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National News in Context

New at TWI: Eviction in VirginiaYesterday

To much fanfare, Fannie and Freddie Mac recently announced that they would put a moratorium on foreclosures through the holiday season. But for some 765,000 homeowners already in foreclosure, like Julio Angulo of suburban Virginia, even temporary relief isn’t necessarily coming.

TWI economics reporter Mary Kane attended Angulo’s eviction on Monday morning with video producer Garland McLaurin of the American News Project. Mary’s gripping description of the event is here, and the video story is here.

TWI’s Publisher Is HiringDecember 3

TWI’s publisher, the non-profit Center for Independent Media is looking for two news editors to shape the editorial direction of a network of sites across the country. The jobs are based in Washington, in the same offices as TWI.

Full job description and instructions on how to apply after the jump.

The Center for Independent Media (CIM) seeks two high-energy individuals to help set the editorial direction of two to three online news sites devoted to politics and public life. The sites are part of a growing network of state news sites sponsored by the non-profit and non-partisan Center for Independent Media. The CIM sites, which generate original daily news articles on politics and public policy and adhere to the Society for Professional Journalists (SPJ) code of ethics, have received twenty SPJ awards for excellence in the past two years. The position is located in CIM’s Washington, D.C. headquarters.

As the News Editors you will play a leading role in executing a daily news agenda for two to three of our sites—Colorado Independent, Iowa Independent, Michigan Messenger, Minnesota Independent and New Mexico Independent—driving political news coverage in each state and breaking stories of regional and national importance. Working with a team of full-time reporters in each state, you will develop and coordinate a slate of news, investigative, and accountability reporting. You will combine the best of traditional journalism with the ne

Murkowski to Palin: Hands Off My Senate SeatDecember 2

Now that Sen. Ted Stevens is out of the Senate, nixing a chance for a special election in Alaska, Gov. Sarah Palin might be eyeing another potential seat — Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s (R-Alaska), Politico reports.

Murkowski, appointed to the Senate in 2002 by her father when he took office as governor of Alaska, is up for re-election in 2010. (Murkowski won her seat the old-fashioned way in 2004.) In an interview with Politico, Murkowski warned Palin that she shouldn’t even consider a short stop in the Senate as a means to the White House. But what if Palin does anyway?

“I can guarantee it would be a very tough election,” Murkowski said in an interview.

Murkowski isn’t kidding. The two arctic pols have a turbulent history. In 2006, Palin knocked Murkowksi’s father out of the Republican primary by essentially accusing then-sitting Gov. Frank Murkowski of corruption, lumping him in with more dubious characters in the state legislature. The message was appealing to voters who were sick of Murkowski’s tone-deaf moves, including appointing his own daughter to his Senate seat and flying around the state in a private jet.

While Lisa Murkowski might have beef with Palin, Palin’s got her own problems with Murkowski. When Lisa got the nod from her father to take his Senate seat, Palin was reportedly miffed.

But who would win in a ma

Stumping for Chambliss, Palin Draws Fans From Other StatesDecember 2

Is Gov. Sarah Palin the best thing going for the GOP these days?

A local TV network in Georgia reports that Palin attracted fans from as far away as New Mexico to hear her stump for Sen. Saxby Chambliss in today’s run-off election, even though they can’t vote in Georgia.

It’s unknown how many out-of-towners were at these events or the total crowd size. The local outlet says Palin attracted a larger crowd yesterday than Chambliss did the day before. During the presidential campaign, Palin’s reported crowd numbers were inflated at times, embellishing her ability to draw astonishingly large crowds.

But the actual numbers don’t matter much. She may be drumming up more interest than the candidates in the race, as well as the multitude of other high-profile Republicans stumping for Chambliss. (CNN doesn’t have Mitt Romney on repeat today, for example.)

Will Palin be the GOP nominee in 2012? Lots can happen between now and then. But one things for certain, she’s not disappearing any time soon.

(Via Eric Kleefeld of TPM Election Central.)

Will Bush Pardon Stevens?December 2

It looks like Sen. Ted Stevens, convicted of seven federal felony counts of bribery-related charges, has opened the door to asking for a presidential pardon, according to Politico:

Asked Nov. 18 if [Stevens] would seek a pardon from President George W. Bush, Stevens told reporters at the Capitol, “No, no, no.” But later that day, he explained just as emphatically that all those no’s had really meant “no comment.”

I hadn’t heard that Stevens retracted his “No, no, no” statement, which is different than the non-answer version, “no comment.” It could mean he’s actually thinking it over.

Politico also points out that Stevens’ lawyers sent a letter to the Justice Department claiming prosecutor misconduct, which could translate well into a request for a pardon.

Still, Stevens hasn’t officially asked for a pardon and he has vehemently maintained his innocence. If he does, it’s hard to say how he’d fare for sure, but it looks pretty unlikely.

In his final lame duck days, President Bush has pardoned 14 people and commuted the sentences of another two. That’s the stingiest in recent history presidential history. As I wrote last week, none of the