WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Republicans reacted with surprise and recrimination Sunday to blistering criticism of the Iraq war from former coalition commander retired Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez.

Lawmakers lashed back at retired Gen. Ricardo Sanchez on Sunday after he criticized the war effort.

On Friday, Sanchez, who was coalition commander in 2003 and 2004, called the Iraq war "a nightmare with no end in sight." He said the Bush administration, the State Department and Congress all share blame.

Speaking with military reporters in Virginia, Sanchez also said such dereliction of duty by a military officer would mean immediate dismissal or court martial, but the politicians have not been held accountable.

"I'm astounded, really," South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham on CNN's "Late Edition" with Wolf Blitzer on Sunday.

Graham, who recently returned from Baghdad, said he and GOP presidential candidate Sen. John McCain had visited Sanchez several times in 2003 and 2004.

"Every time we talked to Gen. Sanchez, we got pushback -- we have enough troops; Guard and reserves aren't being strained," Graham said.

He added that Sanchez's own record in Iraq is blemished: Abu Ghraib "got out of control under his watch. The war in general got out of control under his watch."

But Graham said that "finally," with the commitment of nearly 30,000 additional U.S. troops since January, "We are getting it right."

Sanchez told reporters that American political leaders have cost American lives on the battlefield with their "lust for power."

Sanchez said it had been his duty to obey orders and not object publicly while on active duty, but that he has an obligation to speak out now that he has retired.

"While the politicians espouse a rhetoric designed to preserve their reputations and their political power, our soldiers die," he said.

That brought a tart response from McCain, the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

"I wish that he had given us the benefit of that knowledge at the time," McCain told CBS's "Face the Nation." He said Sanchez should have spoken out at the time -- or resigned -- but "unfortunately, that doesn't happen very often."

One of the reasons few speak out, he said, is evidenced by what happened to former Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric Shinseki, McCain said. Shinseki was sidelined after telling Congress that hundreds of thousands of troops would be needed to occupy Iraq.

Sen. Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, told ABC's "This Week" that Sanchez is simply wrong. "My definition of winning is a stable country and an ally in the war on terror," he said. "I think we're making significant progress toward that end."

But, he added, "I think the central government in Iraq has been an embarrassment. They've not been able to produce any of the kind of political compromises that we had hoped for."

Graham said he hopes the government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki will "step up to the plate and do something meaningful by the end of the year."

If that does not happen, he said, "it will be incumbent upon us, as a nation, to devise a new political strategy to find a way forward or create a stable Iraq."

That brought a blistering response from Zbigniew Brzezinski, national security adviser under President Carter.

"What is this? This is a colony," he said. "That's the heart and essence of the difficulties we encounter."

Even those Iraqis who were happy to see Saddam Hussein toppled from power more than four years ago are not happy with the continuing U.S. presence, Brzezinski said.

Though some countries are willing to go along with the United States, "No one in the world really supports our policy in Iraq," he said.

In his Friday speech, Sanchez added that the "surge" of U.S. troops into Iraq represents "a desperate attempt by the administration that has not accepted the political and

Question: who says Sanchez is wrong

Question: What did Sanchez call war?

Question: who is astouned by comments?

Question: What did he experience there?

Question: Who is Sanchez?

Question: what did Sanchez call the war

Question: who said sanchez is wrong

Question: Where did Sanchez serve?

Question: What did Sen. McConnel say about Sanchez?

Question: Spoken up about what?

Question: Who said that Sanchez is "simply wrong"?

Question: What did he call war?

Question: What does McCain wish?

Question: Who spoke about it?

Question: development where war?

Question: What position did Sanchez have in the Iraq war?

Question: What was Sanchez's description of war?

Question: What did Sanchez comment about the Iraq war?

Question: What has him surprised?

Answer: Lawmakers

Answer: "a nightmare with no end in sight."

Answer: Sen. Lindsey Graham

Answer: "a nightmare with no end in sight."

Answer: former coalition commander retired Lt. Gen. Ricardo

Answer: "a nightmare with no end in sight."

Answer: Lawmakers

Answer: Iraq

Answer: should have spoken out at the time

Answer: criticized the war effort.

Answer: Sen. Mitch McConnell,

Answer: "a nightmare with no end in sight."

Answer: that he had given us the benefit of that knowledge at the time,"

Answer: Gen. Ricardo Sanchez

Answer: Iraq

Answer: coalition commander

Answer: "a nightmare with no end in sight."

Answer: "a nightmare with no end in sight."

