Daily Political Wire 11-30-2010

George Wenschhof

Yesterday, President Obama proposed a Pay Freeze for Federal Employees - exempting those serving in the military, a savings of up to 30 billion over the next five years. Some believe it was a preemptive move, prior to his meeting with the leaders of Congress today, designed to placate Republicans.

Republicans have been calling for this action for the last two years. While, the president was trying to appease Republicans with this proposal, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumpka said the proposal "was bad for the middle class, bad for the economy and bad for business". You can read more here.

Representative Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), current House Majority Leader, said the proposal needed to be broader and include military personnel not serving in harms way.

Stay tuned, as this proposal needs congressional approval.

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Postponed White House Meeting with Congressional Leaders today - seems the dinner invite from the previously scheduled meeting has been dropped and the meeting is now scheduled to last one hour.

Expect wrangling to center around the extension of the Bush tax cuts, the extension of unemployment compensation for the long term unemployed and ratification of the START Treaty with Russia.

Republican Leaders; incoming House Speaker John Boehner (Ohio) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) have an op-ed in The Washington Post today calling for an extension of the Bush tax cuts and a reduction in government spending. You can read it here.

Indications are one deal may be to extend the Bush tax cuts for all for 2-3 years in exchange for extension of unemployment compensation and START ratification.

Meanwhile, House Democrats will move forward a vote to extend the Bush tax cuts for only the middle class. Representative Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) says the vote will happen this week. TheHill.com has more here.

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Rangel lobbies fellow Democrats for Reprimand - the vote by the House is expected today at the earliest as to his punishment for ethics violations. a Censure was recommended by the ethics committee. Representative Charles Rangel's (D-NY) office sent a letter to fellow members giving ten reasons as to why to not vote for a censure. You can read more here.

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D.A.D.T. Report Due Today - the Pentagon reports today at 2:00 PM the results of their nine month survey. Early reports indicate a majority of servicemen and women do not care and a minority are opposed to the repeal of the current U.S. policy toward gays/lesbians serving in the military. CNN.com has more here.

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Senate Expected to Vote on Food Safety bill Today - the bill which provides for more authority for the food and drug Administration was passed by the House over a year ago. Currently, voluntary recalls are needed by companies when tainted food is detected such as salmonella is detected in eggs. CNN.com has more here.

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Daily Political Wire 11-29-2010

George Wenschhof

Press Begins Reporting on latest WikiLeaks Document Dump - over a quarter of a million U.S. Diplomatic cables are part of the overall documents to be reviewed. Major newspapers from around the world were given the information as the website Wikileaks.org was under a cyber-attack yesterday that was jamming access to their website. Their website is now up and running and the cables can be accessed here.

There is so much information, it will take months for it all to be released. Makes you wonder how only the one man accused could have obtained so much information.

Amazing details have been released so far including disclosure of a U.S. military Internet "Siprnet"where much of the information was taken from. Seems as though the no-so secret Internet had over 3 million cleared to use it. The Guardian has more here.

Early revelations include U.S. embassy officials offering bribes to foreign countries to take terrorist prisoners from Quantanamo Bay, Saudi Arabia King Abdullah wanting the U.S. to attack Iran, as well as snippets on Russian President Dimitry Medvedev, French President Nicholas Sarkozy, and Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan.

Also damaging was information on how the U.S. state department asked diplomats to spy on their UN counterparts. The NY Times has more here and the Huffington Post has more here.

One lesson sure to be learned by the Diplomats quoted in the released cables is to not put in writing what you don't want to read in the newspaper tomorrow - a lesson hopefully learned by political operatives years ago in the early days of using email to communicate.

Stay tuned as this is a story that will keep going for some time.

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Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Begins Trip to Central Asia and Middle East Today - should be interesting as many of the leaders she will be meeting are mentioned, in a not so flattering way, in the documents released by wikileaks.org. Reuters.com has more here.

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EU Approves 113 billion (85 billion Euro) to Bail Out Ireland - this action follows the aid package to Greece with Portugal and Spain next on the list of countries under the euro in dander of collapse. Watch to see how the markets respond today. Bloomberg.com has more here.

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Lame Duck Session to Resume Today - less than a month remains on the lame duck session and many bills are up in the air.

The Senate Ratification of the START treaty, the extension of the "Bush tax cuts", D.A.D.T., the DREAM Act, extension of long term unemployment benefits, and a bill to continue to fund government are part of what will be a busy agenda.

Look to see the House take up unemployment benefit extension today as the current benefits run out tomorrow for several million Americans.

Tomorrow, President Obama tries again to work toward bipartisan cooperation when leaders of Congress will be invited to the White House for discussion and dinner. the rescheduled meeting comes two weeks after Republican leaders said they were unable to attend an earlier planned meeting.

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Rangel Wants Reprimand and not Censure - after being found guilty of 11 charges, the House Ethics committee recommended censure. Representative Charles Rangel (D-NY) will appeal to the full House for a reprimand. Politico.com has more here.

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Daily Political Wire 11-28-2010

George Wenschhof

Below, Candy Crowley of CNN talks about what will be discussed on "State of The Union" today - the program airs at 9:00 AM and 12:00 PM



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China Calls for Talks in Korean Crisis - as planned U.S./South Korea military exercises began. China is asking that the six member talks resume which were focused on nuclear talks in North Korea. AP has more here.

