doubt we are moving into a different phase of the campaign," Obama said. "The first part of a campaign is to offer some biography and give people a sense of where I've been and what I am about.

"In this next phase, we want to make sure that voters understand that on big issues, like the decision to go into the war in Iraq, I had real differences with the other candidates, and that reflects on my judgment."

Another leading Democratic candidate, John Edwards, also voted in 2002 to authorize force in Iraq while he was then a senator from North Carolina. He later called his vote a mistake.

In a veiled swipe at Clinton, Obama also suggested he could better unite the country and offer "something new,  as opposed to looking backward and simply duplicating some of the politics

What resolution vote did Obama say was flawed judgement?

who could use iran to justify military action?

Who did Obama say showed flawed judgement

What president was Sen. Barack Obama talking about?

What did Obama say about Clinton's campaign?

Answer: helping to give President Bush a "blank check" to take military action against Iran.

Answer: President Bush

Answer: recent vote by Democratic presidential

Answer: Sen. Hillary Clinton

Answer: her vote on the resolution

Answer: Bush

Answer: has shown "flawed" judgment.

Answer: "what I voted on was a nonbinding resolution. It's not an amendment. It's not a law."

Answer: a resolution declaring Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, an elite part of the Iranian military, a foreign terrorist group.

Answer: make sure that voters understand that on big issues,

Answer: Iran,"

Answer: Sen. Hillary Clinton has shown "flawed" judgment.

Answer: her vote on the resolution

Answer: has shown "flawed" judgment.

Answer: Sen.

Answer: Clinton

Answer: Sen. Hillary Clinton has shown "flawed" judgment.

Summary:
NEW: Sen. Hillary Clinton defends vote on resolution, saying "it's not a law"
Sen. Barack Obama: President could use Iran measure to justify military action .
Obama says Clinton's vote for resolution shows "flawed" judgment .
Differences with Clinton will be clear in "next phase" of campaign, Obama says .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama said Thursday that the most important thing he could achieve as president would be to deal with Iraq and the threat of al Qaeda in Afghanistan while improving "our influence around the world." Sen. Barack Obama, in his first interview since the North Carolina and Indiana primaries, speaks with Wolf Blitzer. In his first interview since the North Carolina and Indiana primaries, Obama said he thinks the United States' influence around the world has been diminishing. "The world wants to see the United States lead. They've been disappointed and disillusioned over the last seven, eight years," he told CNN's Wolf Blitzer in an interview on "The Situation Room." "I think there is still a sense everywhere I go that if the United States regains its sense of who it is and our values and our ideals, that we will continue to set the tone for a more peaceful and prosperous world."  Watch the full interview with Obama » Obama said he thinks the way the war in Iraq has been handled has kept the United States from focusing on key issues like energy policy, global warming and the economy. Americans want to succeed, he said, "but we're going to have to make some investments and ensure that the dynamism and the innovation of the American people is released." "It's very hard for us to do that when we're spending close to $200 billion a year in other countries, rebuilding those countries instead of focusing on making ourselves strong," he said. Obama downplayed headlines and stories, such as the cover of Time magazine, that have declared him the Democratic presidential nominee. "I don't want to be jinxed. We've still got some work to do," he said.  Watch an analysis of some of Obama's comments » Obama predicted that he and Sen. Hillary Clinton would probably split the remaining contests and said Clinton would win the upcoming primary in West Virginia by a "big margin." Obama won North Carolina by a 14-point margin Tuesday. Clinton squeaked out a win in Indiana by 2 points. In the days after those contests, some top Democrats have called on Clinton to step aside. Obama deflected a question about a potential joint ticket with the New York senator, saying it's too early to start thinking about running mates. "Sen. Clinton has shown herself to be an extraordinary candidate. She's tireless, she's smart, she's capable, and so obviously she'd be on anybody's short list to be a potential vice presidential candidate," he said. "But it would be presumptuous of me at this point ... to somehow suggest that she should be my running mate."   Watch viewer responses to question: Should Obama offer Clinton the No. 2 spot? » Terry McAuliffe, a former Democratic National Committee chairman and a co-chairman of Clinton's campaign, commented Thursday on the possibility of a joint ticket. "I think what she's interested in being the nominee of the party. ... We're fighting hard for it. This woman has been working tirelessly through this campaign. ... Hillary has earned the right to do whatever she wants to do." Obama said he's ready for what would be the next phase if he becomes the nominee: a matchup against Sen. John McCain, the presumptive GOP candidate. Obama said he was offended when McCain said last month, "It's very clear who Hamas wants to be the next president." "I think it's disappointing because John McCain always says, 'Well, I'm not going to run that kind of politics,' and then to engage in that kind of smear I think is unfortunate, particularly since my policy on Hamas has been no different than his," Obama said. "And so for him to toss out comments like that, I think, is an example of him losing his bearings as he pursues this nomination." When asked to respond to McCain supporters -- such as former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney -- who

Who says US influence has been diminishing?

Answer: running mates.

Answer: start thinking about running mates.

Answer: Obama

Answer: Obama

Answer: she's interested in being the nominee of the party.

Summary:
Obama says he thinks U.S. influence has been diminishing .
Candidate downplays notion that he is already the Democratic nominee .
Obama says it's too early to discuss potential running mates .
Clinton camp says she's "fighting hard" to be nominee, not running mate .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama's 30-minute TV ad, which ran simultaneously on broadcast and cable networks at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday, is muscle-flexing that has little precedent, a campaign advertising expert said.

Sen. Barack Obama aired a 30-minute campaign ad Wednesday night.

"It's evidence, if you needed any, that the Obama campaign has more money than there is ad time left to buy," said Evan Tracey, director of the Campaign Media Analysis Group. "This is flexing the muscles."

Tracey estimates that it will cost the campaign "in the $4 to 5 million range -- at a minimum, $3.5 million."

But, he said, spending the money is a "no-brainer" for the Democratic presidential hopeful.

"The strategic brilliance of this for Obama is that he is going to consume about 24 hours of the news cycle," Tracey said. "It boxes [John] McCain in, takes the oxygen out of the room."

In the carefully produced infomercial, Obama laid out his plans for the economy and for bringing an end to the war in Iraq.

It also featured stories of struggling families in swing states such as Ohio and Missouri and included testimonials from high-profile supporters, including Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson. iReport.com: What do you want to ask Sen. Obama?

Obama's Republican opponent, Arizona Sen. John McCain, was not mentioned, nor was the GOP. The spot ended with a brief, live Obama address to a rally in Florida, another hotly contested state in this year's campaign.

"I'm reminded every single day that I am not a perfect man," he said. "I will not be a perfect president.

"But I can promise you this: I will always tell you what I think and where I stand. I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you when we disagree. And, most importantly, I will open the doors of government and ask you to be involved in your own democracy again."

There was so much buzz surrounding the infomercial -- which was announced about two weeks ago -- that on Tuesday, Time magazine's Mark Halperin put the ad's two editors on his daily list of the "five most important people in American politics not running for president."  Watch more on the Obama campaign ad buy »

Those editors, Erik Smith and Mark Putnam, were "still in an edit room" cutting the 30-minute piece Tuesday when he published the list, according to Halperin, Time's editor-at-large and senior political analyst.

The ad ran at 8 p.m. ET on CBS, NBC, MSNBC, Fox, BET, TV One and Univision, the Spanish-language network, six days before Election Day.

CNN declined to run the spot, and talks between ABC and the Obama campaign fell apart.

"We were approached by the Obama campaign and declined their request," said Sal Petruzzi, senior vice president for public relations of Turner Broadcasting, CNN's parent company.

"We did not want to pre-empt our programming lineup with a 30-minute spot. We would rather use our air to continue to cover the campaign, candidates and issues like we always do, from all points of view with the best political team on television."

An ABC spokeswoman declined to comment about the network's talks with the Obama campaign.

"As a matter of policy we don't comment about clients with whom we are doing business," said Julie Hoover of ABC. The Obama campaign has bought advertising on ABC in the past, she said, "but they did not buy the half-hour."

Obama taped an interview Wednesday with ABC's Charles Gibson, which is to run Thursday, his campaign said.

