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August 9th, 2012
03:50 PM ET
Democrats push for inclusion of DREAM Act in party platform
Posted by
CNN's Ashley Killough

(CNN) - Rep. Martin Heinrich, who is battling for a U.S. Senate seat in New Mexico, joined other Senate candidates Thursday urging the Democratic Party to include the DREAM Act in its convention platform.

"This is the right time for this opportunity, because the convention only comes along every four years," Heinrich said on a conference call with reporters. "This is the right time, given the leadership the president has shown in recent months on the issue."

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com...arty-platform/

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Real Clear Politics
General Election: Romney vs. Obama
RCP Average
7/11 - 8/8

Obama 48.4, Romney 44.0, Obama + 4.4

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epo...bama-1171.html

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Obama Campaign Ad: We Are Not Removing Work Requirements For Welfare Recipients
The Huffington Post | By Sabrina Siddiqui Posted: 08/10/2012 8:39 am Updated: 08/10/2012 9:48 am

The ad, titled "Blatant," takes aim at the Romney campaign for falsely accusing the president of "gutting" welfare reform. Earlier this week, the Romney campaign issued an ad stating that the Obama administration was implementing a welfare policy that would drop work requirements.

Immediately after its release, the Romney campaign ad's accuracy was disputed by numerous media outlets, which the Obama campaign is now highlighting in its new spot.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...n_1763690.html

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Posted on Friday, August 10, 2012
Justice Dept. seeks Florida noncitizen voter-purge information
Marc Caputo and Steve Bousquet | The Miami Herald

The U.S. Department of Justice has sent subpoenas to nine of the largest counties in South Florida, Tampa Bay and Central Florida, demanding extensive information over how they identified and purged potential noncitizens from the voter rolls.

The subpoenas, sent July 30, were issued in a federal lawsuit in which the Justice Department has argued that any purges of voters done less than 90 days before a statewide election are in violation of federal law.

Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2012/08/1...#storylink=cpy

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Three polls show Obama widening lead over Romney
By Bill Turque, Updated: Friday, August 10, 12:15 PMThe Washington Post
Philip Rucker in Boston contributed to this article.

A bumpy overseas trip and a month of pummeling by Democratic ads depicting Mitt Romney as an out-of-touch plutocrat and possible tax evader appear to have taken a toll.

Three polls released in the last 24 hours show Present Obama widening his lead over the former Massachusetts governor to as much as nine points. The surveys of registered voters, all conducted sometime between Aug. 2 and 8, also have Romney’s unfavorable ratings headed north. Two of the polls show his support among independents slipping.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politi...=nl_pmpolitics

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August 10th, 2012
08:42 PM ET

Obama heads home to raise campaign cash
Posted by
CNN's Dana Davidsen
–CNN White House Producer Adam Aigner-Treworgy contributed to this report.

(CNN) – President Obama will head home to Chicago over the weekend for a series of five high-dollar fundraisers for the Obama Victory Fund, according to a campaign official.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com...campaign-cash/

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The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release August 11, 2012

WEEKLY ADDRESS: All-Hands-On-Deck Response to the Drought

WASHINGTON, DC— In this week’s address, President Obama discussed the Administration’s all-hands-on-deck approach to one of the worst droughts in more than fifty years. This drought is especially hard on farmers and ranchers who are facing poor crops and are struggling to feed their animals. That is why the Administration is doing everything possible to give them the tools to fight back and recover. The Administration has taken steps including opening more federal land for haying and grazing, giving farmers, ranchers, and small businesses access to low-interest emergency loans, and providing assistance to get more water to livestock and restore land affected by the drought. But the Administration can’t do this alone. The President reiterated his call on Congress to join him in taking action by passing a farm bill that makes necessary reforms while helping farmers and ranchers respond to these types of natural disasters and providing the certainty they deserve.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
August 11, 2012

Hi, everybody. Today, I want to talk about something that most of you know already – it’s hot outside. It’s really hot. And if this feels worse than normal, that’s because it is. We just found out that the month of July was the warmest month on record – warmer than any other month since we began keeping track more than a century ago.

Continued here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-...sponse-drought

VIDEO: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/...campaign=daily

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Christina Wilkie
Obama's Ramadan Dinner Speech Pays Tribute to Muslim Americans
First Posted: 08/10/11 11:42 PM ET Updated: 10/10/11 06:12 AM ET

President Obama honored the sacrifices that Muslim Americans have made for the country on Wednesday night at the White House's annual Ramadan dinner. With only a month to go before the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Obama emphasized the role that Muslim Americans played in the wake of the attacks, and their contributions to the war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The dinner is known as an "iftar," and it breaks the daylong fast Muslims observe from sunrise to sunset during the holy month of Ramadan. The tradition of hosting an iftar at the White House was begun by President Bill Clinton, and continued by George W. Bush. This will be Obama's third as president.