Answer: blistering criticism

Summary:
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham: "I am astounded" by comments .
Sanchez, a retired former coalition commander in Iraq, called war "nightmare"
Republican Sen. John McCain wishes Sanchez would have spoken up earlier .
Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell said Sanchez is simply wrong .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Republicans were facing pressure Tuesday to vote for a rollback of across-the-board cuts in Medicare payments to health providers after a major doctors' group said the cuts could lead to a "meltdown" of the government's health care system for the elderly.

Doctors say they would take on fewer Medicare patients if the cuts go into effect.

On Monday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, called several Republicans trying to persuade them to support a bill that would reverse a 10.6 percent cut in Medicare payments to doctors.

The cuts in Medicare payments -- part of a scheduled cost-saving formula -- went into effect July 1, although the Bush administration said it will hold off on processing claims until mid-July to give Congress time to reach a compromise.

The Medicare system pays for the health care of roughly 40 million elderly Americans. Rising health care costs have made Medicare a growing part of the federal budget, and the stress on the system is increasing as more baby boomers reach retirement age.

Similar cuts have been scheduled to go into effect on July 1 in previous years, but Congress always has voted to stop the cuts before they went into effect.

Gerald Harmon, a family physician who practices in Pawleys Island, South Carolina, said the cuts could lead to doctors taking fewer Medicare patients, making it difficult for the program's elderly patients to get the care they need.

"This Medicare access problem is a real issue, not just a political football," said Harmon, who said 35 percent of his patients were eligible for Medicare. "It affects your dad, when he's sick. It affects my patients in my practice. This has to be addressed."

A vote on the bill last week fell one shy of the 60 needed to clear a Republican filibuster and advance in the Senate.

Senate Republicans joined the White House in objecting to the Democratic-back bill because it paid for the increased payments to doctors by trimming government support for private insurance programs that provide coverage to Medicare patients. The private Medicare programs are a top policy initiative for Republicans.

The issue has become the subject of an intense election-year lobbying and advertising campaign aimed primarily at its GOP opponents.

The American Medical Association, a powerful doctor's group, said its members may be forced to reduce service to Medicare patients if the cuts go into effect.

According to a recent association survey, 60 percent of physicians will be forced to limit the number of new Medicare patients they can take on if the July 1 cuts go into effect.

"We stand at the brink of a Medicare meltdown. ... For doctors, this is not a partisan issue -- it's a patient access issue," AMA President Nancy Nielsen said in a statement after the Senate vote last week.

The AMA ran radio and TV ads over the July Fourth congressional recess targeting 10 Republican senators, seven of whom are up for re-election.

The AARP, the nation's largest organization of retired persons, and other groups also are weighing in against the cuts.

Reid has "no idea" if the pressure has changed any minds, but the "proof will be in the pudding" when senators vote again to break the filibuster, said Jim Manley, a spokesman for the speaker. That vote is likely to occur Wednesday.

"There is clearly a lot of pressure," Sen. Max Baucus, D-Montana, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said Monday. Baucus said he has talked to several Republicans and "there are a few" who could switch their votes.

But GOP lawmakers and aides gave no indication the intense lobbying had changed any minds, and even if the bill does pass the Senate, it may still face a presidential veto.

Republicans "are holding out for a compromise that can pass and the president can sign," said a top GOP leadership aide.

At the heart of the dispute is the decision by Democratic lawmakers to pay for the "doctors' fix" by cutting funds for Medicare Advantage, a program

Question: Who caused the bill to stall in the Senate?

Question: who cut paymenst

Question: How much did Medicare cut payments by?

