Today in the Washington Examiner May 24, 2011



Byron York - King: Giuliani 'very close' to joining GOP presidential race


Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, whose presidential campaign fizzled in 2008, is leaning toward another race for the White House, according to a close associate. New York Republican Rep. Peter King, who has known Giuliani for more than 40 years, says the former mayor "is very close to saying he's going to run." "If he were to make the decision today, he would run," says King. Read More






Byron York - The Dems' 'breathtaking' refusal to pass a budget


"Let’s see it,” a frustrated Sen. Jeff Sessions said on the Senate floor Monday afternoon. “Let’s bring it forward.” By “it,” Sessions meant a Democratic proposal for a 2012 federal budget. In recent days Sessions, the top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee, has been asking, pushing, pleading, cajoling and begging Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to put forward a Democratic plan. So far, Reid has steadfastly refused. Read More






Brian Hughes - Obama seeks broader power to combat terrorism


Congress begins debate this week on a defense bill that some fear would grant President Obama expansive new authority to wage the war on terror, reigniting a debate over just how much unfettered power the commander-in-chief should be allowed to exercise to protect the country. Read More






Susan Ferrechio - N.Y. race reveals problems for GOP budget-cutters


Republicans are bracing for an upset Tuesday in a special New York congressional election that Democrats are framing as an early referendum on the GOP's budget-slashing, entitlement-reforming agenda. By all accounts, Republican businesswoman Jane Corwin was supposed to cruise to victory in a race to fill the 26th District House seat vacated earlier this year by Republican Rep. Christopher Lee, who resigned after being caught sending racy emails to a woman on Craigslist who was not his wife. Read More






David Freddoso - Fourth Circuit may rule Obamacare mandate is a tax


This afternoon, the Fourth Circuit panel considering the Commonwealth of Virginia's challenge to Obamacare has asked for supplemental briefs from all parties related to the arguments about the federal government's constitutional powers of taxation. This may mean that the court is setting itself up to rule that the penalty for not purchasing insurance under Obamacare is, in fact, a tax and not a penalty at all, and that therefore the court lacks jurisdiction to hear the case. Read More






Philip Klein - Democrats' Medicare plan bankrupts 25% of all hospitals by 2030


“We have a plan. It’s called Medicare,” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi told The Washington Post last week. Read More






Michael Barone - Democrat disses Obamacare's IPAB and undermines Democratic Medicare claims


I want to underline my Washington Examiner colleague Philip Klein’s blogpost on Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz’s USAToday column opposing the Independent Payment Advisory Board, a major feature of the Obamacare legislation Read More






Philip Klein - Pawlenty calls for phasing out ethanol subsidies -- in Iowa


Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty made a savvy move today when he rightfully called for an end to ethanol subsidies in announcing his presidential run in Des Moines. The fact that Iowa is the first state in the presidential race is one reason why it's always been so hard to get rid of ethanol subsidies, which conservatives and a growing number of liberals agree is awful policy. Read More