Senate GOP tries for immediate vote on Obama jobs plan

 By NBC's Libby Leist

Senate Republicans sought Tuesday to force an immediate vote on President Obama's jobs plan in a ploy reacting to the President's nationwide barnstorm to push for a vote “right away” on the measure.
Holding a copy of the President's plan on the Senate floor this afternoon, Republican Leader Mitch McConnell moved to vote this week on the bill that he dubbed "Stimulus II." McConnell said he was responding to calls from the White House, including the president today, to hold a vote now.
"I think he's entitled to a vote. It won't surprise anyone to know I don't think it's a good approach, a way that's unlikely to create jobs, but he's asked for a vote and I think we ought to accommodate the president of the United States on a matter that he has been speaking about frequently over the last few weeks and give him his vote," McConnell said.
It was a maneuver by McConnell to try to set up a politically embarrassing vote for Democrats; Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) hasn't yet secured the support of his full caucus of the jobs bill, partially because of some of the measures used to finance the $447 billion price tag.
Because of that, Reid promptly objected to holding a vote now, arguing there was other legislation pending before the Senate. "We need to move to this right away. There is no question about that. But to tack this onto the China currency manipulation legislation is nothing more than a political stunt. We all know that," he said. The two party leaders then debated the merits of an immediate vote on the package, for which Obama pressed during a trip this afternoon to Dallas.
 In that speech, Obama excoriated House GOP Leader Eric Cantor for refusing an up-or-down vote on the whole jobs package. Cantor has said he would allow individual votes on aspects of the bill that Republicans find palatable. "Mr. President, I think my good friend's problem here and I sympathize with him is there's bipartisan opposition to the President's proposal," McConnell said. Reid shot back: "Mr. President, I didn't want to hear my friend say that. I didn't want to get into a long dissertation about bipartisan opposition. There's 53 of us.
A majority of Democrats will support the President's jobs bill." Reid has promised to move to the president's bill later this month, and he indicated at a reporter stakeout today that he was working on gaining support of wavering Democrats by altering the pay-fors that the president had suggested. "There are a wide range of things that we're looking at, because the only objections
I've heard from my caucus on the president's jobs bill is dealing with the pay-fors. So we're resolving that issue as we speak," he said. The president has proposed limits on itemized deductions and tax exemptions for individuals who earn over $200,000 and families earning over $250,000 as the bulk of how he would pay for his jobs bill.

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Christie: 'Now is not my time'

By: CNN Producer Gabriella Schwarz

(CNN) - Republican Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey announced Tuesday he will not run for president in 2012.

The first-term governor said the pressure he received over the past few months caused him to consider throwing his hat in the ring - after repeatedly shooting down rumors - but that ultimately he is committed to his position in the Garden State.

"Now is not my time. I have a commitment to New Jersey that I simply will not abandon," Christie said at a press conference in Trenton. "That's the promise I made to the people of this state when I took office."

Christie fielded recent calls to run for president and spent time discussing the possibility of a White House bid with his family, friends and operatives. Now, having decided against a bid, Christie said he does not "feel any sense of regret at all."

"I felt like it was my obligation as I said before given the seriousness and the amount of people who were coming to me and asking me to reconsider to reconsider and I did," Christie said. "In the end I came back to the same place I was in the whole year."

He pushed back against reports that his family was skeptical throughout the process, saying they supported him, whether he decided to run for president or not.

When asked about the rest of the GOP presidential field, Christie said his decision was not affected by the strength or weakness of the pool.

"None of them were a factor," he said before adding that he was not prepared to make an endorsement.

He also brushed aside suggestions, in his typically brash fashion that he would serve in the No. 2 spot on the Republican ticket.

“Listen, I don’t imagine I’m going to be asked. I don’t think I have the personality to be asked,” Christie said. “I mean, seriously, can you imagine? You know, the guy would probably want to get a food taster. I don’t know, seriously, I don’t see it.”

The newly minted vice chair of the Republican Governors Association said he is now focused on making sure President Barack Obama only serves one term as president.

"He's failed the American people because he's failed that absolute litmus test to be President of the United States and that's to know how to lead and how to decide," Christie said.

