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.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Alex Beinstein ESPN , the new status symbol in D.C. these days is playing ball with the president.
Among friends and colleagues alike, there is a strong demand to get in on the action. ESPN notes:
“The invites to play with the Baller-in-Chief have been scarce. ‘Mostly friends and staff -- the old Chicago crew. ‘he only thing that's changed is we're playing at Camp David,’ cracks Duncan, who has known the president for years. The secretary and some staff at Interior got a run, as did some old buddies of Love's. Arizona Cardinals QB Kurt Warner got an invitation, as did at least one member of the U.S. House of Representatives. The mayor of Washington got a run. Everyone else is angling. Love apparently keeps a list of names in case he needs extras."
Some other notable attendees include Sen. Bob Casey , Secretary of Education Arne Duncan (who is something of a basketball gatekeeper), Interior Secretary Ken Salazar , and Rep. Heath Shuler .
These games have taken place at many different locations, including Camp David, the Interior Department, Sidwell Friends and The Lab School.
And “by Executive fiat, the White House tennis court is being retrofitted for basketball.”
Start working on those games.
From NBC's Mark Murray Eric Cantor
has fired off another tough statement criticizing President Obama's measured response to the protests and violence after Iran's disputed presidential election.
The human tragedy continues in Iran. Around the world, people are inspired by the courage of the Iranian people fighting for free elections, using new media tools like Twitter to ensure their voices are heard by all of us. America has a moral responsibility to stand up for these brave people, to defend human rights, and to condemn the violence and abuses by the regime in Tehran.
The Administration’s position that what’s going on in Iran is a "vigorous debate" is absurd. People are being brutalized and murdered by the regime in Tehran. We have no idea exactly how many have died or have been seriously injured, since the regime has restricted journalists. In no way do these actions constitute a "vigorous debate."
From NBC’s Mike Viqueira
The score was 15-10. This afternoon on the House floor, the manager for the victorious Democrats, Rep. Mike Doyle, brandished the sizable trophy.
"They played like Republicans," said a good-natured Rep. Joe Barton , who was at the helm of the losing Republican squad.
There was much hooting and mirth.
The game was played down the street at Nationals Park (only a slight drop off in the usual quality of play to be found there), and benefited the Washington area Boys and Girls Clubs and the Washington Literacy Council.
One other thing, the Republican staff ace in recent years has been Sen. John Ensign . He did not play last night.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Libby Leist
President Obama called Secretary of State Clinton last night -- he was one of first to call -- after she fractured her elbow, according to the State Department.Richard Holbrooke , and they were heading to the White House for a meeting.
They went back to her office to get examined, and then went to the hospital after that. It appears a simple fracture, and she is working from home.
No decision has been made on whether she will travel next week. She is supposed to go to Greece and Italy at end of next week. But she is scheduled for surgery next week.
Also,
Bill and
Chelsea Clinton are in D.C. now with her -- they came in last night.
From NBC’s James Rankin Gallup released a poll also gauging opinion on health care.
It measured how much trust Americans place in their government, doctors and private insurers to reform health-care.
A couple of points from the poll: Almost three-quarters (73%) of Americans trust doctors to make the right decisions regarding reform. The Obama administration seems to understand this, given the president’s outreach to the American Medical Association. A majority -- 58% -- trust Obama to make those decisions.
But Congress seems to have its work cut out for it, especially the GOP. More Americans trust pharmaceutical (40%) and insurance (35%) companies to reform the health-care system than congressional Republicans (34%).
Congressional Democrats get somewhat better numbers (42%), but certainly nothing to brag about.
From NBC's Pete Williams
In the case ruled on today, an Alaska man, William Osborne, sued to get access to crime scene DNA so he could get a more accurate test performed than was available 15 years ago, when he was convicted of rape. But by a 5-4 vote, the court said Alaska gives inmates a reasonable shot at DNA. What's more, the decision said, there's no need for the federal courts to jump in and make a sweeping declaration of a constitutional right of access to DNA, given that 46 states and the federal government already allow some kind of access to DNA evidence.
In the age discrimination case, the court -- again by a 5-4 vote -- said that lawsuits claiming that an employee was fired because of age must show that age was the reason for the firing, not simply that it was one of several other factors. The court has allowed the "several factor" analysis in claims for race discrimination. But the court said today that the Age Discrimination in Employment Act is worded differently and does not allow lawsuits for such "mixed motive" cases.
Ten cases now remain to be decided. We'll next get decisions on Monday, June 22.
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro The return of Ross Perot? Ross Perot has now become a political afterthought -- especially after his two presidential defeats and his disastrous NAFTA debate performance against Al Gore -- but the cause that he once championed seems to be making a comeback: balancing the budget.
In our new NBC/WSJ poll, nearly six in 10 respondents say the government should worry more about keeping the deficit down, even if that means the economy recovers more slowly. The latest
New York Times/CBS poll has a similar result, with 60% believing the Obama administration doesn’t have a plan to deal with deficit. What’s more, self-identified independents, the same people Perot once appealed to, aren’t as supportive of Obama. In our NBC/WSJ survey, 46% of independents approve of Obama’s job, which is down from 60% in April, and that’s the primary reason why the president’s overall job rating has declined five points to 56%. The deficit, however, isn’t the only problematic issue for Obama. Almost seven in 10 have serious reservations about the government’s ownership of GM, and 52% oppose closing Gitmo. As one of us said on NBC’s Nightly News last night, Obama is now dealing with a public that’s judging him more for his actions than the promises he has made.
*** Blaming the GOP : But that's the bad news for Obama and the Democrats. The good news, according to our poll, is that the president is still personally popular: his fav/unfav is 60%-29%, and three-quarters like him, including 27% who don’t agree with his policies. In addition, the public doesn't blame Obama for the deficit or the economy -- that honor instead goes to the previous Republican administration. Asked who is more responsible for the size of the deficit, 46% cited Bush, 21% said the Democrats in Congress, 7% said the Republicans in Congress, and just 6% said Obama. Moreover, 72% believe the current state of the economy is something the president inherited. Indeed, the Republican Party finds itself at all-time lows in our poll (25% positive rating) and in the NYT/CBS one (28%). And that brings up this question: If the public is really serious about the deficit, does it turn to a Perot-like figure instead of the GOP?
Video: Former DNC chairman Howard Dean and author P.J. O’Rourke discuss the future of both the Democrat and Republican Parties. ***
Good news and bad news on health care : On the subject of health care, there’s good news for both Democrats and Republicans in our poll. More than three-quarters believe it’s important for Americans to have a choice between a public/government insurance plan and a private one. But if a government-run option is established, 47% of those who hold private insurance say it’s “very” or “somewhat” likely their employer would drop their plans. As Bill McInturff, the GOP half our NBC/WSJ poll, puts it: “It’s hard to change the status quo when you have people who have been well served by the status quo.” What is clear is that Americans aren’t big fans of having their health-care benefits taxed: 59% oppose taxing those with generous health benefits, while 70% oppose taxing everyone’s health benefits. Over to you, Max Baucus…
*** USA! USA! USA! Here’s perhaps the most striking finding in the entire poll: There’s a growing sense of American patriotism, at least as it relates to the U.S. auto industry. According to the survey, 54% say they’ve considered buying an American car in the past few years, and of those people, 40% say they are more likely to buy an American car due to the problems the U.S. industry is facing. By comparison, only 14% say they are less likely to buy an American car. Also, people are feeling more optimistic about the economy: 46% say the economy will get better in the next 12 months, which is up eight points since April and is the highest number on that question since Jan. 2004.
*** Odds and ends : Among the other poll findings we thought were interesting: Sonia Sotomayor’s numbers compare favorably to, or even exceed, John Roberts’ and Samuel Alito’s; Dick Cheney’s positive rating has increased eight points (to 26%); Nancy Pelosi’s rating has decreased seven points (to 24%); for the first time, a plurality support believe the U.S. should take military action to destroy North Korea’s ability to make nuclear weapons; and Obama’s Cairo speech/Middle East trip was viewed favorably by the public, as 42% said it helped the United States’ relationship with the Muslim world versus 14% who said it hurt it. Just askin’ on Pelosi vs. Cheney, but did the speaker’s numbers fall because she won’t defend herself as much publicly as Cheney does?
*** Bush strikes back? Not only is Obama’s honeymoon apparently over with the public, but it also seems over with the man he succeeded: George W. Bush. Yesterday giving a speech in Erie, PA, the former president fired a few shots at the new administration, according to the Washington Times . "I know it's going to be the private sector that leads this country out of the current economic times we're in," he said. "You can spend your money better than the government can spend your money." He also said, "Government does not create wealth. The major role for the government is to create an environment where people take risks to expand the job rate in the United States.” On health care, "There are a lot of ways to remedy the situation without nationalizing health care," he said. "I worry about encouraging the government to replace the private sector when it comes to providing insurance for health care." Finally, when asked by the emcee whether Obama’s policies were “socialist,” Bush started to answer and then stopped. "I hear a lot of those words, but it depends on…" He later said, "We'll see."
*** Obama’s day : The president meets with Middle East envoy George Mitchell at 3:15 pm ET (closed press) and then with Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner at 4:00 pm (also closed press). In the evening, Obama headlines a fundraiser for the Democratic House and Senate campaign committees, which is expected to raise $3 million for the party. And here’s one other piece of news: Hillary Clinton broke her elbow yesterday on her way to the White House and will need surgery. She was scheduled to do an event with Angelina Jolie today on refugees, and that has been canceled.
Countdown to Election Day 2009: 138 days
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The Wall Street Journal on the latest NBC/WSJ poll: “After a fairly smooth opening, President Barack Obama faces new concerns among the American public about the budget deficit and government intervention in the economy as he works to enact ambitious health and energy legislation.”
Video: NBC’s David Gregory talks to former Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean about a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll showing a lower approval rating for President Obama. Here’s
our take : “Obama remains a popular figure in the poll. But these numbers on the deficit and the government’s intervention seem to mark a new period for the administration, as the public moves from welcoming his inauguration and first days in office to examining his initial actions as president.”
The latest
New York Times/CBS poll , which has Obama’s approval rating at 63%: “A distinct gulf exists between Mr. Obama’s overall standing and how some of his key initiatives are viewed, with fewer than half of Americans saying they approve of how he has handled health care and the effort to save General Motors and Chrysler. A majority of people said his policies have had either no effect yet on improving the economy or had made it worse, underscoring how his political strength still rests on faith in his leadership rather than concrete results.”
CNBC's Steve Liesman has this response to Obama's financial overhaul plan: "On Wednesday, President Obama launched what you could call the 'Star Wars' of financial regulation, the government's defense system against Wall Street's weapons of mass destruction -- complex derivatives and subprime mortgages - that have brought the nation's economy to its knees," he writes in the New York Daily News.
But here’s the New York Times’ take : “On Wednesday, President Obama unveiled what he described as ‘a sweeping overhaul of the financial regulatory system, a transformation on a scale not seen since the reforms that followed the Great Depression.’ In terms of the sheer number of proposals, outlined in an 88-page document the administration released on Tuesday, that is undoubtedly true. But in terms of the scope and breadth of the Obama plan — and more important, in terms of its overall effect on Wall Street’s modus operandi — it’s not even close to what Roosevelt accomplished during the Great Depression.”
CONTINUED >>
...you're looking for...
The AP looks at Sotomayor's answers so far to key issues like Roe v. Wade. It writes that she, like other Supreme Court nominees, avoids firm answers to those hot-button issues.
"The first crack in President Barack Obama’s ambitious schedule for health care reform emerged Wednesday as Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) postponed the markup of his panel’s legislation because he needs more time to develop a consensus," Roll Call writes.
The Hill writes. "Baucus, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said he is looking to shrink the costs from $1.6 trillion to $1 trillion after reading an analysis of both Democratic bills by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO)."
"Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) is maneuvering for the GOP leadership opening left by Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.), who resigned the post Wednesday,"
The Hill reports.
And the election for that post
will apparently take place June 25th .
The Boston Globe has a detailed, on-the-streets account of what's happening in Tehran. "The noise of the crowd was the first thing to hit me. I had been among demonstrators before, but I had never actually heard an angry crowd before. The noise was powerful and full of fury. As I approached the street, I distinguished what they were chanting: 'mikosham, mikosham, aanke baradaram kosht: I shall kill, I shall kill, he who killed my brother.' My wife, who was among the crowd, had told me that several people had been killed by riot police. I quickened my pace and approached the street. As if in sync, hands bearing stones and bricks were pumping into the air. 'I shall kill, I shall kill...' I burst into tears."
Video: Joe Cirincione, president of The Ploughshares Fund talks with MSNBC's Rachel Maddow about the way post-election protests in Iran are having an impact on the balance of power in Iranian leadership beyond the presidency that will likely change the dynamic for international relations as well. Joe Klein has the cover story in the latest issue of
Time magazine . “It is impossible for an outsider, in Iran for 10 days, to sift through the governmental opacity, the contradictory demonstrations, and predict what comes next. It seems likely that no matter how many people flood the streets in protest, the Supreme Leader will continue to back Ahmadinejad. It also seems likely that while Barack Obama should continue to press for negotiations, he shouldn't be too optimistic about the prospect of success.”
Per the Washington Times , President Bush said this in a speech to local business leaders in Pennsylvania yesterday: "I know it's going to be the private sector that leads this country out of the current economic times we're in. You can spend your money better than the government can spend your money… Government does not create wealth. The major role for the government is to create an environment where people take risks to expand the job rate in the United States." More: On torture: "The way I decided to address the problem was twofold: One, use every technique and tool within the law to bring terrorists to justice before they strike again."
On Guantanamo (and catch the double negative in the sentence about persuasion): "I told you I'm not going to criticize my successor. I'll just tell you that there are people at Gitmo that will kill American people at a drop of a hat and I don't believe that persuasion isn't going to work. Therapy isn't going to cause terrorists to change their mind.” On Iran, Bush sounded Obama-like: "Clearly, there's a level of frustration on the Iranian streets. It looks like it's not a very fair election." On health care, he said, "There are a lot of ways to remedy the situation without nationalizing health care. I worry about encouraging the government to replace the private sector when it comes to providing insurance for health care." Asked "if he finds the new president's policies 'socialist,' Mr. Bush started then stopped. 'I hear a lot of those words, but it depends on...,' he said, breaking off. He later offered a more diplomatic assessment: 'We'll see.'"
And the DCCC has a new Web video accusing Republicans of wanting Obama and his policies to fail. “The American people are tired of Rush Limbaugh, Newt Gingrich, Dick Cheney and the obstructionist Republicans in the House banking on failure,” said DCCC spokesman Ryan Rudominer. “Today we are asking voters to stand with President Obama and tell the Republican 'Party of No' to start working with the President and Congressional Democrats to get the economy back on track.”
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro , as we saw in CNBC's John Harwood's interview, would hurt a fly.
Barely Political has some fun with it, likening Obama to a "Ninja" and sees his cold-blooded Karate chop as a threat to North Korea.
Video: During an interview at the White House with CNBC's John Harwood, President Obama shows a fly buzzing around him who's boss. But guess who doesn't think the president's so zen or enlightened? Well, you probably guessed: PETA.
"He isn't the Buddha," PETA president Ingrid Newkirk said in a statement. "He's a human being, and human beings have a long way to go before they think before they act."
But think upon this ancient proverb: Let, he who has never swatted a fly, cast the first whack.
From NBC's Mark Murray Barack Obama favorably, which is down four points from AprilDick Cheney favorably, which is up eight points from AprilNancy Pelosi favorably, which is down seven points from April
Video: A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll suggests that after five months in office, President Obama is now being judged for the actions he's taking and no longer just for the promises he made, with growing concerns about the budget deficit and the government intervention into the economy. NBC's Chief White House Correspondent Chuck Todd reports Also, regarding controversial actions Obama has taken:
-- By a 48-41% margin, Americans favor eliminating procedures like waterboarding to get information from terrorists
-- 52% oppose closing Guantanamo Bay
-- 56% oppose giving financial aid to General Motors, in exchange for the federal government obtaining a stake in it
The rest of the poll comes out NBC Nightly News, as well as on MSNBC.com, beginning at 6:30 pm ET.
From NBC's Athena Jones
outlined a set of proposals today to better regulate the financial system and prevent the kinds of risky behavior that helped send the economy into a tailspin last year.
Video: NBC's Savannah Guthrie reports on Obama's sweeping plan aimed at tightening government authority over U.S. financial institutions.. "Financial institutions have an obligation to themselves and to the public to manage risks carefully and as president, I have a responsibility to ensure that our financial system works for the economy as a whole," Obama told the East Room audience, adding later. "We're called upon to recognize that the free market is the most powerful generative force for our prosperity, but it is not a free license to ignore the consequences of our actions."
CONTINUED >>
From NBC’s Luke Russert
After going through the votes for the supplemental last night, there was one noticeable Republican who voted for it. John McHugh (R-NY). The ranking Republican member on the House Armed Services Committee bucking his party? President Obama to become Secretary of the Army. He has stayed in the U.S. House pending his likely confirmation.
If McHugh had not been appointed to his new post by the Obama administration, would he have voted for the war supplemental? When reached at his office, McHugh said, through his spokesperson: "Given the lack of viable alternatives, I voted for funds to give to the troops in harm’s way. It was a vote taken solely as a member of Congress." Joseph Cao (LA), Peter King (NY), Mark Kirk (IL) and Candice Miller (MI).
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
"He said that for all the trauma that came of the 2008 campaign, he is not ready to declare that it had been a mistake to run, calling that a 'very complex question,'" The Washington Post writes. "He believed, he said, that he had pushed Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton in a more progressive direction on issues including health care -- Edwards was the first to propose an individual insurance mandate -- and that the value of his having run will be determined partly by what Obama achieves on these fronts. 'Did it make sense to run and stay in the race? Time will tell,' he said."
