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 ***
From NBC's Ken Strickland President Obama meets with his cabinet later this morning, the cabinet still has one key vacancy: Health and Human Services secretary.
Kathleen Sebelius is the nominee for the post, but she has not been confirmed by the Senate.
The Senate Finance Committee is expected to vote on her nomination tomorrow, but it's unclear when she'll get a final vote on the floor.
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro Obama and Chavez: Republican critics have been seizing on President Obama’s friendly interaction with Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez over the weekend at the Summit of the Americas. But is anyone who watched the two-year-long presidential campaign -- Democrats, Republicans, and journalists -- really surprised that Obama wouldn’t shun Chavez at the summit? As the president said at yesterday’s press conference, “We had this debate throughout the campaign, and the whole notion was, is that somehow if we showed courtesy or opened up dialogue with governments that had previously been hostile to us, that that somehow would be a sign of weakness. The American people didn't buy it. And there's a good reason the American people didn't buy it, because it doesn't make sense.” Later, however, Obama said he doesn’t worry about the politics. “I try to figure out what's right in terms of American interests, and on this one I think I'm right.” But does anyone buy that Obama really doesn’t care about politics? After all, this past foreign trip had a lot to do with domestic politics: guns, the drug war, Cuba (as it relates to Florida politics).
Video: Obama responds to his encounter with Hugo Chavez. ***
The Obama doctrine: Also at yesterday’s press conference, one of your First Read authors asked the president what the pillars of an “Obama Doctrine” are when it comes to American foreign policy, after now visiting eight countries and three continents and meeting with 90 world leaders. While Obama said it was up to pundits and journalists “to write the definitive statement” on a doctrine, he laid out two principles. “Number One, that the United States remains the most powerful, wealthiest nation on Earth, but we're only one nation, and that the problems that we confront, whether it's drug cartels, climate change, terrorism, you name it, can't be solved just by one country. And I think if you start with that approach, then you are inclined to listen and not just talk… Number Two, I feel very strongly that when we are at our best, the United States represents a set of universal values and ideals… But what I also believe is that other countries have different cultures, different perspectives, and are coming out of different histories, and that we do our best to promote our ideals and our values by our example.” Of course, whether or not an Obama Doctrine will be a success will depend heavily on the president staying popular at home and around the world. Why is Chavez fawning? Because Obama might be more popular in Venezuela than Chavez is right now. What this also means? The Obama Doctrine might not be transferrable to any other future president.
Video: Obama's trip sheds light on his foreign policy doctrine. ***
Back home: Obama is probably ending his foreign travel at the right moment before he risks looking like he's too focused on international affairs at a time when the economy remains issue No. 1. Today, beginning at 11:30 am ET, he holds his first cabinet meeting since becoming president. At the meeting, he will ask his cabinet secretaries to identify a combined $100 million to cut within the next 90 days. Also today, after making those interrogation memos public, he heads to Langley, VA to deliver remarks to CIA employees and meet with CIA leaders.
Video: At his first cabinet meeting, the president will refocus on the economy after his trip abroad. ***
Debate wrap: On Sunday, the three Democratic candidates for Virginia governor -- Creigh Deeds, Terry McAuliffe, and Brian Moran -- participated in a debate moderated by NBC’s Andrea Mitchell. The biggest point of contention: political donations that Moran has received from defense contractors and money McAuliffe had raised from Manhattan and Hollywood. Said Deeds, per the
Washington Post : “We will not be the party of the middle class if the nominee of this party is beholden to Donald Trump and Wall Street interests or tainted defense contractors who got millions of earmarks. We will have lost our way if we allow the Wall Street establishment or a corrupt political establishment to control our agenda for the next four years.”
*** Elsewhere down the ballot: Norm Coleman has yet to formally appeal to the Minnesota Supreme Court, but that move is expected to come this week. Also, in the ongoing count in NY-20, Democrat Scott Murphy was leading Republican Jim Tedisco by 273 votes as of Friday afternoon. Given that lead, and given that most of the outstanding ballot challenges are Murphy votes, the Democrats are in a commanding position to hold on to this congressional seat.
Countdown to Obama’s 100th day: 9 days
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“Barack Obama's mission to Latin America was about goodwill, and he came home claiming progress, backed by leaders from the region who took a liking to his here-to-listen style,” the AP writes. “But the real test awaits. As Obama himself put it, recasting a relationship takes not just words, but deeds. So Obama embraced Cuba's overture to put every issue on the table, but he wants the Castro government to free political prisoners. He had attention-snaring handshakes and smiles with Hugo Chavez, but he wants the Venezuelan leader to stop being an authoritarian figure. Obama pledged the U.S. and Mexico are united on the drug war, but violence keeps on raging. For now, Obama has what he wanted. A start.”
The Los Angeles Times : “A running theme of the summit was Obama's cordial dealings with Chavez… The two were photographed smiling and clasping hands. At one meeting, Chavez made a show of walking around the table as the cameras rolled and handing Obama a copy of ‘Open Veins of Latin America,’ a 1971 book by Eduardo Galeano chronicling U.S. and European imperialism in the region. Republican Sen. John Ensign of Nevada, appearing on CNN on Sunday, said it was ‘irresponsible’ for Obama to be seen ‘laughing and joking’ with the Venezuelan president.”
"Obama dismissed such concerns. He said the 2008 presidential campaign proved that American voters want the president to engage with his counterparts, whether or not they are avowed friends of the U.S. He said it ‘was a nice gesture to give me a book. I'm a reader.’ The president added that the election was a referendum of sorts on the argument that U.S. solicitude toward foreign leaders could be seen as ‘weakness.’”
CONTINUED >>
FIRST 100 DAYS: Cutting Crew
Politico has more: “Examples of savings that agencies have begun to implement already that the president will point to during the 11:30 a.m. meeting:
The Department of Veterans Affairs has cancelled or delayed 26 conferences, saving nearly $17.8 million. The department will be using less expensive alternatives, like video conferencing.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is working to combine 1,500 employees from seven office locations into a single facility in 2011, saving $62 million over a 15-year lease term.
The Department of Homeland Security estimates that it can save up to $52 million over five years just by purchasing office.”
“Obama wanted Republicans to return to Congress from their spring recess with a more constructive attitude toward health care, energy and other administration initiatives. GOP lawmakers say they have ideas, just not the ones the president may want… The House and Senate are considering a credit card bill of rights to limit the ability of credit card companies to raise interest rates on existing balances and to require greater disclosure. White House economic adviser Larry Summers said people need to save more, but that the government also needs to curb credit card pitches that addict people to plastic.”
“Unless Texas secedes or is invaded by pirates this week, Congress is set to finally downshift into a more reasonable gear from now until Memorial Day,” The Hill writes. “The House especially, which has taken the lead in reacting to a flurry of emergencies since even last September, is about to finally get some relief from the new-crisis-a-week pace that the chamber has worked under almost without fail since gathering for the start of the 111th Congress in January.”
More: “A number of senior aides and even veteran lawmakers said they could not remember a January-to-April stretch, especially with a new Congress, that moved so quickly and with such intensity. Luckily for them things are about to slow down into something more closely resembling normal. The House floor schedule for this coming week includes 22 suspension bills and only one piece of legislation subject to significant debate: the National Water Research and Development Initiative Act of 2009. And, in fact, the House is not in session on Monday or Friday -- something that has occurred only a handful of times so far this year.”
CONTINUED >>
MINNESOTA: The AP profiles the state Supreme Court, which is expected to receive Norm Coleman’s appeal sometime this week. “Five of the seven justices were put there by Republican governors. But Coleman's edge with the court, which is expected to receive the appeal this week of his election-lawsuit loss to Democrat Al Franken, isn't all it seems.”
“Two of the GOP appointees will sit out the appeal because they helped referee the statewide recount. A third has drawn fire for past donations to Coleman's Senate campaigns. And the court as a whole has a history of nonpartisanship in election-law decisions.”
Meanwhile, ‘The Progressive Change Campaign Committee, a new group working to get like-minded candidates elected, has teamed up with Howard Dean’s Democracy for America to tap the wallets of Democrats who are disgruntled by the five-month-old ballot contest in Minnesota,” the New York Times says. “An e-mail message sent yesterday to well over one million addresses culled from the two organizations’ mailing lists asked Democrats to contribute $1 to help progressives oust Republicans in 2010 for every day Mr. Coleman ‘refuses to concede.’”
John Harwood of the New York Times and CNBC writes about how some Republicans have moved away from calling Obama a “socialist” and are now instead calling him a “fascist” or “economic fascist.”
“But [the label] discomfits other conservatives who question its accuracy and political wisdom. ‘I don’t think the word “fascism” applies at all,’ said the CNBC commentator Larry Kudlow, a sharp critic of Mr. Obama’s tax and spending policies. ‘Barack Obama is not a dictator. He’s a liberal.’ Tony Fabrizio, a Republican pollster, said: ‘If what you’re trying to do is reach out to the middle, the more extreme the language, the less likely they are to pay attention. We sound like white noise in the background. It’s like a yipping Chihuahua.’”
“Steve Schmidt, the Republican strategist who managed John McCain's presidential campaign, called upon his party [Friday] to move to Barack Obama's left by fully supporting gay marriage. Such a position would not only fit conservative principles, he argued, but could help Republicans navigate a political situation he said ‘could get worse before it gets better.’… ‘I'm confident American public opinion will continue to move on the question toward majority support, and sooner or later the Republican Party will catch up to it,’ Schmidt told a Washington gathering of the Log Cabin Republicans… ‘We should understand that traditions do change over time in society.’”
Politico : “Republicans look across the health reform battlefield and see the Democrats organized, energized and flush with cash -- with several groups lined up to promote the president’s plan, and a message honed by years of preparation,” Politico writes. “Then they look into their own camp -- and get nervous. There’s no Republican plan yet. No Republicans leading the charge who have coalesced the party behind them. Their message is still vague and unformed. Their natural allies among insurers, drug makers and doctors remain at the negotiating table with the Democrats.”
The DSCC is up with a new Web video blasting the GOP’s economic record.
NEW JERSEY: “The flagging economy could put a damper on New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine's (D) bid for a second term as the former Wall Street executive’s net worth plummeted amid an ailing stock market. Corzine, who has spent liberally in bids for senator in 2000 and governor in 2005, reported a gross income of negative $2.75 million in 2008 thanks to losses he suffered in the stock market. Corzine owes no taxes this year because of his losses. Campaign finance reports show Corzine has spent more than $100 million on his own electoral success … That's a significant portion of Corzine's net worth, once estimated at more than $300 million following his lucrative career atop investment powerhouse Goldman Sachs.”
NEW YORK: As of Friday afternoon, Democrat Scott Murphy was leading Republican Jim Tedisco by 273 votes (79,839 vs. 79,566). Politico says Murphy appears headed to victory. “Fueling Democratic optimism is the source of the 1,773 ballots that have been challenged by both campaigns, and left out of the current count. According to a database provided by the Murphy campaign, the plurality of those challenged ballots were cast by registered Democrats. Of the 1,773 ballots not included in the count, 810 were cast by registered Democrats, 653 were from registered Republicans and 310 were from independent or unaffiliated voters.”
"That registration breakdown makes it nearly impossible for Tedisco to overcome his 273-vote deficit. Registered Democrats overwhelmingly voted for Murphy in the election, so it's fairly safe to conclude that Murphy will net additional votes as many of the challenged ballots get counted.”
CONTINUED >>
Here’s the full transcript of an interview with Jeffrey Davidow, the Obama administration's chief adviser for this Summit of the Americas:
TODD: Hugo Chavez has been a constant presence it seems anytime the cameras have come on here at the summit in the last 24 hours. Is the administration concerned that that's the pictures America is seeing. Pres. Obama with Hugo Chavez, more so than with any other leaders down here?
DAVIDOW: Hugo Chavez has a real capacity to get his picture in the newspaper or on TV. A case in point, last night the president was at a reception. He shook hands with 33 other presidents, smiled with 33 other presidents; one picture gets in the newspaper. I think the press is focused on Hugo Chavez. I don't think Barack Obama is focused on Hugo Chavez.
TODD: This is an organization of 34 democratically elected leaders.
DAVIDOW: Right
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Athena Jones
PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD, April 18 – The White House wants you to know that sometimes a handshake is just a handshake and a smile is just a smile.
On day two of the Summit of the Americas, U.S. relations with just two of the more than three dozen countries present – Cuba and Venezuela – dominated the headlines, overshadowing the Obama administration’s message to the region about a wide range of issues from economic cooperation, to clean energy to fighting poverty and drug trafficking.
Despite the measures Obama announced last week -- including lifting some restrictions on travel to Cuba and on remittances to family members in Cuba -- the hemisphere is all but united in its desire to see the United States do more to normalize relations with Cuba and leaders here repeatedly made that clear in speeches last night and in discussions today.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Chuck Todd
The word "plenary session" appears quite a bit today. And as anyone who attends conferences knows, "plenary" is code for "long, windy and well, not very helpful." Ok, maybe I'm being harsh but I have to say I was stunned to see the phrase "plenary session" on his schedule; it's not everyday a Commander-in-Chief has to attend meetings like this.
BTW, in the first session, Mr. Obama and Venezuelan Pres. Hugo Chavez had another exchange with Chavez giving Obama a gift, a book. "Las Venas Abiertas de America Latina" by Eduardo Galeano. Translated: "The open veins of Latin America." Read about it on Amazon . Right now, it ranks #312,365 in the best-seller list. Let's see where this stands on Monday. (BTW, the English translation of the book currently ranks 54,295).
Meanwhile, since I have a little time today in between these closed press "plenary sessions," here's a few take aways from the news of the morning.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Chuck Todd
As longtime observers of this region know, Latin Americans have held grudges against the United States for decades. It's part of the political culture to, well, blame America (if not even hate America). And judging by the rhetoric of the few Latin American leaders that have spoken to this summit already, even the president's personal popularity isn't enough for them to suddenly welcome U.S. leadership with open arms.
The president, in his speech, used familiar rhetoric from the campaign trail in trying to deflect some of the angry anti-American sentiments (spewed mostly from Nicaraguan pres. Daniel Ortega) by saying he didn't want to focus on past debates. He regularly invoked that tone when talking about other controversial issues that have haunted domestic politics (including race).
CONTINUED >>
Video: Obama's trip, the Virginia governor's debate, Meet the Press and First Read's First Pooch.
From NBC's Ken Strickland
The primary piece of legislation the chamber will deal with is a bipartisan bill designed to combat mortgage and corporate fraud by providing hundreds of additional agents, analysts, and investigations to federal agencies. The bill will be shepherded by Sen. Pat Leahy and should pass by the end of the week.
There are a couple of high-profile nominations on deck for confirmation next week. Monday night, the Senate will take a procedural vote to break the filibuster on Christopher Hill to become Ambassador to Iraq. The vote is expected muster to 60 votes required, with final passage later in the week.
The nomination of Kathleen Sebelius to be Secretary of Health and Human Services should be voted out of the Finance Committee on Tuesday. It's unclear when she'll get a final vote on the floor.
As for the budget, the House and Senate negotiators will spend next week finalizing a new version that reconciles the differences between the House and Senate versions. That will likely come before the full Senate during the week of April 27th. The Senate would take up the supplemental the following week.
From NBC’s Abby Livingston Newt Gingrich wore two hats -- politico and history professor – during a speech here at the National Press Club before a friendly crowd of Republican lawyers.
Gingrich looked to the past as a means to get the conservative movement out of dire straights and as a way to criticize current Obama policy. Most notably, he described White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel as the "H.R. Haldeman" of this administration.
But the Democrat for whom Gingrich harbored the most vitriol was former President Jimmy Carter . He shrugged off Carter's Nobel Peace Prize, telling the Republican National Lawyers Association that Carter only won it "for being anti-American.”
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Pete Williams
That means the Justice Department will not have to prepare to prosecute him as a juvenile, which would be a complex procedure, one rarely used in the federal court system.
Somali records are notoriously undependable, when available. But the officials say that, based on interviews with the man's family members, they believe he is 19 years old. He's identified as Abduhl Wal-i-Musi.
As we've been reporting all week, he'll be flown to New York to face the charges and will arrive sometime this weekend.
From NBC’s Courtney Kube Robert Gates said today that shipping companies' continued willingness to pay exorbitant ransoms is hurting the U.S. position in fighting Somali pirates.
"Clearly if they didn't pay the ransoms, we would be in a stronger position," Gates told a group at the Naval War College this morning.
Gates added that part of the problem is "the number of companies that are prepared to pay the ransom as part of the price of doing business."
The secretary also said that the "unspeakably poor villages" on the coast of Somalia makes piracy a "very attractive career field for a lot of poor young men who have no prospects."
As he often does, Gates recommended a civilian solution, along with a military response.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro Scott Murphy 's lead in NY-20 increased by almost 100 more votes today. It now stands at 264 over Republican Jim Tedisco . (79,722 to 79,458).
Tedisco's chances appear to be dimming as more ballots are counted. There still remain hundreds of challenged ballots -- mostly Murphy votes, challenged by Tedisco.
*** UPDATE *** now up to 273 , as of 4:00 pm ET Friday.
From NBC’s Andrea Mitchell
There are positive signs on several fronts.
In addition to the radio pool report from Air Force One travel pool -- indicating a positive White House response to
Raul Castro 's reported comments -- at the State Department briefing this morning, spokesman Robert Wood said he'd seen the reported comments today by Raul Castro and that, if accurate, that is "positive."
He went on to say, "If he is welcoming the steps the U.S. has taken, that would be a good thing."
At the same time, Wood did not divert from the Obama administration policy, which is that the Cuban government has to reciprocate before the next phase can begin.
*** UPDATE ***
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's John Yang
A senior official says the administration is reviewing comments made by
Raul Castro , per radio pooler Peter Maer of CBS Radio. The White House wants a closer look before commenting, but the official suggests Castro's comments could be significant given the timing following the recent
Obama Cuba policy announcement.
There are should further reaction during the Air Force One flight.
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro
***
Obama’s next summit: Later this morning, President Obama departs for the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago. He arrives there in the afternoon, is expected to attend a welcoming ceremony around 5:00 pm ET; and might make remarks after that. From our vantage point, the White House seems a bit nervous about how the summit is going to go. At a press briefing last night with senior administration officials, a foreign reporter asked about a phone call yesterday between Obama and Brazil’s president. It was a call that was news to the White House press corps, because we didn't get our usual "world leader phone call readout" release. It turns out that Obama initiated the call, and the administration officials would only admit that the conversation between the leaders of the two largest nations at the summit was simply about how they could keep the focus on the pre-planned summit.
*** The potential for a circus? Read between the lines here, and it's clear from our dealings with Team Obama that they are nervous one or more countries might attempt to use the summit as a forum to bash the U.S. over Cuba (even after the administration loosened travel and money restrictions). And while a dust-up with a Hugo Chavez might be politically advantageous, getting a round of grief from multiple countries could slightly derail things. Bottom line: This ain’t Europe, and Obama may not be shown the same deference he was given at the G-20, NATO, and EU summits. This could be a fascinating weekend and one the Obama administration hopes doesn't become a circus. One other thing: White House press secretary Robert Gibbs cleverly admitted in a briefing last night that Obama would not avoid an impromptu pull aside with Chavez if the Venezuelan president initiated it.
Video: MSNBC's Chris Matthews joins Morning Joe to discuss the CIA, the future of the U.S. intelligence community and the Obama administration's relationship with Cuba. *** Those torture memos: Yesterday’s release of those Bush administration interrogation memos was a big deal. But the news that the Obama administration would not prosecute CIA agents who used harsh interrogation techniques with the department’s blessing was also a reminder that Obama is very focused on not trying to get caught up in old political fights. The question is: Will the left be satisfied by the transparency, even if it doesn't come with some sort of political revenge?
