Facing a potentially disastrous defeat by members of his own party, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday delayed a vote on healthcare legislation that has been a top Republican priority as he scrambled to win more support.

President Donald Trump summoned all 52 Republican senators to the White House on Tuesday afternoon to discuss how to proceed after party leaders failed to win over a small band of Republican holdouts.

&quot;We&#39;re going to talk and we&#39;re going to see what we can do. We&#39;re getting very close,&quot; Trump told senators as the meeting began.

McConnell had been pushing for a vote ahead of the July 4 recess that starts at the end of the week. The legislation would repeal major elements of Obamacare and shrink the Medicaid government healthcare program for the poor, which was expanded under Democratic former President Barack Obama&#39;s signature domestic legislative achievement.

McConnell, whose party has a razor-thin majority in the 100-member Senate, told reporters that Republican leaders were still working to get the 50 votes needed to pass the bill. Vice President Mike Pence could provide the crucial vote needed to break a tie.

McConnell said the White House was anxious to help write legislation that could pass the Senate.

&quot;We&#39;re going to press on,&quot; McConnell said after he announced the delay in the vote, saying that leaders would keep working to make senators feel &quot;comfortable&quot; with the bill. &quot;We&#39;re optimistic we&#39;re going to get to a result that is better than the status quo.&quot;

While the House of Representatives narrowly passed a measure last month to replace Obamacare, the Senate version faces concerns from both moderate and conservative Republicans, as well as united Democratic opposition.

Moderate Republicans worried that millions of people would lose their insurance. Conservatives said the bill does not do enough to erase Obamacare.

Republican Opposition Grows

The bill&#39;s prospects were not helped by a Congressional Budget Office analysis on Monday saying the measure would cause 22 million Americans to lose insurance over the next decade, although it would reduce the federal deficit by $321 billion over that period.

The report prompted Senator Susan Collins, a key Republican moderate, to say she could not support the bill as it stands. At least four conservative Republican senators said they were still opposed after the CBO analysis.

Three more Republicans, Rob Portman of Ohio, Jerry Moran of Kansas and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, said after the delay was announced that they opposed the current draft of the legislation.

Portman and Capito cited the bill&#39;s Medicaid provisions and how that would impact efforts to combat the opioid epidemic that has taken a heavy toll in both their states.

&quot;I think giving time to digest is a good thing,&quot; said Senator Bob Corker after the delay was announced. &quot;I think that some of the issues that people have raised, that are heartfelt issues, to their own families, we exacerbated by the way the bill is constructed, and I think there&rsquo;s a way to overcome that.&rdquo;

U.S. stock prices fell on Tuesday, as the decision to postpone the vote added to investor worries on whether the Trump administration can deliver on its promises of tax reform and deregulation, as well as changes to the health sector. Those expected changes have all driven a rally in U.S. stocks this year.

&ldquo;The market likes certainty and now there&rsquo;s uncertainty. What is this going to look like when this gets out of the next iteration?&quot; said Peter Costa, president of trading firm Empire Executions Inc.

The Fight is Not Over

Passing the measure would hand Trump a legislative win as he seeks to shift attention after weeks of questions over Russia&#39;s role in last year&#39;s U.S. presidential election.

Trump told senators at the White House that it would be &quot;great&quot; to pass the legislation. But &quot;if we don&#39;t get it done it&#39;s just going to be something that we&#39;re not going to like and that&#39;s OK and I&#39;ll understand that very well,&quot; he said.

McConnell has promised since 2010 that Republicans, who view Obamacare as a costly government intrusion, would destroy the law &quot;root and branch&quot; if they controlled Congress and the White House. Their electoral victories in 2014 and 2016 were directly tied to that promise, they say.

Republicans worry that failure to deliver will tell voters that they are unable to govern effectively in the run-up to next year&#39;s congressional elections.

If the Senate passes a healthcare bill, it will either have to be approved by the House or the two chambers would reconcile the differences in their bills in a conference committee. Otherwise, the House could pass a new version and bounce it back to the Senate.

Lawmakers are expected to leave town by Friday for their July 4 holiday break, which runs all next week. The Senate returns to work on July 10, the House on July 11. Lawmakers then have three weeks in session before their month-long August recess.

Democrats remained united in opposition, blasting the Senate bill as a tax break for the wealthy.

&quot;We know the fight is not over, that is for sure. We&#39;re not resting on any laurels,&quot; Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters.

 
&nbsp;

President Donald Trump summoned all 52 Republican senators to the White House on Tuesday afternoon to discuss how to proceed

Facing a potentially disastrous defeat by members of his own party, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday delayed a vote on healthcare legislation that has been a top Republican priority as he scrambled to win more support. President Donald Trump summoned all 52 Republican senators to the White House on Tuesday afternoon to discuss how to proceed after party leaders failed to win over a small band of Republican holdouts. "We're going to talk and we're going to see what we can do. We're getting very close," Trump told senators as the meeting began. McConnell had been pushing for a vote ahead of the July 4 recess that starts at the end of the week. The legislation would repeal major elements of Obamacare and shrink the Medicaid government healthcare program for the poor, which was expanded under Democratic former President Barack Obama's signature domestic legislative achievement. McConnell, whose party has a razor-thin majority in the 100-member Senate, told reporters that Republican leaders were still working to get the 50 votes needed to pass the bill. Vice President Mike Pence could provide the crucial vote needed to break a tie. McConnell said the White House was anxious to help write legislation that could pass the Senate. "We're going to press on," McConnell said after he announced the delay in the vote, saying that leaders would keep working to make senators feel "comfortable" with the bill. "We're optimistic we're going to get to a result that is better than the status quo." While the House of Representatives narrowly passed a measure last month to replace Obamacare, the Senate version faces concerns from both moderate and conservative Republicans, as well as united Democratic opposition. Moderate Republicans worried that millions of people would lose their insurance. Conservatives said the bill does not do enough to erase Obamacare. Republican Opposition Grows The bill's prospects were not helped by a Congressional Budget Office analysis on Monday saying the measure would cause 22 million Americans to lose insurance over the next decade, although it would reduce the federal deficit by $321 billion over that period. The report prompted Senator Susan Collins, a key Republican moderate, to say she could not support the bill as it stands. At least four conservative Republican senators said they were still opposed after the CBO analysis. Three more Republicans, Rob Portman of Ohio, Jerry Moran of Kansas and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, said after the delay was announced that they opposed the current draft of the legislation. Portman and Capito cited the bill's Medicaid provisions and how that would impact efforts to combat the opioid epidemic that has taken a heavy toll in both their states. "I think giving time to digest is a good thing," said Senator Bob Corker after the delay was announced. "I think that some of the issues that people have raised, that are heartfelt issues, to their own families, we exacerbated by the way the bill is constructed, and I think there’s a way to overcome that.” U.S. stock prices fell on Tuesday, as the decision to postpone the vote added to investor worries on whether the Trump administration can deliver on its promises of tax reform and deregulation, as well as changes to the health sector. Those expected changes have all driven a rally in U.S. stocks this year. “The market likes certainty and now there’s uncertainty. What is this going to look like when this gets out of the next iteration?" said Peter Costa, president of trading firm Empire Executions Inc. The Fight is Not Over Passing the measure would hand Trump a legislative win as he seeks to shift attention after weeks of questions over Russia's role in last year's U.S. presidential election. Trump told senators at the White House that it would be "great" to pass the legislation. But "if we don't get it done it's just going to be something that we're not going to like and that's OK and I'll understand that very well," he said. McConnell has promised since 2010 that Republicans, who view Obamacare as a costly government intrusion, would destroy the law "root and branch" if they controlled Congress and the White House. Their electoral victories in 2014 and 2016 were directly tied to that promise, they say. Republicans worry that failure to deliver will tell voters that they are unable to govern effectively in the run-up to next year's congressional elections. If the Senate passes a healthcare bill, it will either have to be approved by the House or the two chambers would reconcile the differences in their bills in a conference committee. Otherwise, the House could pass a new version and bounce it back to the Senate. Lawmakers are expected to leave town by Friday for their July 4 holiday break, which runs all next week. The Senate returns to work on July 10, the House on July 11. Lawmakers then have three weeks in session before their month-long August recess. Democrats remained united in opposition, blasting the Senate bill as a tax break for the wealthy. "We know the fight is not over, that is for sure. We're not resting on any laurels," Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters.

US Senate Republicans delay vote on healthcare bill

US Senate Republicans on Thursday unveiled a revamped health care plan aimed at fulfilling President Donald Trump&#39;s pledge to repeal Obamacare, but a revolt by four conservatives put the bill in immediate jeopardy.

Democrats formed a united front against the controversial measure that was drafted in secret, criticising it as a &quot;war on Medicaid,&quot; the health care program for lower income Americans, and calling it a worse plan than one that passed the House of Representatives in May.

For the past seven years, Republicans have worked to repeal the landmark health reforms of Trump&#39;s Democratic predecessor Barack Obama. Members from both parties agree the repeal effort has never been closer to fruition.

Senate Republicans are painting the new plan as less austere than the House bill which, according to a forecast by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), would leave 23 million fewer people insured than under current law.

<h3>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-healthcare-bill-43-protesters-arrested-dozens-ripped-from-wheelchairs-17168" target="_blank">US healthcare Bill: 43 protesters arrested, dozens ripped from wheelchairs</a></h3>

&nbsp;

But the 142-page draft would allow states to drop several benefits which are now mandated, such as maternity care and hospital services, and also would abolish the requirement for most Americans to have health insurance.

It however delays cuts to the Medicaid program and maintains for two years the tax credits included in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) -- commonly known as Obamacare -- to help lower-income Americans purchase coverage.

&quot;I am very supportive of the Senate #HealthcareBill,&quot; Trump tweeted, seeking to give the effort a boost. &quot;Remember, ObamaCare is dead.&quot;

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell unveiled the bill at a closed-door session with party faithful.

Four Republicans quickly came out in opposition -- Ted Cruz, Mike Lee, Ron Johnson and Rand Paul -- while at least three more Republicans have openly expressed serious concerns.&nbsp;

That poses a problem for the party leadership. Republicans hold 52 out of 100 Senate seats, so they can afford only two defections; in that case, Vice President Mike Pence would be brought in to break a 50-50 tie.

&nbsp;

Getting to 50 votes

Asked what would need to be included in the bill to get him on board, Paul said: &quot;It has to look less like Obamacare light -- it&#39;s got to look like what we promised.

&quot;It looks to us like the Obamacare subsidies will remain in place and... we think that the spending actually may exceed Obamacare spending in the next two years.&quot;

Lawmakers will be &quot;looking to see if there are things that we can do to refine it, and make it more acceptable to more members in our conference, to get to 50,&quot; Senator John Thune said.

&quot;Right now the challenge is -- how do we get to 50?&quot;

Trump remained confident, but acknowledged that a &quot;negotiation&quot; might be needed to get the bill passed.

But during a picnic with members of Congress later Thursday, he urged that the &quot;spirit of cooperation&quot; lawmakers have shown in the aftermath of a congressman&#39;s shooting last week extend to legislative discussions.

However Obama, whose best-known domestic policy achievement stands to crumble, offered a scathing critique of the new bill just hours after its release.

He called it &quot;a massive transfer of wealth from middle-class and poor families&quot; to the very rich that would raise costs, reduce coverage, roll back protections and &quot;ruin Medicaid as we know it.&quot;

Even if the measure is ultimately tweaked through amendments in Congress, it &quot;cannot change the fundamental meanness at the core of this legislation,&quot; the former president warned in a Facebook post.

&nbsp;

&#39;Meaner&#39;

McConnell said a fresh CBO score was expected next week, and there will be &quot;robust debate&quot; on the floor.

He also said there would be an open amendment process to allow changes. He wants a final vote by the end of the month.

Any new Senate bill would have to be reconciled with the House version.

Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said the new bill was &quot;heartless,&quot; warning it would eventually cut Medicaid even more steeply than the House legislation, which slashes it by $800 billion over a decade.

While Trump reportedly called the House bill &quot;mean&quot; and wants to see a bill with heart, Schumer said &quot;the Senate bill may be meaner.&quot;&nbsp;

The new legislation would eliminate federal funding for Planned Parenthood, a non-profit health organization that Trump&#39;s administration has targeted for cuts because it provides abortion services.

But it preserves a key element of Obamacare, which allows parents to cover children under their plan until age 26.

