April 2009 - Posts
From NBC's Pete Williams According to various government officials, Justice David Souter plans to retire either at the end of this court term or once President Obama's choice to replace Souter is confirmed by the Senate. Look for more on the Souter retirement news tomorrow morning on TODAY.
From NBC's Harry Enten For the first time in a nationwide survey, more Americans say they support gay marriage (49%) than oppose it (46%), according to the latest Washington Post/ABC poll.
That 49% supporting gay marriage, in fact, is a significant jump from 2004, when the Post/ABC poll found just 32% in favor.
This surge within the past month suggests that any backlash against the recent moves across the country to legalize gay marriage has yet to emerge.
Also in the new survey, a majority of Americans (53%) believe that their state should recognize gay marriages from other states.
Other recent polls have shown a similar increase in support for gay unions nationwide. The New York Times/CBS News poll released this week showed 42% of Americans supporting gay marriage -- the highest number ever recorded in that poll. This week's Quinnipiac poll, which found a majority (55%) against gay marriage, also showed 57% of Americans support civil unions.
From NBC's Pete Williams AP is running a story this afternoon that raises the question of whether Supreme Court Justice David Souter might retire.
Answer: He might. Then again, he might not.
Here's the background: Souter is usually the last of the justices to hire law clerks for the coming term. He typically gets around to it in March or April -- well after the other justices have chosen theirs. But this year, Souter hasn't done it yet, and that has been the subject of gossip in legal circles.
Those familiar with Souter's practices say he asked around for names of potential candidates for clerks earlier this year, a sign he was thinking of staying on the court. But it's not clear yet that he has actually interviewed them, which might be a sign that he's considering retirement. It might be that he's just late in attending to clerk duty this year. Souter's chambers are saying nothing, not even giving winks or nods for guidance.
Clerk-ology is an undependable indicator of a pending retirement. Some justices have decided to retire even after hiring clerks, who then go on to work for the retired justice.
If anyone were to retire this term, Souter has long been thought to be the likely one. John Paul Stevens , at 89, is the court's oldest. But he is, in the view of many, at the top of his game, a master court strategist at assembling votes. Next oldest, at 76, is Ruth Bader Ginsburg . But anyone who thinks she might retire wasn't watching when she made her triumphant return during President Obama's speech to Congress.
Souter, at 69, is a comparative youngster, the 5th oldest on the court.
From NBC's Athena Jones
In his daily briefing, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said a member of the advance team for Energy Secretary
Chu went to Mexico and developed flu symptoms. He and three members of his family tested positive for type A influenza and that it's probable they have H1N1. Further testing is being done by the CDC, and all four sick individuals experienced only mild symptoms and all four have recovered.
This person, in fact, has been cleared to go back to work by doctors and is working today.
Gibbs also said that Chu has not exhibited symptoms and there are no plans to test him. Same is true of the president, he added.
From NBC's Athena Jones
President Obama said Chrysler's decision to merge with Italy's Fiat and file for bankruptcy would give the company "a new lease on life," and he assured its employees and communities depending on it that the company would continue to operate normally during the process.
Chrysler has borrowed some $4 billion from the government and needs more aid to keep operating. Under the new agreement, the government will provide an additional $8 billion in loans to Chrysler -- including $3.3 billion in working capital.
"Today I am pleased to announce that Chrysler and Fiat have formed a partnership that has a strong chance of success," Obama said. "It's a partnership that will save more than 30,000 jobs at Chrysler and tens of thousands of jobs at suppliers, dealers, and other businesses that rely on this company."
Members of the auto task force and key Cabinet members -- including chief economic adviser Larry Summers, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner , OMB Director Peter Orszag , Carol Browner, economic adviser Austan Goolsbee, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood , Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Biden economic adviser Jared Bernstein -- joined the president at the event in Grand Foyer.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Kelly O'Donnell, Mark Murray, and Abby Livingston Eric Cantor and Sen. John McCain announced the formation of a new effort to help the Republican Party take its message on the road and come up with new ideas for the future.
The effort, called the National Council for a New America, will hold its first town hall in Arlington, VA on Saturday, with former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney . Other key movers and shakers are Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal . McCain also said that his former running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin , was contacted to participate.
On the conference call, Cantor and McCain stressed that the council isn't a re-branding effort for the GOP. "This is not a Contract with America," the senator from Arizona said. "This is a conversation with America."
Cantor, the driving force behind the council, said its other purpose is to have this conversation outside of Washington (although the first town hall is just a few miles away) and to have Republicans, independents, and Democrats all participate.
From NBC's Mark Murray Tim Pawlenty to certify Al Franken (D) if he remains ahead of Norm Coleman (R) after the Minnesota Supreme Court considers the case.
"Most Minnesotans -- including Republicans -- believe that once the Minnesota Supreme Court rules, it will be time for Gov. Pawlenty to do his legal duty and certify Al Franken as our senator," the ad goes. "But the national Republican donors don’t want Minnesota to have its rightful representation in the Senate... Call Gov. Pawlenty... Ask him to put Minnesota’s interest ahead of political ambition."
From NBC's Courtney Kube
Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton just spoke briefly at the Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on the budget supplemental about how the State Department is responding to swine flu.
State has established an influenza monitoring group based in the State Department operations center, and they are tracking and monitoring how other governments are responding to the outbreak. Clinton added that her department is constantly reviewing and refining advice to Americans who travel or live abroad. (There was no mention of Vice President
Biden 's recommendations this morning).
She reminded the committee that USAID is giving the World Health Organization and PanAmerican Health Organization $5 million to help contain and treat the disease in Mexico.
Finally, she said that she is very cognizant of the role the U.S. must play in attempting to stem and contain this outbreak.
From NBC's Mark Murray President Obama's decision to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay (a move a majority disagree with, according to our new NBC/WSJ poll).
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell just gave a speech on the Senate floor, in which he argued that "closing Guantanamo is not a good option if no safe alternatives exist." And House Republicans have released a Web video, which asks: "What are Democrats doing to keep America safe?" And it concludes with this question: "After 100 days, do you feel safer?"
(Our NBC/WSJ poll actually answers that question: 28% say they feel less safe than before the 9/11 terrorist attacks, 29% say they feel more safe, and 40% say they feel about as safe as before.)
From NBC's Chuck Todd
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Video: MSNBC's Joe Scarborough ask Michael Steele what he intends to as party chair about the shrinking Republican Party. Steele acknowledged the difficulties for his party, and laid blame on an unpopular war, an unpopular president and "mismanagement." But he declined to pin the troubles by name on Bush and Cheney when asked. He said there's a "chance to clearly define" the party and cast this time as a "battle of ideas. ... We need to clearly define what we believe in."
He said Republicans have sounded "disingenuous" in criticizing Wall St. bailouts, since "we jumpstarted this thing," he said. "We're the ones who put the $700 billion on the table and started nationalizing the banks." Republicans, he said, need to "own up, do the, 'My bad,' and move forward."
He argued that the even though the party has been decimated outside the South, its problems can be traced to those that "got comfortable" and got away from those "core principles."
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro Another busy day: There’s so much news today on this busy Thursday. The World Health Organization raised its alert level again, as Fort Worth, TX closed its school system over concerns about the swine flu. The Obama administration is planning to send Chrysler into bankruptcy (and we've just learned that Obama has added a noon speech to his schedule). In the wake of Arlen Specter’s defection, Republican lawmakers and officials (including Jeb Bush and John McCain) will today unveil what they’re calling the National Council for a New America, which will organize forums for policy debates. The National Republican Senatorial Committee is running robo-calls in Pennsylvania, reminding Democrats there that Arlen Specter backed Bush and won’t be an automatic 60th vote in the Senate. And Capt. Richard Phillips, who was rescued from Somali pirates, testifies on Capitol Hill. But we begin with last night’s news conference, where President Obama assured the American public that the government was doing everything it can to keep the swine flu from spreading; said the waterboarding the Bush administration practiced was torture (but avoided the "c" word -- "criminal"); stated he was confident that Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal wouldn’t fall into the Taliban’s hands; and -- courtesy of a fun question from the New York Times’ Jeff Zeleny -- reflected on what about the presidency has most surprised him, troubled him, enchanted him, and humbled him.
Video: In a press conference marking his first 100 days in office, President Barack Obama says there is still a lot of work to do but that the administration will be "unrelenting" in solving the nation's problems. ***
Ducking abortion and immigration: Yet perhaps the most striking thing to us about last night’s press conference was how cleverly Obama ducked the thorny social issues of abortion and immigration. On abortion, he said that passing the Freedom of Choice Act is not his “highest legislative priority.” Also, he used language that pro-lifers rarely hear from a pro-choice Democrat: “pro-life” and “moral.” And in response to a question about whether Obama would accomplish immigration reform in his first year as president, he answered, “What I hope to happen is that we're able to convene a working group, working with key legislators like Luis Gutierrez and Nydia Velazquez and others to start looking at a framework of how this legislation might be shaped.” Translation: It’s not happening this year. What this all means is that there won’t be tough votes for folks like Heath Shuler or Ben Nelson on Blanche Lincoln on these issues. Unlike what Bill Clinton did to congressional Democrats in 1993, Obama seems determined to not force members of his party to cast tough culture-war votes. The president's political team believes he can keep the congressional Dems on his side if he keeps the tough votes to the economy.
*** Obama, political scientist: For those who opined back in 2005 that the Republican Party was on the verge of a permanent majority, and for those who in 2009 think the same may be true for the Democrats (especially after the Specter news), Obama last night gave some very good advice. “You know, politics in America changes very quick. And I'm a big believer that things are never as good as they seem and never as bad as they seem. You're talking to a guy who was 30 points down in the polls during a primary in Iowa. So I never, I don't believe in crystal balls.”
*** Snakes -- er, swine -- on a plane: While the always-careful Obama made little news last night, the same isn’t true of his vice president… On TODAY, Biden said he’d advised his family to stay off airlines, even subways, because of the swine flu. "I would tell members of my family, 'I wouldn't go anywhere in confined places right now’. It's not just going to Mexico... It's being in a confined aircraft, where one person sneezes and it goes all the way through the aircraft.” An administration official followed up with this background guidance: Biden “was a bit imprecise in simply saying that people are at increased risk for catching the flu if they use mass transportation. As the President said just last night, every American should take the same steps you would take to prevent any other flu: Keep your hands washed; cover your mouth when you cough; stay home from work if you're sick; and keep your children home from school if they're sick.”
Video: TODAY’s Matt Lauer talks to Vice President Joe Biden about what the government is doing to stop the spread of the swine flu and President Obama’s prime-time news conference. ***
About those three to four million jobs…: We're a tad confused: So all of the pre-stimulus projections made by the president's economic team -- in particular GDP and the unemployment rate -- have all been DRAMATICALLY wrong and yet this morning Biden and again yesterday Christina Romer continued to claim that their job creation projection number (three to four million new jobs) is correct. Just asking: How can all of the actual numbers vs. the projections be so off, but this jobs number be right? And we'll also ask again: How can we actually
fact-check a "saved job"? It's a phrase that might have seemed brilliant when the White House came up with it, but is it such a moving target. Will folks buy it when in a year the administration inevitably claims it saved millions of jobs when you can't really account for the number in any statistical way?
***
Targeting Specter: Speaking of Specter, the NRSC yesterday announced that it has
launched robo-calls in Pennsylvania to remind Democrats there that Specter wasn’t always a Democrat. The call contains this line from George W. Bush: “I’m here to say it as plainly as I can: Arlen Specter is the right man for the United States Senate. I can count on this man -- see that's important. He’s a firm ally when it matters most. I’m proud to tell you I think he’s earned another term as the United States senator.” Also in today’s GOP news, the
AP reports that Republican lawmakers and officials will today unveil the National Council for a New America -- “a series of town hall-style meetings about their ideas for shaping the country. With the backing of the House and Senate GOP leaders, the new group will operate independent from the Republican National Committee and highlight conservative ideas and seek to draw contrasts with President Barack Obama.” Anything that gets the GOP talking policy is probably a healthy step. Right now, though, the GOP these days appears as if it’s still debating what the basic principles of the party are.
*** Purists vs. big tenters: As we mentioned yesterday, and as the New York Times’ Nagourney front-pages today, there’s a divide in the Republican Party over Specter’s defection. Some believe that the party returning to its conservative roots and discarding the RINOs (Republicans In Name Only) is the best path back to power. Others argue that the GOP needs a bigger tent to get to 218 seats in the House, 51 seats in the Senate, and 50%-plus one in the 2012 presidential race. The good news for us is that we’ll likely find an early test to this debate next year with Pat Toomey’s candidacy. If the conservative Toomey wins statewide in Pennsylvania -- which Obama won by 10 percentage points last November -- then the Purists will have a VERY strong argument to make. But if Toomey loses, then the Big Tenters will be able to say, “I told you so.” Also, don’t miss Ohio Sen. George Voinvoich’s comment in Politico about the conservative Club for Growth: “I think it’s a big problem.” Note that Republicans are not just losing a moderate/liberal to the Dems, but they’re also losing Voinovich, Martinez, Bond and Gregg -- all non-purists -- to retirement. Lindsey Graham is even more blunt in the New York Times, and he comes from one of the most conservative states in the country “Do you really believe that we lost 18-to-34-year-olds by 19 percent, or we lost Hispanic voters, because we are not conservative enough? No. This is a ridiculous line of thought. The truth is we lost young people because our Republican brand is tainted.”
*** Steele in the news: The latest in the news about RNC chairman Michael Steele: “The embattled Republican National Committee chairman angrily returned fire in his fight with current and former officers over control of the GOP's purse strings,” the Washington Times reports. “Under attack from conservatives since taking office on Jan. 30, Michael S. Steele on Wednesday blasted a group of members pushing for new checks and balances on the chairman's spending powers, accusing them of a power grab ‘scheme.’ Speaking of Steele, we offer another stray thought about his very hot statement on Arlen Specter's defection. (“He left to further his personal political interests because he knew that he was going to lose a Republican primary due to his left-wing voting record.”) But wasn't it a bit ironic for Steele to say this, given 1) that he's a Republican from blue Maryland, and 2) that one of his central themes when campaigning for RNC chair was trying to expand the GOP's map in the Northeast? After all, in 2006, it was Steele himself who complained that being a Republican in blue Maryland was a scarlet letter. Just wonderin’, but if Steele had won his Senate race in ’06, would he have voted for Obama’s stimulus?
Countdown to NJ GOP primary: 33 days
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The AP’s lead on last night’s Obama news conference: ”President Barack Obama said Wednesday night that waterboarding authorized by former President George W. Bush was torture and that the information it gained from terror suspects could have been obtained by other means. ‘In some cases, it may be harder,’ he conceded at a White House news conference capping a whirlwind first 100 days in office.”
The Boston Globe : "Marking the end of a feverish first 100 days in office, President Obama last night laid out his agenda for the rest of the year, pledging to forge ahead on a healthcare overhaul, promote energy independence, and revive the banking and auto industries. In a wide-ranging White House news conference that covered the flu pandemic, Taliban encroachment in Pakistan, and congressional politics, Obama touted his early accomplishments but warned that two of his biggest challenges -- achieving healthcare and energy policy reform -- still await him."
The Wall Street Journal : “President Barack Obama said he wants to get the government out of the private sector as fast as possible -- but that as long as his administration is acting as a major shareholder for large sectors of American commerce, from cars to finance, he won't hesitate to shape decisions at those firms.”
The New York Times : “President Obama said Wednesday that he was “gravely concerned” about the stability of the Pakistani government but that he was confident Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal would not fall into the hands of Islamic militants. Speaking at a prime-time news conference on his 100th day in office, Mr. Obama called the government in Pakistan, where army forces are at war with Taliban insurgents who have been advancing on Islamabad, “very fragile.” Pakistan’s leader … is to visit Washington next week, and American officials have been pressing his government to be more aggressive in battling the insurgency.”
CONTINUED >>
"Legislation to rein in credit card practices and eliminate sudden rate hikes and late fees that have entangled millions of American consumers is getting closer to becoming law, bolstered by presidential pressure and the backdrop of economic calamity," the AP says.
"Defense Secretary Robert Gates is
urging Congress to pass an $83.4 billion spending bill for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan by Memorial Day, saying the Pentagon will deplete its funding for Pakistan next month and money for U.S. operations will start running out in July."
Not so fast, Specter… "Senior Senate Democrats are objecting to the deal Majority Leader Harry Reid made with Sen. Arlen Specter, saying they will vote against letting the former Republican shoot to the top of powerful committees after he switches parties,"
The Hill reports. “I won’t be happy if I don’t get to chair something because of Arlen Specter,” said Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), who sits on the Appropriations Committee. “I’m happy with the Democratic order, but I don’t want to be displaced because of Arlen Specter."
"One senior Democratic lawmaker told The Hill that the Democratic Conference will vote against giving the longtime Pennsylvania Republican seniority over lawmakers like Harkin, Mikulski and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) when they hold their organizational meeting after the 2010 election."
The rescued Maersk Alabama captain is slated to testify today before Foreign Relations.
And finally, per Roll Call : "Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said she has no words for Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), who earlier Wednesday called it 'a hoax' that Matthew Shepard was murdered because of his homosexuality." Foxx said on the House floor: “The hate-crimes bill that’s called the Matthew Shepard bill is named after a very unfortunate incident that happened where a young man was killed, but we know that the young man was killed in the commitment of a robbery. It wasn’t because he was gay." Pelosi: “It is really beneath comment."
Roll Call on the new GOP group: "In an effort to shed the 'party of no' label, Congressional Republican leaders will launch a new initiative on Thursday outlining solutions the GOP hopes will convince Americans that they have tenable solutions to the issues gripping the country.”
More: “The program, dubbed the National Council for a New America, which will involve town-hall-style meetings, will include not only House and Senate Republicans but also a panel of former and current state lawmakers whose roster reads like a who’s who of potential 2012 presidential contenders, including former Govs. Jeb Bush (Fla.) and Mitt Romney (Mass.). A pair of current governors, Louisiana’s Bobby Jindal and Haley Barbour of Mississippi, will also join the group, according to a letter obtained by Roll Call. Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), the party’s 2008 presidential hopeful, will fill out the panel of 'experts.'"
The New York Times : “A fundamental debate broke out among Republicans on Wednesday over how to rebuild the party in the wake of Senator Arlen Specter’s departure: Should it purge moderate voices like Mr. Specter and embrace its conservative roots or seek to broaden its appeal to regain a competitive position against Democrats?”