Answer: Republicans

Answer: Bush administration

Answer: 10.6 percent

Summary:
Medicare cut payments by 10.6 percent to doctors on July 1 .
Bush administration delays implementing cuts until mid-July .
Cuts could lead doctors to stop taking Medicare patients, advocacy groups argue .
Bill rolling back cuts stalled in the Senate due to Republican objections .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Responding to recent accidents linked to pilot fatigue, federal safety officials hope reduce airline pilots' logging 14-hour days. The FAA currently allows pilots to log 14-hour workdays, which the NTSB says contributes to accidents. The National Transportation Safety Board concluded in a report out Tuesday that pilot fatigue was a probable cause in a runway landing accident during bad weather in Michigan last winter. There were no fatalities. The Federal Aviation Administration currently allows a 14-hour workday with eight hours of logged airtime. "It's a critical issue; it's an insidious issue. Many times, the pilots themselves don't even recognize that they are fatigued when they get into that cockpit," NTSB Chairman Mark Rosenker said. And Rosenker made the same points about air traffic controllers more than a year ago, in April 2007. In a letter to the FAA, Rosenker said that four other plane incidents "provide clear and compelling evidence" that controllers are sometimes operating while fatigued because of their work schedules and poor use of rest periods. "That fatigue has contributed to controller errors," Rosenker wrote in 2007. "Fourteen hours is still a very long day," NTSB board member Debbie Hersman said. Her conclusion is backed by 40 years of airline accident statistics compiled by the FAA and cited Tuesday at an NTSB hearing. "After a duty period of about 10 to 12 hours, the number of observed accidents increased exponentially," NTSB staff member Malcolm Brenner said. In February, the cockpit crew of a passenger plane operated by Mesa Airlines failed to answer air traffic controllers for 18 minutes, missed the flight's destination in Hawaii and continued for another 15 miles at 21,000 feet over the Pacific Ocean. The investigation has shown that "both pilots unintentionally fell asleep during cruise flight," NTSB staff member Jena Price said during a presentation to the safety board. The crew of Go! Flight 1002 eventually answered concerned calls on the radio from ground controllers, turned around and safely landed. The NTSB report called for analysis of sleep quantity, sleep quality, performance, errors and incidents traced to schedules that disrupt sleep patterns, perhaps while stretching workloads to the maximum allowed. "They cannot just keep pushing pilots until they drop," said the head of the Air Line Pilots Association, Rory Kay. He said during a break in the NTSB hearing that "pilot pushing" is an issue. "We are in tough economic times, we're being asked to do more with less, and we have to support the pilot when he makes the determination that it's time to call it quits," he said. After reviewing some possible remedies against fatigue in the cockpit, board members unanimously approved the proposal to the FAA, which would be responsible for developing guidance for the airlines to carry out. The FAA plans to hold a symposium on fatigue management next week with representatives from the aviation industry. "I want the FAA to have a complete overhaul of the flight time/duty time regulations" that presently allow a 14-hour day with eight hours of flight time, Kay said.

Question: What did the pilot group president say?

Question: What contributes to crashes and near-crashes?

Question: What did the NTSB say?

Question: What contributed to the decision?

Question: What is the length of the pilots' work day?

Question: What contributed to plane crashes?

Question: For how long do the pilots work?

Question: Who is holding the symposium?

Question: What is the main subject of the FAA symposium ?

Answer: "That fatigue has contributed to controller errors,"

Answer: 14-hour workdays,

Answer: The FAA currently allows pilots to log 14-hour workdays, which the

Answer: pilot fatigue,

Answer: 14-hour

Answer: pilot fatigue,

Answer: 14-hour days.

Answer: FAA

Answer: fatigue management

Summary:
Federal Aviation Administration currently allows pilots to work a 14-hour day .
NTSB said pilot fatigue has contributed to plane crashes and near-crashes .
"They can't just keep pushing pilots until they drop," pilots group president said .
FAA plans to hold a symposium on fatigue management next week .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Safety advocates are fighting efforts to allow tractor-trailers to carry heavier loads on highways, saying the trucks are already too dangerous. But at least one group says adding an axle would improve safety margins so such loads can be carried. Mark and Tracy Quinichett, whose daughter was killed in a wreck, speak Monday against raising trucks' load limits. "It is a public health crisis," policy activist Joan Claybrook said Monday, announcing a petition drive to fight larger loads that could be authorized as part of a transportation bill moving through Congress. At a Monday news conference, Claybrook -- who chaired the National Highway Transportation Administration during the Carter administration -- and her Truck Safety Coalition presented several families who have lost a loved one to a highway accident involving commercial trucks. A new Web site from the coalition, StopBiggerTrucks.org, provides statistics the group believes will persuade people to pressure lawmakers to leave truck limits as they stand. But an industry group, the Coalition for Transportation Productivity, hopes lawmakers will approve a proposal to add an axle to today's big rigs -- an action it says will allow higher load limits and lead to safer roads. Adding an axle would give big rigs 22 wheels, up from the current 18. Without the change, "more trucks will have to take to the road" to handle rising cargo demand, said John Runyan, co-chairman of the truck cargo industry group. Runyan was at the back of the room during the other group's news conference, where families gave tearful accounts of losing loved ones in truck wrecks. One of those couples, Mark and Tracy Quinichett, lost their 21-year-old daughter a few months ago when a truck's wheel flew off and crashed through the windshield of her car on the Capital Beltway outside Washington. "The larger the trucks -- it's just so much more dangerous. And if they are allowed to make these trucks larger, it's going to be a real, real problem, even more than it is right now," Mark Quinichett said. Runyan told CNN that going from 18 wheels to 22 wheels would allow for the safe transportation of heavier loads because the weight would be more evenly distributed.

Question: What Joan Claybrook says?