Edwards tells the Post he is lamenting the state of play in Washington on health care and poverty: "What happens now? If you were to ask people during the campaign who's talking most about [poverty], it was me. ... There's a desperate need in the world for a voice of leadership on this issue... The president's got a lot to do, he's got a lot of people to be responsible for, so I'm not critical of him, but there does need to be an aggressive voice beside the president."
Edwards tells the Post he is lamenting the state of play in Washington on health care and poverty: "What happens now? If you were to ask people during the campaign who's talking most about [poverty], it was me. ... There's a desperate need in the world for a voice of leadership on this issue... The president's got a lot to do, he's got a lot of people to be responsible for, so I'm not critical of him, but there does need to be an aggressive voice beside the president."
CONTINUED >>
From NBC’s Ken Strickland
"Yes, I've agreed to take time and slow this down," Chairman Max Baucus said, leaving a closed committee meeting this morning.
While not saying when a complete bill will be introduced, Baucus left open of the possibility it may not be ready until after the Senate's July 4th recess.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC’s Luke Russert Top Republicans in the House today unveiled a GOP health-care plan, stressing that they were looking forward to working with President Obama and Nancy Pelosi .
CONTINUED >>
As the post-election crisis in Iran continues, authorities have barred all journalists working for foreign media from reporting on activities in the streets. And foreign reporters who went to Iran to cover last week's elections are beginning to leave, as officials say their visas will not be extended.
Ali Arouzi, an NBC News Producer based in Tehran, discusses how difficult it is to report the story in the middle of a media blackout.
Q: How are you covering the story?
CONTINUED >>
From NBC’s Mike Kosnar
For several years the Department of Homeland Security has been in a turf battle with the Department of Justice over the enforcement of drug laws.
Holder, appearing before the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on oversight, revealed that a new agreement has been reached between the two departments giving so-called Title 21 authority to more ICE agents.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mark Murray President Obama is taking on too many issues and is not focused enough on the most important ones.
That's compared with 60% who say that Obama is focused on all of these issues because the country is facing so many problems.
We'll be releasing the entire NBC/WSJ poll on NBC Nightly News, as well as on MSNBC.com, beginning at 6:30 pm ET.
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Ensign was the fourth-ranking Republican in the Senate.
*** UPDATE *** NBC's Kelly O'Donnell reports that Minority Leader
Mitch McConnell made following statement, off camera:
"He's [Ensign's] accepted responsibility for his actions and apologized to his family and constituents. He offered, and I accepted, his resignation as chairman of the Policy Committee."
From NBC's John Yang
Video: Gay and lesbian activists have been seething over what they see as President Barack Obama abandoning his promises to the community. A political panel discusses what Obama can do to fix this problem. DOMA prohibits the federal government from granting same-sex couples benefits that, by law, flow from "marriage" or are granted to a "spouse" -- health benefits, for example. There are some benefits that law provides to "families" or "children" -- leave to care for a sick family member under the Family Medical Leave Act or long-term-care insurance. It's the second set that the president is moving today to grant.
*** UPDATE *** 'First brick in paving': Here's the statement from the Human Rights Campaign's Joe Solmonese:
CONTINUED >>
From NBC’s Scott Foster Biden kicked off a summit this morning hosted by Senate Democrats on "Green Jobs" by repeating calls from the Obama administration that the U.S. must urgently shift to a clean energy economy to create new jobs in renewable energy sectors like wind, solar and bio-fuel technologies.
In what's become a familiar theme, the vice president cited examples of companies facing layoffs that moved to clean energy technology to stay in business.
Biden told the group of senators and business leaders, "[T]hese aren't just better for national security, not just better for our environment; these jobs are better jobs, period."
Cognizant of staying on message, the vice president at one point made a joke that he clarified was not a "gaffe."
In response, today Biden quipped, "[W]e cut off his funding," but quickly added, "I'm only kidding; that was a JOKE; that was a joke; that was not a gaffe; that was a joke."
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro Financial regulations: In an effort to prevent another collapse of the financial industry, President Obama -- joined by Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, consumer and industry groups, and members of Congress -- will be unveiling a series of new regulations at 12:50 pm ET. A few things to mention: Nothing the administration announces today will be law; it will need to get through Congress. Also, there isn't the streamlining some would like to see, but administration officials tell us it's hard enough to add agencies and tinker with existing ones. Eliminating one or more may be impossible in this Senate (think of the turf battles). Finally, the collective powers of the Fed chair, Treasury secretary, and FDIC chair are greatly enhanced. And, politically, this is a big victory for the FDIC’s Sheila Baer, who wanted to see her agency's power expanded -- not a rival agency created. By the way, here's a question for those following the administration’s policies regarding the economic crisis: Will the toxic-asset program ever be used?
Video: As Obama looks to strengthen the government’s authority over financial institutions, Dr. Christina Romer, chairwoman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, joins the Morning Joe gang to shed some light on the proposal. ***
Will a memo quiet his critics? Also today, at 5:45 pm ET, Obama signs a presidential memo granting same-sex benefits to federal workers. This move, however, seems mostly about placating gay-rights advocates who have been angered by 1) the administration’s hesitance in overturning “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”; 2) its brief defending the Defense of Marriage Act, which Obama has promised to repeal; and 3) Obama’s invitation of Rev. Rick Warren to deliver the prayer at the inauguration. In fact, some wealthy gay supporters of Obama have become so mad that they’re taking their names off an upcoming Biden fundraiser. Of course, the Obama White House has been very reluctant to get involved in cultural issues, and it seems intent on avoiding all the early mistakes Bill Clinton made (like “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”). Yet today’s presidential memo is a reactive attempt to quell the anger coming from the gay community. But even the memo doesn’t seem to go far enough for gay-rights advocates. For one thing, as the
New York Times notes, the benefits for same-sex couples won’t be extended to health care.
Video: Rachel Maddow talks with NBC News chief White House correspondent Chuck Todd about reports that President Obama is expected to extend benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees. ***
Obama’s additional comments on Iran: In his interview with CNBC’s John Harwood yesterday, Obama clarified his administration’s response to the protests and violence in Iran. First, he made an effort to note that there is not THAT big of a difference between Ahmadinejad and Mousavi. “Either way, we were going to be dealing with an Iranian regime that has historically been hostile to the United States, that has caused some problems in the neighborhood and is pursuing nuclear weapons… And that would be true whoever came out on top in this election.” Obama also argued that it was important for the U.S. to not been seen as “meddling” in Iran’s election. “The easiest way for reactionary forces inside Iran to crush reformers is to say it's the U.S. that is encouraging those reformers. So what I've said is, ‘Look, it's up to the Iranian people to make a decision. We are not meddling.' And, you know, ultimately the question that the leadership in Iran has to answer is their own credibility in the eyes of the Iranian people. And when you've got 100,000 people who are out on the streets peacefully protesting, and they're having to be scattered through violence and gunshots, what that tells me is the Iranian people are not convinced of the legitimacy of the election.”
Video: As protests continue in Iran over the presidential election, President Obama is keeping his comments measured, and subtle. Is Obama making the right response in this situation? Rachel Maddow is joined by Trita Parsi, President of the National Iranian American Council. ***
Latest in health care: Turning to the debate over health care, the
AP reports that a cost estimate for the Senate Finance Committee’s health-care plan came out yesterday: $1.6 trillion. The committee was supposed to unveil its legislation today. “But Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., said that wouldn't happen and the bill would come out ‘when it's ready’ -- later this week or next. The Finance Committee was supposed to start voting next week. Meanwhile, the Bipartisan Policy Center is
holding a discussion at noon in DC on the subject of health-care with Tom Daschle, Bob Dole, and Howard Baker. They will introduce a $1.2 trillion health-care plan that will be paid for through tax increases and spending cuts.
*** Our new NBC/WSJ poll: So how are Americans viewing health-care reform? What are their thoughts about Obama, Congress, Sotomayor, and the auto industry? And how concerned are they by the growing deficit and the federal government’s intervention in GM and Chrysler? Be sure to tune into Nightly News, or click onto MSNBC.com, beginning at 6:30 pm ET for the answers to these questions in our new NBC/WSJ poll.
*** What happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas: Washington hadn’t had a sex scandal in a while. But that changed yesterday when Nevada Sen. John Ensign (R) -- who had participated in Promise Keepers and defended the sanctity of marriage on the Senate floor -- admitted to having an affair with a former campaign aide whose husband also worked in Ensign’s Senate office. In his statement last night, Ensign said he was committed to remaining in office and apologized to wife and family. "I am truly blessed to have a wife who has forgiven me,” he said. “We sought counseling last year and have built a stronger marriage -- stronger than ever.” The news that Ensign announced the affair because the other couple was allegedly extorting him makes the story catnip for cable...
***
The political ramifications: Politically, Ensign is probably OK in Nevada (he’s up for re-election in 2012), but his national ambitions are toast (he recently gave a speech in Iowa). What about his leadership post in the Senate? Will he step down from there? Our guess is yes. The Ensign affair is a distraction for the GOP, but don't assume it's some long-term stain on the party. There are enough of these stories to go around for both parties, although Republicans usually pay a higher price because of their emphasis on “family values” (see above). The only immediate political impact may be in Nevada, as Republicans may find it harder to recruit a candidate to run against Harry Reid next year, since Ensign won't be an asset for that candidate. Also, Ensign and Gov. Jim Gibbons as a pair make things difficult for the Nevada GOP in general. And just askin’, but what does it say about the states of Nevada and Louisiana that they sport senators who have acknowledged affairs?
Countdown to Election Day 2009: 139 days
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"Senate Judiciary ranking member Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) is expected to give the first in a series of floor speeches today outlining the GOP’s vision for the judiciary and the kind of judges his party believes are qualified for the Supreme Court, committee sources said,"
Roll Call reports. "Sessions’ speeches, which will also appear as opinion pieces this week in the Washington Times, come as Republicans begin combing through a new round of documents and other information related to Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination to the Supreme Court. Republicans are particularly interested in Sotomayor’s work for a Puerto Rican civil rights group and on the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals."
The New York Times : "President Obama’s plan to reshape financial regulation, which he will unveil on Wednesday, is the product of weeks of meetings among government officials, financial experts, lawmakers, industry executives and lobbyists, many of whom were invited to help the White House draft the proposal... The plan the president will formally announce on Wednesday would give the Federal Reserve greater supervisory authority over large financial institutions whose problems pose potential risks to the economic system. It would separately expand the reach of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to seize and break up troubled financial institutions. And it would create a council of regulators, led by the Treasury secretary, to fill in regulatory gaps."
Video: President Obama is set to unveil his proposal to overhaul the financial regulatory system. NBC’s Savannah Guthrie reports and Christina Romer, chair of the president's Council of Economic Advisers, discusses the impact. "White House adviser Christina Romer said Wednesday the Obama administration's proposal to overhaul the financial regulatory system should be accepted by Congress because 'the status quo is not an option,'" the
AP adds. "At the same time, the leading House Republican Leader John Boehner said that while the GOP agrees on many aspects of financial regulatory change now being proposed, members of his party worry about the government taking too large a role."
The Washington Post : “Senior officials debated using a bulldozer to clear the way for fundamental reforms but decided instead to build within the shell of the existing system, offering what amounts to an architect's blueprint for modernizing a creaky old building.”
CONTINUED >>
Per NBC’s Luke Russert, the House last night passed the $106 billion war-supplemental bill by a 226-202 vote. The legislation gives billions in emergency funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and also provides more than $5 billion for the International Monetary Fund and $1 billion for the "Cash for Clunkers" program, a government initiative aimed at getting less fuel efficient cars off the road through tax credits. Only five House Republicans voted for the measure, Russert adds, while 32 Democrats (mostly from the anti-war caucus) voted against it.
The AP : "Eye-popping new cost estimates for President Barack Obama's plan to overhaul the U.S. health care system are forcing majority Democrats to scale back their plans to subsidize coverage for the uninsured. The $1 trillion-plus estimates come as the Senate Health Committee prepares to meet Wednesday to begin crafting a bill around Obama's top legislative priority. Big holes remain to be filled on the most controversial issues in the health care bill authored by the committee's chairman, Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.: a new public insurance plan to compete with the private market, and whether employers must provide health care for their workers."
Video: In an exclusive interview with CNBC's John Harwood, President Obama talks about his plans for the U.S. financial system and his healthcare initiative. The Hill : "Congressional Democrats and the White House are scrambling to regain their footing after a series of setbacks has stalled political momentum to reform the nation’s healthcare system." More: “A cost estimate hanging a $1 trillion price tag on an incomplete bill, salvos from powerful interest groups and great uncertainty among key Democrats on what will actually be in the legislation that moves through Congress have emboldened Republican critics."
CONTINUED >>
The Las Vegas Sun : “Sen. John Ensign … acknowledged an extramarital affair with a member of his campaign staff. The affair took place between December 2007 and August 2008 with a campaign staffer who was married to an employee in Ensign's Senate office. Neither have worked for the senator since May 2008.”
Video: Hardball’s Chris Matthews and a political panel discusses Ensign's admittance of his affair The
Washington Post : “The news was the latest setback for a party that suffered losses of at least 13 Senate seats in the past two elections and saw Sen. Arlen Specter (Pa.) defect to the Democrats in April. Any further instability in their ranks is unwelcome news for Republicans, who viewed Ensign as a telegenic communicator who could deliver the conservative message on political talk shows in a congenial matter. Ensign did not directly comment about his political future but said he was ‘committed to my service in the United States Senate.’ He does not face reelection until 2012 and had taken preliminary steps to explore a run for the White House that year, making a trip three weeks ago to Iowa, the first testing ground on the presidential primary calendar.”
"Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's supporters are holding a Web-a-thon to raise money for her legal defense fund,"
AP writes. "Organizers of Conservatives- 4Palin say they hope to raise more than $500,000 in a week. Palin has said she has amassed more than that in legal fees while fighting ethics complaints."
"President Obama is expected to raise $3 million for the two Democratic campaign committees at a Thursday fundraiser, sources tell
The Hill ."
"GOP congressional candidates in the notoriously libertarian Mountain West believe they have an issue that could reap electoral gains in 2010 -- government spending,"
The Hill's Wilson reports. More: "Democrats deny that spending will be an albatross for their candidates, and have said voters will notice when the economy picks up… But polling numbers tell a different story. According to internal GOP numbers, Democrats enjoyed an 11-point advantage on the generic congressional ballot before the 2008 election. Now, early polls in the 2010 cycle show Republicans leading the generic ballot by six points, even as President Obama retains high approval ratings in the region."
NEW YORK: Chaos in New York: One of the Democrats who switched sides causing the deadlock in the New York state Senate is now asking for two votes to break that deadlock. "I can have two votes," Espada boldly told
The Post . "We're going to maintain that, as the president pro tempore of the Senate, I am also the acting lieutenant governor, and the lieutenant governor can vote when there's a tie." Oh, brother.
And it just gets worse... "A criminal probe into Pedro Espada Jr. -- the Bronx politician at the center of the state Senate's power struggle -- is growing to include his first terms in office, the
Daily News has learned."
From NBC’s James Rankin Kennedy ’s health-care proposal. Yesterday, the CBO estimated the Kennedy plan would add significantly to the deficit while covering far fewer uninsured Americans than many had hoped.
However, as Ezra Klein pointed out in today’s Washington Post , the CBO score isn’t quite that simple.
Video: Sen. Jon Kyle, R-Ariz., is adding to the GOP fear-mongering on health care by claiming that the government wants to get between patients and their doctors. The proposal sent to the CBO by the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, of which Kennedy is chairman, didn’t contain mandates for employers or individuals. Such mandates would likely be instrumental in extending coverage to more people, progressive health-care experts say.
Still, Sen.
Lamar Alexander (R-TN), reiterating what he had said earlier on the Senate floor, told reporters this afternoon on a conference call sponsored by the Republican National Committee that the CBO’s analysis of the Kennedy proposal is yet another piece of evidence that a public/government insurance option is too expensive in light of the current deficit.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Chuck Todd, Ken Strickland and Domenico Montanaro John Ensign will admit to an extramarital affair at his news conference at 6:30 pm ET in Nevada, according to Capitol Hill sources.
NBC News has confirmed that Ensign told other senators earlier today that the reason he decided to go public about the affair is that his ex-mistress was indeed trying to extort money out of him.
It's not clear if Ensign will make mention of this at the presser but it is what he's privately telling senators, according to Capitol Hill sources.
Per the Washington Post's Cillizza , who first reported the news, Ensign said in a statement: "I deeply regret and am very sorry for my actions."
Video: Rachel Maddow reports on Sen. John Ensign’s, R-NV, admission that he had an extra-marital affair with a female campaign staffer. Cillizza also reports that the affair "was with a woman who worked for both Ensign's re-election campaign and his Battle Born leadership political action committee," that it "began in December 2007 and ended in August 2008. Ensign's wife, Darlene, said that the couple's 'marriage has become stronger' and added: 'I love my husband.'"
Politico reported, per a Nevada political insider "that Ensign began an affair with a staffer several months after he separated from his wife. When Ensign reconciled with his wife, the source said, he gave the aide a severance package and parted ways. Sometime later, the source said, Ensign met with the husband of the woman involved and had what this source described as a positive encounter. But the source said that the man subsequently asked Ensign for a substantial sum of money -- at which point Ensign decided to make the affair public."
From NBC's Chuck Todd
Video: June 11: Political analyst Mike Murphy and Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post discuss the daunting task of rebuilding the GOP. For months, I've been hearing, "oh, don't worry about New Hampshire, we'll convince Judd Gregg to run again." But Gregg's had plenty of time to lay the groundwork for re-announcing and he's passed up every chance. Gregg seems more like a retiree than some Republicans think. So what is plan B for the GOP in the Granite State? I'm hearing that efforts to recruit appointed state Atty Gen. Kelly Ayotte may just come to fruition. In New Hampshire, the governor has the power to appoint the state A.G. Ayotte was first appointed to the post by ex-Republican Gov. Craig Benson, then re-appointed by Democratic Gov. John Lynch. And it's these bipartisan credentials that have had some Republicans in New Hampshire salivating over the prospect of her candidacy. She's never run for office before but her profile might be about as good as the GOP can do in New England. Short of Gregg, Ayotte might be the best candidate the GOP can find as she doesn't come from the current elective wing of the GOP who all seem to have the smell of defeat on them. Ayotte would give the GOP a fresh face to rally around in 2010 and put the very popular Dem Gov. Lynch in somewhat of a tough spot as he'll have to likely campaign against the woman he appointed his Attorney General.
