Obama agenda: Good news, bad news
Posted: Monday, November 09, 2009 9:12 AM by Mark Murray
Filed Under:
White House, Barack Obama
The New York Times front-pages, “The White House, growing concerned that the Congressional timetable for passing a health care overhaul could slip into next year, is stepping up pressure on the Senate for quick action, with President Obama appearing Sunday in the Rose Garden to call on senators to ‘take up the baton and bring this effort to the finish line.’ Mr. Obama’s remarks came just 14 hours after the House narrowly approved a landmark plan that would cost $1.1 trillion over 10 years and extend insurance coverage to 36 million uninsured Americans; the president called it “a courageous vote.” But the votes had barely been counted when the White House began turning its attention to an even bigger hurdle: getting legislation passed in the Senate.”
Video: After the health care bill passed the House, President Obama says it's now time for the Senate to "take up the baton" of health care reform.
The Washington Post: “A year after his election, the health-care vote in the House was a reminder of the power that he still wields to shape the country's future, cajoling change that he promised as a candidate over the objections of a nearly unified GOP and a sharply divided party of his own. But the victory came on the heels of sobering evidence that even a president as popular as he remains is subject to the shifting public mood, an economy struggling to recover and events that are beyond his direct control.”
Obama will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today. Netanyahu is in DC speaking to Jewish groups.
The L.A. Times previews Obama’s upcoming trip to Asia. “With unemployment topping 10% and his healthcare plan still facing Senate action, President Obama has plenty to keep him busy at home. But on Thursday, he will head to Asia for more than a week, a trip that underscores the White House's conviction that a close partnership with China and other Pacific Rim nations is crucial to American interests. Obama is scheduled to stop in Japan, Singapore, China and South Korea, bringing to 20 the number of nations he has visited since taking office in January. That's a record, according to the Obama administration; no other president has traveled to so many countries in his first year in office.”
Senior Director for East Asian affairs, Jeffery Bader, also previewed the president's trip on Friday. Speaking at the Brookings' Institution, Bader said Obama's personal popularity abroad will help advance the U.S.'s agenda in the region. "My view is when someone is admired, popular and seen positively, his message is more likely to resonate," Bader said, adding, "Rather than when you come in with a 5% approval rating." On trade, former ambassador Stapleton Roy, who also spoke at the event, said that getting China to reform its trade policies -- like loosening trade restrictions and moving toward a market-based currency -- will be a challenge for the U.S. while it recovers from the global recession. "The reputation of the U.S. for having the most profitable and secure financial services is tarnished," he said. "China will not be lectured to."
Lynn Sweet profiles the assistant White House chef, Sam Kass. “It's not so much his cooking -- when we talked, Kass did not name a signature dish or style, instead emphasizing his overall food philosophy -- but his work on the White House kitchen garden and nutrition programs, signature projects of first lady Michelle Obama, that has vaulted him from the food section to the news pages.”