*** Palin watch: In her speech last night at an anti-abortion fundraiser in Indiana, Sarah Palin criticized Obama on abortion and embryonic stem-cell research. Per the AP , “She said deciding when babies get human rights isn't above her pay grade -- a reference to Obama's response to a question from the Rev. Rick Warren last year. [Obama] said such questions were above his pay grade.” Today, she attends another fundraiser in Indiana -- this one for a support group for families of children with Down syndrome. Yet the biggest Palin news yesterday was that the Alaska Legislature rejected her controversial attorney general pick. The New York Times says it was the first time in Alaska history when lawmakers rejected a governor’s appointment of an agency head.
*** Good news for the banking industry? “Citigroup, the battered banking giant, announced a first-quarter net profit on Friday after more than a year of staggering losses and three rescues from Washington,” the New York Times says. “The earnings were helped by an accounting change that allowed the bank to post a one-time gain of $2.5 billion. Under the rule, companies are allowed to record any declines in the market value of their debt as an unrealized gain.”
*** Where are the Connecticut yankees in Chris Dodd’s court? Can this be right? The Connecticut Post is reporting that Chris Dodd (D) raised some $600,000 in the first quarter. But get this -- only FIVE of the donations came from Connecticut residents. If true, it seems to be yet another bad sign for Dodd’s re-election chances…
*** The never-ending recount: The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that Norm Coleman has now embarked on a media blitz to explain why his legal team is going to take its appeal to the Minnesota Supreme Court. In an interview with the Star Tribune’s editorial board, Coleman said that counting every legitimate ballot is more important than seating Minnesota’s second U.S. senator. (But would he say that if he weren’t behind?) “I’m hopeful. I think the law is on our side,” he said. More from Coleman: "In spite of what some say, that somehow this is an effort to delay something – no. There are very legitimate, important constitutional questions regarding whether or not people's vote should count."
*** NY-20 update: As of the most recent count, Democrat Scott Murphy has a 178-vote lead over Republican Jim Tedisco. And as one of us suggested yesterday, it’s beginning to look like Murphy is going to win this race, given that the absentee ballots from Tedisco’s best county have come in. But Politico gets its hands on an NRCC memo indicating that the GOP appears to be gearing up for a legal challenge. Still, Politico writes, “Even the most pro-Tedisco rulings by the court will still make it difficult for Tedisco to overcome the narrow deficit he's currently facing. If the remaining ballots don't dramatically break Tedisco's way, it will be interesting to see how he proceeds. Will he challenge the validity of the count and continue to press his case in the courts, or begin preparing for a rematch against Murphy next year?”
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“After backing Mexico's ongoing battle against drug cartels, President Barack Obama is heading to a Western Hemisphere summit with a sudden spotlight on Cuba,” the AP says. “Venezuela President Hugo Chavez, a staunch ally of Cuba's communist government, vowed to torpedo a final summit communique in protest of the country's exclusion. But Obama's move this week to ease travel and some other restrictions for Cuban-Americans brought an unprecedented reply from Havana. Raul Castro, who took over from his ailing brother, Fidel, a year ago, offered to talk to the Obama administration about all outstanding grievances. Speaking from a meeting Chavez hosted in Venezuela, Raul Castro declared: ‘We have sent word to the U.S. government in private and in public that we are willing to discuss everything -- human rights, freedom of the press, political prisoners, everything.’”
Don’t expect Obama to meet with Chavez, the White House said, per Politico . “Chavez will, however, be in a meeting Obama will hold with the leaders of all the countries of South America and Gibbs said that Obama wouldn't necessarily dodge a conversation if the Venezuelan president approached him.”
Covering the president’s activities in Mexico yesterday, the Washington Post says, “President Obama and his Mexican counterpart, Felipe Calderón, outlined a common approach Thursday to combating drug violence, climate change and trade disputes but appeared to part ways over the urgency of reinstating a U.S. ban on assault weapons. On his first presidential visit to Mexico, Obama praised Calderón for taking on the drug cartels, whose potent arsenals and economic power are threatening the integrity of the Mexican state. Obama announced that he will push the U.S. Senate to ratify an inter-American arms-trafficking treaty.”
“But Obama indicated that while he favors reinstating the U.S. ban on assault weapons, which Congress allowed to expire five years ago, the move would face too much political opposition to happen soon. He said better enforcing existing laws to prevent arms smuggling would have a more immediate effect on keeping U.S. weapons from Mexican cartels.”
According to the Washington Post , “Justice Department documents released yesterday offer the fullest account to date of Bush administration interrogation tactics, including previously unacknowledged strategies of slamming a prisoner into a wall and placing an insect near a detainee terrified of bugs. Authorities said they will not prosecute CIA officers who used harsh interrogation techniques with the department's legal blessing. But in a carefully worded statement, they left open the possibility that operatives and higher-level administration officials could face jeopardy if they ventured beyond the boundaries drawn by the Bush lawyers.”
Video: The Justice Department released memos from the Bush administration that authorized the CIA to use harsh interrogation methods against suspected terrorists, but the Obama administration said CIA staffers won't be tried for "mistakes of the past." NBC's Pete Williams reports. New York Times : “The release of the documents came after a bitter debate that divided the Obama administration, with the C.I.A. opposing the Justice Department’s proposal to air the details of the agency’s long-secret program. Fueling the urgency of the discussion was Thursday’s court deadline in a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, which had sued the government for the release of the Justice Department memos.”
“Together, the four memos give an extraordinarily detailed account of the C.I.A.’s methods and the Justice Department’s long struggle, in the face of graphic descriptions of brutal tactics, to square them with international and domestic law. Passages describing forced nudity, the slamming of detainees into walls, prolonged sleep deprivation and the dousing of detainees with water as cold as 41 degrees alternate with elaborate legal arguments concerning the international Convention Against Torture.”
CONTINUED >>
The AP covers Palin’s speech at a Right to Life dinner in Indiana last night. “Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, speaking at anti-abortion group's dinner, criticized President Barack Obama for supporting abortion rights and challenged the idea that unplanned pregnancies are a nuisance that can be solved by abortion.”
More: “She said deciding when babies get human rights isn't above her pay grade -- a reference to Obama's response to a question from the Rev. Rick Warren last year. The Democrat said such questions were above his pay grade.”
She got a rock-start treatment, Politico says. “Palin drew approximately 3,000 people to the Vanderburgh County Right to Life fundraising dinner in Evansville, an annual banquet that typically attracts some of the GOP’s top national talent. Her sold-out appearance in a local exhibition hall prompted organizers to set up a paid closed-circuit broadcast at a nearby auditorium for a large spill-over crowd and led local authorities to close down nearby streets.”
But here’s some more tough news for Palin: “The Alaska Legislature rejected Gov. Sarah Palin’s nominee for state attorney general… In a joint session, the State Senate and House voted 35 to 23 against confirming Wayne A. Ross, a prominent private lawyer in Anchorage and a board member of the National Rifle Association. The vote came as something of a surprise in the Republican-controlled Legislature, with 9 Republicans, including the House speaker and the Senate president, joining 26 Democrats,” the New York Times writes.
“The state’s Legislative Research Services said the vote was the first time lawmakers had rejected a governor’s appointment of an individual agency head.”
MINNESOTA: “Norm Coleman is hitting a different kind of campaign trail this week,” the Minneapolis Star Tribune says. “The former Republican senator is using a media blitz to convince Minnesotans weary of the recount process and frustrated that they are still a senator short that he has good reason to appeal Democrat Al Franken's victory in the U.S. Senate election trial. And if the Minnesota Supreme Court sees it his way, he said, he thinks he can win. ‘I'm hopeful. I think the law is on our side,’ he said.”
The AP is the latest to check in with the state’s lone senator. “Klobuchar, a Democrat, has now served more than 100 days as the state's only senator, courtesy of the protracted recount fight between former Republican Sen. Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken. She reacts to the situation with a blend of wit and lament, joking about putting a loft in her office for additional interns to handle a workload that increased so much she had to install extra phone lines.”
CONNECTICUT: The Connecticut Post reports that though Dodd raised more than $600,000 in the first quarter, only five people from the whole state of Connecticut donated to him, accounting for just $4,250. “While incumbents often turn to special interests for early campaign fundraising, Dodd's out-of-state total seems unusually high and comes at a time when he has been plagued by poor approval ratings among state voters.”
KENTUCKY: “Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.), the Senate’s most vulnerable incumbent who recently described his fundraising as ‘lousy,’ pulled in less than $263,000 in the first three months of the year.”
LOUISIANA: “The man often considered the most vulnerable Republican in the House, Louisiana Rep. Anh ‘Joseph’ Cao, had Democrats grinning Thursday after his first-quarter Federal Election Commission report showed him with less than $61,000 in cash on hand at the end of March.”
FLORIDA: FL-10: “Democrats have landed a top recruit in Rep. Bill Young’s (R-Fla.) district, after state Sen. Charlie Justice announced late Wednesday that he would run for Young’s seat in 2010. The big question now is whether Young, a 38-year incumbent, will run for reelection. Democrats have attempted to pressure him out in order to open up a Democratic-trending district, but their efforts failed last cycle and Young won by 20 points against meager opposition. Still, his district went for President Obama by 5 percent. Young also raised no money in the first quarter.”
NEW YORK: Channeling First Read , The Hill writes, “With about two-thirds of absentee ballots now counted, things are looking very dim for Republicans in the special election for Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s (D-N.Y.) former House seat.” As of 4:00 pm ET yesterday, Murphy holds a 178-vote lead (79,452 to 79,274) over Republican Jim Tedisco.
VIRGINIA: The New York Times notes how the ethical clouds hovering over John Murtha and Rep. Jim Moran might be impacting Moran’s younger brother, Brian, who is running for Virginia governor.
From NBC's Chuck Todd MEXICO CITY, Mexico -- Just blocks from
President Obama 's hotel here is a park just off of the street "Emeilio Castelar." The park's main feature: giant statues of
Martin Luther King Jr. and
Abraham Lincoln .
And the two statues of the two famous Americans -- and Obama heroes -- are staring at each other.
It's a fascinating coincidence and an interesting Mexican sign of respect for the two historical figures.
From NBC’s Harry Enten and Jade Taenzler Mark Sanford (R-SC) and Haley Barbour (R-MS) hammered the Obama administration for what they described as out-of-control taxing and spending.
In a conference call with reporters, both reacted to what Sanford called the "This way or no way" stimulus relief. Sanford, chairman of the Republican Governors Association, criticized the many federal mandates and called for a "military model" that "is all about giving local authority to local commanders because their eyes and ears are on the ground."
Barbour, vice-chairman of the association added, "A lot of people who wanted a stimulus think that this is too much money." He used the firing of General Motors President Rick Wagoner as an example of Obama going to the "extremes" on federal power.
While the Obama stimulus dominated the discussion, Barbour was quick to point out that "it is not just the stimulus that has people upset". He called the administration's cap-and-trade energy plan "the largest tax increase in American history" that will "fall primarily on the middle class and the poor."
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mark Murray
Some of the largest protests, per Norquist:
From NBC's Pete Williams and Mark Murray Eric Holder has concluded that CIA operatives who followed the legal guidance they were given will not be prosecuted, even if they used harsh interrogation methods.
Video: CIA operatives who followed Bush interrogation guidelines on suspected terrorists will not be prosecuted for using methods such as waterboarding. NBC’s Pete Williams reports.
This does not mean, the official said, that no CIA personnel could be prosecuted for their conduct in the war on terror. "If they went beyond the guidance or acted irresponsibly," the official said, they could still face prosecution.
The AP adds, "The decision comes as the Obama administration releases four long-secret legal memos from the Bush administration authorizing a dozen harsh interrogation techniques against high-value terror suspects."
From NBC's Mark Murray
WAKEFIELD, Va. - Across the country, several states host annual time-honored festivals mixing fun, food and politics.
In Iowa, there's the state fair, which is particularly political before the presidential caucuses.
In Kentucky, there’s Fancy Farm, a one-day event hailed as the world's largest picnic.
And in Virginia, there's Shad Planking, which took place here Wednesday afternoon in rural Virginia.
The event — named after shad fish cooked on wooden planks — kicked into high gear this year’s most high-profile, and maybe most competitive, political contest: the race for Virginia governor.
This year Shad Planking fell right before Sunday’s Democratic debate (moderated by NBC’s Andrea Mitchell), the June 9 Democratic primary, and the November general election. In attendance Wednesday were three of the four gubernatorial candidates: Republican Bob McDonnell , and Democrats Terry McAuliffe and Brian Moran . The fourth candidate, Democrat Creigh Deeds , skipped the event, campaigning instead in Southwest Virginia.
According to Nathan Gonzales of the nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report, the race for Virginia governor — as well as Shad Planking — turns the page on the 2008 election cycle and signifies the beginning of the next one, which starts with this year’s gubernatorial contests in Virginia and New Jersey. It then moves to the 2010 midterms and concludes with the next presidential contest in 2012.
Jennifer Duffy, who monitors gubernatorial and Senate races for the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, adds that the event demonstrates which candidates — by assembling volunteers and plastering signs throughout the fairgrounds — have the organizational strength heading into the Democratic primary, and later the general election.
But most of all, it’s an event where attendees drink beer, eat the shad and listen to the politicians speak. "Shad Planking is like a carnival for candidates," Duffy says.
But she adds that it has this difference from other political festivals across the country: "No rides. No smelly animals — except they do have smelly, bony fish."
Click here for the rest of the story .
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro Scott Murphy moving closer to winning the still very close 20th congressional district race in Upstate New York?
This morning, the state elections board, updated its numbers and now shows Murphy widening his lead to 167 votes (79,404 to 79,237) over Republican Jim Tedisco (as of 10:00 am ET).
Tedisco's biggest potential arrow was Saratoga County, which he won by almost 5,000 votes. But Saratoga is completely done counting absentees as well as those overseas and military ballots. All that's left are challenged ballots. As has been reported, Tedisco has challenged far more ballots than Murphy. Translation: Plainly, there are likely more Murphy ballots out there than Tedisco ones.What's left? Dutchess, Columbia, Warren, Essex and Renselaer counties all have ballots left to count, according to John Conklin, director of public information for the state board of elections.
CONTINUED >>
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro
***
Heading to Mexico : This morning, President Obama embarks on his third foreign trip as president (the other two were to Canada and Europe). He arrives in Mexico City at 2:10 pm ET; holds a bilateral meeting with President Calderon at 3:10 pm; and participates in a press conference with Calderon at 4:45 pm. Interestingly, this is Obama's first-ever visit to any part of Latin America, including Mexico. Not just as president, but EVER. Some Latin American observers see this as a sign that the president hadn't viewed the region as a priority as a senator or as a rising politician, and it has concerned some of these observers. Bottom line: Look for the president to go a bit over the top, if necessary, to convince Latin American leaders that he -- to borrow the words from the first President Bush -- will send the message of "I care." Moreover, unlike other international visits, the Mexico trip has very little to do with pure foreign policy, and is instead dominated mostly by domestic politics. From guns and immigration to the drug war and trade, the top issues on the agenda today all could have domestic political consequences for the president. In particular, people will pay attention to the back-and-forth between the two presidents on assault weapons.
Video: NBC’s Andrea Mitchell talks to Mexican President Felipe Calderon ahead of President Obama’s trip to the country where they’ll discuss the wave of recent drug-related violence. Three other storylines : As for the rest of the trip after today -- the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad -- look for three storylines to emerge. One is Cuba. (Just how hard will the other Latin American leaders criticize the president for what they believe is not much change in our Cuba stance?). Two is anti-Americanism. (Many of the emerging political leaders of the region have gotten to power by bashing the U.S. Will the president confront this issue like he did in Europe? Anti-Americanism has always been stronger in Latin America than anywhere else.) And three, there's Hugo Chavez. (He's been bombastic at previous international gatherings, and has even spent the last week thumbing his nose at the U.S. in visits to Cuba, Iran, and China and taking little shots at the U.S. along the way. Will he do this in the presence of Obama? If he does, will other leaders cheer him on or being embarrassed? Will the president confront him or go out of his way to ignore him? Confronting him could be one of those tricky moments for the president; he could stare him down and get domestic political love for doing it. But confronting Chavez could elevate the Venezuelan in the eyes of the world.)
*** Rick Perry said what? There’s lots of coverage of yesterday’s tea parties below. But perhaps the biggest news came from the one in Austin, TX, where Texas Gov. Rick Perry suggested that Texas could secede from the union. The AP : “Later, answering news reporters' questions, Perry suggested Texans might at some point get so fed up they would want to secede from the union, though he said he sees no reason why Texas should do that. ‘There's a lot of different scenarios,’ Perry said. ‘We've got a great union. There's absolutely no reason to dissolve it. But if Washington continues to thumb their nose at the American people, you know, who knows what might come out of that. But Texas is a very unique place, and we're a pretty independent lot to boot.’” Perry is definitely ambitious -- is he prepping himself for more than a GOP primary against Kay Bailey Hutchison? -- but this secession talk is pretty amazing coming from the governor of the country's second-largest state.
***
Palin returns to the Lower 48 : As we've said before, the first 100 days of the Obama presidency haven't been kind to Sarah Palin. There was the confusion over whether she'd keynote the big NRSC/NRCC fundraiser in June, and organizers eventually replaced her with Newt Gingrich. Her daughter Bristol broke up with Levi Johnston, and her aides blasted Johnston after he appeared on Tyra Banks' show. Also, we found out her nominee for state attorney general called gays “degenerates” and defended a statue of a KKK figure. And earlier this month, Palin’s sister-in-law was arrested for allegedly burglarizing a house. Tonight, however, she has the opportunity to put all that behind her when she addresses a Vanderburgh County Right to Life fundraiser in Indiana at 8:00 pm ET; RNC chairman Michael Steele also is speaking at the event. Of course, critics are wondering why Palin wouldn't commit to the NRSC/NRCC dinner because the Alaska legislature was in session, but is attending tonight's fundraiser when -- you guessed it -- it's in session.
*** Our day at Shad Planking : Hundreds of people attended yesterday’s political festival in rural Wakefield, VA, including two of your First Read authors. The speeches by the three gubernatorial candidates in attendance (Republican Bob McDonnell and Democrats Terry McAuliffe and Brian Moran) were lighthearted. The beer was flowing. The people-watching was entertaining. And the shad fish, for which the festival is named? Um, not so good. In his speech, McDonnell lampooned the amount of money that McAuliffe has so far spent in the race. "He has created 100 jobs for the people of Virginia," the Republican joked. "I want to thank him for doing his part to stimulate the economy." In his speech, McAuliffe poked fun at McDonnell’s longer-than-expected remarks. "I don't need any windmills off the coast of Virginia Beach. We have Bob McDonnell." And Moran joked that he saw McAuliffe "setting up the martini bar on his way in." Two quick notes: One, most of the jokes were aimed at McAuliffe, which his campaign saw as a good thing (because they think it elevated him as Dem front-runner). And two, Bob McDonnell was pretty impressive. In him, Republicans have their best statewide candidate in years.
*** Tedisco in trouble? As of yesterday afternoon in the ongoing count in NY-20, Democrat Scott Murphy holds an 86-vote lead over Republican Jim Tedisco (79,105 vs. 79,019). The bad news for Tedisco? Most of the absentee ballots from Saratoga County -- which Tedisco won and which represents about a third of the congressional district -- have now been counted. Writes Politico : “Tedisco’s campaign was hoping to take over the lead once the absentee ballots from Saratoga County were included in the count… While Saratoga County has completed its count of the absentees, there are still about 700 challenged ballots in the county that may end up being included in the count.”
*** Lending is down? Finally, this Washington Post story caught our eye: “Lending by the nation's largest banks fell 6 percent in February from the previous month, continuing a downward trend that began in October with the financial crisis, according to data published yesterday by the Treasury Department.” So bank lending is down, despite how cheap money is right now for the banks? How can the administration force these banks to increase lending and then also do it at reasonable interest rates?
Countdown to Obama’s 100th day: 13 days
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”When President Obama lands in Mexico City Thursday, there will be one main subject on Mexican officials' minds,” USA Today writes. "‘For Mexico, the No. 1 priority is guns. The No. 2 priority is guns. The No. 3 priority is guns,’ Mexican Attorney General Eduardo Medina-Mora told USA TODAY.”
