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Collins, Murkowski Most Likely Republicans to Back Obama

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Photo Credit: Chris Maddaloni/CQ Roll Call File PhotoSens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska held their reputations as leading GOP moderates in 2013.

In CQ Roll Call’s annual look at voting records, the two Republican women led the field of those most likely to vote with President Barack Obama on votes on which the administration clearly took a position, either through a formal Statement of Administration Policy or other expression of policy view.

Collins backed the Obama view on such votes 75.9 percent of the time, with Murkowski following at 72.3 percent. They were the only Republican senators above 70 percent. That’s in line with the argument that Murkowski’s voting record might prove beneficial to the 2014 re-election case of her Democratic counterpart Mark Begich.

Collins’ votes could serve her well in her own re-election bid as a New England Republican this year.

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Bomb disposal hero stuns 4 year old daughter by surprising her on big screen during show at SeaWorld

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Photo credit: SeaWorld

A trip to SeaWorld turned into the surprise of a lifetime for a four-year-old girl who was reunited with her soldier father.

Army Specialist Eric Espinosa, who was responsible for finding, defusing or activating improvised explosive devices in Afghanistan, had not seen his daughter Alexis for a year.

But as his daughter watched an underwater show at SeaWorld Orlando’s Shamu Stadium, the army combat engineer turned up in a surprise homecoming.

The show began with a tribute to all retired servicemen and women in the audience, when Alexis saw that she had popped up on the big screen. Suddenly, behind her, appeared a man in military fatigues.

In confusion, the little girl looked around to see if her father was really there and she could not contain her excitement when he tapped her on the shoulder.

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Senate debates president’s power during cyber-attack

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Senators squared off with Obama administration officials Monday about plans to give the president emergency powers to protect vital U.S. electronic networks from attacks by hackers, cyberterrorists and foreign governments.

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held a hearing on the administration’s legislative proposal, announced two weeks ago, that would rely on a pre-World War II radio emergency law to provide the president with authority to protect key computer and communication networks — like those mainly in private hands that run power grids, phone systems and banking services — from a cyber-attack.

“I must say this baffles me,” said Sen. Susan Collins, Maine Republican, of the administration’s plan to rely on the 1934 statute.

Read More at the Washington Times By Shaun Waterman, The Washington Times