Question: Who said it id s public health crisis?

Question: What did an industry group say would happen if the load limit isn't increased?

Question: What did policy activist Joan Claybrook say?

Question: What did the truck industry group argue that would make heavier loads safe?

Question: Who said "It is a public health crisis,"?

Question: What would happen if load limit isn't increased?

Answer: "It is a public health crisis,"

Answer: Joan Claybrook

Answer: "more trucks will have to take to the road"

Answer: "It is a public health crisis,"

Answer: adding an axle

Answer: Joan Claybrook

Answer: "more trucks will have to take to the road" to handle rising cargo demand,

Summary:
A petition drive is fighting effort to let trucks carry larger loads .
"It is a public health crisis," policy activist Joan Claybrook says .
Truck industry group argues adding wheels would make heavier loads safe .
Industry group: If load limit isn't increased, we'll need more trucks on the road .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sailors aboard a U.S. ocean surveillance ship reacted with a mix of bemusement and profanity to what they said was harassment by Chinese ships earlier this month, according to video released Friday by the Pentagon. The Navy says this shows a trawler crew member using a hook to try to snag the Impeccable's towed acoustic array. "Chinese aggression, from aboard the USNS Impeccable," one member of the American ship's crew is heard narrating. "Details at 11." The Pentagon has raised concerns about a March 8 incident in which "increasingly aggressive" Chinese ships harassed the Impeccable, an unarmed survey ship with a mostly civilian crew. China's government accused the ship of violating Chinese and international laws during its patrols, which took place more than 100 miles off the Chinese coast. "The U.S. claims are gravely in contravention of the facts and confuse black and white and they are totally unacceptable to China," Ma Zhaoxu, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, said after news of the incident emerged. Five Chinese vessels shadowed the Impeccable, with two of them closing to within 25 feet while their crews waved Chinese flags and stripped down to their underwear in a sign of disrespect. The Impeccable also turned fire hoses on one of the ships "in order to protect itself," the Pentagon said. The Pentagon said the Chinese also attempted to snag the sonar equipment that the ship was towing behind it, leaving crew members discussing possible orders to destroy the equipment at one point. "Lou and Wilson man the hoses while the Chinese irritate us to tears," the video's narrator reports. "Here he comes for another swipe at the array cable."  Watch Pentagon video of Impeccable incident » The 281.5-foot Impeccable is one of six surveillance ships that perform military survey operations, according to the Navy. It is an oceanographic ship that gathers underwater acoustic data, using sonar. It has a maximum speed of 13 knots -- or about 15 mph -- but it travels 3 knots, or 3.5 mph, when towing its array of monitoring equipment. It carries a crew of 20 mariners, five technicians and as many as 20 Navy personnel. The Chinese ships involved included a navy intelligence collection ship, a Bureau of Maritime Fisheries patrol vessel, a State Oceanographic Administration patrol vessel and two small Chinese-flagged trawlers, the statement said.

Question: Who turned fire hoses on vessel?

Question: What was the Navy surveillance vessel  violating?

Question: On what date did the fire hose incident take place?

Question: What did China say was violating Chinese and International law?

Question: who has more marine power

Answer: The Impeccable

Answer: Chinese and international laws

Answer: March 8

Answer: the ship

Answer: Chinese

Summary:
Irritation shows in video taken during harassment of U.S. ship by Chinese vessels .
China says Navy surveillance vessel was violating Chinese and international law .
USS Impeccable turned fire hoses on vessel that came close in March 8 incident .
Crew discussed possibly destroying sonar equipment Impeccable was towing .


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sasha and Malia Obama had front row seats for Monday night's Kids' Inaugural Concert, but jumped on stage when the Jonas Brothers invited them up. Michelle Obama and her daughters pose with actress Keke Palmer at the Kids' Inaugural. Their mother -- incoming first lady Michelle Obama -- declared the show "pretty cool." Thousands of kids -- mostly children of military families -- danced and yelled in Washington's Verizon Center as Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, Bow Wow, the Jonas Brothers and others performed. "Are we fired up in here?" Michelle Obama asked as she took the stage halfway through the two-hour show. "Are we ready to go?" Obama called on the young people to play a part in their country's future now, in activities such as volunteering at shelters for the homeless, visiting elderly neighbors or writing letters of support to troops overseas. "We all have something incredible to contribute to the life of this nation," she said, adding, "And kids, this means you, too, right?" Sasha, 7, kept her camera ready, getting photos of her favorite teen stars. While the Obama daughters have met many of the stars along the campaign trail in the past year, it was their first time to meet singer-actress Keke Palmer, a presenter at the show. Palmer, 15, said Michelle Obama told her "she was really proud of me." Most of their backstage talk was about Palmer's movies and TV show, she said. Like the Obamas, Palmer is a Chicago, Illinois, native.