Stu Rothenberg , writing in Roll Call, says Specter's switch "both reflects the depth of the problems facing the GOP and could begin a new chapter for some Democratic officeholders who will face additional political challenges down the road."
GEORGIA: Rep. Nathan Deal (R-GA) is planning a run for governor. LOUISIANA: "Republicans are targeting Rep. Charlie Melancon, the lone Democrat left in Louisiana’s seven-member House delegation." NEW YORK: Tedisco says he's unlikely to seek a 2010 rematch for NY-20. OHIO: Minority Leader John Boehner may get a primary challenger : Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones (R).
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Here's the script and audio :
We wanted to make sure that we properly introduced him to you. Former President George W. Bush said this about Arlen Specter.
PRESIDENT BUSH: I’m here to say it as plainly as I can, Arlen Specter is the right man for the United States Senate. I can count on this man - see that's important. He’s a firm ally when it matters most. I’m proud to tell you I think he’s earned another term as the United States Senator.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Ken Strickland
Since it already passed in the house earlier today, this was the last hurdle. Having said that, this is a nonbinding document. It does not go to the president for his signature. It's a framework or outline for Congress on spending and policy for this year and includes most of Obama's priorities.
*** UPDATE *** Specter voted against.)Bayh , Byrd , and Ben Nelson Kennedy , Sessions , Rockefeller
From NBC's Athena Jones
ARNOLD, Mo. -- President
Obama marked the 100th day of his young presidency with an event here in the bluest of 2008's red states, taking stock of his accomplishments and the challenges ahead and fielding questions from a jam-packed high school gym.
Obama narrowly lost Missouri to John McCain -- by roughly 4,000 votes out of about three million cast -- making it the only true battleground he didn't win. He campaigned in the Show Me State just two days before Election Day, and today, he told the crowd of about 1,100 people here that he was glad to get out of Washington and come back to middle America "where common sense often reigns."
The president's own aides may be calling it a "Hallmark holiday," but that hasn't stopped them from trying to shape the narrative about this fledgling administration. Obama spent 22 minutes summarizing his first three-and-a-half months in office before opening it up to the floor.
"After 100 days, I'm pleased with the progress we've made, but I'm not satisfied," he said. "I'm confident in the future, but I'm not contenct with the present."
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro Norm Coleman 's appeal to the state Supreme Court, Democrat Al Franken continues to hire staff.
Franken hired a state director earlier this month, and today, he hired a chief of staff, Drew Littman. Littman "has advised many Senators-elect, including Franken, on the transition process," according to a Franken campaign release. Littman headed a DC consulting firm, Littman Associates, and served as an adjunct professor at American University, according to the Franken campaign.
Littman began a career on Capitol Hill 20 years ago as "a policy aide for then-Rep. Barbara Boxer , and has since served as a subcommittee staff director and a Senate Policy Director."
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mark Murray Kathleen Sebelius and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano briefed a bipartisan group of House members on the latest regarding the swine flu.
After the briefing, a small group of Dem lawmakers spoke to reporters and news cameras. John Larson (D-CT), chairman of the House Democratic caucus, said the administration officials were stressing this message -- making sure we're prepared but not panicked. "We have the right people moving at the right time," added Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA), vice chair of the caucus. Both, however, said the death of the child in Texas was a terrible event.
Before those Democrats spoke, Rep. Peter King (R-NY), ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee, mostly repeated that same message to reporters (although his remarks weren't on camera). "The system seems to be working," he said.
King also said they were told that a vaccine for the swine flu could be ready by September.
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro Jon Corzine is in trouble in his re-election bid.
Just this morning another New Jersey poll showed the former Wall St. CEO trailing the lesser-known former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie by four points.
On MSNBC with NBC's Andrea Mitchell, Corzine launched a pre-emptive defense. He said property taxes, which are very high in New Jersey, are the big issue. He also tried to tie himself to President Obama , mentioning his name multiple times.
"The president has done a remarkable job...," Corzine said, adding that he looks forward to "working as a partner" with the White House to improve New Jersey. Then, he said he hopes, "We'll see a different outlook at the polls" in November.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro Terry McAuliffe for his ties to Washington and national politics. But that hasn't stopped the former national party fundraiser from trying to cash in on his high-profile friendships.
In the past three days, he has enrolled the help of former President Bill Clinton and Democratic strategist James Carville .
McAuliffe campaigned with Clinton this week. And then Clinton then sent out a fundraising solicitation e-mail for his former Democratic National Committee Chairman. Today, with 41 days until the Democratic primary, Carville sent out the first e-mail solicitation of his own for McAuliffe.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC’s Kelly O’Donnell and Mark Murray After extended and pointed criticism of Republicans during the first 100 days, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called out to conservatives across the country saying, "Republicans in America, take back your party."Harry Reid charged that the Republican Party only said, "No," these first 100 days. "How much longer can that party stand for 'no?'" Reid asked. Still, he said Democrats would continue to reach out to Republicans. "We're still extending an open hand across the aisle... We want to work together."
Pelosi added that "Republicans in the House of Representatives ... are difficult to deal with," which drew some chuckles from the crowd. And she and Reid argued that congressional Republicans don't represent "mainstream Republicans across the country."
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mark Murray
The vote was 233-193 , with 17 Democrats siding against it. The budget now heads to the Senate for final approval. (This budget blueprint DOESN'T require a signature by the president.)
During the floor debate before the vote, Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the budget "a magnificent blueprint for the future," touting its investments in health care, education, and energy.
But Republicans blasted the size of the budget, as well as all the spending in it. House Minority Leader John Boehner said it was "nothing short of the most audacious move to a big socialist government in Washington DC than anything I could have ever dreamed about."
House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence (IN) argued that it was the "most fiscally irresponsible budget in American history." He added, "It is more government, more spending, more debt, and more taxes."
*** UPDATE *** Dennis Kucinich . Those 17 are: Barrow (GA), Boren (OK), Bright (AL), Childers (MS), Foster (IL), Griffith (AL), Kratovil (MD), Kucinich (OH), Markey (CO), Marshall (GA), Matheson (UT), McIntyre (NC), Minnick (ID), Mitchell (AZ), Nye (VA), Taylor (MS), Teague (NM).
From NBC’s Domenico Montanaro President Obama said he is “pleased,” but not “satisfied” with what he and his administration have accomplished in his first 100 days while speaking at a town hall in Arnold, Mo.
“We've come a long way,” the president said. “We can see the light on the horizon, but we have a long journey ahead.”
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro So far, we've seen Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano out front of the swine flu outbreak.
But this morning, newly minted Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius took a leading role with a news conference at the agency.
Sebelius, who was confirmed by the Senate last night 65-31, said it is an "honor" to take a leadership position at HHS, but credited the agency's continuing strategy that has been "underway for some time."
She introduced Dr. Richard E. Besser, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control, who broke news via a video that the number of confirmed cases of swine flu in the United States have jumped to 91 in 10 states -- double the number of states previously reported by the CDC.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Chuck Todd and Domenico Montanaro
The only times previous to yesterday that Pennsylvania has been represented by two Democrats in the U.S. Senate have been:
January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1947 – Francis Myers and Joseph Guffey January 14, 1856 – March 3, 1857 – Richard Brodhead and William Bigler
March 13, 1845 – March 3, 1849 – Simon Cameron and Daniel Sturgeon
January 14, 1840 – March 5, 1845 – James Buchanan and Daniel Sturgeon
So basically in the last 152 years, the Democrats have held both Pennsylvania Senate seats for a total of two years.
The Republican Party was founded in 1854. So Democrats have held both seats for just three years since the GOP's founding.
From NBC's Mark Murray
Per NBC's Ken Strickland, Senate Majority Harry Reid says the vote in the Senate will come in the late afternoon or early evening. (However, as of last night, the vote wasn't expected to occur until 9:00 pm ET -- after the president's news conference.)
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro Specter’s shocker : Arlen Specter's defection yesterday to the Democratic Party was big news for several reasons. First, it gave Democrats a possibility at a filibuster-proof majority (even though Specter said he wouldn’t be an automatic 60th vote for Dems, he’ll be more reliable than Ben Nelson). It also gave Specter a MUCH greater chance at winning re-election (he admitted that was the reason for the switch, rare frankness from a politician). But perhaps the biggest news from the switch -- at least in the short term -- was that it served to kick a GOP that's already down. As Specter said in his statement yesterday, “Since my election in 1980, as part of the Reagan Big Tent, the Republican Party has moved far to the right… I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans.” Translation: There’s no longer room in the GOP for someone like Specter, even though he resides in a state Obama carried by TEN percentage points last November. While plenty of Republicans are bidding good riddance to Specter, we have this question: Can the Republican Party regain control of Congress without moderates like Specter? Don’t forget this truism in American politics: Winning races often comes down to winning the middle (see: Obama, Barack).
*** A wake-up call for the GOP? So will a majority of the folks who help run the Republican Party -- be it in Congress, on the campaign trail, or even on talk radio -- realize that Specter’s loss is a problem, not an extraction of some sort of moderate or liberal cancer? It will be interesting to monitor talk radio and the conservative blogosphere to read and hear what they are saying about Olympia Snowe's op-ed in the New York Times , particularly this line: "We can’t continue to fold our philosophical tent into an umbrella under which only a select few are worthy to stand. Rather, we should view an expansion of diversity within the party as a triumph that will broaden our appeal. That is the political road map we must follow to victory." The Washington Post’s Balz also puts it well: "The question now is whether Specter's departure will produce a period of genuine introspection by a party already in disarray or result in a circling of the wagons by those who think the GOP is better off without those whose views fall outside its conservative ideological boundaries."
Video: Former Speaker of the House discusses Specter's decision to become a Democrat. ***
The ultimate Obamacan : Obama, Specter, and Vice President Biden made statements about Specter’s party switch at the White House earlier this morning. Said Obama, "I'd like to think his decision is a reflection that this White House is open to many different points of view ... and [will] work together to find common ground.” Make no mistake about it: Specter’s defection is a huge gift to Obama -- for the sole reason that it creates the perception to the American public that he not only wants to work with the other side; he’s also willing to expand his tent to take them in. Remember, most folks don't "know" Specter that well outside of Pennsylvania and Washington. And all it looks like to the average citizen in Denver or in Raleigh or in Orlando is that a Republican decided that Obama's Democratic Party was a good home for him.
Video: Obama welcomes the news that Specter plans to switch parties. ***
Obama as Reagan? To mark his 100th day in office today, President Obama makes his 13th trip as president (to yet another battleground state!) when he travels to Arnold, MO to conduct his eighth town hall at 11:20 am ET. Then, about nine hours later, Obama heads back to Washington to hold his 11th press conference (his third in primetime). Yet perhaps the most revealing number of the president’s first 100 days comes via our brand-new NBC/WSJ poll: A whopping 81% say they personally like Obama, including 30% who disagree with his policies. That kind of number not only seems to give him extra political capital, it also forces our pollsters to compare him to another political figure who was well-liked, even by those who didn’t always agree with him -- Ronald Reagan. We’ll say it again: Obama’s parallels so far with Reagan are uncanny. The country likes him (61% approve of his job, 64% view him favorably); the nation feels better despite the uncertain times we’re living in (the right track number in our poll is up 31 points since October); and the political opposition is being reduced to a regional party (just like the Phil Gramms left the Dems in the 1980s, the Arlen Specters are leaving the GOP).
Video: TODAY correspondent Jamie Gangel takes a look back at some of the most memorable moments from Obama's first 100 days in office. ***
The L-word : Despite those high marks for Obama, there are a few warning signs in the poll for the president. A majority think he’s taking on too many other issues rather than staying focused on the economy; another majority disapprove of his order closing Gitmo; there are concerns about government spending and the size of the deficit; support for his stimulus has declined; and the number who view him as “very liberal” or “somewhat liberal” has jumped up 10 points, from 49% in January to 59% now. That liberal number, however, has to scare and excite both parties. Here’s one way to look at it: More and more Americans view Obama as liberal, especially after unveiling his budget, and that will eventually come back to bite him. Or here’s the other way to look at it: More Americans view him as a liberal, but that isn’t affecting his popularity. If it’s the latter, that draws yet another Reagan comparison. Is Obama re-defining liberalism the same way as Reagan re-defined conservatism? Republicans believe if the word "liberal" remains a dirty word, they can drag Obama down. But if Obama makes the word "liberal" something not to run away from (as Reagan did with the word "conservative"), watch out.
*** A torturing issue : Another set of cautionary numbers for Obama comes on the tricky subject of interrogation. A majority (53%) disapprove of his decision to release the Bush administration memos detailing its controversial interrogation practices. In addition, a plurality (46%) believe that those interrogation techniques helped extract important information to stop terrorism. And 61% say there shouldn’t be a criminal investigation into whether torture was committed during the Bush administration. (While other national polls have shown that respondents favor a commission, note the word “criminal” in this particular NBC/WSJ question; words matter in polling.) Despite those results, a majority (53%) say that torture was practiced during the Bush years. These numbers paint a nuanced picture about the public’s views on interrogation/torture. “What people are saying is, ‘Bad things may have happened… But whatever happened, it is in the past,” observed NBC/WSJ co-pollster Bill McInturff (R). Bottom line: The president's initial instinct to "move on" is where the public is; he seemed to move away from that "move on" decision later on this issue. No doubt, this will come up at tonight’s press conference, and the president will get another opportunity to button-hole the issue.
Video: Tapes show Bush calling for tough tactics in investigating torture, which may shed light on the current debate. MSNBC political analyst Eugene Robinson discusses. ***
Bush’s freefall continues : George W. Bush has been out of office for 100 days, has stayed out of the news (even made a point to SAY he'd stay out of the news), and get this -- his numbers went DOWN in our NBC/WSJ poll, from 31% positive in January before he left office to 26% now. Cheney’s numbers also went down, from 21% positive in January to 18% now. Cheney’s drop makes sense to us, because he’s been in the news battling the Obama administration. But Bush? He hasn’t done a thing…
*** A consequential presidency : With Obama’s 100th day in office, there are a ton of analyses out there. Be sure not to miss what one of us wrote on MSNBC.com : “[C]onservatives and liberals alike can agree on one thing after 100 days of President Barack Obama: This guy is going to be consequential. Now, how one defines "consequential" depends on the point of view. Nothing about the first 100 days indicates that the president wants to be judged on his incremental achievements. And while we've probably never elected a president whose goal was to tread water and simply not screw up the country, one can sense that we're at a crossroads in the American story.” Also, the Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza , who broke yesterday’s Specter story, has a good look at the winners and losers during Obama’s first 100 days.
*** Is the Voting Rights Act outdated? Per NBC’s Pete Williams, the U.S. Supreme Court today hears a challenge to the 1965 Voting Rights Act that requires states with a history of racial discrimination in voting to get the federal government's permission before changing election practices. Under the law, any changes those states want to make are presumed suspicious, because of their histories of blatant racial discrimination. But Williams notes that challengers from Texas are asking the court to rule that the pre-clearance section of the law is so seriously outdated that it's unconstitutional and should be overturned. Why do we need this law, they ask, when we now have a black president -- proving that whites and blacks alike will vote for black candidates? By any measure, they say (registration, turnout, election of candidates, membership in Congress) that blacks have made huge gains at the polls, and the southern states have made enormous strides in eliminating the practices that for so long suppressed the black vote. Did Obama’s victory change everything? But according to Williams, the NAACP and other groups say now is not the time to dismantle the most important civil-rights law in U.S. history. They say many areas of the South are still trying to pull the old tricks to suppress the minority vote. If the Voting Rights Act is gutted, they say, that kind of discrimination will re-emerge. Obama's election is an important symbol, they argue, but the hard-won progress can slip away unless the law is upheld. One more note from Williams: In a sign of the prominence of this case, the court will release the audio of today's oral argument shortly after it concludes in late morning. Our take: The numbers are interesting, a ton of ways to slice it. Obama under-performed Kerry among white voters in quite a view Voting Rights Act states. Then again, Obama over-performed Kerry in some of those same states overall, thanks to an increase in turnout among non-whites.
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"Senator Arlen Specter, a liberal Pennsylvania Republican who had long chafed against his party's rightward drift, announced yesterday that he would switch allegiances and join the Democrats to strengthen his prospects for reelection next year," the Boston Globe front-pages. New York Times : “Mr. Specter acknowledged that the surprise decision was driven by his intense desire to win a sixth term next year. It came after he and his political advisers concluded over the weekend that he could not win a Republican primary against a conservative challenger, particularly in light of his vote for the president’s economic stimulus package.”
More: “The defection of Mr. Specter creates the potential for Democrats to control 60 votes in the Senate if Al Franken prevails this summer in the court fight over last November’s Minnesota Senate election, a prospect that appears increasingly likely.”
The White House is giving Biden a lot of credit for the switch. The Washington Post : “The decision was the culmination of a months-long effort by key Democrats to woo Specter, who began his political career as a Democrat in Philadelphia but has been a Republican for 43 years. Biden, a regular Amtrak passenger with Specter as the two traveled to Wilmington and Philadelphia, respectively, when both served in the Senate, met with him face to face six times and spoke on the phone with him on eight more occasions since mid-February, aides said. Pennsylvania Gov. Edward G. Rendell, whose first job as a prosecutor in Philadelphia came under the tutelage of then-District Attorney Specter, had also lobbied him about making the switch, but it was his Senate colleagues who apparently closed the deal.”
CONTINUED >>
The New York Times uses the president's intervention into the auto industry as a case study of how he makes decisions. It's a worthy read. "For a new president, the automobile industry crisis has tested the boundaries of his activist approach and the acuity of his political instincts. As with so many issues in his action-packed 100 days in office, Mr. Obama confronted choices few of his predecessors encountered. His ongoing intervention in an iconic sector of the economy offers a case study in the education, management and decision-making of a fledgling president.”
“Tutored by veterans of past administrations, Mr. Obama, often after dinner with his wife and daughters, devoured briefing papers until midnight to master the intricacies of the auto industry. But he had advisers deal directly with the car companies and never spoke with the G.M. chief executive he effectively fired. Methodical and dispassionate, Mr. Obama aggravated powerful players in Congress and the unions that helped elect him, then moved to assuage them. He encouraged internal debate but was forced to head off tensions as his treasury secretary and White House economic adviser maneuvered for position. In the end, he struggled with the proper balance between government power and market forces, a theme that has defined his first months in office."
