The following is political activity for Thursday, September 2, 2010, going on in Washington and across the nation. It is courtesy of Scott Wilk, Community Organizer, and Anchor Consulting group. The Beacon will be posting these daily as they become available.

IN THE HOUSE

• The House is not in session.

• Democrats fight to stay in office amid backlash – Rep. Chet Edwards, an imperiled Democrat deep in the heart of Republican territory, finds exiting American Legion Post No. 273 slow going. Supporters and well-wishers keep stopping him. (AP)

IN THE SENATE

• The Senate is not in session.

• Barbara Boxer and Carly Fiorina battle hard in first Senate debate – Candidates discuss hot topics from the economy to climate change to abortion. Boxer gives scathing critiques of Fiorina’s record as Hewlett-Packard CEO and Fiorina calls Boxer ‘bitterly partisan.’ (Los Angeles Times)

OTHER NEWS

• NY mayor denies talk he might be Washington-bound – New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Wednesday shot down speculation he might succeed Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, saying he would only leave office early if he were totally incapacitated or died. (Reuters)

• Victims pressure Sen. Harry Reid on food safety – Victims of food-borne illness and their family members are set to descend on the Capitol next week to lobby Senate offices to pass a stalled food safety bill. (Politico)

• Bernanke testifying to crisis inquiry panel – Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is set to appear before a panel investigating the financial crisis to give his take on the meltdown and his views on potential system-wide risks posed by large financial institutions. (AP)

• U.S. delays Web traffic rules by seeking more comment – U.S. communications regulators on Wednesday put off a controversial decision on Internet traffic rules, giving industry and consumer groups a chance to forge a compromise while avoiding a politically sensitive issue ahead of the November elections. (Reuters)

• Pelosi pledges that Congress will ‘leave no veteran behind’ – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Wednesday trumpeted congressional efforts to boost the nation’s veterans and pledged ongoing support for American soldiers returning from war. (The Hill)

FEDERAL GRANT OF THE DAY

• Conservation Reserve Program – Technical Assistance Training- The Farm Service Agency (FSA), acting on behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation, is in need of trainers to increase FSA staff knowledge of the technical assistance needed in the development of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) continuous sign-up conservation plans and to oversee contract implementation. The applicant shall provide the necessary classroom training needed by FSA employees to perform quality control reviews for CRP conservation plans developed by third-party Technical Service Providers’ (TSP). For more information, see USDA. Application deadline: September 30, 2010

TODAY IN HISTORY

• September 2, 1901- On this day, Vice President Theodore Roosevelt offered the advice, “Speak softly and carry a big stick,” in a speech at the Minnesota State Fair.

Source and thanks to www.anchor-consult.com / For more information, contact Anchor Consulting at 703-333-6013