White House hopefuls try to woo crowd
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Republicans making their pitch to be the party’s 2016 presidential nominee aimed to out-do each other Saturday in arguing that President Barack Obama is a failed leader.
But hitting Obama with the usual critiques – from his 2010 health-care overhaul to allegations of missteps on foreign policy to the rise in the national debt during his time in office – also made it hard for the gaggle of White House aspirants to stand out during a forum in South Carolina hosted by the conservative group Citizens United.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker tried by touting his ability to beat whomever is nominated by the Democratic Party, reminding activists that he won three statewide elections in four years in a state twice carried by Obama.
Few have confidence in U.S. Supreme Court
WASHINGTON – Many people in the United States doubt that the U.S. Supreme Court can rule fairly in the latest litigation jeopardizing President Barack Obama’s health-care law.
The Associated Press-GfK poll finds only 1 person in 10 is highly confident that the justices will rely on objective interpretations of the law rather than their personal opinions. Nearly half, 48 percent, are not confident of the court’s impartiality.
“That lawsuit should have never made it this far,” said Hal Lewis, a retiree from Scranton, Pennsylvania.
“If they rule for the people who are bringing the suit, it could be close to the destruction of Obamacare in this country,” added Lewis, who once edited a local newspaper in his city.
Lewis is one of the relatively few people – 13 percent – who say they are closely following the case, called King v. Burwell.
States to confront big budget gaps
ATLANTA – With the nation’s economy at its healthiest since the Great Recession, a surprising trend is emerging among the states – large budget gaps.
An Associated Press analysis of statehouse finances around the country shows that at least 22 states project shortfalls for the coming fiscal year. The deficits recall recession-era anxiety about plunging tax revenue and deep cuts to education, social services and other government-funded programs.
The sheer number of states facing budget gaps prompted Standard & Poor’s Ratings Service to call the trend a sort of “early warning.”
Associated Press