The Wall Street Journal’s Jerry Seib writes, “Some people have become a bit cynical about marking a new president's first 100 days, calling the milestone a kind of faux, Hallmark-card moment. Perhaps. But if ever there were 100 days worth marking, it would be those drawing to an end Wednesday. Consider what the country and its new president have been through.”
CONTINUED >>
Kathleen Sebelius was finally confirmed as HHS secretary last night. The vote was 65-31.
The Hill : "Senate Republicans insisted on subjecting Sebelius to a 60-vote margin but Democrats got the result they wanted with votes to spare," The Hill writes. GOPers voting for her: Specter, Brownback, Roberts, Collins, Gregg, Lugar, Snowe and Voinovich.
Whoa. Don't miss this Washington Times' Z. Hallow exclusive suggesting that some members of the RNC might want to handcuff Michael Steele's ability to spend money as HE sees fit. "Randy Pullen, the RNC's elected treasurer, former RNC General Counsel David Norcross and three other former top RNC officers have presented Mr. Steele with a resolution, calling for a new set of checks and balances on the chairman's power to dole out money. The powers include new controls on awarding contracts and spending money on outside legal and other services."
There is a lot of grumbling in the GOP consultant community about Steele's relationship with certain consultants and there clearly is a movement to try and curtail how much power these consultants have in the party. Right now, Steele shares the same consultants as the NRCC's Pete Sessions meaning these folks could end up cornering the GOP market and other consultants being left out of the contract world want a piece of the action. But they also believe it's a way to create a check on the party and make sure not just ONE firm controls everything in the party.
NEW JERSEY : A new
Monmouth University/Gannett poll is out showing former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie continuing to lead incumbent Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine, 39%-35%, with 18% still undecided. In January, Corzine led Christie 38%-36% in this poll. Corzine also barely leads the little-known Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan, 37%-33%, with 20% undecided. Corzine has a net-negative job approval: 40%-49%, which is actually a slight improvement from February when it stood at 34%-51%.
From NBC's Kelly O'Donnell
Aides to Rep.
Allyson Schwartz say the third-term Pennsylvania Democrat will not seek her party's nomination for the U.S. Senate in 2010.
Schwartz was among those widely talked about as a possible candidate, and had considered a Senate run. But after
Arlen Specter's party switch, Schwartz plans to support him and will focus on having a larger role in health-care policy in the House of Representatives.
From NBC's Mark Murray
WASHINGTON - As he enters his 100th day in office, President Barack Obama enjoys higher marks from the American public than his most recent predecessors did at similar points in their presidencies, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.
More than six in 10 approve of Obama's job, nearly two-thirds view him favorably, and a majority believe he has gotten off to a solid start during his first three months on the job.
Perhaps most significantly, Americans so far find him to be likeable. More than 80 percent in the poll say they personally like Obama, even if they don’t agree with all of his policies. And respondents give him high scores on his personality, demeanor and leadership qualities.
Republican pollster Bill McInturff, who conducted this survey with Democratic pollster Peter D. Hart, says these numbers suggest “someone who is wearing well” with the public at this stage of his presidency. McInturff, in fact, even compares Obama’s early likeability to Ronald Reagan’s in the 1980s.
Yet the poll also contains a few cautionary numbers for Obama and his young administration: a growing number believe the president is liberal; a majority thinks he’s trying to take on too many issues; and there are concerns about all the government spending.
“The wind is at his back,” Hart says. But looking ahead to the next 100 days, the Democratic pollster adds that Obama might “face some pretty stiff headwinds in his future.”
Click here for the rest of the story .
From NBC's Mark Murray President Obama , including 30% who say they like him but not his policies.
Indeed, in a very long list of Obama's attributes in the poll, his highest scores are on matters of personality, demeanor, and leadership. Here are his highest scores from respondents (on a five-point scale) in descending order:
The rest of the poll comes out beginning at 6:30 pm ET on NBC Nightly News or MSNBC.com. Be sure to tune in -- or click on.
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro Arlen Specter , who was elected in 1980, would outrank the most senior Democrat on four of his six current committee assignments: Veterans Affairs (Akaka ), Environment and Public Works (Boxer ), Special on Aging (Kohl ) and an Appropriations subcommittee (Harkin ).
But, per NBC Senate producer Ken Strickland , this whole issue won't be addressed until the next Congress -- unless any current chairs want to voluntarily step aside for Specter.
And it's not clear which ones, if any, he'd take over in the next Congress. It would all have to be sorted out. But he's clearly going to want something -- notably the powerful Appropriations Committee, per Strickland, but there's a long line of senior Democrats there. And it's competitive.
Specter, a veritable spring chicken at 79 on this committee, would only be the fourth-ranking senator on it. Hawaii's Daniel Inouye , 85 and elected in 1962, knocked off 91-year-old Robert Byrd at the start of this Congress -- despite Byrd's seniority (elected in 1958). Also ahead of Specter is Pat Leahy , elected in 1974. Leahy's also ahead of Specter, by the way, where he shines -- on Judiciary.
Here's how Specter measures up on his current assignments with the current Democrats:Appropriations: Current Chair: Inouye, elected in 1962Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human -- Services, and Education: Current Chair: Tom Harkin, elected 1984Committee on the Judiciary: Current Chair: Leahy, elected 1974Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Current Chair: Daniel Akaka, appointed May 1990.Committee on Environment and Public Works: Current Chair: Barbara Boxer, elected 1992Special Committee on Aging: Herb Kohl, elected in 1988
From NBC’s Harry Enten Arlen Specter made history today becoming the first-ever senator to switch directly from the Republican to the Democratic Party.
In the history of the republic, 20 other United States Senators have switched political affiliations while in office with 12 of those coming since the direct election of senators in 1913, according to records kept by the U.S. Senate Historical Office .
Most recently, Joe Lieberman (CT) switched from the Democratic Party to Independent Democrat. He caucused with the Democrats in 2006 after losing a primary to challenger Ned Lamont .
While Specter's and Lieberman's decisions were mostly due to political survival, this is not the norm for party switchers.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro Joe Sestak (D-PA) is known by some to be very ambitious. Perhaps some of that ambition was showing when he said today that he was going to "wait and see" on whether he'd support Republican-turned-Democrat Arlen Specter in a Democratic primary.
Video: Saying he found himself more and more at odds with the GOP philosophy, and that he didn't want his record decided by the Pennsylvania Republicans, Sen. Arlen Specter announces he will run for re-election as a Democrat. Sestak, a former two-star admiral elected in 2006, thought to be considering a 2010 Senate bid of his own, called Specter's decision a "good thing" for Specter, but not necessarily for Democrats or Pennsylvanians.
He told NBC's Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC that there are two things to consider:
2. He said former President Bill Clinton reshaped the party for the better -- something Sestak said he would have liked to have seen Specter do for the GOP.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro Specter challenger Pat Toomey , former president of the Club for Growth, told NBC's Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC that Specter's switch is "very unfortunate," but not "surprising."
He charged that Specter shared "a liberal or left-of-center ideology" with Democrats in the Senate, and now his party identification matches his ideology.
Toomey upped the rhetoric, setting up a likely campaign mantra: "Can they trust this man?" Toomey said of what the question Pennsylvanians should ask themselves about Specter.
He added, that "just last week, he went around Pennsylvania" saying that we "can't turn control of the government" over to the Democrats. "He has to answer to that," Toomey said.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mark Murray and Domenico Montanaro
The
Washington Post's Cillizza first reported and NBC News confirms that Republican Sen.
Arlen Specter has switched parties, which would give Democrats a filibuster-proof 60 seats if/once Al Franken is seated.
Here's Specter's
statement :
April 28, 2009
Statement by Senator Arlen Specter
I have been a Republican since 1966. I have been working extremely hard for the Party, for its candidates and for the ideals of a Republican Party whose tent is big enough to welcome diverse points of view. While I have been comfortable being a Republican, my Party has not defined who I am. I have taken each issue one at a time and have exercised independent judgment to do what I thought was best for Pennsylvania and the nation.
*** UPDATE 17 *** A return to the Democratic Party NBC's Chris Donovan adds,
In his 2000 memoir "Passion for Truth," Specter wrote about his decision to change parties: "Changing parties involved a high level of trauma. It wasn't like changing religions, but there were elements of arguable disloyalty and opportunism that rubbed me the wrong way."
And interestingly enough, he recalled Democrats shouting at the time: "Benedict Arlen!" And "Judas!"
FULL COVERAGE AFTER THE JUMP...
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mark Murray
According to the poll, 47% believe the government should do more to solve problems and meet people's needs, versus 46% who think the government does too much and that those things are better left to businesses and individuals.
The percentage believing in a more active government is down from February (when 51% said that government should do more), but it's slightly up from 2002 (when 45% said that) and from 1997 (when 41% said that).
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro
Holding up Sebelius: At a time when the swine flu is dominating headlines and TV news, how many Republicans today will vote against Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ nomination to be President Obama’s Health and Human Services secretary? Sebelius is expected to be confirmed, but the
AP says the vote could be close. NBC’s Ken Strickland notes that Senate debate over the nomination begins at 10:00 am ET, and Dems hope to have her confirmed by 6:30 pm. She will need 60 votes to overcome the GOP’s filibuster. The left has been pulling its hair over the fact that conservatives have been holding up her confirmation -- over abortion -- during this swine flu frenzy. Indeed, it's amazing that there's been very little finger-pointing that the president doesn't have an HHS secretary, surgeon general, or his own CDC head. Obviously, if Republicans started pointing fingers, they'd get grief right back given that members of their party have slowed down Sebelius. This entire incident, as it turns out, is a pretty good lesson for those who believe the partisan nature of Washington can hold up the serious work of government. Paging David Brooks…
*** Stepping on 100 days: Here’s another thing swine flu has done -- it has stepped on the 100-day stories. Many news organizations are still doing them; they just aren't getting the same prominence. (And why should they if a pandemic is possible?) Speaking of the possibility of a pandemic, we're about at that moment when the administration's response will start getting judged by the media. We've already seen some early “How's Napolitano doing?” stories, as we noted yesterday. Is there a more thankless job than Homeland Security secretary, the ultimate if-you-are-in-the-headlines-the-news-is-bad job? Right now, the administration is walking the line between being overly cautious and not causing panic. They seem to be striking the right balance. Of course, the minute someone dies -- or the minute the outbreak gets bigger exponentially, if it does -- then questions about when or if to close the border will kick in, as will questions about whether American airports should be screening for passengers with fevers. Meanwhile, folks should realize that Mexico City is truly in a panic. According to some reports from locals, the streets are empty; the trust in the government is at (or near) an all-time low; and folks are flooding health-care clinics and hospitals. This is a city of 20 million people brought to a grinding halt. And don't think the economic devastation Mexico will experience the rest of this year won't have consequences on our economy.
Video: NBC’s chief medical editor Dr. Nancy Snyderman and psychiatrist Dr. Gail Saltz offer advice for hypochondriacs who think they may have symptoms of the swine flu. ***
Polls galore: Still, the 100-day stories go on… Right before that milestone tomorrow, there are two new national polls out that find President Obama enjoying broad support from the public. Per the
New York Times/CBS survey, his approval rating is 68%, compared with Bush’s 56% at this juncture. And a
CNN/Opinion Research poll has Obama’s approval at 63%, but it also shows that approval of his policies is somewhat lower (57%). Our own NBC/WSJ poll will be released tonight beginning at 6:30 pm ET on NBC Nightly News, as well as on MSNBC.com. Will it show similar support for Obama? How does the public view his legislative priorities? Who is Barack Obama -- a liberal or a moderate? How popular (or unpopular) are Republicans right now? And how does the public view the debate over those controversial interrogation practices? Be sure to tune in -- or click on -- for the answers.
*** Tower, this is Ghost Rider requesting a fly-by: Just how boneheaded was that Air Force One flyover/photo shoot? It seems to have been boneheaded enough that Obama let it be known that he was incensed, and the White House released this statement yesterday from Louis Caldera, director of the White House’s military office: "Last week, I approved a mission over New York. I take responsibility for that decision. While federal authorities took the proper steps to notify state and local authorities in New York and New Jersey, it's clear that the mission created confusion and disruption. I apologize and take responsibility for any distress that flight caused."
*** Obama today: It looks like the torture story will be on the agenda today whether Obama wants it or not… At 10:45 am ET, he travels to FBI headquarters to meet with FBI Director Robert Mueller and other officials before addressing FBI employees at 11:10 am. Later in the day, he meets with the Congressional Progressive Caucus (closed to the press) and then presents the National Teacher of the Year award. It's the meeting with the progressive caucus that could provide some interesting nuggets. Will they press him on torture? On a truth commission?
*** Also today: Vice President Biden visits the National Domestic Violence Hotline headquarters in Austin, TX and then holds a fundraiser in the city for the Democratic National Committee. Also, First Lady Michelle Obama, Secretary of State Clinton, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Minority Leader John Boehner, and others participate this morning in the unveiling of the Sojourner Truth bust in Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor's Center.
Countdown to Obama’s 100th day: 1 day
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The latest New York Times/CBS poll: “Barack Obama’s presidency seems to be altering the public perception of race relations in the United States. Two-thirds of Americans now say race relations are generally good, and the percentage of blacks who say so has doubled since last July… Despite that, half of blacks still say whites have a better chance of getting ahead in American society.”
More: “Mr. Obama’s 68 percent job approval rating is higher than that of any recent president at the 100-day mark. Mr. Bush had the approval of 56 percent of the public at this juncture. But while Americans clearly have faith in Mr. Obama, the poll revealed something of a disconnect between what the public thinks the president has already accomplished and what it expects him to achieve. Fewer than half of those surveyed, 48 percent, said Mr. Obama had begun to make progress on one of his major campaign promises, changing the way business is conducted in Washington. And just 39 percent said he had begun to make progress on another major promise, cutting taxes for middle-class Americans, even though the stimulus bill he signed into law does include a middle class tax cut.”
The new CNN poll: “The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll … indicates that 63 percent of Americans approve of how Obama is handling his duties as president. One in three questioned in the poll disapprove. Democrats overwhelmingly approve of how Obama is handling his job as president; 61 percent of independents agree. Only 28 percent of Republicans say the president is doing a good job in office.”
CONTINUED >>
The New York Times : "As the administration responds to its first domestic emergency, it is building on concrete preparations made during the tenure of President George W. Bush that have won praise from public health experts. But its actions are also informed by what Mr. Bush learned in his response to Hurricane Katrina: that political management of a crisis, and of public expectations, can be as important as the immediate response."
The Los Angeles Times looks at the person who has become the administration’s face on this issue: DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano. "Under the law, this is the job of the secretary of Homeland Security, who in addition to protecting the nation against terrorism is charged with overseeing the nation's response to possible pandemics, even as clinicians and researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other agencies work to track the disease. Beyond the mandate, Napolitano bears the burden of dealing with the kind of natural disaster that can blindside a new administration and morph into a major headache almost overnight if not handled effectively."
CONTINUED >>
"House and Senate Democrats reached a budget deal on Monday night that will allow both chambers to vote on budget resolutions this week," The Hill reports. "Budget negotiators, after hours of negotiations on Monday, put finishing touches on the resolution, which Democrats hope to approve by President Obama's 100th day in office Wednesday."
The AP says the Senate is on the verge of confirming Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to be Obama’s HHS secretary. “Debate is set to begin Tuesday morning, with a vote anticipated in the afternoon… Sebelius is expected to get the 60 votes needed in the Democratic-led Senate, though the vote could be close. Anti-abortion groups have been lobbying Republican senators to vote against her.”
“If she's confirmed, Sebelius would have an immediate challenge because of the swine flu outbreak in the U.S. She also would be working without much of a team. The Senate hasn't acted on the nominees for deputy HHS secretary or commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.”
CONTINUED >>
Politico has the take on Obama's 100 days from former White House press secretary Dana Perino and vaunted political watcher Tom Mann:
Politics Daily’s Jill Lawrence says the GOP’s disarray “reflects a party somewhere between implosion and recovery. It's an awkward phase that could last a while.” More: “We've seen awkward attempts by GOP leaders to distance themselves from radio host Rush Limbaugh while trying not to offend the acerbic mischief-maker or his followers. We've witnessed family feuds and political missteps that are making even conservatives wonder if Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has a national future. President Obama's $787 billion economic recovery package has set Republicans against each other every which way: governor vs. governor, governor vs. state legislators, governors vs. members of Congress.”
A conservative group led by Ed Gillespie and Whit Ayres -- called ResurgentRepublic -- officially launches today. The group says "the White House and Congressional leaders" are moving "the country dramatically left," according to a release e-mailed to First Read. It "aims to shape the debate over the proper role of government. Resurgent Republic will promote market-oriented policies, lower taxes and economic growth, and strong national security policies. It will help policy makers, think tanks, interest groups and others advocate for policies that are consistent with conservative principles, and oppose policies that stifle job creation, weaken national security and undermine values that have made America a great country." Others on the advisory board include Gov. Haley Barbour (R-MS), former Sen. George Allen (R-VA), Bill Paxon, Vin Weber, and Mary Matalin.
This is a potentially interesting development. This is the establishment wing of the GOP flexing its muscles a tad. Could this be the DLC like development which started post-‘84 and didn't see fruition, really, until ‘92? Obviously, these folks would bristle at the idea that they are a "centrist" GOP alternative. That's not the point... What we're saying is that the intellectual wing of the GOP is looking for a foundation again. Could this be it? It's a who's-who of the GOP from the Beltway end of things.
COLORADO: "Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck, a Republican known for his hard-line views on illegal immigration, is officially running against appointed Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet in the Colorado Senate race,"
Politico writes. "Buck, who launched his Senate campaign website Monday, will most likely face Aurora City Councilman Ryan Frazier in the GOP primary… All eyes are now on former Rep. Bob Beauprez (R-Colo.), who is still mulling over a Senate campaign and has higher name identification than both Buck and Frazier."
KENTUCKY: "Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo (D), who hails from Eastern Kentucky mining country, is a mountaintop mining proponent. His primary foe, Attorney General Jack Conway (D), takes a much more nuanced view. In November, Conway added his name to a letter some state officials sent to then-President Bush arguing against the administration’s proposal to legalize dumping waste from mountaintop mining near rivers and streams. Both positions could have
serious impact on a state hard-hit by the economic crisis."