The Los Angeles Times says “Mexico has arisen as a foreign policy emergency for President Obama, and a test of his ability to bring fundamental change to one of Washington's most important relationships. Like much of the rest of Latin America, the Mexico that receives a visit from Obama today yearns for the kind of new partnership that the president espouses. U.S.-Latin American relations are at their lowest point in years and Obama's pledge to "re-order" the agenda is welcome.”
Video: TODAY’s Matt Lauer talks to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano about how the U.S. plans to deal with drug-related violence along the Mexico-U.S. border. AP adds, "His swift diplomatic mission is meant to show solidarity with a neighbor -- and to prove that the U.S. is serious about halting the deadly flow of drugs and weapons. During his stop in Mexico City on Thursday, Obama will emphasize cross-border cooperation and probably put a focus on clean energy, but the economic crisis and the bloody drug trade have set the tone." Washington Post : “On the eve of his summit with Mexican President Felipe Calderón today, Obama added the cartels to the list of banned foreign ‘drug kingpins,’ a move that empowers the federal government to seize their assets, estimated to be in the billions of dollars. It also allows the government to seek criminal penalties against U.S. firms or individuals who provide weapons, launder money or transport drugs or cash for the organizations. By targeting the cartels -- Sinaloa, Los Zetas and La Familia Michoacana -- the administration expanded its support for Calderón's crackdown on the narco-traffickers, an effort that has provoked a violent backlash and led to thousands of deaths in the past two years.”
President Obama and his wife released their 2008 federal tax return on Wednesday, showing that they paid $855,323 in federal income taxes on a combined household income of $2,656,902,” the New York Times writes. “Mr. Obama and Michelle Obama also reported giving $172,050 — nearly 6.5 percent of their earnings — to 37 charities, including $25,000 contributions to CARE, a global antipoverty group, and to the United Negro College Fund.”
Obama overkill? "Barack Obama has gone from being historic to being ubiquitous," Politico's Simon writes. "He doesn’t just control the news cycle, he is the news cycle… I am not complaining. But it strikes me that President Obama is now speaking to us even when he doesn’t really need to speak to us." |spent nearly $9.5 million in the first three months of this year, including $684,000 on telemarketing and print and online advertising, $994,000 on event staging and $310,000 on payroll and taxes." first-quarter reports : "Rahm Emanuel, the White House chief of staff, donated $85,000 from his campaign account to Democratic lawmakers, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), during the first week of January, according to his latest filing with the Federal Election Commission. Emanuel also repaid himself $450,000 that he'd loaned to his campaign fund, his campaign report shows."
Also, “In the first three months of the year, Hillary Clinton paid off $3.7 million in bills left over from her failed presidential campaign… The report shows that Clinton has only one vendor left to pay off: pollster Mark Penn. Her campaign paid his firm $3 million in the first quarter, but still owes it $2.3 million. The filing also reveals that the campaign brought in $5.6 million between January 1 and March 31."
Per the New York Post , "Tens of thousands of protesters -- some dressed in colonial wigs with tea bags hanging from their eyeglasses -- staged boisterous protests modeled after the Boston Tea Party all around the country yesterday, rallying against financial bailouts and the Obama administration's tax and spending plans." ashington Times adds.
The New York Times : “It was hard to determine from the moderate turnout just how effective the parties would be. In Philadelphia, a rally in Center City drew about 200 rain-soaked participants… In Pensacola, Fla., about 500 protesters lined a busy street, some waving ‘Don’t Tread on Me’ flags and carrying signs reading ‘Got Pork?’ and ‘D.C.: District of Corruption.’ In Austin, Tex., Gov. Rick Perry energized a crowd of about 1,000 by accusing the Obama administration of restricting states’ rights and vaguely suggesting that Texas might want to secede from the union.”
The AP has more on what Perry said. “Later, answering news reporters' questions, Perry suggested Texans might at some point get so fed up they would want to secede from the union, though he said he sees no reason why Texas should do that. ‘There's a lot of different scenarios,’ Perry said. ‘We've got a great union. There's absolutely no reason to dissolve it. But if Washington continues to thumb their nose at the American people, you know, who knows what might come out of that. But Texas is a very unique place, and we're a pretty independent lot to boot.’”
CONTINUED >>
The AP : “It's not getting any easier for Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who is becoming a more polarizing figure at home while she tries to maintain a national profile from one of the most remote states in the union. Palin was once praised for her ability to work with Alaska Democrats to push through major initiatives, but in the wake of a bruising national campaign she's more likely now to reach across the aisle to pick a fight.” New York Times adds, “Ms. Palin … remains a Republican star across the country and in Alaska. But her detractors at the Capitol complain that she has been distracted from state business both by continued efforts to position herself nationally and by the tabloid-tilted aspects of her new prominence.”
Sarah Palin has "emerged as an almost unparalleled fundraising force, with both foes and fans minting money off the mere mention of her name," Politico's Vogel writes.
The Pioneer Press’ editorial page argues that Coleman is more than entitled to take his case to the Minnesota Supreme Court. “This is no longer a battle of politics and campaign issues, but one of law and the courts. And having come this far, we think it fitting that Coleman take his beef about absentee voting to the Minnesota Supreme Court. We think Franken would do no less if the situation were reversed, and we think there is a legitimate question for the Supreme Court — the Minnesota Supreme Court — to wrestle with. That question, as we see it, is: how much variation in the application of a statewide absentee voting standard is allowable before it rises to the level of a constitutional infringement?”
But the New York Times editorial page calls on Coleman to concede. “On election night — when he looked like the winner by a hair — Mr. Coleman grandly warned of the cost of a recount for taxpayers and how Minnesotans would suffer if they were deprived of full Senate representation. Five months later, and now the official loser, Mr. Coleman seems willing to let Minnesotans pay any price to ensure his win and is taking his challenge to the State Supreme Court.”
Meanwhile, "The ongoing Minnesota Senate recount battle between Republican Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken has cost the two campaigns more than $11.2 million combined so far, according to campaign finance reports supplied by the campaigns,” Roll Call writes. “Franken’s campaign reported spending about $6 million so far in the recount, for a total of about $24.6 million spent on the entire two-year campaign for the Senate. Coleman’s campaign reported spending about $5.2 million so far on the recount."
COLORADO : "Aurora City Councilman Ryan Frazier is the first Republican to take a formal step toward the Colorado Senate race, launching an exploratory committee on Wednesday. Frazier made the announcement at a Tea Party rally in Grand Junction… Frazier is not the first choice of GOP leaders in Washington, but he brings a compelling profile to the race as a young African-American in a party that is trying to reinvent itself… Other GOPers to keep an eye on include Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck, attorney Dan Caplis and former Rep. Bob Beauprez."DELAWARE : "Delaware’s former Democratic lieutenant governor announced Wednesday he will challenge Rep. Mike Castle (R-Del.), who is thought to be mulling a run for the Senate. The decision by former Lt. Gov. John Carney (D) could provide a tougher fight for Castle, who cruised to reelection in 2008 with 61 percent of the vote even as President Obama won 62 percent of the vote in Delaware… The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) has tried to recruit Castle to run for Biden’s old seat — appointed Sen. Ted Kaufman will not seek it in 2010 — but in a sign that he’s not yet gearing up for such a campaign, Castle raised just $70,000 in the first quarter." MISSOURI : "Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan (D) announced Wednesday that she raised just more than $1 million in the first quarter, nearly doubling her top GOP competitor. Rep. Roy Blunt (R) pulled in a relatively pedestrian $550,000, though he was able to transfer another $340,000 from his House account… Much of Blunt’s appeal to national party operatives was his fundraising prowess as a former member of House leadership."NEW YORK : In NY-20, Democrat Scott Murphy's lead over Republican Jim Tedisco, as of 4:00 pm ET yesterday, was 86 votes (79,105 to 79,019).
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mark Murray and Domenico Montanaro Your First Read authors are driving to rural Wakefield, VA to attend the Shad Planking event we wrote about this morning . So we're unsure if we're going to be able to update the site after we leave.
If we don't, we'll have plenty of information tomorrow on the event, as well as on President Obama's trip to Mexico and Sarah Palin's appearance at a Vanderburgh County (IN) Right to Life banquet.
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro *** Tea time: Who would have ever thought that a discussion of tea bags -- even used as a verb, from both the right and left -- would become a political topic, let alone a subject we’d mention in First Read. But here we are… On this Tax Day, some Americans are attending so-called "tea party" or "tea bag" events across the country to protest everything from tax rates and the federal bailouts, to the young Obama presidency. But let’s be clear about one thing: These tea parties are hardly non-partisan events. While there’s certainly a grassroots component here, these parties have been co-opted by a major America political party (the RNC's Web site allows for creating send-a-tea-bag post cards to Dem leaders) and an entire cable news channel (which has been promoting the events). The main Web site for the events today, Tax Day Tea Party , is funded by conservative groups, and a public records search shows it's registered to a conservative techie, Allen B. Fuller, who used to be a legislative correspondent for GOP Sen. Richard Shelby and who touts creating Web sites for Republican elected officials. Also reportedly involved in today’s protest events are FreedomWorks, a conservative group founded by former House Majority Leader Dick Armey, and Americans for Prosperity.
Video: Thousands around the country attended outdoor "tea parties" on Tax Day to protest what they say is a government spun out of control with too much spending and too many bailouts. NBC's Lee Cowan reports. What Republicans might stand to gain -- and lose: With its association with these “tea party” protests, the Republican Party does stand to gain here in a mechanical/process way. If it gets a huge turnout nationwide, it will be a bit of a test run for its social networking apparatus. The Tax Day Tea Party Web site, in fact, is reminiscent of what the Obama campaign was able to do with things like voter registration and grassroots meet-ups. You can click on a state and find where there's a local tea party in any state in the country. This kind of tech savvy could pay dividends in the long run. On the other hand, this whole thing could backfire if some unsavory elements (i.e., people saying and doing some very stupid things) attend these events. Also, what happens if today’s parties don’t capture the imagination of anyone beyond the GOP amplifiers of FOX and talk radio? Today has turned into a big test of the power of the GOP grassroots in the Obama era. The pre-game for these tea parties has seemed a bit scattershot. One can sense a hesitance from the establishment wing of the GOP about getting too involved in this movement, for the fears we've described above. Tax Day has normally been an easy P.R. hit for the GOP, but with the tea party gamble, the GOP doesn't seemed focused on good 'ol fashioned tax issues.
Video: On tax deadline day, President Obama argued that his administration is making the system fairer, while some critics expressed their objections to government bailouts and the ballooning budget deficit by lobbing tea bags onto the White House lawn. NBC's Savannah Guthrie reports. Obama on Tax Day: As for what President Obama is doing on Tax Day, he will deliver remarks at 11:55 am ET about “restoring fairness to the tax code,” as well as “providing tax relief to working families” in the stimulus, the White House says. How big of a political issue have taxes become? Not much, according to a recent Gallup poll. It found that 48% of Americans think the federal income tax they pay is “about right” -- one of the highest scores on this question since Gallup began measuring it in the 1950s. The poll also found that 61% believe the federal taxes they’re paying are fair. In the last few years, the GOP has seen its advantage on the issue of taxes deteriorate, and it's something that has thrown the party for a loop -- as without taxes as a rallying cry, the GOP has found itself with fewer issues to brag to the public about.
*** Shad Planking: Some states have annual time-honored festivals that mix fun and food with politics. In Iowa, there’s the state fair. In Kentucky, there’s Fancy Farm. And in Virginia, you have Shad Planking, which takes place today in rural Wakefield, VA. That event -- named after shad fish cooked on wooden planks (trust us, it’s an acquired taste) -- essentially kicks this year’s gubernatorial contest in Virginia into high gear as we head into Sunday’s Democratic debate (moderated by NBC’s Andrea Mitchell), the June Democratic primary, and the November general election. Shad Planking starts at 2:00 pm ET, and gubernatorial candidates Bob McDonnell (R), Terry McAuliffe (D), and Brian Moran (D) begin speaking at 4:00 pm; a third Democratic candidate, Creigh Deeds, is skipping the event. At Shad Planking, the gubernatorial candidates will be able to test drive their campaign messages, as well as display their organizational muscle through the sign war, which the Moran folks are all but conceding to McAuliffe’s campaign.
*** The never-ending recount: In the latest news in the Coleman-Franken race, the Democratic National Committee says it’s airing a radio ad in the Twin Cities that calls on Coleman to concede. “Franken won the election in November, he won the recount, and now he has won a legal challenge filed by Norm Coleman,” an announcer says in the radio ad. “Yet Coleman, and national Republicans who want to thwart the will of the voters, have vowed to file more appeals and hopeless legal challenges that will only result in more delay.” A GOP strategist close to Coleman emails this response to First Read: “Democrats can beat all the pots and pans they want, it won’t change the fact that we’re appealing, we’re going to the Minnesota Supreme Court, and we’re going to raise serious questions about how the recount and contest were handled, period.”
*** NY-20 update: As of yesterday afternoon, Democrat Scott Murphy was leading Republican Jim Tedisco by 47 votes (77,982 vs. 77,935), with absentee ballots still yet to be counted in Washington County, which Murphy won, and big Saratoga County, which Tedisco won. New York Democrats have been telling us that Republicans have been challenging a large number of Democratic absentee ballots to mask the size of Murphy’s lead (the challenged ballots aren’t counted in totals). And now we learn that Republicans have challenged Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s (D) absentee ballot. While we don’t know if Gillibrand’s ballot is valid, Democrats have seized on this, and Gillibrand even wrote a Huffington Post piece about it. In this contest and in Minnesota, Republicans have made a BIG DEAL about counting every vote. If Gillibrand’s vote is valid, that undermines that argument a bit, no?
Countdown to Obama’s 100th day: 14 days
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The Washington Post : “The president and the Federal Reserve chairman voiced cautious optimism yesterday that the economy could be beginning to stabilize. But the economy wasn't cooperating. Retail sales dropped sharply in March, the government reported, and wholesale prices fell steeply. Both pieces of data underscore the hard slog the nation faces to emerge from its deep recession and the limitations of more optimistic talk from Washington. The stock market fell 2 percent, as measured by the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index.”
The New York Times adds, “As he spoke about the economy on Tuesday, President Obama invoked the parable in the Sermon on the Mount about two houses, one built on sand only to be blown away in a storm and another built on rock impervious to the swirling winds. Mr. Obama was trying to explain why he wants not only to revive the sagging economy but to virtually reinvent it with sweeping changes in health care, energy and education. Without deeper reform, he argued, the economy would only topple again later.”
The New York Times also front-pages that the Obama administration is planning to disclose the results of its “stress tests” for the nation’s largest 19 banks. “The administration has decided to reveal some sensitive details of the stress tests now being completed after concluding that keeping many of the findings secret could send investors fleeing from financial institutions rumored to be weakest. While all of the banks are expected to pass the tests, some are expected to be graded more highly than others. Officials have deliberately left murky just how much they intend to reveal -- or to encourage the banks to reveal -- about how well they would weather difficult economic conditions over the next two years.”
CONTINUED >>
“Critics of President Barack Obama's handling of the economy are planning nationwide ‘tea parties’ Wednesday -- and not for the sake of polite conversation,” AFP writes. “Coast-to-coast demonstrations against Obama's big-spending economic stimulus package are promised for the day that is also the deadline for filing federal income tax returns. Whether Republicans -- in disarray since losing the presidential election last year -- can deliver is open to question.”
The Hill estimates that some 750 conservative-organized Tax Day Tea Parties are taking place across the country. "Don’t expect too many Democrats to join them. While the events highlighting government spending and excessive taxation are notionally bipartisan, President Obama and congressional Democrats will come up for plenty of criticism."
The Washington Post sets the table for Obama’s visit to Mexico tomorrow. “President Obama will travel to Mexico on Thursday in a show of solidarity with his Mexican counterpart, Felipe Calderón, who has asked the new U.S. administration to do more against a thriving drug trade that threatens the integrity of his government and country. In advance of the one-day visit, Obama administration officials have said the president will pledge to do more to stop the flow of U.S.-made firearms to the drug cartels fighting for control of smuggling routes along the border. Officials say he also wants to broaden the U.S. relationship with Mexico, long dominated by drugs and immigration, to include economic and environmental interests.”
The paper also previews his trip to the Summit of the Americas. “President Obama plans to take his message of partnership to Latin America and the Caribbean this week, but he will face a group of leaders far less forgiving than their European counterparts were about the United States' central role in the global financial crisis. Over the past five years, the region has posted the fastest economic growth rates in the world, lifting millions of Latin Americans out of poverty. Now, those gains are threatened by a downturn that, as Inter-American Development Bank President Luis Alberto Moreno said, ‘is the hemisphere's first economic crisis not made in Latin America.’”
The Hill on Obama's trip to Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago: The president "will punt on hot-button issues like illegal immigration and trade agreements and will instead focus on the global economic crisis and climate change when he travels to Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago this week, the White House acknowledged Tuesday."
"The U.S.-flagged cargo ship Liberty Sun also was attacked by pirates firing rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons, the ship's owner, New York-based Liberty Maritime Corp, said in a statement. The pirates damaged the ship but did not manage to board it. Liberty Sun immediately requested help from the U.S. Navy and is now under escort. The ship was carrying U.S. food aid and headed to Mombasa, Kenya, from Houston."
MINNESOTA: “The national debate over Minnesota's Senate dispute boiled with new energy Tuesday,” the Star Tribune writes. “Republicans encouraged Norm Coleman to fight on; Democrats pressed him to give up.”
The New York Times devotes front-page attention to the ongoing Coleman-Franken contest. “This is not merely another example of the kind of whisker-close political contest that has become a regular part of the American political landscape since the 2000 presidential race. It is a source of frustration to a White House eager to get Mr. Franken’s vote in the Senate as it prepares for big battles over health care, taxes, the environment, spending and other issues. He would be the 59th Democrat, putting the party just one shy of what it needs to stop Republicans from blocking bills through procedural means.”
Also note that Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty apparently tells the Times that he WOULD NOT delay certification if the case goes to federal court.
"Even Republican strategists are beginning to admit that former Sen. Norm Coleman’s (R-Minn.) options to regain his seat are looking limited following his latest legal defeat," The Hill reports. “He’s cooked,” one veteran GOP campaign operative said of Coleman’s chances following the ruling. “At this point, continuing to carry on only damages his brand for future bids for office.” Roll Call adds, "National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn (Texas) reaffirmed the GOP Conference’s commitment to filibustering any Democratic attempt to seat Franken.”
"It’s business as usual for Rep. John Murtha,"
The Hill writes. "The FBI raiding a high-profile defense lobbying shop hasn’t stopped the powerful Pennsylvania Democrat from dealing with its former clients. He’s seeking earmarks for them and accepting campaign contributions from them. Murtha, who chairs the Appropriations Defense subcommittee, on Tuesday reported receiving contributions from three former PMA clients for whom he requested earmarks in the pending appropriations bills."
Roll Call: "After a long silence on the unfolding federal probe of the PMA Group and its ties to senior Democrats, House Democratic leaders are cobbling together a defense to offer political cover to their rank and file. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has enlisted Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.) to consult with House Democrats on why they should continue to resist Republican demands for an ethics committee investigation into the matter."
FLORIDA: "Florida Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer may be tipping Gov. Charlie Crist's (R) hand as a new poll conducted for the Sunshine State GOP suggests Crist may be leaning toward a Senate bid," The Hill reports. "Greer, a close ally of Crist's, said the Florida GOP conducted a poll last week testing the Florida electorate on a governor's race without an incumbent."
NEW YORK: As of yesterday afternoon, Democrat Scott Murphy was leading Republican Jim Tedisco by 47 votes (77,982 vs. 77,935), with absentee ballots still yet to be counted in Washington County, which Murphy won, and big Saratoga County, which Tedisco won.
