Obama, GOP senators dine amid sequester woes- Email shows push to up sequester pain, rep says- Eyes on Senate after House passes bill to avoid gov't shutdown

Facing political gridlock and mounting questions on the credibility of his administration?s sequester warnings, President Obama went around Republican leaders Wednesday evening in a bid to connect with rank-and-file lawmakers who?ve worked with Democrats in the past.

The lines of communication between the White House and GOP leaders are not closed. Obama plans to visit Capitol Hill next week to meet with leaders from both chambers.

But the president held a dinner meeting Wednesday with several rank-and-file Senate Republicans. The meeting, days in the making, was held on neutral territory -- a downtown Washington hotel -- the snowstorm blowing through D.C. did not postpone the rendezvous.

"The President greatly enjoyed the dinner and had a good exchange of ideas with the Senators," a senior administration official said.

The guest list included Republican Sens. John McCain of Arizona, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, Bob Corker of Tennessee, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Dan Coats of Indiana, Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, Richard Burr of North Carolina, Mike Johanns of Nebraska, John Hoeven of North Dakota and Saxby Chambliss of Georgia.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell claimed he didn?t mind that Obama was going around Republican leaders.

?I expect the president to talk to various members. Frankly, I wish he'd done more of that over the years,? he said. ?And he certainly doesn't have to go through me to call my members. And I'm sure he will, and I encourage him to do.?

The meeting comes after Obama, despite escalating warnings about the impact of the sequester, was unable to halt the $85 billion in fiscal 2013 spending cuts that began to take effect Friday.

The president demanded Republicans replace the cuts with a blend of targeted cuts and tax hikes, but Republicans refused and, in the final days before the deadline, claimed the sequester would not necessarily be as bad as the administration claimed.

Republicans have since accused the administration of trying to amplify the impact by taking steps like releasing illegal immigrants from Southwestern jails. But they?ve also ripped the administration for its apparent overstatements -- such as a claim, later shown to be exaggerated, by Education Secretary Arne Duncan that teachers were receiving ?pink slips.? One district in West Virginia later revealed that its teachers had been sent transfer notices, but it had nothing to do with the sequester.

Obama last week also claimed Capitol Hill janitors were going to see a pay cut. The White House continued to stand by the claim even after it was revealed the janitors were merely seeing a potential roll-back in overtime.

But the Washington Post fact-checker on Wednesday reported that average overtime last year was $304 -- hardly the kind of money needed to ?make ends meet,? as the White House claimed last week. ?Clearly, the sequester is hurting segments of the government and will cut the pay of some government workers. It would be better to focus on those people rather than imaginary victims,? the Post wrote.

The dinner Wednesday could touch on a range of topics. It is likely to focus on the current budget debate -- Congress is trying to pass a budget measure to avoid a shutdown at the end of the month, while Obama still wants lawmakers to approve a long-term package to replace the sequester cuts.

But Obama is also still driving for legislation on immigration, gun control and other issues.

The dinner will be followed up by a rare trip by Obama to Capitol Hill. He'll meet there with Senate Republicans next Thursday and hold a separate meeting with House Republicans, although a date for that meeting has yet to be scheduled. The president also will meet with Senate Democrats on Tuesday.

McConnell said the president requested the meeting through his chief of staff. McConnell's office said the president last attended the Senate GOP's policy lunch in May 2010.

"We have numerous challenges facing the country, and Republicans have offered the president serious solutions to shrink Washington spending and grow the economy," McConnell said in a written statement. "And we will have an opportunity to discuss them with the president at the lunch."

House Speaker John Boehner's office said Wednesday that the president had also requested the meeting next week with House Republicans. The White House and Boehner's office were working to schedule that meeting, the speaker's office said.

White House aides say the president's calls with Republicans focus in part on jumpstarting broader budget talks but also on Obama's proposals for overhauling the nation's immigration laws and enacting stricter gun control measures.

"He is reaching out and talking to members about a variety of issues -- not just our fiscal challenges, but certainly the fiscal issues are among the issues he is talking about with lawmakers," White House spokesman Jay Carney said.