A source familiar with ABC policy suggested the network had offered the Obama campaign a different time slot.

"Hypothetically, we would have offered them equivalent time," the source said. "We don't

What does the new ad feature?
Who is in the ads?
what does obama discuss
What is featured in Obama's ad?
what does the new obama ad feature

Answer: stories of struggling families in swing states

Answer: Sen. Barack Obama's

Answer: an end to the war in Iraq.

Answer: laid out his plans for the economy and for bringing

Answer: stories of struggling families

Summary:
NEW: Obama ad features stories of struggling families, high-profile endorsements .
NEW: Obama discusses plans for economy, bringing end to Iraq war .
NEW: On ad's timing, McCain says it used to take "act of God" to delay World Series .
McCain launched an ad attacking Obama for his 30-minute special .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Hillary Clinton decided to join her one-time rival's team because she wanted to be part of the "greatest adventure of our century," she said Monday after President-elect Barack Obama named her as his nominee for secretary of state.

Sen. Hillary Clinton addresses the media in Chicago on Monday while President-elect Barack Obama looks on.

"President Kennedy once said that engaging the world to meet the threats we face was the greatest adventure of our century," Clinton said during a news conference in Chicago, Illinois, when Obama unveiled his national security team. "Well, Mr. President-elect, I am proud to join you on what will be a difficult and exciting adventure in this new century."

Clinton said she would work to restore America's position as "a force for positive change" in the world.

"America is a place founded on the idea that everyone should have the right to live up to his or her God-given potential. And it is that same ideal that must guide America's purpose in the world today," she said.  Watch Clinton accept Obama's offer Â»

During the news conference, Obama called Clinton a woman of "extraordinary intelligence and toughness" who will "command respect in every capital."

"Hillary's appointment is a sign to friend and foe of the seriousness of my commitment to renew American diplomacy and restore our alliances," Obama said.

Speculation that Obama would appoint his former rival for the Democratic presidential nomination to the nation's top diplomatic post surfaced after the two meet secretly in Chicago in mid-November.

When Clinton's name was first mentioned for secretary of state, the Obama team reviewed the relationships her husband, former President Bill Clinton, had forged as part of his charitable foundation work. The Obama team was concerned that the relationships could create conflicts of interest.

To address those concerns, the former president agreed to disclose the names of the more than 200,000 donors to his presidential foundation, a move he had previously resisted, Obama aides told CNN on Sunday.

He also agreed to separate his work with the Clinton Global Initiative from his foundation work and submit the text of future speeches and other activities to State Department officials for review, the Obama aides said.

In a statement, President Clinton said he was "deeply proud" that Obama has chosen his wife to be secretary of state.

"She is the right person for the job of helping to restore America's image abroad, end the war in Iraq, advance peace and increase our security, by building a future for our children with more partners and fewer adversaries, one of shared responsibilities and opportunities," he said.

During the presidential campaign, Obama and Clinton traded tough statements on foreign policy, but, now, Obama and Clinton will be in the same administration, albeit one led by Obama.  Watch more about the other members of the security team Â»

In a now famous ad that showed a telephone ringing at 3 a.m., Clinton challenged Obama's readiness to handle foreign policy crises. Later, Obama questioned Clinton's argument that she had more foreign policy experience.

But during the news conference, Obama dismissed any lingering resentment between himself and Clinton as a result of the tough campaign.

Clinton and the other members of the national security team "would not have agreed to join my administration -- and I would not have asked them to be part of this administration -- unless we shared a core vision of what's needed to keep the American people safe and to assure prosperity here at home and peace abroad," he said.

Obama said there was not a "light bulb moment" when he decided to ask Clinton to be his secretary of state but would not reveal details on the talks that led up to him asking his former rival to join his team.  Watch Obama praise Clinton's abilities Â»

"I have always admired Sen. Clinton. We have worked together extensively in the Senate," Obama said.

"After the election was over and I began to

Who has been tapped for secretary of state?

Wht did Obama say national security team members share?

Who did Obama choose as secretary of state?

Answer: a woman of "extraordinary intelligence and toughness"

Answer: Sen. Hillary Clinton

Answer: a core vision of what's needed to keep the American people safe and to assure prosperity here at home and peace abroad,"

Answer: a woman of "extraordinary intelligence and toughness" who will "command respect in every capital."

Answer: secretary of state.

Answer: Sen. Hillary Clinton

Answer: a woman of "extraordinary intelligence and toughness" who will "command respect in every capital."

Answer: Sen. Hillary Clinton

Summary:
President-elect Obama taps Sen. Hillary Clinton to be his secretary of state .
Obama calls Clinton a woman of "extraordinary intelligence and toughness"
Former rivals engaged in tough exchanges on foreign policy during primary fight .
Obama says national security team members share common "core vision"


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Hillary Clinton on Saturday will officially suspend her campaign for the presidency and "express her support for Senator Obama and party unity," her campaign said Wednesday. Sen. Hillary Clinton said Tuesday that she will let her supporters and party leaders decide her course. The Clinton campaign said she will make the announcement at "an event in Washington, D.C.," where she will also  thank her supporters. Sen. Barack Obama and Clinton were in Washington on Wednesday to each address the influential American Israel Public Affairs Committee. The candidates ran into each other at the AIPAC conference and had a brief chat, Obama spokeswoman Linda Douglass said. "She's an extraordinary leader of the Democratic Party and has made history alongside me over the last 16 months. I'm very proud to have competed against her," Obama told the Israel lobbying group. Obama became his party's presumptive nominee Tuesday and will be looking to unite Democrats divided by the long and contentious primary season. "I am very confident how unified the Democratic Party is going to be to win in November," he said in a Senate hallway Wednesday. iReport.com: Obama/Clinton -- dream team or nightmare? Some say that putting Clinton on the ticket might fit the bill for uniting Democrats. Clinton lavished her opponent with praise Tuesday, saying he ran an "extraordinary race" and made politics more palatable for many.  Watch how the primary played out » Prominent Clinton backer Rep. Charles Rangel, D-New York, thinks the New York senator could have been "far more generous" during her speech Tuesday night after it was clear that Obama had clinched the Democratic nomination. Rangel, the senior member of the New York congressional delegation and an early supporter of Clinton's presidential campaign, said Wednesday that Clinton should have been more clear about what her plans are. "I would agree that after the math was in before her speech, that she could have been far more generous in terms of being more specific and saying that she wants a Democratic victory," Rangel said on MSNBC. "I don't see what they're talking about in prolonging this," Rangel added. "There's nothing to prolong if you're not going to take the fight to the convention floor. ... I don't know why she could not have been more open in terms of doing up front what she intends to do later." But with some Democrats clamoring for her to join Obama on the ticket, and with the Democratic National Convention -- and thus, the official anointment -- still more than two months out, the senator from New York gave no hint as to her plans.  See VP prospects' pros, cons » She again invoked the popular vote, saying she snared "more votes than any primary candidate in history," but primaries come down to delegates, and according to CNN calculations, Obama has her beaten, 2,156 to 1,923. Even the White House seemed convinced of Obama's victory. White House press secretary Dana Perino said Wednesday that President Bush congratulated Obama on becoming the first black nominee from a major party. She said his win shows that the United States "has come a long way." Clinton vowed to keep fighting for an end to the war in Iraq, for universal health care, for a stronger economy and better energy policy, but she didn't indicate in what capacity she would wage these battles. That, she said, would be up to her supporters and the party brass.  See what lies in store this fall » The party's best interests were high on the minds of party leaders Wednesday, as Sen. Harry Reid, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin and DNC Chairman Howard Dean called on Democrats to focus on the general election. "To that end, we are urging all remaining uncommitted superdelegates to make their decisions known by Friday of this week so that our party can stand united and begin our march toward reversing the eight years of failed Bush/McCain policies that have weakened our country," said a statement from the

When will Clinton suspend presidential campaign?

Who will suspend their presidential campaign?

What did Obama say about uniting Democrats by November?

