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Obama plans to nominate Florida official to lead FEMA

President Obama plans to nominate Craig Fugate, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, as the next administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the White House said Wednesday. Fugate is expected to join Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano at an event Thursday in New Orleans, Louisiana. “From his experience as a first responder to his strong leadership as Florida’s emergency manager, Craig has what it takes to help us improve our preparedness, response and recovery efforts, and I can think of no one better to lead FEMA,” Obama said in a statement.

Criticizing Rush Limbaugh: Over the Line?

Sooner or later, most presidential administrations make some version of the Sun King’s mistake. “L’état, c’est moi,” Louis XIV of France is said to have declared — “I am the state.” To criticize the man becomes downright unpatriotic. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs crept up to that line — even put his toe over it — as he tried to capitalize on the anti–Barack Obama declarations of talk-show behemoth Rush Limbaugh.

Match referee: We were sitting ducks

The match referee hailed as a hero for shielding a wounded colleague during an attack by gunmen on the Sri Lankan cricket team has criticized Pakistani security forces for failing to protect players and match officials. Chris Broad, a former England international, said he and colleagues had been left to be “sitting ducks” after the driver of the minivan in which they were traveling was killed in Tuesday’s ambush in Lahore.

Senate Democrats Optimistic on Health-Care Reform

As President Barack Obama prepares to convene a health-care summit at the White House later this week, Administration officials are signaling that he intends to pursue a very different strategy for getting reform passed from the one used by his Democratic predecessor in office. Unlike the failed effort of 1994, when Bill and Hillary Clinton presented Congress with a detailed blueprint for reform — and never saw a bill reach the floor of either the House or Senate — Obama is outlining broad principles, with a bottom line of universal coverage, and leaving it up to lawmakers to fashion a plan for meeting them.

European markets close down

European markets closed lower Tuesday, following a global selling spree the day before. Europe’s major exchanges drifted up in morning trading but by the end of the day London’s FTSE 100 was down 3.1 percent, the CAC 40 lost 1 percent and Frankfurt’s Dax 30 sank 0.5 percent.

Will Sebelius be a bipartisan force for Obama?

Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ experience working with both Democrats and Republicans in her home state could be an asset to President Obama as he embarks on an effort at bipartisanship in reforming health care.

Obama’s Health Czar

In the midst of a celebrated career that has taken place almost entirely behind the political curtain, Nancy-Ann DeParle was introduced to a microphone Monday by the President of the United States on live television, and she almost turned it down. “Nancy, do you want to say a little something?” Obama asked her at the end of a ceremony in the East Room

Clinton: 2 U.S. officials to visit Syria

The U.S. government will dispatch two officials to the Syrian capital to explore Washington’s relationship with Damascus, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced Tuesday. “There are a number of issues that we have between Syria and the United States, as well as the larger regional issues that Syria obviously poses,” she said.

RNC chief Steele: Limbaugh is more a performer than GOP leader

Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele is taking issue with the notion that Rush Limbaugh is the de facto leader of the GOP, calling the conservative radio talk show host an entertainer whose comments can be ugly. Steele, chairman of the Republican National Committee, said in an interview with CNN that he, rather than Limbaugh, is “the de facto leader of the Republican Party.” And Steele described Limbaugh as a performer. “Rush Limbaugh is an entertainer

Swiss Banks

It’s been a year since Mitt Romney dropped out of the Republican presidential race, but he remains an influential conservative voice — particularly on economic issues.