Sen. Cardin: Senate Hopes to ‘Calm Down,’ Stay ‘Neutral’ on Abortion

ABC News’ Rick Klein reports: As the House grapples with the fallout of a controversial compromise, Senate Democratic leaders are vowing to keep out provisions from the health care bill that abortion-rights advocates say would limit access to abortion.

On ABCNews.com’s “Top Line” today, Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., said senators hope to be “neutral” on the issue of abortion in the health care bill — using a standard similar to the one laid out by President Obama in an interview with ABC’s Jake Tapper yesterday.

“We wanted to take up health care reform and not take sides on the abortion [issue],” Cardin told us. “Unfortunately, the Stupak amendment [in the House] does advance the pro-life position beyond where it is today, and that is something that I disagree with. I think a lot of my colleagues will be opposed to the Stupak amendment. Hopefully we’ll be able to resolve this in the Senate.”

Cardin, who served 20 years in the House before being elected to the Senate in 2006, applauded House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer for cutting a deal that allowed the bill to move forward. But he made clear that the deal shouldn’t stand in the Senate.

“I think the speaker made a judgment that’s the only way she could get this bill moving. Now, on the floor of the Senate I hope that we can change that,” Cardin said. “Hopefully we’ll come out of conference with a bill that accomplishes the goal of health care reform, and can just ask people to calm down. This is not an abortion bill, as the president said. This is a bill on health care — let’s stick to health care.”

Cardin said also warned that President Obama won’t be able to count on automatic support from Democrats on his new strategy for Afghanistan.

“I think that there is a great deal of reluctance to committing any more combat troops in Afghanistan,” he said. “We’re going to wait for the president to give us his recommendations. But the circumstances in Afghanistan are such that I think most members of the Democratic caucus believe it’s up to the Afghans to take responsibility for the internal security within their own country — that we should be focusing on the war against terror, against the terrorists organizations, most of which are now in the Pakistan area, not Afghanistan. And that needs to be where we concentrate.”

Watch the full interview with Sen. Ben Cardin HERE.

Republican strategist Kevin Madden said that Democrats created a new distraction for themselves in how they handled the abortion issue on the House floor.

“This is one of those cases where when you map out the first five steps in front of you without looking at the next five miles, [and] you put yourself in a very tough predicament,” Madden said.

Watch the discussion with Kevin Madden HERE.

Hillary Clinton: ‘Absolutely No Interest’ in Another Presidential Run; ‘No’ to Running for Governor or Senate Again, Too

ABC News’ Rick Klein reports: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is probably going to face the questions for the rest of her life. But she’s strongly disavowing any interest in seeking elected office again in her career.

Asked by ABC’s Cynthia McFadden in an interview in Moscow if she’s “never going to run for president again,” Clinton responded:

“I have absolutely no interest in running for president again. None. None. I mean, I know that’s hard for some people to believe, but, you know, I just — I just don’t — I feel like that was a great experience — you know, I gave it all I had, I’m giving this job all I have. I try to live in the present, so it just seems, you know, that — that’s not in my future.”

Asked whether she’s contemplating resigning to run for Senate again, she said: “No. I am neither frustrated nor planning anything other than being the best secretary of state I could be.”

Asked about rumors that she’d run for governor of New York, Clinton responded: “No. No. I love the fact that there’s so much . . . curiosity about what I might do, but I’m so focused on what I am doing, I really can’t imagine why anybody would have time to think about something in the future.”

Clinton also talked in detail about President Obama’s request for her to serve as secretary of state, and why she ultimately said yes: “If I had called him, I would have wanted him to say yes.”

She also said she’s surprised by how much “one-on-one” time she gets with the president:

“I am shocked at how much time I spend in the White House. I mean, you know, for people on the outside, the idea of going to the White House for a meeting must seem like the most important, serious, even glamorous kind of thing to do. But I’ve been there so much, it’s . . . I say, oh, my gosh, I have to go to the White House again,” Clinton said.

“I spend so much time every week. I spend it in meetings with others in the White House. I spend it in meetings in the Situation Room, particularly given everything that’s going on. And I spend it one-on-one with the president. So there’s an enormous amount of interaction, which I find fascinating.”

Watch more of Cynthia McFadden’s interview with Secretary Clinton tonight on “World News,” with the full interviewing airing on “Nightline.”

DeMint Trip to Honduras Back On? Travel Authorized after Senate Leadership Intervenes

ABC News' Viviana Hurtado reports: Senator Jim DeMint’s trip to Honduras, which was blocked by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair John Kerry (D-MA), is back on,

A senior DeMint staffer tells ABC News, but only after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) became involved. The Kentucky lawmaker used his leadership position to authorize DeMint’s trip through the Department of Defense, and not the State Department, which is customary for Senate overseas travel.