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Will former Republican Presidents Bush and Bush Support START? - as President Obama works to secure the needed two-thirds senate vote to ratify the nuclear arms reduction and verification treaty with Russia. A public voice of support from the Bush's is being suggested by some Republicans as a way to win support of Republican Senators. The Washington Post has more here.

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Will Politicians who are Centrists gain in Popularity? - a question that may be answered over the next couple of years. Many voters are obviously tired of the usual politics of the Left and the Right attacking each other. Kathleen Parker has a good column on this subject here.

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Dixicrats took a beating in Mid term elections - the South, which has been voting Republican for years, threw out moderate Democrats who had made inroads in southern states. Politico.com has more here.

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lreland Bailout by EU set to be concluded Today - 112 billion is the tab. Portugal and Spain may be next as the worldwide recession does not show indications it is going away. Bloomberg.com has more here.

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Daily Political Wire 11-27-2010

George Wenschhof

Sunday morning "Talking Heads" Lineup - this week the discussion will center on foreign policy issues surrounding the current North Korea/South Korea flare up and the upcoming Senate vote to ratify the START Treaty.

Politico.com has a rundown of the guests here.

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President Obama receives 12 Stitches after playing basketball - seems like the pick up games the president enjoys playing with friends can be competitive. Obama received an elbow to the mouth as he was defending against Rey Decerega, who works for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. CNN.com has more here.

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Early Reports indicate a Busy Black Friday - early indications are sales were higher yesterday than they were a year ago. Bloomberg.com has more here.

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Mark Kirk to be Sworn-In Monday - he will join special election winners Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.). The Illinois Republican-elect did not receive state certification until last week. All three of these new senators will be able to take part in the lame duck session of Congress. TheHill.com has more here.

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Daily Political Wire 11-26-2010

George Wenschhof

China Issues Warning to U.S. - on upcoming joint military exercise with South Korea. The concern is an escalation in the recent exchange of shelling between North and South which resulted in the death of four people. Reuters.com has more here.

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One House seat left to be decided - it is the 1st district in New York where Democrat Tim Bishop has a 235 vote lead over Republican Randy Altschuler. The Fix.com has more here.

Republicans have gained 63 House seats to date.

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Sarah Palin to Alaska tomorrow - sounding and acting more like a 2012 presidential contender. She will be there to promote her new book. Iowa is the first caucus in the 2012 primary, only 13 months from now. You can read more here.

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WikiLeaks.org set to release more Classified Documents - reportedly, the size of the release is huge and potentially contains information that may be harmful to allies of the United States. TheHill.com has more here.

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Will Earmark Reform in Congress result in tuition increases in Maryland? - hundreds of millions of dollars have gone to Maryland Universities and Colleges. The Baltimore Sun has more here.

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Obama Weekly Address 11-25-2010

George Wenschhof

Today, President Obama gives thanks to those who serve in the military. He also talks about what is being done to strengthen the economy and create jobs.



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Republican Weekly Address 11-25-2010

George Wenschhof

Representative-elect Austin Scott (R-GA) gives the Republican address. The newly elected president of the House Republican Conference introduces the new members calling them a "new breed of leaders".

He continues with the Republican theme of less government and less spending.



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DeLay Convicted on Money Laundering Charges

George Wenschhof

Yesterday, Tom DeLay was found guilty of money laundering charges. The former Republican House Majority Leader was found guilty yesterday, five years after being forced to resign. He had been accused of working around a state law in Texas to donate corporate money to political campaigns.

The sentencing could be five to ninety-nine years or the judge could offer probation. DeLay has said he intends to appeal the verdict. The NY Times has more here.

Delay's heavy handed leadership contributed to Democratic House gains in the 2006 and 2008 elections.

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Daily Political Wire 11-24-2010

George Wenschhof

President Obama Meets with Defense Secretary Robert Gates today to discuss North Korea - yesterday, the president called South Korean president Lee-Myung-bak and agreed to hold joint military exercises to show solidarity. The NY Times has more here.

President Obama confirms the U.S. commitment to South Korea when interviewed by Barbara Waters in a special to be aired Friday evening on ABC.



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Two more House races decided - Republicans upped their gains to 63 in the House when Democrat Dan Maffei conceded to Republican Anne Marie Buerkel in New York. FirstRead.com has more here.

Only two House races now remain undecided, with both favoring the Democratic candidate.

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Rahm Emanuel Faces Questions on Residency - the former white House Chief of Staff is receiving claims from his opponents, including one from his tenant, that he does not meet the one year residency requirement to run for mayor of Chicago.

The Emanuel campaign says he never gave up his residency and simply lived elsewhere temporarily. TheHill.com has more here.

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Another challenger to Steele Emerges - not a good sign for RNC chair Michael Steele. The latest to challenge him is Gentry Collins, the former political director of the Republican National Committee.

Steele won the chair position in the eleventh round of balloting several years ago. In spite of Republicans regaining a majority in the House and making significant gains in the Senate, Steele remains a popular target. CNN.com has more here.