Answer: Saturday

Answer: Democrats

Answer: Sen. Hillary Clinton

Answer: Clinton

Answer: "I am very confident how unified the Democratic Party is going to be to win in November,"

Answer: her campaign

Summary:
NEW: Clinton will suspend presidential campaign Saturday, sources say .
Obama, Clinton spoke by phone Wednesday, but VP slot was not discussed .
Rangel says Clinton could've been "far more generous" on Tuesday night .
Obama says he's "very confident" he can unite Democrats by November .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Hillary Clinton was in the White House on multiple occasions when her husband had sexual encounters with Monica Lewinsky, according to newly released documents.

The National Archives released 11,000 pages of Hillary Clinton's schedule as first lady.

The National Archives on Wednesday released more than 11,000 pages of Clinton's schedule when she was first lady.

Sen. Barack Obama's campaign pushed for the documents' release, arguing that their review is necessary to make a full evaluation of Clinton's experience as first lady.

But the documents also provide a glimpse into Clinton's life during her husband's publicized affair.

The scandal involving former president Bill Clinton and Lewinsky, first broke in the national media on January 21, 1998.

According to the documents, Hillary Clinton started that day at a private meeting in the White House.

She later made an appearance at a college in Baltimore, Maryland, and stayed there until late in the afternoon before returning to the White House for a black-tie dinner.  Watch where Hillary Clinton was during the scandal »

The schedules reveal where Clinton was, but provide no indication of how she dealt with the controversy.

Carl Bernstein, who wrote a biography of Hillary Clinton, said there was much more going on behind the scenes.

"She was on the telephone with her aides, she was trying to learn more about what the press was doing, she did not want to give the impression of a firestorm that was raging outside," he said.

On the day her husband made his first public admission -- August 16, 1998 -- she was on a trip to Martha's Vineyard.

She had no public schedule for the days that followed. And on December 19, 1998 -- the day the House voted to impeach her husband -- the calendar shows a holiday party.

A dance between the president and first lady is listed as "optional."

The papers show Hillary Clinton had no public schedule on the day independent counsel Kenneth Starr was appointed to investigate Bill Clinton's affair with Monica Lewinsky, or on the day Bill Clinton was deposed in the case.

On the day the affair began -- November 15, 1995, according to Starr's report -- Hillary Clinton had a private meeting and a meet-and-greet with then-Vice President Al Gore and Nobel Prize winners.

Lewinsky said she and the president had an encounter in the bathroom outside the Oval Office study on January 7, 1996. This is the same day the president and his wife had a small dinner gathering at the White House, according to the documents.

The president and Lewinsky also had a sexual encounter on February 4, 1996, according to Lewinsky. On this day, the president and Hillary Clinton went to the National Governors Association annual dinner.

Hillary Clinton kept up a busy schedule as the affair spiraled into impeachment.

Thousands of pages are marked by redactions -- blacked-out information like the names of people who attended meetings.

"This is not about someone who is eager to shine a light on her full record. That's the point. And at the same time, some of this is understandable -- when you're running for office, the slightest thing can be misinterpreted," Bernstein said.

But the schedules also show her involvement in policy -- she dove into health care reform just three days after her husband's inauguration in 1993, and dozens of related events followed.

Despite her efforts, the Clinton health care reform foundered in Congress.

Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, said the trove of documents "shows she was a co-president," revealing an "extraordinary extent of meetings for an unelected official to be meeting with cabinet officials."

The documents cover nearly 2,900 days. An additional 27 days will be posted in the near future, the archives said.

The documents are among those at the center of a legal battle between the archives and Judicial Watch, a conservative public interest group that has long urged a speedier release of files from the Clinton White House years.

In a court motion this

How many days are covered by the documents?

What is the name of the person Clinton had an affair with?

Answer: 2,900

Answer: glimpse into Clinton's life during her husband's publicized affair.

Answer: 11,000

Answer: Monica Lewinsky,

Answer: Clinton's life during her husband's publicized affair.

Answer: provide a glimpse into Clinton's life during her husband's publicized affair.

Answer: involving former president Bill Clinton and Lewinsky,

Answer: glimpse into Clinton's life during her husband's publicized affair.

Summary:
Documents shed light on Clinton's schedule during affair and resulting scandal .
Papers also document her involvement in policy, specifically health care reform .
More than 11,000 documents cover nearly 2,900 days .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Hillary Clinton's chief presidential campaign strategist is quitting his post amid criticism of his public relations firm's contacts with the Colombian government over a pending free-trade deal, Clinton's campaign announced. Mark Penn will continue to advise Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. Mark Penn and his political consulting firm will continue to advise the New York senator's Democratic presidential bid, but Penn will give up his job as chief strategist, campaign manager Maggie Williams said. "After the events of the last few days, Mark Penn has asked to give up his role as chief strategist of the Clinton campaign," Williams said. Clinton did not answer reporters' questions about Penn's exit during a campaign stop in New Mexico on Sunday. Penn is CEO of public relations giant Burson-Marsteller and is president of Penn, Schoen and Berland, his political consulting firm. Friday, he acknowledged he had met with the Colombian ambassador to the United States earlier in the week in his role as Burson-Marsteller's chief to discuss the pending U.S.-Colombia trade pact, which Clinton has criticized on the campaign trail. Penn called the meeting "an error in judgment that will not be repeated," and apologized. That prompted Colombia's government to fire the company Saturday, calling the remarks "a lack of respect to Colombians." Clinton and top aides were sharply critical of rival Democrat Barack Obama in February when reports indicated that his top economic adviser had suggested to a Canadian official that Obama was not as supportive of changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement as the Illinois senator claimed to be on the campaign trail. Penn said Friday that Clinton's opposition to the U.S.-Colombia pact, which the Bush administration is trying to push through Congress, "is clear and was not discussed" during his meeting with the ambassador. And Clinton spokesman Mo Elleithee said Penn's meeting was "not in any way done on behalf of the campaign." But Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell -- a key Clinton backer in his state's April 22 primary -- suggested Sunday that Penn needed to go. "I think you've got to make it very clear for someone who is a consultant, who you are representing and who you are not representing, and I would hope that Mr. Penn, when he talked to the Colombians, made that clear. And it doesn't sound to me like he did, and that's something the campaign should take into question," Rendell told NBC's "Meet the Press." Sources in the Clinton campaign said that Penn realized this weekend that he needed to step aside, and that Clinton was disappointed that he had met with the Colombians. E-mail to a friend

What role Penn's going to play in campaign?

Answer: advise Hillary Clinton's presidential

Answer: advise Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.

Answer: Mark Penn

Answer: Burson-Marsteller

Answer: chief strategist of the Clinton campaign,"

Answer: Colombian ambassador

Summary:
Mark Penn is CEO of public relations giant Burson-Marsteller .
Penn met with Colombia ambassador over trade pact .
Colombia fired Penn's company on Saturday .
Penn will continue to have advisory role in campaign .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Joe Biden and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will face off for their first and only debate in the presidential race Thursday night, an event pitting a political veteran against a political newcomer.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has been preparing since last week for Thursday's debate.

Both candidates have recently tried to lower expectations leading into the debate, where topics will range from domestic to foreign policy.

The debate at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, will start at 9 p.m. ET and be moderated by PBS's Gwen Ifill.

For Palin, the stakes are high. After skyrocketing onto the national stage and energizing the Republican faithful, the first-term Alaskan governor has struggled recently to regain her footing after several shaky network TV interviews with ABC's Charlie Gibson and CBS's Katie Couric.  View memorable moments from other debates Â»

Palin said Tuesday that she's different.

"I think they're just not used to someone coming in from the outside saying, 'You know what? It's time that normal Joe Six-Pack American is finally represented in the position of vice presidency,' and I think that that's kind of taken some people off-guard," she said in a radio interview with conservative host Hugh Hewitt.

Palin's interview gave the vice presidential candidate a chance to showcase elements of her life story and demonstrate some of the folksiness that's been central to her political success.

It's exactly the kind of interview that voters can expect to see from the governor in the coming weeks, according to a Palin adviser, who recognized that there is hunger in Republican circles and among the public at large to see a less-scripted, more authentic candidate.

