The Hollywood Liberal

Jennifer Palmieri back to White House

Jennifer Palmieri, a veteran Democratic operative, has been tapped to join the White House as deputy communications director, an administration official said Monday.

Palmieri spent eight years in the Clinton White House, including three years as deputy press secretary. She is currently senior vice president for communications at the Center for American Progress, the liberal think tank.

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Postal Service cuts will slow mail delivery

Updated 1:12 p.m. ET

The U.S. Postal Service on Monday unveiled proposed changes that would slow the delivery of the nation’s mail as the cash-strapped agency seeks to save billions of dollars by closing hundreds of mail processing facilities and cutting tens of thousands of jobs.

If enacted, the changes would take affect in March at the earliest and upend a standard practice since the 1970s that now delivers about 96 percent of first-class mail overnight.

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FAA chief may lose job after drunken driving arrest

Federal Aviation Administration head Randy Babbitt was placed on administrative leave and appeared at risk of losing his job Monday after being arrested on a drunken-driving charge Saturday night in Fairfax City.

Transportation Department officials were “in discussions with legal counsel about Administrator Babbitt’s employment status” after being taken by surprise when Fairfax City police released news of the arrest Monday morning, according to a statement.

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The Insider-Outsider Divide Over Gingrich
Byron York, DC Examiner
There's a deep and growing divide in the Republican world between those who are able to reconcile themselves with — to wrap their heads around — the possibility of Newt Gingrich becoming the GOP presidential nominee, and those who are not.  It's becoming increasingly clear that it is Washington insiders who are having the most trouble imagining a Gingrich nomination, while Republicans outside Washington aren't having a problem.Of course it's the Washington insiders who have the most actual experience dealing with Gingrich.  Just look at what Republican Sen. Tom Coburn,…

Wall Street Plays Occupy White House
Joel Kotkin, Politico
Wall Street is disdained in the court of public opinion — detested by the tea party on the right and the Occupy movement on the left. The public blames financial plutocrats for America’s economic plight more than either President Barack Obama or former President George W. Bush. Less than a quarter of all Americans, according to Gallup, have confidence in the banks, which vie for the lowest spot with Big Business and Congress.But these angry voters are unlikely to get satisfaction in next year’s presidential election. In fact, things are looking up for the…

Voters & Rep. Jackson Deserve Quick Ruling on Ethics

Pain in the Public Sector