SC Senate Candidate Indicted on Felony Charge

A grand jury on Friday indicted U.S. Senate candidate Alvin Greene on two charges, including a a felony charge of showing pornography to a South Carolina college student.

Greene was indicted for disseminating, procuring or promoting obscenity, a felony and a misdemeanor charge of communicating obscene materials to a person without consent.

Greene told FoxNews.com that "my lawyer's dealing with it" before hanging up. When reached again by phone and asked who his lawyer is, Greene said, "It doesn't matter," and hung up.

Greene was arrested in November after authorities say he approached a student in a University of South Carolina computer lab, showed her obscene photos online, then talked about going to her dorm room.

Greene has not entered a plea and has refused to talk about the accusations in interviews.

Greene, 32, won a shocking victory in the June 8 Democratic primary. The unemployed military veteran handily defeated Vic Rawl, a former lawmaker and judge who had been considered an easy win by the party establishment.

Up to that point, Greene had done no visible campaigning and had no website, fundraising or staff. - FOX News Story

Even Democrats Don't Think Obama's Housing Plan is Working

Rep. Dennis Cardoza doesn’t think that Housing and Urban Development Department Secretary Shaun Donovan has any right to tout the administration’s successes at preventing home foreclosures in California.

The California Democrat has fired off a heated letter to President Barack Obama after reading an op-ed piece from Donovan in the Fresno Bee, highlighting the falling foreclosure rate in California’s Central Valley as evidence that HUD’s efforts to tackle the housing crisis are yielding results.

“I’m incredibly disappointed in the lack of professionalism and lack of understanding shown by this agency. They don’t get it,” Cardoza told POLITICO.

“For him to try to convince my folks, who are suffering on a daily basis, that he’s right because he’s read some statistics in Washington when he doesn’t get it, it’s really just absurd,” Cardoza continued.

At the heart of the controversy is a debate over different readings of the data compiled by RealtyTrac, an independent firm that tracks foreclosure filings. Donovan points to evidence that foreclosure rates have fallen 21 percent in Stockton and 35 percent in Merced in the first six months of the year, compared with last year.

“This improvement is the result of, in large part, the array of targeted tools the Obama administration has provided to communities in this region, to the state and to homeowners to begin stabilizing the housing market,” Donovan wrote.

But three cities in Cardoza’s district — Modesto, Merced and Stockton – have ranked among the top 10 in the country for foreclosures. And the congressman says that data doesn’t acknowledge the increase in loan payment delinquencies, which could signal more foreclosures ahead.

“These programs simply are not working, and I am deeply troubled by HUD’s lack of understanding of the foreclosure crisis,” Cardoza wrote. “Your leadership on this issue is needed more than ever.” - Politico Story

W. Va. Democrat Used Congressional Office to Help Son Stay out of Jail

In February 2005, as his troubled son was facing felony robbery charges in Virginia, Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) wrote a letter to a Fairfax County judge on congressional stationery, imploring him to show mercy on the then-27-year-old Nick Joe Rahall III.

Nick Joe Rahall, the congressman’s only son, was given a four-year suspended sentence, avoiding prison time in this instance despite being incarcerated twice in the previous four years.

Rahall acknowledged to POLITICO that he should not have used congressional stationery for the Feb. 14, 2005, letter but said it was not the same type that he uses for official or committee business. House ethics rules bar the use of congressional stationery for anything but government-related activities.

Rahall also denied that his son was granted any special breaks because of Rahall's status as a member of Congress or because of his intervention.

"I should have used different personal letterhead,” Rahall said in a statement to POLITICO. “Back then, as I do now, I keep a supply of personal noncongressional stationery on hand. In the emotions of the moment I may have drawn from the wrong stack of paper, but my message was 100 percent from the heart of a father. I would send the message again in a heartbeat.”

Rahall added that he “will be reimbursing the Treasury [Department] for the paper." - Politico Story

Florida Dem. Senate Candidate Threatens to Sue Media

Billionaire self-funding Senate hopeful Jeff Greene, who's been on the receiving end of extensive media scrutiny in his Florida race to be the Democrat challenging independent Charlie Crist and Republican Marco Rubio, is vowing to sue the St. Petersburg Times if they don't print a retraction this Sunday.

At issue is a Times story about Greene's real estate transactions that ran over the weekend, and a subsequent editorial that delved into a project at the periphery of Death Valley. It's a lengthy story and one that is better read undistilled. Greene's own letter, filed by lawyer L. Lin Wood — who was involved in the JonBenet Ramsey case — is linked in a PDF.