DeMint who supports the de facto government, accuses the Democrats of “playing politics.” In a statement, the South Carolina Republican says, “These bullying tactics by the Obama administration and Senator Kerry must stop, and we must be allowed to get to the truth in Honduras. Not a single U.S. Senator has traveled to Honduras to learn the facts on the ground. And the Obama administration won't allow Honduran officials or even businessmen to come to the U.S., either. While this administration has failed to act decisively in Afghanistan, it is has no problem cracking down on a democratic ally and one of the poorest nations in Latin America.”

Senators Kerry and DeMint are most recently at odds over the nomination of Arturo Valenzuela to be the next Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere affairs and Tom Shannon, the current Assistant Secretary and nominee to be Ambassador to Brazil. In the case of Valenzuela, DeMint was not pleased with what he interpreted as Valenzuela’s lack of knowledge about the Honduran crisis that led to the June ouster of President Manuel Zelaya, who the Obama Administration backs. Valenzuela, who served the Clinton Administration and has taught politics at Duke and Georgetown universities, is considered an authority in Latin American politics.

Senator Kerry gives DeMint “an A for ‘audacity.’” In a statement, the senior Senator from Massachusetts says, “Thanks to his intransigence, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee can’t even hold hearings on our policy in Central and South America. Sen. DeMint is blocking the nominations of two key officials who will implement President Obama’s foreign policy in the Western Hemisphere.” The Senator continues, “When Senator DeMint lifts these holds and allows these individuals to receive an up or down vote on the Senate floor, the Committee will approve his travel to Honduras, a country that is in the middle of delicate, political crisis.”

Senator DeMint is scheduled to travel to Honduras on Friday as the head of a Congressional delegation that includes: Rep. Aaron Schock (R-IL), Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO), and Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL) to meet with the de facto President Roberto Micheletti and some Honduran lawmakers.

ABC News' Kirit Radia contributed to this report.

High Noon for the Public Option in the Senate Tomorrow

ABC News' Jonathan Karl reports:

Tomorrow is high noon for the public option in the Senate.

I am told that Senators Chuck Schumer and Jay Rockefeller will force a roll-call vote tomorrow morning in the Senate Finance Committee on two amendments that would create a government-run insurance program – a top priority for liberal Democrats that was left out of the bill drafted by Finance Chairman Max Baucus.

The amendments are not likely to pass because they will be opposed by all Republicans, and at least four Democrats on the committee are cool to the idea of a public option (Lincoln, Carper, Conrad, Bill Nelson), but Schumer has been trying to negotiate with those Democrats to craft a version of the public option they could support.

If the amendments fail, it would appear the public option is all but dead in the Senate (although liberals will try to resurrect it when the full Senate takes up the bill).

UPDATE: Rockefeller and Schumer announced the vote last night, declaring “it's time for a debate on the public option.” But, it turns out, that time won't come until next week, because the Finance Committee is only working until noon today, giving Baucus & Grassley time to catch 2pm flights back home.

GOP Senate Candidate: I’m Not Giving Back Joe Wilson Money

ABC News' Teddy Davis reports:

The Connecticut Democratic Party is using $8,000 worth of donations from the man whom they have dubbed Rep. Joe “You Lie!” Wilson, R-S.C., to impugn former Rep. Rob Simmons, the Connecticut Republican who is hoping to be the GOP's Senate nominee against embattled Democratic Sen. Chris Dodd.

Contacted by ABC News, Simmons indicated that he has no plans to return the Wilson funds.

“I think that was quite a long time ago, wasn't?” said Simmons who had not personally seen the press release from the Connecticut Democratic Party.

Asked about Wilson's outburst, Simmons said, “All I know from reading the newspapers, is that a representative made a comment and then apologized.”

Simmons then attempted to turn the tables on Dodd who announced earlier this week that he has decided to keep the Senate Banking Committee gavel instead of moving to become chairman of the Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee which used to be chaired by the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass.

“Maybe Chris Dodd needs to be giving back some banker money,” said Simmons.

“I think he should begin by giving back all the banker money that he has been stuffing into his pockets this year,” he added.

Simmons says that if he were to ever become chairman of a Senate Committee, he will not accept money from the industries he is charged with overseeing.

He would, however, raise money from them if he were merely a junior member.

ABC News? Rick Klein reports:

With Democrats seeking to use Sen. Ted Kennedy's passing to refocus efforts to pass health care reform, Republicans are signaling that their strong opposition to President Obama's plans haven't shifted.

Today on ABCNews.com's “Top Line,” Sen. John Barrasso, one of the Senate's two medical doctors, called Kennedy's death “a great loss,” but not something that has changed the political dynamics surrounding health care.

“It is a loss to the nation, but I will tell you, people are actually focused on what's in the health care bill — that's what's turning out at all of these town hall meetings,” said Barrasso, R-Wyo.

