Inspire Political Discourse

IPD Political News Summary, Wednesday, April 22, 2009

| At a United Nations conference on racism in Geneva on Monday, the president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,  launched in to a tirade against Israel. Delegates from a number of European countries walked out in protest.
The U.S., Germany, Italy, Poland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and Israel all boycotted the conference as they had expected Ahmadinejad to use the conference as a forum to “focus on maligning Israel rather than on the global problems of discrimination, replaying the disputes that marked the first United Nations conference on combating racism in Durban, South Africa, in 2001.”
The countries that walked out: Austria, Belgium, Britain, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic (has left the conference for good), Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, , Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, St. Kitts and Nevis
Image courtesy of The NYT.

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| The release of the Bush torture memos last week caused many on the left to become more vocal, urging the current administration to hold accountable those who directed others to violate U.S. and international law. On Tuesday, President Obama stated publicly for the first time, that he is open to prosecution of the people responsible for directing others to commit acts of torture. Bolding is mine.From The New York Times:

But in response to questions from reporters in the Oval Office, he said, “if and when there needs to be a further accounting,” he hoped that Congress would examine ways to obtain one “in a bipartisan fashion,” from people who are independent and therefore can build credibility with the public.

Image of the scales of justice on top of the Old Bailey in London, by Andrew Parsons, courtesy of the BBC.

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| Congress is back in Washington this week, after a break for Easter recess. At the top of their agenda is the budget, healthcare, and credit cards.
The president has said that he expects Republicans to come back with a more “constructive attitude toward health care, energy and other administration initiatives.” David Axelrod via Huffpost:

"No one expects the Republican Party to fully embrace what we're doing," Axelrod said. "What they would like is for us to ratify the policies that we've had for the last eight years that have gotten us into the mess we're in. We have two parties for a reason, but there are areas of common interest, and we ought to pursue them."

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| On Monday, President Obama directed his cabinet to cut spending by $100 million, acknowledging that it’s a drop in the proverbial bucket.
The cabinet was directed to go through the expenses in each of their areas, and eliminate a total of $100 million from the budget.

Obama said the $100 million would come from "efficiencies" in agency operations, and would be in addition to future cuts in programs that aren't working.

Yet the red ink in the annual budget is currently in the hundreds of billions. He was asked if the efficiency saving isn't just "a drop in the bucket".

"It is," he replied. "None of these things alone are going to make a difference. But cumulatively, they make an extraordinary difference because they start setting a tone ... $100 million there, $100 million here _ pretty soon, even here in Washington, it adds up to real money."

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| In signing legislation that will triple the size of the Americorps program, President Obama called on students to volunteer to improve their communities. .
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| MEDIA MATTERS log, April 20 - April 26, 2009

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Sebelius Faces Strong Oppostion From Anti-Abortion Groups

:: President Obama's choice to head the Department of Health and Human Services, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D), faces tough opposition from anti-abortion forces. 

From The Hill:

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins called Sebelius an "extremely pro-abortion" pick to head HHS.

Patrick Mahoney, executive director of the Christian Defense Coalition, said within an hour of the news of Sebelius' nomination on Saturday night, he had been in touch with many social conservatives about formulating a strategy to oppose the nomination. One facet of that strategy will be to hold a news conference this week, he said.

Like several other Catholic Democratic politicians, Sebelius has come under fire from Church officials who say she should repudiate her pro-abortion rights positions. In 2006, Joseph Neumann, the archbishop of Kansas City, said Sebelius should refrain from receiving communion until she changed her views.

AP photo.
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Gregg Conflict of Interest With Commerce

:: The AP reports that Gregg may have had a conflict of interest which caused his resignation from the commerce post.
Too bad that he wasn't honest with the American people.
From HUFFPOST:

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's former nominee to become commerce secretary, Republican Sen. Judd Gregg, steered taxpayer money to his home state's redevelopment of a former Air Force base even as he and his brother engaged in real estate deals there, an Associated Press investigation found.

Gregg, R-N.H., has personally invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in Cyrus Gregg's office projects at the Pease International Tradeport, a Portsmouth business park built at the defunct Pease Air Force Base, once home to nuclear bombers. Judd Gregg has collected at least $240,017 to $651,801 from his investments there, Senate records show, while helping to arrange at least $66 million in federal aid for the former base.