Meanwhile, Republican Jim Tedisco challenged U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's absentee ballot, contending she was in the district on Election Day and should have voted in person. Gillibrand responded with an op-ed in the Huffington Post . She said "Republicans stooped to a new low by challenging my ballot."The Hill that the senator "wasn't in Columbia County on Election Day, where she is registered to vote, and therefore could not have voted at a polling place." Also: "A spokesman for the New York Board of Elections, John Conklin, said that similar challenges have occurred before but with little success. In most cases, courts have ruled that the ballot should be counted if the voter did not intend to be in the district on Election Day and did not vote at a polling place as well."
VIRGINIA: The Daily Press in Newport News, Va., previews Shad Planking, which takes place today in Virginia. "Partisan insiders, gubernatorial hopefuls and fans of fish and beer gather in Wakefield today for the 61st annual Shad Planking, a rite of spring in Virginia that doubles as an important barometer of the state's political mood. The outdoor festival and barnstorming pileup always features political intrigue with rising political stars wooing voters and opinion makers over bony fish and free cups of brew." Three of the four gubernatorial candidates will be there. Democrat Creigh Deeds is the lone candidate that won't be there. More: "Wet weather could thin out the lines for food and beer, but the event should still draw the die-hard partisan warriors and offer plenty of campaign trail fodder. The most obvious litmus test is the battle for roadside space -- called 'sign wars' -- where staffers and volunteers attempt to post the most political yard signs along every Wakefield road." (Here's the Daily Press' political blog, Shad Plank .)
From NBC's Athena Jones
WASHINGTON --
The First Dog made his debut on the South Lawn of the White House Tuesday afternoon before at least 60 members of the press.
"Here he is," President
Obama said as he and his family walked out of the house.
"I've finally got a friend; it took some time," the president joked at one point when a reporter made a reference to President Harry Truman 's famous advice that "if you want a friend in Washington, get a dog."
Video: The presidential puppy Bo makes his debut on the White House lawn. MSNBC's Tamron Hall reports. Bo Obama , a Portuguese water dog, frolicked with his new owners before a herd of cameras and scribes, before the president, first lady and the Obama daughters took him for a walk down the hill toward the fountain and the first lady's new garden.
"He's a star; he's got star quality," Obama said. "He's a rock star."
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Athena Jones
In a lengthy speech he said would be "prose and not poetry,"
President Obama set out to explain to the American people what his administration has done to jump-start the economy, and how the policies together would help move the country "from recession to recovery and ultimately to prosperity."
The president used the roughly 45-minute address not to make news -- but instead to summarize the first three months of his presidency, defend his spending policies, lay out the challenges remaining, and connect all of this with his larger vision for America.
He touted his administration's actions -- from his $787 billion stimulus package and his efforts to help stabilize the financial system and the housing market, to his support of the auto industry -- arguing these steps were starting to generate "signs of economic progress." Still, he tempered his remarks, as he often does, reminding his audience that the hard times were not over and that this year would be a difficult one.
"The severity of this recession will cause more job loss, more foreclosures, and more pain before it ends," Obama said, adding that there was much more work to be done, before reprising the kind of populist "fighter" rhetoric he often employed during the fall campaign. "But all of this also means that you can continue to expect an unrelenting, unyielding, day-by-day effort from this administration to fight for economic recovery on all fronts."
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Pete Williams
An assessment of right-wing radical groups in the United States, done by the Department of Homeland Security, says the current economic and political climate in the U.S. may help extremists recruit more members.
The report, dated April 7 and distributed to police nationwide, was made public by a conservative blogger. Its main conclusions closely track with a much more detailed assessment done in February by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which identified 926 active hate groups, up from 888 the year before.
The Homeland analysis says threats from white supremacist and anti-government groups "have been largely rhetorical and have not indicated plans to carry out violent acts." But it says they seek to expand their recruitment by trying to capitalize on:
-- insecurity brought on by economic troubles and loss of jobsPresident Obama .
Law enforcement organizations agree with these broad themes, but say fear of rising immigration is the No. 1 motive driving these hate groups.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mark Murray latest tally in the NY-20 special election (as of 10:00 am ET) has Democrat Scott Murphy leading Republican Jim Tedisco by 56 votes (77,972 vs. 77,916).
Absentee ballots still haven't been counted in Washington County, which Murphy won, or big Saratoga County, which Tedisco won. Per Politico's Josh Kraushaar , "Saratoga County is expected to release its results today, according to a county elections official, which could (at least temporarily) put Tedisco back in the lead."
*** UPDATE *** up 47 . (The headline's been changed to reflect that.)
*** UPDATE 2 *** NBC's Harry Enten adds that Tedisco's campaign has even challenged Democratic U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand 's ballot. "This just in from Columbia County: when Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s absentee ballot came up in the queue, the poll watchers for Jim Tedisco objected to it, saying the senator was in the county on election day and should have voted in person," the Albany Times Union reports.
From NBC's Mark Murray we noted that national Republicans have been silent about yesterday's unanimous three-judge ruling confirming Al Franken the winner in Minnesota's never-ending Senate contest.
Until now.
In a fundraising email to supporters -- rather a typical press statement -- National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman
John Cornyn (R-TX) blasted the so-called tripartisan ruling, as well as the entire re-canvassing/recount process.
"Since Sen.
Norm Coleman was first ahead by hundreds of votes at the end of election night, the Democrats have aggressively worked to change the rules of the game after it’s been played," Cornyn said. "Last night, they succeeded in convincing a three-judge panel to issue a fundamentally misguided ruling that disenfranchises over 4,000 Minnesota voters. They did so by imposing a different, and stricter, standard for votes to be counted rather than following the rules that were in place in Minnesota on Election Day. In doing so, constitutionally-valid Due Process and Equal Protection concerns have been raised."
More from Cornyn: "It’s frankly shocking that many of the same Democrats who so loudly decried voter disenfranchisement during the Florida recount in 2000 have so quickly run away from that principle when it no longer fits their political agenda. Nonetheless, Republicans, and the NRSC in particular, remain committed to a full and fair resolution of this election contest and stand firmly behind Sen. Norm Coleman."
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro Pat Toomey announced he's going to challenge Sen. Arlen Specter in the Republican Senate primary in Pennsylvania.
Toomey, who stepped down as president of the fiscally conserative Club for Growth, made the announcement yesterday in an e-mail to supporters.
“I personally believe that it is time for him to go,” Toomey wrote of Specter, per Roll Call . “And that job falls on me. Very soon, I intend to announce my candidacy for the United States Senate in a Republican primary challenge against Arlen Specter.”
Specter-Toomey will be a rematch from 2004, when Specter edged him out by about 17,000 votes, or 51%-49%. Specter went on to win re-election by 11 points.
Specter still gets high marks from Democrats and independents, but because of, in part, his support for the stimulus, party faithful have soured on him. Specter knows the trouble he's in. He was already up on air with ads attacking Toomey -- before he even officially entered the race.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mark Murray
The White House just released excerpts of the economic address
President Obama will deliver 30 minutes from now. In the speech, according to the excerpts, he will discuss what the administration has done so far:
All of these actions – the Recovery Act, the bank capitalization program, the housing plan, the strengthening of the non-bank credit market, the auto plan, and our work at the G20 – have been necessary pieces of the recovery puzzle. They have been designed to increase aggregate demand, get credit flowing again to families and businesses, and help them ride out the storm. And taken together, these actions are starting to generate signs of economic progress.
He also will say the hard times aren't over:
2009 will continue to be a difficult year for America’s economy. The severity of this recession will cause more job loss, more foreclosures, and more pain before it ends.
He will talk about establishing a new economic foundation "for growth and prosperity":
There is a parable at the end of the Sermon on the Mount that tells the story of two men. The first built his house on a pile of sand, and it was destroyed as soon as the storm hit. But the second is known as the wise man, for when “…the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house…it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.” We cannot rebuild this economy on the same pile of sand. We must build our house upon a rock. We must lay a new foundation for growth and prosperity – a foundation that will move us from an era of borrow and spend to one where we save and invest; where we consume less at home and send more exports abroad.
And he will call for a new politics:
For too long, too many in Washington put off hard decisions for some other time on some other day. There’s been a tendency to score political points instead of rolling up sleeves to solve real problems. There is also an impatience that characterizes this town – an attention span that has only grown shorter with the twenty-four news cycle, and insists on instant gratification in the form of instant results or higher poll numbers... This can’t be one of those times. The challenges are too great. The stakes are too high.
From NBC's Mark Murray
While the Democratic National Committee and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee released statements last night congratulating
Al Franken and ratcheting up the pressure for
Norm Coleman to bow out, we haven't heard a peep from national Republicans.
Nothing yet from Michael Steele's RNC. Nothing from John Cornyn's NRSC. And we've yet to spot a post on yesterday's three-judge decision from prominent conservative blogs like
Red State or
National Review's The Corner .
The silence is pretty deafening...*** UPDATE *** National Review's The Corner posted a quick update on Minnesota: "The three-judge panel's unanimous decision hands the Senate election to Al Franken (D), but Norm Coleman (R) will appeal to the state Supreme Court. Later today, his legal team will hold a conference call with reporters."
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro Walking a tightrope : At 11:35 am ET, President Obama will deliver yet another major address on the economy -- this time at Georgetown University. The speech comes after Obama has talked optimistically about the economy in recent days. ("What you're starting to see is glimmers of hope across the economy," he said on Friday. “We're heading in the right direction,” he said yesterday.) Previewing the speech yesterday, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the president would update the country on the current state of the economy, would discuss the actions that administration has taken to tackle the economic problems, and would lay out the steps it still needs to take. As we have pointed out before, the president has to walk a tightrope: giving people hope about the economy, but also not ignoring the real structural problems it’s currently facing. In short, things for many Americans will get worse -- not better -- in the next few months. Obviously, the statistics that the White House sees are optimistic. Walking this tightrope is no easy task. By the way, for those wondering, the entire White House team is buying into Larry Summers' analysis right now. So while it's Barack Obama who publicly is putting himself on the line, inside the West Wing, it's Summers.
Video: The White House is calling President Obama’s address from Georgetown University today a 'major speech' on the economy. NBC’s chief White House correspondent Chuck Todd reports on the administration's progress to date. ***
When Congress is on recess : As Obama addresses the economy today and addressed the stimulus yesterday, we've got to ask: Where have all the GOP voices gone? The short answer: They're on recess. Indeed, if this Easter recess has taught us anything, it's that the principal Republican opposition to the White House has been the GOP Congress. But when they're on their CODELs, who else has stepped up to the plate -- outside the congressional leadership’s communication teams? The RNC? Hardly. We haven't heard a peep from them (although the
Washington Times reports that chairman Michael Steele has issued a fundraising letter accusing Obama of belonging to the "blame America first" crowd). The people who have stepped into the void include Rush Limbaugh, Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, and Glenn Beck. And as
one of us wrote last week, those folks might not be the GOP’s best voices of opposition against this current administration. They could only be exacerbating the GOP's problems right now.
***
The never-ending recount : We’ll say it again: The question increasingly is no longer
whether Al Franken will be the next U.S. senator from Minnesota; it’s
when he’ll be the next senator. Last night, 161 days since Election Day, a bipartisan three-judge panel confirmed that Franken received more votes in November than Norm Coleman did. Coleman now has 10 days to appeal the ruling to the Minnesota Supreme Court, a move his lawyers say he’ll make. But after last night’s decision, Democrats began ratcheting up the pressure for Coleman to bow out. “Enough is enough,” said DNC chairman Tim Kaine. Added DSCC chair Bob Menendez: “Al Franken won the election, Al Franken won the recount, Al Franken won the contest, and now Al Franken should be allowed to get to work for the people of Minnesota.” Indeed, Democrats argue that unless Coleman can demonstrate 1) that the recount and three-judge trial were biased and wrong, and 2) that he has a real and provable path to victory, then any further appeal would seem like he’s putting his personal and his party’s interests above his state’s interests.
*** Franken’s discipline : By the way, and it's a point we've made before, but it's been pretty impressive how Franken has been so disciplined during this recount period. Indeed, until last night, when had we heard from him. Clearly, the GOP thought they were dealing with the stereotype that was Al Franken -- not the guy who proved to be a candidate who, well, got more votes than Norm Coleman. In fact, this has been a problem for the GOP in general the last few years when it comes to dealing with Democrats: They believe their own stereotypes about their opponents, rather than actually dealing with their opponents at face value.
*** Going rogue : The pirate episode brings sunlight to another rogue state, which years ago was thought to be a safe haven for al Qaeda terrorists. Believe it or not, Somalia has had approximately 15 governments in the last 20 years -- with the U.S. most hopeful actually about the current one in power, which barely controls most of the country's capital of Mogadishu. And that government has been in power since January. Think about all of the headaches this current administration is facing on the foreign policy front: Most of them have to do with countries that are either rogue states or aren't completely in charge of everything within its borders. They include Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan, Pakistan, Iraq, and even Iran. All of these countries are or have been safe havens for terrorists or other bad guys like the Somali pirates. Can one doctrine or policy deal with all of these hotspots? It's unclear. The Bush administration hoped that would be the case, but each one of these countries has proven to be its own challenge. In many ways, all of them define the difficulty both the Pentagon and the State Department have in coming up with a coherent foreign and military policy. Conventional 20th Century foreign policy may not work.
*** The times, they are a-ahangin’ : Meanwhile, it's amazing this morning how easily accepted Obama’s new Cuba policies have been. They’re barely registering as a political blip. For those over the age of 50 -- or who spent significant time living in South Florida -- this must be quite surprising. Relations with Cuba have defined the lives of so many. For those over 50, it's the memories of the Cuban Missile Crisis; for those in South Florida, it's been a political defining part of life where kowtowing to the Cuban community has been tantamount to winning Miami-Dade county (or keeping it close). But as the New York Times points out today: Times, they are a-changin’. "In a sense, the policy shift is an admission that a half-century of American policy aimed at trying to push the Castros out of power has not worked — as the Cuban American National Foundation, the most powerful lobbying group for Cuban exiles in Miami, conceded last week.”
*** How not to please a book publisher : Is the Rhodes Scholar and policy wonk Bobby Jindal really going use a co-author to help him write a book? Says Jindal, "One of the reasons I'm doing this with a co-author is to make sure there's somebody else doing a lot of the heavy lifting… This isn't something that will take a lot of my time." Something tells us that his book publisher won’t be happy with those remarks. More importantly, this underscores that Jindal is still trying to compete with Sarah Palin to see which 2012 Republican wannabe is having the worst first 100 days of 2009…
*** Other odds and ends : Sometime today, the Obamas will formally introduce their new dog, Bo, to the American public… Also today, indicted former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) will be arraigned.
Countdown to Obama’s 100th day: 15 days
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The AP previews Obama’s economic speech. “President Barack Obama is trying to strike a careful balance between highlighting economic progress and underscoring continued challenges as he seeks to reverse the recession he inherited but now owns… Aides billed the address as major but acknowledged that it was expected to contain no significant policy announcements. Rather, they said, the speech would outline the state of the economy when Obama took office in January, steps his administration has taken in its first three months, and what still needs to be done to right troubled sectors, including the housing, banking and financial industries.”
“Three months into his presidency, Barack Obama stands out as perhaps the most trusted figure in American politics,” Politico writes. “In a new Public Strategies Inc./POLITICO national survey of 1,000 registered voters, Obama outdistances figures on both the left and the right in earning the public’s trust, with two-thirds of respondents saying they trust the president ‘to identify the right solutions to the problems we face as a nation.’ Of those who said they trust the president, 31 percent said they trust him ‘a great deal.’ An additional 35 percent said they have ‘some’ trust that Obama will find the correct solution. Thirty-one percent said they trust Obama either ‘not very much’ or ‘not at all.’”
“Voters were asked the same question of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Republican Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, former Massachusetts Republican Gov. Mitt Romney, conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh and the two major political parties. Among those choices, only the Democratic Party was trusted to find the right solutions by a majority of voters, 52 percent to 40 percent. Forty percent of those surveyed said they trusted the Republican Party, compared with 54 percent who did not trust the GOP.”
Bloomberg : “The U.S. government is considering swapping some of the $13.4 billion General Motors Corp. owes it for an equity stake in a stripped-down version of the carmaker, people familiar with the matter said.”
CONTINUED >>
The New York Times front-pages, “The Obama administration and its European allies are preparing proposals that would shift strategy toward Iran by dropping a longstanding American insistence that Tehran rapidly shut down nuclear facilities during the early phases of negotiations over its atomic program, according to officials involved in the discussions. The proposals, exchanged in confidential strategy sessions with European allies, would press Tehran to open up its nuclear program gradually to wide-ranging inspection. But the proposals would also allow Iran to continue enriching uranium for some period during the talks. That would be a sharp break from the approach taken by the Bush administration, which had demanded that Iran halt its enrichment activities, at least briefly to initiate negotiations.”
The Boston Globe : "President Obama yesterday loosened travel and financial restrictions on ties to Cuba, a policy shift that advocates say signals the beginning of the end of a decades-long, Cold War-era relationship with the communist nation." It adds this context: "For decades, foes of the Cuban regime have argued that shutting off money and visits to the country would lead to the downfall of its dictator - first Fidel Castro, and now, Castro's brother, Raul. But the Obama administration argues that engaging more with Cuba will lead to a more informed and empowered populace there."New York Times : “The announcement represents the most significant shift in United States policy toward Cuba in decades, and it is a reversal of the hard line taken by President George W. Bush. It comes as Mr. Obama is preparing to meet later this week in Trinidad and Tobago with Latin American leaders, who want him to normalize relations with Cuba and its leader, Raúl Castro.”
"The new Democratic administration is benefiting from a political shift among Cuban Americans, one that Obama was well aware of in 2007," Politico writes.
The Washington Post : “The moves were hailed by many advocates of greater openness toward the regime, including the business community, which sees new opportunities for commerce. But they were immediately criticized by those on the right and the left who said they went either too far or not far enough.”
"Two Cuban-American GOP lawmakers blasted President Obama’s decision Monday to allow more travel by Cuban-Americans to the island. Reps. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) and Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) said Obama’s move was a 'serious mistake' and a concession to a dictatorship that has increased its repression of pro-democracy activists. Besides lifting the travel restrictions, Obama said he would allow Cuban-Americans to transfer money to relatives in Cuba." essentially backed the policy . New York Post’s headline : "O eyes Cuba libre."
Meanwhile, what to do about those pirates? "A day after the dramatic rescue of an American sea captain held captive by Somali pirates, US officials said yesterday that they are considering launching attacks on the staging areas from which pirates have hijacked a rising number of international merchant vessels," the Boston Globe writes. has to keep his promise of revitalizing relations with the rest of the Western Hemisphere -- not just to create a better mood, but to achieve real results. The work begins in earnest this week when Obama travels Thursday to Mexico City. The stop is a clear signal of support for President Felipe Calderon as the U.S. and Mexico grapple with the deadly flow of drugs and weapons hurting both countries." The Hill's Youngman reports.
“A Minnesota court confirmed Monday that Democrat Al Franken won the most votes in his 2008 Senate race against Republican Norm Coleman, who immediately announced plans to appeal the decision,” the AP says. “Coleman has 10 days to appeal to the state Supreme Court. Once the petition is filed, it could further delay the seating of Minnesota's second senator for weeks.” Star Tribune : “After a trial spanning nearly three months, the judicial panel dismissed Coleman's central argument that the election and its aftermath were fraught with systemic errors that made the results invalid. ‘The overwhelming weight of the evidence indicates that the Nov. 4, 2008, election was conducted fairly, impartially and accurately,’ the panel said in its unanimous decision. The panel concluded that Franken, a DFLer, ‘received the highest number of votes legally cast’ in the election. Franken emerged from the trial with a 312-vote lead, the court ruled, and ‘is therefore entitled to receive the certificate of election.’”
