June 2009 - Posts
From NBC's Pete Williams
Norm Coleman has the legal option to appeal today's decision over the Minnesota Senate recount to the U.S. Supreme Court. As a practical matter, however, it's over.
Two members -- Chief Justice Eric Magnuson and Justice Barry Anderson -- recused themselves from the case, because they were on the statewide canvassing board and could not be in the position of essentially ruling on their own earlier conclusion about the election.
Today's decision does not order the governor to act, but it says
Al Franken "is entitled" under state law "to receive the certificate of election." The court put the legal effect of its ruling on hold for 10 days -- time enough for Coleman to seek relief from the U.S. Supreme Court.
Many legal scholars agree, however, that it's nearly a certainty that the U.S. Supreme Court will stay out of this. It was one thing for the court to take up the Florida election challenge in 2000, because that involved the presidential election. No such pressing national concern is present here, and there's every reason to think Coleman received fair consideration from the Minnesota courts.
From NBC's Mark Murray Tim Pawlenty
to certify Al Franken as the winner in Minnesota, and on Norm Coleman to bow out of the race.
Sen.
Bob Menendez , chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said: "We've always said that Norm Coleman deserved his day in court, and he got eight months. Now we expect Gov. Pawlenty to do the right thing, follow the law, and sign the election certificate."
Added DNC Chairman
Tim Kaine : "Norm Coleman should concede and Gov. Pawlenty should sign the election certificate which Al Franken is entitled to."
And here's Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid : "I once again encourage Gov. Pawlenty to respect the votes of his constituents and the decisions of his state's highest court. He should put politics aside, follow his state's laws and finally sign the certificate that will bring this episode to an end."
From NBC's Mark Murray and Chuck Todd
Moments ago, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled unanimously that Al Franken beat Norm Coleman in that contested race. "[W]e affirm the decision of the trial court that Al Franken received the highest number of votes legally cast and is entitled under Minn.
Video: The Minnesota Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered that Democrat Al Franken be certified as the winner of the state's long-running Senate race. That would give Democrats their filibuster-proof 60 votes in the Senate (although getting ill Democrats like
Ted Kennedy and
Robert Byrd to vote on legislation will be a challenge).
There are two things to watch. One, will Minnesota Gov.
Tim Pawlenty (R) certify Franken the winner? Pawlenty has said he'll do so if the Minnesota Supreme Court orders him. (Question: Is the court saying Franken is "entitled" an order?) Two, will Coleman take his appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court?
By the way, Franken is holding a press conference at 5:15 pm ET.
From NBC's Mark Murray Mark Sanford (R) wasn't telling the whole truth at that press conference where he revealed his affair with an Argentine woman.
In an interview with the AP , Sanford
disclosed that met seven times with the woman -- more than he initially claimed. The governor "described five meetings with Maria Belen Chapur over the past year, including two romantic, multi-night stays with her in New York before they met there again intending to break up. He said he met her two other times -- their first meeting in 2001 at an open-air dance spot in Uruguay and a coffee date in New York in 2004 during the Republican National Convention. He said neither time was romantic."
More: "It was the first disclosure of any liaisons with Chapur in the United States and contradicted a public confession last week during which Sanford admitted to a total of five encounters over their eight-year relationship."
From NBC's Mark Murray and Alex Beinstein Vanity Fair piece on Sarah Palin :
is unlike any other national figure in modern American life—neither Anna Nicole Smith nor Margaret Chase Smith but a phenomenon all her own. The clouds of tabloid conflict and controversy that swirl around her and her extended clan—the surprise pregnancies, the two-bit blood feuds, the tawdry in-laws and common-law kin caught selling drugs or poaching game—give her family a singular status in the rogues’ gallery of political relatives. By comparison, Billy Carter, Donald Nixon, and Roger Clinton seem like avatars of circumspection. Palin’s life has sometimes played out like an unholy amalgam of Desperate Housewives and Northern Exposure...
McCain’s offer) and was much parodied. At least one savvy politician—Barack Obama —believed Palin would never have time to get up to speed. He told his aides that it had taken him four months to learn how to be a national candidate, and added, “I don’t care how talented she is, this is really a leap.”...
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg Sonia’s good news, bad news : Here’s the bad news for Sonia Sotomayor: Yesterday, with the Supreme Court’s New Haven ruling, was her toughest day as a SCOTUS nominee since her "wise Latina" comment produced that political/media frenzy a few weeks ago. But here’s the good news: If yesterday is as bad as it's going to get -- and most expected the Supreme Court to reverse Sotomayor and her 2nd Circuit panel in the New Haven case -- then she's still well on her way to winning confirmation. What’s more, the court’s 5-4 ruling (along the usual conservative/liberal split) gives her 2nd Circuit panel decision plenty of cover. Now, it's all about the confirmation hearing and how the Republicans go after her. But as we learned with John Roberts’ and Samuel Alito’s hearings, it’s more than likely that she’ll say absolutely nothing controversial during these hearings.
Video: Guest host Alison Stewart talks about the case with NPR legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg. ***
So apparently there aren’t enough political ads? But while the New Haven case was yesterday’s main focus, the Supreme Court’s other action Monday -- to hear additional oral arguments in Citizens United vs. the Federal Election Commission on Sept. 9 -- could very well have a profound effect on American politics. According to experts, the court’s decision to revisit the case could result in overturning the campaign-finance law that corporations, unions, and other special interests can’t air political ads 30 days before a primary and 60 days before the general election. "This has the potential to be a blockbuster," Michael E. Toner, a former chairman of the FEC, told the
Washington Post . He added that the issues have implications for "the whole architecture of the federal campaign financing system." Regarding this action and the New Haven case, talk about the legislating from the bench!
*** Iraq withdrawal : Although it’s been overshadowed largely by other news (Michael Jackson, Bernie Madoff, Iran), today is the deadline for U.S. soldiers to withdraw from Iraqi cities. However, as NBC’s Jim Miklaszewski reports, most of that withdrawal has been completed a day ahead of today’s deadline. Yet the withdrawal also comes as we learned that four U.S. troops died from combat-related injuries. And it also comes with a new CNN poll showing that just 34% approve of the Iraq war, that 73% agree with the decision to withdraw U.S. troops from the major Iraq cities, and that a majority believes the withdrawal will increase the violence in Iraq.
Video: President Obama declares military coup of Honduran president illegal; Ahmadinijad wins Iran vote recount; U.S. troops pull out of Iraq. NBC's Brian Williams reports. ***
Gibbs’ two pledges : Yesterday on MSNBC’s Hardball, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs made two pieces of news. One, regarding Gitmo, he said the Obama administration would absolutely go to Congress first to get approval of holding detainees indefinitely. Two, Gibbs pledged repeal of “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” by the time Obama runs for re-election.
*** Today’s cable catnip : Riddle us this: How is Sarah Palin
going to be able to run for president when so many other Republicans, especially those who worked on the McCain campaign, are more than willing to criticize her? Todd Purdum has a piece
in the latest issue of Vanity Fair , in which former McCain campaign aides unload on her -- again. "They can't quite believe that for two frantic months last fall, caught in a Bermuda Triangle of a campaign, they worked their tails off to try to elect as vice president of the United States someone who, by mid-October, they believed for certain was nowhere near ready for the job, and might never be," Purdum writes.
*** Honduras vs. Iran : Here's something you should expect to hear a lot of today: What's the difference between getting involved with the Honduras situation and not with Iran? Of course, there are a lot of differences -- including the entire Organization of American States condemning the coup in Honduras; there wasn't that level of international will on the Iranian situation. Also, we have diplomatic relations with Honduras and therefore have leverage with that country. With Iran, zero relations so little leverage? That said, speaking out against the coup in Honduras as forcefully as the Obama administration has will lead to some on the right to criticize him for not doing the same with Iran.
*** The never-ending recount -- by the numbers : Are we going to get a decision today from the Minnesota Supreme Court regarding the state’s never-ending recount? It’s the last day of the month, and we were led to believe the court would have a decision by then. (Remember that the court heard oral arguments on June 1.) With the race still unresolved, here’s a look at it by the numbers:
*** Today’s sked : At 2:00 pm ET, President Obama makes remarks highlighting innovative non-profit programs. Also today, GOP Sens. Mitch McConnell, John McCain, and John Ensign discuss their ideas for health-care reform in Houston, TX at the well-known M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.
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The Washington Post has a C.W.-setting piece on the Obama administration’s agenda. “Obama and his aides have proved adept at navigating the politics and eccentricities of the legislative branch. But as lawmakers attempt to navigate much trickier and more contentious issues in the second half of the year, the narrow margin of Friday's energy vote served as a warning: The higher the stakes, the tougher the challenge in finding consensus within what has become a diverse Democratic majority.”
Video: NBC’s Andrea Mitchell talks with Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., about a last-minute provision to the House-approved cap and trade bill, which would require President Barack Obama’s successors to tariff goods from nations that do not limit greenhouse gas emissions. More: "Maintaining a sense of common interest across the party is a paramount goal. Early on, administration officials and Democratic leaders agreed they would steer clear of controversial social issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage. And to the discontent of many liberal Democrats, Congress intends to remain generally silent on those fronts... For the White House, the trick is to keep a firm grip without appearing overly meddlesome."
The New York Times , meanwhile, has a look at how the Obama administration is trying to move the health care campaign outside the Beltway. "With members of Congress back in their districts for the Fourth of July recess, Mr. Obama’s political group, Organizing for America, has recruited thousands of supporters to participate in blood drives, raise money for medical research and volunteer at community health clinics this week, all with the intent of sending reminders to lawmakers that the public wants action on health care. ‘The main thing,’ David Axelrod, Mr. Obama’s senior adviser, said, ‘is to involve as many people as possible and demonstrate in a variety of ways the level and degree of intensity of support that this has.’ Of Mr. Obama’s supporters, Mr. Axelrod said, ‘There’s no issue that motivates them more than health care.’”
Video: President Obama asks for video and online questions about health care ahead of a July 1 virtual town hall on the topic. The White House's favorite right-of-center columnist,
David Brooks , laments the dominance Congress has over writing legislation. "The great paradox of the age is that Barack Obama, the most riveting of recent presidents, is leading us into an era of Congressional dominance. And Congressional governance is a haven for special interest pleading and venal logrolling. When the executive branch is dominant you often get coherent proposals that may not pass. When Congress is dominant, as now, you get politically viable mishmashes that don’t necessarily make sense."
CONTINUED >>
The Washington Post : “The Supreme Court's rejection of a decision against white firefighters endorsed by Judge Sonia Sotomayor gives Republicans a renewed chance to attack her speeches and writings but is not expected to imperil her confirmation to the high court, political and legal sources said yesterday.”
The AP adds, “The 5-4 ruling Monday … is unlikely to derail Sotomayor's nomination -- and it may not even sway a vote. Reaction to the decision fell almost purely along partisan lines, with Republicans cheering the decision and saying it raises serious concerns about the judge, and Democrats condemning the opinion and arguing that Sotomayor had acted appropriately.”
Video: The Supreme Court rules that white firefighters in Connecticut were unfairly denied promotions. NBC’s Pete Williams reports. Roll Call : “In a conference call with reporters, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) — a member of the Judiciary Committee — argued the Supreme Court’s ruling in Ricci v. DeStefano should not be seen as a rebuke of Sotomayor’s judicial temperament, but rather an indication that she is a moderate jurist who was simply following precedent.”
Indeed, “White House press secretary Robert Gibbs all but accused the current court of ‘judicial activism,’ a buzz term used by conservatives in recent years, in overturning what the White House saw as Sotomayor's upholding of precedent,”
The Hill says.
Roll Call : “The Laborers’ International Union of North America is targeting Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Senate Budget Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) with a television ad urging the two Senators to resist taxing health insurance benefits as a means to pay for health care reform.”
Note that Democratic House chairman Henry Waxman, who helped write the energy bill and is also playing a key role in the health-care debate, has a book that’s coming out this week entitled “The Waxman Report: How Congress Really Works.” The book is co-authored by Atlantic Monthly writer (and First Read friend) Josh Green.
NEW JERSEY : “Chris Christie walked out of a blockbuster congressional hearing last week with an air of defiance, saying he survived a political booby trap and would get right back to his own campaign agenda,” the Newark Star-Ledger reports. “But Democrats say they are not finished pursuing the questions they've raised about Christie, who leads Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine by 10 points in most polls. They vow to raise them again with proposed legislation, a forthcoming report and perhaps more hearings.”
NEW YORK : Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand got NARAL’s endorsement .
Giuliani says
he’s considering running for governor.
PENNSYLVANIA :
Politico looks at how the GOP is rallying around Toomey now, with no other choices.
From NBC's Jim Miklaszewski
Despite the withdrawal, many U.S. military forces will remain in the cities, embedded with Iraqi forces as advisers. They would also act as liaison officers who would be able to summon a U.S. military rapid reaction force if needed -- or also call in U.S. military air strikes. Those remaining in the cities would also include intelligence officers.
Neither the military or Pentagon could provide a specific number of U.S. forces left behind.
From NBC's Ken Strickland Jeff Sessions , ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, applauded the Supreme Court's New Haven firefighters ruling, while criticizing Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor's . She sided with the judges on the lower court whose ruling was overturned today.
"The Supreme Court found that Judge Sotomayor was wrong to allow the city to change its promotion exam after it was given, solely to favor a group because of race," Sessions said in a written statement.
He went on to say judges should rule on the law, the facts, and the Constitution, "and not play favorites. This case sharpens our focus on Judge Sotomayor's troubling speeches and writings, which indicate the opposite belief: that personal experiences and political views should influence a judge's decision."
Video: University of Maryland Law School Prof. Sherrilyn Ifill and author Cliff Sloan debate the Supreme Court's New Haven firefighters decision. Senate Republican Leader
Mitch McConnell added, "Not only did Judge Sotomayor misapply the law, but the perfunctory way in which she and her panel dismissed the firefighters' meritorious claims of unfair treatment is particularly troubling ... underscoring my concern that she may have allowed her personal or political agenda to cloud her judgment and affect her ruling."
Similar views were also expressed by other Judiciary Committee Republicans. Sen.
Orrin Hatch said, "The Second Circuit should have recognized the serious and unique issues this case raised and given it the thorough treatment it deserved." And Sen.
John Cornyn said, "[W]hile the Justices divided on the outcome, all nine Justices were critical of the trial court opinion that Judge Sotomayor endorsed."
From NBC's Mark Potter Mark Sanford (R) said categorically he will not resign as governor of South Carolina.
He said he intends to spend the last 18 months of his term improving his approach to proposing legislation.
He says he has consulted with a number of friends and spiritual advisers. All encouraged him to stay in office, which he says now he will do.
From NBC's Pete Williams
Sonia Sotomayor joined in the New Haven case, it also raised the stakes for getting her confirmed early.David Souter , as of today, is gone from the court. So the justices will hope Sotomayor gets confirmed before Sept 9, to avoid the possibility of a 4-4 tie.
The case held back is a challenge to a part of the campaign finance law restricting broadcast ads in the periods before primary and general elections.
From NBC's Jonathan Dienst and Mark Murray More breaking news
There was applause in the courtroom when the sentence was read.
Video: Victims of Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff tell CNBC how they feel about his 150-year sentence, immediately after it was handed down . Madoff is 71 years old.
There was no fine. All Madoff assets will go to the victims.
From NBC's Mark Murray very interesting break down of Friday's narrow 219-212 House vote approving the energy/climate change/cap-and-trade legislation. According to Brownstein, politics perhaps played a bigger role than geography did in determining who voted for the bill.
"Of the 49 House Democrats who represent districts that McCain carried last year, fully 29 voted against the measure. By contrast, just 15 of the 207 Democrats from districts that Obama carried last year voted against the bill... Put another way, while 59 percent of the Democrats from districts that McCain carried voted no, just 7 percent of Democrats in Obama-majority districts opposed the White House on the vote."
Video: Senior White House adviser David Axelrod discusses President Barack Obama’s energy legislation with NBC’s David Gregory on “Meet the Press.” More: "Similarly, seven of the eight Republicans who supported the measure represent districts that backed Obama last November... Still, in contrast with the Democrats from split districts, 27 of the 34 Republicans from Obama-districts held with their party and voted against the legislation. California crystallized that trend: Of the eight Republicans there in districts that Obama carried last year, only
Mary Bono Mack from Palm Springs supported the bill."
From NBC's Mark Murray Breaking news
Video: NBC's Pete Williams reports on the Supreme Court decision in favor of the white firefighters. The decision was 5-4.
This, of course, overturns a ruling by a 2nd Circuit panel that included Supreme Court nominee
Sonia Sotomayor .
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg The Big Two: Congress is out of town, and Americans are getting ready for the long July 4 weekend. But the Obama White House is busy trying to keep up the momentum for both the energy bill and health-care reform. Yesterday, President Obama gave a five-newspaper interview to energy reporters that was part victory lap after Friday’s narrow House passage, and also part negotiating tactic with the Senate. As for health care, the president will hold yet another town hall on the subject on Wednesday -- this one in Annandale, VA (which has a major online component). This two-track push is certainly putting Republicans a tad on the defensive. What do they focus on? As we’ve noted before, the Obama administration juggling several balls at once makes it difficult for the opposition to focus its fire on all the different balls. Still, you’ve got to wonder: If presented with the choice -- drop the push for energy this year to get votes on health care -- would the White House take that deal?
*** New Haven style? So far, it’s been smooth sailing for Obama Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. In fact, a new Washington Post/ABC poll shows that 62% support her elevation to the nation’s highest court. But today could get somewhat bumpy for her. On the last day of its session, the U.S. Supreme Court today is expected to issue its ruling in the New Haven firefighter case. Serving on the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, Sotomayor denied claims that white firefighters had been discriminated against when New Haven threw out the results of a promotion test because not enough minorities had scored high enough on it. As the AP points out, it’s retiring Justice David Souter’s last day on the court, and he’ll be ruling on a case that impacts the woman trying to replace him -- Sotomayor. Expect the decision to come out around 10:00 am or 11:00 am ET.