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Daily Political Wire 11-23-2010

George Wenschhof

North and South Korea exchange Artillery fire - the latest in long standing differences between the countries. South Korea had been test firing artillery near the North Korea border when North Korea responded with shots to a island of South Korea, killing several soldiers. The NY Times has more here.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs issued a statement calling on North Korea to halt it's belligerent action and to honor the 1953 armistice agreement. The Washington Post has more here.

Another test for the Obama administration.

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Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad faces Impeachment - an interesting development as the parliament indicated they wished to impeach but have refrained from doing so due to the wishes of Supreme Leader Allatollah Ali Khamenei. The Wall Street Journal has more here.

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Kathleen Kennedy Townsend to chair "American Bridge" - a liberal counterpart to conservative groups such as "American Crossroads". David Brock, a Democratic political operative, has set up the group and former Maryland Lt. Governor Townsend has agreed to chair the committee. The committee will support Democratic candidates in the 2012 election and already has 4 million in pledges, including one million from George Soros. You can read more here.

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Four House Races still Undecided - Republicans added another win yesterday when Democrat Representative Solomon Ortiz conceded to Blake Farenthold in Texas. Two races in New York and two in California remain to be decided. Democrats lead in 3 of the remaining races. Republicans have now picked up a total of 62 seats. TheHill.com has more here.

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Miller Sues to Halt Murkowski Senate Victory - Joe Miller backed by Sarah Palin and a tea party favorite, has filed another lawsuit challenging the write in victory of Senator Lisa Murkowski. At issue, the legal definition of the state statute which spells out what is acceptable for a write-in. His argument will be the name has to be spelled correctly and intent is not good enough. Stay tuned... Reuters.com has more here.

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Axelrod to Leave White House after "State of The Union" - the senior adviser to President Obama will be replace by David Plouffe. Plouffe is expected to arrive soon and work for the next month or more with David Axelrod before he leaves. Axelrod will essentially be changing roles with Plouffe, who was the Obama campaign manager in 2008. Politico.com has more here.

One of the problems with the Obama administration is there has been no good spokesperson after the president. Axelrod is one of a long list; a smart individual, but poor appearance and delivery of positions on issues. Don't look to see Plouffe be the answer.

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Jurors Deliberating in Tad DeLay Money Laundering Case - a long time coming in the case involving the former Republican House Majority Leader. CNN.com has more here.

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Daily Political Wire 11-22-2010

George Wenschhof

In case you missed them, below are some quick highlights of the Sunday morning "Talking Heads" put together by CNN.



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Only 43% say Obama deserves another term - the Quinnipiac poll out today shows 49%-43% say he does not deserve another term in office. Obama is essentially tied with Republicans Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee and leads Sarah Palin 48-40%.

A lot can happen in two years to adjust thes numbers, so stay tuned.... Quinnipiac has more on the poll results here.

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Tomorrow, President Obama will tour a Chrysler Plant in Kokomo, Indiana - the transmission plant is receiving 300 million in renovations and the president will tout the stimulus bill. Kokomo has suffered high unemployment rates. Unfortunately, for the the president, the voters in Indiana no longer support him at the same level when they voted for him in the 2008 election. The Chicago Tribune has more here.

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D.A.D.T. report to be released November 30 - the long awaited study by the Pentagon will have an impact on the repeal of the military policy toward gays and lesbians serving in the armed services.

The Obama administration is pushing for a real vote to be held during the lame duck session of Congress. The Washington Post has more here.

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Vice President Joe Biden to meet with Kerry and Hoyer today - in separate meetings, Biden will talk about the ratification of the START Treaty with Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.) who is chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. With Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), the current House Majority Leader, the vice president will most likely be discussing the passage of tax cuts for those making less than $250,000. Politico.com has more here.

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Obama's Middle East Policy Fizzles - the two year effort to reach a Palestinian-Israel peace agreement has been a failure to date. Middle East Envoy George Mitchell has done a yeoman's job at trying to keep dialogue going, but Israel and Palestinian leadership has failed to cooperate.

The latest attempt by the Obama administration to bribe Israel with 3 billion in military stealth fighters in exchange for a ninety day building moratorium is the latest example of the mistakes by the Obama administration. You can read more here.

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Daily Political Wire 11-21-2010

George Wenschhof

North Korea Shows U.S. Scientist Large Nuclear Enrichment Plant - the secretive country has long avoided disclosure with the U.S. in regard to their nuclear program. Which makes this disclosure interesting. The NY Times has more here.

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Meanwhile, President Obama presses Republicans to approve START Treaty.



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Israel/Palestine Peace Talks Remain Stalled - Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas says the talks will not resume without a building moratorium from Israel. The U.S. has tried to persuade Israel to agree to a 90 day moratorium in exchange for 20 stealth fighter warplanes worth 3 billion. You can read more here.

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Barbara Bush on Sarah Palin - "She's beautiful... very happy in Alaska, and I hope she stays there."



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It didn't take NBC "Saturday Night Live" Long to Parody TSA Pat-Downs.