Christie light heartedly addressed the coverage of his weight that escalated in recent weeks, particularly among comedians. As long as the jokes are funny, he is OK with the coverage, he said.

"For me, their job is to be funny. And if one of the things they want to make fun of is my weight, it's fair game," Christie said. "I'm a public figure … All I care about is that they actually are funny so that I can at least laugh about it while they are mocking me."

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Italian jury clears American Amanda Knox of murder

No matter what you may think about the Italian judicial system, it must be far better than that of the United States that convicted Troy Davis, held him as prisoner for over 20 years for a crime he may have not committed, and then paid the ultimate punishment, death by lethal injection. The overturned conviction became known just moments ago in Italy as American Amanda Knox was found innocent of murdering Meridita Kercher 4 years ago. The following is an excerpt of a CNN report from Perugia, Italy, just hot off of the press.

Perugia, Italy (CNN) -- A jury cleared Amanda Knox of murder and other charges on Monday, nearly four years after she was arrested on suspicion of having killed her roommate in this picturesque Italian university town.

The jury evidently believed Knox's impassioned final statement to the court, delivered in a voice trembling with emotion.

"I am not what they say I am -- perverse, violent. ... I haven't murdered. I haven't raped. I haven't stolen," Knox said in the most important speech of her life.

Knox was, however, judged guilty of defamation against Patrick Lumumba, an early suspect in the case. She had accused club owner Lumumba of killing British college student Meredith Kercher in 2007 in Perugia

She and her defense team succeeded in overturning a conviction handed down two years ago by a different jury, which found her and co-defendant Raffaele Sollecito guilty of killing of Kercher, who was sexually assaulted and killed. Her throat had been slashed.

"I am innocent," Knox said Monday. "Raffaele is innocent."

Sollecito put his claim simply in his own closing statement before Knox spoke.

"I have never hurt anybody," he said.

As he concluded, he dramatically removed his plastic "Free Amanda and Raffaele" bracelet, saying: "I have never taken it off since it was given to me. ... I think now is the moment to take it off."

His voice almost inaudible, he concluded, "I hope this is part of history and that Amanda and I have a future."

Knox's lawyer Luciano Ghirga reminded the jury Monday that they had to be convinced "beyond a reasonable doubt" that Knox and Sollecito were guilty if they were to uphold the conviction.

At least four members of the jury -- composed of six members of the public and two judges -- must have concluded they did, indeed, have doubts about her conviction.

A majority ruling was all that was needed to throw out the conviction, with a tie favoring the defense. The actual vote will remain secret, but the main judge, Claudio Pratillo Hellman, will file a statement explaining the jury's reasoning within 90 days of the ruling.

Knox and Sollecito were convicted of murder, sexual assault and related crimes related to Kercher's death in December 2009. A third man, drifter Rudy Guede, was convicted separately of involvement in the killing and is serving 16 years.

In the appeal, lawyers for Knox and Sollecito picked apart DNA evidence that played a role in the original conviction.

Part of the original prosecution case was based on DNA evidence found on a knife and on a bra clasp belonging to Kercher.

During the appeal, experts for the two sides battled over whether the DNA evidence was reliable.

They also fought over the character of Knox.

The lawyer for a man falsely accused of the crime called Knox "Lucifer-like, demonic, Satanic," while Sollecito defense counsel Giulia Bongiorno insisted that, like the buxom cartoon temptress Jessica Rabbit in the movie "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" Knox is not bad, just "drawn that way."

Knox herself acknowledged the debate Monday in her closing statement.

"People always ask 'who is Amanda Knox?'" she said. "I am the same person I was four years ago. ... The only thing that now separates me from four years ago is my suffering.

"In 4 years, I've lost my friends in the most terrible and unexplainable way. My trust in the authorities and the police has been damaged. I had to face charges that were totally unfair, without any basis. And I am paying with my life for something I haven't done."

Knox was 20 and Kercher was 21 years old, studying at Perugia's university for foreign students, when Kercher's semi-naked body was found in the house they shared.

Sollecito, 23 at the time, was Knox's boyfriend, studying computer science at another university in Perugia.

Either side can appeal this court's ruling to Italy's High Court, but such an appeal would be on narrow technical grounds only.

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