Democrats formed a united front against the controversial measure that was drafted in secret, criticising it as a 'war on Medicaid'

US Senate Republicans on Thursday unveiled a revamped health care plan aimed at fulfilling President Donald Trump's pledge to repeal Obamacare, but a revolt by four conservatives put the bill in immediate jeopardy. Democrats formed a united front against the controversial measure that was drafted in secret, criticising it as a "war on Medicaid," the health care program for lower income Americans, and calling it a worse plan than one that passed the House of Representatives in May. For the past seven years, Republicans have worked to repeal the landmark health reforms of Trump's Democratic predecessor Barack Obama. Members from both parties agree the repeal effort has never been closer to fruition. Senate Republicans are painting the new plan as less austere than the House bill which, according to a forecast by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), would leave 23 million fewer people insured than under current law. Also read: US healthcare Bill: 43 protesters arrested, dozens ripped from wheelchairs But the 142-page draft would allow states to drop several benefits which are now mandated, such as maternity care and hospital services, and also would abolish the requirement for most Americans to have health insurance. It however delays cuts to the Medicaid program and maintains for two years the tax credits included in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) -- commonly known as Obamacare -- to help lower-income Americans purchase coverage. "I am very supportive of the Senate #HealthcareBill," Trump tweeted, seeking to give the effort a boost. "Remember, ObamaCare is dead." Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell unveiled the bill at a closed-door session with party faithful. Four Republicans quickly came out in opposition -- Ted Cruz, Mike Lee, Ron Johnson and Rand Paul -- while at least three more Republicans have openly expressed serious concerns. That poses a problem for the party leadership. Republicans hold 52 out of 100 Senate seats, so they can afford only two defections; in that case, Vice President Mike Pence would be brought in to break a 50-50 tie. Getting to 50 votes Asked what would need to be included in the bill to get him on board, Paul said: "It has to look less like Obamacare light -- it's got to look like what we promised. "It looks to us like the Obamacare subsidies will remain in place and... we think that the spending actually may exceed Obamacare spending in the next two years." Lawmakers will be "looking to see if there are things that we can do to refine it, and make it more acceptable to more members in our conference, to get to 50," Senator John Thune said. "Right now the challenge is -- how do we get to 50?" Trump remained confident, but acknowledged that a "negotiation" might be needed to get the bill passed. But during a picnic with members of Congress later Thursday, he urged that the "spirit of cooperation" lawmakers have shown in the aftermath of a congressman's shooting last week extend to legislative discussions. However Obama, whose best-known domestic policy achievement stands to crumble, offered a scathing critique of the new bill just hours after its release. He called it "a massive transfer of wealth from middle-class and poor families" to the very rich that would raise costs, reduce coverage, roll back protections and "ruin Medicaid as we know it." Even if the measure is ultimately tweaked through amendments in Congress, it "cannot change the fundamental meanness at the core of this legislation," the former president warned in a Facebook post. 'Meaner' McConnell said a fresh CBO score was expected next week, and there will be "robust debate" on the floor. He also said there would be an open amendment process to allow changes. He wants a final vote by the end of the month. Any new Senate bill would have to be reconciled with the House version. Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said the new bill was "heartless," warning it would eventually cut Medicaid even more steeply than the House legislation, which slashes it by $800 billion over a decade. While Trump reportedly called the House bill "mean" and wants to see a bill with heart, Schumer said "the Senate bill may be meaner." The new legislation would eliminate federal funding for Planned Parenthood, a non-profit health organization that Trump's administration has targeted for cuts because it provides abortion services. But it preserves a key element of Obamacare, which allows parents to cover children under their plan until age 26.

Republicans unveil 'meaner' Senate health bill, but lack votes to pass it

US&nbsp;Democrats hope frustration with President Donald Trump will give them a surprise victory on Tuesday in an election to fill a vacant congressional seat in suburban Atlanta that has been held by Republicans for decades.

As voting concluded on Tuesday, Democrat Jon Ossoff, a 30-year-old political novice, was expected to come out atop a field of 18 candidates vying for a US&nbsp;House of Representatives seat that was vacated when Trump named Tom Price as his health secretary.

The drama hinged on whether the documentary filmmaker would win an outright majority of the vote, which would send him to Congress, or if he would fall short of 50 per cent and be forced into a June 20 runoff with one of the 11 Republicans in the race.

An Ossoff win would not tip the balance of power in Washington but could weaken the already shaky hold Trump has on his fellow Republicans by encouraging lawmakers to distance themselves from him.

&quot;It&#39;s a test case for how far a Democratic candidate can go in a Republican district on the strength of opposition to Trump,&quot; said Todd Rehm, a Georgia Republican strategist who is not affiliated with any candidate in the race.

The district, which encompasses a swath of well-heeled suburbs north of Atlanta, has elected Republicans to the House since the late 1970s, but Trump carried it by only 1 percentage point in the November presidential election.

Republicans in the race are split among Trump supporters and candidates trying to hold the president at arm&#39;s length. Party officials say they can beat Ossoff once the primary is over and they unite behind a single candidate.

The party avoided embarrassment last week when it narrowly held a conservative Kansas seat vacated when Trump tapped Republican Representative Mike Pompeo to head the Central Intelligence Agency.

&nbsp;

&#39;MAKE TRUMP FURIOUS&#39;

With the slogan &quot;Make Trump Furious,&quot; Ossoff aims to galvanise opposition to a president struggling with an approval rating that has not topped 50 per cent since he took office on January&nbsp;20, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling.

Ossoff has drawn volunteers and donors from out of state who see the race as a way to strike a blow against Trump. He raised a stunning $8.3 million in the first three months of the year, fuelling a robust campaign.

&quot;They were ringing my phone off the hook,&quot; said Kim Fambro, 45, who said the outreach convinced her to vote for Ossoff.

Trump blasted Ossoff on Twitter and said in a robocall that the Democrat would &quot;raise your taxes, destroy your healthcare, and flood our country with illegal immigrants&quot;.

Ossoff said on CNN that Trump was misinformed about his positions and that he was focussed on issues affecting the region, not Washington.

Republicans have responded with millions of dollars of spending of their own, casting Ossoff as an inexperienced outsider who does not live in the area he hopes to represent. Ossoff, who grew up in the district, says he will move back if he wins.

(Reuters)

Jon Ossoff can fill a vacant congressional seat in suburban Atlanta that has been held by Republicans for decades

US Democrats hope frustration with President Donald Trump will give them a surprise victory on Tuesday in an election to fill a vacant congressional seat in suburban Atlanta that has been held by Republicans for decades. As voting concluded on Tuesday, Democrat Jon Ossoff, a 30-year-old political novice, was expected to come out atop a field of 18 candidates vying for a US House of Representatives seat that was vacated when Trump named Tom Price as his health secretary. The drama hinged on whether the documentary filmmaker would win an outright majority of the vote, which would send him to Congress, or if he would fall short of 50 per cent and be forced into a June 20 runoff with one of the 11 Republicans in the race. An Ossoff win would not tip the balance of power in Washington but could weaken the already shaky hold Trump has on his fellow Republicans by encouraging lawmakers to distance themselves from him. "It's a test case for how far a Democratic candidate can go in a Republican district on the strength of opposition to Trump," said Todd Rehm, a Georgia Republican strategist who is not affiliated with any candidate in the race. The district, which encompasses a swath of well-heeled suburbs north of Atlanta, has elected Republicans to the House since the late 1970s, but Trump carried it by only 1 percentage point in the November presidential election. Republicans in the race are split among Trump supporters and candidates trying to hold the president at arm's length. Party officials say they can beat Ossoff once the primary is over and they unite behind a single candidate. The party avoided embarrassment last week when it narrowly held a conservative Kansas seat vacated when Trump tapped Republican Representative Mike Pompeo to head the Central Intelligence Agency. 'MAKE TRUMP FURIOUS' With the slogan "Make Trump Furious," Ossoff aims to galvanise opposition to a president struggling with an approval rating that has not topped 50 per cent since he took office on January 20, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling. Ossoff has drawn volunteers and donors from out of state who see the race as a way to strike a blow against Trump. He raised a stunning $8.3 million in the first three months of the year, fuelling a robust campaign. "They were ringing my phone off the hook," said Kim Fambro, 45, who said the outreach convinced her to vote for Ossoff. Trump blasted Ossoff on Twitter and said in a robocall that the Democrat would "raise your taxes, destroy your healthcare, and flood our country with illegal immigrants". Ossoff said on CNN that Trump was misinformed about his positions and that he was focussed on issues affecting the region, not Washington. Republicans have responded with millions of dollars of spending of their own, casting Ossoff as an inexperienced outsider who does not live in the area he hopes to represent. Ossoff, who grew up in the district, says he will move back if he wins. (Reuters)

US Democrats hope to strike blow at Trump in Georgia congressional race

US&nbsp;lawmakers from both parties said on Sunday they had seen no proof to support the claim by Republican President Donald Trump that his predecessor Barack Obama had wiretapped him last year, adding pressure on Trump to explain or back off his repeated assertion.

Several Republicans last week urged Trump to apologise for the allegations he made in a series of tweets on March 4.

The maelstrom also caused tension with key US&nbsp;allies and threatens to distract Republicans from campaign promises on health care and taxes.

&quot;I don&#39;t know the basis for President Trump`s assertion,&quot; US&nbsp;Senator Susan Collins, a Republican, said on NBC&#39;s &quot;Meet the Press.&quot; &quot;I do believe he owes us that explanation.&quot;

Collins said she supported Trump as president, but she wouldn&#39;t side with him if he &quot;misstated what the facts are.&quot;&nbsp;

FBI Director James Comey is expected to be asked about Trump&#39;s claims when he testifies at a rare public hearing on Monday about alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

Russia has denied the assertion it was involved in hacked emails and other attempts to influence the race.

Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee holding the hearing, called Trump&#39;s claims &quot;patently false&quot; and said he expected Comey to say as much on Monday.

The Justice Department on Friday delivered documents to congressional committees to help clear up whether the Obama administration spied on Trump.

Republican Representative Devin Nunes, who leads the House intelligence panel, said after receiving the material, he saw no evidence of wiretapping.

But Nunes, who served on Trump&#39;s transition team, joined the White House in seeking to shift attention away from the controversies by calling for investigations of leaks to the news media.&nbsp;

Nunes said on &quot;Fox News Sunday&quot; that leaks to reporters about former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn were criminal and that his panel was probing whether other names were leaked.

Trump has been dogged by allegations that his associates had ties to Russian officials.

He fired Flynn last month after reports he had discussed sanctions with Russia&#39;s ambassador before Trump took office, without telling other White House officials.

&quot;The one crime we know that&#39;s been committed is that one: the leaking of someone&#39;s name,&quot; Nunes said. &quot;Were there any other names that were ... leaked out?&quot;

Nunes also said ahead of Monday&#39;s hearing he had seen &quot;no evidence&quot; of collusion between Russia and Trump`s team. But Schiff, the panel`s top Democrat, said there was enough &quot;circumstantial evidence&quot; that he still had questions.

Not Backing Down

Meanwhile, the White House has not backed down on Trump&#39;s surveillance claims.&nbsp;

The administration was forced to reassure key ally Britain after White House press secretary Sean Spicer repeated a Fox News analyst&#39;s claim that a British intelligence agency helped Obama wiretap Trump.

The British government strongly denied it.

The issue led to an awkward moment on Friday at a joint press conference with visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel when Trump was asked about the wiretap claims by a German reporter.

Trump said he and Merkel had &quot;something in common,&quot; apparently referring to reports during the Obama administration that Merkel&#39;s phone was bugged. The quip left the German leader looking bewildered.

Senior Republican Representative Tom Cole told reporters on Friday that Trump owed Obama an apology. Representatives Charlie Dent and Will Hurd, also Republicans, made similar comments.

&quot;I see no indication that that&#39;s true,&quot; Cole said of the wiretapping charge.&nbsp;

Unless Trump produces convincing proof, Cole added, &quot;President Obama is owed an apology.&quot;

(Reuters)

&nbsp;

The maelstrom has?caused tension with key US?allies and threatens to distract Republicans from campaign promises on healthcare and taxes

US lawmakers from both parties said on Sunday they had seen no proof to support the claim by Republican President Donald Trump that his predecessor Barack Obama had wiretapped him last year, adding pressure on Trump to explain or back off his repeated assertion. Several Republicans last week urged Trump to apologise for the allegations he made in a series of tweets on March 4. The maelstrom also caused tension with key US allies and threatens to distract Republicans from campaign promises on health care and taxes. "I don't know the basis for President Trump`s assertion," US Senator Susan Collins, a Republican, said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "I do believe he owes us that explanation." Collins said she supported Trump as president, but she wouldn't side with him if he "misstated what the facts are." FBI Director James Comey is expected to be asked about Trump's claims when he testifies at a rare public hearing on Monday about alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Russia has denied the assertion it was involved in hacked emails and other attempts to influence the race. Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee holding the hearing, called Trump's claims "patently false" and said he expected Comey to say as much on Monday. The Justice Department on Friday delivered documents to congressional committees to help clear up whether the Obama administration spied on Trump. Republican Representative Devin Nunes, who leads the House intelligence panel, said after receiving the material, he saw no evidence of wiretapping. But Nunes, who served on Trump's transition team, joined the White House in seeking to shift attention away from the controversies by calling for investigations of leaks to the news media. Nunes said on "Fox News Sunday" that leaks to reporters about former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn were criminal and that his panel was probing whether other names were leaked. Trump has been dogged by allegations that his associates had ties to Russian officials. He fired Flynn last month after reports he had discussed sanctions with Russia's ambassador before Trump took office, without telling other White House officials. "The one crime we know that's been committed is that one: the leaking of someone's name," Nunes said. "Were there any other names that were ... leaked out?" Nunes also said ahead of Monday's hearing he had seen "no evidence" of collusion between Russia and Trump`s team. But Schiff, the panel`s top Democrat, said there was enough "circumstantial evidence" that he still had questions. Not Backing Down Meanwhile, the White House has not backed down on Trump's surveillance claims. The administration was forced to reassure key ally Britain after White House press secretary Sean Spicer repeated a Fox News analyst's claim that a British intelligence agency helped Obama wiretap Trump. The British government strongly denied it. The issue led to an awkward moment on Friday at a joint press conference with visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel when Trump was asked about the wiretap claims by a German reporter. Trump said he and Merkel had "something in common," apparently referring to reports during the Obama administration that Merkel's phone was bugged. The quip left the German leader looking bewildered. Senior Republican Representative Tom Cole told reporters on Friday that Trump owed Obama an apology. Representatives Charlie Dent and Will Hurd, also Republicans, made similar comments. "I see no indication that that's true," Cole said of the wiretapping charge. Unless Trump produces convincing proof, Cole added, "President Obama is owed an apology." (Reuters)

Pressure builds on Trump to take back wiretap accusation

House Republicans have revived a law from 1876 that allows members of Congress to target individual federal employees and reduce their pay to $1, the Washington Post reports.

