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WASHINGTON (AP) America's roads, bridges and ports are falling apart, and the federal government is running out of money to fix them. So President Barack Obama is heading to a crumbling bridge outside New York City to try to pressure Congress into giving the nation's infrastructure an infusion of cash.

Obama was to travel Wednesday to the Tappan Zee Bridge, a major crossing point over the Hudson River that's in dire need of replacement nearly six decades after being built. In addition to calling on lawmakers to back his transportation plan, Obama will promote efforts to cut red tape and delays in permitting, the White House said.

While in New York, Obama will also headline a pair of high-dollar fundraisers benefiting Democratic candidates competing in the midterm elections. He and first lady Michelle Obama will spend the night in Manhattan before attending the dedication ceremony Thursday for the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center.

Obama's New York jaunt forms the apex of a weeklong attempt by the White House to focus the nation's attention on what the administration describes as a looming crisis that, left unfixed, could stifle economic growth and torment the nation's commuters.

Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx kicked off the week on Monday, warning that the Highway Trust Fund, which relies on gasoline taxes that haven't been raised in 20 years, could run dry in August. Vice President Joe Biden added his voice on Tuesday, telling local leaders in St. Louis that "we've stalled" on infrastructure as he promoted a $410 million renovation to the famous Gateway Arch that's being funded largely by donations.

Obama on Wednesday was to announce modest steps to modernize permitting for infrastructure projects, with an eye toward shortening the process. Obama's plan seeks to improve coordination and synchronization among agencies so projects don't have to wait for multiple, consecutive reviews, the White House said. Obama also plans to expand an online permitting "dashboard" to include more projects.

The setting for Obama's call to action, the 3-mile-long Tappan Zee Bridge, currently is being replaced by a new bridge at a cost of $3.9 billion, financed largely by bonds paid for through higher bridge tolls.

The Obama administration has proposed a four-year, $302 billion transportation plan. Of that amount, half would be in addition to the programs paid for with fuel taxes. That additional spending would come from revenue raised by closing corporate tax loopholes and by making other changes in business taxes, a longshot idea in a politically divided Congress.

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Obama To Ask Congress For Cash For Roads, Bridges

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., speaks at the Freedom Summit in Manchester, N.H. (Photo by Darren...

Sen. Rand Paul threatened Monday to place a hold on three nominees to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors unless his bill to subject the Fed to an audit gets a vote in the Senate.

It's a replay of a maneuver the libertarian Republican and Fed critic attempted last year when current Fed Chairwoman Janet Yellen's nomination was under consideration.

In a letter to Majority Leader Harry Reid, Paul wrote that "there is no more appropriate time to provide Congress with additional oversight and scrutiny of the actions and decisions of the central banks" than during the Senate's consideration of the nominees, whom the Senate Banking Committee approved in late April. The candidates are Stanley Fischer, the former top Israeli central banker nominated to be the Fed's vice chairman, former Obama Treasury official Lael Brainard, and Jerome Powell, a current member of the board seeking a second term.

The Government Accountability Office already audits many of the Fed's functions. But Paul's bill, the Federal Reserve Transparency Act, would provide for an annual audit of all of the Fed's activities, including its emergency loans to banks through its discount window and its monetary policy deliberations.

Although Paul's previous attempt to use a hold on Yellen's candidacy to gain a vote on the bill was unsuccessful, it did garner publicity and support for the measure, which polls favorably and was a long-time goal of his father, the libertarian Texas congressman and author of the book End the Fed, Ron Paul.

Rand Paul's latest effort comes as the Federal Reserve Board is severely understaffed. Setting aside Powell, whose term has expired, there are just three members of the seven-member board left, and one, Jeremy Stein, is set to return to his academic post at Harvard at the end of the month.

Following Reid's decision in November to eliminate the filibuster for executive nominees, however, Paul's ability prevent a vote on the Fed candidates is limited.

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Rand Paul threatens to hold Federal Reserve nominees unless his Fed audit gets a vote

Isolationist Message and Unpopular Father Limit Appeal

getty images

Published May 13, 2014.

(JTA) Can Rand Paul woo his partys Jews?

The Kentucky senator and likely candidate for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination is stepping up his Jewish outreach. In recent weeks, Paul chatted with rabbis on a conference call and proposed legislation to cut funding to the Palestinian Authority unless it recognizes Israel as a Jewish state.

Making inroads with Jewish Republicans is an uphill battle for Paul, an ardent anti-interventionist and opponent of foreign aid. A few years ago, Jewish Republicans were sounding alarms over Pauls foreign policy views, which they saw as inimical to the U.S.-Israel alliance.

Now, however, some are sounding a more conciliatory note.

The Republican Jewish Coalitions executive director, Matthew Brooks, told JTA that Paul has evolved.

He started off wanting to cut all foreign aid. Now he sees it as a long-term strategy. He wants to start scaling back to countries burning flags in their streets, said Brooks, referencing Pauls calls to cut aid to countries that are hostile to the United States.

Its a major shift from 2010 when Paul was running for Senate. At the time Brooks had called Paul a neo-isolationist who was outside the comfort level of a lot of people in the Jewish community.

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Rand Paul Hones Pro-Israel Pitch, But Finds Jewish Leaders Wary

Libertarian Destroys Democrat
Libertarian Destroys Democrat QUICK STATS: Republican 74% married 60% christian 94% white Democrat 70% unmarried 40% atheist 97% white Now you see why Democrats support the "causes" they...

By: shakaama

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Libertarian Destroys Democrat - Video

Aspen activist Lee Mulcahy is running as the Libertarian Party candidate for the Colorado Senate District 5 seat being vacated by Gail Schwartz, of Snowmass Village.

Mulcahy will be on the November ballot against Vail Democrat Kerry Donovan and Republican Don Suppes, of Orchard City in Delta County. Schwartz, a Democrat, cannot run again because of term limits.

Mulcahy has gained notoriety in the Aspen area because of his well-publicized battle with Aspen Skiing Co. and managing partner Jim Crown. He is engaged in legal disputes with the company and the Crown family over Skicos ban on him entering their property or public lands they lease for their ski areas.

Mulcahy was once a top-rated diamond pro ski instructor for Skico, but he was fired. Skico contends he broke too many rules. Mulcahy said he was canned for exploring formation of a union for ski instructors. He broadened his fight in an effort to try to get a living wage for Skico employees lowest on the pay scale, such as instructors and lift operators.

Mulcahy was nominated to serve as the Libertarian candidate at the partys state convention in Denver in March and then was endorsed by the attendees, according to Jeff Orrok, state party chairman. He met the qualifications, including being a registered Libertarian for at least 150 days prior to Colorados primary date in late June. None of the three candidates is facing a primary challenge.

The party is putting seven candidates for state Senate on the ballot, Orrok said.

Mulcahy has been critical of both major political parties on a variety of issues in letters to the editor and public statements.

I honestly believe that the Republicans and Democrats are challenged to serve the little guy, he said. People are looking for an alternative. I am the voice of the little people.

Mulcahy has formed a 12-member steering committee to help establish his platform. The members bring diverse political views, he said. They include Johnny Boyd, a newspaper columnist and activist in Snowmass Village; Maurice Emmer, a past and possibly future mayoral candidate in Aspen; Jeannie Perry, a co-architect of the Occupy Aspen movement that Mulcahy helped create; and criminal defense attorney Tedd Hess, according to a list provided by Mulcahy. The committee is meeting later in May to help him form positions, he said.

Mulcahys campaign manager is Ray Cheney, a retired attorney and another architect of Occupy Aspen.

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Aspens Mulcahy runs as Libertarian in Colorado senate race