Image courtesy of Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images. .
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Gary Locke Latest Nominee for Commerce Secretary

:: Former Washington governor, Gary Locke, announced as the nominee for commerce secretary. From HUFFPOST:

President Obama and Vice President Biden introduced former Washington Gov. Gary Locke as Commerce Secretary nominee Wednesday.

"I'm sure it's not lost on anyone that we've tried this a couple of times. But I'm a big believer in keeping at something until you get it right," Obama said. Locke is Obama's third nominee for the post. His previous two choices for the post dropped out well before the Senate had a chance to confirm them.

Image source whitehouse.gov. 
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Former Washington Governor, Gary Locke, to be Named as Commerce Secretary

:: Gary Locke is the third nominee for this post, and will be named tomorrow. From MSNBC:

A senior administration official says President Barack Obama's likely pick to head up the Commerce Department is former Washington Gov. Gary Locke.

Locke will be Obama's third pick to lead the department. Republican Sen. Judd Gregg withdrew his name from contention on Feb. 12, citing "irresolvable conflicts" over the president's massive stimulus plan.

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Political News Summary: Wednesday, January 28, 2009

:: More on HuffPost re Republican behavior (besides, I had to share this great graphic from HP). The headline over the elephant pic reads "Toeing the Party Line". Gotta admit, we Dems have a much keener sense of humor than the Repubs. Oh, and by the time you click on this link, the headline and the image may be different because it's on the HuffPost home page. From HUFFPOST:

:: On Republican behavior. From Bob Cesca (I love this guy):

Weekend Political News Summary: January 24-25, 2009

:: SURPRISE....No comprehensive case files on many Guantanamo detainees. From the Washington Post:

President Obama's plans to expeditiously determine the fates of about 245 terrorism suspects held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and quickly close the military prison there were set back last week when incoming legal and national security officials -- barred until the inauguration from examining classified material on the detainees -- discovered that there were no comprehensive case files on many of them.

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:: Palin aides being charged with new ethics violations. From HUFFPOST:

In her current complaint against McAllister, McLeod sites a series of activities that she contends violate Alaska's "Executive Branch Code of Ethics," which prohibits public officials from using or authorizing "the use of state funds, facilities, equipment, services, or another government asset or resource for partisan political purposes."

"These campaign activities have absolutely nothing to do with the public's business, and everything to do with promoting Palin's personal endeavors and political aspirations," McLeod declared in an exclusive interview. "This must not go unchallenged."

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:: According to the complete dick, Rush Limbaugh, Republicans should be against the stimulus plan because it could hurt their electoral chances. Politics as usual. From Think Progress:

Political News Catch-Up Summary - Thursday, January 22 - Friday, January 23, 2009

:: Jan. 23 - A bank which received bailout money, employs the wife of House Republican Whip Eric Cantor. Bolding is mine. From PROPUBLICA:

House Republican Whip Eric Cantor [1], a rising star in the Republican party, has been a prominent voice demanding accountability in how the government doles out hundreds of billions for bank bailouts.
This Thursday, Cantor cast a high-profile vote opposing release of another $350 billion in bailout funds. Unpublicized until now was a recent development: The Treasury Department used $267 million of taxpayer funds to buy preferred stock in a private banking company that employs Cantor's wife.
The bailout for New York Private Bank and Trust (NYPBT) [2] came earlier this month as part of a Treasury Department program to boost "healthy banks" with extra capital. NYPBT is the holding company for Emigrant Bank [3], a savings bank with 35 branches in and around New York City. Diana Cantor runs the Virginia branch of Emigrant's wealth-management division, called Virginia Private Bank & Trust, which targets an ultra-rich clientele.

Hmm...and where exactly is your accountability re this direct conflict of interest, Mr. Cantor?

Mark Wilson/Getty Images.

Political News Summary: Wednesday, January 21, 2009

:: Executive order would close down Guantanamo within one year. Trials were halted as of today.
The order was drafted today, is undated, and has yet to be signed. However, I would expect that it will be done as soon as possible. From HUFFPOST:

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration intends to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center within a year and halt military trials of terror suspects held there, according to a draft order obtained Wednesday.