Video: The Supreme Court is expected to make a ruling soon in a reverse discrimination lawsuit filed in New Haven, Conn., in which court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor, ruled that the city acted properly in throwing out a firefighters promotion exam that minority candidates scored poorly on. ***
Iraq is back? Just askin’, but how is it that one of the most significant foreign-policy mileposts/deadlines -- withdrawing U.S. combat troops from Iraqi cities -- is arriving tomorrow without barely any notice? Indeed, it’s just another reminder that the story that dominated American politics from 2003-2007 has become an afterthought right now. Ironically, as attention has turned to other hotspots, violence has been increasing in Iraq. Still, Gen. Ray Odierno told CNN yesterday that Iraq is ready for the transition. “They've been working towards this for a long time,” he said, per the
Washington Times . “And security remains good. We've seen constant improvement in the security force; we've seen constant improvement in governance. And I believe this is the time for us to move out of the cities and for them to take ultimate responsibility.”
Video: After six years in Iraq, American forces are drastically reshaping their posture – the first step towards withdrawing all combat forces home in 2011. NBC’s Tom Aspell reports. ***
Stonewall, Colombia/Honduras : At 4:25 pm ET today, President Obama and the first lady host an event at the White House to celebrate LGBT Month. It comes one day after the 40th anniversary of Stonewall. And it also comes after the Obama administration has received plenty of criticism from liberals and the gay community for its brief defending the Defense of Marriage Act, as well as for not moving yet to overturn “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” As
Adam Nagourney wrote on Sunday, “The conflicting signals from the White House about its commitment to gay issues reflect a broader paradox: even as cultural acceptance of homosexuality increases across the country, the politics of gay rights remains full of crosscurrents.” In addition today, Obama meets with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe at 2:15 pm. The two will most likely discuss the military coup in Honduras. Obama already condemned the action, but what will happen next? Apparently, the U.S. played a major behind-the-scenes role to stop this.
*** Rudy and 2010 :
If you don’t think Rudy Giuliani is seriously eyeing a bid for New York governor, then you probably didn’t read his
New York Times op-ed last week, in which he called for a constitutional convention to resolve some of the state’s political problems. But more than hint about his gubernatorial intentions, Rudy’s op-ed might serve as a roadmap for others running for governor in 2010. Let’s face it: Two of the nation’s largest states (New York and California) have some serious problems right now, and much of it is due to how these states currently operate. However, one of Rudy’s ideas in his op-ed -- requiring a supermajority to raise taxes -- is one of the reasons some believe why California is in the mess it’s in.
*** Is the end in sight? Finally, the Minnesota Supreme Court has to be ruling soon on the never-ending Franken-Coleman contest, right? GOP Gov. Tim Pawlenty told CNN yesterday that he would abide by whatever ruling the state court makes in the contest, where Democrat Al Franken seems to have an upper hand. "I'm prepared to sign [the certification] as soon as they give the green light," Pawlenty said. “I’m not going to defy an order of the Minnesota Supreme Court. That would be a dereliction of my duty."
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The New York Times front-pages, “President Obama on Sunday praised the energy bill passed by the House late last week as an ‘extraordinary first step,’ but he spoke out against a provision that would impose trade penalties on countries that do not accept limits on global warming pollution. ‘At a time when the economy worldwide is still deep in recession and we’ve seen a significant drop in global trade,’ Mr. Obama said, ‘I think we have to be very careful about sending any protectionist signals out there.’ He added, ‘I think there may be other ways of doing it than with a tariff approach.’”
The Washington Post : “In an interview with a small group of energy reporters in the Oval Office, Obama had few other criticisms as he savored last week's narrow victory in the House on one of his top domestic priorities: a climate bill designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency."
Video: While critics say the new system will lead to higher energy costs, President Barack Obama used his weekly Web address to implore the Senate to follow the House's lead. The
Boston Globe called the House’s passage of the energy bill late Friday, “a big political victory” for President Obama.
The
AP on the energy legislation: “Facing a rare defeat, President Barack Obama put a big dose of political capital on the line and scored a major victory just when he needed one.”
“Obama
used his weekly address to urge senators to back the measure. ‘I want to congratulate the House for passing this bill, and I want to urge the Senate to take this opportunity to come together and meet our obligations - to our constituents, to our children, to God's creation and to future generations,’ Obama said.”
The president also appeared to give a pass to the Democrats who voted against the bill in the House. “The president, joined by Energy Secretary Steven Chu and White House coordinator of energy and climate policy Carol Browner, said ‘those 44 Democrats are sensitive to the immediate political climate of uncertainty around this issue,’” per The Hill . “They've got to run every two years, and I completely understand that.”
CONTINUED >>
The Hill breaks down the key votes on the climate-change bill and how Democrats pulled out all the stops – and votes: “Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) was pulled out of rehab to register his ‘yes’ vote. Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), recovering from heart surgery, was seen walking gingerly before the vote. House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.), whose wife had pleaded guilty to bribery charges on Friday in Detroit, was in the lower chamber and ultimately voted for the climate change bill. Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.) was getting married the next day and needed to sign papers to resign her House seat after being confirmed by the Senate on Thursday for her new job at the State Department. Tauscher not only was in the House on Friday, she served as the presiding officer of the heated and partisan debate. The only Democrat who didn’t vote was Rep Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.). Hastings, co-chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, was in Albania on Friday as an election observer.”
The New York Times further breaks down the 219-212 vote.
Woah there, Boehner… “When asked why he read portions of the cap-and-trade bill on the floor Friday night, Boehner told The Hill , ‘Hey, people deserve to know what's in this pile of s--t.’ … “Pelosi's office declined to comment on Boehner's jab. But one Democratic aide quipped, ‘What do you expect from a guy who thinks global warming is caused by cow manure?’”
CONTINUED >>
“South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford admitted Sunday he considered resigning his office after his steamy affair with an Argentine hottie became public last week,” the New York Daily News writes. “He decided to fight on.”
The New York Times says the future of Sanford’s political career “may now depend on something more complicated than even the human heart: the wild and woolly politics of South Carolina.”
Video: Returning to work after publicly admitting to having an extramarital affair, Gov. Mark Sanford is facing disapproval from many – including the state’s first lady. NBC’s Mark Potter reports. Politico’s Jonathan Martin adds, “In the should-he-stay-or-should-he-go drama now playing out in South Carolina over Gov. Mark Sanford, there is one group of people that is fervently, if quietly, hoping that he will stay. Their motivation is not loyalty to their adulterous governor. It is dismay over what would happen if Sanford bows to pressure and steps down: Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer would step up. That would give Bauer – like Sanford, a Republican – an advantage in what was already shaping up as a brutally competitive GOP primary to replace the term-limited incumbent in 2010.”
The Washington Post profiles Sanford’s wife, Jenny, who it says “seems to have drawn a new path for the aggrieved spouse of a philandering politician… ‘Jenny is the hero in this story,’ said Cyndi Mosteller, a longtime friend and a prominent Republican operative here. ‘She's the hero to her children, and I think she's the hero to this state. In the midst of this tragedy, she is standing strong to who she is and what she believes in. . . . I think Jenny has not had these types of ambitions, but I think every woman in South Carolina would vote for Jenny Sanford for governor right now.’”
CONTINUED >>
Per the
AP , Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell
said yesterday that Republicans need more time to review 300 boxes of records that have come to light regarding Sotomayor’s connection with the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund. “‘The committee needs to have access to that material and time to work through it so we don't - so we know all the facts before we vote on a person who's up for a lifetime job,’ McConnell said on ‘Fox News Sunday.’”
Roll Call looks at the elections in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, California and New York, which it says “have the most overlap in terms of competitive elections on the state and federal levels. All of the states are relatively large, and the gubernatorial and Senate races there are expected to be very expensive.”
KENTUCKY : “Sources close to Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson (R), who has formed a Senate exploratory committee, say he is on track to report raising close to $500,000 in the second quarter of the year. Grayson had only two months to fundraise this quarter after filing his exploratory committee in early May. Grayson, who has said he does not plan to challenge Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) and has said he will only run if the incumbent decides to step aside, has fundraisers scheduled for Monday in London, Ky., and Tuesday in Lexington.”
NEW JERSEY : Vice President Joe Biden
-- shockingly --
misspoke at Thursday’s LGBT fundraiser in Washington, this time confusing the New Jersey and Virginia governors. When introducing Virginia Governor Tim Kaine at the event, Biden said Kaine is a “great governor for New Jersey.” That distinction, of course, goes to Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine.
VIRGINIA : Gubernatorial hopefuls Creigh Deeds (D) and Bob McDonnell (R)
made their first back-to-back appearances on Friday, speaking to an audience of 800 high school students. They both said they would not raise taxes for state transportation improvement but would find alternative means of paying for planned projects. Deeds said he would “promote business growth” to increase state revenues, while McDonnell said he’d cut “spending on things that are not a priority.”
Those statements came on the heels of several polls showing “increasing anxiety nationally about rising government spending--”a fear that both candidates are trying to assuage among Virginia voters. The Washington Post says “the challenge for McDonnell will be to paint Deeds as a reckless spender without making himself look like an extremist who would starve government services.” McDonnell has already come under fire from Republicans for declaring his intent not to sign a pledge against raising taxes.
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro and Mark Murray
Video: President Obama explains that the energy legislation passed by the House of Representatives will help America create jobs, ensure clean air, and move toward energy independence. The vote came right down to the wire and its outlook was uncertain in the hours leading up to the floor vote. Democrats needed 218 votes to pass the bill, so this appears to be a bit of protecting particularly vulnerable Democrats -- as the House passed it with just enough.
Now, the heavy lifting moves to the Senate. And it's not going to be easy. It will likely be reworked before it eventually comes to a vote after the July 4th recess in the other chamber.
THE WEEK AHEAD: The Week Ahead: Troops leaving Iraq, free trade, Supreme Court & Ricci & Sotomayor, Jill Biden overseas, Happy July 4th, and hiking the Appalachian Trail.
For our mailbox, submit your questions for next week in the comments section below. We might pick yours.
From NBC's Mike Viqueira
President Obama and Democratic leaders is paying dividends. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), who had taken the floor just this morning to disparage the bill in no uncertain terms and who later voted against the procedural measure to bring it to the floor, has now changed his mind.
Doggett took to the floor moments ago and said he will support it.
From NBC's Mark Murray Earlier this morning, we warned you to expect MoveOn and other progressive groups to press North Carolina Sen. Kay Hagan , after she suggested she wasn't ready to support a public/government option to compete against private health insurers.
From NBC's Mike Viqueira
In your House of Representatives, expect a photo finish on the climate/energy/cap-and-trade bill around 5:00 pm ET. More info to come...
From NBC's Mike Viqueira
Nancy Pelosi and Democrats are still scrambling for votes in support of the energy bill.
The pressure is on wavering members, especially majority Democrats. Rep.
Lloyd Doggett , a left-leaning member from Austin who is opposing the measure on the grounds that it has been excessively watered down in an effort to attract moderates, had an audience with the entire first family in the Oval Office last night.
Doggett was on the grounds to attend the congressional picnic when he was pulled aside by staff and brought into the Oval. The president was there, waiting to twist his arm, and so were Michelle, Sasha, Malia, and Bo, all of whom had gathered in preparation to go outside and join the festivities.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mark Murray Ken Calvert (CA), Charlie Dent (PA), and Lee Terry (NE) -- for voting against the recent war supplemental bill.
The ads will begin July 1 and will run for a week.
Here's a sample of one of the ads: "When
George Bush asked, Congressman Terry voted to fully fund our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan," a narrator says. "And last year he said, quote, 'We must give our military every resource it needs.'"
It continues, "Seems like Congressman Terry is playing politics now. Last month Congressman Terry voted AGAINST funding for those same troops... It’s a shame. Call Lee Terry. Ask him why he voted against our troops. Ask him: What changed?"
Republicans who voted against the legislation say they supported the troops, but opposed it because it contained unnecessary spending, like money for the International Monetary Fund.
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg Don’t Stop 'Til You Get Enough: As anyone who has turned on a television set in the past 12-15 hours has noticed, Michael Jackson’s passing will overshadow any political news today -- and perhaps throughout the weekend. Of course, that’s probably welcome news to South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, as well as to a Republican Party that was going to have to endure more “What’s wrong with the GOP?” stories. Also, the Jackson news, plus the fact that it’s the Friday before Congress leaves for its July 4 break, makes it a ripe opportunity for a bad news dump. So what/who will it be? Still, politics doesn’t stop. President Obama meets in the White House with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at 10:30 am ET, and the two hold a joint press conference an hour later.
Obviously, much of the coverage of today’s bilateral will focus on some of the tension between the two world leaders, particularly over fiscal policy (Merkel has questioned the U.S. spending, while the Obama administration has wondered why Germany isn’t doing more to counteract the global recession). But do note that this is the THIRD personal meeting between the two since Obama became president. The biggest news that Merkel and Obama could make would be on the issue of Iran.
***
Pick your title -- Human Nature, PYT, The Lady in My Life, The Way You Make Me Feel, She’s Out of My Life, The Girl is Mine: Mark Sanford tries to return to some normalcy today, when he holds a cabinet meeting at 12:30 pm. But the calls for him to resign are getting louder now that he’s admitted to visiting his Argentine girlfriend while on a taxpayer-funded trip. “While the purpose of this trip was an entirely professional and appropriate business development trip, I made a mistake while I was there in meeting with the woman who I was unfaithful to my wife with,” Sanford said in a statement yesterday. “That has raised some very legitimate concerns and questions, and as such I am going to reimburse the state for the full cost of the Argentina leg of this trip.” That’s not satisfying some South Carolina Republicans, however. “I think he’s gone, it’s over,” said state Senate Majority Leader Harvey Peeler Jr., per the
New York Times . “Leaving aside his personal life, when you use taxpayer dollars, that’s what Republicans are all about -- spending tax dollars wisely. This was not spending tax dollars wisely.” The next three weeks are huge for Sanford. If there's a drip-drip of more allegations, then he probably can't hang on. But he's got two things going for him now: 1) Michael Jackson's death, and 2) the July 4th holiday. Both could be disruptions that keep him out of the public eye a tad.
*** Thriller (on Capitol Hill): Perhaps the biggest drama in politics today will be in the House of Representatives, where Democrats are trying to bring to the floor -- and then pass -- the energy/climate change/cap-and-trade legislation. Per NBC’s Mike Viqueira, Democrats last night didn’t think they had the votes to pass the bill. And if they don’t have the votes, they aren’t going to bring it to the floor. Viq adds that the legislation is up in the air as of this morning. Right now, House Democrats plan to move forward with the bill first thing today. But it’s not in the bag. Speaker Pelosi was seen stalking the floor yesterday during votes to button-hole wavering Democrats. Of course, today’s drama sparks this question: If the energy bill is THIS heavy of a lift in the Democratic-controlled House, then how the heck is the White House going to get this bill out of the Senate?
Video: House Democrats just announced that they’ll take a vote on a sweeping climate change bill by the end of the week. Venture capitalist Ira Ehrenpreis discusses why investing in green energy pays off in an economic downturn. ***
Beat It: Speaking to reporters at yesterday’s Christian Science Monitor breakfast, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel listed a few contrasts between this year’s health-care fight and the one that failed in ’93-94 (industry groups are now playing a constructive role in the reform, the House committees drafting the legislation are now working together, and the administration is now allowing Congress to draft the legislation). But here’s another difference: The majority of TV ad spending is SUPPORTING the White House’s health-care efforts -- not OPPOSING them. That’s also true on energy. To put it simply, Harry and Louise are getting overwhelmed right now. The campaign apparatus that serves as Obama’s backstop is like nothing we've seen for a president, well, maybe ever. And that apparatus is probably enough to blunt special interest pressure. We've seen one example already -- the MoveOn TV ad against Dianne Feinstein. It's a message the group and Obama supporters hope is received by other wavering Democrats on health care. Also, the
New York Times has a C.W.-setting piece on how the Obama White House and Senate Democrats are at an impasse over how to pay for health care.
*** Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’: Missing those daily superdelegate counts? The speculation about when states like Iowa, New Hampshire, and Michigan would hold their primaries/caucuses? Come on, admit it -- you miss it. Well, if you are, you can head over Saturday morning to the first meeting of the DNC’s Democratic Change Commission, which has been tasked with reforming 1) the primary calendar, 2) the number of superdelegates, and 3) the caucus system. Presiding over the meeting will be DNC chair Tim Kaine and commission co-chairs Jim Clyburn and Claire McCaskill, and there isn’t supposed to be any big news. The 37-member commission will listen to a presentation of Democratic Party presidential nominations by Rhodes Cook; a look at the superdelegates by Elaine Kamarck; and an examination of the caucus system by Organizing for America’s Mitch Stewart. This is all in the fact-gathering stage, but ask yourself this: How likely is it that this DNC would dramatically change a system that helped launch the president's campaign? Iowa and South Carolina are VERY safe. As for the superdelegate system, well that’s another story…
*** Because I’m bad, I’m bad, come on (or sha-mon): Per Politico , "House Appropriations Committee Chairman Dave Obey (D-Wis.) and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) engaged in a late-afternoon shouting match on the House floor after Obey reportedly rebuffed Waters on an earmark request, aides and witnesses said." More: "Witnesses, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it appeared that Waters pushed or shoved Obey. The pair were seen shouting at each other and had to be separated by members -- who were crowded on the floor casting final votes before heading off to a party at the White House." She wanted him to fund a program in her name. Obey, no fan of projects in members' names -- so-called "monuments to me" -- said no. The scuffle ensued. Will this make Obey a hero on Fox News opinion programs? Stay tuned.
*** Rock With You (and Reagan): Finally, while covering the Reagan White House, NBC's Andrea Mitchell remembers vividly Michael Jackson's photo-op with the late president. Reagan (and Transportation Secretary Elizabeth Dole) granted him a presidential public safety communication award on May 14, 1984, to thank him for allowing the White House to use his hit song, "Beat it" in a campaign against teen drunken driving. "Well, isn't this a thriller," Reagan said at the time. "We haven't seen this many people since we left China." The Washington Post reported then: "'Just think, you all came to see me,' Reagan added, looking out over the crowd on the South Lawn of the White House."