The Holman Rule, as it&#39;s known, permits Congress members to single out any of the 2.1 million civil servants the US employs for a career-ending reduction in pay, as well as to cut specific programs to $0, the Washington Post reports.

Majorities in the House and Senate still&nbsp;need to approve the amendment before the Holman Rule can be enacted, but the mere possibility has critics fearing&nbsp;Republicans can use this to target&nbsp;opponents.

There are reasons to be suspicious.

Two&nbsp;weeks ago the Trump transition team sent a questionnaire to&nbsp;the <a href="http://www.salon.com/2017/01/06/house-republicans-support-rule-that-could-allow-them-to-pay-individual-federal-workers-1/">Department of Energy</a>&nbsp;to identify&nbsp;specific employees working on&nbsp;climate change, <a href="http://www.salon.com/2017/01/06/house-republicans-support-rule-that-could-allow-them-to-pay-individual-federal-workers-1/">Salon reports</a>. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/josh-rogin/wp/2016/12/22/trump-team-asked-state-department-for-info-on-womens-issues-programs-stoking-fears-of-another-witch-hunt/?utm_term=.f3fbe99d7958">The Washington Post</a> reports that Trump&#39;s team also sought the names from the State Department&nbsp;of individuals working on women&#39;s health issues.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Oh, hey, remember when the transition team asked for names of climate change staff at DOE and women&#39;s program staff at State? This is why. <a href="https://t.co/fAxAOliFwG">https://t.co/fAxAOliFwG</a>
&mdash; Megan Carpentier (@megancarpentier) <a href="https://twitter.com/megancarpentier/status/817147618363117569">January 5, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Also in the crosshairs is&nbsp;intelligence.&nbsp;On Thursday,&nbsp;Trump said that plans to overhaul the Office of the Director National Intelligence, Salon reports.&nbsp;

Trump has clashed for weeks&nbsp;with US intelligence agencies, who now state&nbsp;unequivocally that&nbsp;Vladimir Putin interefered in the US election to benefit Trump. Trump, who in the presidential debates openly called on Russia&nbsp;to hack Clinton&#39;s emails, denied that Russia had any role in interfering&nbsp;with the US election. Last night he issued a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-admits-russia-interfered-with-us-election-after-meeting-intelligence-heads-10988">statement</a>&nbsp;admitting&nbsp;that Russia, among others, did interefere&nbsp;in the US election, but denied&nbsp;that it&nbsp;affected its&nbsp;outcome.

Trump&nbsp;has&nbsp;claimed&nbsp;he does not receive daily intelligence briefings, and has cast doubt on his country&#39;s own intellgence agencies. Last week he publicly sided with&nbsp;Julian Assange over&nbsp;the FBI, CIA and the White House.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Julian Assange said &quot;a 14 year old could have hacked Podesta&quot; - why was DNC so careless? Also said Russians did not give him the info!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/816620855958601730">January 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Republican Represenative from Virginia H Morgan Griffith suggested the Holman Rule may really&nbsp;come about&nbsp;and&nbsp;appeared to justify it,&nbsp;telling&nbsp;the Washington Post:&nbsp;&quot;I can&#39;t tell you it won&#39;t happen...The Power is there. But isn&#39;t that appropriate? Who runs the country, the people of the United State or the people on the people&#39;s payroll?&quot;

House Majority leader told reporters earlier in the week appeared to justify the Holman Rule, saying, &quot;All agencies should be held accountable and tested in a manner, and this is an avenue to allow them to do it&quot;, Salon reports.

The Holman Rule could be used in still more places&nbsp;too, critics fear.&nbsp;

As <a href="http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/01/congress-can-now-cut-the-pay-of-individual-civil-servants.html">NYMag</a> neatly points&nbsp;out, Trump is picking candidates with decades of experience&nbsp;that run contrary to&nbsp;the stated objectives of the departments they will lead: &quot;The president-elect&rsquo;s Labor Secretary&ndash;designate is&nbsp;<a href="http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/12/trump-gives-middle-finger-to-wage-earners-with-labor-pick.html" target="_blank">a fast-food executive</a>&nbsp;whose restaurants are serial violators of labor law; his EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) head is an&nbsp;<a href="http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/12/report-donald-trump-names-scott-pruitt-as-head-of-the-epa.html" target="_blank">ally of the oil industry</a>&nbsp;who loves to sue the EPA; his&nbsp;<a href="http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/11/carson-is-trumps-pick-for-hud-for-some-awful-reason.html" target="_blank">head of Housing and Urban Development</a>&nbsp;has called the Fair Housing Act &#39;communist&#39;.&quot;

On Tuesday Republicans voted to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-republicans-scrap-move-to-gut-non-partisan-ethics-watchdog-10872">gut the only non-partisan ethics </a>watchdog committed to overseeing&nbsp;Congress.&nbsp;

This week, in an unprecedented step,&nbsp;Trump demanded&nbsp;that&nbsp;all US envoys around the world posted by <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-asks-us-envoys-appointed-by-obama-to-quit-by-inauguration-day-10984">Obama must quit their post</a> before his January 20 inauguration. This threatens to leave the US without envoys in several important countries, including Canada, Germany, and Britain.

How&nbsp;the Republicans use this 140-year-old law has yet to be seen, but&nbsp;their hostility to the previous administration&nbsp;is&nbsp;beyond a doubt.&nbsp;

(WION)&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Critics fear Republicans will use the obscure Holman Rule to attack a broad spectrum of opponents. There are many good reasons to worry

House Republicans have revived a law from 1876 that allows members of Congress to target individual federal employees and reduce their pay to $1, the Washington Post reports. The Holman Rule, as it's known, permits Congress members to single out any of the 2.1 million civil servants the US employs for a career-ending reduction in pay, as well as to cut specific programs to $0, the Washington Post reports. Majorities in the House and Senate still need to approve the amendment before the Holman Rule can be enacted, but the mere possibility has critics fearing Republicans can use this to target opponents. There are reasons to be suspicious. Two weeks ago the Trump transition team sent a questionnaire to the Department of Energy to identify specific employees working on climate change, Salon reports. The Washington Post reports that Trump's team also sought the names from the State Department of individuals working on women's health issues. Oh, hey, remember when the transition team asked for names of climate change staff at DOE and women's program staff at State? This is why. https://t.co/fAxAOliFwG — Megan Carpentier (@megancarpentier) January 5, 2017 × Also in the crosshairs is intelligence. On Thursday, Trump said that plans to overhaul the Office of the Director National Intelligence, Salon reports. Trump has clashed for weeks with US intelligence agencies, who now state unequivocally that Vladimir Putin interefered in the US election to benefit Trump. Trump, who in the presidential debates openly called on Russia to hack Clinton's emails, denied that Russia had any role in interfering with the US election. Last night he issued a statement admitting that Russia, among others, did interefere in the US election, but denied that it affected its outcome. Trump has claimed he does not receive daily intelligence briefings, and has cast doubt on his country's own intellgence agencies. Last week he publicly sided with Julian Assange over the FBI, CIA and the White House. Julian Assange said "a 14 year old could have hacked Podesta" - why was DNC so careless? Also said Russians did not give him the info! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2017 × Republican Represenative from Virginia H Morgan Griffith suggested the Holman Rule may really come about and appeared to justify it, telling the Washington Post: "I can't tell you it won't happen...The Power is there. But isn't that appropriate? Who runs the country, the people of the United State or the people on the people's payroll?" House Majority leader told reporters earlier in the week appeared to justify the Holman Rule, saying, "All agencies should be held accountable and tested in a manner, and this is an avenue to allow them to do it", Salon reports. The Holman Rule could be used in still more places too, critics fear. As NYMag neatly points out, Trump is picking candidates with decades of experience that run contrary to the stated objectives of the departments they will lead: "The president-elect’s Labor Secretary–designate is a fast-food executive whose restaurants are serial violators of labor law; his EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) head is an ally of the oil industry who loves to sue the EPA; his head of Housing and Urban Development has called the Fair Housing Act 'communist'." On Tuesday Republicans voted to gut the only non-partisan ethics watchdog committed to overseeing Congress. This week, in an unprecedented step, Trump demanded that all US envoys around the world posted by Obama must quit their post before his January 20 inauguration. This threatens to leave the US without envoys in several important countries, including Canada, Germany, and Britain. How the Republicans use this 140-year-old law has yet to be seen, but their hostility to the previous administration is beyond a doubt. (WION)

Republicans invoke 140-year-old law that could reduce federal employees' wage to $1

The Republican-led US Congress begins a new session on Tuesday&nbsp;where it will start laying plans for enacting President-elect Donald Trump&#39;s agenda of tax cuts, repeal of Obamacare and the rollback of financial and environmental regulations.

With Trump set to be sworn in as president on January 20, Republican lawmakers hope to get a quick start on priorities that were blocked during Democratic President Barack Obama&#39;s eight years in the White House.

Since his election on November 8, the Republican president-elect has made clear he wants to move swiftly to enact proposals he outlined during the campaign such as simplifying the tax code, slashing corporate tax rates and repealing and replacing Obama&rsquo;s signature health insurance program known as Obamacare.

Republicans have long sought to dismantle Obamacare, insisting it was unworkable and hampered job growth. But they face a dilemma over how to provide health insurance for the 13.8 million people enrolled in Obamacare who could lose their coverage. The law aims to provide health insurance to economically disadvantaged people and expand coverage for others.

Last month Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, said that before the election, he assumed Democrats would take back control of the Senate and hold on to the White House, ending any talk of repealing Obamacare.

&quot;I didn&#39;t think...Trump had a chance of winning,&quot; McConnell said in a December 19 interview with Kentucky Educational Television.

The opposite occurred and now Republicans find they have to deliver on their campaign promise, even though they have not agreed on a replacement healthcare program.

Trump kept up his attack on the law on Tuesday, tweeting: &quot;People must remember that ObamaCare just doesn&#39;t work, and it is not affordable,&quot; and adding, &quot;It is lousy healthcare.&quot;

The first meeting of the 115th Congress will be full of ceremony, as the 435 members of the House of Representatives and a third of the 100-member Senate are sworn in.

Amid the celebration will be a move by House Republicans to clear the decks for Obamacare repeal.

That will come in the form of a vote on rules governing House procedures in the two-year term of the chamber. Tucked into the rules package is a move to prevent Democrats from slowing or stopping Obamacare repeal legislation because of the potential cost to the US Treasury of doing so.

Leading Democrats warned on Monday of a fierce battle over Obamacare.

&quot;We&#39;re going to fight as hard as ever to protect the ACA (Affordable Care Act),&quot; said Representative Steny Hoyer, the House&#39;s second-ranking Democrat.

Speaking to reporters, Hoyer and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said they would launch an effort to mobilise grassroots support for Obamacare by explaining how repeal would create a ripple effect hurting a majority of Americans.

Obama is scheduled to meet on Wednesday with congressional Democrats to discuss strategies for fending off the Republican attacks on Obamacare.

&nbsp;

Cabinet, Supreme Court nominations

The Senate will kick off hearings on Trump&#39;s choices to head his Cabinet departments and other top jobs in the new administration.

It is also expected to receive a Supreme Court nomination from Trump early in his term to replace conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, who died last February. Republicans refused to consider Obama&#39;s nomination of Merrick Garland last year.

Prominent Republican Senator John McCain has warned that Rex Tillerson, Trump&#39;s choice for secretary of state, will have to explain his relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom McCain has called a &quot;thug and a murderer&quot;.

Tillerson, who spent much of his career at Exxon Mobil Corp, has been involved in business dealings in Russia and opposed US sanctions against Moscow for its incursion into Crimea.

While McConnell repeatedly called for removing Obamacare &quot;root and branch,&quot; he said in the Kentucky television interview that his top priorities for the new Congress were dealing with the &quot;massive overregulation&quot; he said had been a brake on the US economy and accomplishing tax code changes to stop companies from moving jobs offshore.

Republican lawmakers also want to curtail or block regulations aimed at controlling industrial emissions that contribute to climate change, and roll back banking industry reforms enacted after the near-collapse of Wall Street in 2008.

Republicans might use upcoming spending bills funding government agencies to try to kill some of those regulations. Trump is also expected to try to use his executive powers toward that end.