The executive order was one of three expected imminently on how to interrogate and prosecute al-Qaida, Taliban or other foreign fighters believed to threaten the United States.

Image source: Wikimedia Commons
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Bill Richardson Withdrawing as the Nominee for Commerce Secretary

Breaking news as reported by MSNBC online:

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, tapped in December by President-elect Barack Obama to serve as secretary of Commerce, has withdrawn his name for the position, citing a pending investigation into a company that has done business with his state.

"Let me say unequivocally that I and my Administration have acted properly in all matters and that this investigation will bear out that fact," he said Sunday in a report by NBC News. "But I have concluded that the ongoing investigation also would have forced an untenable delay in the confirmation process."

The Obama Cabinet

FOREIGN POLICY	JUSTICE	EDUCATION
Secretary of State - Hillary Clinton	Attorney General - Eric Holder	Secretary of Education - Arne Duncan

TRANSPORTATION	LABOR	VETERANS AFFAIRS
Secretary of Transportation- Ray LaHood	Secretary of Labor - Hilda Solis	Secretary of Veterans Affairs - Eric Shinseki

COMMERCE	HEALTH	AGRICULTURE
Secretary of Commerce - Bill Richardson	Secretary of Health & Human Services - Tom Daschle	Secretary of Agriculture - Tom Vilsack

ENERGY	HOMELAND SECURITY	DEFENSE
Secretary of Energy - Steven Chu	Secretary of Homeland Security - Janet Napolitano	Secretary of Defense - Robert Gates

TREASURY	HUD	TRADE
Secretary of the Treasury - Timothy Geithner	Secretary of Housing & Urban Development - Shaun Donovan	United States Trade Representative - Ron Kirk

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Ambassador to the United Nations - Dr. Susan Rice

This is the full cabinet, as nominated. They must all be confirmed by the senate, but with the exception of Eric Holder, they are expected to be confirmed without major incident.

You may notice that I included the Ambassador to the United Nations (Dr. Susan RIce) in the cabinet. Although this position has not previously enjoyed cabinet rank, Obama has said that he intends to confer cabinet rank on this very important position.

As far as presidential succession goes, the only two positions that really matter are that of the secretary of state, and the secretary of the treasury. While technically, the entire cabinet is in the line of succession, in reality, it simply wouldn't work that way. The line of succession is as follows (incomplete because it is pointless):

1. Vice President - Joe Biden
2. Speaker of the House of Representatives - Nancy Pelosi
3. President pro tempore of the Senate - currently Robert Byrd
4. Secretary of State - Hillary Clinton
5. Secretary of the Treasury - Timothy Geithner

In the unlikely event that the president, the vice-president, the speaker, and the president pro tempore all died or became incapacitated, Hillary Clinton would be unlikely to assume the presidency, as a new speaker and president pro tempo would be elected by congress. The chances of the other cabinet members assuming the presidency are very much slimmer.

For a full (those that have been announced) list of the White House staff, cabinet level positions, and administrative positions, check out my earlier/updated post.

 

All images were cropped from wikimedia commons images.

Transcript: President-elect Obama Announces His Final Picks for His Cabinet

Labor, Transportation, USTR, SBA Announcements | Chicago, Illinois

Good afternoon. 

Before we begin, I’d like to say a few words about the necessary step taken today to help avoid a collapse in our auto industry that would have devastating consequences for our economy and our workers.  With the short-term assistance provided by this package, the auto companies must bring all their stakeholders together – including labor, dealers, creditors and suppliers – to make the hard choices necessary to achieve long-term viability.  The auto companies must not squander this chance to reform bad management practices and begin the long-term restructuring that is absolutely necessary to save this critical industry and the millions of American jobs that depend on it, while also creating the fuel-efficient cars of the future.

Whenever I have been asked how I measure the strength of the American economy, my answer is simple: jobs and wages. I know we will be headed in the right direction again when we are creating jobs, instead of losing them, and when Americans are gaining ground in terms of their incomes, instead of treading water or falling behind.  In recent weeks, I’ve announced members of my economic team who will help us make progress in these areas.

Political News Summary - Wednesday, December 17, 2008

:: Obama expected to name Mary Schapiro as the SEC chairman tomorrow.

Schapiro is currently the CEO of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. Politically, she is an Independent.