Fox News' Wes Barrett and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/03/06/obama-goes-around-gop-leaders-calls-rank-and-file-republicans-for-dinner/

awkward awkward CJ Spiller tracy morgan Chase.com Talk Like a Pirate Day raiders

Small business and the iPad: Match Made in Heaven [infographic ...

The adoption of tablets by small businesses is poised to grow tremendously in 2013, and it?s a match made in heaven. By now, many of you have been to a hip restaurant or fashion boutique where the waiters or salesperson has ditched their notepad, or desktop computer (respectively,) to help you with your purchase. While it may take mid-size and enterprise companies longer to fully put this new tablet technology to use, small businesses are running away with the trend. Making the iPad the most popular tablet, and the go-to tech business tool.

Small business and the iPad were made for each other, and this graphic from?Intuit?has all the stats to show you the growth of tablets over the years to come.

Like infographics? So do we.

Source: http://holykaw.alltop.com/small-business-and-the-ipad-match-made-in-heaven-infographic

paul pierce pope joan pope joan strikeforce tate vs rousey strawberry festival knicks the monkees

Riots, revenge, rigging: Papal conclaves' murky past

Guido Montani / EPA, file

Cardinals are preparing for the conclave that will select Pope Benedict XVI's successor. Hopefully it will go smoother than some other conclaves from centuries past.

By Tracy Connor, Staff Writer, NBC News

Vatican watchers say the conclave about to be held in Rome could be one of the most contentious in years ? but that's by modern standards.

Dust off the history books and go back a few hundred years and there are papal conclaves rife with international intrigue, royal rigging, even riots.

---

This conclave might last a couple weeks if the cardinals deadlock, but before the conclave process was instituted, papal elections could go on for months, even years. ?

The election that started in 1268 lasted nearly three years, ending only when the townspeople of Viterbo locked up the cardinals, tore the roof off their palace, fed them nothing but bread and water and threatened to do worse.

The pope they finally elected decided a repeat would be unwise and instituted what are now known as conclaves, with the electors kept behind closed doors until they make a decision.

That cut down on the length of the elections, but they could still be quite colorful. Here are some of the more memorable conclaves from centuries past:

Off with their hats!
For much of the 14th century, the papacy resided in France, until Pope Gregory XI decided to relocate to Rome. When he died in 1378, the mostly French cardinals repaired to the Lateran Palace to choose his replacement.

"Rioting broke out in the city," said John O'Malley, author of "A History of the Popes: From Peter to the Present." "The Romans were afraid they might elect another French pope. They broke into the conclave."

The mob made it clear they meant business, said Frederic Baumgartner, author of "Behind Locked Doors: A History of the Papal Elections." One of their slogans? "Give us a Roman pope or your heads will be as red as your hats!"

The cardinals met them halfway, picking a non-Roman but Italian archbishop whom they hoped would meekly return with them to Avignon.

Pope Urban VI "turned out to be a disaster," Baumgartner said. "He had a very violent temper."

His behavior was so strange that "the cardinals began to wonder if they had elected a sane person," O'Malley said. They hightailed it out of Rome, declared they had been bullied into picking the wrong guy, and elected a Frenchman, Clement VII.

Small problem: Urban didn't go quietly. He created a whole new set of cardinals and thus was born the Great Schism, which divided the church until the Council of Pisa in 1409. That's when the French and Roman cardinals elected a third pope to run the show.

Naturally, the other two didn't step down, so there was more than one pope for more than a decade, until one finally agreed to resign and another died.

Popes, politics and poison?
When Pope Paul III died in 1549, the rules of the conclave went out the window as King Henry II of France and Holy Roman Emperor Charles V sought to control the outcome.

Hulton Archive via Getty Images, file

Pope Julius III was elected in 1550 after a conclave that featured bribery and rumors of poisoning.

"There was a great deal of skulduggery going on," Baumgartner said.

