White House
From NBC's Scott Foster President Obama was asked for his reaction to the apparent perception in the black community that he wasn't "respectful enough" to the death of Michael Jackson.
The president responded that he knows "a lot of people in the black community, and I haven't heard that."
(To recap: Obama's spokesman spoke on the president's behalf during a White House briefing last week, and the White House issued a written statement over the weekend that the President had sent a condolence letter to the Jackson family.)
Today, Obama offered his public reaction, praising the legacy of Jackson -- while also noting the troubling aspects of his life.
"Michael Jackson is -- will go down in history as one of the greatest entertainers," he said. "I grew up on his music, still have all his stuff on my iPod. You know, I think his brilliance as a performer also was paired with a tragic and in many ways sad personal life. But, you know, I am glad to see that he is being remembered primarily for the great joy that he brought to a lot of people through his extraordinary gifts as an entertainer."
From NBC's Mark Murray President Obama's handling of the economy (even though, as we pointed out this morning, that the huge job losses began back in 2008 ).
RNC Chairman Michael Steele : “June’s unemployment report shows a job loss of 467,000 and proves that the stimulus package is not a ‘Recovery Act.’ Today President Obama will hold another White House PR event with presidential spin instead of putting forth real world, free market solutions that will put Americans back to work."
House Minority Whip Eric Cantor: "House Republicans laid out a serious and substantive agenda that put jobs first. House Democrats, along with the White House, instead took an unfocused, ‘go it alone’ approach that has fallen well short of its goals and has failed to create jobs."
And House Minority Leader John Boehner has released a Web video that asks, "Where are the jobs?"
*** UPDATE ***
The Washington Post has a C.W.-setting piece on the Obama administration’s agenda. “Obama and his aides have proved adept at navigating the politics and eccentricities of the legislative branch. But as lawmakers attempt to navigate much trickier and more contentious issues in the second half of the year, the narrow margin of Friday's energy vote served as a warning: The higher the stakes, the tougher the challenge in finding consensus within what has become a diverse Democratic majority.”
Video: NBC’s Andrea Mitchell talks with Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., about a last-minute provision to the House-approved cap and trade bill, which would require President Barack Obama’s successors to tariff goods from nations that do not limit greenhouse gas emissions. More: "Maintaining a sense of common interest across the party is a paramount goal. Early on, administration officials and Democratic leaders agreed they would steer clear of controversial social issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage. And to the discontent of many liberal Democrats, Congress intends to remain generally silent on those fronts... For the White House, the trick is to keep a firm grip without appearing overly meddlesome."
The New York Times , meanwhile, has a look at how the Obama administration is trying to move the health care campaign outside the Beltway. "With members of Congress back in their districts for the Fourth of July recess, Mr. Obama’s political group, Organizing for America, has recruited thousands of supporters to participate in blood drives, raise money for medical research and volunteer at community health clinics this week, all with the intent of sending reminders to lawmakers that the public wants action on health care. ‘The main thing,’ David Axelrod, Mr. Obama’s senior adviser, said, ‘is to involve as many people as possible and demonstrate in a variety of ways the level and degree of intensity of support that this has.’ Of Mr. Obama’s supporters, Mr. Axelrod said, ‘There’s no issue that motivates them more than health care.’”
Video: President Obama asks for video and online questions about health care ahead of a July 1 virtual town hall on the topic. The White House's favorite right-of-center columnist,
David Brooks , laments the dominance Congress has over writing legislation. "The great paradox of the age is that Barack Obama, the most riveting of recent presidents, is leading us into an era of Congressional dominance. And Congressional governance is a haven for special interest pleading and venal logrolling. When the executive branch is dominant you often get coherent proposals that may not pass. When Congress is dominant, as now, you get politically viable mishmashes that don’t necessarily make sense."
CONTINUED >>
The New York Times front-pages, “President Obama on Sunday praised the energy bill passed by the House late last week as an ‘extraordinary first step,’ but he spoke out against a provision that would impose trade penalties on countries that do not accept limits on global warming pollution. ‘At a time when the economy worldwide is still deep in recession and we’ve seen a significant drop in global trade,’ Mr. Obama said, ‘I think we have to be very careful about sending any protectionist signals out there.’ He added, ‘I think there may be other ways of doing it than with a tariff approach.’”
The Washington Post : “In an interview with a small group of energy reporters in the Oval Office, Obama had few other criticisms as he savored last week's narrow victory in the House on one of his top domestic priorities: a climate bill designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency."
Video: While critics say the new system will lead to higher energy costs, President Barack Obama used his weekly Web address to implore the Senate to follow the House's lead. The
Boston Globe called the House’s passage of the energy bill late Friday, “a big political victory” for President Obama.
The
AP on the energy legislation: “Facing a rare defeat, President Barack Obama put a big dose of political capital on the line and scored a major victory just when he needed one.”