Countdown to Election Day 2009: 130 days
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The AP previews today’s Obama-Merkel meeting. "President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel probably will hold to their disparate views on the Afghanistan war and economic policy in the midst of worldwide financial problems during a meeting Friday."
Speaking of negotiating and bending and lobbying moderate Dems, the
AP looks at how some liberals in the party are worried the president will bend too much.
Is there a
bigger story in the world that no one is covering than the U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq's major cities next week? "Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki has taken to calling the withdrawal of American combat troops from Iraq’s cities by next Tuesday a ‘great victory,’ a repulsion of foreign occupiers he compares to the rebellion against British troops in 1920… American commanders have hewed far more closely to the June 30 deadline for withdrawing combat forces from Iraq’s cities than expected only a few weeks ago, according to American and Iraqi officials. ... The day itself has been declared a national holiday, though it is not yet clear whether Iraq will hold the “feast and festivals” he recently promised. American and Iraqi officials acknowledge the risks -- to Mr. Maliki’s political position and to Iraqis’ safety."
Video: A massive bombing that left scores of people dead in Baghdad Wednesday has raised new fears that the U.S. is entering a bad phase in Iraq just days ahead of a troop pullout. NBC's Brian Williams reports. Per the
New York Times , John McCain was making demands for his support of any immigration bill. “President Obama told a bipartisan group of lawmakers on Thursday that Congress should begin debating a comprehensive immigration plan by year’s end or early next year, but Republicans said they would support a measure only if it included an expansion of guest worker programs. Leading the call for that provision was Senator John McCain of Arizona, who told Mr. Obama he would have to take his ‘political lumps’ and stand up to labor unions that oppose the idea. The president praised Mr. McCain for paying ‘a significant political cost for doing the right thing.’”
CONTINUED >>
THE SANFORD FALLOUT.
Video: The State's Gina Smith talks with MSNBC about breaking the news of Gov. Mark Sanford's trip to Argentina, and e-mails with his mistress, which they had acquired months before the scandal broke. 'Sanford and Hon': The
New York Post profiles Sanford's mistress (photo included), a 43-year-old TV reporter in Argentina.
Wow, we didn’t know this… The
Washington Post front-pages that both Sanford and Ensign have ties to the secretive “Fellowship” religious group.
The Hill reports on the altercation between Reps. David Obey and Maxine Waters. "'You’re out of line,' Waters shot while walking down toward the well. 'You’re out of line,' Obey shot back before turning and walking away.
But then Obey stopped, turned back toward Waters, and shouted: 'I’m not going to approve that earmark!' Obey turned away, but Waters went to go huddle with members of the Congressional Black Caucus. She could be over heard telling them: 'He touched me first.'" Obey huddled with Steny Hoyer. "Waters soon returned briefly, again telling her colleagues: 'He touched me.' Waters then disappeared into the cloakroom." Members continued to argue over who started it and who pushed who. Both are 71 years old.
Roll Call's take: "The confrontation began with the two talking in each other’s faces and gesturing animatedly with their hands. Obey then attempted to walk away, but Waters kept following him. Obey then put his hand on Waters arm and shoulder, and Waters became irate. Obey again turned away, dismissing Waters by throwing up his hands, but Waters continued to stalk him, talking to his back and making a shoving motion. Waters followed Obey down to the well of the House, and as the confrontation -- and shoves -- continued, Obey turned and told her: 'You are out of line.' To which Waters retorted: 'You are out of line.' 'I am not going to approve that earmark!' Obey exclaimed, then hustled away from Waters."
Reuters : "The U.S. House of Representatives is poised to vote on Friday on one of the most significant environmental bills in history -- a sprawling measure that aims to wean industry off of carbon-emitting fuels blamed for global warming. Democratic leaders were working hard to ensure there were at least 218 votes in the 435-seat House to pass the legislation that is a high priority for President Barack Obama."
Freshman North Carolina Sen. Kay Hagan is not on board yet for a public insurance option. Here come the MoveOn ads?
... Bork, Estrada!? Remember the Alamo! Remember Bork! Remember Estrada! The
New York Times says that Republicans and conservatives are still upset at the way they think GOP judicial nominees like Robert Bork and Miguel Estrada were treated -- and that, in part, explains why they’re focusing their fire on Sotomayor.
NEW JERSEY: In a heated hearing before a Congressional panel, Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie testified that he awarded lucrative corporate anti-fraud monitoring contracts to political allies “to achieve results of justice for the public.” He denied that giving former attorney general (and ex-boss) John Ashcroft a $52 million contract to oversee a corporation charged with fraud was “an example of cronyism.” He did, however, concede that one of the law firms he had awarded a contract has since made large donations to his gubernatorial campaign. Pressing the issue , one Democrat on the panel said, “You made them an offer they couldn’t refuse ,” to which Christie said was a slur on his Italian-American background. (That indignation remind anyone of this ? "I mean my goodness -- because I happen to have Greek heritage and if I go out in the sun for a half-hour and it looks like I've been out there for four hours because I have a darker complexion than somebody -- honestly Jim, I thought we were at the place in this country where the color of somebody's skin or the complexion that they have is not something that's an issue of political debate anymore." Name that pol.)accused Christie of letting corporations get away with fraud by simply paying their way out of charges. New Jersey Representative Bill Pascrell (D) said, “These corporate criminals never admit guilt to the consumers they cheated, and thanks to Mr. Christie, they never will.” But House Republicans praised him, with one offering to endorse his run for governor. Rep. Trent Frank (R-Ariz) said, “Chris Christie deserves a medal for achievements like these.”
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Athena Jones
Robert Gibbs is in the tank for President Obama , but this time it's the White House press corps who put him there.
The informal event was added to the schedule after reporters pressed Gibbs for the opportunity during the afternoon briefing.
Outside, thatched roof huts and multicolored table spreads decorated the lawn along with a volleyball net and a band shell, while inflatable sharks floated in the fountain.
Gibbs removed his glasses and passed them to an aide as he took his spot in the tank, behind bright red bars. He wore a long sleeved navy shirt and shorts.
Fox Correspondent Mike Emanuel was the first up to pitch, but missed at all three attempts. Second up was AP correspondent Ben Feller.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Athena Jones Americans must face the future, President Obama argued Thursday, as he urged members of Congress from both parties to come together to pass an energy bill aimed at limiting greenhouse gas emissions.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said she plans to bring the cap-and-trade bill to a vote in the House of Representatives on Friday -- a vote Obama said would be "of historic proportions" when he took to the Rose Garden podium to make his case to Congress and to the American people.
Video: House Democrats are set to vote Friday on a controversial energy and climate bill that faces near unanimous opposition by Republicans. Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C. and The Wall Street Journal’s Jon Hilsenrath discuss. With a jobless rate that has reached the double digits in several states -- from California to Michigan -- and some 6.74 million people receiving unemployment insurance nationwide, Obama focused his pitch for the bill on its ability to create good jobs that cannot be exported.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mark Murray Mark Sanford admits that he visited his mistress during a trade mission last year. He says he's reimbursing the state for the full cost of the Argentina leg of the trip.
Video: More questions were raised Thursday about whether taxpayers paid for South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's trips to see a woman in South America with whom he admitted having an affair. NBC's Mark Potter reports. Here's the statement from Sanford:
As noted by the Department of Commerce, I attended a trade mission with the Department of Commerce last June. As the agenda notes, the mission was spent meeting with government and private business officials in both Brazil and Argentina. This trip was handled very professionally by the Department of Commerce, and I'm proud of their work there.
However, while the purpose of this trip was an entirely professional and appropriate business development trip, I made a mistake while I was there in meeting with the woman who I was unfaithful to my wife with. That has raised some very legitimate concerns and questions, and as such I am going to reimburse the state for the full cost of the Argentina leg of this trip.
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro and Kelly O'Donnell
John Kerry 's former-brother-in law -- who remains a close friend -- and two more Obama top fundraisers were handed plum jobs as ambassadors to Italy, Austria and Finland.
David Thorne 's late sister Julia was Kerry's first wife and mother of his daughters. He was named ambassador to Italy.
Bill Eacho , of Bethesda, Md., and
Bruce Oreck , of Boulder, Colo., both raised more than $500,000 for Obama during his presidential campaign.
Eacho was named ambassador to Austria. Oreck was nominated for ambassador to Finland.
That brings the number of bundlers who have landed ambassadorships to 14.
Here's the full list:
CONTINUED >>
From NBC’s Ken Strickland Max Baucus today said his panel has reached a significant milestone in writing its version of the health-care reform bill. He said the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has given cost estimates that will allow the bill to come in at $1 trillion without increasing the deficit.
"The CBO now tells us we have options that will enable us to write a $1 trillion bill fully paid for," Baucus told reporters after a closed-door committee meeting. But Baucus refused to divulge key elements or details of those "options" such public/government-run insurance plan, taxing employer-provided benefits, or employer mandates to provide coverage.
Video: President Obama asks Congress to support his energy bill, turning the country toward clean and renewable sources of energy while creating new industries and new jobs. Baucus said he and ranking Republican
Chuck Grassley won't share specifics on the bill "until we're sure we have it right. … I expect to ready sooner now that we have CBO numbers.”
CONTINUED >>
From NBC’s Doug Adams John Ensign scandal, GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell announced two leadership changes today at a press conference. The shakeup was necessitated when Ensign stepped down from his leadership position because of his admitted extramarital affair.
John Thune (R-SD)
was elected to take over Ensign's post as the chairman of the Republican Policy Committee. It's the No. 4 position in the leadership. He's expected to have a big say in energy issues, including the upcoming cap and trade legislation and rural issues.
Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
moves up into Thune’s old position, vice chair of the Policy Committee.
During the presser, Thune said he "looked forward to not just challenging Democrats on what they're doing wrong, but advocating a forward looking, positive agenda for America's future."
The Senate Republican Policy Committee has about 20 staff members who work in a "think tank" to evaluate and develop legislation. The committee serves as a central clearinghouse for Republican senators, as its Democratic counterpart does for Democratic senators.
From NBC's Luke Russert
John Boehner attacked Democrats on the issue of spending, saying: "They are running over us. They are in such a rush to spend the American people's money that they won't allow us to offer cost cutting amendments to reduce spending in these bills."
On the topic of health care, Boehner claimed that the Democratic plan for universal coverage would balloon into the trillions. "All the proposals we have seen on health care are going to cost somewhere between a trillion and two trillion dollars on new taxes on the American people to spend more on health care."
Boehner also chided
President Obama for what he saw as "backtracking on his claim that Americans can keep the coverage that they have." This had to do with Obama saying on ABC that he won't sign a law mandating for employers what plans their employees must have. Hence, Republicans fear employers will automatically opt for the public/government plan.
Boehner, moreover, criticized Democrats for not including medical malpractice reform within their bill, arguing that Democrats "worship at the alter of the trial bar." Boehner also displayed his inner punditry by declaring: "If there isn't a bipartisan health-care plan moving into Congress, it is not likely to happen this year. I just don't think in the United States Senate, you can get a bill through there on a partisan basis that Americans will support."
Finally, Boehner said the Democratic plan for energy reform -- that's expected to hit the House floor on Friday -- would result in a loss of jobs. When asked about a Congressional Budget Office report noting that the House bill would cost American families $173 more a year, not the $3,100 he claimed in a press conference last week, Boehner said: "What is clear in the CBO score is that every American household is going to pay more."
From NBC's Mike Viqueira
From NBC's Mike Viqueira
Al Gore's scheduled appearance at a Democratic leadership rally promoting the energy bill has been canceled.
"It's a question of what was energy efficient for the vice president," said House speaker
Nancy Pelosi .
There is also the feeling that a splashy rally might not be productive in terms of convincing fence sitters to vote "yeah" on the measure, as many of the holdouts are either moderate Dems or Republicans who might either wouldn't be at the caucus to begin with, or who might not be comfortable having Gore parachute in and be seen as having their arm twisted by the former veep.
From NBC's Mark Murray Rahm Emanuel -- who also worked in Bill Clinton's White House -- was optimistic about passing health-care reform this year. "We are in good shape," he told reporters in an off-camera breakfast meeting.
The first difference, Emanuel said, was that the interest groups that helped defeat health reform in the '90s -- the doctors, the hospitals, the insurers -- are playing a constructive role in the reform. Second, he noted that the three House committees working on the legislation are all on the same page, unlike what happened 15 years ago. And third, he said the Obama administration was allowing Congress to draft the legislation, which didn't happen in the '90s.
Yet in perhaps his most striking comments during the breakfast, Emanuel also observed this difference between now and then: fewer moderate Republicans, like the late Rhode Island Sen. John Chafee , who might be open to helping pass health-care reform. "They are a party that doesn’t have Sen. Chafees" anymore," he said answering a question about whether the White House could get 10 or more Senate Republicans to vote for the legislation. "That makes getting bipartisanship done hard." He added that the Republican Party has transformed into a regional party and is seeing its poll numbers decline even after suffering defeats in two consecutive national elections.
Video: Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, joins the Morning Joe gang to discuss the back and forth over health care reform. Given the dwindling number of GOP moderates, Emanuel urged the reporters in attendance not to judge whether the legislation is bipartisan based on whether how many Republicans vote for it. A better standard, he said, is 1) does it have Republican ideas in it, and 2) has
President Obama tried to be bipartisan? All that said, Emanuel expects to get some GOP support, although he wouldn't say how many. "I do believe you'll see bipartisan votes."
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Chuck Todd Yesterday, we alerted you of an attack press release from AFSCME pres. Gerald McEntee against Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, regarding her Sunday comments that the votes weren't there for health care just yet.
Today, MoveOn unveiled a TV ad, which they claim is airing in the state's major markets for the next week, targeting Feinstein on this issue.
Watch the ad here... Script follows:
"California voters sent Senator Dianne Feinstein to Washington to fight for us. That includes fighting to pass President Obama's health care plan. A recent poll shows that 71% of California voters want a significant overhaul of the health care system now.
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg In Obama we trust? Maybe now we understand why the RNC was so fired up about last night’s town hall. President Obama, while peppered with tough questions about the issue, got an hour on national TV to make the case that he can be trusted to reform the health-care system. Remember, it's not about winning the debate on whether his way is RIGHT; it's about securing the TRUST of skeptical Americans that he'll take their concerns and go about this with care. And on that score, this is where we probably get why so many of the president's opponents were upset. This format was in the president's wheelhouse. Whether you agree with him or not, it's obvious he has a deep grasp of the issue, and no doubt he only helped his cause. Of course, we don't yet know how many folks watched. But the perception that he got into the details most likely is only a help to him, even if those details become unpopular. By the way, it doesn't appear the president committed any news, though some noted that he continued to leave open the door for supporting a tax on some health-care benefits. Also health care remains in today’s news as liberals and progressives rally for reform on Capitol Hill at 11:30 am ET.
*** Social conservatism hits rock bottom? These certainly haven't been the best of times for social conservatives. Democrats control the White House and Congress. The problems at home and abroad have drowned out social issues (with congressional Republicans deciding to focus their fire on the economy). And now here's perhaps the biggest embarrassment: In less than two weeks, two of their own -- John Ensign and Mark Sanford -- have admitted to committing adultery. Just five years after it helped re-elect George W. Bush, has social conservatism in American politics hit rock bottom? If so, what does that mean for a political party that has largely tied its fortunes to this movement? As we've said before, infidelity is a bipartisan affair, but Republicans tend to receive more criticism because they more often portray themselves as the party protecting family values and marriage. Yet what happens when one can make the argument that the highest-profile example of family values and marriage -- right now -- isn’t a Republican or social conservative, but rather the man who resides at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.? The issue for the GOP at this point is convincing grassroots social conservatives not to lose faith. As one of the leading social conservative voices in the party lamented to the New York Times, “I think there is somewhat of an identity crisis in the Republican Party,” said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, “Are they going to be a party that attracts values voters, and are they going to be the party that lives by those values?”
Video: Governor Mark Sanford, R-SC, resigned today as chair of the Republican Governors Association after admitting his affair with an Argentinean woman. Rachel Maddow is joined by Daily Beast contributor Mark McKinnon to assess the impact on the Republican Party. ***
More on Sanford and 2012 : Sticking with Sanford and his troubles, there’s lots of analysis this morning focusing on the bad six months the GOP has had -- particularly for Republicans who have tested the 2012 waters (see yesterday's First Read). A few things to watch for: One, who will pick up the mantle of the pure economic conservative/free market libertarian? Two, will grassroots social conservatives start expressing publicly their outrage over Sanford and Ensign and others and become harder to galvanize for the Republican Party as a whole? Three, do folks like Mitt Romney and Haley Barbour end up getting a big perception bump going into 2012 as the establishment looks for grownups who have been around the national political block before? Speaking of Barbour, he was in New Hampshire yesterday, and today he’ll be in Des Moines, IA for a GOP dinner. He’s an extraordinary fundraiser and helped lead the GOP’s comeback to power in 1994, when he served as RNC chairman. On the other hand, he’s a former lobbyist and Washington insider, as well as an older white male from the Deep South. By the way, thanks to the Sanford resignation, Barbour now has more excuses to travel nationally as he's now chair of the Republican Governors Association.
*** The “Thugocracy”? The news doesn't look encouraging this morning in Iran. Many experts and media reports are now noting what appears to be the new inevitable: that the Iranian regime's crackdown has been a success. That said, this morning, Iran is not a country that is being viewed as a theocracy -- but a good ol’ fashioned dictatorship. Richard Haas of the Council on Foreign Relations (who's not exactly a rhetorical bomb-thrower) called the regime a "thugocracy." And to add evidence to its dictatorship tendencies, check out the L.A. Times report indicating that the TRUE heir apparent to the Supreme Leader is his son. That's how dictatorships act, not republics or democracies. So if the reality on the ground is now that the uprising has been beaten back, what's next for U.S. policy? Right now, it appears any efforts the Obama administration had wanted to make are now on hold (or in the words of one official "on ice"). Robert Gibbs all but said any unilateral efforts were being pushed aside. There is still an open hand on the multi-lateral front (P5+1), but that's always been the case.
