The First 100 Days
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
*** Six months in: Six months ago today, Barack Obama was sworn in as the nation’s 44th president. But it seems much longer ago than that, doesn’t it? Since that cold day in January, so much has happened: the legislative fight over the stimulus, the rescue from those Somali pirates, the budget battle, the president’s first European trip, the Obama vs. Cheney duel over national security, the Sotomayor nomination, the Cairo speech, the aftermath of the Iranian election, the Russia-Italy-Ghana trip, and the current fight over health care. In his article in the Sunday New York Times Magazine, Matt Bai likened Obama to an iPod shuffle. "Obama is the nation’s first shuffle president. He’s telling lots of stories at once, and in no particular order. His agenda is fully downloadable. If what you care most about is health care, then you can jump right to that. If global warming gets you going, then click over there.” But there's a danger to this, Bai adds. "Random play may popularize your music in the aggregate, but it doesn’t foster the same kind of investment in the songs themselves. U2 may have more fans than ever, but that doesn’t mean these listeners can name half the tracks on the band’s latest release."
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Video: The New York Times Magazine's Matt Bai talks about the Obama administration's wide range of objectives and whether the president is trying to do too much too soon
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Still personally popular, but less so on the issues: Six months in and one piece of conventional wisdom appears to be holding: Obama is personally more popular than his proposals. According to a new
Washington Post/ABC poll, the president’s overall approval rating stands at a still-strong 59%. But his ratings on the issues have declined: 49% approve of handling of health care (down eight points since April), 43% approve of his handling of the deficit, and 52% approve of his handling of the economy.
Video: Morning Meeting’s Dylan Ratigan and a panel, which includes NBC’s Chuck Todd, debate whether the country is increasingly becoming unhappy with the president.
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All Obama, all the time: On the first day of his seventh month in office, the
Washington Post also front-pages that Obama is launching an all-out media blitz on health care. “With skepticism about the president's health-care reform effort mounting on Capitol Hill -- even within his own party -- the White House has launched a new phase of its strategy designed to dramatically increase public pressure on Congress: all Obama, all the time." More: “‘Our strategy has been to allow this process to advance to the point where it made sense for the president to take the baton. Now's that time,’ said senior adviser David Axelrod. ‘I don't know whether he will Twitter or tweet. But he's going to be very, very visible.’” Indeed. Today, from the Children’s National Medical Center in DC, Obama will once again deliver remarks on health care. On Wednesday, he’s holding a primetime news conference. And the following day, he heads to Cleveland, OH.
*** One small step for reform, one giant leap for conventional wisdom: Obama's hopes for getting a health-care bill through the Senate lie in the hands of one man: Montana Sen. Max Baucus (D). At some point this week (maybe today), his Senate Finance Committee is going to be releasing more details of his proposal. Can he become the Obama administration’s savior? Will it be one small step for health-care reform legislation getting passed by the August recess? Whatever he announces, it will be one giant leap for health care conventional wisdom. (If you didn’t get our reference to Neil Armstrong’s famous words, today is the 40th anniversary of man’s landing on the moon, and Obama today meets with Apollo 11 crew and NASA Administrator Bolden at 2:00 pm ET.)
*** The Great American Health Care Fight: The other moving parts on health care: In their interviews on the Sunday shows, administration officials (HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and OMB Director Peter Orszag) were no longer demanding that Congress pass their bills before the August recess… Per the Wall Street Journal, Democratic congressional members representing some of the nation’s more affluent areas are expressing concerns about the House health-care bill that would tax high-income earners… Governors are concerned about the bills moving through Congress… Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R), per the Washington Post, is stepping back into the national spotlight by writing op-ed and appearing on cable TV to talk about health care (Jindal once served as Louisiana’s top health official)… And RNC Chairman Michael Steele will criticize Obama’s health-care proposals in a speech at the National Press Club at 9:00 am ET.
Video: Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius responds to critics of the proposed health care bills with NBC’s David Gregory on “Meet the Press.”
***
Where’s the cover? Speaking of Sebelius, she wasn't full of answers in her appearance on “Meet the Press.” The fact that she can't definitively talk about which bill the president likes and doesn't makes it that much harder -- right now -- for congressional Democratic leaders to twist arms to get this done. These folks need some public guidance (and cover) if they are going to support, say, a surtax on millionaires. No wonder the White House is signaling that the president is going to try and wrestle even more control of the debate. But he was fully engaged last week and that didn't help. This week, he's doing more TV interviews and the prime time press conference. Will it be enough?
*** Burying bad news: The news, per the AP, that the administration is delaying its budget mid-year review is a signal it’s scared about what the new numbers will show -- making support for new initiatives from Blue Dog Democrats in the House and conservative Dems in the Senate that much more difficult. This is the BIGGEST piece of news no one is paying attention to. Clearly, the White House is trying to bury this news as best they can, in August, post-recess. Speaking of August, the White House set it as the deadline to get those health bills through Congress. It's artificial, but it's a big test politically. Perhaps Obama can withstand letting the August goal slide, but not getting a bill at all this year would be a huge defeat. Then again, it does seem as if, whether they meant to or not, that the expectations game is now in Obama's favor. The debate is about the process more than it is about the separate proposals.
*** I’m sorry, so sorry, please accept my apology:
Yesterday, embattled South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) penned an extraordinary op-ed in the Columbia State newspaper apologizing for his affair and its aftermath. “It is true that I did wrong and failed at the largest of levels, but equally true is the fact that God can make good of our respective wrongs in life,” he wrote. “In this vein, while none of us has the chance to attend our own funeral, in many ways I feel like I was at my own in the past weeks, and surprisingly I am thankful for the perspective it has afforded.” More: “It’s in the spirit of making good from bad that I am committing to you and the larger family of South Carolinians to use this experience both to trust God in his larger work of changing me and, from my end, to work to becoming a better and more effective leader.”
http://www.thestate.com/editorial-columns/story/869645.html
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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 >>
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."
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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.
“I'm not a miracle worker,” Obama declared, after saying he’s not "content" when workers are out of jobs, some don’t have health care and the U.S. is not leading the world in developing 21st Century solutions to energy.
He tried to buy himself some space, urging patience on solutions and reminding that he inherited these crises, which he said “were many years in the making” and that it’s going to take a while to overcome them.
“We've come a long way,” the president said. “We can see the light on the horizon, but we have a long journey ahead.”
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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 >>
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.”
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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.
From NBC's Mark Murray
Here's our take on the latest NBC/WSJ survey:
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
Here's another set of numbers we're releasing from our new NBC/WSJ poll: A combined 81% say they personally like 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:
-- 82% give him a 4 or 5 on his personality and the kind of family man he is
-- 81% give him a 4 or 5 on being easygoing and likeable
-- 69% on being inspirational and exciting
-- 68% on having strong leadership qualities
-- 67% on being compassionate enough to understand average people
-- 65% on being firm and decisive in decision-making
-- 64% on being honest and straightforward
-- 63% on improving America's image around the world
-- 62% on being willing to work with people whose viewpoints are different from his own
-- 60% on achieving his goals
-- 57% on uniting the country
-- 56% on bringing real change to the country
-- 56% on being knowledgeable and experienced enough
-- 55% on representing traditional American values
-- 55% on being a good commander-in-chief
-- 54% on having the ability to handle a crisis
-- 48% on sharing your positions on the issues
-- 47% on changing business as usual in Washington
-- 47% on appointing qualified people to serve in government positions
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.
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.”
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