Reuters
Wednesday, April 30, 2008; 11:36 PM

Clinton aims message at working class in Indiana

PORTAGE, Indiana (Reuters) - Hillary Clinton pulled into a gas station in a borrowed pickup truck on Wednesday hoping to drive home the political message that she feels the pain of the working class at the pump. The Democratic presidential candidate is making as much political theater as she can -- including using a commuter as a prop -- to press her appeal to blue-collar voters anxious about soaring gas prices as she campaigns in Indiana this week.

Clinton-McCain gas tax holiday slammed as bad idea

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A gas tax holiday proposed by U.S. presidential hopefuls John McCain and Hillary Clinton is viewed as a bad idea by many economists and has drawn unexpected support for Clinton rival Barack Obama, who also is opposed. "Score one for Obama," wrote Greg Mankiw, a former chairman of President George W. Bush's Council of Economic Advisers. "In light of the side effects associated with driving ... gasoline taxes should be higher than they are, not lower."

Obama hurt by furor over ex pastor: polls

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's loss in the Pennsylvania primary and the political firestorm over his former pastor have cut into his lead over rival Hillary Clinton among Democratic voters, according to polls released on Wednesday. According to a New York Times/CBS News poll, 51 percent of Democratic voters now say they expect Obama to win their party's nomination. That's an 18 point-slide from a month ago when 69 percent said they expected Obama to take on Republican John McCain in the November presidential election.

U.S. foreign intelligence wiretaps rose in 2007

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Wiretaps approved by a secret U.S. court overseeing foreign intelligence rose last year, even as Congress was debating a Bush administration request for more authority to fight terrorism. The Justice Department said on Wednesday that government applications to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court for wiretap approval rose to 2,371 in 2007, from 2,176 a year earlier.

Paulson: time not right for second stimulus

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said on Wednesday he did not believe the time was right to consider a second economic stimulus package and would watch the economy closely as tax rebate checks reach the American public. In a television interview on CNN, Paulson said it was not time to take additional steps to aid the U.S. economy such as extending unemployment benefits, as called for by some Democrats in Congress.

Obama tries to move beyond controversy over pastor

INDIANAPOLIS (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama tried on Wednesday to move past a controversy over racially charged remarks by his former pastor and refocus his message on kitchen-table economic issues. Obama's campaign and those of his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, and Republican John McCain all bickered over whether it was a good idea to suspend for the summer the 18.4-cent federal tax on a gallon of gasoline.

Iran complains to U.N. about Clinton comment

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Iran complained to the United Nations on Wednesday about U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's comment the United States could "totally obliterate" Iran in retaliation for a nuclear strike against Israel. Iran's deputy ambassador to the United Nations sent a letter to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the president of the Security Council expressing Iran's condemnation of "such a provocative, unwarranted and irresponsible statement."

Student loan bill advances, Bush will sign

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Wednesday unanimously approved legislation aimed at stabilizing the student loan market and heading off what lenders warn could be a shortage of loans in coming months as millions of college students lock in their finances before heading to school. The bill would temporarily allow the U.S. Education Department to inject liquidity into the secondary market for student loans, which seized up recently after investors were spooked by the subprime mortgage crisis.

Aviation bill stalls in Senate

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sweeping legislation to upgrade the aging U.S. air traffic system and to strengthen airline safety and service stalled in the Senate on Wednesday over airline pensions and procedural wrangling. On the first day of debate, lawmakers quickly clashed over a proposal to toughen airline pension funding rules, a plan opposed by congressional allies of American Airlines, a unit of AMR Corp, and Continental Airlines Inc.

Chinese steel imports a safety risk: U.S. lawmakers

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New U.S. measures are needed to keep out shoddy Chinese steel products that threaten the safety of buildings and bridges, U.S. lawmakers and steel pipe industry representatives said on Wednesday. "When sub-standard steel goes into our roads, bridges, and skyscrapers, it threatens our safety and unnecessarily risks American lives," Rep. Jim Visclosky, an Indiana Democrat and chairman of the Congressional Steel Caucus, said in a statement after a caucus hearing on steel imports from China.