"We're going to be continue to put her in settings where she has an opportunity to shine, to be on offense," the adviser said. "We've gotten very good feedback from the public from Hugh Hewitt interview."

The adviser suggested that the campaign's efforts at damage control after Palin's interview with Couric may have been hampered by the fact that the governor wasn't doing more friendly interviews to counter her flubs on Russia and the congressional bailout bill, which have reverberated throughout the blogosphere and even turned Palin into a punch line on "Saturday Night Live."

"We acknowledge that perhaps she should have been out there doing more," the adviser said, arguing that "it's not fair to judge her off one or two sound bites" from the network interviews.

Palin is apparently eager to take on a more outspoken role, both in interviews and in her stump speech, after Thursday's vice presidential debate in order to remind voters of what it is they like about her. iReport.com: Watch debate, then tell us who won

"She connects really well, and she's good at it, and she wants to be doing more of it, and she will do more of it," the adviser said.

For the Democrats, Biden has served in the Senate for 35 years. His biggest challenge will be to stick to the script. He's known for making off-the-cuff remarks, including some gaffes.  Watch analysts weigh in on Thursday's debate Â»

A Biden aide said the senator is ready. He left Wednesday's debate preparation in Delaware to vote on the economic recovery bill in Congress.

"I haven't read the package yet, but my anticipation is I'm going to vote 'yes.' But I want to see. That's why I'm going home now to get briefed on the details," Biden said.

Biden campaign aides are actively playing up Palin's debating skills. His spokesman called Palin "a leviathan of forensics," a classic example of the campaign tactic of raising the expectations of their opponent and lowering their own.

"She's very skilled, and she'll be well-prepared," Barack Obama's chief strategist, David Axelrod, said Sunday night while flying with Biden back to Delaware to help him get ready.

"As you saw at the

Who is said to be eager to prove herself?

Who is facing off in their only debate on Thursday night?

Answer: Sarah Palin

Answer: off-the-cuff remarks,

Answer: are

Answer: Sen. Joe Biden and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin

Answer: Sen. Joe Biden and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin

Answer: Sen. Joe Biden and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin

Answer: Sen. Joe Biden and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin

Summary:
Joe Biden, Sarah Palin to face off in their only debate Thursday night .
Stakes high for Palin, who is said to be eager to prove herself .
Biden is political veteran who must avoid embarrassing gaffes .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. John McCain on Thursday accused Sen. Barack Obama of breaking a promise when the Democrat decided to forgo public financing in this fall's campaign.

Sen. Barack Obama repeatedly broke campaign fundraising records during the Democratic primary season.

Obama told supporters in an e-mail message Thursday that he would not accept about $85 million in public funds when he becomes the Democratic presidential nominee.

In the e-mail, Obama said the public campaign financing system allowed "special interests [to] drown out the voices of the American people" and asked his supporters to "declare our independence from a broken system."

McCain said that Obama's move to drop out of the system "should be disturbing to all Americans" and that he may decide to opt out, too.

"Sen. Obama's reversal on public financing is one of a number of reversals ... that he has taken," McCain said while touring flood-damaged parts of Iowa.

"This election is about a lot of things, but it's also about trust. It's also about whether you can take people's word. ... He said he would stick to his agreement. He didn't."  Watch McCain's attack on Obama Â»

He said his campaign will reconsider whether to opt out as well.

"We''l have to reevaluate in light of his decision," he said. But he said he leans toward taking public money.

But Rep. Rahm Emanuel, an Obama supporter, argued that the Democrat had "more than realized the objective of public financing" by setting up a system to accept small donations over the Internet.

"It has given the American people a voice in our political process and has forever changed politics in this country by inspiring record numbers of Americans to participate in bringing change to Washington," Emanuel said.

Despite the heated back-and-forth, CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider said it is unlikely the controversy will influence voters.

"I'm not sure it's a big deal for most voters. There's not a lot of support for the public financing system." Schneider said. "About a year ago, the polls asked people if they supported the idea that candidates and campaigns should be financed by taxpayer money ... and most persons said no.

"They like the idea of financing campaigns through small contributions from a lot of individual contributors, which is what Obama has done," he said.

Obama would be the first major presidential candidate to drop out of the modern campaign financing system for the general election since its creation in 1976 in the post-Watergate era.

Under this system, candidates agree to spend only the public funds and cannot raise or spend money directly obtained from individuals.

Because he has decided not participate in the system, Obama will be able to spend an unlimited amount of money during the general election.

The two camps also bickered Thursday over whether they had held negotiations on public financing before Obama's move to drop out.

Obama counsel Bob Bauer said he discussed the public funding issue for 45 minutes with Trevor Potter, his McCain counterpart, on June 6 when they met to talk about a possible town-hall appearance between the candidates.

Potter said the two "spoke in general terms about the public financing system, with Bob outlining reasons it could be considered 'broken' or irrelevant in 2008, and I explaining why Sen. McCain remained committed to it and thought it was good for the country."

Given his record-breaking ability to raise donations over the Internet, the Illinois Democrat probably will be able to raise more than and outspend the presumptive GOP nominee.  Watch CNN's Candy Crowley explain the significance of Obama's decision Â»

Since January 2007, Obama has raised more than $272 million, including nearly $31 million in April. During that time period, McCain has raised less than half that amount, roughly $100 million. In April, the Arizona Republican brought in about $18 million.

The FEC ruled unanimously in March 2007 that presidential candidates could accept general

How much money can Obama spend to campaign now?

What did the analyst say about the voters?

What did Sen. John McCain say about the decision?

Answer: "I'm not sure it's a big deal for most voters. There's not a lot of support for the public financing system." Schneider said. "About a year ago, the polls asked people if they supported the idea that candidates and campaigns should be financed by taxpayer money ... and most persons said no.

Answer: "special interests [to] drown out the voices of the American people"

Answer: more than $272 million,

Answer: Obama's move to drop out of the system

Answer: it is unlikely the controversy will influence

Answer: spend an unlimited amount of money during the general election.

Answer: accused Sen. Barack Obama of breaking a promise

Answer: Obama told supporters in an e-mail message Thursday that he would not accept about $85 million in public funds when he becomes the Democratic presidential nominee.

Answer: "should be disturbing to all Americans"

Answer: Obama's move to drop out of the system

Summary:
Sen. John McCain says decision "should be disturbing to all Americans"
Analyst says voters favor the way Obama has raised campaign cash .
Sen. Barack Obama calls public finance system "broken"
Move will allow Obama to spend unlimited amount of money .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. John McCain said Wednesday that the crisis in Georgia should not be used to score political points, but his campaign has stepped up its attacks on Sen. Barack Obama's foreign policy credentials. Sen. John McCain says Russia's entry into the WTO should be reviewed. In response, Obama's top foreign policy aide suggested that the presumptive Republican presidential nominee was willing to "shoot from the hip" and was acting irresponsibly by offering strong support for the Georgia government. On Wednesday, McCain continued his tough line against Russia, saying its potential membership in the World Trade Organization should be reviewed as a result of its actions in Georgia, as well its relationship with the G-8 nations, which represent the world's largest industrial economies. McCain also said that an international peacekeeping mission should be sent to Georgia and that NATO should re-consider adding Georgia and Ukraine, another former Soviet republic, to the alliance.  Watch McCain call Georgia's position 'perilous' » "After the events of the past six days, no one should wonder why countries on Russia's periphery so ardently seek the security guarantees alliance membership represents," McCain said during a campaign stop in Birmingham, Michigan. Russia has strenuously objected to both nations joining NATO. After President Bush said Wednesday that he was ordering the U.S. military to help Georgia's citizens, Obama applauded the move. "The situation is still unstable, and Russia must back up its commitment to stop its violence and violation of Georgia's sovereignty with actions, not just words," Obama said in a statement. "The United States should now join our European partners in direct, high-level diplomacy with both Georgia and Russia to seek immediate implementation of a cease-fire, and to achieve a lasting resolution to this crisis." The crisis in Georgia started Friday, when Russia moved troops in into South Ossetia after the Georgian government moved troops into breakaway territory. South Ossetia has been largely autonomous since 1991, but separatists would like to break with Georgia and either declare independence or join North Ossetia, which is part of Russia. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who is heading to France and the Georgian capitol of Tbilisi, said Wednesday that she has been briefing both candidates on the conflict.  Watch President Bush declare 'America's unwavering support' for Georgia » When the crisis began last week, McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, was out front in condemning the Russia actions and calling for a cease-fire. "Today, we are all Georgians," McCain said Tuesday.  Watch McCain declare 'we are all Georgians' » When the crisis broke out last week, the Obama camp called "for all sides to show restraint and to stop this armed conflict," echoing the statements from the White House and the European Union. As Russia planes bombed Georgian cities and Russian troops advanced into Georgia, Obama, who is on vacation in Hawaii, condemned Russia's actions and called for a cease-fire.  Watch Obama condemn Russia's actions » McCain said Wednesday that the crisis was not the time for partisan attacks. "I know the people of Georgia have enjoyed an unprecedented period of prosperity and freedom. And I know that at this time they're suffering mightily," the Arizona Republican said. "So maybe later on in the campaign, let's have a back-and-forth about who has comments or statements. Now, let's devote all our energy to helping resolve a situation which is fraught with human tragedy." But, despite McCain comments, the crisis in Georgia has dominated the political debate between the two candidates' campaigns in recent days. On Tuesday, Randy Scheunemann, McCain's top foreign policy adviser, attacked the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee's response to the situation in Georgia, saying his experience with the region amounted to a handful of paper statements. On the other hand, McCain's experience with Georgia runs deep, Scheunemann said, noting that McCain and the Georgian president were friends. "There's a depth of knowledge, a breadth of knowledge

