Story Archives of 'National'

It's a legislative process of the US Senate where a vote can be passed by a simple majority and block a possible filibuster. The US Senate has used reconciliation a number of times since being introduced in 1974, often to pass especially contentious bills. Now the process is being brought up again by President Obama to pass his health care plan. We’ll look at how reconciliation works, how it’s been used in the past and the risks that can come to both parties if used.

Guests

• Dean Spiliotes, civic scholar in the school of liberal arts at Southern New Hampshire University and author of NHPoliticalCapital.com
• Patrick Hynes, conservative blogger, owner of Hynes Communications and former consultant to John McCain's presidential campaign
• Jeff Woodburn, former chairman of the New Hampshire Democratic Party

According to federal figures, one in eight Americans receives some form of emergency food assistance. It could be in the form of food stamps, a food pantry, a soup kitchen, or all three.

Seeing a need among their students, a group of teachers at Nashua High South decided to do something on their own to fight hunger.

New Hampshire Public Radio Correspondent Sheryl Rich-Kern has the story.

We charge in today with two of America’s most divisive political issues– race and abortion – coming together in a Georgia- based campaign to end abortions among African-American women.

First, a little backstory: Remember that ACORN sting? When the now-famed provocateur James O'Keefe posed as a pimp with a prostitute sidekick, and secretly taped himself seeking a loan for a brothel from a Brooklyn office of ACORN? O’Keefe conducted similar ruses between 2007 to 2008 at seven Planned Parenthood offices across the country. Here is an excerpt of O’Keefe’s recorded conversation with a Planned Parenthood employee in Idaho. Here, he requests that his donation be made in the name of his son, who was competing with black children to get into college.

O'Keefe:"He's really faced troubles with affirmative action and, you know... we just think that the less black kids out there the better."
PP Emplyoee:"[Laughs] Understandable, understandable. Um, David let me...if i may just get some sort of specific general information so we can set this up the right way."

The release of O'Keefe’s tape on you tube fueled deep-seeded suspicions among some African-Americans about conspiracies to wipe out the black community.

Recently, the largest anti-abortion group in georgia has capitalized on those fears in a media campaign directed at African-American women. This month, the group put up 80 billboards around Atlanta that read, “Black children are an endangered species.” The campaign has allowed the traditionally white and republican pro-lifers to make inroads with the black demographic. Shaila Dewan, is a national correspondent for the New York Times’ southern bureau. She’s been following this story and joined us from her office in Atlanta.

NY Times: To Court Blacks, Foes of Abortion Make Racial Case

(Photo courtesy of NPR)