Political Grapevine: 7/14

" He's from the political grapevine. There were no votes cast in the US senate today morning scheduling problems meant that any voting. Had to be delayed until later in the day and the decision had already been made to break it to PM. The reason. Lawmakers did not want their plans for tonight's Major League Baseball All-Star game to be affected so senators on Capitol Hill whose salaries you pay for. Were unable to cast any ballots before the pre determined cut off. That -- the defense authorization bill which contains a raise for US troops and funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Had to wait before however was open for speeches. A US soldier who has been who has been ordered to Afghanistan is refusing to go. US army major Stephon Frederick cook. Says President Obama was not born in the United States and therefore is ineligible to be commander in chief. The Columbus Georgia newspaper reports cook has filed a request in federal court seeking a temporary restraining order on his deployment. Cook's attorneys involved in a second case that challenges the legitimacy of the Obama presidency. The Los Angeles Times reports a California judge has agreed to hear the merits of that case. It is just one of dozens of legal challenges to the president's nationality. At least two of them have already been dismissed by the Supreme Court. The white house Press Secretary again Monday brushed aside the matter saying quote the noble truth is that the president was born in Hawaii. A state of the United States of America. And New York mayor Michael Bloomberg is lashing out at secretary of state Hillary Clinton for what he sees as a flip flop. And a double crossed a local TV station reports Clinton has exempted United Nations diplomats and their embassies from paying property taxes. But as the State's junior Senator Clinton fought to make diplomats pay up. Bloomberg says her change of heart has cost the city 260 million dollars in lost revenue. Quote it's just patently unfair to New Yorkers and Americans and the contravene established. Policy for 130 odd years and it just doesn't make sense. In one case the Hungarian embassy had already written a check for 32 million dollars to cover its taxes. When the State Department told officials to cancel it. The State Department spokesman says the policy change came about because other countries were threatening to charge taxes on US property overseas. But New York democratic senator Charles Schumer says quote. We're going to find a way to make sure that these embassies pay and that New York he's made whole."