Who says mccain shoots from the hip?
who joined in the wto
who says crisis should not be used?
Whose participation is at risk?

Answer: Obama's top foreign policy aide

Answer: Russia's

Answer: Sen. John McCain

Answer: Russia's

Summary:
Russia's participation in WTO, G-8 at risk because of Georgia, McCain says .
McCain says crisis should not be used to score political points .
Obama's response to crisis reveals foreign policy inexperience, McCain aide says .
Obama's top foreign policy aides say McCain willing to "shoot from the hip"


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Larry Craig filed an appeal Monday in his continued legal fight stemming from a bathroom sex sting this summer. Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, initially said he would resign at the end of September but then changed his mind. The Idaho Republican wants the Minnesota Court of Appeals to overturn a judge's decision refusing to let him withdraw a guilty plea to misdemeanor charges stemming from his arrest in June. "From the outset Senator Craig has maintained that he is innocent of any illegal conduct at the Minneapolis airport,"  Craig's lawyer, Billy Martin, said in a written statement. "Like every other citizen, Senator Craig has the constitutional right to make every effort to clear his name." Martin called the judge's decision "a manifest injustice." In an interview Sunday with Boise, Idaho, TV station KTVB, Craig said "we don't know what the appellate court will say to me," according to the station's Web site.  Watch Craig discuss his chances on the appeal » "Honestly, the appeals courts tend to defend the courts below them. It is my right to do what I'm doing. I've already provided for Idaho [the] certainty that Idaho needed, I'm not running for re-election. I'm no longer in the way. I am pursuing my constitutional rights." The appeals process could take months to complete, court spokesman Kyle Christopherson said. Craig entered a guilty plea after his arrest in a men's room at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport for allegedly propositioning a plainclothes police officer for sex. Craig originally said he would resign from the Senate on September 30 if he could not get the guilty plea withdrawn. He later postponed his decision until the judge ruled. After an October 4 ruling against him, Craig changed course, saying he would not resign and would continue to pursue his legal options. "I am innocent of the charges against me," he said at the time. The Idaho lawmaker's decision not to resign has created a political headache for the Senate's Republican leadership. When news of the arrest first surfaced, GOP leaders called for an investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee. They later applauded Craig's decision to resign. And when Craig announced that he would continue to serve in the Senate, GOP leaders did not appear pleased. "It's embarrassing for the Senate. It's embarrassing for our party," said Sen. John Ensign of Nevada, who leads the GOP's Senate campaign committee, on the day of the judge's decision. "I think it's best for the U.S. Senate, it's best for certainly his party, that he just keeps his word." Romney accused In an interview taped Sunday with NBC's Matt Lauer, Craig complained that GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney "threw me under the campaign bus" when news of his arrest came out. "He not only threw me under his campaign bus, he backed up and ran over me again," Craig told Lauer in the interview set to run Tuesday night, according to MSNBC.com. Romney, former governor of Massachusetts, called Craig's behavior "disgraceful" and urged the senator to resign when news of the arrest broke in August. Craig was Romney's Senate liaison before resigning from the campaign. Romney spokesman Kevin Madden defended the presidential candidate's response. "Gov. Romney simply believes that a public office is a public trust," Madden said. "He believes when a public official enters a guilty plea, they have broken that public trust and should step aside for the sake of their constituents." Also in the Lauer interview, Craig and his wife, Suzanne, denied that their marriage is a cover for his homosexuality, according to MSNBC.com. "People know me and know that I would never do that," said Suzanne Craig, MSNBC.com reported. "That's almost like selling your soul for something." The senator has denied he is gay. "I love this woman very, very

Answer: Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho,

Answer: Larry Craig,

Answer: an appeal

Answer: Craig

Answer: Sen. Larry Craig

Answer: Mitt Romney

Answer: Larry Craig,

Answer: Sen. Larry Craig,

Summary:
Sen. Larry Craig files appeal to get guilty plea in sex sting withdrawn .
Craig criticizes Mitt Romney for quickly calling for his resignation .
The Idaho Republican was GOP presidential candidate's liaison to the Senate .
Craig stepped down from Romney campaign when news of his arrest broke .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Senate Republicans on Tuesday blocked a Democratic initiative that would have taxed the windfall profits oil companies have enjoyed due to rising energy prices, with the minority leader calling the proposal a "gimmick." Record energy prices have led to record profits for oil companies. The measure failed to achieve the 60 votes required by Senate rules to proceed. The vote was 51-43. Six Republicans, including three seeking re-election in November, broke ranks to support the bill. Two Democrats -- Sen. Mary Landrieu of oil-producing state Louisiana and Majority Leader Harry Reid, who voted no to be able to bring the measure back to the floor under Senate rules -- voted against the measure. Along with placing a special tax of 25 percent on oil companies, the bill would have permitted lawsuits against the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, the oil-producing cartel, and suspended deposits into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Profits from renewable energy sources would be excluded from the tax. "We're not afraid, on this side, to go after Big Oil when they are not doing the right thing," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York. "And we are not afraid to go after OPEC because they are a cartel that squeezes us. "We're not afraid to do some strong tough things that will -- some in the short run, some in the longer run -- that will bring down the price, the all too high price, of gasoline." Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-North Dakota, said the measure was needed to "wring out" speculators he blamed for driving the price of crude oil to more than $130 a barrel in recent weeks But Senate Republicans insisted the new taxes ultimately would hurt consumers and cut American oil supply, saying Democrats simply were playing election-year politics. The bill is "pure and simple a pathetic attempt to even call itself an energy plan," said Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said, "Hitting the gas companies might make for good campaign literature or evening news clips, but it won't address the problem. This bill isn't a serious response to gas prices. It is just a gimmick." The Kentucky Republican added, "They are hoping the idea of going after energy companies will create the illusion of action after a week in which they themselves fought for a bill that would make the problem worse. What a political charade." As the average cost of gas edged above $4 a gallon, high prices are definitely on the minds of voters. A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released Tuesday shows 40 percent of respondents are more concerned about the cost of gasoline than long lines at the pump, which occurred during the energy crisis of the 1970s. But 55 percent of those surveyed are more worried about the long lines and rationing. The poll results reflect telephone interviews with 1,035 adults on Wednesday and Thursday. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points. CNN's Ted Barrett, Lisa Desjardins, Matt Smith, Virginia Nicolaidis and Scott J. Anderson contributed to this report.

What is the number of votes that were needed for the measure to proceed?

What number of votes was needed to proceed?

Who calls the bill "a gimmick" and "political charade"?