“Obama
used his weekly address to urge senators to back the measure. ‘I want to congratulate the House for passing this bill, and I want to urge the Senate to take this opportunity to come together and meet our obligations - to our constituents, to our children, to God's creation and to future generations,’ Obama said.”
The president also appeared to give a pass to the Democrats who voted against the bill in the House. “The president, joined by Energy Secretary Steven Chu and White House coordinator of energy and climate policy Carol Browner, said ‘those 44 Democrats are sensitive to the immediate political climate of uncertainty around this issue,’” per The Hill . “They've got to run every two years, and I completely understand that.”
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Athena Jones
Robert Gibbs is in the tank for President Obama , but this time it's the White House press corps who put him there.
The informal event was added to the schedule after reporters pressed Gibbs for the opportunity during the afternoon briefing.
Outside, thatched roof huts and multicolored table spreads decorated the lawn along with a volleyball net and a band shell, while inflatable sharks floated in the fountain.
Gibbs removed his glasses and passed them to an aide as he took his spot in the tank, behind bright red bars. He wore a long sleeved navy shirt and shorts.
Fox Correspondent Mike Emanuel was the first up to pitch, but missed at all three attempts. Second up was AP correspondent Ben Feller.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mark Murray Rahm Emanuel -- who also worked in Bill Clinton's White House -- was optimistic about passing health-care reform this year. "We are in good shape," he told reporters in an off-camera breakfast meeting.
The first difference, Emanuel said, was that the interest groups that helped defeat health reform in the '90s -- the doctors, the hospitals, the insurers -- are playing a constructive role in the reform. Second, he noted that the three House committees working on the legislation are all on the same page, unlike what happened 15 years ago. And third, he said the Obama administration was allowing Congress to draft the legislation, which didn't happen in the '90s.
Yet in perhaps his most striking comments during the breakfast, Emanuel also observed this difference between now and then: fewer moderate Republicans, like the late Rhode Island Sen. John Chafee , who might be open to helping pass health-care reform. "They are a party that doesn’t have Sen. Chafees" anymore," he said answering a question about whether the White House could get 10 or more Senate Republicans to vote for the legislation. "That makes getting bipartisanship done hard." He added that the Republican Party has transformed into a regional party and is seeing its poll numbers decline even after suffering defeats in two consecutive national elections.
Video: Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, joins the Morning Joe gang to discuss the back and forth over health care reform. Given the dwindling number of GOP moderates, Emanuel urged the reporters in attendance not to judge whether the legislation is bipartisan based on whether how many Republicans vote for it. A better standard, he said, is 1) does it have Republican ideas in it, and 2) has
President Obama tried to be bipartisan? All that said, Emanuel expects to get some GOP support, although he wouldn't say how many. "I do believe you'll see bipartisan votes."
CONTINUED >>
In its write-up of last night’s forum on health care, the AP leads with Obama leaving the door open to taxing health care benefits. “The prime-time program was the latest in a string of events designed to build public support for his plan to slow the rise in health care costs and expand coverage to the nearly 50 million uninsured.” The Hill saw Obama as trying to reassure the middle class.
Video: Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Calif., discusses the actions President Barack Obama needs to take in order to ensure both Democratic and Republican congressional leaders will approve his health care plan. The
Boston Globe : “The hour-long ABC special reminded viewers of the sheer vastness of the legislative project now before Congress. In a single bill, lawmakers will attempt to regulate wasteful end-of-life spending, send more primary care doctors to medical school, prevent kids from getting fat, pay doctors in a more sensible way, eliminate inefficient treatments and cover 46 million uninsured Americans. Without increasing the deficit.” More: “Obama was also forced to address one of the most difficult political obstacles he will have to confront: Americans' fear that changing in how healthcare is delivered could do more harm than good.”
Per NBC’s Luke Russert, House Republicans continued to blame the media yesterday, going so far as to create a group called the Media Fairness Caucus, urging the networks in particular to “argue on behalf of the American people.” Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) again accused the broadcast media of having a liberal bias and used the podium to preemptively attack ABC for its health-care forum -- something the Republican National Committee and House Republicans have done for the past two weeks. "I would challenge them to devote a day to the other side" of the health care debate, said Phil Gingrey (R-GA). Smith added, “Various objective studies have shown that Fox is the one that comes closest to interviewing both sides.”
Time magazine’s cover: "WHAT BARACK OBAMA CAN LEARN FROM F.D.R."