Republicans will hold a slightly smaller majority in both the Senate and House than they enjoyed the past two years. That means Democrats will still have bargaining power, especially on issues that divide Republicans, such as spending priorities.

(Reuters)

Republican's are eager for Trump's agenda of tax cuts, repeal of Obamacare and the rollback of financial and environmental regulations

The Republican-led US Congress begins a new session on Tuesday where it will start laying plans for enacting President-elect Donald Trump's agenda of tax cuts, repeal of Obamacare and the rollback of financial and environmental regulations. With Trump set to be sworn in as president on January 20, Republican lawmakers hope to get a quick start on priorities that were blocked during Democratic President Barack Obama's eight years in the White House. Since his election on November 8, the Republican president-elect has made clear he wants to move swiftly to enact proposals he outlined during the campaign such as simplifying the tax code, slashing corporate tax rates and repealing and replacing Obama’s signature health insurance program known as Obamacare. Republicans have long sought to dismantle Obamacare, insisting it was unworkable and hampered job growth. But they face a dilemma over how to provide health insurance for the 13.8 million people enrolled in Obamacare who could lose their coverage. The law aims to provide health insurance to economically disadvantaged people and expand coverage for others. Last month Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, said that before the election, he assumed Democrats would take back control of the Senate and hold on to the White House, ending any talk of repealing Obamacare. "I didn't think...Trump had a chance of winning," McConnell said in a December 19 interview with Kentucky Educational Television. The opposite occurred and now Republicans find they have to deliver on their campaign promise, even though they have not agreed on a replacement healthcare program. Trump kept up his attack on the law on Tuesday, tweeting: "People must remember that ObamaCare just doesn't work, and it is not affordable," and adding, "It is lousy healthcare." The first meeting of the 115th Congress will be full of ceremony, as the 435 members of the House of Representatives and a third of the 100-member Senate are sworn in. Amid the celebration will be a move by House Republicans to clear the decks for Obamacare repeal. That will come in the form of a vote on rules governing House procedures in the two-year term of the chamber. Tucked into the rules package is a move to prevent Democrats from slowing or stopping Obamacare repeal legislation because of the potential cost to the US Treasury of doing so. Leading Democrats warned on Monday of a fierce battle over Obamacare. "We're going to fight as hard as ever to protect the ACA (Affordable Care Act)," said Representative Steny Hoyer, the House's second-ranking Democrat. Speaking to reporters, Hoyer and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said they would launch an effort to mobilise grassroots support for Obamacare by explaining how repeal would create a ripple effect hurting a majority of Americans. Obama is scheduled to meet on Wednesday with congressional Democrats to discuss strategies for fending off the Republican attacks on Obamacare. Cabinet, Supreme Court nominations The Senate will kick off hearings on Trump's choices to head his Cabinet departments and other top jobs in the new administration. It is also expected to receive a Supreme Court nomination from Trump early in his term to replace conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, who died last February. Republicans refused to consider Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland last year. Prominent Republican Senator John McCain has warned that Rex Tillerson, Trump's choice for secretary of state, will have to explain his relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom McCain has called a "thug and a murderer". Tillerson, who spent much of his career at Exxon Mobil Corp, has been involved in business dealings in Russia and opposed US sanctions against Moscow for its incursion into Crimea. While McConnell repeatedly called for removing Obamacare "root and branch," he said in the Kentucky television interview that his top priorities for the new Congress were dealing with the "massive overregulation" he said had been a brake on the US economy and accomplishing tax code changes to stop companies from moving jobs offshore. Republican lawmakers also want to curtail or block regulations aimed at controlling industrial emissions that contribute to climate change, and roll back banking industry reforms enacted after the near-collapse of Wall Street in 2008. Republicans might use upcoming spending bills funding government agencies to try to kill some of those regulations. Trump is also expected to try to use his executive powers toward that end. Republicans will hold a slightly smaller majority in both the Senate and House than they enjoyed the past two years. That means Democrats will still have bargaining power, especially on issues that divide Republicans, such as spending priorities. (Reuters)

New Republican-led US Congress lays groundwork for reversing Obama agenda

The United States elects a president every four years and election day is always the first Tuesday of&nbsp;November.

What does it take to qualify for presidentship? You have to be a US citizen by birth, be at least 35-years-old and a US resident for 14 years.

Today&#39;s election will give the United States its 45th president - Democrat Hillary&nbsp;Clinton or Republican&nbsp;Donald Trump.

Polling centre scene

At a polling centre in Brooklyn, New York, voters find out their district, then they get a paper ballot, they get registered and check&nbsp;in. They then move to the polling stations behind to scan their vote and get a sticker saying &#39;I&nbsp;voted&#39;.

&quot;It&#39;s a big decision - first of all a woman president, it&#39;s a big step for the US and I think putting her in office as opposed to Trump makes that difference,&quot; says Janna&nbsp;Ferner-Bell.

&quot;I&#39;m all about Jill Stein. I&#39;m all about the green party. She has integrity, she is smart, the world needs a&nbsp;bigger change,&quot; Karmela&nbsp;Lozina&nbsp;says.

Not all polling centres were quick though - the line in midtown Manhattan stretched out for about two hours. It&#39;s the same location where Donald&nbsp;Trump cast his ballot.

Electoral college

In the United States with the electoral college, you aren&#39;t voting for the president directly, instead you are voting for electors. Those electors will cast the ballot for the president.

So if neither candidate gets the necessary 270 electoral votes, the house of representatives will pick the president and the senate will pick the vice president.

The election process starts at the state level where voters pick a candidate through primaries and caucuses. After this, two major political parties in the US - the Democrats (in blue) and the Republicans (in red) host a nomination convention to unite behind one candidate.

Each nominee also chooses a vice president candidate at this time.

This year, Democratic candidate Hillary&nbsp;Clinton picked Viriginia senator Tim&nbsp;Kaine while Republican candidate Donald&nbsp;Trump chose Indiana governor Mike Pence.

The candidates tour the country through campaign rallies where they explain their views on hot burning issues like domestic policies, foreign policies, the economy, terrorism, gun control, immigration and healthcare.

A&nbsp;lot of states typically are &#39;red&#39; or &#39;blue&#39;&nbsp;states &ndash; but sometimes swing states or &#39;purple&#39;&nbsp;states mean there is equal chance&nbsp;for a Republican or Democratic victory. 
 
When voters cast their ballot, they&nbsp;pick who they want for the country&#39;s top position. These votes represent the popular vote and does not determine the actual winner.

(WION)

With the United States set to get its 45th president, WION explains the process behind the election

The United States elects a president every four years and election day is always the first Tuesday of November. What does it take to qualify for presidentship? You have to be a US citizen by birth, be at least 35-years-old and a US resident for 14 years. Today's election will give the United States its 45th president - Democrat Hillary Clinton or Republican Donald Trump. Polling centre scene At a polling centre in Brooklyn, New York, voters find out their district, then they get a paper ballot, they get registered and check in. They then move to the polling stations behind to scan their vote and get a sticker saying 'I voted'. "It's a big decision - first of all a woman president, it's a big step for the US and I think putting her in office as opposed to Trump makes that difference," says Janna Ferner-Bell. "I'm all about Jill Stein. I'm all about the green party. She has integrity, she is smart, the world needs a bigger change," Karmela Lozina says. Not all polling centres were quick though - the line in midtown Manhattan stretched out for about two hours. It's the same location where Donald Trump cast his ballot. Electoral college In the United States with the electoral college, you aren't voting for the president directly, instead you are voting for electors. Those electors will cast the ballot for the president. So if neither candidate gets the necessary 270 electoral votes, the house of representatives will pick the president and the senate will pick the vice president. The election process starts at the state level where voters pick a candidate through primaries and caucuses. After this, two major political parties in the US - the Democrats (in blue) and the Republicans (in red) host a nomination convention to unite behind one candidate. Each nominee also chooses a vice president candidate at this time. This year, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton picked Viriginia senator Tim Kaine while Republican candidate Donald Trump chose Indiana governor Mike Pence. The candidates tour the country through campaign rallies where they explain their views on hot burning issues like domestic policies, foreign policies, the economy, terrorism, gun control, immigration and healthcare. A lot of states typically are 'red' or 'blue' states – but sometimes swing states or 'purple' states mean there is equal chance for a Republican or Democratic victory. When voters cast their ballot, they pick who they want for the country's top position. These votes represent the popular vote and does not determine the actual winner. (WION)

US Election 2016: This is how America votes

By&nbsp;Matthew Kolasa

Ryan Lochte is to Michael Phelps in swimming what Hillary Clinton is to Donald Trump in polarising Americans. No major party nominee save for Trump has had such strong negative opinions since opinion polling began.

While the cause for voters&rsquo; distaste for the Republican nominee is clear, the strong degree of displeasure with secretary Clinton seems more elusive. Other candidates have committed blunders, been mired in scandal, held lengthy tenures, lied and changed views for political expediency, but rarely has an American politician been so reviled by so many, even within her own party. What is so different for Hillary Clinton?

First, the usual suspects: the Benghazi incident, regardless of her level of involvement, recklessness in using her email server, voting for the 2003 invasion of Iraq, achieving power because of her husband&mdash;disregarding her own accomplishments&mdash;and staying with her husband, for which she has been accused of everything from Machiavellian calculus to anti-feminism to Stockholm syndrome. There are the Wall Street speech fees and the Clinton Foundation donations, especially by foreign nationals, her biased judgment favoring rich donors, the accusations that she is either too liberal or too conservative, her being a woman and, finally, that she has been in politics too long and it is time for a change.

Perceived Inevitability

Each reason may put off some voters, and taken together they partly explain the polarization on display in the polls, but this is not the whole story. Many of these criticisms are not new and as recently as 2013 her approval rating was 67% and her negatives were as low as 26%&mdash;comparable to Barack Obama&rsquo;s in 2008, according to The Washington Post/ABC poll.

There is one cause the media has largely ignored: her perceived inevitability in 2016. The early decision by party leaders to rally behind a candidate long before the first vote was cast in the Iowa caucus has made voters see her as chosen not by them, but by &eacute;lites in smoke-filled rooms.

Frustrated leftists tried to rally around Bernie Sanders, an independent who surprised with his performance but never rose beyond a minority protest against the organized and disciplined Clinton campaign, even after a nigh-miraculous upset in the Michigan primary.

Centrist Democrats who would have preferred a more conservative choice also felt excluded from the process. Consider one demographic supporting Sanders: poor whites, including lifelong Democrats, in the heart of coal country, felt betrayed by the Obama administration&rsquo;s aggressive approach to environmental regulation and saw Clinton as a continuation of his current policies, and thus voted for a left-wing candidate they might otherwise have never considered.

Obama 2.0

First, internal party conflict and then a &ldquo;circular firing squad&rdquo; of 17 Republican candidates allowing the rise of Trump have left many conservative Democrats and swing-voters without a viable alternative, choosing the lesser of two undesirables. A less divisive Republican nominee or a stronger opponent in the primaries would have made more Americans think of her as their choice rather than the establishment&rsquo;s next-in-line. Would people be as anti-Hillary had she beaten Joe Biden in the primaries and been leading Bobby Jindal in the general election?

Add Obama&rsquo;s popularity and anyone unhappy about electing Obama 2.0 can easily feel disenfranchised, particularly after Senator Sanders struggled to implicitly criticize the Obama administration and the Republican Party failed to rally around an alternative. In a world of Yelp reviews, reality-TV voting and instant social media feedback, voters have come to expect a feeling of empowerment. Factor in the echo-chamber effect of the blogosphere and Google and Facebook algorithms, and a Republican or a Sanders supporter may wonder how anyone could vote for Hillary at all.

Democracy is now more than ever about a feeling of empowerment, and many voters who think of her as an heir who has not earned their votes will fear she is not beholden to them, but to other identity groups, donors or party &eacute;lites.

Fair Observer - World News, Politics, Economics, Business and CultureFair Observer provides you deep and diverse insights for free. Remember that we still have to pay for servers, website maintenance and much more. So, donate now to keep us free, fair and independent.

Anti-Hillary is not only about Hillary or her policies: They may well be good reasons, but not the primary ones. It is about the system she represents. While she will probably be the next president, if the perception Trump is promoting of conniving insiders subverting democratic institutions takes root and dominates political discourse, she will enter office with little political capital.