Video: There were more reports Wednesday of forceful crackdowns on Iranian protesters as the country's leadership said election results will not be overturned. NBC's Chief Foreign Correspondent Richard Engel reports. Immigration returns: In the past few days, the issues of health care and Iran have dominated Obama’s agenda and public statements. But today, he turns his attention to the thorny subject of immigration reform, as he meets with bipartisan members of Congress at 2:00 pm ET to discuss this subject. The meeting comes a day after Sen. Chuck Schumer (D), who chairs the Senate subcommittee that would write any immigration reform legislation, laid out his principles, and after immigration advocates pressed the Obama White House to make immigration reform a priority -- this year. In a conference call, Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento said that the meeting will tell them whether the White House is serious about enacting comprehensive immigration reform or whether it's timid. "Delaying immigration reform will be a mistake," he said, arguing that the country can no longer accept the status quo. The event is a reminder of how this issue has become so difficult for members of both parties. The president won Latinos 2 to 1, has powerful Democratic majorities, and yet admits he might not have the votes to pass comprehensive immigration reform. After today, will Obama use his political capital to make immigration reform happen this year or next?
*** Add energy to the mix, too : Also on the agenda is the issue of energy. As NBC’s Mike Viqueira reported last night , the House is now on course to take up its energy bill on Friday, after a deal was struck between Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the chairman of the Agriculture Committee, Colin Peterson. The pair appeared at a press conference to announce their agreement. Peterson, Viq notes, had been an influential holdout as he sought the best possible deal for farmers. And today, Pelosi, other Dem leaders, and Al Gore will appear at a press rally at 2:00 pm ET.
*** The rest of Obama’s day : In addition to his meeting on immigration, Obama (along with the first lady) participates in a service event at 10:00 am ET at Fort McNair. Per the White House, they will “join hundreds of congressional family members and five national nonprofit organizations … to prepare 15,000 backpacks with books, healthy snacks, frisbees and other items for the children of servicemen and women.” In the evening, the First Couple and Vice President Biden will host a luau on the South Lawn for members of Congress and their families. One other item on today’s agenda: Biden and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood will announce that states have already met the goal of obligating 50% of the highway funds in the stimulus by the June 29 deadline.
***
Bernanke's tough day? It could get ugly at a House committee hearing today featuring Fed Chair Ben Bernanke, and the markets could very well over-react to what happens in that hearing room. The issue of what role the government played in pushing Bank of America to buy Merrill Lynch is going to be front and center. And the criticism of the Republican-appointed Bernanke is going to come from Republicans, while Democrats may sit silent or quietly defend him. We'll see.2009 watch : And also on Capitol Hill today, New Jersey GOP gubernatorial nominee Chris Christie will appear at 11:00 a.m. ET before the Democratically-controlled House Judiciary Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law to testify about million-dollar no-bid monitoring contracts he awarded while U.S. attorney. Per the Star-Ledger , the panel seeks to reform such “deferred prosecution agreements,” like the one Christie gave his former boss John Ashcroft, “worth as much as $52 million,” for monitoring a medical device maker Christie was investigating for Medicare fraud. Democrats are desperately hoping that something comes out of today’s hearing to help the very vulnerable Jon Corzine.
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“Gov. Mark Sanford admitted Wednesday to an extramarital affair with a woman living in Argentina and to lying to South Carolinians to cover up his tryst -- then asked everyone, including his family, for forgiveness. The two-term S.C. Republican, a rising GOP star, fought tears during a news conference hours after a reporter from The State newspaper surprised him at the Atlanta airport on his way back from seeing the mother of two during Father’s Day weekend.”
The State newspaper also publishes e-mails it had received from an anonymous tipster months ago about an affair Sanford was having with a woman named Maria in Argentina. The paper chose not to publish the e-mails at the time, because it couldn’t verify them.
Video: NBC’s Mark Potter reports on the emergence of steamy e-mails between Sanford and the woman, identified as "Maria." The
New York Times says that Sanford’s “confession and apology, in a rambling, nationally televised news conference, left other mysteries unsolved, like whether he had lied to his staff members as late as Monday about his whereabouts, whether the affair had definitively ended, whether he would resign from the governorship and whether he would even have acknowledged the affair had he not been met at the airport in Atlanta by a reporter upon his return.”
We brainstormed and came up with a list of 20 political sex scandals since Bill Clinton in 1998, including 16 just since 2006.
More coverage… The New York Post : “Latin lover e-mails.” And: “Runaway Gov: Cry for me, Argentina.”
The New York Daily News : “Buenos Airhead” over Sanford wiping his eye. “Meet America’s latest luv guv.”
CONTINUED >>
In its write-up of last night’s forum on health care, the AP leads with Obama leaving the door open to taxing health care benefits. “The prime-time program was the latest in a string of events designed to build public support for his plan to slow the rise in health care costs and expand coverage to the nearly 50 million uninsured.” The Hill saw Obama as trying to reassure the middle class.
Video: Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Calif., discusses the actions President Barack Obama needs to take in order to ensure both Democratic and Republican congressional leaders will approve his health care plan. The
Boston Globe : “The hour-long ABC special reminded viewers of the sheer vastness of the legislative project now before Congress. In a single bill, lawmakers will attempt to regulate wasteful end-of-life spending, send more primary care doctors to medical school, prevent kids from getting fat, pay doctors in a more sensible way, eliminate inefficient treatments and cover 46 million uninsured Americans. Without increasing the deficit.” More: “Obama was also forced to address one of the most difficult political obstacles he will have to confront: Americans' fear that changing in how healthcare is delivered could do more harm than good.”
Per NBC’s Luke Russert, House Republicans continued to blame the media yesterday, going so far as to create a group called the Media Fairness Caucus, urging the networks in particular to “argue on behalf of the American people.” Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) again accused the broadcast media of having a liberal bias and used the podium to preemptively attack ABC for its health-care forum -- something the Republican National Committee and House Republicans have done for the past two weeks. "I would challenge them to devote a day to the other side" of the health care debate, said Phil Gingrey (R-GA). Smith added, “Various objective studies have shown that Fox is the one that comes closest to interviewing both sides.”
Time magazine’s cover: "WHAT BARACK OBAMA CAN LEARN FROM F.D.R."
It includes an
essay from Bill Clinton : "Roosevelt also knew that in a highly dynamic time like his -- or the one we're in now -- you have to do a lot more than one thing at a time. I was often criticized, just as President Obama is now, for trying to do too many things at once. Roosevelt understood that in a complex and perilous situation, you have to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time, and he was masterly in doing a variety of difficult things simultaneously... I thought of both Roosevelts when I told Americans that we needed a new social contract for the 21st century, one that would keep us moving toward a 'more perfect union' in a highly interdependent, complex, ever changing world. That is the challenge Obama has inherited. I believe he will succeed in his efforts at economic recovery, health-care reform and taking big steps on climate change. Along the way, I hope he will be inspired by F.D.R.'s concern for all Americans, his relentless optimism, his penchant for experimentation, his relish for spirited debate among brilliant advisers and his unshakable faith in the promise of America."
“[T]he revelation that revamping the nation’s healthcare model could greatly exceed $1 trillion over the next 10 years, along with an intra-party debate in the House on climate change legislation, has lawmakers feeling the weight of the packed agenda and sensing the need to narrow the list,” The Hill reports.
Video: Senate Democrats have reportedly cut about $400 billion off their health care proposal, bringing the $1.6 trillion price tag under $1.2 trillion. Sen. Robert Bennett, R-Utah, discusses how this is still more than most lawmakers are willing to spend. MoveOn continues to apply heat to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, after the Democratic senator from California said on Sunday that Democrats might not have the votes for health-care reform. The liberal group is now running
this TV ad in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington DC.
Roll Call reports, “Judiciary ranking member Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.)
sounded a new GOP alarm Wednesday about Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, arguing that if installed she could put Second Amendment rights at risk. The nominee’s track record on the issue ‘is fairly scant, but we do know that Judge Sotomayor has twice said that the Second Amendment does not give you and me a fundamental right,’ Sessions warned.”
The
New York Times examines Sotomayor’s record on the death penalty.
“Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.), a former chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Wednesday he plans to press Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor to allow cameras inside the nation’s highest courtroom. Specter, who is still a committee member although with less seniority since converting to the Democratic Party this year, told
The Hill he is sending a letter to Sotomayor after personally raising the issue in a private meeting. ‘I hope to do it tomorrow, on the issue of televising the Supreme Court proceedings,’ Specter said. ‘If I get it done, I’ll go to the (Senate) floor and talk about it… She’s the first one who I know has had experience with her courtroom being televised, so she’ll have some special insights.’”
“Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s
favorability rating has spiked since the 2008 presidential primary, according to a Pew Research Center poll released Wednesday,”
Politico reports. “The Republican’s favorability rating has climbed to 40 percent — a 10-point increase over the past 16 months. The Pew poll found that 28 percent of Americans view him unfavorably and another 32 percent don’t know.”
NEW JERSEY : President Obama said he was “confident” that Governor Jon Corzine would be re-elected in the November gubernatorial election. "But the president cautioned that the governor's race will be driven by state issues and New Jersey politics -- and won't be an early referendum on his own administration." Corzine stumped for Obama during the presidential race, although he supported Hillary Clinton in the primary. Calling Corzine a “friend,” Obama said he would provide aid to the campaign, though he did not say how. Corzine, a former Goldman Sachs CEO, is funding his own campaign.
Republican gubernatorial nominee Chris Christie will appear at 11:00 a.m. ET today before the Democratically-controlled House Judiciary Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law to testify about million-dollar no-bid monitoring contracts he awarded while U.S. attorney. The panel seeks to reform such “deferred prosecution agreements,” like the one Christie gave his former boss John Ashcroft, “worth as much as $52 million,” for monitoring a medical device maker Christie was investigating for Medicare fraud.
The hearing could be unprecedented . Political scientists who watch governors and Congress could not remember another time a gubernatorial candidate was called before a committee controlled by the opposing party. “It’s obviously political, but that doesn’t mean it’s illegitimate,” said Larry Sabato, a political scientist at the University of Virginia. “He’s running as the clean, untouched, unblemished alternative to Jon Corzine,” Sabato continued. “Well, then you touch him, you blemish him. It’s a perfectly legitimate subject, he’s a legitimate witness, but it’s political.”
VIRGINIA : Virginia Republican Bob McDonnell “became the first candidate for governor to go on television in the general election campaign.” McDonnell spent about $300,000 on the ad, “Resurgence ,” which focuses on job creation and entrepreneurship.
From NBC's Mike Viqueira
Nancy Pelosi and the chairman of the Agriculture Committee, Colin Peterson .
Now, suddenly, the push is on for the energy bill, which many had originally given a smaller chance of passing than the ballyhooed health-care legislation.
Video: President Obama explains the benefits to his proposed clean energy bill by saying it will 'create a set of incentives that will spur the development of new sources of energy, including wind, solar, and geothermal power.' Al Gore will appear tomorrow with Pelosi and other Dem potentates at 2:00 pm ET to rally for cameras.
So put down those actuarial tables you have been studying in preparation for the health-care debate, and dust off phrases like "cellulosic ethanol," "woody biomass," etc.
One other thing: The Democratic leadership is threatening to come in on Saturday to get this bill done if they have to. This is the last week before recess, and they don't want the deal to sit out there for a week.
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro and Mark Murray Over the last 10 years or so, American politics has seen its fair share of sex scandals -- both big and small. In fact, we've identified 23 since the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinksy affair in 1998. That comes to more than two per year. There were six each in 2008 and 2007, two so far in 2009 as well as two in 2006. That's 16 in just the past four years. There were five admitted in 1998.Democrat Bill Clinton (1998): His affair with intern Monica Lewinsky
may very well go down as the biggest sex scandal in American history. It resulted in his impeachment (although he wasn't convicted by the Senate), the Starr Report, and the introduction of a cast of characters, including Linda Tripp and Lucianne Goldberg.
--
Republican Bob Livingston (1998): In the aftermath of the Lewinsky scandal, Livingston was chosen to replace Newt Gingrich as speaker. But he, instead, admitted an affair and stepped down.
--
Republican Helen Chenoweth (1998): The archconservative Idaho congresswoman, who blasted Bill Clinton's infidelity, copped to a six-year affair with a married rancher from her home state in the 1980s. "I've asked for God's forgiveness," she said in 1998, "and I've received it."
--
Republican Dan Burton (1998): Another conservative and outspoken critic of President Clinton admitted to -- 15 years earlier -- having an extramarital affair and fathering a child out of wedlock. He admitted it after reporters said they were set to report on it.
--
Republican Henry Hyde (1998): When confronted by a reporter, the former House Judiciary Committee chairman became yet another Republican -- in the wake of the Lewinksy scandal -- to admit to having had an extramarital affair. His occured decades earlier.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mark Murray and Domenico Montanaro Mark Sanford (R) admitted that he had an affair with a woman living in Argentina. "I have been unfaithful to my wife," he said. "I hurt you all. I hurt my wife. I hurt my boys. And all I can say is I apologize."
Sanford also announced he was resigning his position as chairman of the Republican Governors Association.
The governor's stunning revelation caps a three-day media frenzy, in which it was first reported that the governor was missing; then his staff said he had been hiking the Appalachian Trail; and this morning, the State newspaper discovered he had been in Argentina.
Video: South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford holds a news conference to explain his absence from the state, and admits he's been having an affair with an Argentinean woman. In the news conference, Sanford revealed that the affair began about a year ago, that he's seen the woman three times since it began, and that his wife and family found out about it five months ago. Sanford said he and the woman exchanged e-mails and the relationship began as a "casual" friendship. He seemed to suggest that his reason for traveling to Argentina was to end the extramarital affair. He said he spent five days "crying" there, so "repeat it when I came back here."
He also said he told his staff that the Appalachian Trail where he was thinking about going.
Sanford apologized to a myriad of people, including his wife, four sons, friends and the state of South Carolina. He asked for forgiveness, but said he understood that would not come easily.
"I'm committed to trying to get my heart right," he said.
From NBC's Mark Murray President Obama's meeting tomorrow to discuss immigration reform with congressional Democrats and Republicans, immigration advocates held a conference call today with reporters, urging the Obama administration to make immigration a priority -- this year.
Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento said that tomorrow's meeting will tell them whether the White House is serious about enacting comprehensive immigration reform or whether it's timid. "Delaying immigration reform will be a mistake," he said, arguing that the country can no longer accept the status quo.
Tamar Jacoby, president and CEO of ImmigrationWorks USA, added that when the economy begins to recover, employers will need immigrant labor. "This is the time to do it. This is the time to start preparing for the economic recovery."
Frank Sharry, executive director of America's Voice, said it was smart policy and smart politics to take up immigration reform. He noted that Obama was elected in no small part because independent voters thought he and the Democrats were best able to find solutions to challenging problems like immigration. He also said Republicans "will have a huge price to pay" if they are seen as blocking immigration reform and scapegoating immigrants and Latinos.
Asked about Robert Gibbs' recent comment that the "math" might be against immigration reform this year, Sharry replied, "When it comes to counting votes in the U.S. Congress, we tend to look to Harry Reid before Robert Gibbs."
From NBC’s Winston Wilde Kathleen Sebelius
to promise this morning that the president demands his broad health care overhaul will not add to the deficit.Joe Barton asked Sebelius: “I want to establish on the record: there'll be no increase in the deficit?”
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
There really are so many moving parts in the early months of this Obama presidency. They all seem to have a feeling of either all working out -- or coming off at the hinges.
From NBC’s Domenico Montanaro With the disappearance of South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford , it prompted us to take a look at the other potential Republican 2012 candidates. Just how have they fared in these first five months of Obama’s presidency? It’s been a tough stretch for many in the group. First Thoughts , but here's a more detailed look.DOWN.
Rachel Maddow reports on Sen. John Ensign’s, R-NV, warm reception by fellow Republican senators in spite of his scandalous behavior. JOHN ENSIGN: What’s worse than disappearing for days and not telling anyone, not even your wife? How about revealing an affair with a former staffer? Just weeks after testing the 2012 waters by gripping and grinning in Iowa, the married Nevada senator admitted to an affair. While Nevadans appear ready to accept the transgression, any 2012 hopes Ensign had were dashed.
SARAH PALIN: First, there was her refusal of stimulus funds. Then, her debt fueled by those pesky state ethics grievances. And her slipping approval ratings. But what took the cake was the continued bad blood between her and Washington Republicans. There was the controversy over whether or not she would speak at the biggest Republican fundraiser of the year. The NRSC and NRCC announced she was speaking. The GOP then replaced her with Newt Gingrich, when her staff said it was never confirmed that she’d do the dinner. She eventually did attend, but was not allowed to speak -- so as not to upstage Gingrich. And that’s not mentioning the Bristol-Levi break-up messiness.
For the full roundup, continue reading...
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Chuck Todd Earlier in the "First Thoughts" update, we hinted about how politically treacherous it can be to cross the Democratic Party campaign apparatus that is supporting the president on health care reform. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) is finding out the hard way.
Here's that previously referenced release put out by AFSCME pres. Gerald McEntee, who has been keeping somewhat of a low profile these last few months. It was a rocket.
From the release:
“Senator Feinstein’s comments today take the discussion of health care reform in the wrong direction. Fixing our health care system simply can’t wait. The millions of Americans who pay too much and still don’t get the care they need can’t wait. And the economy can’t wait. To fix the economy we must fix health care.” Sen. Feinstein, what say you?
From NBC's Ken Strickland
In a letter to
President Obama , Kent said he'd resign from the bench in June 2010. But some House members want him out sooner to prevent him from collecting his taxpayer-funded salary while he's in jail. House Republican
Lamar Smith says that amounts to $465 a day.
Today proceedings in the Senate will look like this:
-- Five House members present four "articles of impeachment," which will be read aloud. Every senator is expected to be in attendance.
-- As is constitutionally required before the Senate trial begins, a senior Republican administers the oath to the acting President Pro Tempore, who in turn administers the oath to all senators.
-- The Senate will then pass two resolutions. The first summons Kent and sets a date by which he must file a response to the impeachment. The second resolution appoints a bipartisan impeachment committee, which starts the process of gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, etc.
The impeachment committee will take several weeks -- maybe months -- to complete its work before in the matter returns to the Senate floor. It takes two-thirds of senators present for a conviction.
From NBC's Mark Murray The governor's office just announced that South Carolina Gov.