“If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Schapiro will take over an agency whose reputation has been tarnished by its failure to detect Bernard Madoff’s alleged $50 billion fraud and to prevent the collapse of investment banks Bear Stearns Cos. and Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. The SEC’s relevance and competence will be scrutinized as Congress weighs overhauling market regulation.

“The agency is at a critical juncture in its history,” said William McLucas, a former SEC enforcement director. “What the agency needs right now, more than ever, is leadership. She is going to be exactly what the agency needs.”” Bloomberg.com

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:: Bush to put 110,000 acres of wild lands in Utah on the auction block, to be sold to the highest bidders in the oil and gas industry.

Robert Redford is making an appeal to the public to stand up and be counted. To deny Bush this last effort to enrich his friends, and save this land for future generations.

“You can't put a price on silence or solitude. You can't quantify the beauty of wilderness. And yet that's not going to stop the Bush administration from trying to sell off what should be the birthright of future generations.
In three days, this Friday, 110,000 acres of majestic Utah wild lands go on the auction block, to be sold to the highest bidders in the oil and gas industry. It's a last-ditch effort by a corrupt administration to further enrich its friends in the dirty fuels business. If they succeed, they'll leave a wasteland behind them.
Never mind that we the People of the United States just rejected the failed energy policy of "drill, baby, drill!" Never mind that once industrialized, these precious lands will be marred for centuries. Ravaging these places will put cash in the pockets of greedy speculators, even if it won't solve our energy problems.”  Robert Redford

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:: Calls for Cheney to be prosecuted gaining ground after he confessed to the authorization of waterboarding on Monday.

According to international law, waterboarding is defined as a form of torture, and it is illegal. Cheney's admittance to the authorization of waterboarding during his interview with Jonathan Earl on ABC News on Monday, has put him ever more at risk of prosecution as a war criminal. Indeed, he will not be able to leave the country without the risk of being arrested as a war criminal.

“Here's the thing: If members of the Bush administration would have at least acted like they might have done something wrong, a truth-and-reconciliation-type Congressional commission like the one currently under consideration could have found out what happened, and we could have learned our lesson and moved on. At least maybe. But if Cheney is going to go on national television and endorse torture, I feel like he has tied the hands of the country. How can we change our image, both to the rest of the world and to our own citizens, if we allow a sitting vice president to confess to supporting a policy of torture and do nothing about it?”  HUFFPO

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:: Republican Roy LaHood reported to be Obama's choice for transportation secretary.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Peoria, Illinois congressman Ray LaHood, who is a moderate Republican with an excellent rep on Capitol Hill, has been asked to take a cabinet position in the Obama administration.

“LaHood, a long-time staff aide to the affable then-House Minority Leader Bob Michel (R-Ill.) who took his boss's seat when Michel retired, was elected along with a tide of Republicans led by Newt Gingrich. But he did not follow the same highly partisan path that characterized the class elected with him.

Among those LaHood maintained a friendly relationship with over the years is White House chief of staff- designate Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), whose aggressive style infuriated many Republicans but whom LaHood praised publicly for competence and pragmatism.”  Chicago Tribune

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:: Liz Moynihan endorses Caroline Kennedy.

“No one in New York politics knows more about the state than Liz Moynihan. No New Yorker knows more about how to do the job of senator than Liz does, especially after living through the day-to-day duties of Pat Moynihan's years as chairman of two committees including Finance, the senate's most important committee. And no one else can tell us what Pat Moynihan would think about who should be the next person to take his old seat in the Senate. Liz Moynihan has just released this statement about Caroline Kennedy:

“Caroline is a very intelligent, serious person with a long interest in government and the Constitution. As a US Senator she could be a great help to New York. I'm sure Pat would be thrilled to see her in that seat.””  HUFFPO

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:: TIME names Obama "Person of the Year".

“In one of the craziest elections in American history, he overcame a lack of experience, a funny name, two candidates who are political institutions and the racial divide to become the 44th President of the United States.” TIME

 

 

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:: Tom Vilsack will be Obama's nominee for Secretary of Agriculture, and Ken Salazar the nominee for Secretary of the Interior.