The letter alleges that the paper had dozens of documents that it ignored and that it misreported facts. I'd recommend reading the story, then reading the letter.

But the letter demands a retraction of "equal" size to the original story in the Aug. 15 edition of the paper, or a lawsuit will follow. As I understand it, under Florida libel laws, the notice demanding a retraction is the first step toward a lawsuit, like a notice of claim.

From the letter: "The Times reporting falsely accuses an extremely successful businessman and viable candidate for high office of serious crimes. The resulting damage to my client's reputation from this false reporting can only be measured in the many millions of dollars unless the Times immediately corrects its libel. Failure to do so will unquestionably lead to litigation in order to hold the Times accountable for its wrongdoing."

The letter lists 21 statements in the two pieces it claims are "false and defamatory." It's also very long and legally aggressive letter - again, I'd urge you to read the whole thing because a summary won't quite do.

It's not a move one usually sees during a political campaign — usually such a move comes after, and generally when a candidate has lost. There have been a few recent stories about other suits involving Greene, including one in Forbes about someone alleging defamation against him, and one he filed against director Ron Howard over a house the businessman owned in California that was rented during a movie shoot. - Politico Story

Less Government Transparency in Obama Government

The more things “change,” the more they stay the same in Barack Obama’s Washington, D.C. – especially when it comes to government transparency.

After decrying his predecessor as the “most secretive” President in American history, then-candidate Obama promised in 2008 to usher in a new era of transparency in our nation’s capital. Two years later however, this campaign rhetoric has proven every bit as hollow and hypocritical as Obama’s pledge to refrain from raising taxes on the middle class (which he violated at least a dozen times upon signing his new socialized medicine legislation).

Obama has talked a good game on transparency, but he has done far worse than fail to keep his promise and deliver a more open government – he has actually moved our country in the wrong direction.

On his first full day in office, Obama sent out a widely-publicized memo to government agencies regarding his views on the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), a collection of laws that exist to ensure public access to public documents.

“All agencies should adopt a presumption in favor of disclosure, in order to renew their commitment to the principles embodied in FOIA, and to usher in a new era of open government,” Obama wrote.

While Obama’s words were praised by both the legacy media and open government advocates, the truth is his administration’s actions have made it more difficult for citizens to access public documents.

In fact, according to a March 2010 Associated Press analysis of FOIA responses at 17 major agencies, 466,872 FOIA denials were issued during the Obama administration’s first year in office – a 50 percent increase over the previous year. Also, a March 2010 study by George Washington University’s National Security Archive found that two-thirds of federal agencies ignored Obama’s memo and made no changes whatsoever to their FOIA policy.

In addition to denying more FOIA requests, Obama has refused to call for an audit of the secret Federal Reserve Bank and rescinded Bush-era disclosure requirements for labor union leaders – the same union bosses who provided over $100 million (and nearly half a million volunteers) for Obama and Democratic Congressional candidates in 2008.

The hypocrisy on transparency doesn’t end there, though. - Rasmussen Reports

Unemployment Rises Again

New applications for unemployment insurance rose last week to their highest level in almost six months, the latest evidence that some employers are still cutting their staffs.

First-time claims for jobless benefits edged up by 2,000 to a seasonally adjusted 484,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. Analysts had expected a drop. That's the highest total since February.

Initial claims have now risen in three of the last four weeks and are close to their high point for the year of 490,000, reached in late January. The four-week average, which smooths volatility, soared by 14,250 to 473,500, also the highest since late February.

The prospects of more layoffs added to this week's grim outlook for the economy, which began Tuesday when the Federal Reserve lowered its assessment of the recovery.

Investors were bracing for another rocky day on Wall Street. Dow Jones industrial average futures, which were down about 50 points before the report came out, fell further. They were down nearly 90 points before the market opened. - FOX News Story

Senate Majority Leader in Hot Water for Hispanic Comment

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on Tuesday made an appeal to Latino voters that conservatives are saying smacks of racial insensitivity.

At a Nevada campaign event with Latino supporters, Reid blasted Republicans for blocking comprehensive immigration reform, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

"I don't know how anyone of Hispanic heritage could be a Republican, OK," Reid said. "Do I need to say more?"

Conservatives are pushing back on that remark, at a time when immigration reform has become an increasingly divisive issue. It could be a particularly important issue in Nevada, where Hispanics make up about 25 percent of the state population and accounted for 15 percent of the electorate in 2008, according to the Review-Journal.

Alfonso Aguilar, executive director of the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles, said Reid's comments were condescending.

"Hispanic voters don't have a 'herd mentality,'" he said. "They have shown that their vote cannot be taken for granted by any party and that they will support candidates who will defend the principles they believe in -- the sanctity of the family, the dignity of the human person, hard work and entrepreneurship, among others."