As a result, America will only become more splintered among political, regional and ethnic factions. In an era when the US is more polarized than ever, the risk of paralysed institutions and a weaker republic after the election is a real one.&nbsp;

(This story first appeared on FairObserver.com)

The anti-Hillary sentiment is directed at the system she represents

By Matthew Kolasa Ryan Lochte is to Michael Phelps in swimming what Hillary Clinton is to Donald Trump in polarising Americans. No major party nominee save for Trump has had such strong negative opinions since opinion polling began. While the cause for voters’ distaste for the Republican nominee is clear, the strong degree of displeasure with secretary Clinton seems more elusive. Other candidates have committed blunders, been mired in scandal, held lengthy tenures, lied and changed views for political expediency, but rarely has an American politician been so reviled by so many, even within her own party. What is so different for Hillary Clinton? First, the usual suspects: the Benghazi incident, regardless of her level of involvement, recklessness in using her email server, voting for the 2003 invasion of Iraq, achieving power because of her husband—disregarding her own accomplishments—and staying with her husband, for which she has been accused of everything from Machiavellian calculus to anti-feminism to Stockholm syndrome. There are the Wall Street speech fees and the Clinton Foundation donations, especially by foreign nationals, her biased judgment favoring rich donors, the accusations that she is either too liberal or too conservative, her being a woman and, finally, that she has been in politics too long and it is time for a change. Perceived Inevitability Each reason may put off some voters, and taken together they partly explain the polarization on display in the polls, but this is not the whole story. Many of these criticisms are not new and as recently as 2013 her approval rating was 67% and her negatives were as low as 26%—comparable to Barack Obama’s in 2008, according to The Washington Post/ABC poll. There is one cause the media has largely ignored: her perceived inevitability in 2016. The early decision by party leaders to rally behind a candidate long before the first vote was cast in the Iowa caucus has made voters see her as chosen not by them, but by élites in smoke-filled rooms. Frustrated leftists tried to rally around Bernie Sanders, an independent who surprised with his performance but never rose beyond a minority protest against the organized and disciplined Clinton campaign, even after a nigh-miraculous upset in the Michigan primary. Centrist Democrats who would have preferred a more conservative choice also felt excluded from the process. Consider one demographic supporting Sanders: poor whites, including lifelong Democrats, in the heart of coal country, felt betrayed by the Obama administration’s aggressive approach to environmental regulation and saw Clinton as a continuation of his current policies, and thus voted for a left-wing candidate they might otherwise have never considered. Obama 2.0 First, internal party conflict and then a “circular firing squad” of 17 Republican candidates allowing the rise of Trump have left many conservative Democrats and swing-voters without a viable alternative, choosing the lesser of two undesirables. A less divisive Republican nominee or a stronger opponent in the primaries would have made more Americans think of her as their choice rather than the establishment’s next-in-line. Would people be as anti-Hillary had she beaten Joe Biden in the primaries and been leading Bobby Jindal in the general election? Add Obama’s popularity and anyone unhappy about electing Obama 2.0 can easily feel disenfranchised, particularly after Senator Sanders struggled to implicitly criticize the Obama administration and the Republican Party failed to rally around an alternative. In a world of Yelp reviews, reality-TV voting and instant social media feedback, voters have come to expect a feeling of empowerment. Factor in the echo-chamber effect of the blogosphere and Google and Facebook algorithms, and a Republican or a Sanders supporter may wonder how anyone could vote for Hillary at all. Democracy is now more than ever about a feeling of empowerment, and many voters who think of her as an heir who has not earned their votes will fear she is not beholden to them, but to other identity groups, donors or party élites. Fair Observer - World News, Politics, Economics, Business and CultureFair Observer provides you deep and diverse insights for free. Remember that we still have to pay for servers, website maintenance and much more. So, donate now to keep us free, fair and independent. Anti-Hillary is not only about Hillary or her policies: They may well be good reasons, but not the primary ones. It is about the system she represents. While she will probably be the next president, if the perception Trump is promoting of conniving insiders subverting democratic institutions takes root and dominates political discourse, she will enter office with little political capital. As a result, America will only become more splintered among political, regional and ethnic factions. In an era when the US is more polarized than ever, the risk of paralysed institutions and a weaker republic after the election is a real one. (This story first appeared on FairObserver.com)

Why is Hillary Clinton so unpopular?

Voters who support 3rd party candidates in crucial states are swapping their votes across state lines in a bid to prevent Trump from winning

As the race for the US presidency between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump narrows, several social media sites are urging voters who support third party candidates in crucial battleground states to swap their vote across states. Apps like #NeverTrump to TrumpTraders.org and MakeMineCount.org are working full swing to prevent Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump from entering the White House, Reuters reported. Trump trading is based on the "honour system" where voters express their political preference publicly. Some people find trading partners the old-fashioned way through word-of-mouth. John Stubbs, co-founder of the site Republicans for Clinton and Trump Traders, told Reuters that while he is no fan of Democrat Hillary Clinton, but he believes Trump would be a "catastrophe" and voting for third party candidates could inevitably help Trump win. So, for him Hillary Clinton is the only viable alternative. "Once we all come to that realization, then you see Republicans who don't like Trump, people who support Gary Johnson, or Jill Stein, or Evan McMullin or the man on the moon, are all aligned around the exact same idea, which is that the worst case scenario for the country is Donald Trump," Stubbs said. He claims that more than 15,000 participants have enrolled on his site where voters in the swing states can trade their third party candidate vote with a Clinton supporter from a "safe state." A safe state is one where voters have little chance of influencing the outcome in America's electoral college system. The battleground states are where no single party or candidate has overwhelming support include Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas. Sites like "Swing Vote Swap" are non-partisan, Reuters reported. Bret Lehne has agreed to vote for Green Party candidate Jill Stein in New York state in exchange for his cousin's friend voting for Clinton in the key swing state of Pennsylvania. "Our vote doesn't really matter," he said of living in Democrat-leaning New York. "So if we can use it to further some other goal to trade it to Iowa, to trade it to Florida, that would be just making our democracy go a little further in this electoral college we're stuck in." This is not the first time that vote trading has been attempted. In 2000, several vote trading websites emerged to try to prevent left-leaning third party candidate Ralph Nader from taking Democrat Al Gore's vote share. Gore ultimately won the national popular vote, while Republican George W Bush won many of the smaller states and Florida, which gave him the majority in the electoral college. "If those sites had been successful in switching just 538 more people [in Florida], Al Gore would've been president. And that fact I think showed the power that these exchanges could potentially have," Stubbs told Reuters. He cited the example of last year's Canadian election where strategic voting helped Justin Trudeau's Liberals win the elections. Vote trading 'undemocratic': Critics A host of critics online have slammed the practice as "undemocratic" and say it amounts to "rigging the election." "It sort of instinctively has a little odour about it, but it isn't a rigging of the election," said Kenneth Gross, an election law expert and partner with Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom. "It's just not anything that arises to the level of a legally actionable offense, because that sort of an agreement, really an informal agreement, is not quote, 'something of value,' like giving somebody dinner." He, however, predicts that if vote trading were to become a major force in influencing outcomes, it could prompt challenges to previous court rulings. The one thing vote traders will have to worry about is whether their trading partner will honour their end of the bargain when they enter that voting booth. There is always the option of ballot selfies though. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

US elections 2016: Vote trading websites aim to block Trump presidency

The latest Washington Post-ABC News Tracking Poll has found supporters of Hillary Clinton slipping behind in enthusiasm.

Although there is no major change in Clinton&#39;s overall support, strong enthusiasm among her supporters fell behind Trump in combined Saturday and Sunday interviews.

While Trump&#39;s edge was negligible in the Thursday and Friday interviews (53 per cent versus 51 per cent), the Saturday and Sunday interviews pointed to 53 per cent and 43 per cent for Trump and Clinton respectively.

In 2012, at this stage of the elections, 64 per cent of Obama supporters had said that they were &quot;very enthusiastic&quot; about him while Romney was narrowly behind at 61 per cent.

Clinton has a 54-41 per cent edge among early voters in an average of the three most recent tracking poll waves, while Trump leads by a 50-39 per cent margin among those who will vote on Election Day.

A good 38 per cent of senior likely voters said that they had already voted while 18 per cent of middle-aged and 17 per cent of young voters have done so.

The daily tracking poll suggests that Trump&#39;s previously lagging support among core Republican groups now almost matches Clinton&#39;s wide support on the left.

Trump holds 78 per cent support among white evangelical Protestants, 77 per cent among conservatives, 68 per cent among rural voters and 59 per cent among white men. Clinton&#39;s stands at 81 per cent among liberals, 67 per cent among those identifying with no religion, 60 per cent among urban dwellers and 72 per cent among non-whites, the poll states.

Trump has an 18-point edge among political independents, quite higher than what Republicans have held in recent elections.

(WION)

The poll seems to show that only a week before the election, voters aren't madly excited to vote for their candidate

The latest Washington Post-ABC News Tracking Poll has found supporters of Hillary Clinton slipping behind in enthusiasm. Although there is no major change in Clinton's overall support, strong enthusiasm among her supporters fell behind Trump in combined Saturday and Sunday interviews. While Trump's edge was negligible in the Thursday and Friday interviews (53 per cent versus 51 per cent), the Saturday and Sunday interviews pointed to 53 per cent and 43 per cent for Trump and Clinton respectively. In 2012, at this stage of the elections, 64 per cent of Obama supporters had said that they were "very enthusiastic" about him while Romney was narrowly behind at 61 per cent. Clinton has a 54-41 per cent edge among early voters in an average of the three most recent tracking poll waves, while Trump leads by a 50-39 per cent margin among those who will vote on Election Day. A good 38 per cent of senior likely voters said that they had already voted while 18 per cent of middle-aged and 17 per cent of young voters have done so. The daily tracking poll suggests that Trump's previously lagging support among core Republican groups now almost matches Clinton's wide support on the left. Trump holds 78 per cent support among white evangelical Protestants, 77 per cent among conservatives, 68 per cent among rural voters and 59 per cent among white men. Clinton's stands at 81 per cent among liberals, 67 per cent among those identifying with no religion, 60 per cent among urban dwellers and 72 per cent among non-whites, the poll states. Trump has an 18-point edge among political independents, quite higher than what Republicans have held in recent elections. (WION)

New poll points to declining enthusiasm among Clinton supporters

Republican White House hopeful Donald Trump warned of a &quot;constitutional crisis&quot; in the United States if Hillary Clinton won next week&#39;s presidential election.

&quot;Hillary is likely to be under investigation for a very long time,&quot; the Republican told supporters in Grand Rapids, Michigan, news agency AFP reported.

&quot;She&#39;s unfit and unqualified to be the president of the United States,&quot; Trump said. &quot;Her election would mire our government and our country in a constitutional crisis that we cannot afford.&quot;

Trump said that the American people would be under the leadership of a president facing criminal charges if Clinton were elected. 
&quot;We would have a criminal trial for a sitting president.&quot;

Republicans have seized every opportunity to attack Clinton since FBI director James Comey announced the reopening of the&nbsp;probe into Clinton&#39;s use of a private server while in office after the&nbsp;discovery of new emails. Agents reportedly seized a laptop used by Clinton&#39;s close aide, Huma Abedin, and her now estranged husband Anthony Weiner, AFP reported.

Trump praised Comey for his latest announcement and said, &quot;he (Comey) brought back his reputation&quot;. The Republican candidate had criticised the FBI director for deciding not to recommend prosecution against Clinton in July.

The FBI&#39;s renewed focus reportedly stems from a probe of Weiner, a disgraced former congressman who is under investigation over allegations he sent sexual overtures to a 15-year-old girl, AFP said.

&quot;Thank you Huma. Good job Huma. Thank you Anthony Weiner,&quot; Trump said, to a roar and applause by the rowdy crowd.

Clinton expressed no qualms over FBI checking her aide&#39;s emails at a rally in Kent, Ohio.

&quot;They should look at them and I&#39;m sure they&#39;ll reach the same conclusion they did when they looked at my emails for the past year: there is no case here,&quot; Clinton said, BBC reported.

Comey has faced flak from the Democrats for reopening the probe so close to the Nov 8 election.

The White House gave a cautionary statement over the matter. Spokesman Josh Earnest said he would &quot;neither defend nor criticise&quot; Comey.

(With inputs from AFP)

Trump said that the American people would be under the leadership of a president facing criminal charges if Clinton won

Republican White House hopeful Donald Trump warned of a "constitutional crisis" in the United States if Hillary Clinton won next week's presidential election. "Hillary is likely to be under investigation for a very long time," the Republican told supporters in Grand Rapids, Michigan, news agency AFP reported. "She's unfit and unqualified to be the president of the United States," Trump said. "Her election would mire our government and our country in a constitutional crisis that we cannot afford." Trump said that the American people would be under the leadership of a president facing criminal charges if Clinton were elected. "We would have a criminal trial for a sitting president." Republicans have seized every opportunity to attack Clinton since FBI director James Comey announced the reopening of the probe into Clinton's use of a private server while in office after the discovery of new emails. Agents reportedly seized a laptop used by Clinton's close aide, Huma Abedin, and her now estranged husband Anthony Weiner, AFP reported. Trump praised Comey for his latest announcement and said, "he (Comey) brought back his reputation". The Republican candidate had criticised the FBI director for deciding not to recommend prosecution against Clinton in July. The FBI's renewed focus reportedly stems from a probe of Weiner, a disgraced former congressman who is under investigation over allegations he sent sexual overtures to a 15-year-old girl, AFP said. "Thank you Huma. Good job Huma. Thank you Anthony Weiner," Trump said, to a roar and applause by the rowdy crowd. Clinton expressed no qualms over FBI checking her aide's emails at a rally in Kent, Ohio. "They should look at them and I'm sure they'll reach the same conclusion they did when they looked at my emails for the past year: there is no case here," Clinton said, BBC reported. Comey has faced flak from the Democrats for reopening the probe so close to the Nov 8 election. The White House gave a cautionary statement over the matter. Spokesman Josh Earnest said he would "neither defend nor criticise" Comey. (With inputs from AFP)

Trump: 'Constitutional crisis' if Clinton elected

Hillary Clinton is &quot;absolutely ready&quot; to be the commander-in-chief of the United States, First Lady Michelle Obama said as the Democratic presidential nominee and former secretary of state had &quot;more experience and exposure than any candidate in our lifetime&quot;.