“Mr. Vilsack, who has spent the fall semester as a political fellow at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, works as a lawyer in Des Moines. Four years ago, he was among those who were considered to be a running mate for Senator John Kerry. He was not on the short list of candidates to join Mr. Obama’s ticket this year, but agreed to join the Obama-Biden cabinet as Agriculture Secretary.

At a press conference here on Wednesday, Mr. Obama is set to name Senator Ken Salazar, a Colorado Democrat, as his Interior secretary and Mr. Vilsack to lead the Department of Agriculture.”  NYT

Image credits: Wikimedia Commons

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:: Obama charms Republicans.

In an outreach heretofore unseen from an incoming president, Obama is reaching out to GOP members of the House and Senate with personal phone calls.

““It appears to me that he has made a very genuine and aggressive attempt to reach out,” said Sen. Judd Gregg (N.H.), ranking Republican on the Senate Budget Committee, who received what he described as “a very nice courtesy call” from Obama.

“He said he wanted to work with me and I said that I wanted to be as constructive as possible,” said Gregg, describing the conversation. “I very much appreciate it. I think there’s not any question it makes a difference. It sets the right tone and it’s the way to get things done.”

Rep. Pete King (N.Y.), the top Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee, said that Obama’s earliest calls to Republicans with power over economic and security issues shed light on his priorities for the 111th Congress.

“It shows that he’s focusing on security and the economy,” said King. “I welcome the outreach.””  TheHill.com

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:: The Republican revolt against the RNC's attempts to falsely tie Obama to the Blagojevich scandal continues.

In the IPD daily summary yesterday, we told you that former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, had ripped in to RNC chairman, Mike Duncan, for his blatant attempts to tie Obama to the disgraced governor. Today, more Republican voices have joined with Gingrich in their condemnation of the RNC tactic. A wise, self-preservational move if you look at the poll numbers detailed in an article from the Washington Post.

“The sentiments expressed publicly by Gingrich and Ruffini are echoed privately by a number of Republican strategists who view the attempts to link Blagojevich and Obama as nothing more than a fool's errand given the lack of evidence that the public sees any real connection between the two men.”

“Calling the video a "destructive distraction," Gingrich added: "This ad is a terrible signal to be sending about both the goals of the Republican Party in the midst of the nation's troubled economic times and about whether we have actually learned anything from the defeats of 2006 and 2008."

His chorus of dissent was joined later in the day by Patrick Ruffini, a prominent online voice for Republicans. (Ruffini was the e-campaign director for the RNC during the 2006 election cycle and did the same for former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani's presidential campaign.)

In a post on post on The Next Right (a new-ish online gathering place for conservatives), Ruffini wrote:

"It's fair to say that any residual connections Obama may have with Gov. Blagojevich as a result of being an Illinois Senator are not the strongest part of our argument. I can understand the desire to go at Obama. But with Obama at 76% approval for the transition, our hits against him have to be clean hits, or they will blow up in our face."

The sentiments expressed publicly by Gingrich and Ruffini are echoed privately by a number of Republican strategists who view the attempts to link Blagojevich and Obama as nothing more than a fool's errand given the lack of evidence that the public sees any real connection between the two men.

As we wrote earlier this week, the strategy adopted by the RNC poses a real risk to the party because of Obama's strength and Republicans' weakness in the eyes of voters.

A new Washington Post/ABC News poll more than three in four voters approve of the way Obama has handled the transition and a majority (51 percent) of of independents said he had done enough to explain any conversations his aides had with Blagojevich.

Compare those solid numbers to a new national poll from Gallup that shows just one in four adults approving of the way Republicans in Congress are doing their job while 69 percent disapprove. (In fairness, congressional Democrats' numbers weren't much better: 37 approve/55 disapprove.)

So, what should Republicans do -- given that they are out of power at the executive and legislative level?

Gingrich boils it down to a single sentence: "Republicans should be eager to work with [Obama] when he is right, and, when he is wrong, offer a better solution, instead of just opposing him."

Ruffini is more expansive -- offering three solutions, the savviest of which is to push the idea that Democrats are seeking to rob voters of a say in Illinois by refusing to pass legislation that would create a special election to fill Obama's Senate seat.