Mark Sanford will have a media availability at the statehouse at 2:00 pm ET.
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg Sanford’s tango : Well, it turns out that South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) wasn’t hiking the Appalachian Trail after all. Instead, he was in -- get this -- Buenos Aires, Argentina. Here’s South Carolina’s State newspaper : "Gov. Mark Sanford arrived in the Hartsville-Jackson International Airport Wednesday morning, having wrapped up a seven-day visit to Buenos Aires, Argentina.” Sanford "said he decided at the last minute to go to the South American country to recharge after a difficult legislative session in which he battled with lawmakers over how to spend federal stimulus money… Sanford said he was alone on the trip. He declined to give any additional details about what he did other than to say he drove along the coastline… When asked why his staff said he was on the Appalachian Trail, Sanford replied, 'I don't know.'" But "Sanford later said 'in fairness to his staff,' he had told them he might go hiking on the Appalachian Trial… It was a long session and I needed a break.'" Our question: Who goes to one of the world's most romantic cities in the world alone? That's going to be the question that nags at many folks following the Sanford story. And since there have been misleading statements for the last three days on this issue, who is going to believe the full story from Sanford now? Don’t cry for me, Argentina…
Video: South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford tells a local newspaper he was actually in Argentina, not hiking the Appalachian Trail, as his staff had said Monday. ***
A 2012 curse? Here’s a quick quiz. Who has had the tougher last five months: A) President Obama, B) congressional Republicans, or C) GOPers who might be considering a White House bid in 2012? If you’re answer is C), you’re probably right. Let’s start with Mark Sanford, who
has inspired a new phrase -- “I went hiking on the Appalachian Trail” -- to describe any kind of mysterious disappearance. (Wife’s question: “Honey, where have you been the past couple of days?” Husband’s answer: “I went hiking on the Appalachian Trail.”) Of course, that probably will change now that Sanford was in Buenos Aires. Next, there’s Sarah Palin, who has had a rough last several months; after all, when your spat with a late-night comedian has been the highlight of your 2009, you’ve had a tough year. Then there’s Bobby Jindal, who has since stepped back from the spotlight after his dreadful response to Obama’s address to Congress. John Ensign dipped his toes in the Iowa waters, but then confessed last week to having an affair. And Newt Gingrich got in trouble -- and didn’t do himself any favors among Latino voters -- when he called Sonia Sotomayor a racist. Even the person who was supposed to be the moderate in the 2012 field, Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, has gone to work for … the Obama administration.
*** Lesson -- don’t act like you’re running : By process of elimination, the potential 2012 candidate who has probably had the best five months is Mitt Romney, who has delivered a few hard-hitting speeches at Obama but has largely stayed out of the spotlight. And that very well could be the lesson to this story. After all, both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton did their best to stay away from the presidential buzz in 2005-2006. We didn’t even know Obama was thinking about a presidential bid until right before the midterms, and Clinton didn’t set foot in Iowa and New Hampshire until after she announced she was running for president in January 2007. On the other hand, John Edwards was running for president as soon as the 2004 contest ended, and that didn’t work out so great for him…
*** Obama’s tougher rhetoric : Turning to the man who hopes there isn’t a 2012 curse on the Democratic side, President Obama covered a lot of ground during his press conference yesterday -- on health care, energy, even his smoking habit. But the issue that dominated, of course, was Iran. He unleashed his harshest rhetoric, saying he was “appalled and outraged” by the violence there. But Obama also maintained those new words shouldn't be interpreted as new policy. “Track what I’ve been saying right after the election. I said that we had profound concerns about the nature of the election… As soon as violence broke out, in fact, in anticipation of potential violence, we were very clear in saying that violence was unacceptable.” And he denied that his new tougher rhetoric was a response to criticism from Republicans such as John McCain. “John McCain has genuine passion about many of these international issues, and I think that all of us share a belief that we want justice to prevail,” he said. “But only I’m president of the United States.” Finally, he clearly didn’t want to publicly make any threat of consequences to the Iranian government.
Video: In a midday news conference President Obama says he’s “appalled and outraged” by the actions taken by Iran’s government after a disputed election. NBC’s Chuck Todd reports. ***
Iranian diplomacy : Behind the scenes, there's been some news on the diplomatic front. On the record, the president clearly is doing his best to keep his options open regarding Iran. As the Washington Post's Balz points out, this president always finds a way to give himself wiggle room -- no matter the issue. And that’s clearly the case with Iran. Also, an interesting report in the Washington Times about possible communication between the U.S. (via the Swiss) to the Supreme Leader in Iran (pre-election) sparked this response from a senior administration official, who wouldn't confirm the story: "We have indicated a willingness to talk for a long time and have sought to communicate with the Iranians in a variety of ways. We have made it clear that any real dialogue -- multilateral or bilateral -- needed to be authoritative. Not gonna get into the specifics of our different ways of communicating, but there is an outstanding direct request from the Perm 5 plus 1 that was made on April 8th. The Iranians have yet to respond to that." Couple this with NBC News' Libby Leist's reporting that a State Department official says any BILATERAL diplomatic outreach is now "on ice" and it's clear whatever policy the Obama administration wanted to pursue with Iran has now changed to something that's more multi-lateral.
*** Health care day : The focus of Obama’s Wednesday is on health care. At 2:00 pm ET, he discusses the issue with Govs. Jennifer Granholm (D), Jim Douglas (R), Jim Doyle (D), Mike Rounds (R), and Christine Gregoire (D). Then he participates in a televised town hall on health care, which ABC will televise beginning at 10:00 pm ET. Of course, Obama made plenty of news on the subject in yesterday’s press conference. He suggested, as he has before, that reducing health-care costs is a higher priority than ensuring universal coverage; he advocated for a public/government option to compete with private insurance, but implied that it was negotiable (again, wiggle room); and he issued his strongest challenge to private insurers who are worrying that a government option will drive them out of business. “If private insurers say that the marketplace provides the best quality health care, if they tell us that they're offering a good deal, then why is it that the government -- which they say can't run anything -- suddenly is going to drive them out of business?” he asked. “That's not logical.” However, Obama did seem to struggle a bit when asked a question about how he could ensure Americans that they would keep their health-care plans if there was a government option. But he replied that businesses are ALREADY dropping their plans…
*** Targeting DiFi : By the way, for those in the chattering class who somehow think health-care reform is in trouble, remember that there is a very sophisticated campaign apparatus that is in place to support the president on this issue. Just ask Sen. Dianne Feinstein about that apparatus. After her comments on Sunday suggesting the president didn't have the votes for health care, she found herself under the rhetorical siege by MoveOn and AFSCME's Gerald McEntee. Is this a warning to other wavering Senate Dems?
*** Just askin’ : Was anyone else surprised at the president's downcast rhetoric on the stimulus? He seemed to side with the public polls on this issue, admitting that the recovery act wasn't getting money out fast enough. In addition, he volunteered that he was not pleased how the mortgage assistance program was working. Congressional Republicans will likely attempt to use his surprisingly blunt stimulus talk against him politically. The president is counting on straight talk to buy him more time.
*** A planted questioner? Perhaps the most controversial moment at yesterday’s press conference occurred when Nico Pitney of the Huffington Post got the second question and asked the president a question he had received from an Iranian. Some in the media wondered if Pitney was a planted questioner, and it does appear that the White House wanted him to ask his question. The Washington Post’s Dana Milbank wrote, “The use of planted questioners is a no-no at presidential news conferences, because it sends a message to the world -- Iran included -- that the American press isn't as free as advertised.” Politico originally said it was a “clearly coordinated” exchange. Pitney later said he was never promised a question, and Arianna Huffington responded that some in the media “can't seem to understand why the president would have the nerve to call on someone whose Iran coverage has been praised throughout the media, from Charlie Rose to Andrew Sullivan to the Economist.” The ultimate irony to all this? The president didn't really answer the question -- specifically the part that asked him to lay out the conditions at which he'd accept Ahmadinejad's election. (Editor's note: We changed our original headline here from "Planted Question" to "Planted Questioner," because no one is accusing Pitney of asking a planted question.)
Countdown to Election Day 2009: 132 days
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The New York Times : “In his strongest comments since the crisis erupted 10 days ago, Mr. Obama used unambiguous language to assail the Iranian government during a news conference at the White House, calling himself ‘appalled and outraged by the threats, beatings and imprisonments of the past few days.’”
AP's Burns writes, "President Barack Obama described himself on Tuesday as being 'entirely consistent' in his expressions of concern about the disputed Iranian election and the government crackdown that followed street protests. But his language clearly has gotten tougher since his first statement that the suppression of dissent was 'of concern to me.'"
Video: During President Obama’s afternoon press conference Tuesday, he refuted suggestions that he is only now getting tough on Iran. Is his measured approach still the right one? Rachel Maddow is joined by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Certainly, the president's rhetoric has gotten progressively tougher. But the White House would argue -- as the president did yesterday -- that his language has tracked with the situation. When Republicans first expressed outrage about what John McCain called a "fraud" election, Obama tempered his words. After all, the U.S. and the international community had no independent election monitors at polling stations in Iran. And as Obama said, he didn't want to inflame the situation and make the U.S. a "foil" or an excuse for the Iranian government to use violence against protestors. When the Iranian government threatened violence, Obama spoke out more strongly. And now that the government has acted, he has taken his toughest tone. That, the White House would argue, is consistent.
The New York Daily News' cover has a photo of an aggrieved Obama from yesterday's press conference with the headline: "Death that broke his heart." Subheadline: "Obama grieves for Iranian martyr Neda."
Today, Obama will "meet with a bipartisan group of governors who co-hosted regional forums on health reform earlier this year. They include Democrats Jennifer Granholm of Michigan, Jim Doyle of Wisconsin and Christine Gregoire of Washington, and Republicans Jim Douglas of Vermont and Mike Rounds of South Dakota," the AP reports. "The White House says the meeting will serve as a forum for the governors to share what they learned and discuss the health care overhaul and skyrocketing health care costs." AP adds. "The response from physicians and industry: a lobbying counterattack accusing Obama of denying patients the lifesaving tools they need. Patients, rural doctors and advocacy groups who back the procedures will gather in the House Wednesday for a panel discussion, part of the campaign. The industry spearheaded a bipartisan letter to Obama from 57 House members objecting to the cuts. It has staged events in North Carolina and other states where senators face re-election next year. And it is using a Web site and newspaper ads to encourage people to complain to Congress about the proposal."
Video: President Obama explains that proposed health care reform legislation 'must and will get paid for' while preserving what is best about the current American health care system. Politico : "As Senate Democratic leaders voiced increasing skepticism about reaching a bipartisan health care compromise, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and a high-powered delegation of administration officials huddled with key Democratic senators on Capitol Hill Tuesday. The aim, according to one participant, was to 'compare notes' as pressure builds on the administration’s goal of passing a health care bill this year with support from both sides of the aisle.
Politico : "Amid all its other budget woes, the Obama administration now estimates it will need $20 billion in new savings or revenues to shore up the finances for the highway trust fund until after the 2010 elections."
CONTINUED >>
The Hill : "Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)
is moving forward with a floor vote on climate change legislation this week even though many Democrats are undecided on the controversial bill. Pelosi’s gamble to schedule a Friday vote is one of the riskiest moves she has made as Speaker. There are at least eight Democrats who are firm ‘no’ votes, while many others are on the fence."
Video: Officials in Washington, D.C., still don’t know what caused two commuter trains to collide, but there are several clues they are considering. NBC’s Kelly O’Donnell reports. "Public transit advocates
seized on Monday’s commuter rail crash in Washington to make the case for overhauling the country’s transportation system."
"Senate Republicans on Tuesday unveiled a new narrative ahead of Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation hearings, questioning her commitment to constitutional guarantees on the right to keep and bear arms and equal treatment under the law regardless of race or gender," the
AP writes.
"The senior Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee even questioned whether Sotomayor sufficiently opposes terrorism, citing what he said was the 'extensive work' she had done for a group formerly named the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund. 'This is a group that has taken some very shocking positions with respect to terrorism,' Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama said."
Roll Call: "In a series of Senate floor speeches, Republicans leveled their harshest criticism of Sotomayor to date, accusing the federal judge and President Barack Obama of espousing a view of the judiciary based on empathy that is little more than racial or gender prejudice."
More from Jeff Sessions:
“When there is empathy toward one, is it not prejudice toward the other? There are always litigants on the other side, and they deserve to have their cases decided on the law. ... What I’ve seen thus far in Judge Sotomayor’s record -- and presumably some of her views are the reason President Obama selected her -- cause me concern that the nominee will look outside the law and the evidence in judging and that her policy preferences could influence her decision-making."
Mitch McConnell
“"
called Sotomayor’s empathy 'troubling .' "Judge Sotomayor’s writings offer a window into what she believes having empathy for certain groups means when it comes to judging. And I believe that once Americans come to appreciate the real-world consequences of this view, they’ll find the empathy standard extremely troubling as a criterion for selecting men and women for the federal bench,” he said.
Politico's Vandehei and Martin argue for a Republican comeback: "Polls show that the GOP is wise to focus most of its attacks on spending, government intervention and job losses. (Those same polls show the public has low regard for Republicans on these issues, but it's a significant development that President Barack Obama's numbers are slipping in these areas, too.) And just as importantly, GOP leaders on Capitol Hill privately recognize the need to distance themselves a bit from George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich -- even though they've done poor job of doing so thus far."
Video: Comedian Lewis Black comments on the Republican Party’s funnier foibles including Gov. Mark Sanford’s five day disappearance to go hiking. But are we seeing a shorter-than-expected bench? The
AP : "South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's mysterious disappearance from his state is the latest sign that Republican governors, once thought to be President Obama's most credible adversaries, haven't quite lived up to their billing. From Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal's cringe-inducing nationally televised response to Obama's first budget address to Texas Gov. Rick Perry's suggestion that his state might secede, GOP governors -- including those said to be eyeing a potential 2012 presidential bid -- haven't exactly looked like the political grown-ups many party strategists had promised. And none has had a rockier go of it than the party's best-known governor, Alaska's Sarah Palin."
Meanwhile, Dick Cheney
has inked a book deal. "The book will be published in the spring of 2011 by Threshold Editions, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, where Mary Matalin, a former close aide to Cheney is editor in chief, the newspaper said. Simon & Schuster is a unit of CBS Corp."
CONTINUED >>
FLORIDA : "Former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee (R)
on Tuesday lit into the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) for endorsing Gov. Charlie Crist over another Republican in Florida’s open Senate race. Huckabee announced his official support for former state House Speaker Marco Rubio (R) in a video Tuesday. In an interview with
The Hill , he criticized the NRSC for turning its back on a true conservative. 'I’m disgusted that they would take a position in a hotly contested race when you have a quality candidate like Marco Rubio, who was the youngest Speaker in the Florida House,' Huckabee said. 'This is not just some nameless, faceless guy that decided to throw his name in, who had no chance and no credibility.'"
NEW JERSEY : “Corzine is ready to file a brief in support of an existing lawsuit claiming the 1992 federal sports betting ban is unconstitutional, a source said on Tuesday,” per ESPN.
The move comes after state Sen. Ray Lesniak filed a lawsuit shortly after neighboring Delaware moved to reinstate sports betting there. Corzine’s appears to be “reacting to Delaware approving it, the nationwide financial crisis and a recent poll indicating the majority of New Jersey residents want it.”
VIRGINIA : Ad wars: Republican Bob McDonnell
will launch a new campaign ad in markets across Virginia later this week. Although his opponent Creigh Deeds does not plan to retaliate with his own spot, his campaign manager emailed supporters, saying it signals the concerns of McDonnell and national Republicans about the race. McDonnell’s spokesman reproached Deeds for “going negative right at the start of this campaign. Virginia wants new ideas, not baseless attacks.”
From NBC’s Luke Russert Republicans tried to broaden the debate on health-care reform today by calling on Americans to notice the effect that a government health-care plan would have on individual states. Gov. Haley Barbour of Mississippi said, "My experience with the federal government is if the government runs something it usually costs me more and gives me less." Bob McDonnell , warned that Medicaid can account for up to 20% of a state's budget and that health-care issues often lead to long state legislature battles that tie down state budgets.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mark Murray and Domenico Montanaro President Obama's televised town hall tomorrow on health care, the Republican National Committee is airing a new 60-second TV ad that criticizes Obama's plans to overhaul the system.
Per the RNC, the ad will air on "select national cable outlets." An RNC spokeswoman wouldn't disclose the size of the ad buy, but said it was neither small nor large.
Script: "Today a national TV network turns its airwaves over to President Obama's pitch for government-run health care."
From NBC's Alex Beinstein Vice President Biden visited Perrysburg, Ohio, to promote the administration’s green jobs initiative, Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH) blasted President Obama ’s cap-and-trade proposal today on a Republican National Committee Conference call.
Latta argued that Democrats are insensitive about potential job losses, because they haven’t gone out and talked to the people.
“I have talked to people at the gas pump and the grocery stores,” he said, as evidence for his understanding of their energy concerns.
He also took his shots at California congressional Democrats -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi
and Rep. Henry Waxman
(D-CA), who has been shepherding the energy bill. Latta charged that they don't understand the effects the cap-and-trade legislation -- which he and other congressional Republicans continually call "cap-and-tax" -- because they come from what would be the the eighth least-affected state by it. Latta, on the other hand, would come from the eighth most affected one.
This is a similar tack used by congressional Republicans, particularly Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN), during their weekly news conferences on Capitol Hill.
From NBC’s Luke Russert
Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) today expressed his desire to bring an energy reform bill to the House floor by Friday, he said in his weekly off camera briefing with reporters.
The deadline has been set for Wednesday for any amendments to the bill, and Hoyer informed the press that there was "attentive work over the weekend" on the legislation.
