News Digest, 2/14/08: Stimulus Plan Signed

The bipartisan economic stimulus package was signed yesterday by President Bush, clearing the way for checks to come out in May.

The plan is nearly identical to the original plan passed by the House of Representatives. The bill that went to the White House added checks for veterans and the elderly that fell outside of the original earning limits, which Republicans had been pushing for. The food stamp increases and unemployment benefit extensions that Democrats were holding out for didn't pan out, however.

TV sitcom viewers can breathe easy — the writers' strike is over. Writers will be going back to work after voting to lift the strike order yesterday, surely giving a sigh of relief to both the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and to the Academy Awards, which was under threat of picketing and a possible boycott.

Congress is keeping busy lately: House Judiciary Committee Chair John Conyers has filed a criminal contempt resolution against former White House Counsel Harriet Miers and chief of staff Josh Bolten for not responding to their subpoenas. Attorney General Michael Mukasey has already threatened not to enforce the criminal citation, so Conyers threw another resolution into the mix — one which allows the House Judiciary Committee to go to court themselves and file a civil suit against the White House for their inaction. Seems like the Attorney General's office may have a bit more trouble trying to block the investigation this time around.

Also on the Blue yesterday, we ponder why Huckabee's still in the Republican primary race, observe some congressional races in other states, and give some explanation as to how the Texas primary process works.