At a North Carolina election rally yesterday, Michelle called Clinton&#39;s vision a &quot;powerful, vibrant and strong&quot; one while that of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump&#39;s as one of &quot;hopelessness and despair&quot;.

&quot;I admire and respect Hillary. She has been a lawyer, a law professor, First Lady of Arkansas, First Lady of the US, a US Senator, secretary of state. She has more experience and exposure to the presidency than any candidate in our lifetime. Yes, more than Barack (Obama). More than Bill (Clinton). So she is absolutely ready to be commander-in-chief on day one. And yes, she happens to be a woman,&quot; PTI reported Michelle as saying yesterday.

&quot;It takes a level of generosity of spirit to do what Hillary has done in her career, in her life, for our family, for this nation. If people wonder, yes, Hillary Clinton is my friend. She has been a friend to mine and Barack, Malia, Sasha and Bill and Chelsea have been embracing and supportive from the very day my husband took the oath of office,&quot; she added.

Michelle also said that this year&#39;s election was not about Republicans versus Democrats, but about something much bigger.

&quot;We know the influence our president has on our children, how they turn on the TV and they see the most powerful role model in the world, someone who shows them how to treat others, how to deal with disappointment, whether to tell the truth,&quot; Michelle added.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

Michelle Obama said this year's election is not about Republicans versus Democrats but about something much bigger

Hillary Clinton is "absolutely ready" to be the commander-in-chief of the United States, First Lady Michelle Obama said as the Democratic presidential nominee and former secretary of state had "more experience and exposure than any candidate in our lifetime". At a North Carolina election rally yesterday, Michelle called Clinton's vision a "powerful, vibrant and strong" one while that of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's as one of "hopelessness and despair". "I admire and respect Hillary. She has been a lawyer, a law professor, First Lady of Arkansas, First Lady of the US, a US Senator, secretary of state. She has more experience and exposure to the presidency than any candidate in our lifetime. Yes, more than Barack (Obama). More than Bill (Clinton). So she is absolutely ready to be commander-in-chief on day one. And yes, she happens to be a woman," PTI reported Michelle as saying yesterday. "It takes a level of generosity of spirit to do what Hillary has done in her career, in her life, for our family, for this nation. If people wonder, yes, Hillary Clinton is my friend. She has been a friend to mine and Barack, Malia, Sasha and Bill and Chelsea have been embracing and supportive from the very day my husband took the oath of office," she added. Michelle also said that this year's election was not about Republicans versus Democrats, but about something much bigger. "We know the influence our president has on our children, how they turn on the TV and they see the most powerful role model in the world, someone who shows them how to treat others, how to deal with disappointment, whether to tell the truth," Michelle added. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Clinton 'absolutely ready' to be commander-in-chief: Michelle

Influential conservative columnist George Will says he is leaving the Republican Party over Donald Trump&#39;s polarising presidential campaign and urged others to follow suit, even if it means rival Democrats take White House. 
 
Will, a Washington Post columnist, told a luncheon Friday: &quot;This is not my party,&quot; according to the conservative PJ Media news website. He underlined he had changed his voter registration from Republican to &quot;unaffiliated&quot; this month. 
 
The Pulitzer Prize winner told the media outlet Republicans should &quot;make sure&quot; Trump loses, after giving a speech at the conservative Federalist Society luncheon. 
 
During the event, Will said it would be worse for Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, to be president with &quot;no opposition&quot; from a Republican-led Congress than for Hillary Clinton to be president with a Republican-led Congress. 
 
Further, Will did not indicate whether he would vote for Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson, a former governor of New Mexico, noting that it was unclear whether this third-party ticket would help or hurt Clinton. 
 
In a column published this week in Washington Post, Will urged Republicans to &quot;save your party, don&#39;t give to Trump.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Trump&#39;s campaign has less cash ($1.3 million) than some congressional candidates have, so Republican donors have never been more important than they are at this moment. They can save their party by not aiding its nominee,&quot; he wrote.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)&nbsp;

In a column published this week in Washington Post, Will urged Republicans to "save your party, don't give to Trump".

Influential conservative columnist George Will says he is leaving the Republican Party over Donald Trump's polarising presidential campaign and urged others to follow suit, even if it means rival Democrats take White House. Will, a Washington Post columnist, told a luncheon Friday: "This is not my party," according to the conservative PJ Media news website. He underlined he had changed his voter registration from Republican to "unaffiliated" this month. The Pulitzer Prize winner told the media outlet Republicans should "make sure" Trump loses, after giving a speech at the conservative Federalist Society luncheon. During the event, Will said it would be worse for Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, to be president with "no opposition" from a Republican-led Congress than for Hillary Clinton to be president with a Republican-led Congress. Further, Will did not indicate whether he would vote for Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson, a former governor of New Mexico, noting that it was unclear whether this third-party ticket would help or hurt Clinton. In a column published this week in Washington Post, Will urged Republicans to "save your party, don't give to Trump." "Trump's campaign has less cash ($1.3 million) than some congressional candidates have, so Republican donors have never been more important than they are at this moment. They can save their party by not aiding its nominee," he wrote. (AFP)

Pulitzer Prize winner leaves?Republican Party over Donald Trump's 'polarising campaign'?

US President Barack Obama cast an early vote in his adopted hometown of Chicago on Friday during an unannounced visit.

According to AFP, Obama stood before the voting machine at the Chicago Board of Elections office, punched in his choice and smirked when asked who he picked.

A smiling Obama shook hands with the poll workers at the site and thanked them for their &quot;outstanding work&quot; before heading to an electronic voting machine, Reuters said.

&quot;Now they can&#39;t see me, can they?&quot; Obama asked the workers as he jokingly shielded his machine from reporters standing nearby, Reuters reported.

Obama&rsquo;s early vote might be an attempt to get people to poll&nbsp;before November 8.&nbsp;Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has also visited key states trying to get supporters to register and vote early where possible.

The outcome of the 2016 Presidential race could well be decided long before Election Day.

&quot;We expect that this year, in the battleground states that we&rsquo;re focused on, at least 40 per cent of votes are going to be cast before Election Day,&quot; said Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook, AFP reported.

Obama has been campaigning for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton to succeed him in the Oval office.

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)

The US President who is campaigning for Clinton cast his vote in Chicago on Friday, during an unannounced visit

US President Barack Obama cast an early vote in his adopted hometown of Chicago on Friday during an unannounced visit. According to AFP, Obama stood before the voting machine at the Chicago Board of Elections office, punched in his choice and smirked when asked who he picked. A smiling Obama shook hands with the poll workers at the site and thanked them for their "outstanding work" before heading to an electronic voting machine, Reuters said. "Now they can't see me, can they?" Obama asked the workers as he jokingly shielded his machine from reporters standing nearby, Reuters reported. Obama’s early vote might be an attempt to get people to poll before November 8. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has also visited key states trying to get supporters to register and vote early where possible. The outcome of the 2016 Presidential race could well be decided long before Election Day. "We expect that this year, in the battleground states that we’re focused on, at least 40 per cent of votes are going to be cast before Election Day," said Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook, AFP reported. Obama has been campaigning for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton to succeed him in the Oval office. (WION with inputs from agencies)

US elections 2016: Obama casts early vote

Leading Democrats are growing increasingly worried that the hackers who made public leaked documents this week were trying to sabotage the Democratic candidates in several central Florida congressional races, the first time such leaks have been targeted so directly. 
 
Two sources familiar with Democratic Party investigations of recent cyber attacks said documents made public this week by the hacker known as Guccifer2 contained information that could damage Democratic candidates in competitive Florida contests for the US House of Representatives. 
 
The documents, hacked from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), which raises funds for the party&#39;s House candidates, are detailed dossiers describing the Florida candidates&#39; backgrounds, including personal details, as well as political, economic and demographic profiles of the strategic congressional districts. 
 
Since 1996, the parties winning the counties in the Interstate 4 corridor between Orlando and Tampa, where several of the targeted districts are located, have won the presidency. 
 
Many of the state&#39;s moderate swing voters live in the I-4 corridor, and if Republican voters there turn out in force, it could cut into the vote for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. 
 
The DCCC was one of several Democratic Party organizations, including the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Hillary Clinton`s presidential campaign, that have been hacked, but the Democratic Party sources said they did not know who might have helped the hackers select the Florida races to target, or what the hackers were trying to accomplish. 
 
There is, though, a growing pattern of attacks on the data systems of US political organizations by hackers whom US intelligence officials and private cyber security firms have concluded are working for or with Russian intelligence agencies.&nbsp; 
 
Donald Trump&#39;s presidential campaign has hired consultants CrowdStrike to bolster its data security. But two people familiar with attempts to breach the campaign and other Republican organizations said that so far there was no indication of a penetration as serious as those of the Democratic organizations, and CrowdStrike is not investigating any successful hacking of Trump campaign data. 
 
(Reuters)

Leaked dossiers about Florida candidates' political profiles have left the Democrats at a disadvantage in the swing state

Leading Democrats are growing increasingly worried that the hackers who made public leaked documents this week were trying to sabotage the Democratic candidates in several central Florida congressional races, the first time such leaks have been targeted so directly. Two sources familiar with Democratic Party investigations of recent cyber attacks said documents made public this week by the hacker known as Guccifer2 contained information that could damage Democratic candidates in competitive Florida contests for the US House of Representatives. The documents, hacked from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), which raises funds for the party's House candidates, are detailed dossiers describing the Florida candidates' backgrounds, including personal details, as well as political, economic and demographic profiles of the strategic congressional districts. Since 1996, the parties winning the counties in the Interstate 4 corridor between Orlando and Tampa, where several of the targeted districts are located, have won the presidency. Many of the state's moderate swing voters live in the I-4 corridor, and if Republican voters there turn out in force, it could cut into the vote for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. The DCCC was one of several Democratic Party organizations, including the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Hillary Clinton`s presidential campaign, that have been hacked, but the Democratic Party sources said they did not know who might have helped the hackers select the Florida races to target, or what the hackers were trying to accomplish. There is, though, a growing pattern of attacks on the data systems of US political organizations by hackers whom US intelligence officials and private cyber security firms have concluded are working for or with Russian intelligence agencies. Donald Trump's presidential campaign has hired consultants CrowdStrike to bolster its data security. But two people familiar with attempts to breach the campaign and other Republican organizations said that so far there was no indication of a penetration as serious as those of the Democratic organizations, and CrowdStrike is not investigating any successful hacking of Trump campaign data. (Reuters)

Democrats vexed about hackers sabotaging tight congressional race in Florida

Hillary Clinton named US senator Tim Kaine as her running mate on Friday, making a safe choice that will help her present the Democratic ticket as a steady alternative to the unpredictable campaign of Republican presidential rival Donald Trump. 
 
The selection of Kaine, a self-described &quot;boring&quot; Virginian with wide governing experience and a reputation for low-key competence, could appeal to independents and moderates but could also anger liberal groups that object to his advocacy for an Asian free-trade pact. 
 
But the Spanish-speaking, former Virginia governor and Richmond mayor fits Clinton&#39;s long-stated criteria that the vice presidential choice be a capable partner who is ready to take over the presidency if necessary. 
 
Clinton made the announcement via Twitter and a text message to supporters after the first day of a two-day campaign swing in Florida. She called Kaine to tell him about 40 minutes before the announcement, and called President Barack Obama shortly after Kaine. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m thrilled to tell you this first: I&#39;ve chosen Sen. Tim Kaine as my running mate. Welcome him to my team,&quot; she said in her text message. 
 
Kaine, 58, edged out two other finalists - Cory Booker, a US senator from New Jersey, and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, according to a Democratic source familiar with the discussions. 
 
Clinton also bypassed candidates who would have generated more excitement among liberal and Hispanic activists, including progressive favourite US senator Elizabeth Warren and two Hispanic members of Obama&#39;s Cabinet, Julian Castro and Thomas Perez. 
 
The former secretary of state will be formally nominated as the party&#39;s presidential candidate for the November 8 election at next week&#39;s Democratic convention in Philadelphia. She leads Trump in many opinion polls. 
 
Clinton&#39;s choice of a running mate could give her campaign momentum heading into the convention, as the fight for the White House begins a more than three-month push to the finish. 
 
Clinton acknowledged in an interview earlier this week that even Kaine admits he is boring, and said she did not mind. 
 
&quot;I love that about him,&quot; she told Charlie Rose of CBS News and PBS. &quot;He&#39;s never lost an election. He was a world-class mayor, governor and senator and is one of the most highly respected senators I know.&quot; 
 
Kaine&#39;s first appearance with Clinton will be on Saturday at an event in Miami, a campaign aide said. 
 
New opening to attack democrats 
 
Liberal groups, which had pressured Clinton not to pick Kaine because of his support for fast-track authority for the White House to negotiate the Trans-Pacific Partnership, were dismayed by the choice. 
 