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Daily Political Wire 11-20-2010

George Wenschhof

Sunday morning "Talking Heads" lineup - below, Politico.com has a preview of the morning shows. The discussion will be heavily focused on foreign policy as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen fan out to appear and push for the ratification of the START treaty with Russia during the lame duck session of congress.

Also, sure to be discussed is the recent NATO agreement to end involvement in Afghanistan by the end of 2014 and the U.S. offer of 3 billion in stealth fighter planes to Israel in exchange for a ninety day building moratorium in the disputed West Bank.



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Federal Elections Commission Dismisses Complaint against Republican Senator John Ensign (Nev.) - a complaint had been filed against him in regard to the $96,000 his parents gave a campaign worker who was the former mistress of the Senator.

It was determined that the money was a gift and not a campaign contribution. TPM.com has more here.

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House Ethics Committee Cancels Trial for Representative Maxine Waters (D-Calf.) - only citing new evidence became available which caused them to refer the case back to the subcommittee who originally recommended the trial. The trial had been scheduled to begin November 29.

Waters claims this proves the evidence was weak in regard to her case. She was questioned in regard to her acting on behalf of a Bank receiving bail out funds which her husband owned stock. TheHill.com has more here.

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Representative Steve Israel (D-NY) to be new DCCC Chair - he was named by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calf.) to replace Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) who served as chair for the last two election cycles.

Israel will be tasked at regaining the majority in the House. The NY Times Caucus Blog has more here.

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Senate Settles Black Farmers and American Indian Lawsuits for 4.55 Billion - the long standing lawsuits were finally settled yesterday. Black Farmers had argued they had been denied or underpaid aid and American Indian trust funds had been mismanaged.

It now goes to the House for a vote prior to being signed by President Obama. The NY Times has more here.

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Obama Weekly Address 11-20-2010

George Wenschhof

Today, President Obama speaks of the importance in ratifying the START Treaty with Russia. The treaty which further reduces nuclear arsenals, also provides for inspectors on the ground and is pivotal in maintaining nuclear security in the world.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will appear on three of the Sunday morning "Talking Heads" shows tomorrow, also making the case for the ratification of this treaty during the lame duck session of congress.



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Republican Weekly Address 11-20-2010

George Wenschhof

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell continues to push for the extension of all the Bush tax cuts. He accuses Democrats of focusing on controversial issues during the lame duck session of Congress, instead of actions which will create jobs.



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Daily Political Wire 11-19-2010

George Wenschhof

Today, President Obama is in Lisbon, Portugal for NATO Talks - it is expected agreement will be reached to end the involvement in Afghanistan by 2014. Saturday, the president will attend a meeting with the European Union. Reuters.com has more here.

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Obama Highlights GM's IPO - criticized for the 50 billion bail out and take over by the government, Obama now is having the last laugh as the initial public offering was so huge by GM that half of the government debt will be paid off. The move by the president also saved over one million jobs across the country. TheHill.com has more here.

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Reid and Pelosi to present tax cut extension bills next week - the line has been drawn in the sand after both Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calf.) met with President Obama yesterday.

The bills will limit the extension to those Americans earning $250,000 or less. Republicans have been pushing for a full extension of the Bush administration tax cuts. CNN.com has more here.

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House Republicans Stop Unemployment Benefit Extension - yesterday, the vote was 258-154. A two-thirds vote was needed to extend the benefits set to expire on November 30 for over 2 million recipients. The NY Times Caucus blog has more here.

Democrats are quick to point out Republicans want to deny unemployed Americans benefits but want to give the wealthiest Americans tax breaks.

Note: the required two-thirds vote was due to the parliamentary way in which Democrats presented the bill. Otherwise, the bill would have easily passed with a simple majority. expect the bill to be reintroduced prior to November 30 and receive approval by the House.

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6 House Races Still Undecided - nearly three weeks following the election. Democrats trail in four of the contests; two in New York, one in North Carolina and one in Texas. democrats lead in two; both in California. Politico.com has more here.

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Repeal of D.A.D.T. Winning Support of Congress - Below, Vice president Joe Biden explains why the Justice Department has to defend the policy while the Obama administration supports congressional appeal.

The Pentagon survey will be released early in December and a vote is expected to repeal during the lame duck session of congress.



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House Ethics Committee Recommends Censure for Rangel

George Wenschhof

The full House Ethics Committee has voted 9-1 to Censure Representative Charles Rangel (D-NY). Their recommendation will now go before the full House, where a majority vote is needed. It is expected to be taken up after Thanksgiving by the House. In addition to either approving or disapproving this recommendation, the House still has the option to approve a lesser reprimand or even expel Rangel.

This vote comes after the legal counsel to the committee Blake Chisom, recommended Censure.

Interestingly, a look back through history of reprimands to members of the House reveals only five members received the most severe punishment of being expelled and they were all Democrats. Three of them were Representatives from southern states who were expelled for taking up arms against the Union during the Civil War.

The other two were much more recent with one being Michael Myers (D-Pa.) who was convicted of bribery in the Abscam scandal. The other was James Traficant (D- Ohio) who in 2002 was convicted of bribery and racketeering. Traficant, after serving seven years in prison was back on the ballot for the 2010 mid term elections.

