Political Quick Hits: January 27th Edition
Here’s your weekly quick look at few developing stories in the political arena:
- Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords officially resigned from Congress on Wednesday. She resigned to focus more on her recovery from being shot in January, 2011 at a political event in Arizona. Giffords’ pledged to return one day saying, “Everyday, I am working hard. I will recover and will return, and we will work together again, for Arizona and for all Americans.” (NBC)
- In 2012 news, this week Mitt Romney released his tax returns from the past two years. Mitt has made $42.7 million the past two years and payed $6.2 million in taxes. Romney had been attacked for not releasing his tax returns and some still want Mitt to release years further back. (CNN Money). One poll this week shows that Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich are now tied in Florida, which is the next GOP primary on January 31st. This is news because until recently, Mitt Romney was the clear front-runner and now the 2012 GOP race looks to be a close two-man race between Romney and Gingrich.
- President Obama gave his State of the Union address on Wednesday night where he said that state of the union is getting stronger. President Obama defended his policies and called keeping the American Dream alive “the defining issue of our time.” In what could be his last State of the Union address if he’s not re-elected this year, the president proposed letting the Bush tax cuts expire, having the wealthy pay more in taxes, more refinancing for homeowners in trouble, and more clean energy initiatives among many other things in his speech. (Full CNN Speech Transcript)
- Finally, if President Obama is re-elected in 2012, his staff could look a little different for his second term. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said this week that he does not expect to remain in office if the president is re-elected. Geithner is the last remaining member of Obama’s original economic team. (BusinessWeek) . It is also being reported that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will not stay on the job if Obama is re-elected. Mrs. Clinton is reported to have said she is tired of the “high wire of American politics.” She has also previously denied that she will pursue another run for the presidency in 2016. (First post)