Still a long way to go but if Ayotte's a go (look for a possible July announcement), don't assume New Hampshire is a slam dunk pickup for the Democrats.
From NBC’s Mark Murray Creigh Deeds has a slight lead over Republican Bob McDonnell , according to new Democratic poll commissioned by the Democratic Governors Association.
In the survey, Deeds leads McDonnell by four points, 42%-38%. What’s more, Deeds narrowly has a higher fav/unfav (48%-14%) than McDonnell does (43%-19%).
“Bob McDonnell didn’t have a primary opponent,” said Democratic pollster Jeff Liszt, who conducted the survey with John Anzalone. “And yet you start out with him trailing in a horserace.”
The DGA is attributing McDonnell’s numbers to the TV ads it helped air that hammered the Republican’s opposition to the Obama stimulus.
The question, however, is whether Deeds and the Democrats want to be viewed as the front-runner right now -- especially for a race that the party controlling the White House has lost since 1977.
From NBC’s Luke Russert
Steny Hoyer (D-MD) was cautiously optimistic about the potential passage of the war supplemental bill, up for a vote today.
Interestingly, the latest war-funding bill is getting attacked from both sides. Republicans object to the $5 billion dollars in the bill allocated to the International Monetary Fund because they see it as an unnecessary international bailout at a time of great financial distress for the U.S.
On the other hand, many liberal anti-war Democrats object to the continued costly spending on the Afghanistan and Iraq wars without provisions that call for a troop withdrawal. According to Hoyer, the bill should be on the House Floor either "late today or tomorrow."
CONTINUED >>
From NBC’s Anne Thompson
· Heat waves will become more frequent and intense, increasing threats to human health and quality of life. Extreme heat will also affect transportation and energy systems, and crop and livestock production.
From NBC’s Libby Leist
The official said that Web sites and cell phones had been shut down and journalists were being kicked out, so the U.S. wanted "to highlight to [Twitter] that this was an important means of communication -- not with us -- but horizontally in Iran."
It was a lower-level official who called Twitter -- not the Secretary of State, the official stressed.
"I don't want to convey the impression that the State Department picked up the hotline, told them not to do it and it’s because of our intervention that it didn't happen," he added.
From msnbc.com's Bill Dedman
The
Obama administration is fighting to block access to names of visitors to the White House, taking up the
Bush administration argument that a president doesn't have to reveal who comes calling to influence policy decisions.
Despite President Barack Obama's pledge to introduce a new era of transparency to Washington, and despite two rulings by a federal judge that the records are public,
the Secret Service has denied msnbc.com's request for the names of all White House visitors from Jan. 20 to the present . It also denied a narrower request by the nonpartisan watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, which sought logs of visits by executives of coal companies. CREW says it will file a lawsuit Tuesday against the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Secret Service.
Groups that advocate open government have argued that it's vital to know the names of White House visitors, who may have an outsized influence on policy matters. The visitor logs have been released in only a few isolated cases, most notably records of visits by lobbyist Jack Abramoff to the Bush White House, and in the "filegate" investigation of the Clinton White House.
The Obama administration is arguing that the White House visitor logs are presidential records -- not Secret Service agency records, which would be subject to the Freedom of Information Act. The administration ought to be able to hold secret meetings in the White House, "such as an elected official interviewing for an administration position or an ambassador coming for a discussion on issues that would affect international negotiations," said Obama spokesman Ben LaBolt.
These same arguments, made by the Bush administration, were rejected twice by a federal judge.
For full story, continue reading.
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro Iran's Tiananmen Square? We can't say that yet, but the pictures coming from Tehran are striking; it's truly one of those moments when a picture is worth 1,000 words. But now what? The international community is still rather muted in its response. President Obama seemed to be attempting to strike a balance in his tone, showing support for the protestors but not yet overtly attacking the current regime. "It is up to Iranians to make decisions about who Iran's leaders will be," Obama told reporters at the White House yesterday. "We respect Iranian sovereignty and want to avoid the United States being the issue inside of Iran." Obama continued, "Having said all that, I am deeply troubled by the violence I've been seeing on television. I think that the democratic process, free speech, the ability of people to peacefully dissent -- all those are universal values and need to be respected." He concluded, "Whenever I see violence perpetrated on people who are peacefully dissenting, and whenever the American people see that, I think they are rightfully troubled. I think it would be wrong for me to be silent about what we've seen on the television over the last few days."
Video: At least seven people have been killed as new violence erupts over Iran’s presidential election results. NBC’s Richard Engel reports. ***
A delicate situation : Obama's statement isn’t dissimilar to how the Bush 41 administration handled the violence in China in 1989. It's a delicate situation, and no doubt the Obama White House will find itself being criticized by some in Congress who believe he isn't being defiant enough. Indeed, on TODAY this morning, Sen. John McCain called Iran’s election "corrupt" and said Obama should speak out that this is a "fraud" election. And yesterday, before Obama spoke, House Minority Whip Eric Cantor said Obama’s “silence” represented “a step backwards for homegrown democracy in the Middle East.” Of course, it's a lot easier for members of Congress to show outrage on this front than it is for the official head of state. However, something makes us think Obama's language will be tougher today when CNBC's John Harwood interviews him, or when he holds a joint press avail with South Korea's President Lee at 11:35 am ET. By the way, here are some of the latest developments in Iran: The country’s top legislative body says it’s ready to conduct a limited recount; a pro-Ahmadinejad rally took place in Tehran; and, per NBC's Ali Arouzi, violence has begun to break out at that rally, as plain-clothes militia have begun to beat protestors with sticks.
Video: Sen. John McCain says the president isn't talking tough enough about the disputed presidential election in Iran. ***
CBO vs. Kennedy’s bill : Turning to domestic politics, lots of hay is being made out of the Congressional Budget Office’s scoring of Ted Kennedy's health-care proposal. This -- again -- is one of those tough political issues for the White House to deal with. The Kennedy bill is respected by many involved with this effort in Congress and the White House, but no one close to the situation has ever believed it was going to be the centerpiece of the eventual legislation that ends up on the president's desk. And yet the news that Kennedy's bill would add to the deficit -- and not even eliminate half of the country's uninsured -- is giving critics of the president's plan plenty of ammunition. The White House tried last night to remind reporters that the Kennedy bill isn't the president's bill, or even the bill that comes out of the Senate. They stopped short of criticizing the bill publicly, but may find themselves forced to if more folks get carried away with blurring the lines between the Kennedy bill and the president's effort.
*** We’re going to party like it’s 1993? Writing in The New Republic, Democratic pollster Stanley Greenberg -- who was Clinton’s pollster during his early years as president -- says polls show that the public’s attitude towards health-care reform is about the same as it was in 1993. And that, he argues, isn’t good news for the Obama White House. Of course, Obama is more popular now than Clinton was at this point in ’93, and he was elected with a clear majority (as we like to ask around here at First Read, would Clinton have won in ’92 had Ross Perot not been on the ballot?). But whether or not health care passes this year will likely come down to these questions: Did Obama learn from Clinton’s mistakes? Did he do a better job of selling it to the public than Clinton did? And is the Democratic Party more unified than it was during the 1990s? Meanwhile, the Republican National Committee tells First Read that it will be releasing a Web video later today that forecasts what could happen if there’s a public/government option to compete with private insurance. “When President Obama says he wants a ‘public option’ in health care reform, what he means is that he wants a government-run plan,” the announcer will say in the video. *** UPDATE *** Here's the video .
*** Letterman apologizes; Palin accepts -- kind of : Although we earlier said that a politician never wants to get into a fight with a comedian, it looks like Gov. Sarah Palin is having the last laugh in her back-and-forth with David Letterman. Last night, Letterman apologized in full to Palin and her family. "I told a bad joke. I told a joke that was beyond flawed, and my intent is completely meaningless compared to the perception," he said. "And since it was a joke I told, I feel that I need to do the right thing here and apologize for having told that joke." Palin has since released a statement accepting Letterman’s apology. But read the whole thing carefully; doesn’t it prove that she’s trying to milk this controversy for all it’s worth? "Of course it's accepted on behalf of young women, like my daughters, who hope men who 'joke' about public displays of sexual exploitation of girls will soon evolve,” Palin replied. “Letterman certainly has the right to 'joke' about whatever he wants to, and thankfully we have the right to express our reaction. And this is all thanks to our U.S. military women and men putting their lives on the line for us to secure America's Right to Free Speech - in this case, may that right be used to promote equality and respect."
*** Promotion or demotion? Dennis Ross is coming to the West Wing, according to multiple reports. While he’s losing his Iran portfolio with the State Department (one that was never completely defined), Ross will have more access to the president than he would have had as a special envoy. Although some are trying to paint this as some sort of negative fallout regarding Ross (see the Israeli press), it's clear that anyone who gets West Wing clearance is getting a promotion -- not a demotion. This Ross move actually furthers the narrative that this administration is putting together the most powerful West Wing in modern presidential history. The heft of personalities with West Wing access only grows, leading some to even wonder if this White House is diminishing the influence of actual cabinet secretaries.
*** When a full plate can be a good thing : Just askin’, but where has all the GOP and media scrutiny of Sonia Sotomayor gone? Yes, Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell discussed her (and the possibility of filibustering her) on Sunday. Yes, there have been some recent news reports about her. And, yes, there will be much more to come between now and July 13, when her confirmation hearing begins. But as the political world turns its focus from health care (Monday’s topic) to North Korea (today’s topic), and to the administration’s financial regulation plan (Wednesday’s topic), it does seem that Obama’s full plate benefits him in this respect: It makes it more difficult for his critics to focus their fire on all the different targets. Indeed, it's Rahm Emanuel who’s the big believer in taking on a number of issues at the same time, so that the opponents can't concentrate on one thing. The possible downside? The administration could lose momentum on an issue or two. But, overall, they get a lot more done.
*** Regulate this : Speaking of the financial regulation, Obama will unveil his proposal in interviews on CNBC, Bloomberg TV, and the Wall Street Journal. The L.A. Times curtain-raises the policy. The plan would give the government new powers, but won't combine some entities, allowing for the streamlining that both Treasury Secretary Geithner and Fed Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke had originally proposed.
*** Could the end Be near? Here’s a final just askin’: When are we going to hear from the Minnesota Supreme Court on the ongoing Coleman-Franken race? It’s got to be soon, right?
*** Elsewhere today : In DC tonight, Bill Clinton headlines a gala honoring DLC founder Al From. And, in federal court in Alexandria, VA, opening statements begin in the trial of former Democratic Rep. William Jefferson (he of the $90,000 in cold, hard cash in his freezer).
Countdown to Election Day 2009: 140 days
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The Boston Globe's front page has a photo of the giant demonstration in Iran protesting the results of the election.
The Washington Post : “Iran's influential Guardian Council agreed Tuesday to recount some ballots from last week's disputed presidential election, as pro- and anti-government demonstrators prepared to face off in a public square in the central part of the capital.”
“The announcement by the Guardian Council followed reports on state radio on Tuesday that seven people were killed in clashes overnight, ramping up tensions after days of unprecedented protests.”
Video: Rachel Maddow talks about the post-election protests in Iran with Middle East analyst Fawaz Gerges. Obama yesterday on Iran: "It would be wrong for me to be silent on what we've seen on the television the last few days," Obama told reporters at the White House. The
AP : "He added, however, that 'sometimes, the United States can be a handy political football… What I would say to those people who put so much hope and energy and optimism into the political process, I would say to them that the world is watching and inspired by their participation, regardless of what the ultimate outcome of the election was. And they should know that the world is watching.'"
Where is this story headed? The
New York Times : "Having mustered the largest antigovernment demonstrations since the 1979 revolution, and defying an official ban, protesters began to sense the prospect — however slight at the moment — that the leadership’s firm backing of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had wavered. The massive outpouring was mostly peaceful. But violence erupted after dark when protesters surrounded and attempted to set fire to the headquarters of the Basij volunteer militia, which is associated with the Revolutionary Guards, according to news agency reports. At least one man was killed, and several others were injured in that confrontation."
CONTINUED >>
The Boston Globe's lead on Obama's health-care speech: "President Obama yesterday took the fight for a public healthcare option to a skeptical audience, telling the American Medical Association that a government plan that would compete with private insurers is 'not your enemy; it is your friend.'"
Video: NBC's Chuck Todd reports on Obama's ambitious case for health care reform. The
Washington Post adds that Obama’s tried to woo the AMA “with talk of curbing malpractice lawsuits and canceling a proposed 21 percent cut in Medicare payments as he ramped up a newly aggressive effort to line up industry support for an overhaul of the nation's health system. But he pointedly refused to endorse the group's top goal -- caps on damage awards -- and steadfastly defended creation of a government-sponsored health insurance program, which many physicians oppose. "The public option is not your enemy; it is your friend," Obama told the doctors.”
Obama’s speech to the AMA yesterday got top billing in the New York Times . But very quickly, the report delves into the CBO scoring of the Kennedy bill -- pretty much a P.R. headache for the White House. Also, don't miss these nuggets in the Times. "On Wednesday, leaders of the Senate Finance Committee hope to unveil what will be the one bipartisan measure in Congress. Democrats on three House panels continue to meet privately to seek consensus on a single plan. Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee said they were trying to decide whether to finance coverage of the uninsured with one broad-based tax, like the value-added tax, or a combination of smaller taxes. The value-added tax, common in other countries, is collected in stages from each business that contributes to the production and sale of consumer goods. Economists say a 5 percent VAT could have raised $285 billion last year. But a VAT could violate Mr. Obama’s campaign pledge not to raise taxes on households with incomes under $250,000 a year."
David Brooks outlines the scenario under which he thinks the president will get his health-care plan. "The scrum will be an ugly, all-out scramble for dough. You can probably get expanded coverage out of it. You can hammer the hospitals and get much of the $1.2 trillion to pay for the expansion. But you won’t be able to honestly address the toughest issues and still hold your coalition. You won’t get the kind of structural change that will bring down costs long-term. In the scrum, Congress will embrace the easy stuff and bury the hard stuff."
CONTINUED >>
So which white male on the Senate Judiciary Committee will show outrage over SCOTUS nominee Sonia Sotomayor's membership to an all-women's club ? "Sotomayor made the remarks in a cover letter for 10 documents the White House submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee. The papers supplement a trove of documents and videos, along with a response to a questionnaire, that she turned over earlier this month. Her remarks indicate that some senators have taken an interest in her membership in the group, Belizean Grove, which she mentioned in the questionnaire response.”
“‘I am a member of the Belizean Grove, a private organization of female professionals from the profit, nonprofit and social sectors,’ Judge Sotomayor wrote. ‘The organization does not invidiously discriminate on the basis of sex. Men are involved in its activities — they participate in trips, host events and speak at functions — but to the best of my knowledge, a man has never asked to be considered for membership.’”
She added: “It is also my understanding that all interested individuals are duly considered by the membership committee. For these reasons, I do not believe that my membership in the Belizean Grove violates the Code of Judicial Conduct.”
Politico adds that Sotomayor “also provided additional information and documentation related to her tenure on the board of the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, as well as details of a couple of subsequently overturned criminal sentences she imposed."
Irony Alert: "House Republicans are preparing to vote en bloc against the $106 billion war-spending bill, a position once unthinkable for the party that characterized the money as support for the troops,"
The Hill points out. "For years, Republicans portrayed the bills funding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as matters of national security and accused Democrats who voted against them of voting against the troops."
"Congressional Republicans are at their weakest point politically in decades, but they still appear to be keeping Democrats on the defensive when it comes to national security,"
Roll Call writes. "The GOP attacks, particularly on the closing of the Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, prison and the treatment of suspected terrorists there, have tied Democrats in parliamentary knots and repeatedly put President Barack Obama on the spot. While Democrats don’t believe the GOP is making major political headway, Republicans are relishing the fight."
ARKANSAS : Good luck... "Tom Cox, president of the Arkansas Tea Party organization, will announce his candidacy for the Senate on Monday at a gathering of the Arkansas Tea Party group in downtown Little Rock." MISSOURI : Good news for the GOP: "Rep. Roy Blunt’s path to the Republican nomination in Missouri’s Senate race got clearer last week, and it could become crystal-clear soon. Former state Treasurer Sarah Steelman appears increasingly less likely to run against Blunt, and she acknowledged Monday that she is looking at a possible campaign for Blunt’s open House seat as an alternative." More: "Though rarely afraid of ruffling feathers in the GOP establishment -- including in a pitched gubernatorial primary with former Rep. Kenny Hulshof (R-Mo.) in 2008 — Steelman told The Hill on Monday that she is worried about hurting the GOP.
“‘I am always willing to fight for what I believe in, but I would certainly prefer to do it without further destruction to our party,' Steelman said, adding: 'I want to find a positive avenue to move our party forward.'"
Video: Republican strategist Mike Murphy and MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough discuss the future of the Republican Party with NBC’s David Gregory on “Meet the Press.” NEW YORK : More proof that Obama is trying to hire every Republican congressman from a swing district? "The White House dangled the ambassadorship to Ireland in front of GOP Rep. Pete King, even before that coveted post went to the owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the
Daily News has learned. King (R-L.I.) chose to remain in Congress despite the Democrats' desire to wipe out all the Republican members of Congress in the Northeast."
From NBC's Mark Murray Sarah Palin and her family for the joke he told last week -- when he said that Yankees slugger had knocked up Palin's daughter.