The other options available to discipline a member are either a formal Censure or Reprimand; both of which require a majority vote. The only difference between the two is with a Censure, the member must stand in the well of the House while the resolution is read to them.

Twenty-two members have been Censured with the most recent occurring in 1983. In 1983, there were two members censured and they were Gerry Studds (D-Mass.) and Daniel Crane (R-Ill.). Both were caught up in a sex scandal involving congressional pages.

Only nine members have been reprimanded with the most recent being Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) who last year yelled out "You Lie" during President Obama's State of The Union Address.

Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.),one of many Republicans considering a presidential run in 2012 was reprimanded back in 1997 for use of a tax exempt organization for political purposes.

Barney Frank (D-Mass.), who is still serving today, was reprimanded back in 1990 for use of office to help a friend fix parking tickets.

All of which makes you wonder why Representative Rangel emptied his campaign account by spending close to two million in campaign funds to defend himself against ethics charges when he was not facing any civil charges.

While, eighty year old Representative Charles Rangel will have to endure some embarrassment from this decision, he will be remembered for his long service in congress. Should he decide to run for reelection in 2012, the well liked Rangel will easily win another term.

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Daily Political Wire 11-18-2010

George Wenschhof

Congressional Leadership Stays the Same - in spite of the "wave" election in which republicans gained control of the House and also gained seats in the Senate, the leadership remained the same as before the elections.

Both, the Republican and Democratic Parties will know in two years if staying the course was the right decision.

Meanwhile, a NBC/Wall Street Journal poll finds 73% believe there will be little change after the election and 76% believe the country is headed for more divisiveness. You can read more on the poll results here.

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Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to Hold Votes for D.A.D.T. and DREAM Act - both controversial bills will be brought up in the lame duck session in early December. The NY Times has more here.

The pentagon survey report on D.A.D.T. will be released on December 1 and in spite of opposition by Senator John McCain, the bill repealing the current military policy toward gays/lesbians should be passed.

The DREAM Act will be a heavier lift for Democrats as will be introduced as a stand alone bill and not an attempt toward comprehensive immigration reform. Heated rhetoric is expected as the bill provides for a pathway to citizenship for children of illegal immigrants who attend college or serve in the military. A good bill which could easily be torpedoed due to the lack of consensus of overall immigration reform.

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Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pushed for ratification of START - testifying in front of her former Senate colleagues, she argued the treaty with Russia can not wait for approval. The White House is fighting for approval of this nuclear arms reduction treaty which requires a two-thirds vote in the Senate. TheHill.com has more here.

Failure to have this treaty ratified would be a major blow to the Obama administration.

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Rangel Sanctions Expected Today - the House Ethics committee is meeting this morning to determine the punishment for representative charles Ragel (D-NY) who was found guilty on 11 of 12 ethics charges.

On tap is representative Maxine Waters (D-Calf.) who has her ethics hearing scheduled for November 29. She is accused of intervening in helping a Bank, where her husband owned stock, receive federal funds.

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Unemployment extension set for a vote - so far 319 Billion has been spent in unemployment compensation and a fifth extension of benefits is set to receive a vote prior to the end of the year. If the benefits are not extended, 2 million will stop receiving benefits. You can read more here.

319 billion spent funding a national public service employment program for the unemployed would have been a better use of tax payers money.

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More on Palin running for President in 2012.



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Daily Political Wire 11-17-2010

George Wenschhof

Pelosi expected to win House Democratic Leadership position today - in spite of the drubbing Democrats received in the mid term elections when they lost at least 60 seats in the House. The Washington Post has more here.

Yesterday, Nancy Pelosi held a closed door meeting with the Democratic caucus. It was an opportunity for many to sound off on their concerns on the future direction of the Democratic Party.

A CNN/Opinion Research poll released yesterday showed 45% of Democrats surveyed wanted Pelosi to remain as Leader and 47% wanted her to be replaced. The more conservative "blue dog" Democrats lost heavily in the mid term elections making Pelosi's more liberal base stronger and her reelection as Minority Leader a certainty.

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Republican Senator Jon Kyl (Az.) puts damper on passage of START - he wants to delay consideration by the senate until after the new Congress is sworn in next year. Interestingly, CNN/Opinion Research released a poll yesterday showing 73% of Americans support ratification of the nuclear arms treaty with Russia.

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So much for Cooperation in Washington - President Obama had previously announced he had invited the leaders of the new Congress to the White House for discussions and dinner tomorrow. Unfortunately, the Republicans did not RSVP. Voters are pessimistic consensus will result from this meeting according to a poll conducted by Quinnipiac University. The poll showed 73% did not feel cooperation would result from this meeting.

The meeting has been rescheduled for November 30. TheHill.com has more here.

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Who will be the 2012 GOP Nominee for President? - over twelve possible candidates received votes in a poll conducted by Gallup. The highest percentage of support received was 19% by former Governor Mitt Romney. Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee each received 16% and Newt Gingrich received 13%. Gallup.com has more here.

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GM increases shares offered in IPO Today - the government stake in the company could be cut in half from 60% to 31% if the initial offering goes as planned today. While many republicans complained of the government bail out of General Motors, the move seems to be paying dividends. Bloomberg.com has more here.