Video: House Democrats just announced that they’ll take a vote on a sweeping climate change bill by the end of the week. Venture capitalist Ira Ehrenpreis discusses why investing in green energy pays off in an economic downturn. Asked if the Democrats were trying to bring the controversial bill to the floor on Friday night in order to play off representatives' desire to go home for the weekend and thus force a quick compromise, Hoyer said no and pointed out that the blueprint for the legislation has been public since May.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro Gov. Mark Sanford went missing Thursday and hasn't been seen since. Fact 2: His staff has since told us that the governor has been hiking the Appalachian Trail. Fact 3: Sunday was "Naked Hiking Day" on the Appalachian Trail. We kid you not.Christian Science Monitor : "We’re not suggesting that the formerly missing Governor of South Carolina specifically ditched his family and security detail to go hiking on Naked Hiking Day. But that’s what he ended up doing. ... But many wondered aloud how this traditional, family-loving, Republican governor of a southern state could miss Fathers Day. After all he’s got four children! Was something sinister in the air? Then it took a Farrelly brothers screenplay type of twist. Sanford had not disappeared. According to his spokesman, he was hiking on the Appalachian Trail. Coincidentally, on Naked Hiking Day. It’s a big tradition. Many hikers celebrate the summer solstice by hiking au naturel. It just so happened the solstice occurred on Fathers Day -- one of the days Sanford was hiking." Palmetto Scoop points out: "The governor who dropped off the face of the Earth for five days was reportedly found Monday night by his staff hiking along the Appalachain Trail. That explanation of Mark Sanford’s disappearance has puzzled many folks in South Carolina and across the country. Why would a sitting governor just up and disappear to the mountains without telling a single soul -- including his family? Well, The Palmetto Scoop have discovered the answer to all the secrecy: the governor may have gone for a naked hike. No, really. An Associated Press article from last week heralded Sunday -- Father’s Day -- as 'Naked Hiking Day' on the Appalachian Trail. Yes, Naked Hiking Day."
The Associated Press : "Every year on the first day of summer, a few outdoor enthusiasts nationwide expose virtually all of themselves to insects, scrapes and thorns for the pleasure of bonding with nature au naturel. They call it Naked Hiking Day. 'There's no way to explain it until you experience it,' said Andrew Williams, 28, a machinist from Warren, Pa., who first hiked naked six or seven years ago. 'It's not about being lewd and crude and all that. It's just enjoyment.' This year, the summer solstice falls on a weekend -- this Sunday. Father's Day. Hikers who prefer clothes are not happy. ... 'It's just rude,' said Brian King, spokesman for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy in Harpers Ferry, W.Va. 'People are out there hiking with their kids and families, and there are Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts.' Law enforcement authorities say they see so few nude hikers, even on Naked Hiking Day, that they don't consider it a big problem. 'It's rare, probably because we have a lot of remote territory out there where one would not be detected,' said Capt. Woody Lipps of Virginia's George Washington and Jefferson national forests, which contain parts of the Appalachian Trail."
By the way, the Appalachian Trail
received $613,000 in stimulus money , as confirmed by
NBC's Mike Viqueira and first reported by the
Huffington Post .
From NBC's Mark Murray NBC/WSJ , CBS/NYT , ABC/WashPo ). President Obama's approval rating is down, they cheer. The public is worried about the deficit and the administration's spending, they add. It disapproves of the decision to shut down Guantanamo Bay. And it's not as optimistic about the stimulus.
All observations are true. But buried inside all three polls is this finding: Opinions about the Republican Party are at an all-time low. What's more, according to the ABC/WashPo survey, Americans trust Obama more than congressional Republicans on health care (55%-27%), the economy (55%-31%), the deficit (56%-30%), and combating terrorism (55%-34%).
To put it simply, the GOP's take on Obama's poll numbers is a lot like the owner of a 1987 Buick
pointing out the dents and potential engine trouble of a 2008 BMW sedan.
No doubt that Obama remains the dominant focus in American politics. No doubt that the president's numbers are down. And no doubt that Obama has entered a more challenging phase of his presidency (as he tackles health care, energy, and the stagnant economy).
Video: With the Republican Party still finding its footing in the current political landscape, is it now the time for a third party to triumph? A political panel debates. But now more than five months since
George W. Bush left office, the Republican Party finds itself confronting a more immediate problem with the American public than Obama or the Democratic Party currently faces.
Of course, the political climate can change in the blink of an eye (think of Bush before and after Hurricane Katrina), and Republicans are hoping that Obama's BMW breaks down.
But smart Republicans are asking themselves this question: Does their 80s-era Buick need a fixing first?
From NBC's Mark Murray Mark Sanford's office has announced that the South Carolina governor -- "taken aback by all of the interest" in his trip -- will return to work tomorrow.
Said spokesman Joel Sawyer in an e-mail to reporters:
Governor Sanford called to check in with his Chief of Staff this morning. It would be fair to say the governor was somewhat taken aback by all of the interest this trip has gotten.
Given the circumstances and the attention this has garnered, the governor communicated to us that he plans on returning to the office tomorrow.
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg Obama’s timeout: In the game of basketball, after your team commits some errors and after the opposition runs off a couple of easy baskets, you'll routinely see the coach make this move: call a timeout. It's intended to settle down the team, get them back to basics, and slow down the opponent's momentum. And that might be the best way to view today’s televised Rose Garden press conference at 12:30 pm ET. As we’ve mentioned before, it's been a tough past week for President Obama. He's been on the defensive on health care, Iran, the economy, and the deficit. Even his poll numbers are coming back down to Earth, although the latest Washington Post/ABC poll has his approval in the mid-60s. So, like a basketball coach watching his team endure a mini-slump, he's decided to call a timeout and reset his message. (Also today, Obama meets with Chilean President Michelle Bachelet and Defense Secretary Robert Gates.)
Video: NBC’s Chuck Todd and The Washington Post’s Eugene Robinson discuss the political stakes for President Barack Obama in getting his health care reform plan passed this year. ***
Time to trot out Will.i.am, too? In fact, you could argue that -- on the subject of health care -- he actually first called this timeout yesterday. Monday’s White House announcement on cost savings for prescription drugs seemed to serve as a pep talk for Democrats worried about the chances of passing health-care reform this year. "To those who, here in Washington, who’ve grown accustomed to sky-is-falling prognoses and the certainties that we cannot get this done, I have to … revive an old saying we had from the campaign: Yes we can.” But yesterday's event was also bizarre, because at noon ET and then at 2:30 pm, nobody from the administration could answer how the $80 billion would save money for the government when or if it reforms health care. By 5:00 pm, the White House finally gave us a number -- $50 billion of the $80 billion would be money that could be used to cut down on the cost of the health-care reform effort. Our question: Why not have that number at the ready at noon with the president or even 2:30 pm for Robert Gibbs? It was very odd, very slapped together. Clearly, the White House was desperate to show off some good news on the financial front on this issue after a week of bad news from the Congressional Budget Office. Also, as for the president's use of the "Yes we can" slogan yesterday, it may be a reminder of how much the president misses having an opponent. Right now, his opponent is himself.
Video: President Obama’s health care reform plan now has the support of the nation’s leading pharmaceutical trade group, PHRMA, which is pledging $80 billion to lower prescription drug costs for seniors and the U.S. government. Nancy-Ann DeParle, director of the White House Office of Health Reform, discusses how this deal will help lower overall costs. ***
We’ll always have Cairo: Obviously, one of the questions that Obama will receive at today’s news conference will be the GOP criticism about his statements regarding the violence and protests in Iran. But we pose this question: Do you think Republicans would be less critical if Obama had simply stated what he said in his Cairo speech about freedom IN GENERAL in the Middle East? “All people yearn for certain things: the ability to speak you're mind and have a say in how your are governed; confidence in the rule of law and the equal administration of justice; government that is transparent and doesn’t steal from the people; the freedom to live as you choose. These are not just American ideas. They are human rights.” Privately, the White House points to the Cairo speech quite often. But why not simply use these words for Iran specifically? Also, the president may have to answer this question today: Do Iranians have the ability to speak their mind, to say how they are governed, have the confidence in the rule of law and the EQUAL administration of justice? Has the Iranian regime been transparent, have they stolen from the people? If he can't answer in the affirmative for any of these questions, doesn't that mean there should be consequences for the regime in its dealings with the U.S. and the world?
Video: Republicans have been lining up to argue that President Barack Obama isn’t saying enough to support the protesters in Iran. A Hardball panel debates whether his response is too timid. ***
Where in the world is ... Mark Sanford? If you're a leader in your party trying to go toe-to-toe with the Democratic administration on fiscal policy, as well as a potential 2012 candidate, chances are that you don't want 1) headlines announcing you've gone missing for several days; 2) your wife saying that she doesn't know where you are but that she isn't concerned; and 3) your spokesman saying you've gone away to clear your head after your stimulus battle. It’s all just … weird, even though Sanford associates insist that he does this all the time. Well, last night, Sanford’s office announced that he was hiking on the Appalachian Trail.
“I want to emphasize that this isn't something that either staff or Mrs. Sanford is concerned about,” the governor’s chief spokesman said in a statement. “As we said earlier today, it isn't unusual for the governor to be out of pocket for several days after the legislative session. We knew he would be difficult to reach, and that he would be checking in infrequently.” What’s also interesting is that
two critics most concerned about his disappearance and whereabouts weren’t Democrats, but Republicans -- Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer and state Sen. Jake Knotts. The old saying, marching to the beat of his own drummer, applies as well to Sanford as it does any elected official. How likely, though do folks who march to their own drummer beat end up as nominees for their party?
*** I’m a joker, I’m a smoker… : One thing the media seemed to make crystal clear yesterday and this morning is that the president is still an occasional smoker. In all of the coverage of the president's signing of the tobacco legislation, many reporters made note of the president's past smoking, as well as Robert Gibbs' unconvincing spin that he's constantly fighting this addiction. The White House, of course, won't confirm the president still smokes. But it has not said these words: "He's no longer a smoker." Is it a big deal? No, just one of those presidential oddities that biographers live for. And everyone will want to know: When does he smoke? Is it on the golf course? The Truman Balcony?
Video: Saying "I know how difficult it can be" to stop smoking, President Obama signs a bill substantially strengthening anti-smoking efforts . ***
Let’s talk about sex, baby… let’s talk about you and me: Finally,
Roll Call reports that embattled Sen. John Ensign will address his GOP colleagues at their weekly luncheon. “While no one knows exactly what Ensign will say to his fellow Senators, the move is becoming an increasingly familiar one for embattled Republicans. Sen. David Vitter (La.) and former Sens. Ted Stevens (Alaska) and Larry Craig (Idaho), while facing scandals of their own, went before the Conference to discuss their respective situations.”
Countdown to Election Day 2009: 133 days
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Video: MSNBC’s Richard Wolffe talks about the contrasting opinions of Congressional leaders on how President Barack Obama should handle the Iranian crisis. The
Washington Post : "Obama's approach to Iran, including his assertion that the unrest there represents a debate among Iranians unrelated to the United States, is an acknowledgment that a U.S. president's words have a limited ability to alter foreign events in real time and could do more harm than good. But privately Obama advisers are crediting his Cairo speech for inspiring the protesters, especially the young ones, who are now posing the most direct challenge to the republic's Islamic authority in its 30-year history."
The newest Washington Post/ABC poll has Obama’s approval rating at 65%, but it also shows that support for his stimulus has declined. “Overall, 52 percent now say the stimulus package has succeeded or will succeed in restoring the economy, compared with 59 percent two months ago… [N]ew questions about the stimulus package's effectiveness underscore the stakes for the Obama administration in the months ahead as it pushes for big reforms in health care and energy at the same time it attempts to revive the nation's flagging economy.”
More: “The survey found the favorability ratings of congressional Republicans at their lowest point in more than a decade. Obama also has significant advantages over GOP lawmakers in terms of public trust on dealing with the economy, health care, the deficit and the threat of terrorism, despite broad-based Republican criticism of his early actions on these fronts.”
The
AP tees up Obama’s news conference today. "A White House spokesman says Obama will open the afternoon event with remarks on health care reform, energy legislation and Iran's disputed elections." He then meets with Chile's Bachelet and "will also mark the 37th anniversary of Title IX, the federal law that requires schools to offer equal athletic opportunities to men and women."
CONTINUED >>
In a surprising development, House Democrats have reached an agreement to bring a sweeping climate change bill to the floor by the end of the week, Democratic aides announced late Monday night," The Hill says. Roll Call adds.
"A sweeping [health-care] bill unveiled in the Democratic-controlled House last week is to be weighed in hearings beginning Tuesday. The draft legislation, written without Republican help, would require all Americans to purchase health insurance and would put new requirements on employers, too."
Video: Former Gov. Howard Dean discusses why it’s been difficult for members of Congress to devise a health care reform plan that can win enough votes to pass and still be worthwhile. GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell will say this about health care today: “The American people don’t want us to spend trillions of dollars we don’t have on a health care system they don’t want. And yet that’s exactly what Democrats plan to do, even though they can't explain to anyone how they will pay for it. Despite the staggering costs of the Democrat health care plan, we’re being told we need to rush it through the Congress for the sake of the economy. When Republicans ask how Democrats are going to pay for it, or what impact it will have on our health care system and the economy, the only words we hear are rush and spend, rush and spend.”
CONTINUED >>
Roll Call : "Senate Republicans are expected to begin formally making their case against the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor for the Supreme Court on Tuesday with a series of speeches questioning her involvement in a Puerto Rican civil rights group and her positions on a number of legal issues, Republican aides said Monday.”
Video: Rachel Maddow reports on Sen. Bob Corker, R-TN, not having enough patience to wait for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor who, on crutches, was a few minutes late for their meeting. More: “Judiciary Committee ranking member Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) and other Republicans on the panel will begin delivering a series of floor speeches starting Tuesday outlining concerns they have with the nomination. In the speeches, Republicans will outline 'areas of concern about Judge Sotomayor’s record and about whether she’s allowed empathy rather than the law guide her decisions,' a GOP aide said. Specifically, Sessions and other Judiciary Republicans will take aim at her position on gun rights, the role of 'empathy' in her rulings as a federal judge, and whether she has allowed foreign laws to inform her decisions in the past."
South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford hasn't been seen since Thursday . His staff says he's just taking some time to clear his mind and gather thoughts since the stimulus fight and that he was been known to travel without his security. But when he left, he didn't even tell his wife where he was headed, authorities went so far as to track his cell phone and his Republican lieutenant governor said he'd tried to reach Sanford, but his staff misled even him. Twitter messages were left in Sanford's name yesterday about the state's government structure and Sunday about the stimulus. Last night, his staff said he was actually hiking in Appalachian Trail.
Video: Rachel Maddow is joined by John O’Connor, political reporter for The State newspaper, to discuss the whereabouts of Gov. Mark Sanford, R-SC. South Carolina’s
State newspaper: "S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford’s staff said late Monday that the governor is hiking on the Appalachian Trail, ending four days during which staff and state officials said they had not heard from him. Neither Sanford’s office nor the State Law Enforcement Division, which provides security for governors, had been able to reach Sanford since he left the mansion Thursday in a black Suburban SUV assigned to his security detail, said state Sen. Jake Knotts , R-Lexington, and three others familiar with the situation, but who declined to be identified. Joel Sawyer, the governor’s spokesman would not disclose where on the trail the governor was hiking, nor would he reveal whether Sanford was hiking alone."
The Washington Post : “Some considered Sanford's disappearance odd for someone seen as a likely presidential candidate in 2012.”
CONTINUED >>
CALIFORNIA: "Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa of Los Angeles announced he would not enter the 2010 race to succeed Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican who is barred from seeking re-election. Mr. Villaraigosa, a Democrat who begins his second term in July, said he could not leave his job as his city faces a budget crisis and high unemployment," the AP writes.
This is HUGE news. The Latino vote in the Democratic gubernatorial primary is officially up for grabs. This could be a big boon for Jerry Brown's comeback attempt, as San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, who doesn't have a statewide base, needs the winning number in the primary to be in the 30s, not 50s.
LOUISIANA: "Political insiders on both sides of the aisle are convinced that Rep. Charlie Melancon (D-La.) is set to challenge Sen. David Vitter (R) in 2010, which begs the question of what happens in Melancon’s south-central district next year," Roll Call reports. "Judging by all the noise out of the National Republican Congressional Committee over the news that Melancon is considering the race, there is little doubt that the Bayou State’s 3rd district is about to rocket to the upper echelon of GOP targets. Republicans have yet to unite behind one candidate, but state Rep. Nickie Monica has already said he’s thinking about the race."
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Katelin Schartz and Domenico Montanaro Gov. Mark Sanford hasn't been seen since Thursday
But when he left, he didn't even tell his wife where he was headed and authorities went so far as to track his cell phone.
Video: After being out of contact for four days, aides now say South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford was just out hiking on the Appalachian Trail. NBC’s Mike Viqueira reports. "Gov. Sanford is taking some time away from the office this week to recharge after the stimulus battle and the legislative session, and to work on a couple of projects that have fallen by the wayside," Sanford's spokesman Joel Sawyer said in a statement. "We are not going to discuss the specifics of his travel arrangements or his security arrangements."
South Carolina newspaper
The State : "The whereabouts of Gov. Mark Sanford was unknown for nearly four days, and some state leaders question who was in charge of the executive office. But Sanford’s office told the lieutenant governor’s office Monday afternoon that Sanford has been reached and he is fine, said Frank Adams, head of Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer’s office on aging. Neither the governor’s office nor the State Law Enforcement Division, which provides security for governors, had been able to reach Sanford after he left the mansion Thursday in a black SLED Suburban SUV, said Sen. Jake Knotts and three others familiar with the situation but declined to be identified. Sanford’s last known whereabouts had been near Atlanta because a mobile telephone tower picked up a signal from his phone, authorities said. His office now knows where he is, Adams said. First lady Jenny Sanford told The Associated Press earlier Monday her husband has been gone for several days and she did not know where. She said she was not concerned."
AP : "First lady Jenny Sanford tells The Associated Press her husband said he needed time away from their children to write something. She says she's not concerned."
*** UPDATE *** Wherever he is, he's Twittering -- and reading the local papers:
SC's government structure fundamentally flawed http://www.postandcourier.c ... #sctweets #gopabout 8 hours ago from web http://tinyurl.com/nr53wx #sctweets #tcot7:48 AM Jun 21st from web http://tinyurl.com/sanfordo ... #liberty3:27 PM Jun 18th from web
*** UPDATE II ***
"The governor put in a lot of time during this last legislative session, and after the session winds down it's not uncommon for him to go out of pocket for a few days at a time to clear his head. Obviously, that's going to be somewhat out of the question this time given the attention this particular absence has gotten. Before leaving last week, he let staff know his whereabouts and that he'd be difficult to reach. Should any emergencies arise between the times in which he checks in, our staff would obviously be in contact with other state officials as the situation warrants before making any decisions."
