President Barack Obama, who called the recent elections a 'shellacking' for the Democrats, has invited congressional leaders from both parties to join him in a meeting to discuss what to do in the waning days of the current Congress, vowing Thursday that it will "not be just a photo-op", reported CNN. The meeting is set for November 18, Obama said, following elections Tuesday in which his Democratic Party lost control of the House of Representatives and saw its Senate majority reduced. Current members of Congress keep their jobs until the end of the year in what's known as the "lame-duck" session. Obama said he wants the meeting to discuss the future of the Bush-era tax cuts that are scheduled to expire at the end of the year. Republicans and Democrats disagree about how to extend them.
Also, another big news item coming out of the recent midterm elections was that California voters rejected the legalization of marijuana Tuesday, according to a CNN projection based on exit polling. Supporters of Proposition 19 argued that the "prohibition" of marijuana -- much like that for alcohol decades ago -- has created a violent criminal black market, led today by international drug cartels. But opponents prevailed Tuesday. They asserted that even if the proposition were to pass, federal law still prohibits individuals and groups from manufacturing, distributing and possessing marijuana for recreational use. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said he will continue to enforce that federal law. Opponents also said that driving under the influence of marijuana would be a public threat.