"I told a bad joke. I told a joke that was beyond flawed, and my intent is completely meaningless compared to the perception," he says, according to a partial transcript of tonight's taped broadcast. "And since it was a joke I told, I feel that I need to do the right thing here and apologize for having told that joke."
Letterman continues, "So I would like to apologize, especially to the two daughters involved, Bristol and Willow, and also to the governor and her family and everybody else who was outraged by the joke. I'm sorry about it and I'll try to do better in the future. Thank you very much."
Below are Letterman's full remarks...
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Libby Leist
Dennis Ross say the diplomat is expected to leave the State Department soon for a position in the White House. Ross currently is in charge of the Iran portfolio at the State Department under the cryptic title: special adviser for the Gulf and Southwest Asia.
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz was the first to report today of a potential move for Ross. The paper said Ross "will abruptly be relieved of his duties" at the State Department.
But State Department officials are denying that Ross was fired or ousted from his State Department position. One official described the job change to the White House as a "promotion." The official wouldn't go any further though leaving the rest of the details to the White House.
When asked today whether Ross was being reassigned to the White House, State Department spokesman Ian Kelly did not deny the move: "I have no personnel announcements right now," he said.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mark Murray we wrote that gay-rights groups -- like the Human Rights Campaign -- were criticizing a legal brief the Obama administration filed defending the Defense of Marriage Act, which then-candidate Barack Obama promised to repeal.
Well, HRC President Joe Solmonese keeps up the criticism, this time in a letter today to Obama.
It concludes:
The Obama administration contends that, in court, it typically defends the statutes on the books -- even the ones it disagrees with and is trying to repeal.
From NBC's Chuck Todd, Athena Jones, and Mark Murray President Obama has given a lot of speeches during his first five months in office. And they've been pretty long ones.
But today's speech on health care before the American Medical Association was his longest yet (in number of words) -- longer than his inaugural, his address to Congress, and the Cairo speech.
From NBC’s Athena Jones
President Obama took his case for overhauling the health care system and allowing people to buy into a government-sponsored insurance plan directly to doctors Monday, delivering a nearly hour-long speech to the American Medical Association.
"I know there are millions of Americans who are content with their health care coverage," he said. "No one will take it away. No matter what."
Video: President Obama took his case for an overhaul of the U.S. health care system to the American Medical Association convention in Chicago. NBC's Chuck Todd reports. Obama has made restructuring the health-care system a top priority of his administration, calling it "the single most important thing we can do for America's long-term fiscal health" and urging Congress to get a bill on his desk by October.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro Dick Cheney and Sen. John McCain are hitting back at CIA Director Leon Panetta for saying "it's almost as if [Cheney's] wishing this country would be attacked again, in order to make his point" that America is less safe because of President Obama's policies.
Cheney tells
Fox News : "I hope my old friend Leon was misquoted. The important thing is whether the Obama administration will continue the policies that have kept us safe for the past eight years."
McCain: "I disagreed with the Cheney policy on interrogation techniques, but never did it cross my mind that Dick Cheney would ever want an attack on the United States of America. And it's unfair, and I think that Mr. Panetta should retract, and retract immediately. By the way, I hear morale is not at an all-time high over at the CIA under Mr. Panetta's leadership."
From NBC's Pete Williams
Ruth Bader Ginsburg expressed her support last weekend for Judge Sonia Sotomayor .
"I am glad no longer to be the lone woman on the Court, and look forward to a new colleague well equipped to handle the challenges our work presents," Ginsburg said.
It's unusual -- but not unprecedented -- for a sitting justice to express support for a Supreme Court nominee.
From NBC's Libby Leist
Obama administration is "closely watching" the situation in Iran, and he reiterated Vice President Biden's remarks yesterday on "Meet the Press" expressing doubt at the outcome of the election.
Video: NBC’s Richard Engel discusses the volatile weekend of protests in Tehran challenging the outcome of the presidential election in Iran. When asked if the United States supports an investigation into the voting irregularities, Kelly told reporters, "Iran needs to take seriously these allegations, and needs to examine these accusations very thoroughly."
Kelly indicated that the U.S. will go forward with its engagement policy -- regardless of what unfolds in Iran in the coming days. "We will continue to use all avenues to try to convince Iran to try to meet its international obligations," Kelly said.
From NBC’s Andrea Mitchell
Leon Panetta says Panetta's comments to The New Yorker were made to make it absolutely clear that he "profoundly" disagrees with former Vice President Dick Cheney 's contention (made on the day of Panetta's interview with journalist Jane Mayer) that President Obama's policies have made the U.S. less safe.
Panetta's spokesman says that was what motivated Panetta's response.
Video: CIA Director Leon Panetta claims former Vice President Dick Cheney’s criticism of the Obama administration’s approach terrorism almost suggests he wishes the U.S. would be attacked again to make his point. Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif., discusses. He says Panetta was not saying that Cheney is hoping for another attack on the homeland, pointing to the words he used: "When you read it, it's ALMOST (emphasis added) as if he's wishing this country would be attacked again, in order to make his point. I think that's dangerous politics."
In other words, Panetta was conditional -- not directly accusing Cheney, is his spokesman's point.
*** UPDATE ***
In a pre-buttal to President Obama's speech today before the American Medical Association, Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) -- a non-practicing orthopedic surgeon who's attending the AMA conference -- criticized the president's support for a public/government option that would compete with private health insurance.
"The content of the speech will be looked at with some suspicion and concern," the congressman said on a conference call sponsored by the Republican National Committee.
According to Price and other GOP critics, such a government "takeover" would crowd out private insurers and compel Americans to sign up for government-run health insurance.
Video: Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wy.) expresses his concern with Obama's healthcare reform proposals. In the Q&A session, Price admitted that there is no legislative language yet for the public/government option. But he said that any plan that introduces the federal government into the equation will crowd out private companies.
However, moderate Democratic senators -- like
Kent Conrad (D-ND) -- are floating compromise solutions that would prevent a public entity from crowding out private insurers.
From NBC's Alex Beinstein and Mark Murray Washington Times one day after his airplane jump to commemorate his 85th birthday, former President George H.W. Bush said he was “disappointed” with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s previous statement that the CIA misled her about its interrogation techniques. "I think she made most unfortunate comments, and I think she's paying a price for it," Bush 41 said. "I think people see her as having been told - briefed on some things and then kind of acting like it didn't happen. So I'm a little disappointed in her."
Video: To celebrate his 85th birthday, former President George H.W. Bush went skydiving in Kennebunkport, Maine on Friday. He also said
Obama should not be handling General Motors. "I think people are alarmed now. There's too much government intervention into everything - putting people on the boards of directors. Too much. And too much spending," he observed. "I think people are, you know, understandably concerned about some of the things that are going on now."
And he said that the Republican Party isn't in as much trouble as some analysts believe it is. "I am not one who considers the GOP totally on the ropes... That's the standard message, and I don't believe it... I remember being elected two years after the same message was sent in 1964 about the Democrats running everything, 'Republicans are dead.'"
From msnbc.com’s Tom Curry Obama administration would get by forcing hospitals, outpatient clinics, and medical device makers to become more efficient.
“Payment reimbursement rates would rise more slowly,” Orszag told reporters.
As chief of the Congressional Budget Office last year, Orszag presided over the writing of a book, issued last December, which detailed 115 options for cutting costs and improving efficiency in medical care. So it was no surprise when on Friday’s conference call, Orszag cited that CBO report and even specified “Option 54” as his authority for the claimed savings of $100 billion.
CONTINUED >>
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro *** And we’re off: Over the past few weeks, Washington has been girding for a policy fight over health-care reform. And today -- with President Obama’s speech to the American Medical Association in Chicago at 12:15 pm ET -- we can safely say that fight truly gets underway. In his address, per an administration official, Obama will say that reform can’t wait; that fixing America’s health system is the most important thing for the country’s long-term fiscal health; that (as he mentioned in Green Bay) he wants to keep what works and fix what’s broken; that while reforming health care will save the nation money in the long term, it will increase costs in the short run; and that he supports a public/government insurance option to keep costs low. Of course, that final point -- on the public/government option -- remains the most politically divisive part of the debate. Last week, the American Medical Association said it opposed such an approach, although it later backtracked somewhat , saying that a “government-run health care plan is certainly not the only option on the table, and there are alternatives we are actively considering.” Also, with the president hinting at some support for curbing medical malpractice lawsuits, it'll be interesting to see if Obama makes any mention of this issue in the speech today.
*** Feels like October 2008, doesn’t it? But the true reason why the fight over health-care reform begins today is all the other activity besides Obama’s speech. Supporting the president, the liberal group Americans United for Change has a TV ad running on DC cable (read: a small buy) that cites a recent public poll showing that 62% support Obama’s attempt to reform the nation’s health-care system. “If the Republicans in Congress ignore what 62% of us support,” the ad states, “you gotta wonder: Who are they listening to?” Yet pre-butting Obama’s speech, the Republican National Committee holds a conference call at 11:15 am ET with Georgia Rep. Tom Price, who’s a doctor. And the SEIU also is holding a conference call at 4:00 pm ET with physicians who support a public/government option. Be sure not to miss this piece from the AP , which looks at the buzzwords the GOP is using in this fight -- like "rationing" and "socialized medicine."
*** Lots of room to compromise: Staying with health care, Vice President Biden appears to have made two bits of news on "Meet the Press" yesterday. First, he didn't rule out the president signing a bill that included some taxing of health-care benefits. Biden did say the administration disagreed with that approach, but he wouldn't draw a line in the sand about signing a "comprehensive" bill that included that option. Second, the public/government insurance option is a truly subjective measure. One person's public option is another person's "co-op" idea, which is another person's Medicare-plus. Anyway, there’s clearly room to compromise on this issue, too. And given all the Sunday press the Kent Conrad "co-op" option got, it seems his method has the most momentum. But as one commentator asked yesterday: If it is such a good idea, why not go ahead and start the co-op idea now since it doesn't cost anything? Mayo vs. McAllen: One other thing Obama will address in his speech: that the U.S. is spending too much on treatments that don’t necessarily translate into better care, and he’ll ask doctors and other health professionals to do their part in driving down those costs. That, in fact, was the subject of recent New Yorker article , which chronicled how one place in the country (McAllen, TX, where one of your co-authors hails from) has some of the most expensive Medicare costs in the nation but doesn’t truly have better quality, while another place (the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota) has some of the least expensive Medicare costs but has very high quality in care. As Atul Gawande in the New Yorker wrote, “This is a disturbing and perhaps surprising diagnosis. Americans like to believe that, with most things, more is better. But research suggests that where medicine is concerned it may actually be worse.” Indeed, Gawande concludes that the debate over public vs. private insurance won’t matter if places like McAllen aren’t able to bring down their costs.
*** Two ways to look at the situation in Iran: While health care is today’s top domestic political issue, Iran’s disputed election -- which President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won by a seemingly improbable 2-to-1 margin -- remains the top international one. In the latest news, Iran’s supreme leader order a probe of the election results, which NBC’s Richard Engel said on TODAY was a change in course since the ayatollah had earlier congratulated Ahmadinejad’s victory. What do the Iran results mean for U.S. policy? On the one hand, it's a blow to the administration since there had been so much optimism that Ahmadinejad could lose or at least be forced into a runoff. But the way the regime is reacting to protests over the results may actually give the U.S. a stronger hand to get tougher on Iran and do so with the support of the international community. Iran's always had a better relationship with many of America’s allies than we'd like to admit. But the way the protests are being dealt with could swing world opinion a tad closer to the U.S. position. So while the result could very well set things back in the region for some time, it COULD lead to a more united policy against Iran from key allies. Of course, the Obama White House is going to have to deal with the "I told you so" from Israel and others on Capitol Hill. What will the administration do this week? Will there be more hints that the administration will still hold out a hand to Iran? Will there be some public statement suggesting punishment for the way Iran has behaved so far?
Video: NBC's Richard Engel joins Lester Holt to discuss the Islamic Republic's response to the "outpouring of opposition." ***
Bibi’s big speech: In other Middle East news, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu -- in a response to Obama’s big Cairo speech -- yesterday called for the first time for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But, according to the
New York Times , he issued some caveats the Palestinians immediately rejected: that Palestinians recognize Israel as the state of the Jewish people and that the Palestinian state be demilitarized. Netanyahu also dismissed American calls to halt Israeli settlements on the West Bank. Nevertheless, the White House called Netanyahu’s speech an “important step forward.” Said Press Secretary Robert Gibbs: “The President is committed to two states, a Jewish state of Israel and an independent Palestine, in the historic homeland of both peoples. He believes this solution can and must ensure both Israel's security and the fulfillment of the Palestinians' legitimate aspirations for a viable state, and he welcomes Prime Minister Netanyahu's endorsement of that goal.” Netanyahu was interviewed on TODAY saying, “I share the president’s view to start a new beginning in the Middle East.”
Video: Dramatically reversing himself, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu endorsed an independent, demilitarized Palestinian state for the first time on Sunday. ***
Panetta vs. Cheney: Here’s our final question of the day: Why did CIA Director Leon Panetta engage Dick Cheney? It's not everyday the head of the CIA gives an
on-the-record interview to the New Yorker in which he says the former VP is rooting for a terrorist attack. “I think [Cheney] smells some blood in the water on the national-security issue,” Panetta told the magazine. “It’s almost, a little bit, gallows politics. When you read behind it, it’s almost as if he’s wishing that this country would be attacked again, in order to make his point. I think that’s dangerous politics.” All in all, this has the makings of a made-for-cable fight, and probably something the White House wishes the CIA director didn't ignite.
Countdown to Election Day 2009: 141 days
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“Iran’s supreme leader on Monday ordered a probe of Friday's presidential election, as protests over alleged voter fraud continued for a third straight day,” the AP says. “But since Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has already congratulated President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on his apparent reelection, some observers dismissed the investigation as an attempt to diffuse the anti-government demonstrations.”
Video: Protesters set fires and smashed store windows as re-elected President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad dismissed the post-election unrest. NBC’s Richard Engel reports. The
New York Times : "The main Iranian opposition on Monday postponed a major rally to challenge the disputed presidential election, as the country’s supreme leader called for calm after days of street protests. In an unusual broadcast repeated every 15 minutes on state radio, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, was quoted as telling the main opposition candidate, Mir Hussein Moussavi, to pursue his objections to the election result calmly and legally... It was not clear whether Mr. Moussavi had been influenced by the call for calm or by fears of renewed official violence against his supporters if the protest went ahead."
The Washington Post looks at the Obama administration’s restrained response. “Vice President Biden said yesterday on NBC's ‘Meet the Press’ that he had ‘doubts’ about the election returns but that ‘we're going to withhold comment’ until a more intensive review takes place in the coming days. ‘There's an awful lot of question about how this election was run,’ Biden said, noting that the high voter turnout in Iran's urban areas would argue against such a wide margin of victory for Ahmadinejad, whose conservative populism holds more appeal in rural areas. ‘I mean we're just waiting to see.’”
CONTINUED >>
The AP : "Obama, in a speech to the American Medical Association, will 'lay out his vision for a system that replicates best practices, incentivizes excellence and closes cost disparities -- and he'll ask for our medical professionals' help in getting the job done,' an administration official said. Speaking to the doctors' annual meeting in Chicago, Obama will make his case for 'a health insurance exchange where private plans compete with a public option that drives down costs and expands choice,' the official said. The president's speech to the AMA comes as debate sharpens over elements of the sweeping healthcare overhaul being drafted by Congress, including how to pay for the plan and whether it should include a public insurance program to compete with private insurers."
A Republican former AMA president says the group is skeptical and "most of the doctors are looking for specifics, but they are wary of Obama's talk of a public insurance plan." He told The Hill : "Our policy is clear: We're opposed to government involvement in medicine."
Video: President Obama explains how he plans to cover the initial costs that would come with the restructuring of U.S. health care by announcing new Medicare and Medicaid savings proposals. The
New York Times front-pages this possible sweetener for doctors and Republicans in health-care reform: curbing medical malpractice lawsuits. “In closed-door talks, Mr. Obama has been making the case that reducing malpractice lawsuits -- a goal of many doctors and Republicans -- can help drive down health care costs, and should be considered as part of any health care overhaul, according to lawmakers of both parties, as well as A.M.A. officials. It is a position that could hurt Mr. Obama with the left wing of his party and with trial lawyers who are major donors to Democratic campaigns. But one Democrat close to the president said Mr. Obama, who wants health legislation to have broad support, views addressing medical liability issues as a ‘credibility builder’ -- in effect, a bargaining chip that might keep doctors and, more important, Republicans, at the negotiating table.”
CONTINUED >>
That, of course, is “filibuster.”
"Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Sunday said Senate Republicans are reserving their right to filibuster the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. McConnell acknowledged on CBS’s 'Face that Nation' his own past stance against filibustering judges, but he said Democrats paved the way for a possible Sotomayor filibuster by filibustering appeals court nominee Miguel Estrada during the Bush administration. 'I have consistently opposed filibustering judges -- did it during the Clinton years -- but I lost that fight,' McConnell said. 'The Senate will filibuster judges. That precedent was established -- ironically enough -- on a Hispanic-American nominee in Miguel Estrada.'"
Video: A new poll suggests Republicans will lose the support of Hispanic voters if the party doesn’t vote to confirm Judge Sonia Sotomayor. Newsweek’s Jonathan Alter discusses. The
Washington Post has a good story about how controlled the White House is with the nominee.
The
Los Angeles Times looks at the one cultural issue that should get a lot of air time during the hearings: affirmative action.
Property rights also will come up at her hearings.
"Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) said on Sunday that Democrats won’t have enough votes to pass a White House-endorsed healthcare reform package that includes a government-run option," The Hill reports. Of course, Conrad introduced a "co-op" proposal that has been seen as a counter to a so-called public or government option. As NBC's Ken Strickland has said, "Looks like a duck, smells like a duck, but don't call it a duck."