“What I'm hearing all across the country is 'kill the bill,' ” he said. “So when Nancy Pelosi and others may say that this is a contrived — these are contrived events, she may be saying that just to try to lessen the effect of them. These are hard working American people who are turning out, have great concerns about what the government is trying to do in terms of health care and taking over health care. There is opposition very loudly spoken all across the country to this. And if people don't realize that this is real, then I'd have to say Nancy Pelosi is absolutely out of touch with the rest of America.”

Barrasso has been traveling the country along with the Senate's other doctor, Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., livestreaming the “Senate Doctors Show” and hosting town hall meetings on health care.

“People are focused on the details of the bill,” Barrasso told us. “I held up the House bill at a town meeting in Wyoming, and somebody yelled, 'burn it' because they know what the details are, then held up the Senate bill, all of the loose leaf papers that are together in that and somebody else said, 'Start a bonfire.' “

Click HERE to see the interview with Sen. Barrasso.

We also checked in with ABC's George Stephanopoulos about the political fallout in the wake of Kennedy's passing. He agreed with Barrasso's take, that the warm remembrances of Kennedy haven't changed the politics of health care.

Stephanopoulos' show this Sunday will be heavy on Kennedy legacy, with Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, reflecting on their friend and long-time colleague.

Click HERE to see the interview with George Stephanopoulos.

ABC News' Teddy Davis reports:

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R) is wading into the looming Texas Senate race by throwing his support to state Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams.

“A conservative like Michael Williams comes along only so often,” writes Gingrich in a fundraising solicitation for Williams. “He has the rare courage of someone who has fought the tough fights at a young age. He can take back the Democrats? turf on issues like the environment, energy, education and the economy.”

Williams, who is African American, is preparing to run for the Senate seat which is expected to become vacant if (and when) Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison resigns in order to focus full time on a gubernatorial run against Gov. Rick Perry, a fellow Republican.

Hutchison has said that a resignation will likely come in October or November of this year.

Gingrich is taking the unusual step of making an endorsement ahead of a potentially competitive GOP primary according to his spokesperson because he got to know Williams when he discussed energy policy as part of American Solutions, an annual event organized by Gingrich which tries to promote conservative public policies with strong levels of support among Republicans, Democrats, and independents.

As Texas Railroad Commissioner, Williams helps regulate the state's oil and gas industry.

Multiple Texas Republicans are eyeing Hutchison's seat but the GOP field is unsettled as Senate hopefuls wait to see whom Perry chooses to replace his gubernatorial rival.

The top two Democrats eyeing the Senate race are former Comptroller John Sharpe and Houston Mayor Bill White.

While Perry has not yet signaled whom he is going to choose for the Senate seat, the Williams campaign is already honing its pro-Perry pitch in the hopes of snagging the appointment.

“We need more Texas in Washington not more Washington in Texas,” Williams campaign manager Corbin Casteel told ABC News.

‘Top Line’: Colorado Senate Candidate — New Face for GOP?

ABC News’ Rick Klein reports:

Ryan Frazier is not a well-known entity in Washington political circles.

But that may change soon — and if it does, the Republican Party may have a new face to showcase in 2010 and beyond.

Frazier, a 31-year-old African-American city council member from Aurora, Colo., is running for the US Senate next year. He offers youth and diversity to a party that’s lacking in both these days.

He’s pitching himself as part of a new generation of Republican leaders — well-suited for the Obama era, even if he’s from the opposing party.

“We have something to offer. We have ideas and solutions that can help move this country in a better direction, and so that’s what we’re doing and that’s what my campaign and candidacy represents,” Frazier said on ABCNews.com’s “Top Line” Wednesday.

“These are amazing, historic times, and that’s why someone like me can actually put myself up for consideration by the voters for Colorado. I like to joke and say, you know, not only did we see the historic election of President Barack Obama, but UTEP went undefeated and the Arizona Cardinals went to the Super Bowl.”

At this stage, he may be as much of a long shot as the Cardinals were against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Other Republicans with more established bases are likely to get in the primary race — Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck has jumped in, and former Rep. Bob Beauprez is considering one.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee isn’t endorsing a candidate, at least not yet. And Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., is running for a full term of his own, after being appointed to fill the last two years of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar’s term.

But Frazier represents an intriguing possibility, as the Republican Party seeks a way forward.

“Principles mean something, principles help guide decisions. At the same time, you know, we need to apply, I think, Reagan’s 80-20 Rule,” he said.

Ronald Reagan’s maxim: Someone who agrees with you 80 percent of the time is your friend, not your enemy.

Frazier said: “We’re not going to always agree on everything and we need to understand that, and the bottom line is, we have to help move this country, and in my particular case, Colorado, forward. And that means finding solutions that people care about, whether it’s education, energy, government reform, defense. We need to offer up real ideas.”