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Lisa Murkowski Claims Victory in Alaska senate race - even with subtracting out the disputed ballots from the Joe Miller campaign, she has a lead of over two thousand votes. A first, for a write in candidate to win a U.S. senate seat and a blow to Sarah Palin's influence. Palin had backed tea party favorite Joe Miller and has a long standing feud with Lisa Murkowski. Politico.com has more here.

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Bipartisan Policy Center Offers Deficit Reduction Plan - the plan co-authored by former Republican Senator Pete Domenici (N.M.) and former Clinton administration Budget director Alice Rivlin. The plan would reduce deficits by 5.9 trillion from 2012 to 2020.

One part of the plan includes a one year period, beginning next year of no social security tax which would they believe would spur job creation as the current 12.6% tax split by employers and employees would be waived. Unfortunately, the social security program, already beset with under funding, would lose 650 Billion in just one year. The NY Times has more here.

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Rangel Has to Wait for Punishment from Guilty Verdict

George Wenschhof



To no surprise, Representative Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) was found guilty on 11 of 12 ethics charges. The verdict was swift by the eight member panel, helped along by Rangel's refusal to take part in the hearing process.

The guilty rulings ranged from his failure to report rental income on overseas property, to use of rent controlled apartments for campaign/personal use.

The panel will now send their ruling to the full House ethics committee and they will decide the punishment. A formal reprimand or a censure is expected when the committee meets later this week. Expulsion from the House would require a full House vote and is considered unlikely.

Rangel still has the opportunity to speak to the ethics committee prior to them issuing their verdict.

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Daily Political Wire 11-16-2010

George Wenschhof

Rangel offers No Defense in Ethics Trial - after, what has seemed years of delay, Representative Charles Rangel (D-NY) asked for another delay due to his being unable to afford a lawyer. Turns out, he had spent his entire campaign fund (approx. 1.6 million) on his defense to date and could no longer afford legal representation. The use of campaign funds is allowable, but this is a painful example of what is wrong with existing use of campaign funds. When the delay was not granted, Rangel left the hearing.

The House ethics committee is expected to make a ruling today. Expect a letter of reprimand or a censure, but for the ruling to fall short of an explusion from the House. TheHill.com has more here.

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Wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to step down as Director of Conservative Organization - Virginia Thomas has been the executive director of Liberty Central, a conservative group which supports tea party positions on issues. Her serving in this capacity has led many to question the ethics of a wife of a supreme court justice working for a political organization. The NY Times has more here.

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Pelosi continues to put out fires in Democratic caucus - after Heath Shuler (D-NC) realized he would not have the votes to oust Nancy Pelosi (D-Calf.) as House Speaker and soon to be Minority Leader, he and other blue dog democrats are working to strip her of the power to appoint chairs of the DCCC and other important committees. The (CBC) Congressional Black caucus is also asking for more details of the position promised to James Clyburn (D-N.C.). Politico.com has more here.

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3 Billion for 20 stealth fighters part of U.S. deal with Israel to restart peace talks - and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has to plea with his parliament for approval of a 90 day building freeze? A ridiculous proposal by the Obama administration in a desperate attempt to restart the Palestinian/Israel peace process The proposed deal includes a guarantee no additional time for a building freeze would be submitted. Let's see, 3 billion for a 90 day building freeze - who wouldn't take that deal? NPR.org has more here.

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Daily Political Wire 11-15-2010

George Wenschhof

Representative Charles Rangel (D-NY) Ethics Trial Begins Today - his trial along with Representative Maxine Waters (D-Calf.) were delayed until after the mid term elections. This is the first ethics trial for a house member since 2002. Rangel faces thirteen charges ranging from failure to disclose income to misuse of government property. The NY Times has more here.

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Coons and Manchin to be sworn in to Senate today - Democrats Joe Manchin of Virginia and Chris Coons of Delaware will be sworn in this afternoon by Vice President Joe Biden. They will be sworn in before the regular January ceremony as they are finishing the terms of Robert Byrd and interestingly, Joe Biden.

Republican Mark Kirk who won the Obama seat in Illinois is still waiting to receive certification from the state. he is expected to be sworn in at the end of the month. TheHill.com has more here.

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Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates Argue for START ratification - in an op-ed published in the Washington Post. One of the reasons for passage is the treaty allows for the U.S. to inspect Russia's nuclear program. You can read it here.

Ratification by the Senate, where a two-thirds vote is needed, will not be easy in the current political climate.

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Obama hopeful 90 day Israeli freeze on Settlements will restart peace talks with Palestinians - the latest U.S. initiated peace talks ended almost as soon as they began as Israel refused to agree to an extension of a moratorium on new building permits in the West Bank.

Now, the U.S. has proposed a 90 day building freeze during which negotiations would resume. The U.S. offered Israel sweeteners such as security guarantees to move the deal forward. Politico.com has more here.

Doubtful, peace can be achieved in ninety days in a region beset by centuries of ethnic and religious differences.

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Obama to present 4 year plan to end U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan - the plan is to be presented to NATO at a meeting this week. You can read more here.