Video: Vice President Joe Biden discusses the president’s plan for health care reform with NBC’s David Gregory on “Meet the Press.” "House Democrats breathed a sigh of relief last week when the ethics committee confirmed an investigation that likely centers on some of the party’s most senior appropriators,"
Roll Call writes. "The reaction was a testament to the success of the Republican pressure campaign to keep the heat on Democrats for dragging their feet on confronting the mounting controversy." But that doesn't mean this issue is going away for Democrats. In fact, depending on how widespread PMA goes within Democratic ranks, could give Republicans the ethics mantle in 2010, just four years after the Abramoff scandal was responsible, in part, in 2006 for several House losses.
Turning to the energy debate, the Al Gore group Alliance for Climate Protection is releasing a new national TV ad that encourages Americans to support the path away from foreign oil and toward clean energy now.
And House Minority Whip Eric Cantor has an op-ed in the New York Daily News that criticizes Obama on the economy. “When he took the reins of government, President Obama faced a choice. Would he change the ways of Washington and make the tough decisions that all Americans understand are necessary to return America to long-term growth and fiscal sustainability? Or would he lead under the guise that massive spending binges equal meaningful reform? So far, the administration has chosen the latter, kicking the hard choices down the road. President Obama has proposed policies that will accumulate more debt than was amassed by all previous Presidents over the past 220 years.
The Hill writes, "In recent weeks, GOP leaders and rank-and-file members have offered stinging rebukes of the Democratic control in Washington in terms that Democrats say have gone over the line. Last week, House Minority Whip Eric Cantor said Obama’s handling of the faltering U.S. auto industry is 'almost like looking at Putin's Russia.'
That came as Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) was drawing heat from Democrats for saying that he told Chinese leaders that 'the budget numbers that the U.S. has put forward should not be believed' and that Congress would spend more than what is contained in the budget."
Just asking, but hasn't this been one of the GOP's biggest problems since Obama became president? Republicans have legitimate things to criticize, but their rhetoric has sometimes been way too hot -- and has gotten in the way of the party's message.
And here's another stupid remark: "A prominent South Carolina Republican killed his Facebook page Sunday after being caught likening the First Lady to an escaped gorilla. Commenting on a report posted to Facebook about a gorilla escape at a zoo in Columbia, S.C., Friday, longtime GOP activist Rusty DePass wrote, 'I'm sure it's just one of Michelle's ancestors -- probably harmless.' Busted by South Carolina political blogger Will Folks, DePass told WIS-TV in Columbia, 'I am as sorry as I can be if I offended anyone. The comment was clearly in jest.' Then he added, 'The comment was hers, not mine,' claiming Michelle Obama made a recent remark about humans descending from apes. The
Daily News could find no such comment."
ILLINOIS: Blago's new role ? Comedy. "Standing on a chair with his arms raised as if he were being crucified, ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich opened a comedy show Saturday evening lampooning the rise and fall of his own political career. Blagojevich, who has pleaded not guilty to wide-ranging federal corruption charges, made what one cast member described as a 'surreal' guest appearance on The Second City's 'Rod Blagojevich Superstar.' The show, a takeoff of the rock opera 'Jesus Christ Superstar,' was supposed to end June 14. But production officials extended the show -- which portrays Blagojevich as greedy, tactless and hair-obsessed -- to Aug. 9 because performances kept selling out."
Video: Former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich made a surprise appearance at a theater production of "Rod Blagojevich Superstar." MSNBC's Alex Witt reports. NEW YORK: The chaos in Albany continues, as one of the Democrats who switched sides is
switching back , creating a 31-31 deadlock in the state senate.
VIRGINIA: "The rematch that is Virginia’s governor’s race got started in earnest this weekend, with both sides promising a stronger performance than the 2005 version,"
The Hill reports. "Republican Bob McDonnell and Democrat Creigh Deeds canvassed the state in version two of a race McDonnell won by less than 400 votes in the state’s attorney general’s race four years ago -- an amount that translated to about one-hundredth of a percent. For a governor’s race that is often looked to as a gauge of the national political environment -- it is just one of two the year after a presidential election -- this year’s version will provide an especially potent indicator."
But does it, really? As we asked previously in First Read : What will these contests really say about Obama, when his approval rating right now is around 60%, but Republican candidates are already leading in these contests?
THE WEEK AHEAD: The health-care fight heats up; Obama, Bill Clinton in spotlight; Biden on Meet the Press
From NBC's Libby Leist Ahmadinejad in Iran's elections is "not necessarily" a set back for the United States -- despite the fact that Ahmadinejad has so far rebuffed overtures from the Obama Administration.
The official acknowledged that while the Iranian President has an impact in setting the tone it is the Supreme Leader who calls the shots in Iran.
"[W]hen it comes to foreign policy or particular issues involving the United States ... chances are unelected officials and bodies will have the most significant influence," the official said.
He noted that there appear to be different opinions amongst the leadership in Iran about how to approach President Obama's overtures, which could be a good sign for the U.S.
CONTINUED >>
The Associated Press is reporting that the state media in Iran has declared President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the winner in that country's presidential election.
But Reuters writes that Ahmadinejad's top challenger, Mir Hossein Mousavi , has called himself the "definite winner."
Shades of Bush vs. Gore in 2000? We'll have more when we see it.
From NBC's Mark Murray filing a brief in California court that defends the Defense of Marriage Act -- which Barack Obama promised to repeal while running for president.
This is the latest administration move that has irked gay-rights groups, which also have questioned Obama's commitment to overturning "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and complained when he picked Rev. Rick Warren to deliver to deliver the prayer at Obama's inauguration.
A Justice Department spokesman said that administrations typically defend, in court, the laws on the books -- even ones they disagree with. "The president has said he wants to see a legislative repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act because it prevents LGBT couples from being granted equal rights and benefits. However, until Congress passes legislation repealing the law, the administration will continue to defend the statute when it is challenged in the justice system." (Hat tip: Ben Smith .)
Indeed, the DOJ spokesman points to this standard on defending statutes: "Executive Branch agencies will enforce federal statutes unless they are clearly unconstitutional and the Department of Justice will defend statutes against constitutional attack whenever reasonable arguments can be made in their defense."
From NBC’s John Yang U.S. representative to the United Nations
Susan Rice appeared in the White House Briefing Room at the beginning of the on-camera briefing to talk about the U.N. sanctions against North Korea.
She said she would "not be surprised" if the North Koreans responded provocatively to today's actions.
Video: NBC's Jim Miklaszewski explains whether the latest sanctions levied against North Korea will encourage the communist regime to slow the testing of nuclear capabilities. She also said the provisions allowing for inspection of ships suspected of transporting weapons of mass destruction or missile technology does not provide authority for military force to direct suspect ships to port for inspection or to seize the cargo. In this respect, she alluded to giving up a bit in the negotiations, but "we feel we got a lot." She would not go into details.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Katelin Schartz Fars News . Large numbers of ballot boxes (45,713 to be exact) were placed throughout the country.
In response to the massive turnout , Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei , Iran’s supreme leader, said that elections show “the active and dynamic presence of the people in the political arena of the country.”
Also of note, Iran’s female voters appear to have turned out in high numbers. Women from all backgrounds stepped up to the ballot in this year’s presidential election motivated by the possible policy backlash from both sides of the aisle, reports suggest.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Richard Engel [first published at about 9:30 am ET] -- I’m outside one of the main polling booths here, a large mosque in downtown Tehran. The polls are supposed to officially close soon. But from where I’m sitting, it’s clear that will not be enough time. [ *** UPDATE *** Poll close times were extended for just that reason.]
Video: CNBC’s John Harwood and Richard Haass, the president of the Council on Foreign Relations, reflect on the Islamic Republic’s fiery, monthlong campaign, as well the implications for its domestic and foreign policy. According to Iranian officials the turnout has been unprecedented. There are estimates that as many as 70 percent of eligible voters have turned out. That could be an indication that many of the young people who have been so inspired by this campaign and came out in the tens of thousands to demonstrate, demand change and protest against President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad actually did come out today to vote.
That was always the big question. Whenever you have so many students who are leading a charge, it’s unclear if they will actually turn out on voting day. That seems to have taken place today. Many of the people we saw were young people.
For more, check out the full post on NBC's World blog . While there, check out NBC Havana Producer Mary Murray's interesting piece on how GM still rules the roads in Cuba .
From NBC's Athena Jones
President Obama , who has spoken of his own struggles to give up smoking, added an event to his schedule Friday afternoon to highlight Congress's passage of a bill that gives the Food and Drug Administration more power to regulate tobacco companies.
Video: Obama: 'I look forward to signing' tobacco bill. The bill would limit advertising aimed at young people, prohibiting companies from putting up ads near schools or sponsoring entertainment or sporting events. It would also require larger warning labels on packs and ban claims like "low tar" or "light" that could falsely suggest a healthier cigarette.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Athena Jones
President Obama took the opportunity to weigh on the Iranian election, a poll the whole world is watching, during an impromptu Rose Garden event Thursday aimed at celebrating Congress's passage of tobacco legislation.
Video: President Obama talks about his views regarding the presidential elections in Iran and that he is pleased about the 'possibility of change.' He said he was excited to see what he called "robust debate" taking place in the country where voters are hitting the polls today to choose between hard-liner
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and reformer and former Prime Minister
Mir Hossein Moussavi .
He mentioned his speech last week in Cairo and said it was meant to send the message to the region that there was a possibility of change and pointed to the victory of pro-Western forces over Hezbollah in Lebanon's parliamentary elections, without getting into specifics.
"Ultimately the election is for the Iranians to decide," he said. "But just as has been true in Lebanon, can be true in Iran, as well, is that you're seeing people looking at new possibilities and whoever ends up winning the election in Iran, the fact that there's been a robust debate hopefully will help advance our ability to engage them in new ways."
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Maybe a nice, relaxing day with family and friends. Sleep in. Read the paper. Get a nice meal or two. Maybe some time in front of the calming lull of the ocean, feeling the breeze and sun?
Not if you're the 41st president of the United States.
Former
President George H.W. Bush is jumping out of a plane. He's tandem skydiving with the U.S. Army's Golden Knights parachute team in Kennebunkport, Maine. Bush is no skydive rookie. "Bush made his first jump,"
AP notes, "as a Navy pilot when his plane was shot down over the Pacific during World War II. He also made two jumps apiece on his 75th and 80th birthdays. His most recent jump was in November 2007 at the reopening of his library at Texas A&M University."
We should see video from the Army after about 3:00 pm ET or so.
*** UPDATE ***
The senior Bush said he hopes that his jump shows people that just because you're older, doesn't mean you have to be sitting "drooling" in the corner. Got out and live life, he said.
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro President Obama appears to be continuing that, as he has now named 10 top fundraisers to ambassador posts.
Here's the list of Obama's bundlers-turned-ambassadors, as compiled by First Read and and cross-checked with the Center for Responsive Politics' bundlers list :
(In order of amount raised):
* This doesn't include Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney, selected to be ambassador to Ireland (he's not a bundler) or another top fundraiser, Broadway producer Rocco Landesman, who was named chair of the National Endowment for the Arts.
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro Iran, Iran So Far Away
Video: Millions of Iranians head to the polls to elect a new president, potentially ousting current leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. NBC’s Richard Engel reports from Iran. ***
Obama’s day : After his trip yesterday to Wisconsin, where he pitched his plans for health care, President Obama is back at the White House, where he meets with Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai -- all of which are closed to the press. Also today, Vice President Biden travels to Michigan to tout the groundbreaking of a construction funded by the stimulus. Biden will be on “Meet the Press” this Sunday.
*** Murphy’s “ark”: Be sure not to miss GOP consultant Mike Murphy’s column in Time (and appearance on “Morning Joe”), in which he argues something we discussed a lot after November’s presidential election: Demographics is destiny, and (right now) demographics isn’t on the GOP’s side -- especially as it relates to young voters and Latinos. “Despairing Republican friends have been asking me what I think we should do to rebuild the GOP and begin our certain and inevitable comeback. My answer disappoints them: ‘Build an ark,’” Murphy writes. “I say this because I've made a career out of counting votes, and the numbers tell a clear story; the demographics of America are changing in a way that is deadly for the Republican Party as it exists today. A GOP ice age is on the way.” Murphy concludes, “Saving the GOP is not about diluting conservatism but about modernizing it to reflect the country it inhabits instead of an America that no longer exists.” What Murphy says isn’t new. What is surprising, however, is how few Republicans are taking this to heart, at least publicly. By the way, Murphy will also be on “Meet” this Sunday.
*** Inheritance vs. ownership : Just a couple of days after the New York Times’ David Leonhardt analyzed that Obama’s ambitious agenda has contributed to only a sliver of the deficit (the main culprits being Bush’s policies and the economic downturn), NYT colleague Peter Baker asks this question: When does Obama start owning the problems he inherited from Bush? As he took office, most polls -- including ours -- showed that Americans were willing to give Obama a year or more. Of course, Obama is now approaching six months in office. Per Baker, “Analysts and historians say presidents can usually deflect fault in this way until their own policies have time to take effect. ‘When a president tries new policies to deal with old problems and then new policies appear to be failed policies, then he owns it,’ said George C. Edwards III, a presidential scholar at Texas A&M University. ‘That’s the challenge for a president.’”
*** Palin keeps up her crusade against Letterman : Sarah Palin spent another day blasting not Obama and the Democrats -- but late-night TV host David Letterman. In an exclusive interview on TODAY, in which she also answered other questions (on the future of the GOP, Alaska’s pipeline), Palin once again accused Letterman of making an “unfortunate” joke about “statutory rape” regarding her 14-year-old daughter Willow (when Letterman joked about Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez knocking up Palin’s daughter). When NBC’s Matt Lauer responded that Letterman said he was joking about 18-year-old Bristol, Palin replied that it was “a weak excuse.” Then, as she did in her recent statements, the Alaska governor linked Letterman’s comments into a broader theme about “degrading” statements about women. Finally, Palin denounced the media’s “political double standard “ by leaving Obama’s children alone but not her children. Of course, Obama has always seemed more hesitant about keeping his daughters out of the public eye, while Bristol Palin has given interviews to TODAY and People magazine.
Video: Bloomberg News’ Margaret Carlson talks about Gov. Sarah Palin’s reaction to David Letterman’s pseudo apology. ***
Just askin’ : Are Joe Sestak (who is looking like he will challenge Arlen Specter) and Marco Rubio (who is challenging Charlie Crist) the same guy -- someone the base adores, but who is trying to take down a more moderate (and perhaps more electable) opponent? And both are potential rising stars, but party-builders on both sides of the aisle are lamenting that they are wasting their future stardom on a quixotic primary challenge.
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The New York Times : "Iranians went to the polls Friday to elect a new president after an unusually intense campaign which saw the hard-line incumbent, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, seemingly thrown onto the defensive. Opposition leaders said they expected a huge turnout, with many reformists who sat out the last vote in 2005 saying they will take part this time. Mr. Ahmadinejad’s main opponent is Mir Hussein Moussavi, a moderate who has mobilized huge crowds of his backers in Tehran and other large cities."
Video: NBC News chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel reports on the frenzy and excitement in Iran before their upcoming election. More: "Less than two months ago, it was widely assumed here and in the West that Mr. Ahmadinejad would coast to another victory. Many of the reformists who sat out the vote in 2005 seemed dejected and unlikely to raise a strong challenge. By Friday, that picture had been transformed. A vast opposition movement has arisen, flooding the streets of Iran’s major cities with cheering, green-clad supporters of Mr. Moussavi. Mr. Ahmadinejad has hurled extraordinary accusations at some of the Islamic republic’s founding figures, but the tactic has served to unify a diverse and passionate body of opponents of his populist economic policies and confrontational approach to the West."
The Washington Post adds, “As Iranians vote Friday to choose a president, the country is more deeply polarized than at any time since the Islamic revolution that overthrew the shah 30 years ago. After a bitter campaign that included personal attacks on some of Iran’s leading families, both sides are preparing to contest the results, and many Iranians wonder whether the social and economic rifts exposed by the election will deepen.”
The AP : "Morgan Tsvangirai (SVAHNG'-ur-eye) is in Washington to ask the U.S. to give 'transitional support' to his government with President Robert Mugabe, a man many in the West accuse of trampling rights and choking off Zimbabwe's once vibrant economy."
The
New York Times covers Obama day trip to Wisconsin yesterday. “Mr. Obama came to Green Bay, a city he praised for getting “more quality out of fewer health care dollars than many other communities,” as part of an intense push for overhauling health care, his highest legislative priority. But with his insistence on a ‘public option’ generating increased skepticism on Capitol Hill, he defended it as necessary to spur competition in the marketplace. ‘If the private insurance companies have to compete with a public option, it will keep them honest and it will help keep their prices down,” Mr. Obama said. Arguing that controlling health costs is crucial to the nation’s economic health, he said Republican criticism of a public plan was unfounded.”
Video: Hypocrisy Watch: President Barack Obama recently met with two dozen senators to talk about various health care reform plans, including an idea that Obama had previously criticized when it was part of the McCain campaign. Responding to Obama’s event, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan (R) held a conference call with reporters, in which he denounced Obama’s plans for health care, NBC’s Katelin Schartz reports. "The difference between the President's rhetoric and actual plan is quite astounding. When you take a look at what the president is saying and what he is proposing, they are two entirely different things,” he said.
Ryan also criticized Obama’s support for a public/government insurance option. He argued that a public option would ultimately become a “public plan monopoly,” and its only true goal would be creating a government run system that consumes 17% of our economy to run.
“The Obama administration has all but abandoned plans to allow Guantanamo Bay detainees who have been cleared for release to live in the United States, administration officials said yesterday, a decision that reflects bipartisan congressional opposition to admitting such prisoners but complicates efforts to persuade European allies to accept them,” the Washington Post front-pages. Four Uighur detainees, Chinese Muslims who were incarcerated at the U.S. military prison in Cuba for more than seven years, arrived early yesterday in Bermuda, where they will become foreign guest workers. An administration official said the United States is engaged in negotiations with other countries, including Palau, an island nation in the western Pacific, to find places for the remaining 13 Uighurs held at Guantanamo.”