What would have added 25 percent supplemental tax on windfall profits?

What did the minority leader call the bill?

Answer: 60

Answer: 60

Answer: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell

Answer: The measure

Answer: a Democratic initiative

Answer: "gimmick."

Answer: permitted lawsuits against the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, the oil-producing cartel, and suspended deposits into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

Summary:
Measure fails to get 60 votes needed to proceed .
Bill would have added 25 percent supplemental tax on windfall profits .
Democrats say legislation shows they are willing to take on Big Oil .
Minority leader calls the bill "a gimmick" and  "political charade"


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama showed Thursday night that they have more common ground than differences when it comes to making national service a priority in their presidential administrations. The presidential canidates put aside partisan politics as the nation remembers the terrorist attacks. The candidates took the stage separately in a forum sponsored by TIME at Columbia University in New York. A coin toss determined who took questions first from moderators TIME Managing Editor Rick Stengel and PBS's Judy Woodruff. Asked why it seems the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, are "fading" in the minds of many Americans, McCain said: "We needed at that time [September 11, 2001] to take advantage of the unity in the United States of America." McCain criticized the Bush administration for not taking advantage of that sense of unity and instead imploring the American public to live their lives as usual and "go shopping." "I would have called them to serve," said McCain.  The GOP candidate said he suspects people feel uninspired by leaders in Washington and that Americans want "change" in federal government. "They understand the challenges that we have in this world. They see the Russian invasion of the little country called Georgia. They see the problems in Afghanistan growing larger. They see a whole lot of things happening in the world that's going to require us to serve, and that opportunity has to be provided to them."  Watch McCain talk about service » McCain praised the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps, saying they and similar organizations don't receive "sufficient recognition" from Washington. But McCain was careful to say government should limit its involvement. Asked about compensation for service McCain said: "I'd be glad to reward [volunteers] them as much as possible. But you want to be careful that the reason is not the reward of financial or other reasons, but the reward is the satisfaction of serving a cause greater than yourself. ... Finding new ways to serve. That's what this next few years should be all about." McCain also fielded a question about his running mate Gov. Sarah Palin's dismissive comments about Sen. Barack Obama's community service in Illinois. "Look, Gov. Palin was responding to the criticism of her inexperience and her job as a mayor in a small town. That's what she was responding to. Of course I respect community organizers. Of course I respect people who serve their community. And Sen. Obama's record there is outstanding." McCain also said that politics is "tough business," and that Obama set the tone of the whole campaign when he refused to take part in town hall meetings with McCain across America. Obama said his views don't necessarily differ from McCain's on national service. He said creating opportunities for national service would be a priority for his administration as well. "Part of what makes America work is the fact that we believe in individual responsibility and self-reliance, but we also believe in mutual responsibility, in neighborliness, in a sense that we are committed to something larger than ourselves." Obama cited a plan to provide college tuition aid in return for student community service. "One of my central platforms in this campaign is we're going to provide a $4,000 tuition credit every student, every year, but in exchange for giving something back. And so, young people of modest means, who are interested in going to college, this gives them an opportunity to serve and at the same time, pay for their college education. I think there are a lot of creative ways where we can provide opportunities than exist right now." Obama also said he wants to attract more young people into civil service careers. "The fact is that we have to have government.  When a hurricane strikes, as it did with Katrina, we have to have a FEMA that works, which by the way, means that we should be encouraging young people, the best and the brightest, to get involved as civil servants, to pursue careers of

When did Sens. McCain and Obama meet at a forum?

Two candidates are appearing together in remembrance of what?

Answer: Columbia University in New York.

Answer: Columbia University

Answer: Thursday night

Answer: Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama

Answer: terrorist attacks.

Answer: attacks of September 11, 2001,

Summary:
Sens. McCain and Obama met at a forum on national service in NYC Thursday night .
Two candidates appearing  together at 9/11 remembrance in NYC .
New poll: Respondents view McCain as better in handling terrorism .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Serving a 36-year-old government-issue cake at an Army retirement ceremony sounds like a classic bureaucratic mistake, but there was no mistake about it. Retiring Army Col. Henry Moak uses a vintage P-38 to break the seal on  government cake saved since 1973. Retiring Army Col. Henry Moak served it up himself -- at his own ceremony. Moak had saved the cake since 1973, when he got it while serving in Vietnam, and had long-standing plans to open it upon his retirement. Pound cake served in a can was standard fare in military C rations back then. Moak said it was his favorite, and he could not get enough of it. "I would eat it any chance I could get, but not all of the meals came with pound cake," he said before opening it. In front of friends and family who attended his retirement ceremony Friday at the Pentagon, Moak eagerly opened the can. Answering the question of whether the anticipation was the same now as back then, Moak said, "Yes, even more!" "I won't eat it if it's black and moldy," he told onlookers. "You can hear the pop of the air coming out," he said referring to the vacuum seal on the can. To most people's surprise, the opened can revealed a still-edible yellow cake. The ceremonial sword used to cut Moak's real retirement cake was also used to dig into the can and cut out the cake. Moak took a bite and put up his thumb, "It's good, it's still kind of moist," he declared.

What goodie was eaten alongside the main dish?

Answer: Army Col. Henry Moak

Answer: government cake saved since 1973.

Answer: government cake

Answer: Retiring Army Col.

Answer: Pound cake served in a can

Answer: "I would eat it any chance I could get, but not all of the meals came with pound cake,"

Answer: 1973.

Answer: Col. Henry Moak

Answer: "I would eat it any chance I could get, but not all of the meals came with pound cake,"

Summary:
Retiring Army Col. Henry Moak treats himself to pound cake saved from 1973 .
Moak says he always liked the cake and "would eat it any chance I could get"
He saved the C ration goodie to have alongside traditional retirement cake .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- She stood by her husband throughout the contentious 2008 presidential campaign and during heated health care reform debates during his presidency. First lady Michelle Obama listens to remarks during a health care forum at the White House on Friday. Now, as the debate is reaching a fever pitch, first lady Michelle Obama is weighing in on the issue by focusing on how health care can affect families. "What she's doing is putting a personal and human face on the issue ... there's nothing more crucial," said Washington Post columnist Sally Quinn. "Everybody gets sick, and everybody has someone in the family that gets sick." "I think if you can humanize it and personalize it, it suddenly brings it home to people -- especially those who are screaming and yelling about the government taking over," Quinn said. On Friday, the first lady, a former hospital administrator, spoke about the issue to a crowd at the White House, highlighting her own family's experience with health care. In one touching moment, Obama recalled when daughter Sasha exhibited signs of potentially deadly meningitis when she was 4 months old. "We didn't know what, but he [the doctor] told us she could have meningitis, so we were terrified. He said get to the emergency room right away," she said. "Fortunately, things worked out." "But it is that moment in our lives that flashes through my head every time we engage in this health insurance conversation. It's that moment in my life, because I think about what on earth would we have done if we had not had insurance." Mrs. Obama not only faced the issue as a mother, but also as a daughter. "My father has multiple sclerosis. He contracted it in his 20s. ... He was able to get up and go to work every day, even though it got harder for him as he got sicker and more debilitated. And I find myself thinking what would we had done as a family on the south side of Chicago if my father hadn't had insurance."  Watch more of Michelle Obama's message » Quinn says that personal story is critical in the health care debate -- something that has been lacking in the president's message so far, which has often been deemed by pundits as too policy-oriented and too surgical in nature. "What she's doing is she's humanizing the issue. And I think that has been missing in their [White House] campaign," she says. "He's been so focused on the details and the strategy and the money that the individual problems and issues have seemed to have gotten lost in the fray." Gloria Borger, a CNN senior political analyst, agreed. "I think she's always been a great asset to him," she said. "She can help in this health care debate by not getting involved in the minutiae of the bills, but essentially emphasizing the reason we need health care reform. And that's what she will stick to." Michelle Obama was a lightning rod -- both good and bad -- throughout her husband's presidential campaign. Now, in her role as first lady, she has garnered greater support among American voters from both parties. A national survey by the Pew Research Center for People and the Press in April found that the first lady's positive ratings have increased since her husband took office. The poll found that 76 percent of Americans had a favorable opinion of her, which is up from 68 percent in January. "Much of the change has come among Republicans, especially Republican women," the organization noted. "About two-thirds of Republican women [67 percent] have a favorable impression of Michelle Obama, a gain of 21 points since January." But a first lady's involvement in health care reform is nothing new. In the early '90s, first lady Hillary Clinton spearheaded the Clinton administration's push for reform, holding meetings, testifying before congressional committees and, in general, taking charge of the

Who delivered marks on health care reform?

what reform did michelle obama talk about?