NEW YORK: The NY-20 spin is coming
fast and furious … The GOP is already girding for a 2010 fight. The NY-20 loss "’taught us we could once again be competitive in a Democrat-held district, so it will be natural for us to apply what worked well and target it again in 2010,' National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Paul Lindsay said on Monday. In addition to state Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R) -- who lost the special election to replace recently appointed Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) by less than 400 votes -- potential Republican candidates in 2010 include former state Assembly Minority Leader John Faso, state Sens. Betty Little and Roy McDonald, Richard Wager, a former aide to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I), and Saratoga County District Attorney James Murphy, who is no relation to the Congressman-elect."
From NBC's Ken Strickland Harry Reid today extended an olive branch across the aisle.
"Make no mistake -- we are determined to reform health care this year." Reid said in a letter to Republican Leader Mitch McConnell . "Our strong preference is to do so by working alongside you and your caucus."
Congress on Wednesday is expected to pass its budget, which will include a procedure measure known as "reconciliation" allowing Democrats to pass health-care legislation with a simple 51-vote majority. That would leave Republicans powerless to stop it (there are 58 Democrats.) Almost all major legislation moving through the Senate requires 60 votes to break filibusters, but bringing health care under reconciliation would make it filibuster-proof.
Today, Reid suggested Senate Democrats would resist using it -- in the short term -- if Republicans worked with them constructively in drafting a health-care bill. "The budget we will vote on this week gives us nearly six months to work together toward a comprehensive reform bill," he wrote. "Let's use that time to work together in our common interest rather than against each other and against the interests of the American people."
The Majority Leader never used the word "reconciliation" in his letter, but pushed back on Republicans who've already denounced the procedure as the antithesis of bipartisanship. Reid told McConnell the Senate must not "be sidetracked by squabbles about arcane Senate procedure, as some in your party seem intent to do."
From NBC's Ken Strickland President Obama's first 100 days in office by passing a budget that outlines most of his spending and political priorities. While the budget is a non-binding resolution that doesn't even require the president's signature, its implementation will likely set the stage for Congress to pass a sweeping health-care reform bill in a filibuster-proof manner.
A procedure tool, known as "reconciliation," would allow Democrats to pass health-care legislation with a simple 51 vote majority, leaving Republicans powerless to stop it. (There are currently 58 Democrats.) Almost all major legislation moving through the Senate requires 60 votes to break filibusters, but bringing health care under reconciliation would make it filibuster-proof.
While there has been much consternation over reconciliation -- some Republicans have equated using it to a declaration of political war -- it will be months before there could possibly be any REAL fireworks. Democrats say if Republicans come to the health=care negotiating table and work with them on passage, they'll keep reconciliation in the holster.
Other significant items this week include the likely confirmation of Kathleen Sebelius to Secretary of Health and Human Services on Tuesday, after eight hours of debate. Republicans have forced Democratic leaders to muster 60 votes for her confirmation.
And on Thursday morning, Secretaries Clinton and Gates appear before the Appropriations panel to make the case for the president's $83 billion war funding request. We expect some tough questions on not only Iraq and Afghanistan, but also on Pakistan and GITMO, for which money is also earmarked.
From NBC's Christopher Wilson George W. Bush , has announced that she will not be accepting the Laetare Medal at the University of Notre Dame’s commencement ceremony on May 17. In her letter to Notre Dame President Rev. John Jenkins, Glendon stated that she would no longer be accepting, citing the conflict with President Barack Obama’s presence as both a commencement speaker and a recipient of an honorary degree.
*** UPDATE ***
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Athena Jones
President Obama used a speech to the 146th annual meeting of the National Academy of Sciences to tell Americans that a potential swine flu epidemic was "not a cause for alarm."
He said the issue demonstrated the need for a renewed emphasis on scientific research and education -- both high priorities for his agenda. "If there was ever a day that reminded us of our shared stake in science and research, it's today," he said. "We are closely monitoring the emerging cases of swine flu in the United States, and this is obviously a cause for concern and requires a heightened state of alert. But it's not a cause for alarm."
Video: Obama addresses the swine flu outbreak at the National Academy of Sciences annual meeting. Mexico has reported over a thousand suspected cases of swine flu, an influenza virus that originated in pigs. There have been some 20 confirmed cases in the United States.
The president said that the Department of Health and Human Services had declared a public health emergency as a precautionary tool to make sure enough resources were available to respond effectively; that he was getting regular updates on the situation; and that the Department of Homeland Security, the Centers for Disease Control, and DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano would be offering regular updates to the public.
"One thing is clear -- our capacity to deal with a public health challenge of this sort rests heavily on the work of our scientific and medical community," he said.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mark Murray President Obama's first 100 days in office. The ad recounts Obama signing his economic stimulus into law, as well as the Lily Ledbetter Act and S-CHIP.
The DNC says the ad will run on national cable and in DC (read: it's a relatively small buy).
It ends with Obama saying, “Now is the time to act boldly and wisely -- to not only revive this economy but to build a new foundation for lasting prosperity. Now is the time to jump-start job creation, restart lending, and invest in areas like energy, health care, and education that will grow our economy, even as we make hard choices to bring our deficit down.”
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro On Napolitano’s shoulders : If you hadn't realized it, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano might have the toughest public relations job in Washington these days. Already, she has found herself on the frontlines of some very tricky issues. First, it was border security and the Mexican drug war; then it was the infamous memo about the rise of right-wing hate groups that her department wrote; and now it's swine flu. This is the ultimate job in government where you have to have a thick skin, because you only are in the news when the news is bad. (Here’s the latest on swine flu: U.S. officials have declared a health emergency as 20 cases of the flu have been confirmed in the United States. In Mexico, there have been more than 1,600 illnesses and 103 deaths.) Indeed, the flu frenzy seems to be falling on Napolitano’s shoulders, given -- as Politico writes -- that HHS secretary-designate Kathleen Sebelius hasn’t been confirmed yet (due to GOP concerns over abortion) and that we have an acting CDC director. If there was one subject area this administration wished they could have waited a few more weeks before dealing with its first mini-crisis, it was something in the public health arena.
Video: Napolitano discusses the U.S.'s response to the swine flu. ***
A Hallmark holiday : The White House has been quick to call the 100-day mark nothing more than a Hallmark holiday -- a meaningless marker somehow they are stuck acknowledging. And yet, it’s NOT acting as if this is a burden. If anything, the White House is embracing it to take a victory lap of sorts. Sometimes, actions speak louder than words. Yesterday, on the 97th day of his presidency, Obama went golfing with friends and colleagues at Andrews Air Force Base. It's doubtful he would have golfed (taking a brief few hours off), even on a Sunday, if he didn't feel confident his first 100 days are going well. But a few issues have knocked the president off stride. Most recently: whether to turn the page on the issue of enhanced interrogation methods used during the Bush administration. Obama is keeping a light public schedule today and tomorrow -- today he delivers remarks to the National Academy of Science’s annual meeting at 9:00 am ET, he hosts the University of Connecticut’s national championship women’s basketball team, and then attends a dinner with foreign economic, finance, and environmental ministers -- and the White House seems intent on letting us in the media observe this 100-day mark. That said, we will hear from the president in a pretty big forum on Wednesday, his 100th day in office: a primetime news conference.
Video: Robert Gibbs talks about Obama's first 100 days in office. ***
Another disappointing loss for the GOP : Although the late Friday concession, as well as the nearly four weeks of overtime, might have lessened the sting, let’s make no mistake: The Republicans’ loss in NY-20 was yet another blow to an already-bruised GOP. It had the registration advantage, it had the better-known candidate, and it was expected to benefit from a Republican base fired up after the first several weeks of the Obama administration. As the Cook Political Report’s David Wasserman told
First Read a week before the March 31 contest , “I think Republicans will have to do some introspection if they lose this race… If there is any district in New York they should be able to get back, it is this one.” But they lost this contest, even though it was by the narrowest of margins. The GOP now controls just three out of New York’s 29 congressional seats, and it doesn’t have a single congressman from New England. This is the lowest level the GOP has been in New York State -- ever. It's stunning.
*** A tough 100 days : In fact, as the 100 days polling and analyses continue to trickle out, the GOP better be glad we in the national media are so obsessed with President Obama. Because if we turned our attention to the GOP, it would be ugly for a lot of leaders. The first 100 days of the Republicans being in the minority on every level of government have gone about as badly as possible. Leadership vacuums are being filled by leaders of the past -- not the future -- and the Washington Republicans are in a battle for the soul of the party with grassroots conservatives. It's an ugly time for the GOP. Of course, Democrats have had their bad moments in semi-recent history. Still, you don't recover in months; it sometimes takes years. Republicans ought to hope it doesn't take decades.
*** Patient Minnesotans running out of patience? Speaking of close political contests that have gone into overtime, a new Minneapolis Star Tribune poll finds that 64% of Minnesotans believe Norm Coleman should accept the results of the recently concluded recount trial, which found Al Franken ahead by 312 votes. By comparison, just 28% think Coleman’s appeal to the Minnesota Supreme Court is “appropriate.” As we mentioned on Friday , that court decided that it wouldn’t begin hearing oral arguments from Coleman and Franken until June 1. That seems ridiculously long at this point. At what point does Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who is trying to step up as a national leader and who isn't always worried about the partisan food fights of the past, throw in the towel?
*** Bubba and the Macker : If the swine flu weren’t dominating today’s news, this would be a heavily covered event: Bill Clinton stumps today for Terry McAuliffe in Virginia. The dynamic duo makes two stops -- first in Richmond at 9:30 am ET and then in Roanoke at 12:15 pm. The stops come as the Washington Examiner reports this news: "A network of donors who aided Hillary Clinton’s unsuccessful presidential campaign is shoveling six-figure donations into Terry McAuliffe’s gubernatorial war chest, taking advantage of no-limit giving rules to pump up his bid for Virginia’s top job."
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The Los Angeles Times : “Federal officials declared a public health emergency Sunday as eight cases of swine flu were identified in New York and one was announced in Ohio, bringing the U.S. total of confirmed cases to 20. In a briefing at the White House, the acting head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Richard Besser, warned Americans to prepare for a widespread outbreak, yet urged the public to remain calm.”
“We have an outbreak of a new infectious disease that we are approaching very aggressively,” Besser said, per USA Today .
The Washington Post adds, “In Mexico where the infection is suspected of causing as many as 103 deaths and more than 1,600 illnesses, Masses were canceled and a high-profile soccer game was played before an empty stadium as officials urged the public to take precautions.”
“Diplomats from the world's biggest greenhouse gas polluters including the United States, China and India are set to take part in a forum on Monday at the U.S. State Department aimed at getting a U.N. agreement to curb global warming. The two-day meeting of so-called major economies is meant to jump-start climate talks in advance of a December deadline, when the international community meets in Copenhagen to find a follow-up agreement to the Kyoto Protocol, which limits climate-warming greenhouse emissions and expires in 2012. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is scheduled to make opening remarks.”
CONTINUED >>
USA Today sees Obama’s first 100 days in office as a sharp break from Bush’s presidency.
Video: Jon Meacham and Doris Kearns Goodwin reflect on Obama's first 100 days on "Meet the Press." E.J. Dionne says Obama defies labels. “Barack Obama is a detached man who has inspired fierce loyalties, and a cool man who has aroused both warm feelings of affection and a fiery opposition. He loves to engage conservatives, yet few of them have chosen to engage him. He is seen as too moderate by parts of the left, but the right thinks he has a radical, statist agenda. Wall Street's critics believe Obama's approach to rescuing the financial system amounts to coddling the bankers and financial scammers who got us into this mess. But many on the Street say Obama doesn't understand them and fear he is a secret populist who would displace finance as the dominant force in the U.S. economy.”
The New York Times’ Zeleny travels to Anderson, IN to see how Obama’s stimulus -- as well as his presidency -- is being received.
The New York Daily News has a list of 100 things that have marked the president’s first 100 days.
CONTINUED >>
“Democrats hope to put an exclamation point on President Obama’s first 100 days in office this week by winning final approval of a $3.5 trillion budget that could trigger a war with Senate Republicans,” the New York Times says. “The leadership would like the members of the formal House-Senate conference committee to officially sign off on the agreement today and be ready for votes in the House Tuesday and the Senate Wednesday. Though the president does not sign the budget, the administration still sees the Congressional action as a fitting way to celebrate Mr. Obama’s 100th day in office since it encapsulates many of his major initiatives on health care, energy, education and transportation.”
“Nancy Pelosi didn’t cry foul when the Bush administration briefed her on ‘enhanced interrogation’ of terror suspects in 2002, but her team was locked and loaded to counter hypocrisy charges when the “torture” memos were released last week,” Politico writes, adding, “But Pelosi’s allies were less prepared to confront the fallout from her convoluted answers during three sessions with reporters last week — answers that raised new questions and handed Republicans a fresh line of attack on a speaker at the height of her power.”
“House and Senate Republicans intend to ramp up their attack of the Democratic-sponsored clean-energy legislation this week in an effort to brand the measure a ‘national energy tax,’” The Hill reports. “According to a GOP leadership aide, the Democrats' American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 that minority party members refer to as ‘cap and tax’ offers them a ‘huge opportunity, and we will use it to hammer that tax message in a communications offensive over the next four weeks -- that this bill amounts to a national energy tax that will destroy jobs and increase costs for every single American.’”
CONTINUED >>
“For Congressional Republicans, these first 100 days of the Obama administration must feel like 1,000,” the New York Times noted on Sunday. “Driven deep into the minority, they have run up against a highly popular Democratic president and chafed under the rein of emboldened House and Senate Democrats. They have been marginalized, criticized and categorized as the Party of No.”
But: “Only 614 more days until 2010 and a new Congress.”
The Wall Street Journal writes about Republicans trying to make a political comeback in New Mexico. “Democrats control both houses of the New Mexico legislature, the governorship, all statewide offices and all the state's congressional seats. But the party has been roiled by scandal in recent years, with a steady drumbeat of corruption investigations, indictments and convictions. ‘We're trying to sell the notion to the public that a real two-party system will reduce corruption and allow better oversight,’ said Harvey E. Yates, Jr., the new chairman of the New Mexico Republican Party.”
MINNESOTA : According to a new Minneapolis Star Tribune poll, “64 percent of those responding believe Coleman … should accept the recount trial court's April 13 verdict that Democrat Franken won the race by 312 votes. Only 28 percent consider last week's appeal by Coleman to the Minnesota Supreme Court ‘appropriate.’”
More: “Large majorities of those polled said they would oppose any further appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Should Coleman win at the state Supreme Court, 57 percent of respondents said Franken should concede. And 73 percent believe Coleman should give up if he loses at the state's highest court.”
NEW YORK : The Hill’s Wilson does an autopsy of sorts on NY-20: “A fundamental urge for change and a subpar get-out-the-vote program doomed Assemblyman Jim Tedisco's (R) congressional campaign, according to sources close to his bid… Tedisco strategists recognized after the fact that their absentee ballot program fell well short of Democratic efforts… Still, Republicans maintain Tedisco's effort shows some progress. While Democrats painted the district's registration figures as evidence of a rock-ribbed Republican area, the district voted overwhelmingly for Gillibrand in 2008 and gave a majority of its votes to Obama.”
But here’s what we wrote on Friday : “While it would be incorrect to read too much into this election -- even though it was fought over national issues, including Obama's stimulus -- there is no doubt that it's a disappointing loss for the Republicans, who enjoyed a significant voter-registration advantage in this district, as well as the fact that Tedisco (the former minority leader of the New York State Assembly) was the better-known candidate at the beginning of the race, and that he was leading in polls until the last week or so. That said, Obama narrowly won this district in last year's presidential election, and Gillibrand won it in 2006 and 2008. But before Gillibrand's victory in 2006, Republicans had controlled the seat for 28 years.”
NORTH DAKOTA : Is Byron Dorgan Obama’s biggest potential problem ? “I’m not in Washington, D.C., to serve President Obama or to serve any interests other than the interests of this country or the interests of this state,” Dorgan said in an interview with Politico. “North Dakotans know — they know that I’m fiercely independent.” Dorgan’s up for re-election in 2010.
From NBC's Mark Murray President Obama just released a statement on the Democrats' victory in the first congressional contest of his young presidency. Don't miss the statement's tie-in to his stimulus, which Murphy supported and Tedisco opposed.
I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Congressman-elect Scott Murphy for his victory in New York's 20th Congressional District. With this hard fought win, Scott has shown he is willing to fight the tough battles on behalf of the people in his district.
As a candidate, Scott courageously championed the economic plans we need to lift our nation and put it on a better path, and he will continue to do so in Congress. With his proven record of creating high paying jobs and standing up for Upstate New York, Scott will bring to the nation’s capitol the change New Yorkers need.
Video: President Obama's 100th Day, Congress takes up credit card legislation, and Meet the Press.
From NBC's Mark Murray and Domenico Montanaro Jim Tedisco just conceded to Democrat Scott Murphy in the special congressional in upstate New York that first took place on March 31, giving Democrats their first congressional victory of the Obama presidency and giving Republicans a disappointing loss.
As of the last unofficial count, Murphy had been leading Tedisco by 401 votes in this race to succeed Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand , who left her congressional seat to replace Hillary Clinton in the Senate.
While it would be incorrect to read too much into this election -- even though it was fought over national issues, including Obama's stimulus -- there is no doubt that it's a disappointing loss for the Republicans, who enjoyed a significant voter-registration advantage in this district, as well as the fact that Tedisco (the former minority leader of the New York State Assembly) was the better-known candidate at the beginning of the race, and that he was leading in polls until the last week or so.
That said, Obama narrowly won this district in last year's presidential election, and Gillibrand won it in 2006 and 2008. But before Gillibrand's victory in 2006, Republicans had controlled the seat for 28 years.
Democrats are eagerly spinning Murphy's victory as a vindication of Obama's policies. DNC chairman Tim Kaine released this statement: "Scott Murphy's long-awaited victory is proof positive that Americans, even in this heavily Republican district, support the President and want him to succeed and the result is a repudiation of the failed policies of the past touted by Republicans."
Added Chris Van Hollen , chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee: “Scott Murphy’s victory in this district where Republicans outnumber Democrats by more than 70,000 represents a rejection of the obstructionist agenda and scare tactics that have become the hallmark of House Republicans."
