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SALT LAKE CITY — Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dan Liljenquist announced Tuesday that if elected to the Senate, he will forgo a pension and sponsor legislation to eliminate pensions for senators and representatives.
"I am determined to rein in the out-of-control spending in Washington and that starts with ending pensions and other perks for Washington insiders," Liljenquist said.
The announcement came on the heels of recent comments by Liljenquist claiming that debt and spending are the most important issues Utahns currently face.
Liljenquist also challenged incumbent Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch to "put his money where his mouth is" and agree to donate upon retirement his own pension to help pay down the national debt.
Romney leads Obama in new poll
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Monday lead Pres. Barack Obama in a new poll.
The New York Times/CBS poll showed Romney leading Obama, 46 percent to 43 percent, respectively.
After Obama's recent announcement of his support for gay marriage, 26 percent of respondents said they were less likely to vote for the president in the upcoming general election. Sixteen percent said they were more likely to vote for him.
In addition, 67 percent of respondents said they believed the president had made the announcement "mostly for political reasons," while 24 percent thought he did it "mostly because he thinks it was right."
I am determined to rein in the out-of- control spending in Washington and that starts with ending pensions and other perks for Washington insiders.
–Dan Liljenquist
Americans Elect admits failureAn Internet-based organization created to run a third- party candidate in the general election has admitted defeat.
Americans Elect meant to redefine politics by allowing Americans to directly nominate a candidate for the election. CEO Kahlil Byrd said in a statement Tuesday that no candidate had succeeded in gaining enough popular support to move past the online primary, though.
"No candidate has reached the national support threshold required to enter the ‘Americans Elect Online Convention' this June," Byrd said in prepared remarks.
Byrd added that "there is, however, an almost universal desire among delegates, leadership and millions of Americans who have supported AE to see a credible candidate emerge from this process."
Americans Elect had in the past attempted to draft former presidential candidates Jon Huntsman Jr. and Ron Paul. Declared candidates included former Salt Lake City mayor Rocky Anderson and former Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer.
Paul accused of fraud
Former presidential candidate Ron Paul has been accused of fraud by an organization that reimbursed the representative for plane tickets and other expenses during his campaign.
The Liberty Committee, a non-profit libertarian organization, has claimed that Paul defrauded the group for about $20,000, two-thirds of which they said was taxpayer money.
Former Paul aide David James in an April 16 letter pushed Paul for repayment and said the group was exploring legal possibilities.
No candidate has reached the national support threshold required to enter the 'Americans Elect Online Convention' this June.
–Kahlil Byrd
"In short, this practice of double or duplicate billing enriched you while draining funds intended for legitimate projects," the letter read.
Paul spokesman Jesse Benton told Roll Call that James is "pursuing a personal grudge" against Paul and that the Texas representative would be "happy" to review the claims.
Pizza on the table as SLICE Act appears
Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo., has introduced a bill that would create stricter dietary guidelines regarding pizza in school lunches.
The bill is in response to legislation last fall that allows one-eighth a cup of tomato paste on a pizza slice to be counted as half a cup of vegetables in school meals.
The SLICE Act — School Lunch Improvements for Children's Education — would reduce the amount of vegetables the paste counts as to one-eighth of a cup. It would also give the USDA the power to implement reductions in sodium and increases in whole grains required in school meals.