Critics of the Asia free-trade deal, including Trump and Clinton&#39;s Democratic primary rival Bernie Sanders, say it would be unfair to US workers and kill jobs. Clinton praised the deal when she was secretary of state, but has since distanced herself from it. 
 
&quot;Republicans will run hard against Democrats on trade this year. Unfortunately, since Tim Kaine voted to fast-track the Trans-Pacific Partnership, Republicans now have a new opening to attack Democrats on this economic populist issue,&quot; said Stephanie Taylor, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. 
 
Hispanic activists also may be annoyed with the pick of Kaine given that Latino candidates were again passed over. 
 
But Kaine could help Clinton in Virginia, a heavily contested swing state, and choosing Kaine will not cost Democrats a seat in the Senate, where Republicans now hold a majority, at 54 seats. Virginia&#39;s Democratic governor, Terry McAuliffe, a close Clinton friend and ally, will name a replacement for Kaine if he and Clinton win the White House. 
 
Kaine has good relations with senators from the opposing party, according to senior senate Republican congressional aides. One aide speculated Kaine would be effective in reaching out to congressional Republicans if he becomes vice president, a role that Vice President Joe Biden has played for Obama. 
 
Kaine, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services committees, has been a leading voice calling for a formal authorization of war against the Islamic State militant group. He played an important role in securing congressional review of the 2015 international deal on Iran&#39;s nuclear program, although he eventually backed it. 
 
He has a track-record of backing liberal causes such as ending across-the-board automatic budget cuts and providing a pathway to citizenship to millions of undocumented immigrants. 
 
Kaine, a Catholic who became fluent in Spanish speaker while serving as a missionary in Honduras, has expressed personal opposition to abortion, but has a public record in support of abortion rights. 
 
(Reuters)

Kaine's reputation of 'boring' but steady competence stands in contrast to the unpredictable rival campaign of Donald Trump

Hillary Clinton named US senator Tim Kaine as her running mate on Friday, making a safe choice that will help her present the Democratic ticket as a steady alternative to the unpredictable campaign of Republican presidential rival Donald Trump. The selection of Kaine, a self-described "boring" Virginian with wide governing experience and a reputation for low-key competence, could appeal to independents and moderates but could also anger liberal groups that object to his advocacy for an Asian free-trade pact. But the Spanish-speaking, former Virginia governor and Richmond mayor fits Clinton's long-stated criteria that the vice presidential choice be a capable partner who is ready to take over the presidency if necessary. Clinton made the announcement via Twitter and a text message to supporters after the first day of a two-day campaign swing in Florida. She called Kaine to tell him about 40 minutes before the announcement, and called President Barack Obama shortly after Kaine. "I'm thrilled to tell you this first: I've chosen Sen. Tim Kaine as my running mate. Welcome him to my team," she said in her text message. Kaine, 58, edged out two other finalists - Cory Booker, a US senator from New Jersey, and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, according to a Democratic source familiar with the discussions. Clinton also bypassed candidates who would have generated more excitement among liberal and Hispanic activists, including progressive favourite US senator Elizabeth Warren and two Hispanic members of Obama's Cabinet, Julian Castro and Thomas Perez. The former secretary of state will be formally nominated as the party's presidential candidate for the November 8 election at next week's Democratic convention in Philadelphia. She leads Trump in many opinion polls. Clinton's choice of a running mate could give her campaign momentum heading into the convention, as the fight for the White House begins a more than three-month push to the finish. Clinton acknowledged in an interview earlier this week that even Kaine admits he is boring, and said she did not mind. "I love that about him," she told Charlie Rose of CBS News and PBS. "He's never lost an election. He was a world-class mayor, governor and senator and is one of the most highly respected senators I know." Kaine's first appearance with Clinton will be on Saturday at an event in Miami, a campaign aide said. New opening to attack democrats Liberal groups, which had pressured Clinton not to pick Kaine because of his support for fast-track authority for the White House to negotiate the Trans-Pacific Partnership, were dismayed by the choice. Critics of the Asia free-trade deal, including Trump and Clinton's Democratic primary rival Bernie Sanders, say it would be unfair to US workers and kill jobs. Clinton praised the deal when she was secretary of state, but has since distanced herself from it. "Republicans will run hard against Democrats on trade this year. Unfortunately, since Tim Kaine voted to fast-track the Trans-Pacific Partnership, Republicans now have a new opening to attack Democrats on this economic populist issue," said Stephanie Taylor, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. Hispanic activists also may be annoyed with the pick of Kaine given that Latino candidates were again passed over. But Kaine could help Clinton in Virginia, a heavily contested swing state, and choosing Kaine will not cost Democrats a seat in the Senate, where Republicans now hold a majority, at 54 seats. Virginia's Democratic governor, Terry McAuliffe, a close Clinton friend and ally, will name a replacement for Kaine if he and Clinton win the White House. Kaine has good relations with senators from the opposing party, according to senior senate Republican congressional aides. One aide speculated Kaine would be effective in reaching out to congressional Republicans if he becomes vice president, a role that Vice President Joe Biden has played for Obama. Kaine, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services committees, has been a leading voice calling for a formal authorization of war against the Islamic State militant group. He played an important role in securing congressional review of the 2015 international deal on Iran's nuclear program, although he eventually backed it. He has a track-record of backing liberal causes such as ending across-the-board automatic budget cuts and providing a pathway to citizenship to millions of undocumented immigrants. Kaine, a Catholic who became fluent in Spanish speaker while serving as a missionary in Honduras, has expressed personal opposition to abortion, but has a public record in support of abortion rights. (Reuters)

US presidential race: Hillary Clinton picks Virginia senator Tim Kaine as running mate

The US State Department will restart its investigation into Hillary Clinton&#39;s handling of classified material as Secretary of State. Earlier this week, the FBI said that Democratic Presidential nominee Clinton will not face criminal charges over her use of private email. 
 
The FBI said that although she had sent and received sensitive material there was no evidence of intent. Now that the inquiry is over, the State Department will reopen its review. 
 
State Department spokesperson John Kirby said the department will aim to be as expeditious as possible. He said former officials can still face administrative sanctions.&nbsp; 
 
(ANI)&nbsp;

State Department spokesperson John Kirby said the department will aim to be as expeditious as possible

The US State Department will restart its investigation into Hillary Clinton's handling of classified material as Secretary of State. Earlier this week, the FBI said that Democratic Presidential nominee Clinton will not face criminal charges over her use of private email. The FBI said that although she had sent and received sensitive material there was no evidence of intent. Now that the inquiry is over, the State Department will reopen its review. State Department spokesperson John Kirby said the department will aim to be as expeditious as possible. He said former officials can still face administrative sanctions. (ANI)

US State Department restarts Hillary Clinton email probe

US President Barack Obama will hit the campaign trail for the first time with presumptive Democratic White House nominee Hillary Clinton next Tuesday in North Carolina, her staff announced. 
 
&quot;In Charlotte, President Obama and Hillary Clinton will discuss building on the progress we&#39;ve made and their vision for an America that is stronger together,&quot; Clinton&#39;s campaign said in a statement. 
 
Their debut joint campaign appearance for the 2016 election had been scheduled for June 15 in the state of Wisconsin, but was postponed due to the massacre in Orlando, Florida - the worst mass shooting in US history. 
 
Obama came out and endorsed Clinton on June 9 after months of assiduously avoiding tipping the scales of the Democratic presidential primaries. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t think there&#39;s ever been someone so qualified to hold this office,&quot; Obama said in a video message that day as he offered his full-throated endorsement of the former secretary of state, senator and first lady. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m with her, I am fired up, and I cannot wait to get out there and campaign for Hillary,&quot; added Obama, who won a brutal, months-long Democratic primary battle against Clinton in 2008. 
 
Their joint appearance comes with US Senator Bernie Sanders refusing to bow out of the race for the Democratic nomination, despite rival Clinton amassing the necessary number of delegates to clinch it outright at next month&#39;s party convention. 
 
Clinton, aiming to make history as the nation&#39;s first female commander in chief, is expected to square off against Republican billionaire businessman Donald Trump in November&#39;s general election. 
 
(AFP)

The two were scheduled to hit the campaign trail together June 15, but delayed because of the Orlando massacre

US President Barack Obama will hit the campaign trail for the first time with presumptive Democratic White House nominee Hillary Clinton next Tuesday in North Carolina, her staff announced. "In Charlotte, President Obama and Hillary Clinton will discuss building on the progress we've made and their vision for an America that is stronger together," Clinton's campaign said in a statement. Their debut joint campaign appearance for the 2016 election had been scheduled for June 15 in the state of Wisconsin, but was postponed due to the massacre in Orlando, Florida - the worst mass shooting in US history. Obama came out and endorsed Clinton on June 9 after months of assiduously avoiding tipping the scales of the Democratic presidential primaries. "I don't think there's ever been someone so qualified to hold this office," Obama said in a video message that day as he offered his full-throated endorsement of the former secretary of state, senator and first lady. "I'm with her, I am fired up, and I cannot wait to get out there and campaign for Hillary," added Obama, who won a brutal, months-long Democratic primary battle against Clinton in 2008. Their joint appearance comes with US Senator Bernie Sanders refusing to bow out of the race for the Democratic nomination, despite rival Clinton amassing the necessary number of delegates to clinch it outright at next month's party convention. Clinton, aiming to make history as the nation's first female commander in chief, is expected to square off against Republican billionaire businessman Donald Trump in November's general election. (AFP)

Obama, Clinton to make first joint campaign stop next week: official

Congressional Republicans on Tuesday accused Hillary Clinton&#39;s state department of failing to protect four Americans killed in a 2012 attack in Libya in a final report that contained no major new revelations, but rekindled debate on the US presidential campaign trail. 
 
In an 800-page report that Democrats derided as a political vendetta, Republicans said Clinton, who served as secretary of state from 2009 to 2013 and is now the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, and her staff, showed a &quot;shameful&quot; lack of response to congressional investigators looking into the attacks on a US diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya. 
 
The report, the culmination of a two-year investigation by a special congressional committee led by Republican representative Trey Gowdy, is likely to be the last official attempt to investigate the attack. Seven other congressional panels have also investigated the attack on the US diplomatic and CIA posts in Benghazi. 
 
The latest investigation has been used by Republicans to attack Clinton&rsquo;s national-security credentials. Opinion polls have shown Americans deeply split along partisan lines over the probe. 
 
Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has repeatedly charged that Clinton is personally responsible for the deaths of a US ambassador and three other Americans killed by militia groups in the September &nbsp;11, 2012 incident. 
 
Clinton&#39;s campaign dismissed the committee&#39;s report, saying it had not found anything that had not been discovered by previous congressional probes. White House press secretary Josh Earnest labelled the effort a &quot;political exercise.&quot; 
 
Clinton, speaking in Denver, said it was crucial to &quot;learn the right lessons&quot; from the Benghazi tragedy. 
 
&quot;No one has thought more about or lost more sleep over the lives that we lost - the four Americans - which was devastating,&quot; said Clinton. 
 
Trump waited until hours after the report&#39;s release to comment. &quot;Benghazi is just another Hillary Clinton failure,&quot; he said on Twitter. &quot;It just never seems to work the way it&#39;s supposed to with Clinton.&quot; 
 
Republican national committee chairman Reince Priebus said Clinton&#39;s actions as secretary of state were &quot;disqualifying.&quot; 
 
&quot;Hillary Clinton was in charge, knew the risks, and did nothing&quot; to protect personnel on the ground in Libya, he said. 
 
Professor Julian Zelizer, a political analyst at Princeton University, called the report &quot;old news&quot; but said that would not stop Trump from trying to exploit the issue going forward. &quot;A story like this, even though it seems familiar, can still serve to mobilise Republicans, and certainly Donald Trump will do that. He&rsquo;ll certainly try,&rdquo; Zelizer said. 
 
Rodell Mollineau, a Democratic strategist, said he doubted the report would influence undecided voters. &quot;Those who are willing to believe that there was wrongdoing on secretary Clinton&rsquo;s part were unlikely willing to vote for her in the first place,&quot; he said. 
 
Systematic security lapses&nbsp; 
 
At a news conference on Capitol Hill, Gowdy, chairman of the special congressional panel, said there was a disconnect between the violence unfolding in Benghazi and the perception among top Obama administration officials that &quot;the fighting had subsided&quot; at the US diplomatic compound. 
 
The committee&#39;s report faulted the state department for providing inadequate security for the US compound in Benghazi, state department officials and the CIA for failing to properly evaluate the threat to US personnel on the ground, and the Pentagon for not being in position to aid the Americans under siege. The report did not dispute assertions by the Obama administration that such a mission would have come too late to help the four who were killed. 
 
None of those conclusions, however, came as revelations. All had been reached by previous probes. 
 
The report also accused the White House of stonewalling the investigation, something aides to Obama have denied. 
 
Democrats on the Benghazi committee issued their own report a day before Tuesday&#39;s release, accusing Republicans of conducting an overzealous investigation. 
 
According to a website maintained by committee Democrats, the investigation cost more than $7.1 million, a figure that excludes money spent on investigations by the seven other congressional committees that investigated the attacks. 
 
