AP - Most Republican governors have broken with their GOP colleagues in Congress and are pushing for passage of President Barack Obama's economic aid plan that would send billions to states for education, public works and health care.

John A. Boehner, the House Republican leader, said that many in his party will vote against the economic package unless significant changes are made.

Reuters - President Barack Obama sought to rally support for his emerging economic rescue package on Saturday, as he stood by his latest Cabinet nominee to run into tax problems that could impede confirmation.

President Barack Obama on Saturday promised to lower mortgage costs, offer job-creating loans for small businesses, get credit flowing and rein in free-spending executives as he readies a new road map for spending billions from the second installment of the financial rescue plan.

The White House is deciding how to structure the remaining half of the $700 billion that Congress approved last year to save financial institutions and lenders. An announcement was possible as early as this coming week on an approach that would use a range of tools to unfreeze credit, helping families and businesses.

Reuters - An official in President Barack Obama's administration said on Saturday the announcement of a rescue plan for the financial system was running on schedule.

Politico - Blog: Michael Turk finds TurboTax making good use of webads. Among (of the many) reason the optics of the Daschle tax situation are so much

U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions says Gov. Guy Hunt helped grow the Republican Party in Alabama.

Gov. Ted Strickland has decided to empty Ohio's 'rainy-day' fund because of the state's projected multi-billion dollar deficit over the next two years, a spokeswoman said Friday.

Reuters - Republican Senator Judd Gregg has emerged as Democratic President Barack Obama's top candidate for U.S. commerce secretary and a decision could come as early as Monday, an administration official said on Saturday.

AFP - US President Barack Obama praised Iraq's provincial elections on Saturday as an "important step forward" for the future of the country.