The Hill’s Andy Barr talks with Douglas Schoen Democratic pollster and founding partner of Penn, Schoen & Berland about Independent voters in the Presidential race.

Will.i.am posted a new music video for Barack Obama today on YouTube featuring Jessica Alba, Ryan Phillipe and many others. The first video was viewed by several million on YouTube.

Congress will send President Bush a bipartisan measure this week prohibiting the CIA and other intelligence agencies from using waterboarding and other coercive techniques. We hope he will surprise everyone and sign the measure into law.

This measure is part of the 2008 Intelligence Authorization Bill that Congress passed earlier this month. It has been endorsed by 43 retired generals and admirals, and by a bipartisan group of 18 retired national security advisers, secretaries of state, ambassadors and other officials.

The measure would create a uniform standard throughout the U.S. government for interrogation, and require the CIA and the other intelligence agencies to follow the Army Field Manual, which carefully and precisely describes 19 approaches, and prohibits eight specific practices. If the president signs it into law, it would end the debate on the use of waterboarding and other coercive interrogation techniques once and for all.

Here’s why this is so important: Read the rest of this entry »

This past week, a group of bi-partisan Senators from the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee led by myself, Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and the Committee’s Ranking Member, Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), introduced legislation aimed at ending the deceptive practice known as phishing.  The Anti-Phishing Consumer Protection Act of 2008 (S. 2661) would prohibit the solicitation of a consumer’s personal information through the use of emails, instant messages, and misleading websites that trick recipients into divulging their information for the purpose of identity theft.  The legislation would also prohibit related abuses, such as the practice of using fraudulent or misleading domain names, by defining them as deceptive practices under the FTC Act.

Phishing and other online fraud activities directly undermine the vital trust of online consumers.  In a world that is growing more dependent on technology, we need to take every step possible to make the Internet safer and more reliable.  This begins with restoring the trust and consumer confidence that has been eroded by the prevalence of deceptive emails and websites that are defrauding the American people. Read the rest of this entry »

McCain slipped on a few lines at a rally Thursday.

Responding to an ad Hillary Clinton’s campaign put out, the Obama camp sent around this ad they release in October featuring retired Gen. Merrill A. McPeak speaking favorably of Obama’s judgment.

Read Sam Youngman’s story on the ad.

Rep. Ros-Lehtinen is ranking member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Extending the existing Andean Trade Preference Act is a necessary measure, but one that goes only half-way. It cannot substitute for passage of the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement, which is of central importance in defending critical U.S. strategic interests in the region.

Amidst the expanding influence in the Andean region of avowed enemies of the U.S., such as Iran and Venezuela, Colombia remains a steadfast ally of the U.S. and a partner in our joint effort to combat illegal drugs, narco-terrorists, and the destabilization of democratic societies throughout Latin America.

Those opposed to the Colombia FTA do not understand that the existing trade preferences give Colombian businesses easy access to U.S. markets but do nothing about giving U.S. businesses greater access to Colombia’s markets. Only the Free Trade Agreement can do that.

A new ad from the Hillary Clinton campaign calls looks for voters to question who they want answering a late night call on a world crisis in the White House.

Read Sam Youngman’s story on the ad.

Editor’s Note:The Barack Obama campaign responded with this video.

The energy package, H.R. 5351, passed yesterday provides a balanced, responsible and long-term approach to addressing energy costs, the challenges of climate change and energy security. The bill will also create jobs as companies invest in new technologies and products and see their energy costs reduced. At a time when a single oil company is reporting annual earnings of more than twice the ten year cost of this bill, it is absurd to argue that the oil and gas industry needs to be subsidized by the American taxpayer. By rolling back just a portion of the tax breaks for big oil, we can make enormous strides toward solving this nation’s energy challenges and lowering consumer energy costs.

Hillary did a quick hit on the Late Show with David Letterman Thursday for another in the show’s series of “a message from Hillary Clinton.”