It includes an
essay from Bill Clinton : "Roosevelt also knew that in a highly dynamic time like his -- or the one we're in now -- you have to do a lot more than one thing at a time. I was often criticized, just as President Obama is now, for trying to do too many things at once. Roosevelt understood that in a complex and perilous situation, you have to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time, and he was masterly in doing a variety of difficult things simultaneously... I thought of both Roosevelts when I told Americans that we needed a new social contract for the 21st century, one that would keep us moving toward a 'more perfect union' in a highly interdependent, complex, ever changing world. That is the challenge Obama has inherited. I believe he will succeed in his efforts at economic recovery, health-care reform and taking big steps on climate change. Along the way, I hope he will be inspired by F.D.R.'s concern for all Americans, his relentless optimism, his penchant for experimentation, his relish for spirited debate among brilliant advisers and his unshakable faith in the promise of America."
From NBC's Mark Murray President Obama's meeting tomorrow to discuss immigration reform with congressional Democrats and Republicans, immigration advocates held a conference call today with reporters, urging the Obama administration to make immigration a priority -- this year.
Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento said that tomorrow's meeting will tell them whether the White House is serious about enacting comprehensive immigration reform or whether it's timid. "Delaying immigration reform will be a mistake," he said, arguing that the country can no longer accept the status quo.
Tamar Jacoby, president and CEO of ImmigrationWorks USA, added that when the economy begins to recover, employers will need immigrant labor. "This is the time to do it. This is the time to start preparing for the economic recovery."
Frank Sharry, executive director of America's Voice, said it was smart policy and smart politics to take up immigration reform. He noted that Obama was elected in no small part because independent voters thought he and the Democrats were best able to find solutions to challenging problems like immigration. He also said Republicans "will have a huge price to pay" if they are seen as blocking immigration reform and scapegoating immigrants and Latinos.
Asked about Robert Gibbs' recent comment that the "math" might be against immigration reform this year, Sharry replied, "When it comes to counting votes in the U.S. Congress, we tend to look to Harry Reid before Robert Gibbs."
The New York Times : “In his strongest comments since the crisis erupted 10 days ago, Mr. Obama used unambiguous language to assail the Iranian government during a news conference at the White House, calling himself ‘appalled and outraged by the threats, beatings and imprisonments of the past few days.’”
AP's Burns writes, "President Barack Obama described himself on Tuesday as being 'entirely consistent' in his expressions of concern about the disputed Iranian election and the government crackdown that followed street protests. But his language clearly has gotten tougher since his first statement that the suppression of dissent was 'of concern to me.'"
Video: During President Obama’s afternoon press conference Tuesday, he refuted suggestions that he is only now getting tough on Iran. Is his measured approach still the right one? Rachel Maddow is joined by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Certainly, the president's rhetoric has gotten progressively tougher. But the White House would argue -- as the president did yesterday -- that his language has tracked with the situation. When Republicans first expressed outrage about what John McCain called a "fraud" election, Obama tempered his words. After all, the U.S. and the international community had no independent election monitors at polling stations in Iran. And as Obama said, he didn't want to inflame the situation and make the U.S. a "foil" or an excuse for the Iranian government to use violence against protestors. When the Iranian government threatened violence, Obama spoke out more strongly. And now that the government has acted, he has taken his toughest tone. That, the White House would argue, is consistent.
The New York Daily News' cover has a photo of an aggrieved Obama from yesterday's press conference with the headline: "Death that broke his heart." Subheadline: "Obama grieves for Iranian martyr Neda."
Today, Obama will "meet with a bipartisan group of governors who co-hosted regional forums on health reform earlier this year. They include Democrats Jennifer Granholm of Michigan, Jim Doyle of Wisconsin and Christine Gregoire of Washington, and Republicans Jim Douglas of Vermont and Mike Rounds of South Dakota," the AP reports. "The White House says the meeting will serve as a forum for the governors to share what they learned and discuss the health care overhaul and skyrocketing health care costs." AP adds. "The response from physicians and industry: a lobbying counterattack accusing Obama of denying patients the lifesaving tools they need. Patients, rural doctors and advocacy groups who back the procedures will gather in the House Wednesday for a panel discussion, part of the campaign. The industry spearheaded a bipartisan letter to Obama from 57 House members objecting to the cuts. It has staged events in North Carolina and other states where senators face re-election next year. And it is using a Web site and newspaper ads to encourage people to complain to Congress about the proposal."
Video: President Obama explains that proposed health care reform legislation 'must and will get paid for' while preserving what is best about the current American health care system. Politico : "As Senate Democratic leaders voiced increasing skepticism about reaching a bipartisan health care compromise, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and a high-powered delegation of administration officials huddled with key Democratic senators on Capitol Hill Tuesday. The aim, according to one participant, was to 'compare notes' as pressure builds on the administration’s goal of passing a health care bill this year with support from both sides of the aisle.
Politico : "Amid all its other budget woes, the Obama administration now estimates it will need $20 billion in new savings or revenues to shore up the finances for the highway trust fund until after the 2010 elections."
CONTINUED >>