Answer: Sasha exhibited signs of potentially deadly meningitis

Answer: her own family's experience

Answer: Michelle Obama

Answer: health care

Answer: when daughter Sasha exhibited signs of potentially deadly meningitis

Answer: health care

Answer: health care reform

Answer: how health care can affect families.

Summary:
First lady Michelle Obama delivers remarks on health care reform Friday .
Obama recalls personal health stories about her daughter and father .
Analysts say her personal touch on the thorny issue could help her husband .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- She's faced the glare of public life since she was a girl, but Chelsea Clinton must contend with renewed press scrutiny as she increasingly assumes a role in her mother's campaign for president. Chelsea Clinton accompanies her mother to the polls on Super Tuesday in Chappaqua, New York. The former first daughter always has been off-limits to the media, especially while she was growing up in the White House. But pressure to burst this protective bubble is likely to grow as the soon-to-be 28-year-old campaigns across the country for Sen. Hillary Clinton, even heading to Hawaii -- Sen. Barack Obama's home turf. Chelsea Clinton will spend three days there to strum up last-minute votes before the state's Tuesday caucuses, said a source from her mother's campaign. In the rough-and-tumble world of politics, her parents always have been protective of her -- including most recently after a TV correspondent's comment that the Clinton campaign found inappropriate.  Watch how controversy goes with the last name » "Doesn't it seem as if Chelsea is being pimped out in some weird sort of way?" MSNBC correspondent David Shuster said this month about her reputed calls to superdelegates. Clinton communications director Howard Wolfson excoriated Shuster and called his remarks "beneath contempt" and disgusting. The senator from New York even sent a damning letter to NBC and demanded "appropriate action." "I am a mom first and a candidate second, and I found the remark incredibly offensive," she said. (Shuster was suspended indefinitely for the remark, made February 7 when he was a guest host for Tucker Carlson. MSNBC said Thursday that the suspension will end February 22.) Even a fourth-grader apparently can't get through to the press-shy Chelsea Clinton. Scholastic News "kid reporter" Sydney Rieckhoff was in pursuit of a story as she questioned presidential candidates last month on the campaign trail in Iowa, according to The Associated Press. Approaching Chelsea Clinton, she reportedly asked, "Do you think your dad would be a good 'first man' in the White House?" But Clinton wasn't talking. "I'm sorry, I don't talk to the press and that applies to you, unfortunately. Even though I think you're cute," she said, according to the AP. During a campaign stop at the Luckie Food Lounge in Atlanta, Georgia, in mid-January, one supporter asked Clinton to reveal something that nobody else knew about her. She responded she would love to -- if all the cameras weren't around. Clinton has proven to be an effective campaigner for her mother, according to a campaign source, saying there's a strong correlation between her visits and improved performance. At this point, the campaign has become a fight for delegates, and even narrowing a loss has a big impact, a source said. This election cycle, Clinton campaigned for her mother in California, the first state where the senator won the youth vote. A rural congressional district in Nebraska where she campaigned reportedly outperformed others in the state. Politicians protecting their children from the spotlight is hardly new. The Bushes complained when daughters Jenna and Barbara became fodder for late-night comics and media outlets. Vice President Dick Cheney also has been reticent when it comes to his daughter Mary, who had a child with her lesbian partner. During a debate with Cheney in 2004, Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards broached the topic, saying, "I think the vice president and his wife love their daughter. I think they love her very much. And you can't have anything but respect for the fact that they're willing to talk about the fact that they have a gay daughter." Cheney responded, "Let me simply thank the senator for the kind words he said about my family and our daughter. I appreciate that very much. ... That's it." But the vice president later slammed Sen. John Kerry for his remarks about Mary Cheney when asked about homosexuality during a

Which presidential nominee's daughter is stepping up to campaign?

Who shielded daughter from the spotlight?

Answer: across the country

Answer: accompanies her mother to the polls on Super Tuesday in Chappaqua, New York.

Answer: Chelsea Clinton

Answer: 28-year-old

Answer: her parents

Summary:
Chelsea Clinton steps up her role in her mother's  campaign .
The Clintons have always shielded their daughter from the media spotlight .
Ex-first daughter, who soon turns 28, will campaign in Hawaii for Tuesday caucuses .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Shortly before his death, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy wrote a letter to Pope Benedict XVI asking for the pontiff to pray for him as he struggled with an aggressive form of brain cancer, it was revealed at his graveside service Saturday evening. Members of the Kennedy family gather at the gravesite Saturday evening. Kennedy, the youngest and last-surviving brother of a heralded Kennedy generation, was laid to rest on a hillside at Arlington National Cemetery alongside his slain brothers, the late President John F. Kennedy and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy -- both assassinated more than four decades ago. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick read a recent letter from Kennedy to the pope at the private burial ceremony in Arlington, Virginia. "I am writing with deep humility to ask that you pray for me as my own health declines," McCarrick said, quoting from Kennedy's letter. "I was diagnosed with brain cancer more than a year ago, and although I continue treatment the disease is taking its toll on me. I am 77 years old, and preparing for the next passage of life," the cardinal read. Read excerpts from Kennedy's letter to pontiff The burial service at dusk followed a eulogy by President Barack Obama in Massachusetts, a brief prayer service outside the U.S. Capitol and a procession through the crowd-lined street of Washington's streets. Among the congressional colleagues greeting the Kennedy family at the Capitol was 91-year-old Sen. Robert Byrd, D-West Virginia, who has been out of the spotlight lately because of deteriorating health.  Watch an overview of the day's events » Many who had gathered at the Capitol were visibly emotional and wiping tears from their eyes. Some held framed photos of Kennedy, and many held American flags that they waved during a singing of "America the Beautiful." The Rev. Daniel Coughlin -- chaplain of the House of Representatives -- said a prayer and addressed the family. "Here we are to pray with you, offer sympathy and thank you," he said. "Thank you for sharing the senator." Coughlin also noted that Kennedy's hopes were "unquenchable, full of immortality." As Kennedy's widow, Vicki, went back into the car, she waved to the crowd and mouthed, "Thank you" as the crowd erupted into applause. The late senator's son, U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, addressed those on the steps, saying how his father "knew that he was only great because he had great people supporting him." "He would be very proud to see you all out here today paying a final respect and tribute to his memory," he said. Earlier Saturday at the funeral in Boston, Massachusetts, Obama hailed Kennedy as "a champion for those who had none; the soul of the Democratic Party; and the lion of the U.S. Senate." "He was given the gift of time that his brothers were not, and he used that gift to touch as many lives and right as many wrongs as the years would allow," the president said. "We can still hear his voice bellowing through the Senate chamber, face reddened, fist pounding the podium, a veritable force of nature, in support of health care or workers' rights or civil rights," Obama said, calling Kennedy "the greatest legislator of our time." Watch President Obama's full eulogy » Kennedy's son Ted Jr. delivered a tender, personal remembrance of his larger-than-life father. He said his father "never stopped trying to right wrongs." Kennedy lived up to the ideals of three older brothers, all of whom died young -- Joseph in World War II, President John and Sen. Robert assassinated -- his son said. "He answered Uncle Joe's call to patriotism, Uncle Jack's call to public service and Bobby's determination to seek a newer world. "Unlike them, he lived to be a grandfather, and knowing what my cousins have been through, I feel grateful that I have had my father as long as I did," Ted Jr.

What is the name of the person that wrote the Pope a letter?

Who was laid to rest at Arlington National cemetery?

who was hailed a champion for those who had none?