*** UPDATE *** Pete Sessions , chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, just released this statement: "After a long, hard-fought race, the final result of the New York special election reinforces what our party has known since November -- we have our work cut out for us when it comes to winning in Democrat-held districts. In defeat, there will always be disappointment, but we should not ignore some of the encouraging signs that came out of this race."
*** UPDATE 2 ***
*** UPDATE 3 *** Michael Steele for upping the stakes in NY-20
*** UPDATE 4 ***
Jim Tedisco ran a tough but an ultimately unsuccessful race in a district that has been carried by a long line of Democrat candidates including President Obama, former Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand, Sen. Clinton, Sen. Schumer and former Gov. Spitzer. The Republican Party must be competitive in districts like NY-20 if we are going to regain our Congressional majorities. While we were unsuccessful in this race, the combined efforts of our candidate, the national and state parties and NRCC show that the GOP is going to invest the resources necessary to regain our majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Um. Okayyy...
From NBC’s Domenico Montanaro Nancy Pelosi yesterday played one part schoolteacher, one part grandma, one part elected official .
On Bring Your Son or Daughter to Work Day, Pelosi moved away from the podium and sat to take questions from children of staffers, members of Congress and, of course, reporters.
“Why did you join them and not us?” asked one wily boy. “And, by them, I mean the Democrats and, by us, I mean the Republicans.”
After guffaws from the crowd -- and from Pelosi -- the speaker said she was glad he identified with a party and that he's involved. But she couldn't resist taking a shot at Republicans.
"I hope the next generation takes back” what used to really be the “Grand Ol' Party," Pelosi said, turning toward the cameras with a smile.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mark Murray Obama's presidency hasn't been a complete boon to organized labor. Obama hasn't made the Employee Free Choice Act, or card check, a top priority; his economic team is made up mostly of pro-market advocates; and it's a still an open question how influential the union champions in his administration (Vice President Biden , Biden economic adviser Jared Bernstein, and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis ) are.
But as Victor writes, organized labor hasn't been too displeased with the young Obama administration. "Despite that list of concerns, in discussions with union leaders in Washington and in the nation’s heartland, one hears hardly a peep of protest. Invariably, union activists tick off the positive things that Obama has done" -- like issuing executive orders that have benefited labor and signing the economic stimulus into law.
And this news today should make organized labor happy. First Read has learned that Mary Beth Maxwell -- executive director of the pro-labor American Rights at Work and a person whose name was floated as a potential Labor secretary -- will join the Labor Department as a senior adviser. Maxwell also will work on Biden's middle-class task force. *** UPDATE ***
From NBC's Mark Murray Minneapolis Star Tribune , the Minnesota Supreme Court won't begin hearing Norm Coleman's (R) appeal until June 1.
Here is the timeline that the court's five justices set:Al Franken has until May 11 to do this
From NBC's Mark Murray Obama inherited, and where they are now.
Unemployment Rate 7.6% 8.5% Dow Jones Industrial Average 8,281
Number U.S. of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan (per NBC's Courtney Kube)
From NBC's Mark Murray, Harry Enten and Athena Jones President Obama's 95th day as president, but it's as good of a time as any to begin looking at his first 100 days -- numerically:
-- he's conducted 10 press conferences (Wednesday's will make it 11)PolitiFact , kept 27 promises, broken six, and compromised on seven others
Note: All other recent past presidents -- Bush 41 , Clinton , and Bush 43 -- threw out Opening Day pitches during their first 100 days.
Note 2: By Wednesday, the only modern presidents who will have conducted more press conferences in their first 100 days than Obama are Truman (14) and Clinton (13).
Note 3: Of Obama's domestic trips, only three have been to states that weren't battleground states in 2008, and one of those exceptions -- Arizona -- will most likely be a battleground in 2012.
From NBC's Harry Enten President Obama 's official 100th day in office, his approval rating in the Gallup poll is average compared with past American presidents -- or is it?
Going back to Eisenhower , Obama's 65% approval rating in the most recent daily Gallup poll is equal to the average Gallup approval for the 10 preceding presidents. Kennedy and Johnson had approval ratings in the low 80s at their 100-day mark. President Ford , in the wake of Watergate and the pardon of President Nixon , had the lowest approval rating at 48%.
But when we look only at presidents in the past 40 years, Obama is near the top. His approval is 7-10 points higher than the approvals of the last three presidents. Since Nixon, in fact, only Reagan 's 68% is higher than Obama's current approval rating currently possessed by Obama.
Presidents
Approval %
Eisenhower
73%
Kennedy
83
Johnson
80
Nixon
62
Ford
48
Carter
63
Reagan
68
H.W. Bush
56
Clinton
55
W. Bush
57.5
Avg
65%
Based on Gallup polls taken within five days of 100-day mark. Some ratings are averages of two polls taken in that period.
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro Torture story rages on : Here are the latest developments in the raging political firestorm over torture and controversial interrogation tactics… U.S. officials tell NBC’s Jim Miklaszewski that the Pentagon and military are preparing to release as many as 2,000 photos -- including several dozen that apparently show alleged prisoner abuse at Guantanamo Bay and other military detention facilities in Iraq and Afghanistan. The photos, which have not been seen publicly, would be the first visual evidence of possible prisoner abuse at Guantanamo Bay, and they are being released in response to a federal lawsuit filed by the ACLU. (Per Mik, one U.S. official said the photos are "not as bad as those from Abu Ghraib,” but "they're not good.")… Also, we can report that at yesterday’s White House meeting with congressional leaders, President Obama signaled he’s not inclined toward establishing an independent commission to investigation the torture allegations. What’s more, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs added that Obama wasn’t in favor of a special prosecutor, either.
Video: The Pentagon is preparing to release new photos that show alleged prisoner abuse at Guantanamo Bay and other military detention facilities. NBC’s Jim Miklaszewski reports. ***
Plenty of questions : Still, despite what Obama said, Speaker Nancy Pelosi apparently didn’t back down from supporting a “truth commission” on the matter at the private White House meeting. Can the Obama administration calm the forces of investigation in Congress by promising that his attorney general will investigate? Or is this a case where he can't really stop Congress from investigating something? And what will the prison abuse photos, set for release next month, do to this argument? Will the public outcry increase to the point where a commission is inevitable?
*** Irreconcilable differences over reconciliation : There was another headline out of Obama’s meeting yesterday with congressional leaders: We're told the president made it clear -- to the chagrin of Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell -- that he was pretty much determined to roll health care into the budget reconciliation process. According to sources, Obama said he didn't want to see his health-care plan go down simply because he had only 59 votes in the Senate. McConnell apparently thanked the president for his candor, but warned him that he won't get much bipartisan support if he goes down that path. However, Rep. Paul Ryan (R) said that Democrats have the right to push health-care reform via reconciliation because they “won the election.” See below for more on that…
*** Al Gore, Newt Gingrich, climate change -- oh my : Today’s big political event is Al Gore’s testimony on energy and climate-change legislation that the House Energy and Commerce Committee is currently considering. But get this: According to The Hill , Newt Gingrich, an ardent opponent of cap-and-trade, will testify after Gore. You might want to heat up some popcorn… This could be entertaining. Also today, President Obama will deliver remarks on higher education at 1:30 pm ET.
*** Tedisco to concede? Late yesterday, there was some chatter that Republican Jim Tedisco might soon concede to Democrat Scott Murphy in the extremely close NY-20 special election. In fact, local Capital News 9 has a piece with this headline: “Sources say Tedisco concession likely,” although the actual story doesn’t advance that claim. Just asking, but if Tedisco does concede, does that put any extra pressure on Norm Coleman in Minnesota? The latest count has Murphy leading Tedisco by 401 votes. Poll watch : A second-straight national poll shows a plurality of Americans believing the country is on the right track. Per the National Journal/AllState survey , 47% think the country is headed in the right direction, versus 42% who think it’s on the wrong track. The poll also shows that 61% approve of Obama’s job, and that plenty of people are uncertain about the state of the economy. Ron Brownstein writes in National Journal’s cover story that “fully 64 percent of adults said they think that today’s economy presents them with more financial risks that could endanger their standard of living than their parents confronted.”
*** Putting the “Lone” in the Lone Star State : As one of your Texas-born authors knows quite well, Texas is not only a state; it’s a state of mind. But we never thought we’d see this: A healthy minority of Texans -- as well as a majority of Texas Republicans -- say they want to secede from the union. According to a new DailyKos/Research 2000 poll, 37% of Texans and 51% of Lone Star Republicans agree with Gov. Rick Perry’s recent suggestion that Texas may need to leave the United States. Wow, just wow. Imagine the outcries of patriotism (or lack thereof) if Massachusetts or New York hinted at secession during the Bush years. Realize that Perry is the GOP’s most senior governor, and he leads the country's second largest state. Perry, of course, is expected to face off against against the more moderate Kay Bailey Hutchison in a GOP primary next year, and maybe his statement about secession was a brilliant move…
*** Off-message alert : Rep. Paul Ryan (R) saying yesterday that Democrats have the right to push health care via reconciliation because they "won the election" was the latest in what was a day of two parties off message. Speaker Pelosi held a press conference on bringing sons and daughters to work, and it turned into a press assault on torture -- what she knew and when she knew it. (That's all still unclear, by the way.) She reiterated her call for an independent commission, but her counterpart in the Senate says he's against it. Of course, Reid's and Pelosi's comments are a reflection of local politics: Reid is up for re-election in 2010 in a purple state, and Pelosi is from, well, San Francisco.
*** Obama and the BCS, Part II : Yesterday, we gave President Obama a little grief for seeming to backtrack on his stance for a playoff in college football when he invited the Florida Gators to the White House to celebrate their national championship -- despite earlier stating that USC, Utah, and Texas had legitimate claims to the title, too. Well, in his remarks to the Gators, Obama did hold true to his position that college football needs reform. “I don't want to stir up controversy. You guys are the national champions,” he said yesterday, per the White House. But he added, “I'm not backing off the fact we need a playoff system. But I have every confidence that you guys could have beat anybody else. And so we'll see how that plays itself out.”
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The New York Times : “The White House and the Democratic leadership in the Senate signaled on Thursday that they would block for now any effort to establish an independent commission to investigate the Bush administration’s approval of harsh interrogation techniques… Meeting with the Democratic leadership on Wednesday night, Mr. Obama said a special inquiry would steal time and energy from his policy agenda, and could mushroom into a wider distraction looking back at the Bush years, people briefed on the discussion said. Mr. Obama, they said, repeated much the same message on Thursday at a bipartisan meeting with Congressional leaders.”
The Washington Post recounts the White House’s internal deliberations to release the so-called torture memos. “As President Obama met with top advisers on the evening of April 15, he faced one of the sharpest policy divides of his young administration. Five CIA directors -- including Leon E. Panetta and his four immediate predecessors -- and Obama's top counterterrorism adviser had expressed firm opposition to the release of interrogation details in four "top secret" memos in which Bush administration lawyers sanctioned harsh tactics.”
Video: David Gregory joins the Morning Joe gang to discuss the political firestorm over torture and controversial interrogation tactics “On the other side of the issue were Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair and White House counsel Gregory B. Craig, whose colleagues during the campaign recall him expressing enthusiasm for fixing U.S. detainee policy… Obama requested a mini-debate in which one official was chosen to argue for releasing the memos and another was assigned to argue against doing so. When it ended, Obama dictated on the spot a draft of his announcement that the documents would be released, while most of the officials watched, according to an official who was present. The disclosure happened the next day.”
Here’s Eric Holder yesterday : "I will not permit the criminalization of policy differences," he testified yesterday before a House committee. "But it is my duty to enforce the law."
President Obama today talks about rising tuition costs. He also "faces a dilemma as he's expected to issue a proclamation on the 94th anniversary of the start of what most scholars regard as the genocide of Armenians by Ottoman Turks."The Hill reports. "But it remained to be seen how President Obama would mark the day after a campaign promise that he would recognize the genocide, yet didn't use the word in reference to the 'tragic history' on his recent trip to Turkey."
The New York Times on Obama’s meeting yesterday with credit card companies: “Seizing on the growing unpopularity of credit card companies, President Obama on Thursday threw his support behind legislation moving swiftly through Congress that would restrict the ability of banks to impose higher fees and interest rates on consumers.”
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has been a target for Republicans after a Homeland Security "a recent intelligence analysis from Napolitano's agency saying veterans returning from Iraq or Afghanistan could be susceptible to right-wing recruiters or commit lone acts of violence." Napolitano has "defended the assessment while acknowledging that some of it should have been rewritten." But that hasn't stopped Republicans, particularly conservatives in the House from lashing out.
CONTINUED >>
The New York Times advances the Jane Harman-NSA story. “The director of the Central Intelligence Agency concluded in late 2005 that a conversation picked up on a government wiretap was serious enough to require notifying Congressional leaders that Representative Jane Harman, Democrat of California, could become enmeshed in an investigation into Israeli influence in Washington, former government officials said Thursday. But Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales told the director of the agency, Porter J. Goss, to hold off on briefing lawmakers about the conversation, between Ms. Harman and an Israeli intelligence operative, despite a longstanding government policy to inform Congressional leaders quickly whenever a member of Congress could be a target of a national security investigation.”
The reason: “to protect Ms. Harman because they saw her as a valuable administration ally in urging The New York Times not to publish an article about the National Security Agency’s program of wiretapping without warrants.”
In an interview yesterday with First Read on Wednesday, former Clinton chief of staff John Podesta and other staffers from the liberal-leaning Center for American Progress wanted to "reset" the conventional wisdom that comprehensive energy legislation wouldn't occur this year. Podesta said the real action right now is in the House, with the House Energy and Commerce Committee considering the Waxman-Markey energy framework. The prospects of the legislation passing the Dem-led committee is high, and Podesta argued that since the committee is more conservative than other House panels (with Dem members on it hailing from Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Indiana), there's a greater chance that what will pass there will be more acceptable to the Senate.
In addition, Podesta said he expects the debate on the House floor to occur in the summer. Obviously, he believes that finding 60 votes in the Senate will be harder than being able to pass it in the House, but he said it's still doable in the Senate. They divide Senate targets into two groups: 1) the moderate/conservative Democrats and 2) the Republicans -- like Collins, Specter, Snowe. The goal is 60 votes. Still, Podesta admits that health-care is a more likely goal than energy -- and as someone who saw that health-care debate in the 1990s, he jokes, "Who would have thought that getting health care is easier?"
CONTINUED >>
The New York Times profiles Dick Cheney. “Former President George W. Bush has said that Mr. Obama ‘deserves my silence,’ but Mr. Cheney, who told Mr. Hannity he has spoken with Mr. Bush just once since leaving office, does not share that view. ‘I think he feels compelled to make clear why, particularly related to national security issues, it is so important that we don’t abandon those policies and that we remember the fact that we are at war,’ [daughter Liz] Cheney said Thursday. ‘When he sees the current administration making decisions that he believes are making the nation less safe, he does not believe there is any obligation under those circumstances to be silent.’”
“At a time when his party has no high-profile leaders on Capitol Hill, Mr. Cheney is in effect the ranking Republican speaking out against Mr. Obama. His message has been amplified — on television, in op-ed pieces and elsewhere — by an informal band of supporters, including Ms. Cheney.”
Be sure not to miss Norah O’Donnell’s interview with Liz Cheney yesterday on MSNBC. Part 1 -- Liz Cheney defends her father’s legacy
Part 2 -- Liz Cheney defends the ex-VP speaking out vs. President ObamaPart 3 -- Liz Cheney on future of Republican Party
MINNESOTA : Two Minnesota Supreme Court justices have recused themselves from hearing Coleman's appeal, because they sat on the state Canvassing Board that oversaw the recount, the
Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. They did the same "on previous recount motions that came before the court… In other recount news, Franken's lawyers have sought more than $16,000 from the Coleman campaign for a three-day delay attributed to Coleman's lawyers during the trial."
DELAWARE : "Rep. Mike Castle (R-Del.) said Thursday that he’s leaning more toward running for Senate rather than another term in the House, if he decides to run for Congress again in 2010. In an interview on Capitol Hill, Castle also acknowledged that several GOP senators, including John McCain (Ariz.), have been pushing him in recent weeks to make the move to the other side of Capitol Hill. He said a final decision on his 2010 plans would likely have to come by early summer 'at the latest.'"
ILLINOIS : No kidding… "Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) has not announced his reelection intentions, but Democratic partisans have signaled they are moving ahead with little concern for the embattled appointee." Burris raised just $850 in the first quarter. That's hundred. No zeroes are left off.
NEW YORK : Democrat Scott Murphy has expanded his lead to 401 votes over Republican Jim Tedisco (80,368-79,967) as challenged ballots are added into the tally.
From NBC's Adam Verdugo Liz Cheney , a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State during the Bush administration, defended her father, saying that the harsh interrogation tactics yielded valuable intelligence and that the tactics didn't amount to torture.
"The tactics are not torture," she told O'Donnell. "The memos laid out the extent of exactly how far we could go before it would become torture, because it was important we not cross that line into torture."
Cheney added that the tactics outlined in the CIA memos are the same techniques are used on Americans for training purposes. "Everything that was done in this program, as has been laid out and described before, are tactics that our own people go through in SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Evasion) training," she said adding, "We did not torture our own people."
Liberal-leaning ThinkProgress, however, points out that in one of the memos, the Bush Justice Department acknowledged that the SERE training was a "very different" experience from what a detainee would experience. "SERE trainees know it is part of a training program, not a real-life interrogation regime, they presumably know it will last only a short time, and they presumably have assurances that they will not be significantly harmed by the training," the memo states.
Here's video of the interview:Part 1 -- Liz Cheney defends her father's legacyPart 2 -- Liz Cheney defends the ex-VP speaking out vs. President Obama Part 3 -- Liz Cheney on future of Republican Party
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro Eric Cantor reiterated that he feels Republicans can take back the House in 2010 -- in just a year from despite Democrats' overwhelming majority built up over the past two election cycles.
In fact, he said in an interview with NBC News that he feels "more" so now that they can do so.
Political observers say that is not only a long shot but the most unlikeliest of possibilities. The Rothenberg Report’s Stu Rothenberg, for one, called the notion "lunacy" today in Roll Call. Cantor said he hopes he "eats his words" and that he probably didn't see it coming in 1993, either.
The reality is until Obama's approval comes down, it will be difficult for Republicans to make many in-roads. But Cantor denied any such headwind -- even in light of the latest AP-GFK poll showing Obama’s approval at 64%. Cantor argued that Bush’s was similar in 2001.