From NBC's Athena Jones
There was a funny moment at the event with First Lady Michelle Obama and California First Lady Maria Shriver
, who arrived together in San Francisco Monday afternoon to kick off the 2009 National Conference on Volunteering and Service.
She said that she had instituted what she called 'Camp Obama' at the White House, which means that the TV and computer stay off all day until after dinner and before bedtime, adding that bed time was early.
The no-TV approach sounded like a good idea to California's first lady, who suggested that she might implement a similar rule and would blame it all on Obama.
From NBC's Libby Leist
Filling in for injured Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at a press conference with Georgia's foreign minister, Deputy Secretary of State Jim Steinberg reiterated today that the Obama administration believes "all voices should be heard" in Iran and "people should be allowed to express their opinions" about the election outcome. Steinberg dismissed Republican criticism that the administration is pulling its punches in its support for Iran's protestors.
He said this is not a partisan issue, and there are people on both sides of the aisle that agree with President Obama about ensuring this election is about Iran and not the United States.
Video: The New York Times’ David Sanger discusses whether President Barack Obama’s plan to negotiate directly with Iran’s government could be in real jeopardy due to the protests in Tehran. Also today, Steinberg confirmed that Secretary Clinton will not travel to Trieste, Italy later this week for a meeting with G8 foreign ministers, to be focused on Afghanistan and Pakistan. Instead, the No. 3 official in the State Department,
William Burns , will attend in Clinton's place, along with special envoys
Richard Holbrooke and
George Mitchell .
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Pete Williams
The law requires the Justice Department to review election rules in all or part of eight southern states -- along with Arizona, Alaska, and a scattering of areas with a history of voter discrimination. But because it allows the federal government to intrude in local decisions about elections, opponents said it was unconstitutional. They argued it had outlived its original purpose: to tear down barriers to minority registration and turnout.
The court's opinion, by Chief Justice John Roberts
, acknowledges the historical record of discrimination as a justification for the Voting Rights Act's passage in 1965. But he strongly suggests the law is now on thin ice: "the registration gap between white and black voters is in the single digits," he says, in states covered by the law. "In some of those states, blacks now register and vote at higher rates than whites," Roberts said.
But only Justice Clarence Thomas
was willing to strike the law down on constitutional grounds. Instead, the court interpreted the law as broadly allowing individual local governments to bail out of the law's requirements if they can demonstrate they have been free of discriminatory practices. The court was unanimous on this point and 8-1 on the constitutionality question, with Thomas dissenting.
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro MINNESOTA SENATE RACE -- By the numbers $51.1 million raised between Coleman and Franken for the entire campaign$50.3 million spent between the two candidates$11 million at least spent on the recount2,424,946 votes cast$94,783 Coleman ordered to pay Franken to cover court costs1974 was the year of the longest Senate recount in history in New Hampshire between Republican Louis Wyman against Democrat John Durkin. The Republican Wyman, struggling in an election year following the Nixon Watergate scandal, led by 355 votes after the votes were first tallied. But Durkin took the unusual step of challenging the election and eventually won by 27,000 votes 316 days later on Sept. 16, 1975, when the state ultimately decided to hold a special election. $500 an hour for lawyers312 votes separating the candidates - Franken leads231 days since Election Day 2008225 votes that Franken led by after rejected absentees were included -- he added to his total after Coleman rejected absentees were added 215 votes Coleman led by on Election Day 200863% of a year since Election Day 200833 weeks since Election Day 20087 months, 19 days since Election Day 20084 seasons seen since Election Day 2008 election3 Coleman court challenges (at least: state Supreme Court, three-judge panel, attempt to throw out rejected absentees)1 election
*** UPDATE ***
From NBC's Mark Murray President Obama's schedule, it was looking like a relatively slow week -- at least by previous standards. Today, in a few minutes, he holds an event marking a deal on prescription drug prices, and then signs into law the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. On Tuesday, he meets with Chilean President Bachelet . On Wednesday, he holds a town hall on health care. On Thursday, he meets with members of Congress to discuss immigration. And on Friday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel comes to the White House.
Video: The video is titled, "He's Barack Obama," and it shows the president dressed up as super hero as he tackles various issues. But moments ago, the White House added another event to his schedule: a Rose Garden press conference, which will take place tomorrow at 12:30 pm ET.
Among the subjects about which he'll likely get questions: Iran, health care, and the stimulus.
From NBC's Chuck Todd
Video: A group of demonstrators gathered outside the White House in order to have their voices heard regarding the recent Iranian presidential elections. In the release, the White House shared quotes from George Will, Richard Lugar, Sam Nunn, Bob Casey, Dianne Feinstein, Evan Bayh and Chris Dodd. Of course, it shouldn't be a surprise the White House is finding supportive quotes from Democrats, but note they led with Will and Lugar, to underscore their belief that the GOP is actually more divided on this issue than the Democrats.
From the release, the excerpts from the Republicans the White House is touting:
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro and Abby Livingston Two more of President Obama 's top fundraisers have gotten plum gigs as ambassadors overseas.
The latest are the nominees for Sweden and Morocco.
Matthew Barzun , who raised more than $500,000 for Obama's 2008 campaign, was named on Friday as Obama's choice for ambassador to Sweden.
And here's lookin' at you , Samuel L. Kaplan . Kaplan raised between $100,000 and $200,000 for Obama and got a placement to Morocco.
Five other ambassadors were named on Friday, who were not bundlers, including ones to potential trouble spots around the globe, like Georgia, Croatia, Tajikistan and Uganda. Also named was an ambassador to the Solomon Islands, the Republic of Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea (one post).
Full list after the jump.
CONTINUED >>
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro Ramping up the rhetoric : As the violence and protests escalated in Iran on Saturday, President Obama stepped up his criticism about what’s happening there. “The Iranian government must understand that the world is watching,” he said in a statement. “We mourn each and every innocent life that is lost. We call on the Iranian government to stop all violent and unjust actions against its own people. The universal rights to assembly and free speech must be respected, and the United States stands with all who seek to exercise those rights.” But the toughest domestic political rhetoric on Iran is coming from Republicans. This is one of those cases where Democrats and the White House are wondering what the reaction would be if the roles were reversed -- i.e., Democrats criticizing a GOP administration’s response on foreign policy. Indeed, Republicans regularly beat up Democrats for supposedly politicizing international issues (do remember that the establishment Democratic Party didn’t start truly criticizing the situation in Iraq until two-plus years after the war began). But who’s politicizing now? Also, it's worth noting that the criticism from Republicans is NOT universal. In fact, the GOP establishment on this issue is more divided than the coverage is suggesting.
Video: Former foreign policy adviser to President George W. Bush, Dan Senor, discusses whether President Obama's statements to the Iranian government have been delivered with enough strength to convince the Iranian people that America supports them. ***
With friends like these…: So let's get this straight: Barack Obama won last year’s presidential election by seven percentage points (53%-46%) campaigning, in part, for some form of universal health care; his party is about to have 60 votes in the Senate; polls show the country is receptive to overhauling health care; and the president's approval rating is between 56-60%. But Senate Democrats, like Dianne Feinstein, now say that Obama might not have the votes to pass health care? "I think there's a lot of concern in the Democratic caucus," she said on Sunday, per the
AP . The New Republic’s Jonathan Chait may very well have been right a couple of months ago,
when he wrote that Dem-controlled Congresses (during Carter and Clinton) have tended to handcuff Democratic presidents, and that may be happening now. Does anyone think that if a Republican president wanted health-care reform and had a GOP-controlled Congress and 60 Republicans in the Senate, that the reform wouldn’t pass?
*** Good news for Dems on health care? After a week of mostly bad news, advocates for a public/government option got some good news on Sunday, when the aforementioned CBS/NYT poll showed 72% backing a government-administered health insurance plan, mirroring what our recent NBC/WSJ poll found. The CBS/NYT survey also “found that most Americans would be willing to pay higher taxes so everyone could have health insurance and that they said the government could do a better job of holding down health-care costs than the private sector.” Yet a GOP Resurgent Republic poll is out pushing back a bit. According to the poll, more than eight in 10 respondents are very or somewhat satisfied with their care, and 52% say they prefer that their taxes not be increased, even if it means that NOT all Americans get health insurance. One thing to keep in mind on health care polling is that you can always get a result to back up your position on the overall issue. Of course no one wants their taxes increased; of course no one wants to see the best parts of their health insurance changed. So what's the right answer? As one Republican aide put it in an email over the weekend: Everyone likes ice cream, but not everyone likes rum-raisin ice cream. So it’s figuring out the flavor that's difficult. One thing adding to the pressure for Democrats is history and the need to show the country a change. A public/government option may be the only way voters touch and feel "change" in health care.
Video: The very latest on the crisis in Iran with NBC's Chief Foreign Correspondent Richard Engel. Then, an analysis of President Obama's on-going domestic challenges with the economy and health care reform. ***
Prescription drugs and tobacco : Sticking with health care, the Obama administration and key Senate Dems seemed pretty fired up over
PhRMA's decision to lower the cost of prescription drugs. "After weeks of secret talks, the pharmaceutical industry trade group voted Friday to dedicate $80 billion to lowering the price of medicines sold to seniors and the government. The unusual offer by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) is part of its effort to convince skeptical lawmakers that it backs major health-care legislation.” The president will tout this announcement today at noon ET at the White House. Also today, at 2:00 pm ET, Obama signs into the law the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.
*** Stimulus politics : By the way, today’s piece in the Washington Post about the economy and the stimulus will be a boon to Republican press secretaries today. “The likelihood of severe unemployment extending into the 2010 midterm elections and beyond poses a significant political hurdle to President Obama and congressional Democrats, who are already under fire for what critics label profligate spending,” the paper writes. “Continuing high unemployment rates would undercut the fundamental argument behind much of that spending: the promise that it will create new jobs and improve the prospects of working Americans, which Obama has called the ultimate measure of a healthy economy.”
*** You gotta know when to hold’em, know when to fold’em : Back in April, we wrote that Norm Coleman -- by taking his appeal to the Minnesota Supreme Court and delaying what seems to be the inevitable -- lost his chance to bow out gracefully. Now with the state Supreme Court’s ruling perhaps days away, Matt Bai made an interesting observation in the New York Times magazine . “It used to be that when a candidate lost by a few suspect votes, the first question that arose was whether he would seek a rematch… Now, it seems, the first question anyone asks — at least since the 2000 presidential quagmire — is for how long you intend to fight the results in court.” Bai then makes this conclusion about American society in general: Fewer and fewer people are good losers. “Being fired from a job becomes the beginning of a negotiation, while a routine school suspension instantly goes to appeal. In part, this is probably the inevitable reckoning for a culture that gives trophies to every Little Leaguer because, as the saying goes, we’re all winners.”
*** Kennedy goes to bat for Dodd : In Connecticut, Ted Kennedy has cut a TV ad for vulnerable Democratic Sen. Chris Dodd, who’s up for re-election next year. “Quality health care as a fundamental right for all Americans has been the cause of my life, and Chris Dodd has been my closest ally in this fight,” Kennedy says to the camera in the ad. “Today more than ever, we have a real opportunity to bring healthcare reform to Connecticut and all across America, and I believe that with Chris Dodd’s leadership, our families will finally have accessible, affordable health care.” It's rare to see any glimpse of Kennedy on camera, so no doubt this was the ultimate favor for Dodd to ask. Follow this 2009 push carefully by Dodd. One gets the sense he's pulling out all the stops this year to see if he can improve his changes significantly this year. If he can't, he's got plenty of time to change his mind about re-election, right?
Countdown to Election Day 2009: 134 days
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“Iran's Guardian Council, a top review panel with responsibility for overseeing the June 12 presidential election, said it had uncovered some irregularities in the polls, finding the number of votes in 50 districts exceeded the number of voters,” the Wall Street Journal says. More: “The Guardian Council announcement, made Monday on state-run media, was the first admission by authorities of voter irregularities. But a council spokesman also said the irregularities were much less wide-spread than unsuccessful opposition candidates had alleged in recent complaints.”
The New York Times : "On Sunday, the police detained five relatives of Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a former president who leads two influential councils and openly supported Mr. Moussavi’s election. The relatives, including Mr. Rafsanjani’s daughter, Faezeh Hashemi, were released after several hours. The developments, coming one day after protests here in the capital and elsewhere were crushed by police officers and militia members using guns, clubs, tear gas and water cannons, suggested that Ayatollah Khamenei was facing entrenched resistance among some members of the elite."
Video: NBC's Richard Engel explains why the Iranian government has chosen to place responsibility for the civil unrest in Tehran on the shoulders of Britain and the United States. The president, in an interview with CBS to air today, addressed the situation in Iran: "The last thing that I want to do is to have the United States be a foil for those forces inside Iran who would love nothing better than to make this an argument about the United States. We shouldn't be playing into that."
Yet Obama released a stronger statement over the weekend: "The Iranian government must understand that the world is watching. We mourn each and every innocent life that is lost. We call on the Iranian government to stop all violent and unjust actions against its own people. The universal rights to assembly and free speech must be respected, and the United States stands with all who seek to exercise those rights.
And he also said this in an interview with an English-language newspaper in Pakistan: "We respect Iran’s sovereignty, but we also are witnessing peaceful demonstrations, people expressing themselves, and I stand for that universal principle that people should have a voice in their own lives and their own destiny. And I hope that the international community recognizes that we need to stand behind peaceful protests and be opposed to violence or repression. ... What’s clear is that the Iranian people are wanting to express themselves. And it is critical, as they seek justice and they seek an opportunity to express themselves, that that’s respected and not met with violence."
CONTINUED >>
"President Barack Obama will make a formal announcement Monday welcoming the weekend agreement by the pharmaceutical industry to help close a gap in prescription drug coverage under Medicare," the AP says. "The president has invited Barry Rand, head of the senior citizens' advocacy group AARP, to appear with him." will also "sign the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. The law allows the Food and Drug Administration to reduce nicotine in tobacco products, ban candy flavorings and block labels such as 'low tar' and 'light.'" USA Today looks at the idea of a health-care exchange, which would offer a wide range of health insurance plans. “Options include one national exchange or many on a state or regional basis. An exchange could be operated by the government or an independent agency. It could administer federal subsidies to low-income people. It could collect fees required from employers who don't provide health insurance to their workers. It could be open to all comers or exclude large employers and others with insurance already. Those are the details being debated, but proponents say one thing is certain: An exchange, coupled with changes in the insurance market, would increase availability and cut costs for people who don't get health insurance through their employers.”
Video: Team Obama has suffered through a tough week with criticism from the left and the right; a drop in the polls and new questions surrounding whether the president’s health care plan can get done. A Hardball panel discusses. The
Washington Post front-pages the political-economic situation for Obama if unemployment reaches 10% by the end of the year. “The likelihood of severe unemployment extending into the 2010 midterm elections and beyond poses a significant political hurdle to President Obama and congressional Democrats, who are already under fire for what critics label profligate spending. Continuing high unemployment rates would undercut the fundamental argument behind much of that spending: the promise that it will create new jobs and improve the prospects of working Americans, which Obama has called the ultimate measure of a healthy economy.”
CONTINUED >>
"Emboldened by polls that show public backing for a government health insurance plan, Democrats are moving to make it a politically defining issue in the debate over the future of medical care." Chuck Schumer to the AP: "I don't think I could say with a straight face that this (co-op proposal) is at all close to a nationwide public option. Right now, this co-op idea doesn't come close to satisfying anyone who wants a public plan."
Despite the NBC/Wall Street Journal and CBS/New York Times polls showing 72%-76% of Americans wanting a public option, Republicans push back and say many are unaware of the details of what a government-run plan are. Once they learn, they won't want it anymore, they argue. And Republicans are more than happy to provide their version of the details.Boston Globe wraps the health care debate: "Democrats seemed disorganized and shocked as financial analysts slapped surprisingly high price tags on their plans. Republicans jeered when the health committee’s incomplete bill weighed in at $1 trillion - to insure a relatively paltry 16 million people." But the argument, it writes, seems to be shifting again toward the public vs. private back and forth.
Video: Former Sen. Sam Nunn, D-Ga., and former Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn., discuss President Barack Obama’s approach to reforming the U.S. health care industry with NBC’s David Gregory on “Meet the Press.” USA Today : “Lawmakers and businesses are calling for expansion of a tax credit for first-time home buyers that has helped spark home sales in an otherwise dismal real estate market. With the tax credit scheduled to expire in fall, some business groups say the amount of the credit, now capped at $8,000, should be raised to $15,000 and applied to anyone who buys a home.”
The Washington Post profiles Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, saying the GOP leader has worked to persuade his colleagues to “pick targeted, potentially winnable fights against the Democrats… McConnell helped orchestrate one of the Republicans' most convincing victories of the year: a 90 to 6 vote rejecting Obama's plan to start closing the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and to move some of the detainees to U.S. soil. McConnell delivered the same speech on the Senate floor day after day during April and May, attacking the proposal and saying Obama had no idea how to implement it.”
What else is on tap this week? "House and Senate lawmakers this week will begin digging into the specifics of the Obama administration's plan to overhaul the financial system," The Hill reports.
Sotomayor resigned her membership in that all-women's club after Republicans had made an issue of it.
The
New York Times writes about Sotomayor’s ties to José A. Cabranes, who also sits on the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals. Sotomayor, the paper says, “has acknowledged many other mentors: a debate coach who recruited her to Princeton, a law firm partner who pushed her to seek a judgeship, a pioneering female judge who bonded with her over a shared disdain for any hint of philosophizing from the bench. Judge Cabranes, though, has played a singular variety of roles — guide, role model, patron and foil.”
After his admitted affair, John Ensign's favorability rating has taken a hit: It now stands at 39% favorable, 37% unfavorable, per a Mason-Dixon poll conducted by the Las Vegas Journal Review. His fav is down 14 points and his unfav is up 19 points from the same poll conducted a month ago. But it's not all bad news for Ensign. "[M]ore than six in 10 Nevadans do not think Ensign should resign,"
The Hill reports.