Answer: the pontiff to pray for him

Answer: Sen. Edward M. Kennedy

Answer: "I am writing with deep humility to ask that you pray for me as my own health declines,"

Answer: Pope Benedict

Answer: Arlington National Cemetery

Answer: "a champion for those who had none; the soul of the Democratic Party; and the lion of the U.S. Senate."

Answer: Sen. Edward M. Kennedy

Answer: Sen. Edward M. Kennedy

Answer: Sen. Edward M. Kennedy

Answer: Arlington National Cemetery

Answer: XVI

Answer: Kennedy

Answer: Sen. Edward M. Kennedy

Summary:
NEW: In letter to Pope Benedict XVI, Kennedy asked for prayers .
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery .
President Obama hailed Kennedy as "a champion for those who had none"


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Shouting from the audience. Holding up signs blasting the health care reform bill before Congress. Frequent hissing and booing. Many Facebook and Twitter users condemned Rep. Joe Wilson for his outburst toward President Obama. Though it sounds like behavior at one of the health care town hall meetings last month, it was how some Republicans reacted to President Obama's speech to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday night. But Norm Ornstein, a longtime observer of Congress and an expert at the American Enterprise Institute, said the tone and behavior from members of Congress are not necessarily new. "A lot of what went on [Wednesday] night has become fairly typical of what we've seen in the State of the Union messages over the last 10 or 12 years, where it's one side jumping up wildly and the other side sitting on their hands in stony silence." The most memorable moment came from Rep. Joe Wilson, R-South Carolina, who shouted "You lie" after the president said that a Democratic-sponsored health care bill would not cover illegal immigrants. Ornstein said that in addition to being beyond the bounds of what is typical, Wilson's comment is "just sort of stunning in the level of disrespect for not just the president but the presidency."  Watch more of Wilson's outburst » During several moments in Obama's speech, members of the GOP hissed and yelled at the president as he laid out his plan for reform. One Republican held a sign saying, "What bill?" House Minority Whip Eric Cantor, R-Virginia, was seen several times typing on his phone during the speech. Vice President Joe Biden told ABC's "Good Morning America" on Thursday that he was "embarrassed for the chamber and a Congress I love." Observers said the behavior is probably indicative of the vitriolic sentiments found during town hall meetings. "I think a lot of those Republican members went home to their district and were met with very angry reaction from their constituents. Congress, as you know, is pretty polarized," said Kasie Hunt, a health care reporter for National Journal's Congress Daily. "I think, in some ways, that's what you really saw last night: the degree of acceptance of that angry discord that we've really hadn't seen in a long time." Hunt said there is still a lot of misunderstanding among Republican members of Congress. John O'Connor, who covers politics for The State newspaper in South Carolina, said that a lot of Wilson's anger mirrors what many feel in his home state. "I think he feels the way a lot of people in South Carolina feel about [health care reform]. They're suspicious. They're worried. There's some fear out there about what could happen." But O'Connor points out that South Carolina tends to be more conservative than other states, and Wilson's town halls were generally civil. "Rep. Wilson, however, held a town hall meeting in Columbia where, for the most part, there was a pretty reasoned debate," he added. "There were folks on both sides raising issues, asking questions." Still, it might have been Wilson's constituents' anger and distrust that contributed to the outburst in Congress, O'Connor noted. "His takeaway from that was that people support his stance, which was to oppose any version of what he's calling Obamacare," he said. "So despite the fact that there was clearly some support in that audience for doing something about health care and health insurance, he kind of had a different impression of what the majority of the crowd thought." Could Wilson face any trouble for his comments Wednesday night? Unlikely, according to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Pelosi said Thursday that there is a procedure that could have been implemented to strike Wilson's "lie" comment from the record. But she said the president did the right thing in continuing on and not giving it "any more attention than it deserved." Pelosi indicated that she would not press the

What was the topic that President Obama delivered?

What was the topic of the address to Congress on Wednesday?

Who yelled out, "You lie" during the speech?

Answer: the health care reform bill

Answer: a Democratic-sponsored health care bill would not cover illegal immigrants.

Answer: health care reform bill

Answer: Rep. Joe Wilson, R-South Carolina,

Answer: tone and behavior from members of Congress are not necessarily new.

Summary:
President Obama delivered his health care reform plan to Congress on Wednesday .
GOP Rep. Joe Wilson yelled out "you lie" during Obama's speech .
S.C. observer says his view might be echoing sentiment from voters .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Six heat-trapping gases that contribute to air pollution pose potential health hazards, the Environmental Protection Agency said Friday in a landmark announcement that could lead to regulation of the gases. "This finding confirms that greenhouse gas pollution is a serious problem," EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said. The gases -- carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride -- have been the subject of intensive analysis by scientists around the world, the EPA said. The U.S. Supreme Court ordered the EPA's scientific review in 2007. "This finding confirms that greenhouse gas pollution is a serious problem now and for future generations," EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson said in a release, later adding, "The science clearly shows that concentrations of these gases are at unprecedented levels as a result of human emissions, and these high levels are very likely the cause of the increase in average temperatures and other changes in our climate." The EPA's finding now goes into a public comment period. The report, titled "Assessment of the Impacts of Global Change on Regional U.S. Air Quality: A Synthesis of Climate Change Impacts on Ground-Level Ozone," is the culmination of a study started in 2000, the EPA said. The White House moved quickly to try to squelch any concerns that the EPA would immediately issue any regulations concerning the gases. "The president has made clear his strong preference that Congress act to pass comprehensive legislation rather than address the climate challenge through administrative action," White House spokesman Ben LaBolt said. "That's why the president has repeatedly called for a bill to provide for market-based solutions to reduce carbon pollution and transition to a clean-energy economy that creates millions of green jobs." The EPA announcement comes amid efforts by Congress to enact a limit on global warming pollution. The House Energy and Commerce Committee is scheduled to begin hearings next week on a comprehensive energy and climate bill, called the American Clean Energy and Security Act. Committee Chairman Henry Waxman is said to want the bill out of committee by Memorial Day, which falls on May 25, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she wants to bring the bill to the House floor for a vote this year. Environmentalists hailed the EPA's announcement, with the nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund calling it a "historic step ... [that] formally determined that global warming pollution 'endangers' the nation's human health and well-being." "The U.S. is taking its first steps as a nation to confront climate change," said Vickie Patton, deputy general counsel at the environmental advocacy group. "Global warming threatens our health, our economy, and our children's prosperity. EPA's action is a wake-up call for national policy solutions that secure our economic and environmental future." But critics say the finding will just produce a "glorious mess." "Today's action by the EPA is the beginning of a regulatory barrage that will destroy jobs, raise energy prices for consumers and undermine America's global competitiveness," said Sen. James Inhofe, R-Oklahoma, the ranking member on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. "It now appears EPA's regulatory reach will find its way into schools, hospitals, assisted living facilities and just about any activity that meets minimum thresholds in the Clean Air Act." The EPA notes in an accompanying report released Friday that global warming could make ozone pollution worse in some parts of the United States. Future ozone management decisions may have to take into account the possible effects of global warming, the report says. "Climate change, along with other aspects of global change, including changes in population, land use and the technologies employed for energy production and transportation, may alter the capacity for U.S. states to successfully attain the national air quality standards in the future," the report concludes. Ground-level ozone is formed when sunlight causes a chemical reaction in the air between nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds emitted by motor vehicles and industrial plants. Ozone levels are typically higher on sunny days in areas that have

who is going to be affected by this act?

What did environmentalists say about the announcement?

Answer: schools, hospitals, assisted living facilities

Answer: comprehensive energy and climate bill,

Answer: comprehensive energy and climate bill,

Answer: comprehensive energy and climate bill, called the American Clean Energy and Security Act.

Answer: the finding will just produce a "glorious mess."

Answer: [that] formally determined that global warming pollution 'endangers' the nation's human health and well-being."

Summary:
EPA official says "concentrations of these gases are at unprecedented levels"
Environmentalists say announcement is important step in reduction efforts .
Critic: Finding may help destroy jobs, raise energy prices, cut U.S. competitiveness .
The House is will begin discussing the American Clean Energy and Security Act .