(Obama’s is a few points higher than Bush’s was in that poll at about the same time. Bush was in the high 50s, AP reported.) And he said polls need to be read "fairly.” He insisted that on issues like Obama’s handling of the budget, his approval is less than 50% in some polling.
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro John Boehner 's office says the minority leader pressed President Obama at the meeting at the White House this afternoon of Congressional leaders to release "more
on the rest of the story" of the intelligence that was gleaned from the interrogation tactics.
Obama told Boehner the administration was "examining whether to release that information," per an aide to Boehner.
Former Vice President
Dick Cheney made a similar plea in his FOX interview, asking that the administration release memos that, he says, showed intelligence gains from such interrogations.
Boehner critical of Napolitano criticized Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano for a report "on right-wing extremists," as he called it.
"Secretary Napolitano has an awful lot of explaining to do," Boehner said, charging that the report pertains to "about two-thirds of Americans," who "go to church" and more.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC’s Domenico Montanaro The stories are already being written about President Obama 's first 100 days -- even though today's only Day 94 -- but Republicans want to make sure they're heard on what's happened thus far.
And, not surprisingly, they are wholly unimpressed.
In an interview with NBC News, House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) hammered the president on a slew of issues, including spending, taxes, energy, health care, his handling of the auto industry and more.
Cantor, who said Republicans are going to go on the road with their ideas, accused the White House and Democrats of "tone deafness" because of its "reckless abandon" when it comes to spending, he said.
*** UPDATE ***
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Jade Taenzler President Obama’s new energy plans, which they said would create jobs and help make America more secure.
These groups -- like SEIU, League of Conservation Voters, MoveOn, VoteVets, Center for American Progress Action Fund, the Blue Green Alliance, and the Environmental Defense Fund -- also said they were releasing new national and local ads today. “America must end our economic crisis and dependence on foreign oil," the national ad goes. "Make our energy clean. Make it in America.”
“America needs to stay competitive in the 21st century,” Ilyse Hogue from MoveOn.org said in the conference call. While “jump-starting” the U.S. economy through investments in renewable energy technologies, “we have to move out of the failed policies of the past."
“The recovery of this recession has to be a fundamental transformation of the economy from the fossil-fuel generation into the clean-energy generation,” added Dave Foster from the Blue Green Alliance. “It is not just creating jobs for obscure, strange green technologies. Recovery, in fact, is all about reinvigorating the jobs that people already have.”
Jennifer Palmieri from the Center for American Progress Action Fund also chimed in: “Four times as many jobs are created by investing in clean technology jobs than supposed to when you invest in jobs in the oil industry.”
Meanwhile, Phil Angelides of the Apollo Alliance (and a former Democratic candidate for California governor) said “converting the U.S. to a green economy” is a “matter of national security.” Compared with other nations’ efforts to invest in renewable energy resources, “America has been the lagger, not the leader.”
Angelides added, “The majority of clean energy technologies are manufactured overseas. If we make the component parts of the new energy economy here in the U.S., we will never be dependant on foreign nations again.”
Former Democratic presidential candidate Wesley Clark agreed, saying that the U.S. has to “move away from energy reliance and an energy source we have to import.” Clark therefore called supporting the American Clean Energy and Security Act a “no-brainer.”
From NBC's Les Kretman The White House announced that
President Obama will hold a primetime news conference at 8:00 pm ET on Wednesday -- his 100th day as president.
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro Nancy Pelosi said that when receiving briefings as a member of the Intelligence Committee, neither she nor other members of Congress were ever briefed that methods considered to be torture were used.
She did say that the Department of Justice briefed her in 2002 that techniques recognized as torture were approved for use by DOJ. But she says they were told they would let leaders know when or if they used them, which, she says, they never did.
That contradicts what House Minority Leader John Boehner said at a news conference this morning, where he implied that members of Congress who were briefed on tactics never raised objection.
"We were not told that waterboarding or any of these other interrogation methods were used," Pelosi said flatly at a news conference this afternoon.
*** UPDATE *** Washington Post story. Here are some key graphs:
In September 2002, four members of Congress met in secret for a first look at a unique CIA program designed to wring vital information from reticent terrorism suspects in U.S. custody. For more than an hour, the bipartisan group, which included current House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), was given a virtual tour of the CIA's overseas detention sites and the harsh techniques interrogators had devised to try to make their prisoners talk.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Ken Strickland Harry Reid today said it would be "very unwise" to have an independent commission to investigate the CIA's interrogations procedures without having Congress conduct its own inquiry first. Reid says he'll follow the lead of Intelligence Committee Chair Dianne Feinstein , who told Reid a public report could be finished "sometime late this year."
"I think it would be very unwise, from my perspective, to start having commissions, boards, and tribunals until we find out what the facts are," Reid told reporters in an off-camera session. "I don't know a better way of getting the facts than through the Intelligence Committee."
Other Democrats and outside groups have called for the formation of a 9/11-type independent commission, chief among them Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Pat Leahy and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi .
But the Senate majority leader dismissed the claims of division within his caucus. "I'm not opposed to what Sen. Leahy has talked about, what Sen. Levin has talked about, and what some of the outside groups have talked about, Reid said. "But we have to get the facts before we decide which direction to go."
The Senate's No. 2 Democrat, Dick Durbin , echoed Reid's position, citing the vast amount of information under review. "Some of it has been destroyed... Some of it has been concealed, and some of it is just coming to light now because we have a Senate Intelligence Committee that is aggressively going after this issue."
From NBC's Pete Williams
Two justices of the U.S. Supreme Court today experienced something that very likely hasn't happened before -- they were briefly live on the Internet during a congressional hearing.
Congressman
John Culberson , a Texas Republican, whipped out his tiny digital camera to show Justices
Stephen Breyer and
Clarence Thomas how very small cameras could be used to make the court's oral argument sessions available on the Internet. The response from the justices? Don't hold your breath.
The court is asking for about $800,000 to bring its Internet site completely under its own control. The site is now hosted by GPO, but the justices say the current arrangement makes it hard to update quickly. Not only that, they say, the popularity of the Web site (www.supremecourtus.gov ) is exploding, with 19 million hits in January. By taking over total control, the justices say, they can make it more responsive, posting decisions and other documents more quickly.
The court might also post some of its own videos, such as sessions the justices have with visiting students. But when it comes to televising oral arguments, Breyer and Thomas said many of the justices remain concerned that it could change the court in ways that no one can anticipate.
From NBC's Savannah Guthrie
Sens.
Chuck Schumer and
Chris Dodd are going to send a letter this afternoon to Fed chairman
Ben Bernanke, asking him to impose an emergency freeze for credit card interest rate hikes.
The Fed has already implemented a rule that would forbid credit card companies from raising rates on borrowers on existing balances; however, that rule does not go into effect until July 2010.
The senators want the Fed to implement the rule using its emergency powers immediately.
From NBC's Mark Murray John Boehner and Eric Cantor , have sent a letter to President Obama , calling for him to work with them in a bipartisan manner.
Video: House Minority Whip Eric Cantor joins MSNBC’s Morning Joe to discuss his upcoming session with the president, explaining "we're ready to go to work." "Democratic leaders in Congress have so far ignored your call for a new era of bipartisanship in Washington -- however, the next 100 days can be different," they wrote. "We know that by working together, we can face our challenges and renew our nation, and we respectfully request that our meeting tomorrow serve as the beginning of a meaningful bipartisan conversation about the challenges we face."
In particular, these GOP leaders say they want to work with Obama in passing Republican goals -- like reducing income taxes and suspending capital gains taxes on newly acquired assets.
Of course, the question is whether Democrats are responsible for the lack of bipartisanship -- or Republicans are. According to last month's NBC/WSJ poll, 29% blamed the GOP for the lack of bipartisanship, while 14% blamed Democrats; 56% blamed both parties.
Below is the entire letter...
CONTINUED >>
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro First 100 days mania : While today is technically Obama’s 94th day in office, that hasn’t stopped the political world from starting its “First 100 Days” retrospectives of his presidency. David Broder today has a column that mostly praises Obama’s start (“What he has shown …is a mastery of the art of managing the presidency”). So does Time’s Joe Klein, per Politico (“Obama's start has been the most impressive of any President since F.D.R.”) On the other hand, we’ll most likely hear a much different assessment from House Minority Leader John Boehner, who at 10:45 am ET will discuss Obama’s first 100 days. Meanwhile, the DNC has a new Web video criticizing the Republicans’ start to the Obama presidency, calling them “100 Days of No.” And AFSCME and Americans United begin running a TV ad on cable tomorrow that makes a similar argument about the GOP. Of course, there’s a justification for everyone doing their 100-days analyses a bit early: For all intents and purposes, Obama’s presidency seemed to start A LOT earlier than Jan. 20, right?I feel good, I knew that I would... : Also in advance of Obama’s first 100 days as president, a brand-new AP/GfK poll shows that for the first time in years, more Americans believe the country is headed in the right direction (48%) than those who think it’s on the wrong track (44%). The AP says the finding is “a sign that Barack Obama has used the first 100 days of his presidency to lift the public's mood and inspire hopes for a brighter future.” More: “Not since January 2004, shortly after the capture of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, has an AP survey found more ‘right direction’ than ‘wrong direction’ respondents.” The AP poll is consistent with what we’ve seen in our own survey: Before he took office, the NBC/WSJ poll showed that just 26% thought the country was on the right track, but that number jumped 15 points (to 41%) in the poll that was released last month. Also in the new AP poll, 64% approve of Obama’s job; twice as many say he’s living up to his promises than not; and seven in 10 say it’s reasonable to expect that it will take longer than a year to see the effect of his economic policies. It’s no wonder House Minority Whip Eric Cantor continues to try to duck directly attacking the president and instead is turning his fire on congressional Democrats, namely, Speaker Nancy Pelosi. What’s in your wallet? At 1:05 pm ET, President Obama will meet with representatives from 14 credit card companies. According to sources, among those companies will be American Express, Bank of America, Citi, Wells Fargo, JP Morgan Chase, Capital One, Visa, and MasterCard. Reuters also reports that Discover, HSBC, and US Bancorp will be at the meeting. Attending the meeting from the White House’s end: Obama, Larry Summers, Valerie Jarrett (who organized the meeting), and maybe Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner. Interestingly, according to his schedule, Biden (who hails from the credit card-friendly state of Delaware) won’t be attending. Obama’s meeting with these companies is Populist Politics 101. There is absolutely no downside to lecturing these guys. As one GOP credit card lobbyist tells Politico , “If you are the chairman of Citibank, you don’t want your card guy going in there, because you know, having been there, that the companies will get the s—- beat out of them by the president and Summers.”
Video: Obama economic adviser Austan Goolsbee joins MSNBC’s Morning Joe to discuss the president's budget priorities, the "deceptive practices" of credit card comapnies, and the state of the U.S. banking industry. Mad at the banks : The fact is everyone -- Republicans, Democrats, conservatives, liberals, you name it -- are mad at the banks that issue credit cards. As these banks have been borrowing money from the government at record-low interest rates, they’ve turned around and charged the public VERY HIGH interest rates. They don’t seem to be passing off any government savings to the consumers, which many folks were led to believe was the whole point of the bank bailout. Credit card folks will argue this is apples and oranges, but the public sees this as a very black-and-white situation. Other news today: Here are two other big stories today. First, per the New York Times : “Taliban militants have established effective control of a strategically important district just 70 miles from the capital, Islamabad.” No other country keeps the White House up at night more than Pakistan. And, per USA Today : “General Motors plans to essentially quit making cars and trucks in the U.S. for nine weeks from mid-May through July,” shutting down 15 out of its 21 car and truck assembly plants in North America. and Obama and the BCS : In addition to sitting down with credit card companies, Obama will deliver remarks at the Capitol at 11:00 am ET in remembrance of the Holocaust; he and Vice President Biden will meet with congressional leaders -- Dem and Republican -- at 2:15 pm; and then he welcomes the University of Florida Gators to celebrate their national championship in college football. But wait a second… As a proponent of fixing the BCS System, Obama earlier remarked that USC, Texas, and Utah had legitimate claims to the national title; after all, Florida had one loss (so too did USC and Texas, and Utah went undefeated). In fact, your First Read authors argued that if Obama were serious about reforming the BCS, then he’d invite those teams, too. So Mr. President, why didn’t you also invite to the White House today? Is this the change we can believe in? Trust us, for one of your authors -- the Miami fan -- it’s hard enough to see the Gators at the White House celebrating anything, but it would be nice to dilute their enthusiasm a tad.
Click here to sign up for First Read emails .
The Washington Post on the debate over the interrogation memos: “The legacy of George W. Bush continued to dog President Obama and his administration yesterday, as Congress divided over creating a panel to investigate the harsh interrogation techniques employed under Bush's authorization and the White House tried to contain the controversy over the president's decision to release Justice Department memos justifying and outlining those procedures.”
Video: Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., joins the Morning Joe gang to discuss the impact of the torture debate on both the Bush and Obama administrations. “Obama apparently thought he could avoid what is now playing out. In the weeks when he was weighing the release of the memos, a vigorous debate took place within his administration. There was, according to a senior official, considerable support among Obama's advisers for the creation of a 9/11 Commission-style investigation as an alternative to releasing the documents. But the president quashed the concept.”
A New York Times news analysis asks: Did torture help stop terrorist plots, or not? “Mr. Obama and his allies need to discredit the techniques he has banned. Otherwise, in the event of a future terrorist attack, critics may blame his decision to rein in C.I.A. interrogators. But if a strong case emerges that the Bush administration authorized torture and got nothing but prisoners’ desperate fabrications in return, that will tarnish what Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney have claimed as their greatest achievement: preventing new attacks after Sept. 11, 2001.”
The story also contains this nugget: “Within the agency, the necessity, effectiveness and legality of the interrogation methods have been repeatedly subject to review. The agency’s inspector general, John L. Helgerson, studied the program in 2004 and raised serious questions. According to former intelligence officials, that led to separate reviews by an internal panel headed by Henry A. Crumpton, a veteran counterterrorism officer, and by two outsiders, Gardner Peckham, who had served as national security adviser to Newt Gingrich, and John J. Hamre, a former deputy defense secretary. Their conclusions remain classified, but that could change now that the intelligence agency’s techniques have been made public.”
CONTINUED >>
Previewing today’s White House meeting with credit card companies, the AP writes: “President Barack Obama, appealing to mainstream consumers, is pushing for more legal protection for the millions of Americans who use credit cards… ‘The president believes new rules of the road for the credit card industry are needed,’ Obama senior adviser Valerie Jarrett said ahead of the president's planned session.”
Video: As Americans struggle with their credit card debt, President Barack Obama is expected to scrutinize skyrocketing credit card rates. NBC Chief White House correspondent Chuck Todd reports. USA Today : “The administration — which scheduled the meeting at the request of some issuers — has promised to address credit card practices that Summers recently blamed for coaxing consumers ‘into paying extraordinarily high rates that they wouldn't have paid if they knew what they were getting themselves into.’”
Per Politico , “The meeting is particularly ill-timed for the card industry. On Wednesday, the House Financial Services Committee approved legislation cracking down on credit card billing practices, frequently derided as abusive by consumer advocates. A bill has also passed the Senate Banking Committee but faces a tougher fight on the floor.”
The New York Times covers Obama stumping for energy reform yesterday in Iowa. “He renewed his call for Congress to close the ‘carbon loophole’ by adopting a cap-and-trade system for reducing emissions of heat-trapping gases like carbon dioxide. And he promoted wind and other renewable forms of power, saying that for the first time the Interior Department would begin leasing federal waters for offshore production of electricity from the movement of wind, waves and tides.”
GOP strategist Alex Conant asks if the wheels are coming off Obama’s message team.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee yesterday began work on its sweeping energy legislation, the Washington Post says. “The Waxman-Markey legislation calls to reduce the nation's greenhouse gas emissions to 20 percent below 2005 levels by 2020 and by 83 percent as of 2050. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, who testified yesterday with Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, called the measure ‘a jobs bill.’”
“But committee Republicans such as Rep. Fred Upton (Mich.) said the bill could harm the economy by raising energy prices in the short term. ‘I do believe that we need to reduce emissions, but it needs to be done in a common-sense way that takes into account the economic and global realities of the issue,’ he said.”
Yet the New York Times says that the Obama administration stopped short of endorsing the Waxman-Markey legislation. “Steven Chu, the secretary of energy, and Lisa P. Jackson, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, told a House committee considering the measure that they believed it could help accomplish President Obama’s goals of moderating climate change, spurring clean-energy technology and reducing dependence on foreign oil. Yet both said they were still studying the details of the 648-page draft.”
“Despite nervousness from some conservative Democrats about moving quickly on legislation capping carbon emissions … Waxman (D-Calif.) said Wednesday that he’s sticking to his aggressive timeline of voting the bill out of committee by Memorial Day and wants it on the House floor before the August recess,” Roll Call reports. “The success of that effort could depend on negotiations in the next few days among Waxman, Subcommittee on Energy and Environment Chairman Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Va.), a key coal-state lawmaker and former subcommittee chairman, and Rep. Jim Matheson (D-Utah), chairman of the Blue Dog Energy Task Force.”
CONTINUED >>
MINNESOTA : While Franken’s attorneys have asked the Minnesota Supreme Court to speed things up, Coleman has asked them to slow things down. “Norm Coleman asked the state Supreme Court on Wednesday to set a slower timetable than his rival seeks in the next phase of the protracted U.S. Senate race,” the
Minneapolis Star Tribune writes. “Coleman, a Republican, proposed to the court that his appeal of Democrat Al Franken's victory in the recent Senate election trial be argued no sooner than mid-May, two weeks later than Franken suggested on Tuesday.”
Stu Rothenberg dismisses the idea that Republicans could take back the House in 2010. “Cheerleading has its place, including on a high school or college basketball court. But not when it comes to political analysis,” he writes in Roll Call. “Over the past couple of weeks, at least three Republicans — House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (Va.), former Speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga.) and campaign consultant Tony Marsh — have raised the possibility of the GOP winning back the House of Representatives next year. That idea is lunacy and ought to be put to rest immediately.”