CONTINUED >>
According to Politico , "House-Senate negotiators reached agreement late Thursday on a $105.9 billion wartime spending bill after last-minute assurances from President Barack Obama that he will use all his powers to prevent the disclosure of controversial photographs depicting the treatment of detainees held by the U.S. military. White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel rushed to the Capitol in the evening to personally deliver this message after the talks began to unravel. The president participated via the speaker on Emanuel's cell phone, as senators gathered around in the first floor offices of the Senate Appropriations Committee. And Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) later read aloud a letter from Obama pledging to use every 'legal and administrative remedy' available to prevent the disclosure of the pictures."
"Senate Democrats are bracing for what they expect will be a huge price tag connected with revamping the nation’s healthcare system," The Hill writes. "The soon-to-be-delivered estimate on Democratic healthcare reform proposals is expected to be so expensive that lawmakers are talking about changing the chamber’s normal accounting procedures. Some Democrats are arguing behind the scenes that they should not use the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) cost estimate, as is custom. Instead, they would use cost estimates from the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB)."
"The House ethics committee is investigating the PMA Group and its ties to lawmakers, the panel confirmed Thursday," Roll Call reports. "The announcement comes eight days after the House called on the committee to disclose within 45 days whether it is probing the now-defunct lobbying firm's dealings with senior Democratic appropriators."
Speaking of… "The revelation that Democratic appropriations kingpins may face a House ethics investigation of their campaign receipts from lobbyists for recipients of government grants and contracts moves Republicans closer to gaining a corruption issue in 2010," the AP says. "Republicans know well how lapses in ethical standards can sink a political party. They lost control of the House in the 2006 midterm election, succumbing in part to accusations from Democrats that the GOP had produced a "culture of corruption" in which lobbyists showered gifts on lawmakers in exchange for government contracts and other legislative favors."
Video: TODAY’s Matt Lauer talks with Palin about her ongoing feud with David Letterman. "David Letterman joked Thursday that things are now fine now between him and Sarah Palin because the Alaska governor called and offered to take him hunting," the
New York Daily News reports. "She’d done nothing of the sort, of course, continuing a feud with the CBS late-night host that may wind up being well-timed for Letterman in the second week of his new competition with Conan O’Brien on NBC’s 'Tonight' show."
And Palin was on NBC's TODAY,
saying that her daughters wouldn't want to be around Letterman, someone who jokes about "statutory rape."
MICHIGAN : "Former professional football player Jay Riemersma
announced Thursday via YouTube that he had filed papers to form an exploratory committee that will allow him to fundraise for a possible bid in Michigan’s 2nd Congressional District… "In November 2008, he signaled his politics when he penned a letter to the editor in the Holland Sentinel titled, 'How could Christians vote for Obama?' In that letter, Riemersma argued that faith should 'permeate every aspect of our lives.' 'Too many Christians shroud their God-given light with misguided intentions and uninformed choices,' Riemersma wrote. 'Moving forward to the next election, I implore all Christians to base their vote not on a political party or a polished politician but, rather, on biblical principle.'"
From NBC’s James Rankin
Per the New York Times, the American Medical Association threw down the gauntlet this week with a statement opposing a public-government insurance option. The statement, in the form of comments submitted to the Senate Finance Committee, says such an option “threatens to restrict patient choice by driving out private insurers.”
Video: President Barack Obama has been pushing for health care reform but what will his plan look like when finished? A Hardball panel debates. But the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning think tank, wants you to know that the AMA doesn’t speak for all physicians. Doctors for America, a left-leaning organization of approximately 12,000 doctors, joined CAP today in telling reporters it fully supports a public/government option.
Dr. Vivek Murthy, president of Doctors for America, said physicians “see every day examples of how the private-insurance industry is failing our patients.”
Murthy did acknowledge the enormous influence of the 250,000-member AMA, but urged Americans to look deeper than the opinions of industry leaders.
“We are a grassroots organization,” Murthy said. “It’s important to see what the physicians on the ground are saying.”
Despite his fierce advocacy for a public/government option, Murthy did leave open the possibility of a compromise. When asked about his thoughts on the co-op plan proposed by Sen. Kent Conrad, Murthy said he cared less about what the plan was called and more about how it helped patients.
“If there are options on the table that Congress would like to consider, and they want the input of physicians,” he said, “we would be willing to provide that input.”
*** UPDATE *** NBC's Mike Viqueira reports, the AMA has since tried to clarify its position. Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, president of the group says: "Make no mistake: Health reform that covers the uninsured is AMA's top priority this year. Every American deserves affordable, high-quality health care coverage. Today's New York Times story creates a false impression about the AMA's position on a public plan option in health care reform legislation. The AMA opposes any public plan that forces physicians to participate, expands the fiscally-challenged Medicare program or pays Medicare rates, but the AMA is willing to consider other variations of a public plan that are currently under discussion in Congress. This includes a federally chartered co-op health plan or a level playing field option for all plans. The AMA is working to achieve meaningful health reform this year and is ready to stand behind legislation that includes coverage options that work for patients and physicians."
CONTINUED >>
From NBC’s Ken Strickland Kent Conrad , the plan would create "co-ops," or consumer owned, non-profit, non-government insurance plans.
Leaving a closed-door meeting on health care, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus said the co-op plan is "the one that's most talked about right now." He added, "I'm inclined, and I think the committee is inclined, toward it, but it's got to be written in a way that accomplishes the objects of a public option even though itself is not public."
Video: Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., joins the Morning Joe gang to discuss health care reform, arguing that both parties can come together to find solutions. To help secure the support of "public option" Democrats, Sen.
Chuck Schumer has been enlisted to try and bridge the gap..
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Michelle Perry Olympia Snowe , a key swing vote in the U.S. Senate, told NBC's Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell reports that she would be open to some public/government insurance option.
Video: NBC’s Andrea Mitchell talks with Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine. On the Sen.
Kent Conrad co-op proposal, Snowe called it an "innovative proposal," but the country would still need a fallback or contingency plan to make sure that affordable coverage is accessible to all. She added that the government needs to make sure health care options are expanded enough to those who need it.
"We want the private markets to work," Snowe said, "but we can't depend on them necessarily, given what we are facing today."
From NBC's Athena Jones
President Obama today put on his campaigner-in-chief hat, leaving the capital for a day to pitch his plan to overhaul the health-care system to the public.
Video: President Obama tells a Green Bay, Wis. town hall that unless medical costs are brought under control, everyone's health care will be jeopardized. The White House wants any overhaul to result in a public/government option for insurance -- to compete with private plans under which most Americans are covered. Some Republicans have called the government option a non-starter, and one major physicians group, the American Medical Association, is also opposed to it.
Obama is set to address the annual meeting of the AMA in Chicago on Monday, and today he reiterated his strong belief that a public/government option would force private insurers to hold prices down through competition.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Kelly O'Donnell
The bill's sponsors have focused on reducing smoking among kids and teens. As an example, cigarette makers will no longer be able to advertise near schools or sponsor entertainment or sporting events. Also, larger warning labels will be required. And claims on packs like "low tar" or "light" will be prohibited because those could falsely suggest a healthier cigarette.
This kind of legislation has been attempted -- but failed -- for more than a decade. The House already passed its own version, and the legislation is expected to go to President Obama's desk very soon.
From NBC’s Luke Russert and Mike Viqueira House Speaker Nancy Pelosi believes that "when there's been a thought of conflict of interest" between a member's financial holdings and government bailouts then that member "should divest."
*** UPDATE ***
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mike Viqueira
That was a non-starter with a significant number of Democrats in the House, and as a result the entire bill was in jeopardy. So now, when House and Senate negotiators formally meet this afternoon to come to an agreement, it appears that the FOIA restriction will be out of the final product.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's John Yang
President Obama 's town hall meeting in Green Bay.
"I hope she doesn't get in trouble," the man said.
"Does she need me to write a note?" the president asked. "No, I'm serious."
The president asked the girl's name -- Kennedy.
"That's a cool name," the president said, then wrote a note on the lectern, stepped down into the audience and delivered the note to the girl.
*** UPDATE ***
From NBC's Luke Russert
Nancy Pelosi rejected Sen. Kent Conrad's (D) co-op idea as an alternative to a public/government option.
"Not instead of a public option. In our caucus, our members have been very clear about what their concerns might be about a public option ,and I agree it should be sound, it should be administrative it should be self sufficient it should be a competitor with the private sector and not have an unfair advantage… When you say public option, you have to say right next to it -- level playing field."
Minority Leader John Boehner , in a later press conference, essentially left the door open for GOP support of the co-op proposal on the House side. "We can take a look and see what is this idea and how it could work."
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Pete Williams
Obama administration has ordered a change in policy, requiring agents to give Miranda warnings to all detainees. In fact, agents have from time to time given Miranda warnings to some detainees who, it's thought, might end up being prosecuted in U.S. courts. This began in the last administration.
A DOJ spokesman says there's been no new policy directive.
"There has been no policy change and no blanket instruction issued for FBI agents to Mirandize detainees overseas," spokesman Matt Miller said. "While there have been specific cases in which FBI agents have Mirandized suspects overseas, at both Bagram and in other situations, in order to preserve the quality of evidence obtained, there has been no overall policy change with respect to detainees."
*** UPDATE ***
From NBC's Alex Beinstein President Bill Clinton and President Obama have had their tense moments, but Clinton is confident about Obama’s chances of succeeding at health care.
Per
Peter Baker of the New York Times , Clinton finally thinks the stars have aligned to pass a bill. “He’s got a better Congress, a more receptive climate,” Clinton said. “He also has, frankly, a better -- at least more politically saleable -- set of proposals.”
A senior fellow at the Brookings Institute concludes, “Obama’s approach can almost be characterized as the un-Clinton approach. He laid out broad principles and encouraged Congress to come up with a plan or plans consistent with those proposals."
*** UPDATE *** Greg Sargent back in February: "It’s gonna be much harder to get the doctors and the business community to come out against reform than it was 14 years ago… The only way they can beat it this time is if they can convince public opinion and enough members of Congress that reforming health care now will cost more jobs than it will save. And I think that’s gonna be a pretty hard sell."
And: "[Obama's] gonna be on strong ground… The last election showed a cultural shift in America which had been building for a decade, and a rejection of the economic and social policies of not just the eight years of President Bush but the 12 years before me. There’s a willingness to take a fresh look at all this. I believe he should try, I’m glad he’s going to, and I think it’s a better than 50-50 chance he’ll succeed."
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro On the road again: So far in his young presidency, every time President Obama has wanted to sell a legislative priority to the public (and to Congress) he has hit the road. In February, when campaigning for his stimulus, he held town halls in Indiana and Florida. In March, when pushing for his budget, he traveled to California. And now, as health care has become the administration’s top priority for the rest of the year, Obama is hitting the road again by holding a town hall in Green Bay, WI at 1:10 pm ET. Political writer Matt Bai recently observed that Team Obama learned from its experience with the stimulus that it had to take a more active role in the legislative process -- even by holding town halls and giving speeches. ”The lesson Obama’s team took from this experience, and one that will no doubt inform its approach to health care, is that it’s fine for a president to stand back from the process -- but not so far back that Congress thinks he’s trying to duck the consequences… If Obama is going to sign a transformative health care law this year, it will, at some point soon, have to become his plan, no matter how much autonomy he wants to confer on his allies in Congress.” And why is Obama in Green Bay? The Washington Post says the president wants to highlight the city’s “strategy for squeezing out waste without hurting quality."
*** Straddling the fence: Yet also note this: The White House wants the president to be the face of health care reform, but it doesn’t want him involved in the congressional back-and-forth. It's a tough fence to straddle. But yesterday, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs somewhat stunningly said he wouldn't be addressing the details of the president's position on various pieces of the health-care reform debate. We'll see if the White House can truly keep that up.
*** Doctor(s) No? Obama also will hit the road on Monday, when he heads to Chicago to speak about health care to the American Medical Association. But that audience might not be a welcoming one. Per the New York Times , the AMA now formally opposes any public/government insurance plan that would compete with private ones. “[I]n comments submitted to the Senate Finance Committee, the American Medical Association said: ‘The A.M.A. does not believe that creating a public health insurance option for non-disabled individuals under age 65 is the best way to expand health insurance coverage and lower costs. The introduction of a new public plan threatens to restrict patient choice by driving out private insurers, which currently provide coverage for nearly 70 percent of Americans.’” Meanwhile, Sen. Kent Conrad (D) has been trying to find a compromise on the public insurance option. His idea of creating non-profit co-ops (a la utilities) seems to be gathering media momentum. And for what it’s worth, we're hearing positive things about it inside the White House. Also today, House Republicans will hold a press conference on health care at 11:45 am ET, and Mitch McConnell will address the topic on the Senate floor at 10:00 am.
*** Questions about bipartisanship: Sticking with the health-care debate, the president yesterday hosted key congressional leaders from both sides of the aisle to talk about health reform. The suggestion, of course, is that the White House wants to show it’s searching for a bipartisan compromise. But the question many observers on this issue have: How long will the White House pursue bipartisanship here? Do they NEED it, or do they need to do it publicly so they can keep more conservative Dems (like Ben Nelson and Mary Landrieu) in the fold? Or is the attempt at bipartisanship is enough to keep those folks happy? Also, what is bipartisanship these days when it comes to this issue -- the White House finding two GOP votes in the Senate (Collins and Snowe) or about 10 GOPers in the House? That's probably the most realistic bipartisan result.
*** Was the Department of Homeland Security right?
Video: Northeastern University criminologist Jack Levin discusses the warning of right-wing extremist violence issued by the Homeland Security Department in April, and what the government needs to do to prevent it from continuing. Yesterday’s tragic shootings at the Holocaust Musuem, as well as the recent murder of abortion doctor George Tiller, have raised this question in the political community: Was the much-criticized Department of Homeland Security report correct when it warned that the current economic and political climate in the U.S. might increase the activities and recruitment of right-wing extremists? The
Washington Times has quotes from experts saying that these groups pose a threat. Said Maria Haberfeld, a professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice: "I am more concerned with the threat from the Christian-identity groups than the homegrown Islamic terrorists." Added Ken Piernick, a retired FBI agent who worked on terrorism cases: "I would expect based on their sentiments that [President] Obama's election would probably contribute to a bit of that," he said. "These people are not rational; they don't think of the consequences of what they do. They're not particularly smart people." Whether they’re right or not, it's clear that there’s going to be a discussion about what appears to be a rise in domestic political violence in this country and whether political demagoguery is playing a role.
*** Conservatives vs. FOX? By the way, don’t miss that some conservatives (like WorldNetDaily ) are now going after FOX’s Shepard Smith, after he criticized the emails he’s receiving from conservatives, including those who believe that Obama doesn’t have a birth certificate and isn’t a natural-born citizen -- an opinion that yesterday’s gunman at the Holocaust Museum shared.
*** Iran’s election: It’s one day until tomorrow’s presidential election in Iran. According to the BBC , “Iranians will head to the polls on Friday to choose between the incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and three rivals. They are Mohsen Razai, Mehdi Karroubi and the man seen by most observers as main challenger, Mir Hossein Mousavi… If one candidate fails to win a 50% majority in Friday's vote there will be a run-off between the two front-runners a week later.” The Boston Globe also previews tomorrow's election.
Video: In Iran's watershed presidential election campaign, tens of thousands of students, intellectuals and business owners have openly protested against hardline incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in favor of his reformist challenger. *** Biden Touting The Stimulus: The president isn’t the only one hitting the road today. Vice President Biden has events in Carlisle, PA (with Gov. Ed Rendell and Sen. Arlen Specter) and Overland Park, KS (with Gov. Mark Parkinson) to tout new road/construction projects that are being funded by the stimulus. Biden heads to another groundbreaking event in Michigan on Friday.
*** 2012 watch: Guess who was in Iowa yesterday ...
Countdown to Election Day 2009: 145 days
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The Washington Post previews Obama’s town hall today in Green Bay, WI, where the health industry there has been able to prevent waste without affecting quality. “When President Obama touches down today in Green Bay, Wis., he will be landing in one of the highest-value health communities in the nation, a city that by numerous measures has managed to control medical spending while steadily improving health outcomes.”
“‘If we could make the rest of the nation practice medicine the way that Green Bay does, we would have higher quality and significantly lower costs,’ said Peter Orszag, the Obama administration budget chief who has emerged as a key player on health-care reform.”
Video: NBC’s Chuck Todd reports and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius discusses the president’s agenda for promoting health care reform. More from the article: "In the final two years of a patient's life, for example, they found that Medicare spent an average of $46,412 per beneficiary nationwide, with the typical patient spending 19.6 days in the hospital, including 5.1 in the intensive-care unit. Green Bay patients cost $33,334 with 14.1 days in the hospital and just 2.1 days in the ICU, while in Miami and Los Angeles, the average cost of care exceeded $71,000, and total hospitalization was about 28 days with 12 in the ICU.”
CONTINUED >>
Roll Call looks at intraparty problems facing the Democrats and the Obama White House. "Democratic leaders appeared to clear the way Wednesday for passage of a $100 billion war supplemental, even as they worked furiously to repair internal rifts over health care and climate change legislation. The war bill, which has swollen with items including a cash-for-clunkers incentive, will eliminate Senate language explicitly allowing President Barack Obama to keep photos of detainee abuse during the Bush administration confidential. That language was included by the Senate and is backed by Obama and Republicans, but it has been a deal-breaker for House liberals like Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank (Mass.)."
Is the energy bill unraveling? "More and more Democrats are ready to vote against Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s climate change bill, according to a congressional committee chairman who opposes his leader," The Hill reports. "The House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) said Wednesday that he’s at an impasse with the lead sponsor of a climate change bill strongly backed by Pelosi (D-Calif.), and that his list of Democratic members who would join him in voting against the measure is growing rather than shrinking."
