sweet
Lynn Sweet biography
Lynn Sweet is the Chicago Sun-Times Washington Bureau Chief. She writes a column, a blog and files on Twitter. Find and follow her at http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet …Read More
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Duckworth launches PAC, aims at leadership role
WASHINGTON—Freshman Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) is positioning herself for a leadership role, launching a political action committee to boost other Democrats running for the House as her profile — and buzz — are growing. Papers creating Duckworth’s “Perimeter PAC” were sent to the Federal Election …Read More
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Streisand, Obama movie spoof among top sights at Correspondents’ Association dinner
WASHINGTON — Takeaways from the just-concluded White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner weekend: ◆ Barbra Streisand was my favorite celebrity to spot at the giant Saturday night dinner. I am not above gawking — you all knew, right? I just happened to be hanging near the …Read More
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Obama moving cautiously on reports Syria used chemical weapons
WASHINGTON — While President Barack Obama was attending the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Center on Thursday — prompting stories about former President Bush plunging the U.S. into the controversial Iraq War — he was moving cautiously on U.S. intelligence reports of “varying degrees of confidence” the Syrian government is using chemical weapons. Obama doesn’t want to get Syria wrong.
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Hillary in 2016? Axelrod calls her ‘first among equals’
WASHINGTON — Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton hits Chicago on June 13 to be honored by CURE, the epilepsy research foundation — this while a new poll and the start Wednesday of a new chapter in her life are sparking even more speculation …
Will Boston bombings derail immigration reform?
WASHINGTON — The question asked on various Sunday shows was whether the Boston bombings will slow or derail immigration reform; it came up because the suspects are immigrants: The now deceased Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, was a legal permanent resident and his younger brother, Dzhokhar, 19, …
Sweet: Hadiya law faces defeat, too
WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans blocked a series of gun-control measures on Wednesday with an anti-trafficking provision named after Hadiya Pendleton, the Chicago teen shot to death in a park, expected to be sidelined with the rest of the gun bill on Thursday. Two items of …
LYNN SWEET: First lady’s tough stand against violence is long overdue
The usually cautious first lady Michelle Obama came home Wednesday to voluntarily plunge herself into a controversy, speaking out for the first time on two life-and-death matters: On preventing youth violence in Chicago and the need for Congress to at least vote on gun control …
First lady coming home to boost mayor’s initiative
LYNN SWEET: As the Senate is poised to take up measures to curb gun violence, likely Thursday, first lady Michelle Obama comes home Wednesday to bolster Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s efforts to help at-risk youth and visit Harper High School — where 29 present or former students were shot in the last year, leaving eight dead.
LYNN SWEET: Sen. Mark Kirk ‘unshackled since he came back from his stroke’
WASHINGTON — Sen. Mark Kirk announced Tuesday he supports gay marriage, the result of a new appreciation for life and love he’s gained as a survivor of a stroke that almost killed him. He opposed gay marriage when he started running for the Senate in 2009 — worried about a challenge from the right in the 2010 GOP primary. Supporting gay marriage early — that is for a Republican — helps Kirk burnish a moderate credential.
Michelle’s special push to combat Chicago violence
First Lady Michelle Obama comes home on April 10 to address youth violence in her city — and bolster Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s new $50 million fund to help at-risk kids. I’m told that Mrs. Obama’s White House team reached out to Emanuel’s City Hall — …
Obama talking energy at Argonne National Lab today
President Barack Obama visits Argonne National Laboratory in suburban Lemont on Friday to deliver a speech on weaning the nation from oil and gas, following up on an energy plan unveiled in his State of the Union address.
Obama to give major speech in Jerusalem
WASHINGTON — A highlight of President Barack Obama’s visit to Israel next week will be a major speech in Jerusalem — with an audience full of students — where he will speak directly to Israelis for the first time. That’s just one stop of Obama’s …Read More
GOP: President’s overtures overdue but welcome
WASHINGTON — As President Barack Obama was motorcading to the Capitol on Tuesday — the first of three visits this week to huddle with GOP and Democrat lawmakers, known here as his “charm offensive” — I asked Sen. Susan Collins if the mixers could make …Read More
Obama calls Kirk to discuss guns and deficit ahead of Capitol Hill visits
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama phoned Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) on Monday to discuss gun violence and deficit reduction, according to a White House official, with the call coming as Obama this week makes three trips to Capitol Hill to woo members of Congress. Obama …
Lynn Sweet: Bobby Jindal a hit; Obama teaches thirsty Marco Rubio a lesson at Gridiron Dinner
WASHINGTON — Proving once again that there are second acts in politics, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal — a potential 2016 contender — was a big hit Saturday night at the 128th annual Gridiron Club and Foundation dinner, more than making up for his disastrous 2009 State of the Union speech.The white-tie and gown affair also featured Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) representing Democrats, and President Barack Obama.
Biden, Netanyahu talk tough on Iran to AIPAC conference
WASHINGTON — After years of strained relations, President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — both just re-elected — may be able to press the reset button when Obama heads to Israel later this month — united against the growing threat of Iran gaining nuclear capability. Against this backdrop, Vice President Joe Biden and Netanyahu delivered separate speeches on Monday at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference that touched on Obama’s visit.
LYNN SWEET: Obama backers’ big bucks boost chance of presidential library in city
The Obama campaign released its final list of “bundlers” over the weekend — supporters who raised mega bucks to re-elect President Barack Obama — and the abundance of Chicago money muscle, and lack of Hawaiian fund-raising juice, takes away any doubt that the Obama presidential library will end up in Chicago. Of abou 250 bundlers who raised more than $500,000, 21 were from Chicago or the suburbs and none were from Hawaii, which has been angling for the library.
‘I’m not a dictator’ — so federal spending cuts a reality
WASHINGTON — Faced with the reality of no agreement with Republicans to prevent the sequester — forced across-the-board federal spending cuts — President Barack Obama lamented Friday the limit of his powers. “I am not a dictator. I’m the president,” Obama said to CNN’s Jessica …
Bloomberg just getting started
WASHINGTON — New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his team running his antigun SuperPAC drove Robin Kelly to victory — and demolished chief rival Debbie Halvorson—in a $2.2 million campaign they said Wednesday was merely a taste of what they have in store for the …
O’Hare, Midway travelers likely to feel the sting of sequestration
WASHINGTON — An impasse between President Barack Obama and Republicans — mainly in the House — continued Sunday, making it more likely automatic federal spending cuts will be triggered Friday, with the “sequester” potentially causing a massive migraine for travelers using O’Hare and Midway Airports. …