And not a lot of secrecy. Charles V boasted in a letter that he "will know when they urinate in this conclave," Baumgartner said.

Bribes were paid and there was even some insider trading: The cardinals' attendants supposedly cut deals with Roman bankers taking bets on who would be the next pope.

After a cardinal considered a top candidate fell deathly ill and withdrew, rumors that he had been poisoned spread. One witness reported the other cardinals were "terrified" and insisted only their own aides deliver meals, according to one account.

As the weeks dragged on, the situation got so out of control ?and the conclave halls so smelly ? that a reform committee was convened. A set of new rules ejected many outsiders, banned clandestine meetings and confined the cardinals to their cells at night.

Finally, after 72 days and 61 ballots, Pope Julius III was elected as a compromise candidate.

All in the family
The drama of the 1559 conclave began before the cardinals were sequestered. Pope Paul IV was a despised figure ? he had driven all the prostitutes out of Rome ? and when he died, all hell broke loose.

"Rioters in Rome attacked the palace of the Inquisition ... and toppled the statue of the pope that stood on the Capitol," Michael Walsh wrote in "The Conclave: A Sometimes Secret and Occasionally Bloody History of Papal Elections."

Hulton Archive via Getty Images, file

Pope Pius IV was elected after a four-month conclave in 1559 to replace Paul IV, who was so disliked that Rome rioters tore down his statue.

The conclave dragged on for four months. Among the stumbling blocks: One of the cardinals refused to vote for a strong candidate on the grounds that he had a son, Baumgartner said.

With no one running the papal state, chaos threatened to break out and "an immense amount of money was spent trying to keep order in the city, and the funds began to be exhausted," O'Malley said.

Finally, the cardinals coalesced around a compromise candidate, Pope Pius IV. He had fathered at least a couple of kids, but the cardinal who had objected to the previous candidate claimed not to know it, Baumgartner said.

"That's the last pope I know of who actually had children," he said.

Battle over the ballots
When the conclave of 1914 began, Europe was embroiled in World War I, but that wasn't the source of the tension that accompanied the election of Pope Benedict XV.

Hulton Archive via Getty Images, file

Pope Benedict XV was not happy when a Spanish cardinal suggested he might have broken the rules and voted for himself.

After four days, Benedict was chosen by the smallest possible margin, a precise two-thirds vote. The rules decreed that a cardinal could not vote for himself.

Spain's Cardinal Rafael Merry del Val, who was secretary of state under the just-deceased Pius X, was apparently a stickler for the rules and he demanded the ballots be checked to make sure Benedict had not cast one for himself.

"Benedict was deeply offended," Baumgartner said.

But as the recount showed, he was the duly elected pontiff.

According to NBC News Vatican expert George Weigel, Benedict archly told Merry del Val:?"The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone," quoting Psalm 118.

"Then Benedict washed him right out of the Curia," Baumgartner said.

Related:

'Jesus Christ with an MBA'? Cardinals' differing hopes for next pope

Canadian contender for pope: 'Others could do it better'

Europe's most Catholic country seeks modern Pope?

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/07/17198052-riots-revenge-and-royal-rigging-a-history-of-controversial-conclaves?lite

abercrombie Aeropostale Jcpenny ohio state football cyber monday lupus iCarly

Samsung Galaxy S4 American Variant’s Screenshots Reportedly Leaked: Confirms 'Smart Scroll,' Quad-Core Processor And Other Features

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

Source: www.ibtimes.com --- Wednesday, March 06, 2013
New reports on Samsung Galaxy S4 screenshots confirm that the device possesses ability that allow users to scroll a page with eye movement. ...

Source: http://www.ibtimes.comhttp:0//www.ibtimes.co.in/articles/443188/20130307/samsung-galaxy-s4-american-variant-screenshots-leaked-confirm-features-smart-scroll-quad-core-proces.htm

hugo nfl combine 84th annual academy awards beginners 2012 oscars the shore meryl streep oscar wins

Dow hits fresh record as private hiring picks up

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wall Street resumed its climb into uncharted territory on Wednesday, with the Dow setting another intraday record as hiring by companies rose strongly last month.