Immigration reform was pushed to the forefront of national debate in the spring, when Arizona added a law to the books requiring police officers to check the immigration status of suspected illegal immigrants during any lawful stop. Republicans across the country have expressed support for the measure, which polls show is supported by most Americans. A district judge in July put the most controversial aspects of the Arizona immigration law on hold.

In April, Reid promised Hispanic activists that he would deliver comprehensive immigration reform this year, the Review-Journal points out, and said there would be "no excuses" for failure. The push for immigration reform has lost steam in Washington, however, as Republicans who once took a moderate stance on the issue -- such as Sens. Lindsey Graham and John McCain -- have pulled back on their support. Now, Republicans are pushing even further to the right on the issue, calling for a reconsideration of the 14th Amendment, which guarantees citizenship for anyone born in the United States, even if their parents are in the country illegally. - CBS News Story

Obama Press Secretary Puts Foot in Mouth Again

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs is still facing increasing criticism from liberals even after backtracking comments where he called out "the professional left" for not giving enough credit for what President Obama has accomplished.

Wednesday, Gibbs is scheduled to speak out on-camera for the first time since the comments were published and is likely to get a barrage of questions and clarify his statements made to "The Hill" newspaper.

Gibbs missed Tuesday's briefing, and White House Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton said Gibbs was suffering a cold and unable to brief. The first question out of the gates Tuesday was on the Gibbs and Burton said, the press secretary was "having one conversation with one reporter" about "frustrations" and "answered honestly. Shouldn't be read more than that."

In the initial interview published Tuesday morning, Gibbs had harsh words for what he called "the professional left"" saying, "They will be satisfied when we have Canadian healthcare and we've eliminated the Pentagon. That's not reality."

Democratic lawmakers, pundits and bloggers immediately weighed in, and Rep. Ellison, D-Minn., even hinted that a resignation may be the fair response.

And of the more provocative lines Gibbs charged, "I hear these people saying he's like George Bush. Those people ought to be drug tested," Gibbs said. "I mean, it's crazy."

This isn't the first time Gibbs found himself in hot water with his party base.The latest in-party scuffle follows a statement in July where Democratic leaders were disappointed that he said on NBC's Meet the Press that he thought his party would likely lose in the mid-term elections. He later backtracked those comments.

Gibbs also walked back from his interview saying he's probably watched too much cable news and that his statements were "inartful" and called for party unity. He also pointed out all the things he thinks the administration has accomplished.

In the initial interview, Gibbs also talked about criticism from Democrats that President Obama had compromised his values on issues like health care and war. "They wouldn't be satisfied if Dennis Kucinich was president," Gibbs said. - FOX News Story

Democrats Raid Food Stamps to Pay Teachers

Some Democrats are upset and advocacy groups are outraged over the raiding of the food-stamp cupboard to fund a state-aid bailout that some call a gift to teachers and government union workers.

House members convened Tuesday and passed the multibillion-dollar bailout bill for cash-strapped states that provides $10 billion to school districts to rehire laid-off teachers or ensure that more teachers won't be let go before the new school year begins, keeping more than 160,000 teachers on the job, the Obama administration says.

But the bill also requires that $12 billion be stripped from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps, to help fund the new bill, prompting some Democrats to cringe at the notion of cutting back on one necessity to pay for another. The federal assistance program currently helps 41 million Americans.

Arguably one of the most outspoken opponents on the Democratic side is Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, who has blasted the move as “a bitter pill to swallow” but still voted yes.

“I fought very hard for the food assistance money in the Recovery Act, and the fact is that participation in the food stamps program has jumped dramatically with the economic crisis, from 31.1 million persons to 38.2 million just in one year,” DeLauro said in an e-mail sent to FoxNews.com. “But I know that states across the nation and my own state of Connecticut also desperately need these resources to save jobs and avoid Draconian cuts to essential services for low income families.” - FOX News Story

Obama's Polling Numbers Continue Decline

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Wednesday shows that 24% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as president. Forty-six percent (46%) Strongly Disapprove, giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -22 (see trends).

This matches the lowest Approval Index rating yet measured for this president. Platinum Members can see key demographic information and other members-only information.

Over the past week, the Approval Index ratings have been more volatile than usual and it is unlikely that perceptions of the president have shifted that much. Rather, with results reported on a three-day rolling average basis, the volatility appears to be the result of one day with results outside of the normal range working its way through the system. Over the past couple of months, the president’s full-month Approval Index rating has been -16 or -17. - Rasmussen Reports