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Notes on the Week Ahead in Washington

George Wenschhof

Two weeks will have passed since the mid term elections and President Obama will be back in town after a ten day Asian trip. Results from the mid term elections and the Asian trip were not very positive for the Obama administration as Democrats lost control of the House and little positive outcomes from trade and global economic negotiations were announced during the president's trip.

This week, the Lame-Duck Congress will open and the looming question is what will be accomplished?

While Democrats could pass most of what they wanted as they still maintain a solid majority in the House, Senate Republicans have shown they are capable, with the use of the outdated filibuster, of stopping Democratic legislation.

Before, Congress focuses on what bills to address, they will first vote on their new leadership. Interesting, as the vote will take place before newly elected members of Congress are sworn in.

No major changes are expected on either side as Democrats are expected to keep Harry Reid (Nev.) as Senate Majority Leader and Republicans will keep Mitch McConnell (Ky.) as Minority Leader.

The House Leaders will also stay the same with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calf.) and Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) merely changing positions upon the start of the new Congress. Democrats avoided a nasty insider fight by agreeing to make Steny Hoyer (Md.) Minority Whip and creating a new position of Assistant Minority Leader position for James Clyburn (N.C.). Eric Cantor (Va.) will assume the Majority Leader position.

With no changes in leadership on either side of the aisle, do not expect much compromise and consensus building to transpire.

However, President Obama will take a stab at it by inviting the leaders of Congress to the White House on Thursday for a afternoon discussion, followed by dinner. Expected to be discussed is what bills can we pass now during the lame-duck and where do we go from here?

No big shake ups expected within the Obama administration other than a long planned exit of Senior White House adviser Axelrod who will most likely be replaced by David Plouffe. In a reversal of roles by the two close advisers as the campaign to reelect Obama kicks into gear come Spring.

Votes most likely to come forward during the lame duck session, in no particular order are as follows:

Extension of Bush Tax Cuts - sunsets as of 12-31-2010. Expect at minimum a passage of all tax cuts for two years, which effectively puts off making a decision. An option picking up support is a passage of all the current tax cuts except those on folks making more than one million.

An interesting figure is if all the tax cuts enacted by the Bush administration were allowed to expire and we went back to the Clinton administration tax levels, the deficit would be reduced by more than 2.5 trillion.

The START Treaty with Russia which further reduces the number of nuclear weapons, is now in danger of not being passed if it is not acted on during the lame duck session. Even if acted on now, the required two-thirds votes needed in the Senate will be difficult. Obama needs this to pass - if this also fails, it will be another blow to his administration.

Extension of Unemployment Benefits - set to expire the end of the year. Democrats will push for a one year extension, but doubtful this will be approved. Look to see a 3-6 month compromised approved.

What should have been proposed is a national public service jobs program which required unemployed to work in an area of public service. This way, a public service would be provided for the tax payers money being spent.

DREAM Act - a bill which provides a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants who attend college or serve in the military. This is a good bill and should be approved, but it is unlikely to be approved until a comprehensive immigration bill is introduced.

Energy bill - Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.) will try again for some watered down bill devoid of the controversial cap-and-trade provisions, but it will face stiff opposition.

The deficit reduction commission will also issue their recommendations in early December, but do not expect any action by Congress on them during the lame-duck session.

Also, remember there is a planned update on the Afghanistan war in December planned which would hopefully lead to the beginning of U.S. troop withdrawal this coming summer.

This report is also pivotal for the Obama administration. If the withdrawal of troops is delayed, this would be another setback for Obama and further anger the Democratic base.

Stay Tuned...

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Daily Political Wire 11-13-2010

George Wenschhof

Obama heads home with few results from Asian trip - the trade agreement with India announced during the first leg of the ten day overseas trip turned out to be the best news to come forth.

A trade agreement with S. Korea was delayed and only a statement of principle was announced from the G-20 summit on trade guidelines. The Washington Post has more here.

President Obama began the ten day trip immediately after the mid term elections and had to be hoping for more positive news following the drubbing Democrats took in Congress.

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Democrats reach agreement on House Leadership - Nancy Pelosi (Calf.) created the leadership problem when she decided she wanted to be the new House Minority Leader, a position most assumed would go to Steny Hoyer (Md.), who is the current House Majority Leader.

The odd man out became James Clyburn (N.C.), who as current House Majority Whip, would have become the House Minority Whip. Now, a new, third ranking position has been created for Clyburn, to avert a bitter struggle between Clyburn and Hoyer for the Minority Whip position. The NY Times has more here.

The next two years and the results of the upcoming 2012 presidential election will determine whether Pelosi's decision to stand and fight was good for the Democratic Party.

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Sunday Morning "Talking Heads" - the usual suspects appear tomorrow, including White House Senior Adviser David Axelrod, Senator John McCain (R-Az.) and Representative James Clyburn (D-N.C.). Politico.com has more here.

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52% Negative Rating for Palin - the president want to be can not shake the high negative rating Americans have of her. The latest Gallup poll had her favorable rating at only 40%. Not a good sign for former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as she weighs entering into the 2012 presidential contest. Gallup.com has more here.

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Obama Weekly Address 11-13-2010

George Wenschhof

Today, President Obama called on reform of Earmarks used in Congress. He stated more transparency is needed, especially due to the difficult economic times facing Americans.