Video: More details are coming out since Sen. John Ensign, R-NV, revealed he had an extra-marital affair. Rachel Maddow is joined by Daily Beast contributor Mark McKinnon. Ensign will be back on Capitol Hill today .
Eric Cantor, in an interview with
Roll Call : "'America by November 2010 will want a check and a balance on [Democrats’] unfettered power.' Cantor insisted that Republicans cans regain the majority in 2010, despite going into the election cycle with a double-digit seat deficit in the House. To do so, the party must reach out to demographics that are traditionally Democratic strongholds, such Hispanics and college students, he said." (Easier said than done, right?). More: "He brushed off the suggestions that inflammatory comments made by conservatives such as former Vice President Dick Cheney and talk-show host Rush Limbaugh could hurt this effort. 'Our party is one that should include a lot of different people and a lot of different personalities,' he said. 'Just like Ronald Reagan would have never excluded anyone from the party.'"
May reports were due in Saturday. On the Senate side,
the NRSC outraised Democrats in May slightly (but got a $1 million transfer from the RNC), Roll Call reports. The NRSC raised about $4.5 million, $3.7 million on hand and no debt; the DSCC took in about $3.5 million, had $4 million on hand, but was operating with $4.2 million in debt.
House Democrats raised about $3.4 million in May, spent $2.5 million, have about $5 million cash on hand and more than $6.6 million in debt; the NRCC took in more than $3.2 million (including $1 million also from the RNC), spent $3.2 million, have about $3.7 million on hand and have $4 million in debt.
THE WEEK AHEAD: Foreign policy, peace talks, Iran, Ensign fallout, 2012 watch, the never-ending Senate race, and cash for a clunker.
From NBC's Athena Jones
Saying fatherhood was a privilege and not an obligation, President Obama used the Friday before Father's Day to launch what he hopes will be a national conversation on fatherhood and personal responsibility.
Video: MSNBC’s Richard Wolffe reacts to President Barack Obama’s speech on fatherhood and family values. "We all know the difference that a responsible, committed father like those five gentlemen can make in the life of a child," Obama told the East Room audience. "Fathers are our first teachers and coaches. They're our mentors. They're our role models. They set an example of success, and they push us to succeed, encourage us when we're struggling, and they love us even when we disappoint them, and they stand by us when nobody else will."
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mark Murray some disheartening news about the prospects of achieving health-care reform.
But this afternoon, they are cheering the draft of legislation that House Democrats have offered. Per the New Republic's Jon Cohen , the draft contains a strong public insurance option. To pay for it, House Democrats are proposing unspecified "system savings, employer contributions, and new revenues."
"I've contacted about a half-dozen friendly liberal wonks in the last 90 minutes, since the draft became public," Cohen writes. "Everybody seemed pleased. (One actually said 'Boffo!') It's possible that they are as desperate as I've been for encouraging news; maybe impressions will sour as a fuller picture of the House proposal emerges. But, for the moment, this seems like good news."
President Obama
also warmly greeted the draft. "Today, the chairs of several committees in the House of Representatives unveiled their health care reform proposal. This proposal would improve the affordability, availability, and quality of health care and represents a major step toward the our goal of fixing what is broken about health care while building on what works."John Boehner
in a statement: "This plan is nothing less than a government takeover of health care, and families and small businesses who are already footing the bill for Washington’s reckless spending binge will not support it... This plan will make health care more expensive, reduce the quality of care for millions of families and small businesses, cost American jobs, and force untold millions of Americans off their current plans and into a government-run nightmare operated by federal bureaucrats."
From NBC's Mark Murray
Drawing on the recent polls (including our NBC/WSJ survey) showing public concerns about the rising deficit and the government's takeover of GM, the memo says, "Democrats have made no secret about it. They want to do to the health-care industry what they have done for auto companies and the banking industry. Only this time, they want to finance it with 'secret' tax hikes that have been rumored to be coming at the expense of seniors and Medicare."
Video: While Democrats on Capitol Hill are trying to trim billions out of their health care reform bill, the GOP is using the hefty estimate as another chance to slam their opposition for their “habit of spending in Washington.” A political panel discusses the GOP’s tactic and whether it will work. The memo adds, "If the American public overwhelmingly disapproves of a government takeover of an auto company or bank, how do you think they will react to a government takeover of their health-care destiny that will raise their taxes, cost them more money and threaten their doctor-patient relationship?"
Well, on that last question, the NBC/WSJ poll shows that a whopping 76% support having the choice of a public/government alternative to private health insurance. (But it also shows that 47% of people who have private health insurance believe that their employer will drop their plan if there is a public option.)
As what happened in 1993-94, health care could very imperil the Democrats' majority in the House (although the GOP picking up some 40 seats to take back control in 2010 will be a TOUGH task). But this question could also be turned around: What happens if health care passes (with few or no House GOP votes) and the economy begins to pick up steam come the summer of 2010? Who's imperiled then?
From NBC's Libby Leist
Cheryl D. Mills , counselor and chief of staff to Secretary of State Clinton released this statement:President Clinton , and Chelsea are grateful for the many prayers and messages of good will they have received these past few days, and are so very thankful for the excellent care provided by the doctors, nurses and the staff of The George Washington University Hospital.
*** UPDATE ***
From NBC's Chuck Todd Multiple sources tell us (and our own eyes indicate) that a group of Democratic talking heads and outside opinion leaders are on their way to the White House this afternoon for a briefing by White House senior adviser David Axelrod on health care.
From NBC's Mike Viqueira and Mark Murray 405-1 vote , the House of Representatives passed a resolution condemning the violence in Iran and expressing support for the dissidents there.
The measure has no teeth, but these types of things tend to gain attention overseas.
Video: Rep. Joe Sestak, D-Pa., discusses whether Democrats will continue to support President Barack Obama’s cautious stance on Iran The sole nay vote:
Ron Paul (R-TX). Two voted present:
Brad Ellsworth (D-IN) and
Dave Loebsack (I-IA).
Here's the resolution:
Expressing support for all Iranian citizens who embrace the values of freedom, human rights, civil liberties, and rule of law, and for other purposes.
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
“I am pleased that the Republican National Committee continues to show solid fundraising numbers, and we are grateful to the countless Americans who have contributed to our Party," RNC Chairman Michael Steele said in a press release statement. "We have important and competitive elections this fall and next year. With another month of strong fundraising numbers, we are confident and well positioned to win."
Just askin', but did Steele intentionally leave out the first half of the
real statement?
“I am pleased that it appears I will be able to keep my job at the Republican National Committee, as it continues to show solid fundraising numbers, and I/we are grateful to the countless Americans who have contributed to our Party," said Chairman Michael Steele.
The Democratic National Committee apparently had an even better month, per Hotline's On Call , raising $8.37 million (with the help of the president). But that accounts for 69% of the DNC's total cash on hand of $12.1 million, which significantly trails the GOP.
From NBC's Mark Murray
The ad -- which comes as the Senate Finance Committee released the outline of a plan that doesn't include a public/government option -- will run in 10 states represented by senators who could be key votes: Arkansas (Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor ), Delaware (Tom Carper ), Florida (Bill Nelson ), Iowa (Chuck Grassley ), Louisiana (Mary Landrieu ), Maine (Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe ), New Mexico (Tom Udall ), North Carolina (Kay Hagan ), Oregon (Ron Wyden ), and Washington (Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray ).
The script: What if we stripped away the 13 billion dollar insurance company profits?
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro The week that was: Let’s be honest: This has been a pretty tough week for an Obama White House that so far has seen more good days than bad ones. Republicans and conservatives -- including now Paul Wolfowitz! -- are criticizing the administration for not speaking out more forcefully about what’s happening in Iran (even though many experts side with the White House’s wait-and-see approach). New polls, including the latest NBC/WSJ survey, showed the public’s concern about the rising deficit and the government’s intervention into GM. Gay-rights advocates remain disappointed at the White House. And last, but certainly not least, congressional Democrats and liberals are now beginning to panic about their chances of passing health-care reform this year. As a result, Republicans are feeling more emboldened than ever to go after the president.
*** A turning point or an over-hyped blip? Of course, we’ve been here before, right? During the presidential election, the media continually asked, “Why isn’t Obama leading by more in the polls?” and he went on to win by the widest margin for a Democrat since 1964. Also during the campaign, there was the thought that disappointed Hillary supporters wouldn’t vote for him, which didn’t turn out to be true in November. And earlier this year, Democrats worried about the fate of Obama’s stimulus, which ultimately passed. So the current round of doubts hasn’t fazed the White House. "These days happen once every couple of months," a senior administration official told the Atlantic’s Marc Ambinder . "They are almost like clockwork." That said, now five months into office, Team Obama has now entered a new -- and more difficult -- phase in which the glow from the campaign and the inauguration is gone. As NBC/WSJ co-pollster Peter Hart (D) says, “There is no more smooth sailing for the administration. They are going to have to navigate in pretty choppy waters.” The campaign was easier for Obama to recover from a rough patch because there was an opponent. But who is the opponent now?
*** Well, we guess that’s settled then: In Iran today, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told a gathering at the Tehran University that the presidential election was fair and transparent and that all four candidates stand firmly behind the Islamic Republic, NBC’s Ali Arouzi reports. The supreme leader said the candidates' arguments were only on policy, and he said enemies of the state are trying to break people's trust in the system and are doing this with the help of the foreign media. Khamenei went on to say that the election was free and transparent and absolutely free of any fraud whatsoever. And he issued this warning: The protesters are acting illegal and will be dealt with if they continue. What’s more, Arouzi notes, the thousands of people in the crowd were ardent supporters of Khamenei and Ahmadinejad, and they were shouting death to America and death to the United Kingdom after the supreme leader blamed outside forces for fueling the protests.
Video: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei defends his country’s recent presidential election and blames Western countries for trying to stir up chaos in Iran. NBC’s Richard Engel joins the Morning Joe gang to discuss the latest developments. ***
The administration’s pushback: Meanwhile, back in the U.S., Reps. Howard Berman (D-CA) and Mike Pence (R-IN) have introduced a bipartisan resolution expressing support for the Iranian dissidents and condemning the violence there. The House will vote on the resolution today. More congressional Republicans, in fact, appear comfortable criticizing the administration’s position here. Of course, events over the next few days could determine whether we see the president ramp up his rhetoric. But the White House is privately pushing back on the growing perception that the president's isn't speaking out enough, and it reminds us they talked plenty about democracy in the Middle East (see the Cairo speech). Yet what’s happening in Iran, the administration says, is organic democracy. But the United States intervening in Iran -- even rhetorically -- undermines that organic democracy, it says. Any association to the U.S. opens up the dissidents to charges that they are pawns of the United States.
Video: Sen. John Kerry, D-Ma., and Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., discuss the tone President Barack Obama should take with regard to events in Iran. ***
If you wish upon a Starr: Now that Ken Starr is now supporting Sonia Sotomayor, is there anyone in America who thinks she won’t get confirmed? Per NBC’s Pete Williams, Starr, the conservative lawyer who led the Whitewater prosecution against Bill Clinton, confirmed news reports that he backed Sotomayor during a question-and-answer session in California. "I stated that I supported the nomination,” he said in an email to Williams. “I also indicated that a variety of issues needed to be explored at the confirmation hearings including her comments about policy making and her -- now famous -- 2001 speech at UC Berkeley." That speech, of course, was when Sotomayor said a wise Latina woman would more often then not reach a better conclusion in judging then a white male.
*** Pelosi’s poor poll numbers: Here’s a final thought for the weekend: Lost in the news about Obama’s job rating and the concern about deficit were the abysmal NBC/WSJ numbers for Speaker Nancy Pelosi. She and Rush Limbaugh now share similar negative personal ratings. That's fine for a talk radio personality (maybe even helpful), but it’s a disaster for a speaker of the House. Simply put, this is not sustainable for her politically. Sure, the White House and others will say, “Relax, she's taking the arrows for the president.” And there's lots of truth to that, but she's also letting a lot of these attacks stick. And she isn't fighting back publicly. And one wonders if that lack of public pushback is allowing this negative perception to gel. Her margin of error, politically, continues to shrink. Washington isn't a loyal town and when the going gets tough, the unpopular baggage gets tossed under the bus -- something the speaker may know. But so far, she's seems content to let these negatives rise without pushing back. Does that need to change or is it in the best interest of the president's agenda?
*** Obama’s day: At 9:30 am ET, the president delivers remarks at the National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast. Later, he visits a non-profit organization (at 1:00 pm ET) and then delivers remarks at the White House (at 3:15 pm) to promote and discuss fatherhood and mentorship. Among the folks participating with Obama are professional athletes DeWyane Wade, Antwan Randle El, and Etan Thomas. (Of course, we have to ask -- who is vetting these guys? Wade has separated from his wife, who has accused him of infidelity and abandonment of their children .) Obama also has penned an essay in Parade magazine on Father’s Day. Finally tonight, Obama addresses the Radio and TV Correspondents Dinner.
Countdown to Election Day 2009: 137 days
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Mister -- er, President -- Roboto ? At the DSCC, DCCC fundraiser last night, President Obama "blasted Republicans who have criticized his administration's efforts on healthcare reform, stimulus spending and financial regulatory reforms," The Hill reports. "The president dismissed those who say he is not changing the way Washington works, laughing at critics who question whether or not change is possible. 'Can't do it. System overload. Circuits breaking down,' Obama said, mimicking a robot. 'It's so predictable. So this is exactly the moment when we need to fight the hardest. This is the moment when we need to band together."
Roll Call has more: "President Barack Obama praised Congressional Democrats on Thursday evening for their 'tenacity and fierce urgency' in helping him bring about sweeping change during his first six months in office. But, he said, much more remains to be done… ‘We can see some light along the horizon but we’ve got a much longer journey to travel,' he said, according to pool reports. 'And this is when it gets hard. Ironically, in part because the economy has stabilized somewhat.'"
Video: GOP Sen. Lamar Alexander tells MSNBC the emphasis needs to be on getting individuals private health coverage. Pegged to last night’s fundraiser, the
New York Times notes that while Obama doesn’t accept lobbyist contributions, the DSCC and DCCC accept them -- so long as Obama isn’t in the room. “The practicality of Mr. Obama’s pledge to change the ways of Washington is colliding once more with the reality of how money, influence and governance interact here. He repeatedly declared while campaigning last year that he would “not take a dime” from lobbyists or political action committees. So to follow through with that promise, Mr. Obama is simply leaving the room.”
CONTINUED >>
The Obama administration didn't get everything it wanted out of the supplemental. "[I]t provides no money for closing the Guantanamo detainee prison and sets tough restrictions on the transfer of its inmates. The $106 billion emergency war bill is not all for war fighting. It includes many unrelated items, including a 'cash for clunkers' incentive to swap gas guzzlers for more fuel-efficient vehicles; and funds for UN peacekeeping, air service to rural communities, Gulf Coast housing for hurricane victims and the response to a flu pandemic."
The Cash for Clunkers initiative passed in the supplemental . The plan would provide up to $4,500 for people to turn in non fuel-efficient cars for more green ones.
"The House will vote [today] on a bipartisan resolution expressing support for Iranian protesters who have been subject to violence in the days following that country’s presidential election," Roll Call reports. "House Foreign Affairs Chairman Howard Berman (D-Calif.) and Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence (Ind.) introduced a resolution on Thursday condemning the violence against the protesters, the suppression of independent electronic communication -- like cell phones -- within the country, and affirming “the universality of individual rights.”
CONTINUED >>
"Interns for embattled Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) are apparently jumping ship in the wake of his acknowledgment that he had an affair with a former staffer. In an e-mail sent to intern coordinators in Senate offices on Thursday afternoon, Ensign’s coordinator Jessica Walton said she is looking to place an unspecified number of the Nevada Republican’s interns in other offices."
Video: Air America national correspondent Ana Marie Cox joins Rachel Maddow to talk about the aftershocks going in the Republican Party since Sen. John Ensign, R-NV, revealed he had an extra-marital affair. Plame-gate still in the news? "A federal judge said Thursday that he wants to look at notes from the FBI's interview with former Vice President Dick Cheney during the investigation into who leaked the identity of a CIA operative," the
AP writes. "U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan's decision to review the documents followed arguments by Obama administration lawyers that sounded much like the reasons the Bush administration provided for keeping Cheney's interview from the public."
"The National Republican Congressional Committee collected $3.24 million in the month of May, allowing the cash-strapped committee to
continue to cut down its debt . The NRCC spent about $3.2 million in May and ended the month with $3.7 million cash on hand. The committee also knocked down its debt to $4 million -- $1 million less than at the end of April."
NEW JERSEY: Politico jumps into the NJ governor's race: "The election is still five months away, but one thing is already clear about the race between New Jersey Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine and Republican challenger Chris Christie: It’s going to be ugly."
NEW YORK: Chaos in Albany: "State senators made a bold move Thursday to end their paralyzing stalemate: They
packed up and went home . After yet another fruitless negotiating session -- which almost came to blows -- the battling pols got out of Dodge to enjoy their long weekend. But not before making sure they got paid."
From NBC's Katelin Schartz James Oberstar (D-MN)
and ranking member
John Mica (R-FL)
today unveiled their plan for a mammoth six-year, $450 billion surface transportation bill, setting up a clash with an
Obama administration that opposes legislation of that size.
The Transportation Committee bill is nearly twice the size of the legislation that was passed into law in 2005 and expires in September 2009. The
80-page blueprint the committee released highlights key aspects of the legislation, such as the consolidation and termination of 75 federal transportation programs and the creation of new programs to design, finance, and create light-rail projects -- all of which aim to maximize returns on transportation investments.
The big question: How do you finance the $450 billion? Oberstar won’t talk about where that money will come from, although one possibility is raising the federal gasoline tax -- which could be a tough sell in this economic climate. Per the Minneapolis Star Tribune , Oberstar said, “You can't talk investments and dollar amounts until you have something to show the public.” Questions on funding will begin to be answered as the House Ways and Means Committee starts work on the legislation in July.
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