BET Political Wire: GOP Leader Says He Trusts Obama
Legalizing immigrants, marriage equality and more news.
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In Case You Missed It - Sen. Rand Paul is open to legalizing undocumented immigrants; Sen. Ron Portman now embraces marriage equality; House Speaker John Boehner "absolutely" trusts President Obama – and more. – By Joyce Jones
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Budget Blues - The House, by a vote of 318 to 109, passed a budget bill before its Easter recess that prevents a federal shutdown. The bill funds the government through September and includes sharp spending cuts. "The [Paul Ryan] budget will block grant Medicaid, voucherize Medicare and rip up the safety net that’s at the heart of the social contract in this country," said Assistant Democratic Leader James Clyburn the day before the vote. "There are many words that can be used to describe the Ryan budget, but the one word that does NOT describe the Ryan budget is 'balanced.'"(Photo: C-SPAN)
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Just Politics? - Sen. Rand Paul surprised conservatives on March 19 when he announced that he supports finding a way to legalize millions of undocumented immigrants. Just two years ago, he wanted to deny citizenship to children born here to parents in the U.S. illegally. The conventional wisdom is that Paul, who's mulling a 2016 presidential bid, merely wants to expand his base beyond the Tea Party. (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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In Obama He Trusts - House Speaker John Boehner and Obama are never going to be BFFs and still have differences to bridge on fixing the economy. But when asked on ABC News' This Week whether he trusts the president, the Ohio lawmaker replied, "absolutely," raising the ire of conservatives who are now wondering if they can trust Boehner. (Photos: Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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How Convenient - U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) on March 15 announced a reversal on his marriage equality stance because his son is gay. While his evolution is welcome, critics say that lawmakers shouldn't change their position only when it affects someone they know and love, since their position affects all Americans. (Photo: AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
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Senate Tables Gun Controll Bill - Gun control legislation may not hit the U.S. Senate floor until after Easter because Majority Leader Harry Reid was unable to get enough votes. An assault weapons ban has been dropped from the bill, but mandatory background checks are also proving to be a sticking point. "I think the worst of all worlds would be to bring something to the floor and it dies there," Reid said. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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State of City Interruptus - Kansas City Mayor Sly James received a surprise while delivering his State of the City address on March 19, when a constituent and failed political candidate Derron Black stormed the stage. Before security tackled him, he offered an expletive-laced critique of James' remarks so far. "I don't blame him for whatever feelings he wanted to express. I do have a small problem with the method," James said to laughter and applause, KCTV reports.(Photo: CNN)
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Steele Strikes Back - Former Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele did not appreciate his successor Reince Priebus' suggestion March 18 that he'd left the RNC in a fiscal crisis. "He wasn't complaining about debt and concerned about debt when I was writing checks to Wisconsin when he was [state party] chairman" and won the state legislature and governorship, Steele said on MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell Reports. Steele also said that under Priebus the party had "no message" and "no focus" in 2012. (Photo: Larry Busacca/Getty Images for People)
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What's In a Name? - New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is being asked to apologize for what many consider racial insensitivity. Speaking March 15 at a local Black Baptist church, Christie referred to Democratic Speaker Sheila Oliver as an “African-American female speaker of the Assembly” instead of by name. “The words that the governor chose to use in speaking of Oliver, while not even respecting her enough to call her by name, defy his earlier assertion that political leaders, himself included, need to learn to respect all views and work together,” said Pastor Kenneth Clayton. (Photo: AP Photo/The Record of Bergen County, Tyson Trish)
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Eggs Will Roll - The sequester's automatic spending cuts and a possible government shutdown nearly threatened the 135th White House Easter Egg Roll scheduled for April 1. But according to spokesman Jay Carney, there is "every expectation that the Easter Egg Roll will proceed as planned." The event is expected to attract approximately 35,000 people from around the nation. (Photo: AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
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