On immigration: “The reality is that what we need is a tactical reform that allows those folks who are currently an opportunity to work here while allowing them first to return home and come back legally. I think that we have to look at reform that would allow us to respect the laws of this country while still understanding and embracing the fact that these folks, most of these folks, are here to do the right thing. They’re here to work.”

On gay rights: “I do support traditional marriage between a man and a woman. I’m very clear on that. However, I think there are areas where there’s room for reasonableness. You know, that is, when it comes to domestic partnerships, and that’s why I support it, extending employment benefits to domestic partners. It’s about doing what’s right for the employee, and I think these are issues where Republicans can find some common ground to say, you can still preserve the institution of marriage and what that means to the family while also embracing the ability to be tolerant to those who seek another lifestyle in our country, by allowing simple things like access to employment benefits.”

Watch our interview with Ryan Frazier HERE.

Also today, we chatted with Ana Marie Cox of Air America and The Daily Beast about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the debate over torture, the healthcare debate,

Watch our interview with Ana Marie Cox HERE.

Will Obama Bypass Senate GOP on Health Care?

ABC News’ Teddy Davis reports:

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that congressional Democrats and the Obama White House are likely to employ a parliamentary procedure – the budget reconciliation process – to win passage this year of comprehensive health-care reform, according to unnamed sources familiar with conversations on this subject.

This would make it possible to get significant components of health care reform through the Senate with a simple majority, which would only require Democratic votes, rather than having to win some Republican support to get to the 60 votes typically needed in the Senate. With the Minnesota Senate race still unresolved, Democrats currently control 58 votes in the Senate.

The same Wall Street Journal story reports that congressional Democrats and the Obama White House are unlikely to use the budget reconciliation process to pass cap-and-trade climate change legislation, an issue which is much more divisive among Senate Democrats than health care. As we reported earlier this week, eight Democratic senators joined 25 Senate Republicans in signing a letter urging the chair and ranking Republican on the Budget Committee not to use budget reconciliation on cap and trade.

When Obama budget director Peter Orszag recently appeared on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos,” he said that the Obama administration would prefer not to use budget reconciliation to pass major legislation while also saying that it was premature to take the option off the table.

At a Tuesday lunch with reporters, he once again left the Obama administration room to maneuver while also emphasizing that the budget reconciliation process has been used more often than its detractors like to acknowledge.

According to The Wall Street Journal, reconciliation was the main subject of conversation when Orszag met with Democratic leaders on Wednesday night.

One Democrat to watch is venerable West Virginia Sen. Robert Byrd (D) who vehemently opposed the use of reconciliation when former President Bill Clinton tried to overhaul health care in the 1990s.

It will also be interesting to watch Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, who has been working closely with Democratic Chairman Max Baucus on health care. Asked about reconciliation on Thursday while participating in a roundtable with reporters at the Kaiser Family Foundation, Grassley made it clear that he was taking Senate Democrats at their word that “regular order” would be followed.

The Washington Post has more details on this topic — reporting that Republicans will have until September to compromise on health care, or else Democrats will use this tactic to avoid a filibuster threat. That deadline may not be quite as generous as it sounds, though, considering the August congressional recess.

ABC News’ Rick Klein and Jonathan Greenberger contributed to this report.

Senate to Consider More Resources to Combat Financial Crimes

ABC News’ Jason Ryan reports: Legislation that would assign more federal agents and prosecutors to fraud-enforcement efforts has cleared its final hurdle before heading to the full Senate for a vote.

The Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act, sponsored by Sens. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, is designed to give more resources to federal investigators, including the hiring of FBI agents and prosecutors to work on mortgage and financial fraud cases.

Lawmakers on the Senate Judiciary Committee voted today to move it to the full Senate.

In addition to hiring agents and prosecutors, the bill would change the definition of “financial institution” to cover mortgage lending businesses and expand anti-fraud regulations to include the Troubled Asset Relief Program and recently passed economic stimulus package.

At a hearing last month, FBI Deputy Director John Pistole said that during the height of the savings and loan crisis in the 1980s, the FBI had 1,000 agents working on various task forces.

But currently, the FBI only has 240 agents working on mortgage fraud issues and the bureau is looking to shift agents to work more on white collar and corporate fraud cases from national security cases.

“The 240 agents now are working very hard. … We are looking to see if the agents on national security could move over without jeopardizing national security,” Pistole told lawmakers.

The FBI has about 250 agents who are working on corporate and securities fraud cases in addition to the agents assigned to track down mortgage fraud.

Senate leadership will have to determine when the legislation will be considered by the full Senate.

In a statement Thursday, Grassley said, “We’re sending a message by revising our laws to ensure criminals are brought to justice, law enforcement has the tools to uncover these fraudulent schemes, and bad actors are taken off the streets.”