Allen West

Re "A crime against motherhood," Opinion, May 14 To my horror, I just read that the namesake of my local high school, David Starr Jordan, was a leading eugenicist who "promoted compulsory sterilization legislation across the United States. " Op-Ed article writer Nilmini Gunaratne Rubin implores that more be done to compensate victims of forced sterilization. I would imagine it is a terrible slap in the face to victims such as the author (who never had a sibling) and her mother to know that there are still schools named after perpetrators of these monstrous crimes against humanity.

An Army officer fought back tears Wednesday as he acknowledged threatening to shoot an Iraqi detainee to extract information about a planned attack, saying he was trying to protect his troops. Lt. Col. Allen B. West made the statement on the second day of a U.S. military pretrial hearing on accusations that he threatened Yahya Jhodri Hamoodi by firing his gun near the man. West is also accused of punching Hamoodi during the Aug. 20 interrogation in Taji, according to Lt. Col.

As the debt-ceiling doomsday countdown ticks toward zero, Republican leaders have turned to Hollywood to try to motivate their unruly caucus to get on board with House Speaker John Boehner's last-minute plan to avert a government default. House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, a Californian, on Tuesday evening showed a clip from the bank-heist film “ The Town ” to fire up the troops, wrote Times reporters Lisa Mascaro and Kathleen Hennessey. ( See video below. ) The choice of a bank-robbery film to help promote unity among the squabbling conservatives was met with puzzlement by some.

As far as Rep. Maxine Waters in concerned, it is time for President Obama to get tough with Republicans and put together proposals that help the poor and especially the hard-hit African American community. Speaking at a job fair in Atlanta on Thursday, the fiery Los Angeles Democrat said there was rising unhappiness among African Americans with the nation's first black president. "There is a growing frustration in this country and in minority communities because the unemployment rates are so high," Waters said in televised remarks.

WASHINGTON - In an election year that had threatened to produce a deeper deficit for the House Democratic minority, the party instead narrowed the GOP's majority by at least seven seats. With just one seat not yet decided for either party, Democrats will hold at least 200 seats in the 113th Congress, while the GOP will maintain its majority with at least 234 seats. Noting that House Republicans had predicted a gain of as many as 16 seats, Democrats touted the results as evidence of a superior campaign organization.

SATURDAY Good Morning America (N) 7 a.m. KABC The Chris Matthews Show (N) 5 p.m. KNBC McLaughlin Group (N) 6:30 p.m. KCET SUNDAY Today Willie Geist. (N) 6 a.m. KNBC Good Morning America (N) 6 a.m. KABC State of the Union With Candy Crowley Treating veterans; PTSD: Gen. Peter Chiarelli, U.S. Army. Treating veterans; PTSD: Tim Tetz, the American Legion; Paul Rieckhoff, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Unemployment and veterans: Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.)

SATURDAY The Chris Matthews Show What President Obama must do to get competitive for 2012; New Year's resolutions for politicians. (N) 5 p.m. KNBC McLaughlin Group (N) 6:30 p.m. KCET SUNDAY Today Lindsay Lohan's exit from rehab. (N) 6 a.m. KNBC Good Morning America (N) 6 a.m. KABC State of the Union With Candy Crowley Investigations, new Congress: Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista); Obama's next two years: Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine; Democrats' way forward: Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.

In an effort to attract Republican votes, House GOP leaders are considering tacking on legislation advancing the controversial Keystone XL pipeline to a package that would extend a payroll tax holiday. American workers would be hit with an average $1,000 tax hike on Jan. 1 if the tax holiday is allowed to expire at year's end. House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) met behind closed doors with rank-and-file lawmakers Friday morning, but opposition to continuing the payroll tax break still runs high among conservatives in the House, showing the difficulty Boehner will face in drawing backing for the measure.