Franken issued this statement last night: "I am honored and humbled by this close victory, and I'm looking forward to getting to work as soon as possible… I want to say a word to those on both sides of the aisle who have followed every twist and turn of the recount and contest, whether it was on the Uptake's live blog or a discussion with friends in a coffee shop, whether it was with patience or frustration: Let's not forget why this election mattered. Let's commit ourselves with the same energy and passion to addressing the challenges we face, improving the lives of our neighbors, and building a better future for Minnesota.”
Replied Coleman attorney Ben Ginsberg: "More than 4,400 Minnesotans remain wrongly disenfranchised by this court's order. The court's ruling tonight is consistent with how they've ruled throughout this case but inconsistent with the Minnesota tradition of enfranchising voters… For these reasons, we must appeal to the Minnesota Supreme Court so that no voter is left behind."
In an interview with a local TV station , Coleman himself didn’t rule out an appeal even to the U.S. Supreme Court, or perhaps a run for governor in 2010 if he ultimately loses. "My fight ends when the ballots are counted," Coleman said.
CONTINUED >>
"Republicans have struggled to emerge from the president’s shadow during his early months in the Oval Office," Politico writes. "When they have, it has often been through their overwhelming opposition to his signature measures. GOP leaders don’t shy from those votes but want to insulate themselves from the 'party of no'"
The Hill : "As he considers whether to run for president a second time, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) is involving himself in the debate over the Employee Free Choice Act, a measure that is a top priority for labor groups and the focus of a massive public lobbying campaign by business groups that oppose it. Romney used a Monday conference call to attack a little-noticed provision in the bill that would require binding arbitration if a union and a business cannot come to a labor agreement within 120 days, which Romney called "about as un-American a thing as I can imagine."pleaded guilty Monday in Alexandria Circuit Court to driving while intoxicated after fighting the charge for almost a year. The New York Republican’s trial was set to begin Monday morning, but Fossella entered a plea before the proceedings. The decision was a surprise; Fossella’s attorneys have been preparing for months to appeal his December conviction… Fossella agreed to serve five days in Alexandria city jail."
CALIFORNIA : We’re going to party like it’s 2006? "Democrat Francine Busby is set to announce later this week that she will run again next year in California’s 50th district, a seat currently held by Rep. Brian Bilbray (R),” Roll Call writes. “Busby won 44 percent in the initial all-party primary, but she fell to Bilbray in the second round of balloting — taking 45 percent to his 50 percent. She ran again in the 2006 November general election, losing by 10 points." Busby cites Obama winning the San Diego area 51%-47% as evidence of a changing demographic that could give her an opening.
KENTUCKY : Per Roll Call , Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway got several high-profile Democratic endorsements yesterday in his bid to upend embattled Republican Jim Bunning. "Joining Conway for his announcement Monday afternoon at the Muhammad Ali Center in downtown Louisville were Kentucky Democratic Reps. Ben Chandler and John Yarmuth. Also at the event were state Speaker Greg Stumbo (D), state Auditor Crit Luallen (D) and Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson (D).”
NEW YORK : Democrat Scott Murphy's lead in NY-20 is down to 25 votes , but his campaign says Republicans are challenging an extraordinarily high number of absentees favorable to Murphy in an attempt to stall and change perception. The Hill writes. "Officials there are not revealing any partial numbers and will only report final totals when they are ready. Two big counties that went for Murphy, Warren and Washington, have also neglected to report much."
PENNSYLVANIA : The Washington Post dives into the heated 2010 Republican Senate primary. "The competitive Democratic primary between Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama last year spurred tens of thousands of Pennsylvania Republicans to switch their registration to Democratic. Specter is openly encouraging them to switch back, even telling a group of retailers he met with Monday in Philadelphia, 'I don't know if there are any Democrats in this room. If there are, I'm going to need you to become Republicans, Republicans at least for a day.'"
From NBC's Madeline Peters
The lawn was filled with eager parents in a frenzy to get to the correct letter and color line for their allotted tickets. (Sounds similar to the inauguration, doesn’t it?) They scrambled to push their strollers over the grassy mounds then suddenly paused to smile and encourage their kids to follow directions for a picture in front of the “welcome” sign.
The ticketed entrance began approximately a quarter of a mile from the White House. The space in between included a rope maze for ticketed individuals to conquer in order to reach the portable metal detectors. To reach that point, parents had to raise their voices over the loud humming noise from the generators set-up to sell candy bars and assorted snacks -- just what children need early in the morning!
Outside the gates, people had mixed emotions. A little boy turned to his mom and asked, “Why do we have to have tickets to everything?” Some parents stood to the side and slyly asked, “Do you have any extra tickets?” (Was ticket-scalping taking place at the White House?)
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mark Murray Mel Martinez .
The announcement today is good news for Cuban families separated by the lack of freedom in Cuba. Likewise the change in remittances should provide help to families in need. Given these changes will benefit the regime in Havana, it would be wise in the implementation to place some reasonable limits on this type of travel and the amounts that can be sent to Cuba.
From NBC's Harry Enten
Possible presidential candidates Charlie Crist (governor of Florida), Mike Huckabee (former governor of Arkansas), Jon Huntsman (governor of Utah), Bobby Jindal (governor of Louisiana), Sarah Palin (governor of Alaska), Tim Pawlenty (governor of Minnesota), Mitt Romney (former governor of Massachusetts), Mark Sanford (governor of South Carolina), and former Speaker Newt Gingrich are all against gay marriage.
The key difference: Crist and Huntsman favor civil unions for gay couples, while the other seven are against.
That difference could possibly sway socially conservative Iowa caucus-goers. In 2008, despite a sagging economy and focus on the Iraq war, 45% of Republican caucus-goers listed "shares my values" as their most important candidate consideration. That number could climb even higher in 2012, if social issues jump to the forefront.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mark Murray President Obama was touting his economic stimulus, the National Republican Congressional Committee announced a new ad campaign targeting congressional Democrats who voted for the stimulus and other new spending.
Tellingly, this ad campaign -- in the form of television ads, radio ads, and robo calls -- links these Democrats with Speaker Nancy Pelosi , not President Obama.
Here's an example: A TV ad hitting Ohio Rep. Zack Space (D).
“We will continue to hold these Democrats accountable for rubber-stamping Nancy Pelosi’s agenda that will burden middle-class families and inflict further damage on an already fragile economy for years to come,” NRCC communications director Ken Spain said in a statement.
Spain tells First Read the ad campaign is a "significant" buy.
In addition to Space, the NRCC is targeting 42 House Democrats, including Reps. Jason Altmire (PA-4), Michael Arcuri (NY-24), Chris Carney (PA-10), Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (SD), Larry Kissell (NC-8), and Ron Klein (FL-22).
From NBC's Athena Jones
WASHINGTON, DC, April 13 -- The Obama
administration kicked off the week with an event meant to highlight what it says are the early successes of the $787 billion stimulus package.
After a morning spent with children and their families at the annual Easter Egg Roll on the White House South Lawn, the
President Obama spoke at the Department of Transportation about what has been accomplished since he took office nearly three months ago.
"Faced with an extraordinary economic crisis, we've responded with extraordinary action -- action that's both unprecedented in scale and unprecedented in its speed," he said. "We developed plans to stabilize our housing market, to unfreeze our credit markets, and to ensure the survival of our auto industry in this new century. We passed a budget that cuts our deficit in half while making investments to spur long-term growth and lasting prosperity."
Obama was joined by Vice President Biden and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood at an event to mark the approval of the 2,000th transportation project under the stimulus -- a $68 million road-widening project in Kalamazoo County, MI.
"Today, I think it's safe to say that this plan is beginning to work," Obama said, going on to cite new jobs at clean energy companies, jobs that were saved at police departments, tax cuts for middle class families, and plans to expand health care clinics.
As he has throughout his young presidency, the president sought to remind people that the road to recovery would be long and imperfect -- even as he spoke optimistically about the future. "We'll face some setbacks along the way. There will be some projects that don't work the way we want them to," he said. "But it is now clear that we're heading in the right direction. It's now clear that day by day, project by project, we are making progress."
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro Scott Murphy won, and Saratoga County, which Republic Jim Tedisco won and represents about a third of the whole congressional district.
More votes have now trickled in. After another 216 votes have been reported, Democrat Scott Murphy's lead is now 25 votes , down 10 from 35 this morning:
Candidate
Vote Total 4/13/09 PM
Vote Total 4/13/09 AM
Scott Murphy (D)
77,907
77,804
Jim Tedisco (R)
77,882
77,769
Difference
25 votes
35 votes
*** UPDATE ***
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Kelly O'Donnell and Mark Murray Reuters reported this disturbing news: "Somali insurgents fired mortars toward U.S. congressman Donald Payne as he left Somalia on Monday." More from Reuters: "'One mortar landed at the airport when Payne's plane was due to fly and five others after he left, and no one was hurt,' an officer at the airstrip [said]."
Video: U.S. Rep. Donald Payne came under mortar fire by Somali insurgents while his plane was waiting to take off at the Mogadishu airport. A senior aide to Payne, a Democrat from New Jersey, says the State Department has told his office that the congressman has landed safely in Nairobi.
Payne left Thursday April for a three-country tour in Africa: Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya. The 10-term congressman was due to return home tomorrow.
Officials say this was not a typical congressional delegation trip (CODEL) with members of both parties traveling on government aircraft. Payne flew commercially to Africa and was only expected to be on the ground in Somalia four to five hours. Payne is traveling with an Africa expert from the Library of Congress. An aide says Payne was on the tour in his role as chairman of the House subcommittee on Africa and Global Health. Officials say they do not believe the State Department was aware of Payne's Africa trip until the airport mortar incident. *** UPDATE ***
From NBC's Chuck Todd and Domenico Montanaro Obama was thought to change portions of U.S.-Cuba policy. When he'd make an announcement, though, was an open question. The end of the week is busy for the president, on Thursday, he heads to Mexico City.
Video: White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs announces the lifting of travel and other restrictions against Cuba . The White House now is confirming a
Miami Herald report, outlining what President Obama will announce with regard to Cuba. Here are some bullet-point details from the report:
Lifting travel restrictions for Cuban Americans, allowing them to travel more freely to the island
Lifting gift restriction for Cuban Americans, allowing them to send additional financial help to family members. (-- Expanding the items that can be sent to the island, including clothing, personal hygiene items and fishing equipment."
"Licensing steps to open up greater communication to the island" CONTINUED >>
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro A successful outcome: While it might not have been the 3:00 am moment that Hillary Clinton’s campaign described in that now-famous TV ad, President Obama passed his first military test as president, when Navy SEALs rescued Capt. Richard Phillips, killing three Somali pirates who had captured him and detaining a fourth. The bottom line, the Washington Post says, "Had yesterday's rescue at sea gone badly, the political damage for Obama might have been severe. But aides said the outcome should be seen as a success." We also can tell you that the Obama administration is pleased with the communication between the Navy, Pentagon, White House, FBI and Department of Homeland Security -- as a lot of agencies and departments had a piece of this crisis. Obviously, Obama and the Navy will get the most credit for taking action. The questions that remain: Doesn't this highlight the issue of the rogue state that is Somalia? After all, the country was the scene of the first embarrassing foreign policy crisis on Bill Clinton's watch, and its previous ties to al Qaeda make it a country that may end up popping back up on this president's radar. Congress is the ultimate reactionary institution, so what legislation having to do with maritime operations will Congress pass that will add to the burdens of either the DHS or the Pentagon, or both? Meanwhile, per NBC's Jim Miklaszewski, Pentagon sources say the current plan is to reunite Captain Phillips with his 19-man crew from the Maersk Alabama in Mombassa, Kenya.
Video: TODAY’s Amy Robach talks to NBC’s Chuck Todd about President Obama’s approval of necessary force in the high-seas standoff with Somali pirates. ***
Selling the stimulus: At 11:35 am ET, President Obama, Vice President Biden, and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood will gather at the Transportation Department to highlight the 2,000th project (a highway expansion in Michigan) funded through the economic stimulus’ $48 billion in transportation spending. Obama’s message will be somewhat of a victory lap, as he'll tout how most of the infrastructure projects are coming under budget, allowing for states to tackle more projects. "The Recovery Act is being implemented with speed, transparency and accountability," Biden will say, according to the
AP . "Don't take my word for it -- just look at what's happening today. We have the 2,000th transportation project now under way -- that's going to help create jobs, make it easier for folks to get to the jobs they have and improve our nation's infrastructure all at the same time." Also, today’s event is part of a continuation of what President Obama did late last week: promoting real results coming from the administration’s early actions.
*** The rest of today and this week: Before today’s stimulus event, Obama and his family will attend the White House Easter Egg Roll at 10:00 am. Tomorrow, the president is going to give a major speech on the state of the U.S. economy, which may include his vision of the “new normal” (our words, not his). And then squeezed in somewhere before he leaves for Mexico and Trinidad later this week will be an announcement on a softening of the Cuba trade embargo. The plan will be similar to what the president touted on the presidential campaign.
*** A scholarship -- and an apology: Arizona State University received a lot of grief on Friday, after it said it wouldn’t be giving President Obama an honorary degree when he delivers the commencement address at the school next month. The school’s reason: Obama hadn’t accomplished enough -- yet. Well, late Saturday afternoon, Arizona State tried to make amends by apologizing and naming a scholarship in Obama’s honor. "I apologize for the confusion surrounding our invitation to President Obama to address ASU students at commencement," the school’s president said in a statement. "The entire ASU community has been electrified with excitement since we learned of his participation in our commencement ceremony. We hope that the recent discussion of honorary degrees will not detract from the honor and thrill that ASU - and indeed all of Arizona - is experiencing in anticipation of his visit.”
*** NY-20 update: As of Friday afternoon, Democrat Scott Murphy held a 35-vote lead over Republican Jim Tedisco (77,804 vs. 77,769). The only counties that have yet to count their absentee ballots are Washington County, which Murphy won, and Saratoga County, which Tedisco won and which represents a large chunk of the congressional district. Today is the deadline for properly postmarked military and overseas ballots to be received.
*** A dog named Bo: As the Washington Post first reported, the Obama family got their dog -- a Portguese water dog named Bo -- and he’ll be introduced formally on Tuesday. It’s worth noting that there are some similarities between President Obama and the new dog: 1) his name is Bo (get it? Obama’s initials); 2) he’s black and white; and 3) the Kennedys had a hand in getting him in the White House. More on Bo… MSNBC's Norah O'Donnell got the exclusive photo for TODAY, which shows the president and Bo running along the White House east colonnade toward, guess what, a bust of Abraham Lincoln. O’Donnell also learned that the name Bo is a tribute to First Lady's Michelle Obama's late father, who was nicknamed Diddley. Sources also tell O’Donnell that it's not the first pet in the extended family to have the name Bo; Craig Robinson, Michelle Obama's brother, has two cats named Bo and Diddley. The dog will meet the press on Tuesday after the kids return from school.
Countdown to Obama’s 100th day: 16 days
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The Los Angeles Times reports, “After days of tense negotiations, the U.S. Navy rescued an American sea captain in seconds Sunday, with snipers shooting three Somali pirates who officials feared were about to kill him. The commanding officer of the U.S. guided missile destroyer Bainbridge had received approval from President Obama to attempt a rescue of Capt. Richard Phillips by force if his life appeared to be in imminent danger after five days of captivity off the coast of Somalia.” http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-captain-freed13-2009apr13,0,31188.story
Video: TODAY’s Meredith Vieira talks to Vice Adm. Bill Gortney, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, about the Navy rescue operation that freed Capt. Richard Phillips. Per NBC’s Mike Viqueira, Obama gave the go-ahead both Friday and Saturday -- two different occasions. The Defense Department had asked for authority to use appropriate force, and the president granted both Friday and Saturday. Why twice? They were two different operational groups.
The Washington Post : “For President Obama, last week's confrontation with Somali pirates posed similar political risks to a young commander in chief who had yet to prove himself to his generals or his public. But the result -- a dramatic and successful rescue operation by U.S. Special Operations forces -- left Obama with an early victory that could help build confidence in his ability to direct military actions abroad.”
Phillips directed credit to the Navy . 'I'm just the byline. The real heroes are the Navy, the Seals, those who have brought me home,' Phillips said in a phone call to John Reinhart, president and CEO of Maersk Line Ltd., according to the Maersk executive."
CONTINUED >>
Never beloved by her own state party, Sarah Palin is under attack from some in the state GOP again. "Among the Republicans' biggest complaints: Palin is disengaged from the legislative process," the
Juneau Empire reports. "There have been multiple complaints that Palin administration officials won't take positions on bills, including any indication about whether the governor is likely to sign bills that make it through the process."
"Palin herself will be leaving Alaska this week to attend the Vanderburgh County Right to Life dinner in Evansville, Ind. on Thursday, as well as an event for special-needs children. Fairbanks Republican Rep. Jay Ramras questioned her leaving town right at the end of the session, when critical decisions are being made," the
Anchorage Daily News writes.
Previewing Obama’s trip this week to the Summit of the Americas, USA Today writes, “A dispute over how to treat Cuba and the Castro brothers who have run it for 50 years has spilled into the open as President Obama prepares to meet with Latin American leaders at the Summit of the Americas. Cuba will not be at the summit in Trinidad and Tobago that starts Friday. It likely will be a topic of discussion, though, given the White House says it is considering softening U.S. policy toward the communist dictatorship.”
The Wall Street Journal : “President Barack Obama plans to tell Latin American leaders later this week that the U.S. is willing to discuss how to improve relations with Havana, but wants Cuba to take steps toward democracy before it is reintegrated into the Western hemisphere's economic and political institutions… The U.S. willingness to engage on Cuba is another indication of a slow, tentative warming of relations between Washington and Havana. The administration is planning soon to lift longstanding restrictions on Cuba, a move that would allow Cuban-Americans to visit families on the island as often as they like and send them unlimited funds. The White House is also considering whether to remove restrictions that limit travel to Cuba by Americans for non-degree cultural and educational purposes.”
The Washington Post’s profile of Rahm doesn't break a lot of new ground, but this nugget at the end -- regarding the special attention being paid to Olympia Snowe -- is interesting. "Even GOP lawmakers praised the White House attention. ‘He always takes my calls,’ said Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (Maine), a moderate who is wooed by Democrats on every major bill. She even considered voting for the budget. When Snowe heard that Obama would visit Turkey at the end of his first overseas trip as president, the Greek American senator called Emanuel to ask that Obama meet with the Greek Orthodox patriarch in Istanbul. Already on the itinerary, the chief of staff assured her. Hours after Emanuel returned to the White House last week, he was working on another sale, telling himself, ‘I better call Olympia to tell her how it went.’”
CONTINUED >>
MINNESOTA: The Minneapolis Star-Tribune ponders the possibility of Norm Coleman taking his challenge to the U.S. Supreme Court. “While some election law experts say it's unlikely that Coleman, a Republican, could win in federal court, his party might have much to gain. A federal challenge could leave a Minnesota U.S. Senate seat vacant for another six months or more, depriving Democrats of a vote needed to pass some of President Obama's agenda in the event of GOP filibusters.”
“The success of such a ‘scorched-earth’ strategy, as one political scientist dubs a federal appeal, depends heavily on the definition of state courts. The Minnesota Supreme Court has ruled that a Senate race winner can't be certified by Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Secretary of State Mark Ritchie ‘until the state courts have finally decided the election contest,’ as the trial was called. If a request were made for a review by the U.S. Supreme Court, the question would be whether that ‘is part of that 'state contest’ process so as to delay the issuance of the certificate,’ wrote Richard Hasen, an election law expert and professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, in a recent blog for the American Constitution Society.”
Stu Rothenberg, writing in Roll Call , looks at the role retirements have played. "The last time more Democrats than Republicans retired was in 1998, when 17 Democrats and 16 Republicans did not seek re-election… Over the past five elections, 106 Republican House Members have not sought re- election, while only 49 Democrats have walked away from their seats -- a significant difference."
CONNECTICUT: "Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), facing increasingly difficult odds in 2010, is spending the two-week recess barnstorming his home state to try to improve his political standing… Dodd spent much of the past week focusing on the economy, heading up a listening tour of the Nutmeg State."