Video: MSNBC’s Ed Schultz talks with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi about health care reform. "A tobacco control bill set to win Senate approval would give the federal government broad new powers to monitor and change a toxic substance that contributes to some 400,000 deaths every year," the
AP writes. "The legislation, heading for a vote Thursday, would for the first time give the Food and Drug Administration legal authority to regulate the sale, manufacturing and marketing of tobacco products. Supporters hailed it as a milestone in efforts to reduce smoking, comparable to the 1964 surgeon general's warning that smoking causes lung cancer, the 1990 banning of smoking on planes and the 1998 settlement in which the tobacco industry pledged the states $206 billion to help fund anti-tobacco campaigns."
The pro-union group, American Rights at Work, is running print ads in Washington print publications that whack big business for opposing arbitration provisions in the Employee Free Choice Act (a.k.a. card check).
"GOP senators on the Judiciary Committee on Wednesday tried a new strategy in the battle over Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, writing directly to ask her to 'revisit' her 'incomplete' candidate questionnaire," The Hill reports. "The letter, addressed to Sotomayor through the White House, says the 173-page questionnaire the nominee submitted last week has too many 'apparent omissions.' ... The letter was signed by ranking member Jeff Sessions (Ala.), Chuck Grassley (Iowa), John Cornyn (Texas), Jon Kyl (Ariz.), Tom Coburn (Okla.), Orrin Hatch (Utah) and Lindsey Graham (S.C.)."
But it should be pointed out that these senators appear to be taking their talking points from conservative advocates, like Wendy Long, who wrote a letter to the senators on the Judiciary Committee Friday urging them to mark her "incomplete and unreliable" questionnaire "return to sender." "It must be sent back to her and to the White House, marked 'Return to Sender,'" she wrote, "with instructions that it is not to be redelivered to the Senate without complete answers and all required documents."
Video: Senate Republicans say they are going to delay the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, claiming it’s a double standard. They are demanding more time to review her record. "Juan Sotomayor is furious over charges of racism being lobbed at his big sis, Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor," the
New York Daily News writes. "In an interview on ABC's 'Good Morning America,' Dr. Juan Sotomayor, a physician who practices in Syracuse, said 'angry is just the beginning' of his reaction to critics who have rebuked his sister and labeled her a 'racist.'" On his sister's "wise Latina" remark, he said, "I'm not going to pretend I know what she was talking about, and I'm sure it was done in a context that was meant totally different than it was taken out of," he said. "And it's not my place to say that. But if she said it, and the way it was said, I'm not sure that even the word [racist] even applies to that statement. It's an overreaction."
Here’s one rule to usually live by -- never pick a fight with a comedian, because it’s rarely a fight you’re going to win.
Indeed, David Letterman last night couldn't help but throw out a few new zingers regarding the controversy he's created with jokes involving Palin and her family, NBC’s Dax Tejera reports. In his opening monologue, the late-night host admitted to being depressed about angering Palin -- so he went out and spent $150,000 on clothes.
Video: Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin says “Late Night” host David Letterman’s jokes about one of her daughters were “sexually perverted” and “disgusting.” Now Letterman is responding to her comments. NBC’s Norah O’Donnell reports. After the show's first block and, Tejera adds, Letterman addressed the issue head on by reading a statement from the governor’s husband, Todd, and then a response from Gov. Palin herself. Letterman repeated the jokes that the Palins are upset about, cautioning beforehand this could "very well be my last show." Letterman then said he was not necessarily proud of the jokes and that they were just that -- jokes to get a laugh. "I recognize these are ugly, these are actually ugly, these are borderline, but again, in an act of desperation to get cheap laughs, what I've been doing in the last 30 years." Letterman insisted these were not jokes about Gov. Palin's 14-year-old daughter, citing his record over the years.
CONTINUED >>
DOWNBALLOT: Time to pay up, Norm
MINNESOTA: “Former Senator Norm Coleman
must pay his Democratic challenger, Al Franken, $94,783 to cover court costs for his appeal of the Senate election results,” the
AP says.
“The Ramsey County court administrator’s judgment came after a two-month trial that ended with Mr. Coleman 312 votes short of Mr. Franken, a Democrat. Minnesota law required Mr. Coleman to cover some of Mr. Franken’s court costs because the race’s outcome did not change. The Minnesota Supreme Court has not said when it would rule on Mr. Coleman’s appeal.”
"The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee agree on something: History is on the GOP's side when taking stock of how next year's midterm elections might shape up," our former NBC colleague Erin McPike, writing for CongressDaily , writes. "But recent history -- including President Obama's enviable approval ratings and the GOP's strong showing in the first midterm during the Bush administration -- has made the longer historical view something of an afterthought as both sides plot strategy for the 2010 cycle."
DELAWARE: House Republicans vs. the NRSC? "After Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) approached [Rep. Mike Castle] and offered to support him for the top spot on the Education panel if he stays in the House, he is rethinking his future in the chamber." He said, "I have been thinking about whether I should run for the House or Senate or not run for anything. This certainly complicates it."
VIRGINIA: And we’re off… The Washington Post : “Democrat R. Creigh Deeds and Republican Robert F. McDonnell began outlining the broad themes of their campaigns for governor Wednesday in a race that will focus heavily on jobs and the economy and take on national political significance for both parties… McDonnell, Deeds said, opposes abortion rights, stem cell research and federal stimulus money. ‘The contrast this fall could not be more stark,'’ he said. ‘Bob McDonnell has a social and economic agenda that will take us back.’”
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Katelin Schartz USA Today/Gallup poll.
A plurality (13%) viewed Rush Limbaugh as the party's leader. Former Vice President Dick Cheney was second (10%) and Sen. John McCain -- the party's nominee in the fall -- and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich rounded out (6% each) the other top picks as the leader of the party. Of those four, three do not hold an elected public office.
Video: MSNBC’s Richard Wolffe discusses the new USA Today/Gallup poll. Also of note, 33% of Republicans said they held an unfavorable impression of their own party. By comparison, just 4% of Democrats felt that way about their party.
Not surprisingly, 58% viewed President
Obama as the main person who speaks for the Democratic Party.
From NBC's Luke Russert
Mike Pence (R-IN) released their response to the Democrats’ energy bill.
Video: MSNBC's Joe Scarborough discusses the GOP's proposed energy plan with Republican Indiana Rep. Mike Pence. The bill also sets a goal of constructing 100 nuclear power plants within the United States in the next 20 years “by streamlining a burdensome regulatory process and ensuring the recycling and safe storage of spent nuclear fuel,” according to a press release sent out by Minority Leader
John Boehner (R-OH).
While promoting their own plan, House Republicans vigorously attacked Democrats for their support of a cap-and-trade system to regulated carbon emissions, calling the legislation a “job killer.”
Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) said that a cap-and-trade law would cost Americans “over $846 billion" in the coming years. He went on to call the Democratic energy plan C.R.A.P., or “Continue Ruining America’s Prosperity.”
Minority Leader Boehner said the Democratic plan would amount to a national energy tax and claimed, “The Democrats’ national energy tax will be paid by anyone who drives a car, buys an American-made product, or flips on a light switch. That means a yearly average of $3,100 in higher energy costs for middle-class families -- and fewer jobs for American workers.”
At its core the “The American Energy Act” is based on increasing domestic production by exploring American oil shale and drilling in the Artic Coastal Plain and by building nuclear power plants.
When asked how 100 new nuclear plants would be built in the next 20 years, the GOP leaders said through competitive “private investment” brought on by contracts offered by the U.S. government and individual states.
On the issue of what would happen to nuclear waste, Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI) said that reprocessing as well as further construction of nuclear waste dumping sites such as Yucca Mountain would be needed.
“If an American used nuclear power their entire life, they would produce enough nuclear waste to fill a soda can," Upton asserted. "If we reprocesses that it would be enough waste to fill a 50-cent piece.”
Look for the GOP to continue calling the Democratic energy plan “cap and tax” and make the case that it is too costly in the midst of a severe economic recession.
DC's out-of-control acronyms
CRAP is just the latest in the past couple of days. See also:
Or the Cash for Clunkers initiative, formally called, the Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act, or, you guessed it -- CARS.
Come on.
So, have some fun with this. What are your best/favorite real (or fake/funny) legislative acronyms?
style='clear:both;'>
CONTINUED >>
Msnbc.com: "An elderly gunman exchanged fire with security guards inside the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum on Wednesday. One security guard and the gunman were taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. Law enforcement officials identified the suspect as James Wenneker von Brunn, 88, from the Eastern Shore of Maryland, NBC News reported. NBC said he may have had connections to hate groups or anti-government groups.
Video: Dave Unruh, an eyewitness to the shooting at Washington DC's Holocaust museum, tells MSNBC's Contessa Brewer that his group feared for their lives. D.C. police spokeswoman Traci Hughes said the suspect walked into the museum at about 12:50 p.m. ET with a rifle and shot a guard. U.S. Park Police Sgt. David Schlosser says one or more guards at the museum returned fire, hitting the suspect. ...
Von Brunn is believed to have had contact with law enforcement in the past, according to NBC. A D.C. Superior Court jury convicted a man by the same name in 1983 of attempting to kidnap members of the Federal Reserve Board. The case involved a 1981 incident in which police arrested Von Brunn at the board's headquarters carrying several weapons. He was convicted and later released from federal prison in 1989, records show. ... A racist, anti-Semitic Web site called
http://www.holywesternempire.org and a book called "Kill the Best Gentile" were attributed to von Brunn.
From NBC’s Libby Leist
Richard Holbrooke , said today that Taliban offenses in Pakistan are dramatically changing the attitude of the government and people there.
Video: Suicide attackers launched an assault on a luxury hotel commonly used by foreigners Tuesday night, setting off a huge blast that killed at least 11 people and wounded dozens more. NBC's Brian Williams reports. "My impression is that this is enraging the population,” he said. “It's not going to work provided the government gives the necessary security.”
Holbrooke told reporters that the U.S. has been impressed by the actions of the Pakistani military, but the military knows the "test is still to come." He said the Pakistani government and military must be able to ensure the return of nearly two million refugees who were forced from their homes in the Swat Valley and provide security for them.
" CONTINUED >>
From MSNBC's Norah O'Donnell
Sarah Palin and her husband Todd have just put out scathing statements directed at comedian David Letterman.
Video: David Letterman takes a shot at the governor of Alaska, who got a chance to respond later in the week as a guest on John Ziegler's radio show. MSNBC's Contessa Brewer talks to Ziegler about the feud in a contentious interview. The governor's spokeswoman, Meg Stapleton, sent these two statements, the first from Todd: "Any 'jokes' about raping my 14-year-old are despicable. Alaskans know it and I believe the rest of the world knows it, too."
The next was from the governor: "Concerning Letterman's comments about my young daughter (and I doubt he'd ever dare make such comments about anyone else's daughter): 'Laughter incited by sexually-perverted comments made by a 62-year-old male celebrity aimed at a 14-year-old girl is not only disgusting, but it reminds us some Hollywood/NY entertainers have a long way to go in understanding what the rest of America understands -- that acceptance of inappropriate sexual comments about an underage girl, who could be anyone's daughter, contributes to the atrociously high rate of sexual exploitation of minors by older men who use and abuse others.'"
From NBC’s Ken Strickland President Obama at the White House. The consensus from the group was that the president wants a bipartisan bill.
"The president made it very clear that he prefers a bipartisan solution," said Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus .
The Finance Committee’s top Republican Chuck Grassley added, "I believe that bipartisanship was spoken about a lot, and I would be unhappy if it hadn't been. Bipartisanship is not a Democrat bill with five or six Republicans going along with it."
Video: Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., joins the Morning Joe gang to discuss the government's pursuit of health care reform. Calling for bipartisanship sets a high bar for Congress, because Senate Republican leaders say virtually every one of their members opposes the fundamental concept Obama wants -- a public/government health insurance option to compete with private insurers.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mark Murray our story from yesterday about deficit politics, the New York Times today has a fascinating analysis of Congressional Budget Office reports over the past decade.
The Times' finding:
President Obama's ambitious agenda is responsible for only a sliver of the deficit, and the main culprit is
George W. Bush . But the paper adds that Obama's plan to reduce the size of the deficit isn't realistic.
Berkeley economist Alan Auerbach tells the New York Times, “Bush behaved incredibly irresponsibly for eight years. On the one hand, it might seem unfair for people to blame Obama for not fixing it. On the other hand, he’s not fixing it.”
“And,” Auerbach continues, “not fixing it is, in a sense, making it worse.”
The article concludes that the only way to fix the deficit is through tax increases or budget cuts -- neither which are popular. "It will involve some combination of tax increases and spending cuts. And it won’t be limited to pay-as-you-go rules, tax increases on somebody else, or a crackdown on waste, fraud and abuse. Your taxes will probably go up, and some government programs you favor will become less generous. That is the legacy of our trillion-dollar deficits. Erasing them will be one of the great political issues of the coming decade."
NBC's James Rankin points out this nugget in today's New York Times story, "Democrats Nearing Consensus on Health Plan":
"...[Henry] Waxman said the House bill would be named in honor of Representative John D. Dingell , Democrat of Michigan. Since 1957, Mr. Dingell has regularly introduced bills providing for national health insurance."
Is that an olive branch of sorts? upended Dingell for the chairmanship of the House Energy and Commerce Committee in a contentious 137-122 vote. we wrote at the time:
"Henry Waxman's defeat of John Dingell for the post of Energy and Commerce Committee chairman means Waxman will have an enhanced role on the Hill and may take the lead on climate change legislation. Environmental groups are ecstatic. Washington Post's Kane notes that Dingell's loss is a defeat for U.S. automakers, while The Hill writes that the Californian's win shows a congressional shift to the Left. and Charlie Rangel called Dingell's defeat "the burial of the seniority system ."
From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro Mr. Deeds one of us wrote last night , will be to excite African-American voters in Hampton Roads and Richmond, as well as raise enough money to stay competitive.
*** Deeds vs. McDonnell, Part 2 : The general election between Deeds and Republican Bob McDonnell will be a rematch of sorts. In the 2005 race for Virginia’s attorney general, McDonnell beat Deeds by just 323 votes out of nearly 2 million votes cast. The McAuliffe camp argued that Deeds’ loss in ’05 proved that he couldn’t beat McDonnell, even in an election when a Democrat (Tim Kaine) won the governor's race. But close followers of Virginia politics point out that Deeds was heavily outspent by McDonnell, which might not be the case this November. Still, Deeds starts out as the underdog -- once again. According to a DailyKos/Research 2000 poll released last week, McDonnell was ahead of Deeds by 12 points, 46%-34% (but expect Deeds to get a bounce and be tied or even slightly ahead by the end of the month). We'll get an idea of what kind of campaign operations McDonnell and Deeds have in the next 30 days. The first month of this general election may be more important than folks realize; it's when the tone is set, and when you find out just how prepared the nominees are for the big time once October rolls around. Deeds is probably broke, and we’ll see if McDonnell tries to take advantage of that.
*** Nationalize this -- or not? As political reporters, our first instinct is to always nationalize downballot races. And that will certainly happen now that this year’s two gubernatorial contests in New Jersey and Virginia are set. You’ll hear plenty of us ask: “What will these contests say about Obama and 2010 and 2012?” Or: “Are we headed for a repeat of 1993, when GOP gubernatorial victories in New Jersey and Virginia foreshadowed the Republican takeover of Congress in 1994?” But an honest question: What will these contests really say about Obama, when his approval rating right now is around 60%, but Republican candidates are already leading in New Jersey and Virginia? Unlike Senate races, gubernatorial contests are more often about local issues. After all, Jon Corzine (D) finds himself in trouble in New Jersey not because of anything national Democrats have done, but rather because of high state property taxes. Nevertheless, these two races will provide us with plenty of national issues. In Virginia, we’ll probably see a fight over the stimulus (Deeds supports it and McDonnell doesn’t). And in New Jersey, Corzine is already trying to link Chris Christie to George Bush and Dick Cheney. By the way (and you’ll never get them to admit it on the record), the White House probably has to be glad that Deeds won last night. Why? Because the race is just across the river, McAuliffe would have been an outsized presence, and national reporters would spend more time covering the race. With Deeds and McDonnell, it'll be a much quieter summer. Finally, imagine the awkward Bill Clinton phone calls to Rahm asking for the president's help on behalf of McAuliffe. All that goes away now….
*** What about Terry? Speaking of McAuliffe, perhaps his biggest problem in this race was that he never seemed like a Virginian. Don’t get us wrong, many of the past statewide winners in Virginia -- Mark Warner, Tim Kaine, George Allen -- didn’t originally hail from the state. But in one way or another, they eventually sounded and acted like Virginians. McAuliffe? Not so much. Many outsider watchers of this race don't understand why McAuliffe and his upstate New York accent were featured so prominently. What does Terry do now? Does he stick with this, help raise millions of dollars for Deeds, and set himself up for a future run? Or does his abandon running for office altogether? In his remarks last year, McAuliffe sure sounded like someone who isn’t giving up politics just yet. “I will do everything possible to help make sure [Deeds] is the next Governor of Virginia,” he said. “Virginia needs Creigh Deeds.”
*** The first rule of being DGA/DCCC/DSCC chairman -- if you endorse, you better make sure your guy wins : Here’s another question we have: What the heck was Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer, the current head of the Democratic Governors Association, thinking when he endorsed McAuliffe last week, especially as polls were beginning to show a Deeds surge? Schweitzer last night released a statement congratulating Deeds that said this: “Creigh is the natural choice to continue the legacy of Governors Warner and Kaine.” But people are obviously going to ask: How is Deeds the natural choice when Schweitzer originally endorsed McAuliffe? One can't help but wonder: What did McAuliffe promise Schweitzer? Is this about Schweitzer's own national ambitions?