The RNC may be listening. Duncan released a statement Tuesday evening on the need for a special election. "We agree with President-elect Barack Obama that his Senate seat belongs to the people of Illinois," said Duncan. "The only way the people's voice will be heard and Illinois can end the taint of the Blagojevich scandal is to have a special election."”  Washington Post

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President-elect Obama Announces His Green Team

Stating that his goal is breaking US dependence on foreign oil , while also boosting economic growth, President-elect Obama announced the five-person team who will be responsible for achieving his energy goals. Video below.

The Energy Appointees:

Secretary of Energy: Steven Chu,the director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, and a Nobel prize winning physicist. Re Chu's appointment, Obama said, “His appointment should send a signal to all that this administration will value science. We will make decisions based on facts, and we understand that those facts demand bold action."

In other words, real science, not ideology, as we move in to the light and out of our caves regarding climate change and fossil fuels. ;)

EPA director: Lisa Jackson, the former commissioner of Environmental Protection for the state of New Jersey.

“Would bring to the job: Twenty years of experience as an environmental regulator and a reputation as a consensus builder. Ms. Jackson, who is a chemical engineer, brought a more policy-driven approach to New Jersey’s historically politicized Department of Environmental Protection as its commissioner. During her 33 months in that job, the state began conducting compliance sweeps to crack down on polluters in environmentally ravaged sections of Camden and Paterson, ended its controversial bear hunt and unveiled a plan to reduce carbon emissions 20 percent by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050.” - NYT

Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change ( a new White House position): Carol Browner, the former head of the EPA during the eight years of the Clinton administration. She is known to be a strong advocate of legislation to slow climate change.

 

Deputy Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change: Heather Zichal, currently the co-chair of the energy policy team for Obama’s transition.

White House Council on Environmental Quality: Nancy Sutley, Los Angeles Deputy Mayor for Energy and Environment.

 

 

RELATED POSTS

>Ongoing List of President-Elect Obama's Cabinet Level Appointments
>President-Elect Obama Names Transition Team
>Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel?
>Obama Considering Cabinet Level Picks

Political News - Weekend Update - Saturday-Sunday, December 13-14, 2008

:: Bush attacked with flying shoes by Iraqi reporter.

I've seen this story on numerous blogs for several hours now, and I didn't add it to the update because I couldn't make up my mind how I felt about it. It was just too weird. I was torn between thinking that this kind of thing should not be laughed at, and wanting to laugh because it just seemed so fitting for the end of W's failed presidency. The quote is from Matt Stewart on the Huffington Post. Re the weirdness, he said it better than I could.

It's a strange capstone to a presidency, one of those semi-absurd semi-scary incidents like the pretzel-choking, the back-shooting, the bike-crashing. Yet somehow those ten seconds seem to say everything about the man, about guts and intelligence, humor and luck, the dangerous world Bush has helped make worse. For what the world hopes to be the last time, we've watched the man do just enough to keep himself afloat.

Image from Huffpo.

Watch the video here.

:: The Shoe As A Campaign Metaphor - NPR

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:: The Hill Gossip Mill: Word is that Karl Rove will be leading the fight to oppose the nomination of Eric Holder as Attorney General.

The dissension loving Rove doing what Rove always does.

Ceci Connolly, national staff writer for the Washington Post, said as much on Sunday, when she passed on a bit of hill gossip in the waning moments of "The Chris Matthews Show."

"Word on the street is that Karl Rove is going to be helping lead the fight against Eric Holder when his nomination for Attorney General heads up to the Senate," she said.  HUFFPO

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Obama Press Conference December 11, 2008 - Transcript and Video

Watch the video of PEBO's remarks or read the transcript after the jump.

:: CHICAGO - Full Transcript of President-Elect Obama's Press Conference on Dec.11, 2008, including the press corps questions, and Obama's responses.

Daily Political News Summary - Thursday, December 11, 2008

:: The unfortunate state of the auto bailout.

I've been avoiding this topic all day, hoping that the news would be better by the end of it. No such luck, I'm sorry to say. My prediction - it won't get past the GOP in the Senate.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Labor, the auto industry and lawmakers bargained in unprecedented private talks in the Capitol Thursday night, struggling to salvage a $14 billion government bailout of the Big Three carmakers.
"We're closer to agreement," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said after several hours of talks, although he also said an accord remained elusive.
Officials said the negotiations centered on possible wage and benefit concessions from the United Auto Workers union as well as large-scale debt restructuring by General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC.  Chicago Tribune

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:: Obama faces the Blagojevich scandal head on, with his usual sense of integrity.