More at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/0..._n_924011.html

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Obama Reacts To Mitt Romney's Vice Presidential Pick
By KEN THOMAS 08/11/12 12:13 PM ET AP

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's campaign says Mitt Romney's selection of Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan as his running mate shows a commitment to "budget-busting tax cuts" for the wealthy and "greater burdens" on the middle class and seniors.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...n_1684838.html

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Michelle Obama makes surprise visit to meet Aurora shooting victims
By Meghashyam Mali - 08/11/12 07:17 PM ET

Mrs. Obama spoke to survivors and the doctors and nurses helping them recover from their injuries at the Medical Center of Aurora, according to a White House pool report.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefi...ater-shootings

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Obama camp unveils website, video hitting Ryan on budget plan
Romney/Ryan ticket called the “Go Back Team”
By Meghashyam Mali - 08/12/12 08:35 AM ET

“In Ryan, Romney has selected a running mate best known for designing the extreme GOP budget that would end Medicare as we know it, and -- just like Romney's plan -- actually raise taxes on middle-class Americans to pay for an additional $250,000 tax break for millionaires and billionaires,” the email reads. “As a leader of the House Republicans and a Tea Party favorite, Congressman Ryan has led the relentless, intensely ideological battle for these kinds of budget-busting policies that punish seniors and the middle class.”

It concludes by asking supporters to check out the new video and website explaining Ryan’s policy positions and describing the Romney/Ryan ticket as the “Go Back Team”

http://thehill.com/video/campaign/24...on-budget-plan

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Obama congratulates British PM Cameron on successful Olympic Games
By Meghashyam Mali - 08/12/12 04:43 PM ET

Obama called Cameron to “congratulate him and the people of the United Kingdom and London on an extremely successful Olympic games, which speaks to the character and spirit of our close ally,” said a White House readout of the call.

Obama thanked Cameron for “hosting so many US athletes and fans and for the extremely warm welcome shown to First Lady Michelle Obama,” the readout added.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefi...olympic-games-

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August 12th, 2012
05:00 PM ET
TRENDING: In hometown to raise campaign cash, Obama targets Romney’s running mate
Posted by
CNN Correspondent Athena Jones
CNN's Kevin Liptak contributed to this report.

Chicago (CNN) – President Barack Obama congratulated Paul Ryan Sunday for being selected as Mitt Romney's running mate, but cut short the plaudits to blast the Wisconsin congressman's economic proposals.

"I know him. I welcome him to the race," Obama said at a fund-raiser in Chicago. "Congressman Ryan is a decent man. He is a family man. He is an articulate spokesman for Gov. Romney's vision. But it's a vision that I fundamentally disagree with."

Obama's remarks on Ryan came as he criss-crossed his hometown of Chicago Sunday for five events - including a high-dollar fundraiser at his house in Hyde Park - that have the potential to pull in millions for the Democratic incumbent's campaign, which has been outraised by rival Republicans for the past three months.

In total, an Obama campaign official said Sunday's fundraisers are expected to bring in an estimated $3.5 to $4 million, though the campaign said they will not release official totals.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com...campaign-cash/

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August 13th, 2012
10:44 AM ET
CNN's Crowley to be first woman in two decades to moderate presidential debate
She's sharp!
Posted by
CNN Political Unit

Crowley will host the second debate between President Barack Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney on October 16 in Hempsted, New York, at Hoftsra University.

Other debate moderators announced Monday included PBS' Jim Lehrer, who will host the October 3 debate in Denver, and CBS' Bob Schieffer, who will host an October 22 debate in Boca Raton, Florida.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com...ential-debate/

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AFL-CIO to ramp up attacks on GOP ticket over Medicare, taxes
Representing the nation’s largest labor federation
By Debbie Siegelbaum - 08/13/12 06:00 AM ET

"Whether it's outsourcing American jobs or picking his running mate, Mitt Romney's proven just how bad his decisionmaking is for working people,” said AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka in a statement Saturday.

“Aligning himself with the poster-child for ending Medicare and Social Security puts to rest any suggestion that Romney has a clue what the middle class needs,” he added. “We're witnessing the radical Tea Party extremes drive its final nail in what was once the Republican Party."

http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbyi...medicare-taxes