“Are Sens. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.), Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) or Richard Burr (R-N.C.) this cycle’s Rick Santorum?” Roll Call wonders. “The former Pennsylvania Senator began his 2006 re-election race down in the polls and never recovered. And while Bunning, Dodd and Burr have something in common with Santorum’s early standing, each hopes for a different outcome. Whether it’s trailing in polls from the get-go, as was the case for Santorum and then-Sen. John Sununu (R-N.H.) in 2008, or leading but at the mid-40 percent mark in ballot tests like then-Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.), all three recent cases demonstrated the difficulty for vulnerable Senators to significantly improve their standing over the course of a campaign.”
COLORADO : The NRSC has a Web video hitting Sen. Michael Bennet on card check.
VIRGINIA : Terry McAuliffe’s campaign announced yesterday that Bill Clinton would stump for McAuliffe next Monday.
From NBC's Ken Strickland Arlen Specter said he's opposed to idea of an 9/11-type independent commission to investigate Bush administration torture memos, "because all of the facts are readily available to the Department of Justice."
"As I have said before, once the administration has a key to the front door, which they've had for several months, all they have to do is find the right filing cabinets and open them, which they're already doing," Specter said.
Specter said he agreed with the president, "saying that we ought to be looking forward and that you shouldn't prosecute people who operated in good faith relying on competent legal counsel."
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
On this 39th Earth Day, Democratic government officials went on a coordinated virtual enviromental attack.
Within an hour of each other, President Obama spoke in Iowa about clean energy and replacing lightbulbs, and, here on Capitol Hill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was touting Democrats' efforts to "Green the Capitol."
Video: Speaking in Iowa, Obama says his green initiatives will create jobs, energy independence and prosperity. Pelosi announced that since undertaking a "
Green the Capitol Initiative " 18 months ago, the building's carbon emissions have been reduced by 72 percent. She called it a "remarkable achiemevent" and said the Capitol is now a great example for others in the country.
But more needs to be done, she insisted. Flanked by Democratic Reps. Earl Blumenauer , Steve Israel , Jim Langevin , Debbie Wasserman-Schultz , Peter Welch and others, Pelosi launched the next phase: "Green My Office."
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mark Murray Eric Holder to appoint a special prosecutor to look into whether Bush administration officials broke the law in authorizing controversial interrogation techniques.
The video mentions former Vice President Dick Cheney , John Yoo, and Jay Bybee.
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro Nancy Pelosi was briefed on the wiretapping of Jane Harman in 2005. She was told that it was taking place, but wasn't given any further details, the aide said.
The aide added that, "By tradition," the NSA briefs "Democratic or Republican leaders letting them know."
It was pointed out that that sounds like there is a precedent for this, meaning that other members have been wiretapped, the aide responded, "I think so."
Asked directly who else has been wiretapped, the aide said they didn't know.
At her photo op with King Abdullah and Queen Rania
Abdullah said he is in Washington for a series of meetings with U.S. officials to try and assemble a team that can work together toward peace among Israelis and Palestinians and Israelis and Arabs generally. He said he hopes that team is in place this year.
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro Steny Hoyer (D-MD) was cautious on the issue of Congressional wiretapping in a meeting with reporters late this morning.
But he said the Justice Department "needs to take under consideration" whether it opens an investigation into the details of the wiretapping of members of Congress.
"The stories I've read give me great concern," Hoyer said. But he insisted he wants "to find more facts before I answer" more fully.
After reports surfaced that Rep. Jane Harman was wiretapped in 2005, having a conversation with a suspected Israeli agent, Harman went on the offensive. She called on the Justice Department to release any and all transcripts.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mark Murray
We’ve devoted a lot of ink -- er, bandwith -- to discuss the elections taking place this year. The race for Virginia governor. New Jersey’s gubernatorial contest. And the ongoing NY-20 special election. But we haven’t spent too much time on New York's mayoral race, mainly because it appears that
Mike Bloomberg is going to cruise to re-election after getting the city to overturn its term-limits law.
Well, Bloomberg was in DC yesterday for
President Obama's signing of the bipartisan Ted Kennedy Serve America Act -- an event that also included two presidents (Obama and
Bill Clinton ), two first ladies (
Michelle Obama and
Rosalyn Carter ), and bipartisan members of Congress.
In fact, it was Bloomberg's second trip to the Obama White House (earlier, he talked infrastructure with Obama).
Of course, the New York mayor's trip to the White House comes after Bloomberg announced that he would run for re-election as a Republican, and after meeting with GOP leaders like RNC chairman Michael Steele .
From NBC's Mark Murray Terry McAuliffe's gubernatorial campaign announced today that former President Bill Clinton will campaign for McAuliffe on Monday, April 27 in Richmond and Roanoke.
"We're thrilled to have President Clinton join Terry on the campaign trail," McAuliffe campaign manager Mike Henry said in a statement. "As a former governor and close friend of Terry's, he'll talk with Virginians about why Terry is best suited to turn Virginia's economy around. And as America's last great job-creating president, he'll help make the case as to why Terry will be Virginia's next great job-creating governor."
For more on the Virginia governor's race, check out this video piece done by one of us...
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro Leaving the door open: The big news from yesterday was that President Obama left the door open to the possible prosecution of Bush administration officials who drafted memos permitting certain kinds of controversial interrogations like waterboarding, and Obama also didn’t rule out a possible 9/11 Commission-like panel to investigate the matter. Let’s be clear: Obama’s position here was a reversal from what we heard Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel say over the weekend. The new position also leaves the door open to plenty of additional questions: Whom do you prosecute? Does a special commission that investigates work in secret (sort of) get more participants from the Bush administration to testify? And if so, does the lack of transparency become an issue? But if the Obama White House is taking off the table prosecuting the interrogators -- but not the lawyers who drew up the law -- then what? Does it stop at the Bush Justice Department or keep going higher? The Obama administration’s instinct is not to look backward. It's a phrase the president uses all the time for a lot of issues. But he’s reluctantly leaving the door open. The ball is now in Congress' court. And Eric Holder’s, too.
Video: Obama leaves the door open to investigating Bush administration officials over interrogation techniques. ***
Yielding “high value information”: Here’s perhaps a reason why Obama was so hesitant initially about getting dragged into this debate over interrogation: Obama’s intelligence director Dennis Blair “told colleagues in a private memo last week that the harsh interrogation techniques banned by the White House did produce significant information that helped the nation in its struggle with terrorists,” the
New York Times says. Blair later released this statement: "The information gained from these techniques was valuable in some instances, but there is no way of knowing whether the same information could have been obtained through other means. The bottom line is these techniques have hurt our image around the world, the damage they have done to our interests far outweighed whatever benefit they gave us and they are not essential to our national security."
***
You say it’s your Earth Day… it’s my Earth Day, too: President Obama on this Earth Day hits the road to yet another presidential battleground state -- this one Iowa, the state where it all began for Obama. Per the White House, Obama will tour and meet with workers at Trinity Structural Towers, a former Maytag plant that now houses a green manufacturing facility producing towers for wind energy production in Newton, IA. After the tour, Obama will deliver remarks on energy at 3:15 pm ET. All of this is yet another way Obama is trying to tie energy to the economy.
*** Republicans vs. Republicans: We've already marked our calendars for next year's Specter-Toomey showdown in Pennsylvania, which has emerged as THE Republican primary to watch in 2010. And now we're marking our calendars again. At 2:30 pm ET today in Phoenix, Chris Simcox, a founder of the Minutemen, will announce he’s challenging John McCain in a GOP primary for McCain's Senate seat. The race will obviously feature immigration (McCain supports a path for citizenship for illegal immigrants, and Simcox presumably doesn't). But more than that, the contest -- like the Specter-Toomey rematch -- will represent a battle for the hearts and minds of Republicans at a time when they find themselves out of power. Is the Republican Party big enough to support moderates hailing from blue and purple states? Or is it strictly an anti-tax, anti-spending, anti-abortion, and anti-immigration party?
*** A step forward -- or a step backward? Indeed, plenty of conservatives see 2010 as a good time to try and purge the party of its moderates or non-conventional conservatives like Specter and McCain. “Something very real [is] going on,” one of them emailed First Read. But what if both incumbent senators lose their primaries, but the conservative nominees lose the general? Is that a step forward for the conservative wing of the GOP or a step backward? In 2008, the conservative Club for Growth -- which Toomey led until recently -- helped create three House nominees (in MI-07, MD-01 and ID-01), and all three lost in the generals...
*** Flashback time: Speaking of Pennsylvania and primaries… A year ago today, Hillary Clinton defeated Barack Obama in the Democratic presidential primary in Pennsylvania. Time sure flies by, huh?
*** Breaking news: David Kellermann, Freddie Mac’s acting chief financial officer, was found dead at his home in Northern Virginia. Police say he apparently committed suicide.
Video: Kellermann was found dead at his home this morning. ***
Corzine trailing: There’s a new
Quinnipiac poll showing New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D) trailing Chris Christie (R) by seven percentage points, 45%-38%. As bad as things look for the GOP nationally, Campaign 2009 doesn't look so grim, although it will be a disappointment for them if they end up losing NY-20. Both gubernatorial races in the blue/purple states of New Jersey and Virginia and are winnable. As for New Jersey, we've said it before: If Republicans can't figure out how to win this race in this political environment, then maybe the party ought to close up shop in the Garden State.
Countdown to Obama’s 100th day: 7 days
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The New York Times is chock-full of pieces that advance the interrogation story. From the front page: “In a series of high-level meetings in 2002, without a single dissent from cabinet members or lawmakers, the United States for the first time officially embraced the brutal methods of interrogation it had always condemned. This extraordinary consensus was possible, an examination by The New York Times shows, largely because no one involved -- not the top two C.I.A. officials who were pushing the program, not the senior aides to President George W. Bush, not the leaders of the Senate and House Intelligence Committees -- investigated the gruesome origins of the techniques they were approving with little debate.”
Inside, the Times writes about the White House backtracking on possibly prosecuting the former Bush administration officials who authored the interrogation memos. “The comments knocked the ordinarily smooth White House press operation back on its heels. Mr. Obama’s press secretary, Robert Gibbs, spent much of his daily briefing on Tuesday being peppered with questions about precisely what Mr. Obama had meant, declaring at one point, ‘To clear up any confusion on anything that might have been said, I would point you to what the president said.’”
“The White House’s shifting comments in recent days provide a glimpse into its struggle to deal with one of the thorniest issues Mr. Obama has faced since taking office. That issue has turned all the more prickly for him since his decision to release previously secret memorandums detailing the harsh tactics used by the C.I.A. under President George W. Bush -- memos revealing that, for instance, two captured operatives of Al Qaeda were subjected a total of 266 times to a form of near drowning known as waterboarding.”
CONTINUED >>
According to the AP , “President Barack Obama travels to Iowa today with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. The president and the former Iowa governor will visit a former Maytag plant that now houses a manufacturing facility that produces towers for wind energy production.”
The Des Moines Register adds, “Heather Zichal, a top aide on Obama's energy team, said the president would urge Congress to pass a bill that commits $15 billion annually for 10 years to the renewable-energy industry. ‘Go back to this plant in 10 years and, once we get this comprehensive energy and climate legislation through, they will see a dramatic rise in the number of employees,’ said Zichal, deputy assistant to the president in the Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy. ‘We're not suggesting we would completely fill this hole, but we're making dramatic improvements and steps in the Obama administration to get there.’”
“The money that Obama is seeking in energy legislation would provide longer-term support for clean-energy jobs than the $500 million contained in the federal economic stimulus package, White House officials said.”
CONTINUED >>
“Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) on Tuesday barreled into the second day of her fledgling scandal -- touched off by reports of a wiretapped conversation she had in 2005 with a suspected Israeli agent -- by trying to turn the tables on government eavesdroppers,”
Roll Call writes. “The veteran California lawmaker reportedly agreed on that phone call to seek leniency for two accused spies in return for help in lobbying Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) for the House Intelligence Committee gavel. But Harman fought back Tuesday with a media blitz, aggressively denying charges she did anything inappropriate and calling on the Justice Department to probe the wiretap and the leak behind the news accounts.”
Here’s a bit of awkward timing, the Washington Post notes. “The American Israel Public Affairs Committee had some awkward timing when it sent out invites this afternoon across Capitol Hill for its annual policy conference in Washington, which opens May 3. In the very first panel discussion, the committee will be hosting Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) to discuss "an insider's look at the Middle East", along with an Israeli Air Force officer and former CIA director R. James Woolsey.”
“The notice went out just as Harman stepped up her battle against accusations, coming from anonymous current and former administration officials, that she agreed to push for lenient legal treatment to two former AIPAC lobbyists who were later indicted for espionage violations.”
CONTINUED >>
We should have mentioned this yesterday, but Mitt Romney blasted Obama in a National Review op-ed entitled: “A Timid Advocate of Freedom: President Obama has failed his early foreign-policy tests.”
In it, Romney concludes, “Vice President Biden was right that the new president would be tested early in his administration. What the world learned was not good news for freedom and democracy. The leader of the free world has been a timid advocate of freedom at best. And bold action to blunt the advances of tyrants has been wholly lacking. We are still very early in the Obama years -- the president will have ample opportunity to defend America and freedom, and to deter nuclear brinkmanship. I am hoping for change.”
The Washington Post’s Cillizza observes that this op-ed moves Romney beyond his normal comfort zone with domestic issues. It’s “a recognition by Romney that if he wants to be the Republican presidential nominee in 2012 he needs to fight Obama on all fronts -- foreign and domestic.”
The DNC has a new Web video poking fun at the new faces -- er, old faces -- of the Republican Party who are criticizing the Obama administration. “Meet the new GOP, same as the old GOP,” the Web ad concludes.
The Star Tribune writes that Al Franken’s lawyers have asked the Minnesota Supreme Court to hear Norm Coleman’s appeal as quickly as possible. “‘Because of the important public policy concern of ensuring that the interests of the citizens of Minnesota are properly represented in Congress, this appeal should be expedited,’ Franken lawyer David Lillehaug said in a motion to the court… Franken's proposed schedule would require Coleman to deliver the trial transcript to the high court no later than today and to submit his brief by Monday. Franken would then submit his own brief by May 2, clearing the way for Coleman's response by May 4 and oral arguments starting shortly after that.”
“Lillehaug noted in the motion that the Supreme Court has had a history of quickly addressing matters in this election.”
Politico reports on the two remaining press aides working for Coleman (Tom Erickson) and Franken (Jess McIntosh).
The Hill : “The man in charge of electing more Republicans to the Senate said it will be difficult to stop the Democrats from winning a 60-seat majority in 2010.” “That’s going to be real hard, to be honest with you,” NRSC Chairman John Cornyn said, adding, “Everybody who runs could be the potential tipping point to get Democrats to 60. We’ve not only got to play defense; we’ve got to claw our way back in 2010. It’ll be a huge challenge.”
NEW HAMPSHIRE: “Former Rep. Charlie Bass (R-N.H.) is mulling a return to Congress — either in his old House district or moving to the Senate. But a Senate race would put him in a rematch with the man who took his House seat in 2006, Rep. Paul Hodes (D).” “I am considering them both,” he told The Hill . “But I’m not in any hurry. I’ve been in Congress, so for me it’s a question of whether I want to re-enter the world of public service and what contribution I can make in either the House or the Senate.”
NEW YORK: In the still ongoing NY-20 special election, officials will begin looking at the 1,000 or so challenged ballots on Thursday.
From NBC's Ken Strickland Christopher Hill was confirmed as ambassador to Iraq. The vote was 73-23.
All Democratic senators present voted in support.
Republicans voting NO: Bennett , Bond , Brownback , Bunning , Burr , Coburn , Cornyn , Crapo , DeMint , Ensign , Graham , Grassley , Hatch , Inhofe , Kyl , McCain , McConnell , Risch , Sessions , Shelby , Thune , Vitter , Wicker .
NOT VOTING: Kennedy , Roberts , Rockefeller
From NBC's Athena Jones WASHINGTON -- President Obama today signed national service legislation he said represented the boldest expansion in opportunities to serve the country since the creation of AmeriCorps.
The president said the bill, called the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, was an opportunity to harness patriotism and "connect deeds to needs" to help people serve their communities. It will triple the size of AmeriCorps to 250,000 members from 75,000 members and help fund successful non-profit service initiatives.
Sen. Kennedy, who is suffering from brain cancer, was on hand for the bill signing, and so was Former President Clinton , the creator of AmeriCorps. In his brief introduction of the president, Kennedy compared the work Obama was doing to what his brother John F. Kennedy had accomplished by establishing the Peace Corps.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Jim Miklaszewski
There's an email whipping around the internet, supposedly written by a Navy SEAL who complains that
President Obama delayed decisions to deploy the Navy SEALs because he wanted to resolve the hostage standoff with Captain Richard Phillips "peacefully."
There's enough background detail in the email to suggest it was in fact written by a SEAL, but several senior military officials who were involved in the direct planning and execution of the mission -- including in consultations with the White House and President Obama -- tell NBC News the claims are bogus.
Here is part of the email:
Having spoken to some SEAL pals in Virginia Beach yesterday and asking why this thing dragged out for 4 days, I got the
Two senior military officials who talked to NBC about this both said essentially they have no reason to carry President Obama's water on this, but that he and the White House responded quickly and positively to the military's request.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Andrea Mitchell
The
Cheney transition office says that the former VP made the request to the National Archives to declassify the CIA documents on March 31st, and the Archives confirmed on April 8th that they had forwarded the request to the relevant agencies. The Archives are the agency that former VPs contact for such matters.
Earlier today, senior intelligence officials told NBC News they have not yet received any request.
Tonight, an intelligence official said, "These things take time," and as of their latest check, it had not reached the agency.
That contradicts what the Archives told the Cheney office, which is that they forwarded the request on April 8th, more than a week after it was received from the former vice president’s office. (Click for more on this story on msnbc.com .)
From NBC's Mark Murray
In a brief press availability after his talks with
King Abdullah of Jordan,
President Obama left the door open to possible prosecution of Bush administration officials who drafted interrogation memos permitting practices like waterboarding.
"For those who carried out some of these operations within the four corners of legal opinions or guidance that had been provided from the White House, I do not think it's appropriate for them to be prosecuted," he told reporters.
But then Obama added that prosecutions for those who drafted the memos would be up to Attorney General Eric Holder . "With respect to those who formulated those legal decisions, I would say that that is going to be more of a decision for the Attorney General within the parameters of various laws, and I don't want to prejudge that. I think that there are a host of very complicated issues involved there."
