Stephen Colbert learned an important lesson Thursday at the Federal Election Commission: Even a gifted comedian can’t make campaign-finance law funny.
In a meeting devoid of anything beyond a gentle chuckle, the FEC decided that Colbert could go ahead with his plans to form a self-titled “super PAC” that could raise and spend unlimited money on the 2012 elections.
But the panel also concluded that the television host’s employer, Viacom Corp., would have to report any help it gives to Colbert for political activities outside the “Colbert Report” show.
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ST. PAUL, Minn. — In an echo of the debate unfolding in Washington, Minnesota hurtled toward a midnight government shutdown Thursday in a dispute over taxes and spending that could force thousands of layoffs, bring road projects to a standstill and close state parks just ahead of the Fourth of July weekend.
As the deadline drew ever closer without a resolution, people rushed to get driver’s and fishing licenses, and park officials began warning campers to pack their gear and leave.
Though nearly all states are having severe budget problems this year, Minnesota stood alone on the brink of a shutdown, thanks to Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton’s determination to raise taxes on high-earners to close a $5 billion deficit and the Republican Legislature’s refusal to go along.
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Rep. Michele Bachmann made a startling admission Wednesday night at an event in South Carolina: She had a previously unreported miscarriage.
“After our second child was born, we became pregnant with a third baby,” said Bachmann (R-Minn.). “And it was an unexpected baby, but of course we were delighted to have this child. And the child was coming along, and we ended up losing that child. And it was devastating for both of us, as you can imagine if any of you have lost a child.”
She told the story in the context of her opposition to abortion. But Bachmann’s decision to reveal something so personal is telling — and provides a window into her unique appeal in the race.
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The Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs has approved legislation that would require broad job-skills training for all U.S. service members before leaving the military.
The bill, aimed at cutting the high unemployment rate among veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, was unanimously endorsed by the panel Wednesday.
The legislation would provide “veterans with the broad job-skills training and support they need to break down barriers to employment,” committee Chairman Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said. “For the first time, this comprehensive bill will require service members to learn how to translate the skills they learned in the military into the working world.”
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President Obama surprised Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates on Thursday with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, paying tribute to his four decades of public service at a regal farewell ceremony outside the Pentagon.
The honor came on Gates’s last day as defense secretary after 41
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2 years in the job. The citation for the medal — the highest civilian honor the commander in chief can bestow — said that Gates has “selflessly dedicated his life to ensuring the security of the American people.”
The secretary appeared humbled and genuinely surprised by the honor.
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This is the latest in a regular Fix series that focuses on the decennial redistricting process in key states. We call it “Mapping the Future.” The series aims to look forward to how the maps in these states could be drawn and what the best and worst outcomes for each party might be. Today we take on South Carolina. (And make sure to check out the previous installments: Texas, Indiana, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Ohio, California, Nevada, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Florida, Utah, North Carolina
, Wisconsin, Maryland, Michigan, Louisiana, New Jersey, Colorado and Minnesota.)
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