Question: What does Michelle Obama urge young people to do now?

Question: What did Michelle Obama have to say to young people?

Question: Who was featured at the concert?

Question: At what upcoming events will the Jonas Brothers be performing?

Question: What artists are featured at the concert?

Answer: play a part in their country's future

Answer: contribute

Answer: Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, Bow Wow, the Jonas Brothers and others

Answer: Kids' Inaugural Concert,

Answer: Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, Bow Wow, the Jonas Brothers and others performed.

Summary:
NEW: At concert, Michelle Obama urges young people to get involved now .
Concert features the Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, Bow Wow and Demi Lovato .
Billy Ray Cyrus, Keke Palmer and Usher make introductions .
Did you miss the show? It's available later on Disney.com .


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

Question:
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.

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

Question: Who was invited?

Question: Who invited Hillary Clinton to dinner?

Question: Who released names?

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

Question: Who was invited to dinner?

Question: Who did the Secretary of State invite to dinner?

Question: Where is the Clinton Global Initiative?

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.

Question: what does she hope for

Question: what does clinton owe

Question: When does she hope to pay the debt by?

Question: what did clinton forgive

Question: 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

Question: Which group has overreacted?

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

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

Question: Who wants closer oversight of contractors?

Question: What does Blackwater say?

Question: Who overreacted ?

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

Question: What resolution vote did Obama say was flawed judgement?

Question: who could use iran to justify military action?

Question: Who was Obama criticizing?

Question: Who did Obama say showed flawed judgement

Question: What is Hillary Clinton defending?

Question: What president was Sen. Barack Obama talking about?

Question: what does obama say about clinton?

Question: What did Clinton say about the vote

Question: What did Clinton vote on?

Question: What is the next phase of the campaign?

Question: Which country was the resolution about?

Question: What did Obama say about Clinton's campaign?

Question: What did Clinton defend?

Question: What did Obama say about Clinton

Question: who is barack obama?

Question: Who defended the resolution

Question: What is Obama's opinion?

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

Question: What is it too early to discuss?

Question: What is too early for Obama to discuss?

Question: Who says US influence has been diminishing?

Question: Who downplays the notion?

Question: What did the Clinton camp say?

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

Question:
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

Question: What did Obama call Clinton?

Question: Who has been tapped for secretary of state?

Question: Wht did Obama say national security team members share?

Question: How did Obama describe Clinton?

Question: What position did Hillary Clinton get?

Question: Who did the president-elect tap?

Question: How did Obama describe Hillary Clinton?

Question: 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

Question: When will Clinton suspend presidential campaign?

Question: Who is Obama confident he can unite?

Question: Who will suspend their presidential campaign?

Question: Who could have been more generous?

Question: What did Obama say about uniting Democrats by November?

Question: What will Clinton suspend?

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

Question: How many days are covered by the documents?

Question: what do documents shed light on

Question: how many documents are there

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

Question: What do the documents shed light on?

Question: What do the documents cover?

Question: What was the scandal?

Question: what do the the documents shed light on

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

Question: What role Penn's going to play in campaign?

Question: What will Penn continue to do?

Question: Who has an advisory role?

Question: What company CEO is Mark Penn?

Question: Who is Mark Penn?

Question: Who did Penn meet with?

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

Question: Who is said to be eager to prove herself?

Question: What should Biden avoid?

Question: Are the stakes for Palin high or low?

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

Question: Who is to face off on the debate?

Question: Who will debate Thursday night?

Question: Who faces off in the debate?

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

Question: Analysts say what?

Question: What will the move allow?

Question: How much money can Obama spend to campaign now?

Question: McCain says what should be disturbing?

Question: What did the analyst say about the voters?

Question: Move will allow Obama to do what?

Question: What did McCain say?

Question: What did Barack Obama say?

Question: What did Sen. John McCain say about the decision?

Question: What did McCain call "disturbing"?

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

Question:
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

Question: which senator stepped down

Question: what does Sen. mean?

Question: What did Sen Larry Craig file?

Question: Who criticized Mitt Romney?

Question: What senator filed the appeal?

Question: Who does Craig criticize?

Question: Who stepped down from Romney campaign?

Question: The Idaho Republican was GOP presidential candidate's liaison to the Senate

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.

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

Question: What number of votes was needed to proceed?

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

Question: What fails to get 60 votes needed?

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

Question: What did the minority leader call the bill?

Question: What would the bill have done?

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"