NEW YORK: As of Friday afternoon, Democrat Scott Murphy held a 35-vote lead over Republican Jim Tedisco (77,804 vs. 77,769). The only counties that have yet to count their absentee ballots are Washington County, which Murphy won, and Saratoga County, which Tedisco won and which represents a huge chunk of the congressional district.
NORTH CAROLINA: Plenty of analysts believe -- correctly in our opinion -- that GOP incumbent Richard Burr is vulnerable. But don't underestimate Burr -- Erskine Bowles made that mistake in 2004, even if this senate seat hasn't produced a repeat winner in 40 years. Writes the Raleigh News & Observer : "The senator seems a bit exasperated when he is reminded about his low profile. He notes that he is constantly moving around the state and paying attention to North Carolina issues. But he acknowledges his style is not suited to the limelight.”
CONTINUED >>
Video: More President Obama travels, Cuba policy, O.T. political races, 2012 Republicans, Shad Planking and the White House Easter Egg roll.
From NBC's Mark Murray Karl Rove -vs.-Joe Biden spat
Why? Because -- as with
Dick Cheney and
Rush Limbaugh before him -- the public has a very sour opinion of Rove. "We're not too worried that Karl Rove, Rush Limbaugh, and Dick Cheney are battling it out to remain the face of the Republican Party," a Dem strategist emails First Read. "Every time Rove pops up, it just serves to remind people what they wanted to change."
Indeed, Republicans seem to be having a difficult time finding a leader/messenger who doesn't have a net-negative fav/unfav rating go mano a mano with the Obama administration.
An August 2007 Gallup poll showed Rove's standing at 26% favorable, 44% unfavorable. Another Gallup poll early this year had Limbaugh's at 28%-45%. Per the December 2008 NBC/WSJ poll, Cheney's was 21%-58%. George W. Bush's in the NBC/WSJ survey was 31%-58% upon leaving office. Even looking at potential 2012 presidential candidates, Sarah Palin , who speaks at a National Right to Life dinner in Indiana next week, has a 35%-45% fav/unfav, according to the December NBC/WSJ poll.
The only major Republican who has a net-positive rating -- John McCain , who stood at 42%-27% in the March NBC/WSJ survey.
Of course, Democrats struggled to find a leader when they were out of power during the Bush years. Then again, they were always able to turn to the Clintons , whose ratings were much better than those GOP numbers above.
From NBC's Mark Murray Scott Murphy (D) had an eight-vote lead over Jim Tedisco (R) in the ongoing count in the NY-20 special election.
Now, according to the latest update , Murphy's lead is 46 votes. The counties that still haven't counted their absentee ballots: Warren and Washington, which Murphy won, and Saratoga, which Tedisco won. (Hat tip: Politico .)
*** UPDATE ***
From NBC's Danielle Weisberg St. Louis Post-Dispatch and The Atlantic , President Obama was supposed to fly in a pizza chef to prepare lunch for his guests at the White House today. An ode to the trademark deep-dish pizza of his hometown Chicago?
Not quite.
The chef being flown in is Ryan Mangialardo, partner in St. Louis's Pi restaurant. Obama declared Mangialardo's pizza “the best pizza I’ve ever eaten” on the campaign trail last October.
While the president has displayed his Chicago loyalty -- proudly sporting his White Sox baseball hat, rooting for Da Bears, cheering for the Bulls -- some in the Windy City might be surprised about his pizza preference.
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro The Salesman-in-chief : So who else is stressed out? At 11:00 am ET, President Obama meets with Treasury Secretary Geithner, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, and FDIC Chair Sheila Bair to receive a status report on how the nation’s biggest banks are faring in their “stress tests.” This meeting comes after the Obama administration engaged yesterday in some optimistic talk about the economy -- and as the Dow jumped up some 240 points. Obama was bullish on housing and low interest rates (so bullish that the New York Times and Washington Post compared him to a mortgage broker or a salesman for LendingTree.com). Also, top White House economic adviser Larry Summers said the economic “free fall” was coming to an end. No doubt that confidence and optimism are musts for this young administration. But is Obama setting himself up for problems down the road? If this summer and fall ends up being bad again, then what happens to the credibility of the Obama economic team? As the New York Times front-pages today, ”skeptics are warning that the economy may face another leg down. Companies continue to shed jobs and consumers are hunkering down in anticipation of a halting recovery. Most of the nation’s retailers on Thursday signaled that they expected to see a continued steep decline in sales as they waited for consumers to come out of hiding.”
Video: Serene Murphy, wife of Capt. Shane Murphy, second in command aboard the Maersk Alabama, discusses a brief phone call from her husband after the crew had "taken down" a pirate. ***
Pirate update : Here’s the latest regarding the standoff with those Somali pirates: NBC’s Jim Miklaszewski reported on TODAY that Captain Richard Phillips managed to jump off the lifeboat and try to swim away from his captors. The pirates recaptured him, however, and he is back in their custody. The lifeboat has run out of fuel and has nowhere to go… Reuters also reports that the Somali pirates say they will fight if they are attacked… And AFP reports that the Somali pirates have demanded a ransom.
*** Ideology vs. reality : So how have the three conservative GOP governors who are potential 2012 candidates -- Jindal, Palin, and Sanford -- fared in their campaign against Obama’s economic stimulus? Not too well so far, it seems. Sanford has had to go up with a TV ad to defend his opposition to the stimulus, which is just a huge concession. And Politico’s Ben Smith adds, “All three of those governors have been forced to scale back their expectations, to varying degree, as the push of conservative philosophy gave way to the pull of political reality. All three found that praise from the conservative movement in Washington meant nothing to furious state legislators of both parties. And in the end, along with other conservative Republican governors, the three submitted letters in recent days asking to be eligible for federal funds, a spokesman for the White House Office of Management and Budget confirmed.”
*** Republicans Gone Wild, part II : Back in late February, a month into the Obama presidency, we noted how a couple of GOP senators said some outlandish things -- first when Richard Shelby seemed to question Obama’s citizenship, and then when Jim Bunning predicted Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg would be dead in nine months. Well, now some of their House colleagues are giving those statements a run for their money. Presumably doing his best McCarthy impression, GOP Rep. Spencer Bachus said there were 17 members of the U.S. House who are socialists but didn’t name names, the Birmingham News reported. And that came after the always-controversial Rep. Michele Bachmann called for an “orderly revolution” against Obama’s policies. (“We can't let the Democrats achieve their ends any longer,” she said.) Just five months after Obama’s decisive 53%-46% victory, we’ve got to ask: What is going on with some Republican elected officials? Are they watching too much Glenn Beck? Seriously, could the bizarre rantings of this new darling of the right have something to do with this? GOP lawmakers, when speaking to supporters at home, are getting more odd questions. Could this Beck phenomenon be the reason? He truly has a "middle of the night" am radio quality to some of his rants.
***
Helping Hillary -- and Mark Penn : Here’s another question: What’s going on with Hillary Clinton’s campaign debt? That’s right, 10 months after Hillary ended her presidential bid, Clinton friend James Carville yesterday sent out an email solicitation asking supporters to donate $5 for the chance to spend a day with Bill Clinton in New York, attend the “American Idol” season finale in LA, or have lunch with Carville and Paul Begala in DC. “Your contribution today not only gives you the chance at winning one of these fantastic prizes -- it'll also help our dear friend, Hillary Clinton, pay off the very last of her campaign debt,” Carville wrote. And guess what? Your contribution also will help Mark Penn. Indeed, more than $5.3 million of out of Hillary’s remaining $5.9 million debt is owed to Mark Penn’s firm.
*** Terry in trouble? It's still relatively early -- two months until June's Democratic gubernatorial primary -- but Terry McAuliffe couldn't have liked the numbers from a new DailyKos/Research 2000 poll . In it, McAuliffe trails Brian Moran by five points, 24%-19%, with Creigh Deeds coming in third at 16%. Also, the Macker has a net-negative fav/unfav (35%-36%), while both Moran and Deeds narrowly have net-positives. Also, in hypothetical match-ups against presumptive GOP nominee Bob McDonnell, McAuliffe trails by seven points (40%-33%), Deeds trails by an equal amount (38%-31%), and Moran trails by one (37%-36%). With two months to go, is Brian Moran your Democratic front-runner? Then again, a whopping 41% say they’re undecided in the Democratic primary. By the way, after he reported $1.2 million in cash on hand (compared with $2.5 million for the Macker and $825,000 for Moran), don’t forget about Mr. Deeds…
*** Other Odds And Ends: According to Politico, Obama will attend a local church for Easter services, and Arizona State won’t award the president an honorary degree when he speaks there at a commencement on May 13. The reason: They say Obama hasn’t accomplished enough. “It’s normally awarded to someone who has been in their field for some time,” an ASU spokeswoman said. “Considering that the president is at the beginning of his presidency, his body of work is just beginning.”
Countdown to Obama’s 100th day: 19 days
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The New York Times’ Zeleny writes: “He is not a mortgage broker. But for a time on Thursday, President Obama seemed to be playing one on television, urging Americans not to miss out on rock-bottom refinancing rates. From his perch in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, the president donned his salesman’s hat and pitched the benefits — for you, and of course, for the American economy — of home mortgage rates at their lowest levels in 35 years.”
“Seldom has the president sounded so much like the host of a late-night infomercial, stopping just shy of imploring people to call the toll-free number at the bottom of their television screens.”
Adds the Washington Post’s Milbank , “When last we heard from the salesman in chief 10 days ago, he was pitching General Motors and Chrysler cars so aggressively that he did everything but offer to rotate every American's tires. Now, it seems, he's moonlighting for LendingTree.com.”
The Wall Street Journal curtain-raises today’s White House meeting on the economy. “President Barack Obama's meeting on Friday with top government economic officials likely sets the stage for more aggressive White House action soon on the economy, despite emerging signs of hope. ‘He will make it clear that it took a long time to get into this crisis [and] will take time to get out,’ a senior administration official said. ‘He'll be briefed on progress of our aggressive efforts, and what more needs to be done.’”
CONTINUED >>
"A ragtag band of pirates has put President Barack Obama in a bind : He commands overwhelming firepower in the form of a growing flotilla of U.S. warships, but he doesn't want to use it." AP calls the president's response so far on the pirates "careful -- and quiet." no direct ties between pirates looking for a fast buck and the Islamic extremists looking to attack America or her allies. But informal links are there, mired in Somalia's complex and combative clans."
"President Barack Obama wants Congress
to act quickly on his $83.4 billion request for U.S. military and diplomatic operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, an appeal that's disappointing the most liberal, anti-war wing of his party."
CIA Chief Leon Panetta
yesterday announced a new policy that should make the left very happy. "Panetta said Thursday that he had banned the agency's use of contract employees to interrogate prisoners or provide security at detention facilities, ending a practice that had drawn frequent criticism from human rights groups and key members of Congress. Panetta also spelled out new obligations for officers to safeguard the well-being of detainees when working with U.S. partners in Pakistan and other countries that frequently capture terrorism suspects with CIA help. The rules require agency employees to report abuses even if they take place ‘in the custody of an American partner.’”
CONTINUED >>
Remember that debt Hillary Clinton racked up continuing her uphill bid for the Democratic nomination? Well, it's still not paid off. And yesterday a fundraising e-mail was sent out in the name of James Carville with the following game-show language: "Contribute now for a chance to win one of these exclusive prizes: Spend a day with President Clinton, New York, NY; American Idol Finale, Los Angeles, CA; Tour the nation's capitol with Carville & Begala, Washington, D.C."Washington Post's Al Kamen says, "You might have thought that Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton would have retired her nearly $6 million presidential campaign debt a long time ago. Apparently not." And he picks up on the Mark Penn angle: "Almost every dollar raised from the Carville-Begala pitch will go toward someone who those advisers had quite a stormy relationship with -- Mark Penn, the pollster-strategist who was ousted midway through the 2008 primary season. According to year-end filings with the Federal Election Commission, Clinton's campaign had outstanding debts of $5,943,385. Of that total, Penn's firm was still owed $5,362,278 as of Dec. 31."
CONTINUED >>
"The list of governors threatening to decline federal stimulus money last month read like a list of Republicans considering running for president in 2012: Governors Mark Sanford, Bobby Jindal and Sarah Palin led the anti-stimulus charge," Politico's Ben Smith writes. "But what began with a bang is ending with something closer to a whimper. All three of those governors have been forced to scale back their expectations, to varying degree, as the push of conservative philosophy gave way to the pull of political reality."
"A nonprofit group with close ties to Gov. Mark Sanford will spend $230,000 on television ads defending Sanford’s opposition to some federal stimulus money," The Columbia State writes. "Sanford will appear in the ads, sponsored by Carolinians for Reform. The group was founded by a handful of Sanford campaign donors and aims to educate the public about the governor’s positions. Sanford frequently has appeared in ads by similar groups that support his agenda." The paper notes, as we did yesterday: "The group that is paying for the ads has been the subject of controversy." Also, Sanford says "school officials and lawmakers" are "intentionally use misleading budget numbers to create panic. ... Sanford thinks a silent majority of South Carolinians support him, but some polls have indicated otherwise."
"While the organizers of the Washington, D.C. anti-spending 'Tea Party' have given a speaking slot to Alan Keyes, that other failed African-American Republican Senate candidate from Maryland, Michael Steele, has been dissed by the crew behind the Chicago Tea Party." "Unfortunately, it appears that he has only just decided to reach out after realizing how big the movement has gotten and how much media is now involved," the group's organizer wrote, adding, "This will also present a fantastic time for Chairman Steele to LISTEN to what we have to say and perhaps gather some thoughts on what the RNC needs to be doing moving forward."
CONTINUED >>
MINNESOTA : The Star Tribune : “The U.S. Senate recount trial moved out of the courtroom and squarely into the court of public opinion Thursday, as state DFL and Republican leaders aired plans to build public pressure to force concessions by the other party's candidate. At a Capitol news conference, state DFL Chair Brian Melendez announced a new website, GiveitupNorm.com, that features a video urging Republican Norm Coleman to drop further legal challenges in the race and provide Minnesota ‘equal representation in Washington.’”
“Not to be outdone, state GOP Chairman Ron Carey held his own news conference to call on DFLer Franken to join Coleman in asking the trial judges to reconsider counting 4,400 absentee ballots that they passed on before allowing 351 to be tallied on Tuesday.” AP : "Republican Norm Coleman is defending the planned appeal of his Senate election lawsuit to the Minnesota Supreme Court, even if it means the state is short a U.S. senator for several more weeks. 'We need it to get over, but I tell folks this is not fast-food justice,' Coleman said while on talk radio with Fargo, N.D.-based host Scott Hennen. 'We need to make sure that all votes that should be counted are counted… I'm confident because the votes that are out there are votes that will turn a tide here. There's no question about that. They come from mostly Republican areas because the votes from the Democrat areas have already been counted."
KENTUCKY : "Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway (D) announced his 2010 Senate bid via a newly launched campaign Web site and a YouTube video Thursday," Roll Call reports.
NEW YORK : The latest count in NY-20, per Politico : At Thursday's close, Democrat Scott Murphy had an 8-vote lead… According to unofficial combined canvass results released by the state board of elections, Murphy has 77,590 votes to 77,582 votes for Republican Jim Tedisco. Four counties don’t appear to have submitted any paper ballot counts to the state yet—Essex, Saratoga, Warren and Washington. Among the four, Saratoga County is the most important to watch since it’s the district population hub and since Tedisco won 54 percent there in the March 31 contest.”
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro Mark Ritchie , who has been at the center of that Senate recount between Democrat Al Franken and Republican Norm Coleman , told First Read in an interview that his office reads the Minnesota state law this way: That "after final appeal in state court, the person who is judged to have won the election will get the seal."
Last night on MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Show, however, Republican Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty wasn't as clear. He hedged on whether or not he'd sign a state election certificate -- even if the state Supreme Court rules that one or the other is the winner. He said it was "premature to say."
And one of his reasons could be seen as a bold assertion of potential executive power.
"We also want to have a chance to see what the case would look like at that point, in terms of how harshly or strongly the issues have been decided or dealt with by the Minnesota Supreme Court," Pawlenty said, adding, "I think the state court will do a good job and a fine job, but there are some equal protection issues that are federal equal protection issues. And again, I don't want to get ahead of ourselves, because I'm not sure one or the other parties is going to get to federal court... . I will evaluate it genuinely and seriously at that point, but it's almost, it's really quite unfair to say what would you do in advance of all of that."
Ritchie, a Democrat, pointed out that the state Supreme Court in its last order on the question of the election certification said two things: (1) It's the job of U.S. Senate to decide how they pick and choose and seat their senator (as we saw with the near-Constitutional crisis leading up to the eventual seating of Roland Burris in Illinois); and (2) In three different places, Ritchie said, the state Supreme court pointed out that the "process ends in the state court. As they read the law in their statement is the same as we read: After final appeal in state court, the person who is judged to have won the election will get the seal."
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Athena Jones
After his whirlwind trip through Europe and Turkey, the Obama administration today kept the focus on domestic issues, touching on veterans health care, housing, child care, and vaccinations.
Flanked by Defense Secretary
Robert Gates and Veterans Affairs Secretary
Eric Shinseki ,
President Obama spoke about his trip to visit American troops in Baghdad and repeated a pledge he made often on the campaign trail: to modernize the VA and give veterans the care they have been promised and the benefits they have earned. He said the government's sacred trust with those who wear the uniform began at enlistment and must never end.
"But we know that for too long, we've fallen short of meeting that commitment," the president said. "Too many wounded warriors go without the care that they need. Too many veterans don't receive the support that they've earned. Too many who once wore our nation's uniform now sleep in our nation's streets. It's time to change all that."
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro Yesterday, we noted President Obama 's call congratulating University of North Carolina men's basketball coach Roy Williams . And for those wondering, the president also called University of Connecticut women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma today to congratulate his team on its perfect 39-0 season.
The White House statement on the call:
“The President congratulated Coach Auriemma on his team's undefeated year and was impressed to learn that UConn had only one senior who started in the title game. Coach Auriemma put center Tina Charles on the phone, and the President congratulated her on a great game and for going 11 for 13 from the floor, but jokingly asked what happened with the other two shots. The President told Coach Auriemma that he’s looking forward to seeing him and the rest of the Huskies at the White House.”
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro An ad is up and running for Gov. Mark Sanford in South Carolina, trying to sell why he opposes the stimulus money.
The ad features Sanford talking directly into the camera, making his case.
But the ad is paid for by Carolinians for Reform, a group that, a Dem source points out, received more than $100,000 "left over from the National Governors Association conference held in Charleston in August 2006," according to the Charleston Post and Courier .
The Post and Courier wrote Nov. 17 2007:
"Sanford's past business ties to a nonprofit organization that received $100,000 from a governor's conference bank account has lawmakers considering changes to disclosure laws and the state's competitive grants program. While no one has accused Sanford of anything illegal, some state lawmakers question his decision to donate the conference money to Carolinians for Reform Inc. given his ties to the organization. Among the group's directors is a former officer in a business owned by the governor's brother, and two men who ran a political action committee that supported Sanford."
In another story two days earlier, the paper wrote:
"The governor's office lobbied for a state grant to bring the National Governors Association conference to Charleston while publicly criticizing such legislative earmarks, the man in charge of the grant board says. While the governor's office denies the charge, some powerful senators are considering an investigation after $100,000 left over from that 2006 conference was deposited in the account of a nonprofit organization 'to educate the voters' run by friends of Gov. Mark Sanford."
CONTINUED >>
From NBC’s Kristin Wilson and Domenico Montanaro Here’s a bit of a game of U.S.-Iranian diplomatic chess.
Video: Iranian President Ahmadinejad visits his country's new uranium enrichment plant, and states Iran's willingness to engage in direct talks over nuclear issues with the U.S.. NBC's Ali Arouzi reports .No sooner than Iran was invited to the table to negotiate, did its President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed his country had made great progress on nuclear enrichment.
Then the State Department today called charges against American journalist Roxana Saberi "baseless and without foundation."