At the Obama presser today, Obama didn't wait for the press corps to bring up Gov. Blagojevich. He brought it up, told us what he knows, and told us what he's going to do about it. Watch the video and/or read the transcript.

| Analysis: Illinois scandal gives Obama chance to set himself apart and burnish 'change' image
| Obama declares his staff not involved in Ill. governor scandal, orders internal probe anyway

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:: 73% of adult Americans approve of Obama's handling of the transition, and his preparations for taking office in January.

A really excellent polling result, indicating that Obama has been able to win over many McCain voters, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Overall, a majority of Americans are confident in Mr. Obama's ability to govern and unify the country, with many who didn't vote for him now seeing him in a positive light. The poll found that 73% of adults approve of the way he is handling the transition and his preparations for becoming president. 

Polling indicates that the nation is more unified around Mr. Obama than it was for either Bill Clinton in 1992 or George W. Bush in 2000. Americans say the challenges, too, are greater, with 77% of those surveyed predicting Mr. Obama will face bigger problems than most recent presidents have.  Wall Street Journal

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Daily Political News Summary - Monday, December 8, 2008

►Condi RIce and Hillary Clinton to have dinner tonight at Rice's Watergate apartment.  

“NBC News reports that the current Secretary of State is having her successor over for dinner: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will host Hillary Clinton tonight for dinner at Rice's Watergate apartment, State Department transition sources tell NBC News.”

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►President-elect Obama's choice of an education secretary will very likely displease one faction or the other.

Two competing factions, the "reformers", and the teacher's unions, have different ideas as to who it should be, and there doesn't seem to be an actual candidate who can bridge that divide.One person does come close, Chicago schools superintendent, Arne Duncan.

“Can Obama make both sides happy? Not likely, said Republican Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina.”

One candidate might fit the bill _ Chicago schools chief Arne Duncan, who has spent seven years running the country's third-largest school district.

Daily Political News Round-Up - Wednesday, December 3, 2008

►John Brennan forced out of consideration for CIA director by the Obama team, thanks in large part to liberal bloggers.

“Former CIA official John Brennan, once considered the top choice to serve as CIA director in President-elect Barack Obama's administration, was pressured by the Obama transition team to pull his name from consideration, according to friends and former intelligence associates.
Brennan's withdrawal, offered in a Nov. 25 letter to Obama, came after liberal bloggers mounted an opposition campaign against his possible appointment.”  NPR

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►Wingnut Alert: Senate leadership to craft legislation that will clear the wingnut hurdle to Hillary Clinton's appointment as Secretary of State. Bolding is mine.

“the Senate leadership is working to craft legislation that will make it possible for her to take the post despite a Constitutional clause saying that members of Congress are ineligible to take an appointed post if the salary for the post in question has increased while the member was in elected office.

The Senate's efforts, which would cut the Secretary of State's salary back to what it was when Hillary was reelected to her current term, come in response to a declaration yesterday by the winger group Judicial Watch that the Constitution blocks her from serving.”  TPM

Daily Political News Round-Up - Monday, December 1, 2008

►►Read about President-elect Obama's press conference this morning, and view the video or read the transcripts, here. 

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►Bobby Jindal the GOP's next great hope? Ugh. Gag a maggot. Really. From the Washington Post:

“No less an aspiring kingmaker than Steve Schmidt, the chief strategist of McCain's failed presidential bid, sees Jindal as the Republican Party's destiny. "The question is not whether he'll be president, but when he'll be president, because he will be elected someday." The anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist believes, too, that Jindal is a certainty to occupy the White House, and conservative talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh has described him as "the next Ronald Reagan.".”

“The record is still evolving, like the rest of him. But social conservatives like what they have heard about the public and private Jindal: his steadfast opposition to abortion without exceptions; his disapproval of embryonic stem cell research; his and his wife Supriya's decision in 1997 to enter into a Louisiana covenant marriage that prohibits no-fault divorce in the state; and his decision in June to sign into law the Louisiana Science Education Act, a bill heartily supported by creationists that permits public school teachers to educate students about both the theory of "scientific design" and criticisms of Darwinian evolutionary concepts.”