*** 300,000 : By the way, turnout last night (more than 300,000) was higher than some predicted. In the 2006 Webb-Miller Senate primary, a little more than 150,000 voters turned out. But early on, McAuliffe had bragged that the primary would attract 400,000 voters. That didn’t happen. But Democrats should be relieved that $20 million in combined spending by the three candidates attracted the highest turnout for any state Dem primary (if you don't count the presidential). Also, don't overlook the importance of the Washington Post endorsement. Many McAuliffe folks believe the endorsement, coupled with favorable coverage (and daily re-endorsements by the editorial page) is what did them in. Who says newspapers are dead? Then again, it was simply with a small circle of elites, called Beltway primary voters.
*** Health care politics : Turning to non-Virginia news, President Obama is mostly down today (not a single PLANNED public event) -- he meets with Treasury Secretary Geithner, Vice President Biden, and Secretary of State Clinton, and all of these meetings are closed to the press. But his schedule picks up tomorrow, when he travels to Wisconsin to talk about health care. And regarding health care, Ted Kennedy released his bill yesterday. Per the LA Times , it would “require all Americans to get medical insurance, establish complex new insurance exchanges to facilitate near-universal coverage, and dramatically step up government oversight of the insurance industry. Among other things, private insurers would be required to cover people with preexisting conditions, co-payments for preventive care would be limited, and doctors and hospitals that provided high-quality care would be rewarded." Also, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus is supposed to unveil his bill next week. But don't expect any health-care plan to be identified with anyone other than the president. The one thing the White House doesn't want is this bill to be identified with any one person in Congress.
Video: Face off: Health care reform has become President Barack Obama’s top priority, yet no one has figured out how to pay for it. A political panel debates how to decrease the estimated one trillion dollar price tag associated with Obama’s plan. ***
Politics across the pond : Finally, the president's pollster, Joel Benenson, and his firm Benenson Strategy Group (partner Pete Brodnitz), now can count themselves as chief pollsters and political advisers to multiple world leaders. Benenson and Brodnitz now have the tough job of rehabilitating British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Interestingly, Benenson and Brodnitz were chosen over Mark Penn, who has been an on-again, off-again, consultant to the British Labo(u)r Party for years, well since the time that Penn had a client in the White House. So Obama tops Clinton again?
Countdown to Election Day 2009: 146 days
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“The Supreme Court denied a bid to block the government-backed sale of Chrysler to Italian automaker Fiat,” The Hill reports. “In a per curiam decision issued Tuesday night, the justices said that it vacated Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's decision to temporarily halt the partnership.”
Video: CNBC’s Phil Lebeau reports that Fiat has purchased the good assets of Chrysler and formed a new company led by Fiat’s CEO. “An up and coming Wall Street executive might want to hold off on buying that condo in Aspen. The Obama administration is ready to issue broad new guidelines that would rein in pay at financial institutions,” the
AP writes. “Eager to remove incentives that they say contributed to last year's financial crisis, President Barack Obama's economic team plans to unfurl broad executive pay principles, possibly as early as Wednesday, that put a premium on long-term performance over short-term gain… In anticipation of the new guidelines, Geithner scheduled a private meeting Wednesday with SEC Chairwoman Mary Schapiro, Federal Reserve Governor Dan Tarullo and executive pay experts to discuss compensation policies.”
Yet the
Washington Post reports that a plan to overhaul the government’s regulation of the financial system, set to be unveiled next week, is already being weakened. "Although the unveiling of the plan is a week away, several central elements have already been pummeled in public by lawmakers, wary of the concentration of authority in few hands, and in private by some economists and financial executives consulted by senior officials. The administration had originally sought to eliminate turf wars among agencies and gaps in their oversight, for instance by centralizing the power to oversee banks in one body and combining the two agencies that police financial markets.”
“Those proposals have fallen by the wayside, the sources said. Instead the administration increasingly is focused on adding new layers of regulation on top of old. Officials are planning to empower the Federal Reserve with new powers to manage risk across the financial markets, but are considering setting up a council of regulators to keep the central bank in check."
Apparently, the Lebanon election results were a big victory for Saudi Arabia, too . another positive story about the war: "Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said Tuesday that he was more hopeful than he had been in a long time about progress in the war in Afghanistan, but that there would have to be significant improvement a year from now for the American public to support the effort."
Video: In Middle East politics, having the United States in your corner during the Bush years was a bad thing but judging by the results in last week’s elections in Lebanon, having President Barack Obama on your side seems to be a good thing. The Washington Note’s Steve Clemons discusses .The
Washington Post's Kessler has a great profile of Dennis Ross -- the man charged with shaping American's Iran policy. "If engagement fails, Ross probably will have to shift course and help devise a blunt-force strategy to accomplish the same goal. That process will also have a deadline: Israel has hinted for years that it would attack Iran to prevent the country from acquiring a nuclear bomb. Ross is undertaking this assignment amid questions in Washington about whether he has sufficient clout in the nascent Obama administration. And in the Middle East, many officials view him as too pro-Israel, raising concerns about whether he is the right person for the job of coaxing the Islamic Republic of Iran."
Interestingly, Ross has a new book out on Iran, which means there are plenty of clues as to how the policy will shape up. "But in a new book, Ross and co-author David Makovsky lay out the elements of a strategy for approaching Iran. ‘Myths, Illusions and Peace: Finding a New Direction for America in the Middle East’ recommends the establishment of a ‘direct, secret back channel’ with Iran's leaders before any public talks commence, thus allowing for both sides to have a ‘thorough discussion and to see whether there is a common agenda that can be constructed.’ If such talks have taken place, they have not been revealed, but U.S. officials have publicly said they do not think Iran will be able to respond to U.S. initiatives until after presidential elections on Friday.”
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Pat Leahy yesterday announced that Sotomayor’s confirmation would begin on July 13. That decision infuriated Senate Republicans, the New York Times writes. “But as Republican leaders went to the Senate floor yowling in protest on Tuesday afternoon, they seemed virtually powerless to slow the confirmation proceedings. And Democrats forcefully rebuffed the assertion that they were moving too fast, with detailed data showing the timeline consistent with other recent Supreme Court nominations.”
Video: Senate Republicans are up in arms over the date for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor’s confirmation hearings. They say July 13th is too soon. The Hill : “GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) attacked the hardest, issuing a veiled threat that the GOP may abandon cooperation on the nomination. ‘The Democratic majority is proceeding, in my view, in a heavy-handed fashion, completely unnecessarily, and is basically being dismissive of the minority’s legitimate concerns for a fair and thorough process,’ McConnell said. ‘Because of what our Democratic colleagues are doing and the way they are doing it, it will now be much more difficult to achieve the kind of comity and cooperation on this and other matters.’”
Dan Balz isn’t a fan of the way Palin and the GOP handled the recent NRCC/NRSC fundraising dinner. “It's a measure of the Republican Party's problems that its members managed to turn their biggest fundraising event this year into a circus highlighting their own differences. The question of whether Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin would show up eclipsed virtually anything said about President Obama or the party's vision.”
Video: Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin shows up at a Republican congressional fundraiser despite being dropped as a speaker at the event.NBC’s Norah O’Donnell reports. ”Message Management 101 would suggest that there are more effective ways for the party to deal with its problems. But on Monday night, when the spotlight was on the Republicans, rather than the president, the GOP allowed lowbrow chatter about Palin's attendance, rather than something more substantive, to dominate.”
Writing about South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford’s (R) attempt to refuse $700 million in stimulus money,
Politics Daily’s Jill Lawrence wonders if a nationwide audience will view the move as heartless. “As the Charleston Post and Courier asked in an editorial Friday, ‘Who would have imagined that the governor would actually attempt to block his own state from getting badly needed recession aid?’”
Sen. Ted Kennedy unveiled his health care plan yesterday. It highlights, per the LA Times : “Kennedy, whose fight to reshape the healthcare system spans more than 40 years, would require all Americans to get medical insurance, establish complex new insurance exchanges to facilitate near-universal coverage, and dramatically step up government oversight of the insurance industry. Among other things, private insurers would be required to cover people with preexisting conditions, co-payments for preventive care would be limited, and doctors and hospitals that provided high-quality care would be rewarded."
Video: TODAY’s Natalie Morales talks to NBC’s Chuck Todd about the sweeping health care bill proposed by Sen. Edward Kennedy and other items on President Obama’s domestic agenda. But here might be the bill-killer, as far as the White House is concerned: "But reaction to the 615-page bill -- written with little GOP involvement -- was an ominous preview of the potential for a return to the kind of partisan conflict that sank previous efforts to reshape the troubled medical system."
Meanwhile, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus
will unveil his health-care plan next week, and it may include a tax on some health-care benefits.
The Hill : “House Democratic leaders gave members their first glimpse of their version of President Obama’s healthcare overhaul on Tuesday, with liberals leaving the meeting happy and centrist Democrats walking away skeptical.”
CONTINUED >>
NEW JERSEY : Republicans are feeling pretty bullish about their chances in showing some signs of life, and the latest poll out of NJ only adds to the optimism. GOP nominee Chris Christie has a double-digit lead over incumbent Dem Gov. Jon Corzine. But remember, this is where things stand at the best possible moment for the GOP in this race -- fresh off the primary win and before Corzine unleashes his flurry of negative ads.
"Fresh from his Republican primary victory, former federal prosecutor Christopher Christie leads Democratic incumbent Gov. Jon Corzine 50 - 40 percent among likely voters in the New Jersey Governor's race, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today."
NEW YORK : Writing on
National Journal.com , Lou Jacobson analyzes the political coup in New York. “Monday's stunning switch in party control of the New York state Senate will trigger a wide array of consequences, from complicating efforts to deal with the state's fiscal challenges to possibly helping Republicans curb their losses in post-2010 congressional redistricting. But the most enduring casualty may be the credibility of government in the Empire State, said political experts in the wake of the power change.”
The New York Daily News : “Blame it on the BlackBerry. Upstate billionaire Thomas Golisano said he began plotting to overthrow Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith after the Democrat spent a whole meeting in late April reading e-mails… Golisano, who spent millions helping Democrats take control of the Senate for the first time since 1965, said Smith and party leaders reneged on a promise of reform and engaged in a secretive budget process that resulted in $8 billion in new taxes and fees.”
CONTINUED >>
Turnout higher than expected From NBC's Chuck Todd
THE VIRGINIA GOVERNOR’S RACE
Right now, with just under 70% reporting, Creigh Deeds is nearly out-polling Terry McAuliffe and Brian Moran combined. And at 8:05pm, AP called it for Deeds. It's a blowout. Wow... Here are some quick notes from watching the returns
1) Creigh Deeds would have to end up under-performing in Fairfax county dramatically for this race to close at all, as the 11th Congressional District is the only district where there are significant returns uncounted.
2) ex-DNC Chair Terry McAuliffe's advantage with African-American voters (see the 3rd District) doesn't seem to be nearly enough for him to catch up to Deeds. Realize this: McAuliffe spent at least $12 million to Deeds' $4.5 million...
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Ken Strickland
Why? The most fundamental parts of health-care reform remain unresolved or unaddressed. Chief among them is the so-called "public option,"a government insurance plan that would compete against private plans. The other major open issue is paying for the massive reform, estimated to cost as much as one trillion over 10 years. Paying for it essentially means who gets taxed -- be it the rich, the employee, the business, or some combination.
Tomorrow, Republicans on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee will sit down with their Democratic colleagues to discuss the public option and the employer mandate. The committee's top Republican, Mike Enzi , was miffed after Democrats released their bill. "We've been meeting with Democrats for months to discuss health-care reform, but from what I've seen in this proposal, it doesn't look like they listened at all," he said.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell today made it explicitly clear that his membership won't support any form of public option, saying "virtually everyone" opposes it. "I think the sooner we can get the government plan off the table, the better, in terms of getting an actual result for the American people."
CONTINUED >>
From NBC’s Domenico Montanaro Clinton strategists held a conference call to push their candidate’s chances.
Only the candidate wasn’t Hillary Clinton, it was that campaign’s chairman -- and one of its top fundraisers -- Terry McAuliffe , who is running for governor of Virginia.
Virginia Democrats head to the polls today to decide between the gregarious McAuliffe, former state Sen. Creigh Deeds and former Rep. Brian Moran . Polling has shown that Deeds has surged in the polls, since the Washington Post endorsed him May 22.
The McAuliffe campaign admitted as much, but insists, “it’s anybody’s game,” strategist Mo Elliethee told reporters on the conference call.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Kelly O'Donnell Republican aides on the Judiciary Committee say they were given no heads up and even the top Republican Jeff Sessions (R-AL) was not informed about the July 13th date for the start of the Sotomayor confirmation hearings until the public announcement on the Senate floor.
Aides say Sessions was not personally notified and had requested more time to discuss options for the Sotomayor hearings.
Republicans call it a "unilateral decision" by Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and they are disappointed, they say, because Republicans on the committee have, in their view, stressed that the process should be fair and respectful.
Sessions is expected to speak about this on floor shortly.
From NBC's Doug Adams
Video: Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D- R.I., discusses the state of a health care reform bill being workshopped in Congress. Earlier today, House Democrats released an outline of their bill. (Forgive the jargon, but it's called the "House Tri-Committee bill" because three House committees with jurisdiction over healthcare have been working on it.)
The surprising thing about the House Dems version is that it appears much more moderate than people expected, and it seems to reflect the concerns of Blue Dog Democrats and moderates who have big problems with a Medicare-like public plan.
There are three big questions on health care reform:
The House Dems version does have a public/government option, but it's not a Medicare-like plan favored by liberals like Ted Kennedy . Instead, the bill will have a "public health insurance option that's self-sustaining and competes on a level field with private insurers."
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Michelle Perry, NBC's Katelin Schartz, and Alex Beinstein Chuck Grassley (R) told Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC today that Senate Republicans will not go along with the timing of July 13 for Sotomayor's confirmation hearing.
Grassley said he thinks it's too soon, both for Republicans and Democrats, to go through all of Sotomayor's writings. He said the timing of Sotomayor's hearing can not be compared with
John Roberts' , because she has been on the bench so much longer than he had been -- and thus has a longer paper trail.
The senator, a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, said he would look into what measures could be taken to delay the hearings.
As it turns out, Sotomayor's scheduled hearing is being held earlier than Roberts' and Samuel Alito's were.
For Roberts, 55 days passed between the day he was nominated (July 19, 2005) and the day his confirmation hearing began (Sept. 12, 2005).
For Alito, 70 days passed between the day he was nominated (Oct. 31, 2005) and the day his confirmation hearing began (Jan. 9, 2006).
For Sotomayor, 48 days will have passed between the date she was nominated (May 26, 2009) and the day her confirmation hearing is supposed to begin (July 13).
From NBC’s Luke Russert
After saying he will introduce the PAYGO bill in the House early next week, Hoyer stressed that "by reinstating statutory “PAYGO,” we are committing to paying for what we buy that will help restore fiscal responsibility that help get our deficits down."
Hoyer did say that certain programs would be exempt from PAYGO at this time. Those included items already passed in earlier House budgets, such as the estate tax, Medicare funding and the middle-class tax cuts of 2001 and 2003. Hoyer said these programs will "move forward without offset at the baseline and that everything else will have to abide by PAYGO."
D.C. Voting Rights to be shelved In a move that will be deemed crushing by many D.C. voting activists, Hoyer somberly described that as of now the D.C. Voting Rights Act will not be brought to the floor any time soon.
CONTINUED >>
From NBC's Mark Murray blasted the Obama administration over the stimulus (or the lack thereof so far). Earlier this morning, they criticized it for transferring a Gitmo detainee to stand trial in a New York federal court. And now, they're mocking Obama for today touting pay-as-you-go principles -- i.e., that Congress can only spend a dollar if a saves a dollar elsewhere, something it didn't practice for the $787 billion stimulus.
“President Obama and Congressional Democrats telling Americans they are committed to budget discipline is like Charles Ponzi telling people to trust him with their money," RNC Chairman
Michael Steele said in a statement.
House Minority Whip
Eric Cantor also accused Obama and the Dems of budget hypocrisy: "This Congress rammed through a $3.6 trillion budget. So for us to sit here and listen to the White House say that ‘we ought to be responsible, we ought to pay for what we’re doing’ I think lacks just a little bit of credibility."
Of course, that begs the question whether Republicans -- just five months after George W. Bush left office -- are lacking credibility here, too.
As he was taking office, Bush and a Republican-controlled Congress inherited
a surplus in the billions of dollars . But as he left (Democrats controlled Congress during his final two years), that surplus had become a
$1.2 trillion deficit .
No doubt that concerns about the deficit and spending have become a potential vulnerability for Obama. According to a recent
Gallup poll , 48% disapprove of his handling of the federal budget and 51% disapprove of his ability to control federal spending.
But are Republicans credible messengers to deliver this message?
*** UPDATE ***
From NBC’s Ken Strickland Kent Conrad put a new idea on the table Monday. It's described as a non-profit, co-op type system that would serve as an alternative to private insurance plans. It would not be government run.
The concept was discussed in a closed-door meeting yesterday with members of the Senate Finance Committee.
"It would be non-profit, that would have the same plans and would be subject to the same standards [as private plans]," said Conrad, as he left the meeting. "That would provide an alternative to for-profit insurance companies, so that there's a different delivery model for competition."
More details of the plan should be known today. But the committee's top Republican, Chuck Grassley , acknowledged a new idea had been discussed.
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From NBC's Kelly O'Donnell
Kennedy bill -- from the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (HELP) -- already has a name, "The Affordable Health Choices Act," that's a bit different than the name circulating earlier. Another important Senate committee that will help draft the bill, the Senate Finance Committee, hasn't yet released an outline or a bill.
Today, the Senate HELP committee is required to file some documents about the bill one week before the "markup" process begins, so today's paperwork will even include blank pages where the most contentious issues remain unresolved: public/government option, how to pay for reform. Dem aides say they've asked Republicans to provide their own options on cost.
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