The Gowdy committee investigation lasted 782 days, longer than congressional probes of Pearl Harbour, the Kennedy assassination, the Iran-Contra scandal and Hurricane Katrina. 
 
Since it was established in May 2014, the Gowdy committee has held four public hearings, according to its website, which said that it interviewed 107 witnesses, mostly behind closed doors, including 81 who never appeared before the other committees that investigated the attacks. It reviewed about 75,000 pages of previously unexamined documents. 
 
Clinton rebuffed charges 
 
Last October, Clinton, already a Democratic presidential candidate, calmly deflected harsh Republican criticism of her handling of the attack during a testy 11-hour hearing before the Gowdy committee. 
 
In testimony that stretched deep into the night, Clinton rejected Republican accusations that she ignored requests for security upgrades in Libya and misinformed the public about the cause of the attack. 
 
Clinton&#39;s appearance before the panel followed months of controversy about her use of a private home email server for her state department work, a disclosure that emerged in part because of the panel&#39;s demand to see her official records. 
 
A 2012 report by a government accountability review board faulted state department officials for providing &quot;grossly&quot; insufficient security in Benghazi, despite upgrade requests from ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and others in Libya. 
 
(Reuters)

The killing of an ambassador and three other Americans in a US compound in Benghazi has been used by Republicans to flay Clinton repeatedly

Congressional Republicans on Tuesday accused Hillary Clinton's state department of failing to protect four Americans killed in a 2012 attack in Libya in a final report that contained no major new revelations, but rekindled debate on the US presidential campaign trail. In an 800-page report that Democrats derided as a political vendetta, Republicans said Clinton, who served as secretary of state from 2009 to 2013 and is now the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, and her staff, showed a "shameful" lack of response to congressional investigators looking into the attacks on a US diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya. The report, the culmination of a two-year investigation by a special congressional committee led by Republican representative Trey Gowdy, is likely to be the last official attempt to investigate the attack. Seven other congressional panels have also investigated the attack on the US diplomatic and CIA posts in Benghazi. The latest investigation has been used by Republicans to attack Clinton’s national-security credentials. Opinion polls have shown Americans deeply split along partisan lines over the probe. Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has repeatedly charged that Clinton is personally responsible for the deaths of a US ambassador and three other Americans killed by militia groups in the September 11, 2012 incident. Clinton's campaign dismissed the committee's report, saying it had not found anything that had not been discovered by previous congressional probes. White House press secretary Josh Earnest labelled the effort a "political exercise." Clinton, speaking in Denver, said it was crucial to "learn the right lessons" from the Benghazi tragedy. "No one has thought more about or lost more sleep over the lives that we lost - the four Americans - which was devastating," said Clinton. Trump waited until hours after the report's release to comment. "Benghazi is just another Hillary Clinton failure," he said on Twitter. "It just never seems to work the way it's supposed to with Clinton." Republican national committee chairman Reince Priebus said Clinton's actions as secretary of state were "disqualifying." "Hillary Clinton was in charge, knew the risks, and did nothing" to protect personnel on the ground in Libya, he said. Professor Julian Zelizer, a political analyst at Princeton University, called the report "old news" but said that would not stop Trump from trying to exploit the issue going forward. "A story like this, even though it seems familiar, can still serve to mobilise Republicans, and certainly Donald Trump will do that. He’ll certainly try,” Zelizer said. Rodell Mollineau, a Democratic strategist, said he doubted the report would influence undecided voters. "Those who are willing to believe that there was wrongdoing on secretary Clinton’s part were unlikely willing to vote for her in the first place," he said. Systematic security lapses At a news conference on Capitol Hill, Gowdy, chairman of the special congressional panel, said there was a disconnect between the violence unfolding in Benghazi and the perception among top Obama administration officials that "the fighting had subsided" at the US diplomatic compound. The committee's report faulted the state department for providing inadequate security for the US compound in Benghazi, state department officials and the CIA for failing to properly evaluate the threat to US personnel on the ground, and the Pentagon for not being in position to aid the Americans under siege. The report did not dispute assertions by the Obama administration that such a mission would have come too late to help the four who were killed. None of those conclusions, however, came as revelations. All had been reached by previous probes. The report also accused the White House of stonewalling the investigation, something aides to Obama have denied. Democrats on the Benghazi committee issued their own report a day before Tuesday's release, accusing Republicans of conducting an overzealous investigation. According to a website maintained by committee Democrats, the investigation cost more than $7.1 million, a figure that excludes money spent on investigations by the seven other congressional committees that investigated the attacks. The Gowdy committee investigation lasted 782 days, longer than congressional probes of Pearl Harbour, the Kennedy assassination, the Iran-Contra scandal and Hurricane Katrina. Since it was established in May 2014, the Gowdy committee has held four public hearings, according to its website, which said that it interviewed 107 witnesses, mostly behind closed doors, including 81 who never appeared before the other committees that investigated the attacks. It reviewed about 75,000 pages of previously unexamined documents. Clinton rebuffed charges Last October, Clinton, already a Democratic presidential candidate, calmly deflected harsh Republican criticism of her handling of the attack during a testy 11-hour hearing before the Gowdy committee. In testimony that stretched deep into the night, Clinton rejected Republican accusations that she ignored requests for security upgrades in Libya and misinformed the public about the cause of the attack. Clinton's appearance before the panel followed months of controversy about her use of a private home email server for her state department work, a disclosure that emerged in part because of the panel's demand to see her official records. A 2012 report by a government accountability review board faulted state department officials for providing "grossly" insufficient security in Benghazi, despite upgrade requests from ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and others in Libya. (Reuters)

Clinton's culpability over Benghazi attack debate reignites after panel's report

Seeking a vote on strict gun control laws in the wake of America&#39;s deadliest mass shooting last week that killed 49 people in Orlando, Democratic Congressmen resorted to an unprecedented sit-in inside the well of the US House of Representatives. 
 
The leadership of the Republican party, which holds a majority in the House, refused to budge and instead shut off the television cameras used for live coverage. 
 
The Democratic Congressmen used their own smartphones to live telecast -- through Facebook and other social media sites -- the proceedings inside the House along with their sit-in demonstrations in the House well. 
 
Images from inside the well of the House reflected a chaotic situation rarely seen. 
 
One television commentator described this like an anarchy and lawlessness as the rare sit-in inside the House crossed midnight even after the lights were switched off. 
 
&quot;Enough is enough,&quot; said Indian American Congressman Ami Bera, as he joined his fellow Democratic lawmakers in the protest, which was led by legendary Congressman John Lewis, known for his civil disobedience movement. 
 
&quot;Republicans denied us a vote, we sat on the Floor. We sat on the Floor, with John Larson presiding. When they turned off the House cameras, we livestreamed from our phones,&quot; said Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi in her remarks on the House floor late last night. 
 
&quot;They can try to shut down the Floor, but because of you, they cannot shut out the voices of the victims and the will of the American people. And now, as you hold up the names of people who have been victims of violence,&quot; she said. 
 
Democratic lawmakers were demanding that Paul Ryan, Speaker of the House of Representatives, bring up a vote on commonsense gun violence prevention legislation before the House recesses. 
 
Refusing to budge under pressure, Ryan described this as a publicity stunt by Democrats. 
 
&quot;This is nothing more than a publicity stunt. That&#39;s point number one. Point number two is this bill was already defeated in the United States Senate. Number three, we&#39;re not going to take away a citizen&#39;s due process rights,&quot; Ryan said. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re not going to take away a citizen&#39;s constitutional rights without due process. That was already defeated in the Senate. And this is not the way to try and bring up legislation,&quot; he told CNN in an interview. 
 
Ryan defended his decision to shut off the cameras and lights arguing that these are as per the House rules. 
 
House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer demanded that Republicans hold a vote on legislation on gun violence. 
 
&quot;After the unspeakable slaughter of 49 innocent people in Orlando earlier this month, it is unconscionable that House Republicans would continue to block a vote even on commonsense safeguards, including expanding background checks and preventing dangerous firearms from being sold to terror suspects,&quot; Hoyer said. 
 
&quot;This is an issue that ought to transcend party - it&#39;s about saving lives and keeping our communities safe,&quot; he said. 
 
(PTI)

Even past midnight, Democrats telecast the session on smartphones after Republicans turned cameras off

Seeking a vote on strict gun control laws in the wake of America's deadliest mass shooting last week that killed 49 people in Orlando, Democratic Congressmen resorted to an unprecedented sit-in inside the well of the US House of Representatives. The leadership of the Republican party, which holds a majority in the House, refused to budge and instead shut off the television cameras used for live coverage. The Democratic Congressmen used their own smartphones to live telecast -- through Facebook and other social media sites -- the proceedings inside the House along with their sit-in demonstrations in the House well. Images from inside the well of the House reflected a chaotic situation rarely seen. One television commentator described this like an anarchy and lawlessness as the rare sit-in inside the House crossed midnight even after the lights were switched off. "Enough is enough," said Indian American Congressman Ami Bera, as he joined his fellow Democratic lawmakers in the protest, which was led by legendary Congressman John Lewis, known for his civil disobedience movement. "Republicans denied us a vote, we sat on the Floor. We sat on the Floor, with John Larson presiding. When they turned off the House cameras, we livestreamed from our phones," said Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi in her remarks on the House floor late last night. "They can try to shut down the Floor, but because of you, they cannot shut out the voices of the victims and the will of the American people. And now, as you hold up the names of people who have been victims of violence," she said. Democratic lawmakers were demanding that Paul Ryan, Speaker of the House of Representatives, bring up a vote on commonsense gun violence prevention legislation before the House recesses. Refusing to budge under pressure, Ryan described this as a publicity stunt by Democrats. "This is nothing more than a publicity stunt. That's point number one. Point number two is this bill was already defeated in the United States Senate. Number three, we're not going to take away a citizen's due process rights," Ryan said. "We're not going to take away a citizen's constitutional rights without due process. That was already defeated in the Senate. And this is not the way to try and bring up legislation," he told CNN in an interview. Ryan defended his decision to shut off the cameras and lights arguing that these are as per the House rules. House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer demanded that Republicans hold a vote on legislation on gun violence. "After the unspeakable slaughter of 49 innocent people in Orlando earlier this month, it is unconscionable that House Republicans would continue to block a vote even on commonsense safeguards, including expanding background checks and preventing dangerous firearms from being sold to terror suspects," Hoyer said. "This is an issue that ought to transcend party - it's about saving lives and keeping our communities safe," he said. (PTI)

House sit-in seeking gun control laws described as 'anarchy and lawlessness'

Democrats demanding action on gun control turned to Twitter&#39;s Periscope and Facebook&#39;s live video platform to broadcast their &quot;sit-in&quot; on the floor of the US House of Representatives on Wednesday after the chamber&#39;s cameras shut down. 
 
Representative Scott Peters of California told Reuters he downloaded the online video platform Periscope from the House floor after it became clear that chamber cameras were not operating. 
 
The protest was the latest move by Democrats to persuade the Republican majority in Congress to take up votes on gun control measures in response to last week&#39;s mass shooting in Orlando, Florida, the deadliest in modern US history. 
 
In video streamed on Facebook Live by Congressman Beto O&#39;Rourke, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi can be seen speaking into a microphone that was turned off. She could be heard asking the House Speaker to turn the microphones back on. 
 
At about noon EDT (1600 GMT), presiding House officer and Republican Representative Ted Poe declared the House not in order, as Democratic protesters sat at the front of the chamber. 
 
Cable news channel C-SPAN, which typically uses the House cameras to broadcast live footage of Congress, broadcast Peters&#39; Periscope feed instead. 
 
The hashtag #NoBillNoBreak became a rallying cry for gun control supporters on Twitter and quickly became the top-trending hashtag in the United States on the social media platform. 
 
Politicians and average social media users alike used the hashtag as a sign of solidarity with the sit-in.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

After Orlando shooting, Republicans face more pressure to stop voting against gun control measures

Democrats demanding action on gun control turned to Twitter's Periscope and Facebook's live video platform to broadcast their "sit-in" on the floor of the US House of Representatives on Wednesday after the chamber's cameras shut down. Representative Scott Peters of California told Reuters he downloaded the online video platform Periscope from the House floor after it became clear that chamber cameras were not operating. The protest was the latest move by Democrats to persuade the Republican majority in Congress to take up votes on gun control measures in response to last week's mass shooting in Orlando, Florida, the deadliest in modern US history. In video streamed on Facebook Live by Congressman Beto O'Rourke, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi can be seen speaking into a microphone that was turned off. She could be heard asking the House Speaker to turn the microphones back on. At about noon EDT (1600 GMT), presiding House officer and Republican Representative Ted Poe declared the House not in order, as Democratic protesters sat at the front of the chamber. Cable news channel C-SPAN, which typically uses the House cameras to broadcast live footage of Congress, broadcast Peters' Periscope feed instead. The hashtag #NoBillNoBreak became a rallying cry for gun control supporters on Twitter and quickly became the top-trending hashtag in the United States on the social media platform. Politicians and average social media users alike used the hashtag as a sign of solidarity with the sit-in. (Reuters)

Democrats broadcast House sit-in on social media to protest gun control impasse

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