Asked about his opinion of a congressional investigation into the matter, Obama refrained from taking a position -- but maintained that such an investigation should be bipartisan if it happens. "As a general deal, I think that we should be looking forward and not backwards. I do worry about this getting so politicized that we cannot function effectively, and it hampers our ability to carry out critical national security operations."
From NBC's Mark Murray
Chris Simcox , a founder of the anti-illegal immigrant Minutemen, announced that he will challenge Sen. John McCain in next year's GOP primary. Simcox will officially kick off his campaign tomorrow in Phoenix.
First Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania... Now McCain in Arizona. Do GOP primary challenges from the right in blue or purple states actually strengthen the Republican Party's chances in 2010? Or do they weaken them?
From NBC's Andrea Mitchell
Rep.
Jane Harman (D) today sent Attorney General
Eric Holder a letter demanding that any transcripts of intercepted calls be released -- uncensored -- so that she can verify her claim that she never discussed a quid-pro-quo deal, as has been alleged by
CQ and the
New York Times .
She also wants an investigation into NSA intercepts of members of Congress -- and what she calls "selective leaks."
Video:
Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif., responds to a report that she was recorded on NSA wiretaps agreeing to push the Justice Department for leniency on behalf of two pro-Israel lobbyists accused of being spies. Harman told NBC she was unaware of any wiretaps until called by a reporter from CQ on Thursday.
Here's her letter...
Dear General Holder:
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro Cheney strikes back, again : The political back-and-forth over the Obama administration’s release of those interrogation memos now seems like something out of a “24” episode. Conservatives argue that the interrogations, including waterboarding, made the country safer. Some Democrats, on the other hand, want to prosecute the authors of those memos. And a former controversial vice president -- Dick Cheney -- who previously has contended that the current administration has made the country less safe, now says he has asked the CIA to declassify interrogation memos that apparently show successful results from the interrogation techniques. Indeed, in his interview last night on FOX, Cheney not only called for those memos to be declassified, he blasted Obama for “cozying up” to Hugo Chavez (“I think it's not helpful… I think it sort of sets the wrong standard”), and for what he said was Obama apologizing “profusely” overseas for America’s past actions (“The world outside there … will be quick to take advantage of a situation if they think they're dealing with a weak president or one who is not going to stand up and aggressively defend America's interests”). Wow, did a former vice president just suggest that a sitting American president is weak? Is there a precedent to this in modern American history?
*** Firing up both bases : Politically, as we’ve said before, Democrats are probably more than happy for Cheney to be back in the news as the defender of the Bush administration. As one GOP strategist tells the Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza , Cheney “is a face of the past. A face of conflict and too polarizing. So, not a good face of the party." In fact, a December 2008 NBC/WSJ poll showed Cheney with a fav/unfav rating of 21%-58%. But this entire Cheney vs. Obama debate on interrogation fires up both bases -- and thus makes for perfect cable chatter. Yet what are people in the middle thinking? The answer to that question will tell you the short-term winner of this debate. One other question we have: Does Cheney actually have the ability to declassify CIA memos?
*** Obama’s Project “Dave” : Republicans yesterday had a field day with Obama’s request for his cabinet secretaries to cut $100 million from their budgets. As the Republicans pointed out, that request amounted to just .0025% of Obama’s budget. “Budget analysts promptly burst out laughing,” the New York Times writes. “A reporter declared at the White House briefing that the initiative would become fodder for late-night talk show hosts.” (Couldn’t have Obama had asked each department to cut $100 million, pushing the total request above $1 billion?) But as Republicans laugh at Obama’s paltry request, the DNC fires back with a Web video showing GOP leaders supporting increased spending during Bush’s presidency.
*** Bill and Ted’s national service adventure : After Ted Kennedy endorsed Obama for president during the Democratic primary season last year, Bill Clinton became furious at his old friend. But the two men will be back together today when 1) they meet with President Obama in the Oval Office at 2:45 pm ET to discuss national service, and when 2) Obama signs the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act (which reauthorizes AmeriCorps) into law at 4:00 pm. Unlike the debates over interrogation and spending, national service is a feel-good subject that crosses party lines. And just askin’, but if Obama can’t get young people involved in national service, then who can? Melody Barnes of the White House, Alan Solomont (chair of the Corporation for National and Community Service), and Stephen Goldsmith (the corporation’s vice chair) hold a conference call at 10:00 am to discuss the national service legislation. Also today, Obama meets with King Abdullah of Jordan and presents the Commander-in-Chief trophy to the Naval Academy’s football team.
*** Geithner back on the Hill : On Capitol Hill beginning at 10:00 am ET, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner testifies before the congressional panel looking at TARP. Per excerpts of his prepared remarks, Geithner will say: "Our central obligation as your government is to ensure that the financial system is stable, that there is no bank run and that confidence remains in our long term outlook. To that end we have made significant progress. But that is not enough. We must also ensure that a financial system which may be stable is not hurting the economy and deepening the recession. And we must ensure that the pace of recovery is not constrained. It must come about as quickly as possible.” Geithner’s testimony comes, the AP says, as the special inspector general for TARP “concluded in a 250-page quarterly report to Congress that a private-public partnership designed to rid financial institutions of their ‘toxic assets’ is tilted in favor of private investors and creates ‘potential unfairness to the taxpayer.’” With Geithner on the Hill today, we ask again: Why isn’t there a commission -- a la the 9/11 Commission -- investigating what happened to the U.S. economy? No surrender : For a losing politician, the concession speech -- if gracious -- provides an opportunity to rise above the normal back-and-forth associated with a close and bitterly fought election and to look like a statesman. Whether it was Al Gore after losing by a few hundred votes in Florida, or John Kerry after losing by thousands of votes in Ohio, or John McCain after losing a race that forced him to run a more negative campaign than he probably planned, the concession speech prompted a similar reaction: If Gore/Kerry/McCain acted this way during the campaign, he might have won. But Norm Coleman isn't going to have that opportunity now that he's appealing his case to the Minnesota Supreme Court, further extending a contest that has lasted 168 days (24 weeks!) since Election Day. Coleman argues he's appealing to enfranchise 4,400 Minnesota voters; his critics contend he's doing it only to delay the inevitable. It's politics as usual -- something a concession speech rises above.
Countdown to Obama’s 100th day: 8 days
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The New York Times : “Pressure mounted on President Obama on Monday for more thorough investigation into harsh interrogations of terrorism suspects under the Bush administration, even as he tried to reassure the Central Intelligence Agency that it would not be blamed for following legal advice… And while Mr. Obama vowed not to prosecute C.I.A. officers for acting on legal advice, on Monday aides did not rule out legal sanctions for the Bush lawyers who developed the legal basis for the use of the techniques.”
More: “Some Bush administration officials, including former Vice President Dick Cheney, accused the administration of endangering the country by disclosing national secrets. Mr. Cheney went on the Fox News Channel to announce that he had asked the C.I.A. to declassify reports documenting the intelligence gained from the interrogations. Gen. Michael V. Hayden, the former C.I.A. director, has also condemned the release of the memorandums and said the harsh questioning had value.”
Obama tried to reassure CIA staff yesterday that the agency has his full support, The Hill writes. "Now, in that context I know that the last few days have been difficult," Obama acknowledged. "Obama said that he had some conversations before his publicized remarks with 'senior folks here at Langley in which I think people have expressed understandable anxiety and concern.'"
"Top White House officials described the decision to release the torture memos Thursday as among the toughest of Obama's young presidency," Politico says. "There was a vigorous debate internally about which documents to release and how much detail to redact. In the end, Obama himself was described as carefully editing his final statement to make sure he hit just the right note."
CONTINUED >>
"The AmeriCorps program started by President Bill Clinton will triple in size over the next eight years, and tens of thousands of other Americans will soon see new opportunities to give back to their communities," the AP writes. "It's all part of a $5.7 billion national service bill President Barack Obama is scheduled to sign Tuesday to foster and fulfill people's desire to make a difference, such as by mentoring children, cleaning up parks or building and weatherizing homes for the poor." New York Times has more. “Barack Obama split Bill Clinton and Ted Kennedy apart. Now he’s bringing them back together. The current president, the former president and the ailing senator from Massachusetts will gather at the Seed School in Washington on Tuesday, where Mr. Obama is to sign the Edward M. Kennedy National Service Act into law. The legislation builds on Mr. Obama’s call to service by creating new opportunities for millions of America to volunteer.”
The Washington Post : “As Congress returns to begin an intense debate over reshaping the nation's $2.2 trillion health-care system, prominent left-leaning organizations and liberal House members are issuing a warning to their Democratic allies: Don't cave on us. The early skirmishing -- essentially amounting to friendly fire -- is perhaps the clearest indication yet of the uphill battle President Obama faces in delivering on his promise to make affordable, high-quality care available to every American.”
The Boston Globe front-pages how opposition is growing toward Obama's nominee to be the State Department's top lawyer -- Harold Hongju Koh, dean of Yale Law School and one-time critic of the Bush administration "for failing to uphold the Geneva Conventions and other treaties." Conservatives "suggest that if Koh becomes the chief legal adviser to American diplomats, he would give undue influence to foreign legal opinions, perhaps limiting American options in matters of national security… GOP members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee have signaled that they will sharply question him during the confirmation hearings."
The New York Times , following up on a report by CQ, alleges that Democratic Rep. Jane Harman was “overheard on telephone calls intercepted by the National Security Agency agreeing to seek lenient treatment from the Bush administration for two pro-Israel lobbyists who were under investigation for espionage, current and former government officials say… One official who has seen transcripts of several wiretapped calls said she appeared to agree to intercede in exchange for help in persuading party leaders to give her” chairmanship of the House Intelligence Committee, a post she did not get.
Roll Call adds that the original CQ story “not only targeted Harman, but carried a stinging charge against a top Republican: that then-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales stopped a federal probe of Harman’s actions so she could remain a credible ally in the Bush administration’s defense of its warrantless wiretapping program, which was about to be made public by the New York Times."
NBC’s Andrea Mitchell reports that the Senate voted yesterday to cut off debate on Christopher Hill's nomination to be Ambassador to Iraq -- ending a long delay in his confirmation. A final floor vote is scheduled for today. AP : "Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner faces a slew of questions about his plans to shore up banks while a watchdog agency warns that Obama administration initiatives could increasingly expose taxpayers to losses. Geithner is scheduled to testify Tuesday before the Congressional Oversight Panel for the government's $700 billion financial rescue program."
CONTINUED >>
MINNESOTA : “Ignoring opponents' demands that he concede, Norm Coleman told the Minnesota Supreme Court Monday that a lower court got it all wrong when it ruled that Al Franken won the 2008 U.S. Senate election,” the
Minneapolis Star Tribune writes. Republican Coleman filed notice of his appeal to the state's high court late Monday, asserting in a seven-page statement that the judges who awarded the election last week to DFLer Franken by 312 votes had deprived thousands of absentee voters of their constitutional rights to have their ballots counted.”
CONNECTICUT :
Roll Call writes, "Psychologists and political historians should be having a field day in Connecticut right now. After all, aren’t the troubles engulfing Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) vaguely reminiscent of those that ended the political career of his father, the late Sen. Thomas Dodd (D-Conn.)?"
MISSOURI : Roy Blunt's "disappointing" first-quarter fundraising haul has Missouri Republicans doubting his candidacy against Democrat Robin Carnahan,
Politico writes. Republican "former state Treasurer Sarah Steelman is expected to leap into the race. Steelman ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for governor in 2008 but not before bloodying former GOP Rep. Kenny Hulshof, the eventual nominee who lost to Democrat Jay Nixon. Many in the state GOP’s establishment wing view Steelman as an opportunist whose attacks on Hulshof as a big Washington spender cost Hulshof any real shot at winning in November."
From NBC's Harry Enten and Mark Murray Norm Coleman's legal team today announced it would be filing a notice of appeal with the Minnesota Supreme Court. Coleman lawyer Jim Langdon said it could take anywhere from "two weeks to two months" for the court to begin hearing oral arguments. Langdon and fellow Coleman attorney Ben Ginsberg wouldn't say whether they would take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court if the Minnesota court ruled against Coleman.
While their legal reasoning behind the appeal was similar to their arguments in front of the three-judge panel -- which ruled that Al Franken had won the most votes -- Coleman's attorneys said they hoped the state Supreme Court will look at constitutional issues regarding the recount. They believed the lower courts might have felt "constrained" by prior Minnesota Supreme Court recount rulings, and that the court can set aside these rulings aside and look at the recount's equal-protection and due-process violations.
“Today, 4,400 Minnesotans have not had their voices heard or their votes counted," Coleman said in a statement released by his campaign. "The Minnesotan Supreme Court is the right place for these issues to be heard, reviewed, and decided."
In a conference call responding to Coleman's appeal, Franken attorney Marc Elias said that Coleman's arguments are the "same old, same old" that the three-judge panel and Minnesota Canvassing Board rejected earlier. "Sometimes you come up on the short end of a close and bitter election," he said. "But at some point, you have to accept the reality for what it is" -- that Franken won the election.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC’s Ken Strickland and Domenico Montanaro Saxby Chambliss , a member of the Intelligence and Armed Services committees, today said in the effort to embarrass former President Bush , the Obama administration "overstepped their bounds" in releasing interrogation memos last week.
"It seems that this administration looks for every opportunity they can to seek to embarrass the previous administration,” Chambliss said at a news conference. “And I think this is one time they really overstepped their bounds."
Citing the fact that there hasn't been a terrorist attack on U.S. soil since 9/11, Chambliss added, "Whatever the previous administration did, under the guise of the legal opinions that the Justice Department issued, it's worked. And the American people have a great appreciation for that."
He added, "There are some things that when you operate in the cloak-and-dagger world of the intelligence community that need to remain in the intelligence community."
At the same news conference, Republican Leader Mitch McConnell suggested President Obama's visit to the CIA today was about damage control.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mark Murray President Obama today asked his cabinet secretaries to identify at least a combined $100 million in cuts to their budgets. "None of these savings by themselves are going to solve our long-term fiscal problems," Obama said. "But taken together, they can make a difference, and they send a signal that we are serious about changing how government operates."
Video: Obama tells his cabinet to cut spending by $100 million. Republicans, however, mocked the size of this $100 million cut, which they pointed out represents just .0025 percent of Obama's nearly $4 trillion budget.
“The administration’s new talk of trimming a meager .0025 percent from the $4 trillion federal budget just doesn’t square with its reckless record on borrowing and spending," House Minority Leader John Boehner said in a statement. "Washington Democrats have spent the past three months doling out more taxpayer dollars than every previous president combined, and the administration is clearly feeling the heat."
When asked after his cabinet meeting whether the $100 million was just a drop in the bucket, Obama agreed. "Cumulatively, they would make an extraordinary difference because they start setting a tone," he answered. "And so what we're going to do is line by line, page by page, $100 million there, $100 million here. Pretty soon, even in Washington, it adds up to real money."
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Before the House and Senate broke for holiday recess two weeks ago, the chambers passed their separate versions of the president's budget.
Legislative aides say the budget is on target to be voted on next week and "conferees" will "probably" be named this week. (Conferees are essentially the members designated to represent both chambers in negotiations.)
Conferees being named is an important step, aides say. It's a sign that a deal may be close on merging the two bills, as staffers point out, conferees won't likely be named unless the majority has the votes. The Democratic leadership will meet and discuss where they are with committee chairs and make a determination, aides say. (The Democratic caucus meets tomorrow night at 7:30. FDIC head Sheila Bair , by the way, is expected to be there.)
Funding for health care is the biggest hurdle to the budget's passage, aides say. Because of that, the House favors reserving the option to use what's known here as "reconciliation"; The Senate does not. It is the major sticking point. The budget would have no problem passing the House, as Democrats have an overwhelming majority, but the Senate is a different ballgame.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Pete Williams
It now appears that the surviving Somali pirate who took part in holding Captain Richard Phillips hostage will appear in federal court in New York tomorrow to face the charges against him.
Law enforcement officials had hoped to bring him to the United States last night, but that was delayed by 24 hours.
The Justice Department is planning to proceed against him as an adult. Federal investigators believe he's 19, though it may be difficult to prove his exact age.
From NBC's Andrea Mitchell and John Holland Stephen Harper vigorously defended President Obama's handling of Hugo Chavez at this weekend's summit.
In response to a question about the criticism of Obama by some conservative politicians in the United States, Harper said that he is a conservative, but thinks that Obama's handling of Venezuela was effective at advancing America's values and interests.
"Let me be a bit of a conservative defender of the president in this regard," Harper said. "I was present obviously at all the meetings -- not the meeting between President Obama and the South American leaders, obviously wasn't at that. But I was present at the summit meeting, all of the plenary sessions."
"I thought President Obama did an excellent job of expressing the values, and priorities of the U.S. of America," he added. "I thought that he allowed ... a dialogue to take place in a good spirit to animate the room -- which I thought made the meetings productive. I think [it] made the U.S., took the U.S. to a higher plane than the Venezuelas of the world, and I think was very effective at moving the vast majorities of countries, reaffirming a very centrist position and very progressive position on the things that concern us: democracy, human rights, open markets, trade."
Harper concluded, "I know he got some criticism at home. But, you know, the U.S. is bigger than Venezuela in the end. The U.S. is the U.S., and I thought President Obama led in a way that was very effective at that conference."
From NBC's Libby Leist
On the potential exchange of ambassadors between the U.S. and Venezuela, according to State Department officials, while an exchange of ambassadors is likely, the
Obama Administration has not made any decisions yet.
Last September,
Hugo Chavez expelled the U.S. ambassador accusing the U.S. of trying to interfere in Venezuelan affairs.
"When there's a new government in the United States, we'll send an ambassador," Chavez was quoted as saying. "A government that respects Latin America."
Over the weekend, Chavez approached Hillary Clinton to express Venezuela's interest in exchanging ambassadors and Clinton agreed to consider it, State Department officials say.
The next step would be for the U.S. to formally agree that it will resume ambassador-level relations with Venezuela and to nominate someone.
From NBC's Mark Murray Al Franken is now beginning to hire key staffers who would work in his Senate office.
Per a release, Franken announced that Alana Petersen -- who served as Democratic Rep. Jim Oberstar's political director and director of field operations -- would be his Minnesota state director.
"Drawing on her wealth of experience and her ability to reach out to every constituency in Minnesota, when I have the privilege of being certified, she'll work with me to ensure that we hit the ground running on Day One," Franken said. *** UPDATE ***