The department is "deeply concerned about the announcement," spokesman Robert Wood said, dismissing Iranian assertions that Saberi has admitted her crimes. He gave them "not much credence at all."
"We'd like to see her released as a humanitarian gesture," Wood added.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC’s Andrea Mitchell
CIA Director
Leon Panetta has released a memo he sent Congress today on the
Obama administration’s policy regarding renditions and interrogations.
Bottom line: Panetta says that no "enhanced interrogation" techniques, as authorized by the Department of Justice from 2002 to 2009, will be used.
No outside contractors will conduct interrogations.
The CIA will observe the Army Field Manual on interrogations, no longer operate "black sites" or secret prisons. The agency retains the right to briefly hold or interrogate terror suspects.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Athena Jones
A beekeeper from the White House came to the rescue Thursday, when thousands of honeybees took up residence in a bush just inside the White House's northwest gate near the television live-shot positions.
The soft-spoken Charles Brandts -- who wore a hat with a net that covered his face and said he had worked in the carpenter's shop here for 25 years -- explained that the bees had been "cast off" by another hive that had grown too large and that the swarm was the beginning of a new hive.
He cut the grouping of bees out of the bush and placed it in a large cardboard box, sealing it with bright blue tape as several bees flitted around him. Brandts said the remaining bees would likely scatter shortly.
All is well.
From NBC's Mark Murray Jim Tedisco held an unofficial 68-vote lead over Democrat Scott Murphy (77,060 vs. 76,992) in the ongoing counting in the NY-20 congressional special election to succeed Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand . New York Board of Elections , Murphy gained a net of 44 votes in some of the early returns on the absentee ballots in Columbia, Dutchess, and Greene counties. In addition to those ballots, the Democrats note these returns:
In Delaware County, Murphy won the absentee ballot count by 20 votes. This is significant because Tedisco won Delaware County on Election Day and there is a 15,000 Republican registration advantage.
In Rensselaer County, Murphy received more absentee votes by a margin of 217 to 209. This is significant because Tedisco won Rensselaer on Election Day and only 140 Democrats cast ballots in the county. That means Murphy’s absentee ballot victory comes from some of the 196 Republican ballots and 91 independent or other party voters.
Counting is taking place in Essex, Warren, and Washington counties, which Murphy won.
According to our friends at House Race Hotline note, "If these numbers hold, it would be a bad early sign for Tedisco -- and for his camp's confidence that the party's 700+ advantage in absentees will carry them to victory." More: "For Murphy to overcome Tedisco's 68-vote lead, he'll need to win just a hair over 20% of the 3,111 GOP absentee ballots (considering he takes 90% of Dems, 60% of Independence Party votes and 50% of indies). Anything less, and he'll fall short."
*** UPDATE *** Per Newsday , the latest unofficial count now has Tedisco up by 24 votes. Warning: this count is going to continually change, but wanted to give you a taste of where things are right now.
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Video: A U.S. destroyer arrives in the waters where pirates are holding an American captain hostage after his cargo ship was hijacked — and then retaken — off the coast of Somalia. NBC’s Jim Miklaszewski reports .FBI hostage negotiators are offering their advice, as are others in the federal government with experience and knowlege about talking with captors.
But, the official says, the FBI has not taken over the negotiations.
From NBC's Les Kretman and Mark Murray
The list includes President Obama , First Lady Michelle Obama , First Daughters Malia and Sasha, senior White House adviser Valerie Jarrett , Obama friend Eric Whitaker, first lady counsel Susan Sher, White House aide Eric Lesser, Obama personal aide Reggie Love, and associate social secretary Sam Tubman.
As the Los Angeles Times and others have noted, Lesser will lead the service.
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro *** The domestic pivot: After spending a week-plus focused on international affairs, President Obama today turns his attention back to the domestic arena. At 9:30 am ET, he attends a roundtable discussion at the White House on housing interest rates (in attendance will be a handful of homeowners who have refinanced their homes to take advantage of the current low interest rates). Then, at 11:45 am, he delivers remarks on improving health care for veterans. This speech comes after his visit with U.S. troops in Iraq on Tuesday; after Vice President Biden’s own remarks on vet health care yesterday (“We owe them the obligation to ... provide them the absolute best medical care and service they need”); and after the Obama administration proposed -- then later dropped after opposition -- making veterans use private health-care insurance to pay for combat-related injuries. Also on the domestic front-burner today is chief White House economist Larry Summers’ speech at noon in DC before the Economic Club of Washington.
Video: President Obama plans to turn his attention to the contentious battle over U.S. immigration policy. NBC’s Savannah Guthrie reports. ***
The push for immigration? And here’s another domestic topic, courtesy of a front-page
New York Times article: President Obama will address immigration this year, including the contentious path for citizenship for illegal immigrants. The Times says that Obama will give a speech on the topic in May, and it also points out that it will obviously trigger plenty of opposition, especially in this economic climate. “[W]ith the economy seriously ailing, advocates on different sides of the debate said that immigration could become a polarizing issue for Mr. Obama in a year when he has many other major battles to fight.” But don’t forget this: While there is loud opposition to immigration reform, both the Democratic and Republican presidential nominees last year were on the exact same page on immigration (which is why it wasn’t an issue during the general election). Also note that this news about an immigration push comes right before Obama’s trip abroad next week to Mexico.
*** Something to thank Bush for: Turning back to Obama’s recently concluded international trip, we’d like to make this additional point: While the Obama team regularly likes to blame the Bush administration for the economic problems it’s dealing with on a daily -- if not hourly -- basis, Obama would not have had such a great, arguably historic, debut on the world stage without Bush. The low bar Bush set internationally made this trip that much easier for Obama, and gives the new president, at least in the short term, a stronger hand than he would normally have had.
*** Polar opposites: A lot has been made recently about that new Pew poll showing Obama to have the largest gap in partisan approval among recent presidents in their first year in office: 88% of Democrats approve of Obama's job, while just 27% of Republicans say the same thing. But here are a couple of things to consider: One, the Republican Party is more conservative now, and its moderates are now sitting in the independent category now (the Pew poll has Obama’s approval among independents at 57%). Two, Obama is still approved by one in four Republicans. When that number gets into the teens or single digits, then the "P" word -- polarization -- can fairly be used. For example, in our January 2009 NBC/WSJ poll, right before he left office, just 6% of Democrats approved of George W. Bush’s job.
*** Karl Rove irony watch, part 2: In his weekly Wall Street Journal op-ed , Karl Rove writes about that Pew poll. The op-ed’s title: “The President Has Become a Divisive Figure.” In it, he concludes: “We don't yet know the price Democrats will pay for Mr. Obama's fiscal radicalism. But we do know that no presidential hopeful in our lifetime has made bipartisanship more central to his candidacy and few presidents have devoted as many eloquent words to its importance. Yet no president in the past 40 years has done more to polarize America so much, so quickly.” Last Thursday, as we pointed out, Karl Rove wrote in his Wall Street Journal op-ed that Team Obama was politicizing the White House.
*** Gun talk: We thought that this was interesting: Attorney General Eric Holder says the White House did not ask him to temper his recent remarks on guns, per The Hill . “Asked if the gun issue has become political and if Democrats are getting cozy with the National Rifle Association (NRA), Holder responded, ‘I don’t think it has and in fact, I look forward to working with the NRA to come up with ways in which we can use common-sense approaches to reduce the level of violence that we see in our streets and make the American people as safe as they can possibly be.’” Just asking, but how many more gun incidents have to happen before the pro-gun control crowd gets any legislative traction? It's truly stunning how mute the Democratic Congress has been in the face of what's been quite a few high profile gun incidents this year. Don’t miss this pretty strong New York Times editorial on the subject.
*** Obama’s Seder: Finally today the president and his family "host a private White House Seder, a meal celebrating Passover, the Jewish exodus from Egypt after four centuries of slavery. The White House says it's apparently the first time a U.S. president has hosted a Seder." The AP calls it "a signal that the new president intends to fulfill his promise that Jewish voters would have an ally."
Countdown to Obama’s 100th day: 20 days
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The New York Times front-pages that President Obama will address immigration reform this year, including the contentious path for citizenship for illegal immigrants. “Mr. Obama plans to speak publicly about the issue in May, administration officials said, and over the summer he will convene working groups, including lawmakers from both parties and a range of immigration groups, to begin discussing possible legislation for as early as this fall. Some White House officials said that immigration would not take precedence over the health care and energy proposals that Mr. Obama has identified as priorities. But the timetable is consistent with pledges Mr. Obama made to Hispanic groups in last year’s campaign.”
More: “But with the economy seriously ailing, advocates on different sides of the debate said that immigration could become a polarizing issue for Mr. Obama in a year when he has many other major battles to fight.”
The Wall Street Journal reports that the White House is open to compromise on its climate-change agenda. “‘[The president's] preferred approach was 100% auction to create incentives for companies to reduce their greenhouse-gas emissions,’ said White House spokesman Ben LaBolt. ‘Members of Congress are looking at a variety of policy options to help us make that transition, and the administration will be flexible during the policy-making process as long as those larger goals’ of a clean-energy economy, ‘green’ job creation and cutting oil imports are met, he said in an email.”
The results from the bank stress tests for the top 19 institutions will be delivered to Obama tomorrow, according to Bloomberg . "Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke and Sheila Bair, chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., will attend the session. The group also will have a ‘significant discussion about other aspects of the economy,’ said Josh Earnest, a White House spokesman."
CONTINUED >>
The New York Daily News has an interesting take on Obama’s overseas trip: "President Obama's glowing reception overseas was no accident. That's because the new commander in chief's first international tour was as much a campaign swing as it was global summitry. The reason is simple: While Obama and his strategists wanted to come home with some tangible results, they were even more interested in laying the groundwork for bigger prizes later on."
The L.A. Times' Parsons has a good scorecard analysis piece.
Meanwhile, looking ahead at next week’s trip to the Summit of the Americas, the New York Times has the news about a leading organization for Cuban exiles calling on the White House to expand relations with the Cuban government. "The proposal stops short of calling for an end to the 47-year-old trade embargo the United States has imposed on Cuba. Mr. Hernandez said the embargo should remain until the Cuban government gives ‘more freedom and human rights to people.’ But he also described it as ‘a symbol’ and ‘not something that is that important anymore.’”
“In a reversal from the group’s founding principles, he said American policy should focus not on sanctions but on proactive policies that direct resources to Cuba."
Look for some major Cuban news before the president leaves for the Summit of the Americas next week.
Also, the Obama administration confirmed it would join the multi-national diplomatic process to deal with Iran, the Wall Street Journal writes.
The AP : "Efforts by the Obama administration to re-engage with Iran advanced a step and skidded backward all in the same day, underscoring the difficulties the new president faces as he tries to improve U.S. relations with its longtime foe.”
The Washington Post reports that Congress is going to slow down the legislative process for the rest of the year.
"Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) asserted his innocence and said he is cooperating fully with a preliminary investigation by the House’s new ethics office into his relationship with former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) and his interest in President Obama’s vacant Senate seat."
American Rights at Work launched a seven-figure ad buy urging the passage of the Employee Free Choice Act, trying to capitalize on the raw feelings of workers toward Wall Street. Here's the script: “It’s the Wall Street way of doing business. Getting rich is everything. Reward yourself for failure. Employees don’t matter. Exploiting them is acceptable. Don’t let workers get ahead. That’s why they think they deserve bailouts and bonuses for bringing our economy down. And then turn around and try to keep workers from joining unions to earn better wages and benefits. Don’t let them get away with it. Tell Congress to pass the Employee Free Choice Act now. It’s time the economy worked for everyone again.”
Count Chocola: Officials at the fiscally conservative "Club for Growth have zeroed in on former Rep. Chris Chocola (R-Ind.) to lead the group after the current president, former Rep. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), leaves later this month to run for Senate in Pennsylvania… Chocola was twice elected to the House before losing a bid for his third term in 2006 to now-Rep. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.). And like Toomey, Chocola has deep pockets: Roll Call reported in 2004 that Chocola was one of the wealthiest Members of Congress with a net worth of almost $15 million."
The New York Times , meanwhile, profiles Minnesota’s current lone senator, Democrat Amy Klobuchar. “With only one senator to inundate with advice, to seek help from, or to complain about, six times as many people are calling Ms. Klobuchar’s offices than before the election. A new telephone system was installed in her Washington office so calls could be routed to more staff members, not just to the front desk, where the ringing never seemed to stop. And Ms. Klobuchar’s meetings with advocacy groups -- like those trying to cure diseases, help injured soldiers, or support ethnic groups in Minnesota -- are up 30 percent.”
Meanwhile, Pawlenty says he's not facing DC pressure to act on the Minnesota Senate recount. "Minnesota state law says the state cannot issue an election certificate, signed by the governor and co-signed by the secretary of state, for the winner of a U.S. Senate election if the election is contested. The state Supreme Court confirmed that in a decision last month: The plain language of Minn. Stat. § 204C.40, subd. 2, provides that no election certificate can be issued in this Senate race until the state courts have finally decided the election contest pending under chapter 209. Many, including Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, have interpreted that to mean that an election certificate can and should be issued after an expected state Supreme Court appeal."
An "amended [RNC FEC] report shows that the committee paid about $23,000 for clothing in the three weeks before and after Election Day -- which is actually $7,000 less than previously reported. That new report brings the total Palin clothing costs paid by the RNC down to about $173,000 and also makes it easier to spot clothing purchases that had previously gone undetected,"
Politico's Vogel reports. A couple of details: $192 to the Philadelphia Flyers pro shop "previously described as 'campaign accessories' was recategorized as 'candidate clothing,' possibly for either the Flyers hockey jersey Palin reportedly received with her name and the No. 1 on the back before dropping a ceremonial puck or the one that her younger daughter, Piper, wore at the game. And "a $289 payment to high-end shoemaker Stuart Weitzman, which had been described as 'retail' and 'accessories,' became 'candidate clothing.'"
Also, "The conservative group Free American Citizens has created a questionable legal defense fund for Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, apparently to raise money off her popularity,"
Politico writes. "The home page of 'Sarah Palin’s Defense Fund' proclaims that 'SARAH PALIN NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT!!!' But a click on 'donate now' directs the user to the website of Free American Citizens… Palin’s staff said the group did not contact either her political action committee or her governor’s office before announcing its formation Wednesday" and cannot accept money from it.
Levi Johnston said in another interview that Sarah Palin had been lying about him living at the Palins' house before the baby was born. “I was like, 'OK, well, whatever you want to call it. I had my stuff there.'” Asked if the Palin was lying about him, Johnston simply said: “Yes.” "Johnston said the biggest misconception about him is 'that my family’s white trash.'"
Sanford stumping against the stimulus… "Fort Mill School district leaders and town elders quizzed S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford Wednesday about his stance on federal stimulus funds, pressing him to explain why he opposes federal aid that could keep teachers in the classroom," the
Charlotte Observer reports. "But Sanford told a room packed with 200 Fort Mill Rotary Club members that piling up more debt isn't the answer to South Carolina's economic woes. Sanford held up charts and graphs during his talk. Afterward, he fielded questions from people who said they understand Sanford's point, but are worried about what it will mean for cash-starved schools suffering through the recession."
"Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN)
penned an op-ed today that cites an influential MIT study on cap-and-trade legislation, despite the author of the study complaining that Republicans have misrepresented the findings."
CALIFORNIA: There’s now a third major GOP candidate running for governor: former Rep. Tom Campbell.
NEW YORK: Here's an interesting one we caught late yesterday on NY-20: "The 10 county boards of election currently tabulating the vote in the race between Republican Jim Tedisco and Democrat Scott Murphy are rushing to provide party operatives on both sides with reams of data on every person who submitted an absentee ballot." And what are the campaigns doing with these reams of paper? They "are trying to get a sense of how the final tally might look by calling absentee voters and asking them to reveal their choice."
From NBC’s Claire Luke
“While everyone in this country is suffering, in almost every respect, it has affected young people more,” Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Senior Vice President Anna Greenberg said in a conference call today.
Qvisory, a nonprofit online advocacy and service organization for young adults ages 18 to 34, regardless of employment status, commissioned the poll conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner to reveal the extent to which young adults are affected by the sour economy.
The poll revealed that many young adults are making lifestyle adjustments and buying on credit to cope with unemployment rates and harsh economic conditions, and are also making choices that will affect them in the long run.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Les Kretman President Obama will hold a Passover Seder at the White House with family and staff. The Seder, it turns out, is a fulfillment of a vow that a small group of Obama campaign staff made during their Seder last year, on April 19.
Obama participated in the Jewish ritual, along with a few friends who were traveling with him that day. At the end of the ritual, after the traditional refrain "Next year in Jerusalem!" Sen. Obama and others in the group jokingly added, "Next year in the White House!"
So this year's Seder "is meant not only to celebrate the holiday but also to reflect on all that has happened in our lives" since the Harrisburg Seder, the official said.
From NBC's Mark Murray Vice President Biden is in political spotlight -- with his speech today and also his rebuttal to Dick Cheney yesterday on CNN -- Republicans have seized on another portion of that CNN interview, in which Biden talks in the first person about sending troops into combat.
Asked in the interview if the U.S. is in Afghanistan to defeat the Taliban, Biden replied: "Let's get straight. The Taliban that presents an international threat to the United States of America. The bulk of the Taliban, the phrase that Richard Holbrooke and I have been using, separately but similarly, 5 percent of the Taliban are radicalized Islamists that are no different than al Qaeda."
From the transcript ...
BORGER: But wouldn't you use your leverage that you have on an issue like this, which you call outrageous, the president himself has said is abhorrent?
BIDEN: Yes, but that's not -- I am not prepared to send American troops to die for that.
BORGER: OK.
BIDEN: I am prepared to send American troops to protect the United States of America to kill al Qaeda, to root out extremists and to prevent them being able to use Afghanistan once again as a platform to attack the United States of America. Do we find it abhorrent that that law exists or that it's being considered? Absolutely, positively. But we also find abhorrent what's going on in China in some places. We find abhorrent a lot of things. But the question is, if that were the only thing that existed, would we send my son and other sons there to risk their lives to die? I don't think that is a legitimate use.
"Someone want to tell Biden that HE can’t send troops anywhere?" a congressional GOP aide emailed First Read. "He’s not commander-in-chief."
To be fair to Biden, though, the original question asked him "wouldn't you use your leverage" -- which precipitated the "I" response.
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro Obama , who like many (including two First Read writers), picked the University North Carolina to win the NCAA tournament, called Tar Heels coach Roy Williams last night to congratulate the team.
Here's the readout on the call, according to the White House:
“The President offered Coach Williams his congratulations and thanked him and his team for vindicating him in front of the entire country. The President told him he’d done a great job and asked the Coach to tell the players how proud he was of them and that he looked forward to seeing them at the White House soon.”
Obama may have picked the popular Tar Heels to win the championship, but got just one of the Final Four correct. (Though, in the Midwest bracket, Louisville turned out to be a safer pick than, say, Wake Forest. Eh hem.)
From NBC's Mark Murray Vice President Biden welcomed home members of the 18th Airborne Corps, praising their service and other U.S. soldiers in the audience. "You are the best trained. You are the bravest. You are the most conditioned. You are the best force America has ever assembled," he said.
Biden also discussed President Obama's trip to Iraq, as well as the administration's commitment to safely turn over the country's security to the Iraqis. "Because of all the work you've done, all the work our military has done, I am absolutely confident that the Iraqis are in a much better place to take responsibility for their own security."
He later added, "It's time that they do their responsibility, not militarily alone. It's time to reconcile their political differences so they can enjoy the peace that they say they want and do want in their land."
Moreover, Biden told the soldiers in the audience that the Obama administration submitted a budget increasing funding for veterans and vet health care. "We have a lot of obligations, but only one truly sacred obligation, and that's to care for those who we send to war, and to give them everything they need when they return."