The stock market rally this year has been helped by signs of a strengthening U.S. economy, continued support from the Federal Reserve and fairly attractive equity valuations compared with other assets.

"Stocks don't seem expensive here," said Paul Hogan, co-manager of the FAM Equity-Income Fund in Cobleskill, New York.

"All the headlines that were generated because of what happened yesterday with the Dow hitting new all-time highs, that makes more people take notice of the strength in the stock market. It may be bringing people in off the sidelines."

The slowly healing labor market has been one of the weaker spots of the recovery but data on Wednesday showed private sector hiring was surprisingly strong in February as companies added 198,000 employees.

It was an early look at the labor market two days ahead of the closely watched non-farm payroll report from the government on Friday, which is expected to show the economy created 160,000 jobs last month while the unemployment rate held at 7.9 percent.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> gained 45.61 points, or 0.32 percent, to 14,299.38. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.spx> rose 2.90 points, or 0.19 percent, to 1,542.69. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.ixic> added 2.50 points, or 0.08 percent, to 3,226.63.

On Tuesday, the Dow ended at 14,253.77, breaking through October 2007's record close of 14,164.53. For the year, the Dow is up 9 percent. Shortly after trading began on Wednesday, the Dow punched through the previous session's intraday record, trading as high as 14,320.65.

The S&P has gained 8 percent in the year so far and is less than 2 percent below its record close. The larger S&P 1500 <.spsup> has already reached record highs, thanks to help from smaller-cap companies.

The Nasdaq fared worse than the other two indexes on Wednesday, weighed by Microsoft after the European Union fined the company 561 million euros ($731 million) for failing to offer users a choice of web browser. Microsoft was down 1.5 percent at $27.

Financial shares gained with the KBW bank index <.bkx> up 0.7 percent. Bank of America climbed 2.2 percent to $11.80.

Staples tumbled 5.3 percent to $12.59 after reporting lower-than-expected quarterly revenue and forecasting weak earnings for the full year.

(Editing by Bernadette Baum)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/dow-surges-closing-high-economy-feds-help-032459668--sector.html

ipad 3 release date apple store down apple live blog ohio primary cell phone jammer g8 summit netanyahu

Nexus 7 dock reaches the Google Play Store: also, unicorns are real (update: regions)

The official Nexus 7 dock has been one of the more elusive beasts in the accessory world, especially for anyone who wanted it from an official source. Google just brought that months-long pursuit to a close -- the dock is now sitting in the Google Play Store. So long as you have $30 to spend and can endure up to one or two weeks of waiting, you too can give your Nexus 7 an ASUS-designed home with both micro-USB and audio line out. Just don't try to overcompensate by buying docks en masse; Google caps the order limit at two.

Update: If you're wondering just where the dock is available, worry not. Google has just confirmed that the dock is selling in Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, the UK and the US.

Filed under: Peripherals, Tablets, ASUS, Google

Comments

Via: Android Central

Source: Google Play

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/06/nexus-7-dock-reaches-google-play-store/

bruce arians the misfits hook troy miracle andy whitfield kennedy

It looks like just three for SEC in NCAA

Stay InformedKnow more about what's going on in the world, in Arkansas and in your own neighborhood.

Save MoneyThousands of dollars in savings every day with deals from our local advertisers, Arkansas' largest classifieds section and our huge Sunday coupon package.

Be EntertainedFrom movies and arts to sports and things to do on the weekend, you'll never miss out on great events and entertainment.

Available all the timeRead when you want, how you want. Access all of our coverage in print, online, on your smartphone or on your tablet computer with your subscription.

Smart DecisionsReading the newspaper gives you information that helps you make smart decisions for you and your family. Subscribing to the newspaper is an investment in yourself.

Source: http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2013/mar/06/it-looks-just-three-sec-ncaa-20130306/

Zero Dark Thirty Academy Awards 2013 Django Unchained jennifer hudson jennifer garner jennifer garner daytona 500