CONTINUED >>
From NBC’s Pete Williams
Attorney General
Eric Holder has named a new head of the Justice Department's internal ethics unit, the Office of Professional Responsibility. And he has named an acting director of ATF and put a new person in charge of the U.S. attorneys.
Mary Patrice Brown takes over OPR. She has been supervising criminal cases at the U.S. Attorney's office in Washington.
Marshall Jarrett , who had been running OPR, takes over the Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys. And
Ken Melson , a veteran career prosecutor in Alexandria, Va., will be acting head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
While some reports have suggested this has something to do with the Ted Stevens case, senior Justice Department officials dismiss that. Jarrett has known Holder since their days together in the U.S. Attorney's office. Far from reflecting any concern about Jarrett's conduct at OPR, these officials say the move actually reflects Holder's confidence in Jarrett by choosing him to run the part of the Justice Department that was the huge problem under Alberto Gonzales -- the U.S. attorneys.
From NBC's Mark Murray New York State Board of Elections , Jim Tedisco (R) is leading Scott Murphy (D) by 17 votes. And that number will undoubtedly change when the absentee-ballot counting starts.
Given how close the race is, Republicans today fired a warning shot of sorts, suggesting that they will fight any ballot that appears to be questionable. National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Pete Sessions released this statement: “Following the final tally of votes from Election Day, we are confident that Jim Tedisco’s current lead will increase given the Republican advantage among absentee ballots. Working with the Tedisco campaign, we remain committed to protecting the integrity of the election process and ensuring that every eligible vote -- particularly those of our military men and women -- is counted. We are thankful to the local officials on the ground who share this commitment.”
Added RNC Chairman Michael Steele : “As absentee ballots begin to be counted today, it is important that the integrity of the electoral process be ensured. The only way to achieve that is by making sure every eligible absentee vote is counted -- especially those absentee ballots cast by our fighting men and women serving overseas. I’m confident Jim Tedisco’s lead will increase as these votes are counted."
We can also tell you, however, that Democrats are equally confident about Murphy's chances.
From NBC's Jim Miklaszewski
The U.S. crew aboard the Maersk Alabama has retaken control of the ship from pirates, according to U.S. officials.
*** UPDATE ***
According to U.S. sources, when the when the civilian crew overpowered one of the armed pirates, the three others grabbed the captain hostage and fled the ship in one of the lifeboats. After negotiating with the pirates, the civilian crew released the one pirate they had in custody expecting the pirates to release the captain, who is still being held hostage.
At the same time, international naval forces from several countries, including the U.S. Navy, are "closing on the area fast." According to one source, the pirates are essentially "all alone, more then 300 miles out to sea, and warships from several countries are on the way."
One official says a Navy P-3 surveillance plane and unmanned drones are overhead feeding video of the scene and monitoring the situation.
From NBC's Athena Jones
Per White House press secretary Robert Gibbs in a statement: "The White House is closely monitoring the apparent hijacking of the U.S.-flagged ship in the Indian Ocean and assessing a course of action to resolve this situation. Our top priority is the personal safety of the crew members on board."
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro Stepping on its message? Very late last night, President Obama finally returned home after his surprise visit to Iraq, where U.S. soldiers there greeted him enthusiastically. While it’s always a good thing for a president to visit with U.S. troops and while Obama needed to go to Iraq since he was so close by -- remember that Landstuhl controversy during the presidential campaign? -- his Iraq stop did step on his final day in Turkey, costing the White House plenty of “how did the trip go?” coverage. (Of course, that didn’t stop many in the media, including us , to ask that very question before today.) But consider: This White House regularly steps on its own message, believing if it doesn’t step on its message, someone else will.
*** Not so popular right now : During the first 11 weeks of the Obama presidency, congressional Republicans have achieved this feat: They have maintained (for the most part) a unified opposition to Obama and the Democratic agenda. All Republicans, save for three moderate GOP senators, voted against Obama’s stimulus. And every single Republican voted against the Democratic budget. But looking at recent polls, we’ve got to ask: Where has this gotten the GOP so far? The recent New York Times/CBS poll showed the Republican Party’s favorability rating at an all-time low, matching the result from last month’s NBC/WSJ poll . One GOP strategist tells First Read that Republicans are hoping that short-term pain leads to long-term gain. “My sense is we are making progress towards reclaiming mantle of fiscal responsibility, which is first step towards rebuilding,” the strategist said. “Obama is hugely popular, which makes for a tough environment. But that will/must fade with time, and we'll get our second look from public.”
*** The never-ending recount : After yesterday’s recount activity in Minnesota -- where Al Franken (D) increased his lead over Norm Coleman (R) -- the question for many is no longer whether Coleman is going to lose; rather, it’s when he’s going to lose. Coleman’s lawyers maintain they’re going to appeal to Minnesota Supreme Court, and there’s the possibility they might take it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. But from a P.R. standpoint, it wasn’t good news for Coleman that the legal challenge he initiated ended up (so far) handing more votes to Franken. (Does that mean that Franken might pick up even more votes if this moves to the state Supreme Court?) "When you contest the results of an election, and you lose ground, you ought to know time is up,” Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer said in a statement. Countered GOP Sen. John Cornyn: "Events [yesterday] do not address the main issue that remains unresolved: over 4,000 Minnesotans were disenfranchised by this three-judge panel. That's why it's so critical for this process to move forward before the Minnesota Supreme Court and why Senate Republicans fully support Senator Coleman's efforts.”
*** Shiver me timbers : NBC’s Jim Miklaszewski reports that pirates have seized the U.S.-flagged, Danish-owned ship Maersk Alabama about 240 miles off the coast of Somalia. Mik adds, "Reports indicate that as many as 21 American crewmen are aboard. The Maersk Alabama is part of a line based in Norfolk, VA and a primary contractor for the U.S. Defense Department. Military officials could not say exactly what cargo the container ship is carrying, but do not believe it is a DOD or U.S. government shipment. At the time the pirates seized the vessel, the nearest U.S. Navy warship was more than 300 miles away. It is believed that one or more of the Navy's counter-piracy Task Force 151 is headed toward the Maersk Alabama."
*** Biden watch : While President Obama has no events on his schedule after returning to the White House late last night, Vice President Biden picks up the slack. He and his wife travel today to Fort Bragg, NC, where the couple will welcome home the XVIII Airborne Corps, who have just returned from Iraq. Note: This is Biden’s second stop this month in this battleground state. (And as we’ve noted earlier, President Obama and Michelle Obama also have visited the state during these past 11 weeks.) Biden’s also in the news after blasting Dick Cheney (calling him “dead wrong” for saying that the Obama administration’s policies have made the country less safe), and with the Washington Post reporting that the vice president will be tasked with shepherding the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty through the Senate.
*** Ethics watch : Here’s more potential bad news for a political party that campaigned in 2006 on ending a culture of GOP corruption: “A congressional ethics board has launched a preliminary inquiry into U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill), related to President Obama’s vacant Senate seat and the corruption investigation of ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich,” the Chicago Sun-Times reported yesterday. “Jesse Jackson Jr. is the second member of the Illinois delegation to come under ethical scrutiny this year. The Senate ethics committee launched an inquiry into Sen. Roland Burris’s appointment by Blagojevich.”
*** Special election rundown : Speaking of Illinois politics, the Democrat running for Rahm Emanuel’s congressional seat -- Mike Quigley -- easily won the special general election yesterday. And in that still-undecided NY-20 congressional race, the counting of absentee ballots begins today.
Countdown to Obama’s 100th day: 21 days
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The president surrounded by soldiers reaching for him and taking photos is five columns wide on the cover of the New York Times and also the above-the-fold photo on the cover of the Washington Post . Wall Street Journal . New York Times’ story : “President Obama made an unannounced trip to Iraq on Tuesday, his first visit as commander in chief to the site of one of the two wars he inherited and must now see through to an end.”
The Boston Globe : "President Obama drew praise from troops and veterans groups for his surprise visit yesterday to Baghdad, another step in his concerted effort to win the support of the military despite having opposed the Iraq war and never having served in uniform." Washington Post : “President Obama declared Tuesday that Iraqis ‘must take responsibility for their country’ and predicted that the next 18 months will be trying as U.S. troops start to leave a country stymied by security threats and political problems.” New York Post's headline : "Barack star!"
The New York Times with this news analysis after Obama’s overseas trip: “In eight days in Europe, President Obama has started down the road to remaking the global financial system, reinvigorating the NATO commitment to Afghanistan and Pakistan, rewriting nuclear policy, and repairing relations with the Muslim world. So, 77 days into his presidency, is there an emerging Obama grand strategy?”
“Not yet, but that may have been the point. Pragmatic, conciliatory, legalistic and incremental, he pushed what might be called, with a notable exception or two, an anti-Bush doctrine. There was no talk of pre-emption, or of the American mission to eradicate tyranny. From the Thames to the Bosporus, and at several landmarks in between, Mr. Obama barely mentioned his predecessor. But he emphasized one of their main differences: that the United States planned not only to give greater authority to international institutions that President George W. Bush often shunned, but also to embrace the creation of some new ones. Not surprisingly, these were the applause lines of his journey across the Continent.”
The Washington Post on Obama’s eight-day trip: “Throughout his trip abroad, Obama portrayed a proud but flawed United States, using a refrain of humility and partnership in an attempt to rally allies around such issues of mutual concern as the global economy, climate change and nuclear proliferation. He talked about the nation's ‘darker periods’ of slavery and repression of Native Americans, and its past sanction of torture that he has ended. He also spoke with pride about the United States' diversity and its central role in rebuilding post-World War II Europe, while condemning ‘anti-Americanism that is at once casual but can also be insidious.’”
“Despite his celebrity reception at nearly every stop on the six-country tour, Obama was unable to persuade European allies to increase fiscal stimulus spending or to send additional combat troops to Afghanistan for long-term deployments.”
With Congress on its Easter break, a group of Congressional Black Caucus members went to Cuba, met with Raul and Fidel Castro, and had praise for them. The three who met Castro: Democratic Reps. Barbara Lee, Laura Richardson and Bobby Rush. "It was Raul Castro's first encounter with U.S. officials since formally replacing his brother as head of state," the AP notes. And it was the first time Fidel has met with Americans since he fell ill in 2006. Regarding Cuba policy: "Jeffrey Davidow, the White House adviser for the Summit of the Americas to be held in Trinidad and Tobago April 17-19, said Monday he 'would not be surprised' if the president announces more changes in U.S. policies before that meeting."said she got the sense "[Fidel Castro] really wants President Obama to succeed" in his foreign policy goals. "He sincerely wants an opportunity, I think, in his lifetime to see a change in America." She added, Castro "looked directly into our eyes" and asked, "How can we help President Obama?" Richardson said. “just the opposite of how he’s being portrayed in the media… I think what really surprised me but also endeared to him was his keen sense of humor, his sense of history and his basic human qualities."
MINNESOTA : After counting some 350 absentee ballots yesterday, Al Franken (D) increased his lead over Norm Coleman (R) to 312 votes -- out of 2.9 million votes cast last November.
The Star Tribune : “Not long after a decisive majority of once-rejected absentee ballots were counted and broke for Franken on Tuesday, attorneys on both sides were already jawing over the merits of an appeal in the 10-week-old U.S. Senate recount trial. Coleman spokesman Ben Ginsberg said the three presiding judges erred in permitting only 351 rejected absentee ballots to be counted. ‘We will be appealing this to the Minnesota Supreme Court,’ he said.”
“Franken attorney Marc Elias brushed aside the threat. ‘I don't think there is much of a case on appeal at all,’ he said.”
The New York Times adds that the case before the three-judge panel “is still not over because the panel has to rule on two outstanding issues: Mr. Coleman is trying to have some ballots removed from the total because he says they have been counted twice, and he says that 132 ballots lost in the recount should not be included in the final tally. Regardless of how the panel rules on these issues, Mr. Franken’s lawyers say Mr. Coleman cannot gain enough votes to overtake him.”
Roll Call : The three-judge panel is expected to rule on those matters, plus which candidate lawfully received the most votes, in the next few days."
“The Vermont Legislature on Tuesday overrode Gov. Jim Douglas’s veto of a bill allowing gay couples to marry, mustering one more vote than needed to preserve the measure,” the New York Times reports. “The step makes Vermont the first state to allow same-sex marriage through legislative action instead of a court ruling, and comes less than a week after the Iowa Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriages in that state.”
“New York, New Jersey, Maine and New Hampshire are among the states where such proposals have gained legislative support in recent months.”
ILLINOIS : As expected, Democrat Mike Quigley won by a wide margin, 69%-24%, in the race to replace Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel in Illinois' 5th Congressional District. Emanuel, by the way, forgot to vote, per the Chicago Tribune . "Quigley said he plans to return to Chicago most weekends and will sleep on his office couch while in Washington."told supporters at an election night party at a North Side Chicago bar. "For a while I will be the guy in D.C. that's recognized as that's the guy taking Rahm Emanuel's seat. We will fight very hard to set our own ground, to establish our own credentials."
And, of course, as the AP notes (as have we ), "It's the same congressional seat once held by impeached Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and former House Ways and Means Chairman Dan Rostenkowski."
NEW YORK : Counting of the absentee ballots in the still-undecided NY-20 special election between Scott Murphy (D) and Jim Tedisco (R) begins today.
Politico writes that Tedisco had a 17-vote lead over Murphy as of yesterday. “The official tally is now Tedisco with 77,035 votes, and Murphy with 77,018. Tedisco regained the lead after election officials in Saratoga County apparently misreported its recanvassed tally to the state Elections Board.” PENNSYLVANIA : "Sen. Arlen Specter on Tuesday said that former Rep. Pat Toomey is too conservative to win a general election race in Pennsylvania, claiming his likely primary opponent 'is to the right of Rick Santorum,'" The Hill writes, adding that on MSNBC's Morning Joe yesterday, "Specter said Toomey fought for deregulation, embraced private accounts in Social Security and, if nominated, would lose the general election and allow Democrats to pass so-called card-check legislation favored by organized labor."
From NBC’s Michelle Perry Barbara Lee announced that three members of the U.S. congressional delegation that traveled to Cuba met with Fidel Castro today before leaving the island nation.
She said they found him "very engaging and very energetic," and they discussed a wide range of provisions with him as they did with Raul Castro .
Lee said that given the new direction in foreign policy the co-del believes it's time to look at new direction toward Cuba.
"The 50-year embargo just hasn’t worked," she said before adding that American citizens should have the right to travel to travel there and the right to do business there.Obama , the Democratic leadership and Secretary of State Clinton .
The co-del, she said, found that Cubans want dialogue and want discussions with the U.S.
From NBC's Mark Murray and Harry Enten Al Franken attorney Marc Elias said that after today's absentee ballot count in Minnesota -- in which Franken built on his 225-vote lead -- there is no doubt that the Minnesota Democrat won last November's Senate contest.
Elias also said that Republican Norm Coleman would have to consider whether appealing to the Minnesota Supreme Court would "be the right thing to do."
At the beginning of the call, Elias noted that after seven weeks of a legal contest that Coleman initiated, Franken ended up increasing his lead -- from 225 votes to 312 votes. He added that while the three-judge panel handling the legal contest still had to decide a couple of more matters, neither would alter the outcome. "The final result is no longer in doubt," he said.
New York Sen. Chuck Schumer , who served as chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, released this statement: "When you contest the results of an election, and you lose ground, you ought to know time is up. The people have spoken, and now that the courts have spoken, Norm Coleman ought to let the process of seating a senator go forward."
Yet in a dueling conference call, Coleman lawyer Ben Ginsberg maintained that the GOP senator would take the never-ending Minnesota recount fight to the state Supreme Court.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mary Murray, Mike Viqueira and Domenico Montanaro Fidel Castro met with a delegation of American members of Congress today in Cuba, according to a press secretary for the American Mission in Havana. The news was first reported by the Associated Press.
The office for Rep. Barbara Lee , one of the members of the delegation, however would not confirm that they met with Fidel Castro. Spokeswoman Nicole Williams would only confirm that there will be a news conference about the trip on Capitol Hill today, which according to a press release, will take place at 5:30 pm ET. The release notes that the group met with Raul Castro , the current president, who is Fidel's brother.
Others on the trip, include Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), Melvin Watt (D-NC), Bobby Rush (D-IL), Marcia Fudge (D-OH) and Laura Richardson (D-CA).
*** UPDATE ***
"We won't know until they land," he said, but he added that since the presser was moved up to soon after when they land, that something news worthy had to have happened.
*** UPDATE 2 ***
The other was Barbara Lee, and isn't sure of the other.
From NBC's Mark Murray Norm Coleman (R) asked for, it turns out that Al Franken's lead has grown, after the addition of some 350 absentee ballots to the count.
Here's the AP's write-up: "Democrat Al Franken's lead in Minnesota's U.S. Senate race has grown to 312 votes after hundreds of absentee ballots were added to the race. Franken led by 225 votes going into Tuesday's count of the absentees. He gained more from the 351 absentees that the judges allowed than Coleman did. Other issues are still pending in Coleman's lawsuit, and he has said he will appeal to the state Supreme Court if he loses."
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro Ted Stevens were dismissed today in federal court. The federal judge in the case also opened a criminal investigation into prosecutors who mishandled the case," AP reports. U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan "appointed attorney Henry Schulke as special prosecutor to investigate the Justice Department team for possible criminal contempt charges."
Sullivan "said he has seen a troubling trend of prosecutors withholding evidence in cases against people ranging from Guantanamo Bay detainees to public officials such as Stevens. He called on judges nationwide to issue formal orders in all criminal cases requiring that prosecutors turn over evidence to defendants. It was a stinging rebuke of the Justice Department and Sullivan called on Holder to order training for all prosecutors."
And get this: "The judge had ordered Justice to provide the agency's internal communications about a whistle-blower complaint brought by an FBI agent involved in the investigation. The agent objected to Justice Department tactics during the trial, including failure to turn over evidence and an "inappropriate relationship" between the lead agent on the case and the prosecution's star witness, Bill Allen."
From NBC’s Chuck Todd (from ISTANBUL, Turkey) and Domenico Montanaro President Obama will be meeting in person in a few minutes with both Iraq's president and prime minister, who both decided to drive to Camp Victory. Originally, the president was to helicopter into the center of Baghdad, but there's a nasty sand storm preventing low-level air travel.
The president gave a pep talk of sorts to a raucous group of 500 to 700 troops at Camp Victory, according TV pool reporter Chip Reid. Obama told the troops that as long as he's in the White House, he'll be looking out for them. In the audience, by the way, was Vice President Biden 's son, Beau Biden , who is currently on a one-year tour of duty.
In his speech, the president called the next 18 months “a critical period.” “It is time for us to transfer to the Iraqis,” Obama said, according to the print pool report by USA Today’s Richard Wolf. “They need to take responsibility for their country." The U.S. role is to train Iraqis to take control, Obama added, so "we can start bringing our folks home.”
He also spoke of the strain on military families -- something First Lady Michelle Obama has said will be a focus for her.
All indications are that when the president wraps up these meetings with Iraq's two leaders, he'll head to Washington, D.C.
*** UPDATE *** NBC's Andrea Mitchell adds: Based on the video being shown on MSNBC, President Obama is visiting with the troops at Army headquarters at Camp Victory inside a gray marble building that used to be Saddam Hussein's Al Faw Palace. It is a palace he built to celebrate Iraq's victory over Iran.
From NBC’s Domenico Montanaro legalized gay marriage by overriding Republican Gov. Jim Douglas ’s veto.
Douglas issued the veto yesterday. The state legislature needed a two-thirds majority to override it, and got it.
Vermont is the fourth state to legalize gay marriage. Iowa did so last week. The others: Massachusetts and Connecticut.
From NBC's Mark Murray we wrote that when President Obama departed Istanbul at 7:20 am ET, it was ending his eight-day overseas trip.
Well, not quite.
We have just learned that the president made a surprise stop in Baghdad. Writes the AP, "On a trip shrouded in secrecy, President Barack Obama flew into Iraq on Tuesday for a brief look at a war he opposed as a candidate and now vows to end as commander in chief."