Obama also discusses his trip to India resulting in an increase in American trade which will lead to more jobs for Americans.



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Republican Weekly Response 11-13-2010

George Wenschhof

Representative Greg Waldren (R-Ore.) delivers the Republican Weekly Address today and discusses the changes Republicans intend to make in the House. He was chosen by incoming House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) to lead the Republican transition to majority in the House.



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Daily Political Wire 11-12-2010

George Wenschhof

President Obama in Japan today - on the last leg of his Asian trip. The G-20 meetings did not result in any major agreements and the long negotiated trade deal with South Korea also delayed. Japan is facing major economic problems including deflation. CNN.com has more here.

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Obama faces economic issues when he returns home - to compromise or not on the extension of the Bush tax cuts is one of the first issues the president has to confront as the tax cuts expire at the end of the year. Liberal democrats, led by House speaker Nancy Pelosi says Democrats should not compromise. The Washington Post has more here.

In addition, the bipartisan deficit reduction commission co-chairs have released a series of proposals to reduce the deficit which has angered both the Left and Right. The NY Times has more here.

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Congressional Approval Only 17% - the recent mid term elections did little to improve the rating Americans have of Congress. The Gallup poll shows a drop from the 21% approval prior to the elections. Gallup.com has more here.

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Steele to face Challenges for RNC Chair - Saul Anuzis, former chair of the Michigan republican Party has announced he will run for chair of the Republican National Committee. In spite of huge Republican victories in the mid term elections, Steele has been beset with problems and political gaffes after barely winning the chair position in the 11th round of balloting less than two year ago. You can read more here.

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Will an Energy bill be introduced in Lame Duck Session? - doubtful any major legislation will be introduced. However, attempts might be made to require utilities to increase use of clean energy in producing electricity. TheHill.com has more here.

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Dream Act Likely to be Introduced during lame Duck Session - a bill which would provide a pathway to U.S. citizenship for children of illegal immigrants. Citizenship would be earned after serving in the military for two years or attending college. You can read more here.

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FreedomWorks Provides Orientation to Incoming Tea Party Congressmen - Former Republican Majority Leader Dick Armey is leading the several day orientation to new members. Politico.com has more here.

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We Didn't Vote for This

Frank Knapp

Whether Americans voted for Republicans or Democrats in the mid-term election, one thing is clear: Voters were demanding that Congress focus intensively on job creation on Main Street -- not lobbyists and campaign donors from big business and Wall Street.

Apparently, many in Congress and President Obama, if recent reports are true, either didn't get the message or simply don't care now that the voting is over.

The top legislative priority of the newly "Tea Party-empowered" during the lame duck session is hardly what Tea Party insurgents had in mind. The proposal is to (1) increase the national debt by borrowing $700 billion to $1 trillion over the next 10 years; (2) spend the money on big, non-job producing tax cuts for the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans; (3) use small business as the excuse.

This bad-business proposal is now being pushed in Congress and the media by those advocating extending the Bush-era tax cuts to the top two income brackets. While proponents acknowledge that less than 3 percent of the taxpayers who would receive the tax cuts actually have some business income, they insist that these approximately 900,000 taxpayers are the very successful small business owners who will stop hiring and purchasing if they don't get their tax cut. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

First, almost all real small business owners are middle-class Americans with middle-class incomes. Walk down any Main Street and you won't find small business owners netting over $250,000 a year in profit (dollars remaining after the cost of employee wages and other business expenses are deducted from taxable income).

These middle-income, Main Street small businesses are the ones we really need to help create the new jobs to lift us out of this down economy. There is absolutely no evidence that the wealthiest small business owners create more jobs than those in any other tax brackets. As any small business owner knows, the number of employees does not correlate with profit.

So who are these mysterious high-income "small business" taxpayers in the top two brackets who Congress is considering borrowing hundreds of billions from foreign countries in order to give a tax cut?

Very few of them are what most would consider small business owners. They include partners in large corporate law firms, hedge fund managers, K Street lobbyists, high-powered consultants, Wall Street bond traders and the country's wealthiest millionaires -- all of whom claim some business income and thus are counted in IRS eyes as small businesses. These aren't "mom and pop" businesses, says Adam Looney, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

Not only are the vast majority of these 900,000 "faux" small business taxpayers not involved in job hiring decisions, the tax cut won't even cause them to significantly increase their personal spending to create the demand for new jobs.

The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) evaluated 11 policy options in terms of boosting economic growth and creating jobs. It found that "policies that would temporarily increase the after-tax income of people with relatively high income...would have smaller effects because such tax cuts would probably not affect the recipients' spending significantly."

The wealthiest Americans are more likely to save their money from a tax cut rather than spend it, according to Moody's Analytics, Inc.

If we really want to give a tax cut that will create jobs, then we could cut employer payroll taxes on businesses that actually increase their workforce. The CBO estimates this would have six to eight times as much job-creating impact as an income tax cut. The policy the CBO found with the biggest bang for the buck is extending unemployment insurance. It would boost demand by providing income to people most needing to spend it in the local economy.

Alternatively we could create more customers for our small businesses through infrastructure projects, many of them long overdue upkeep or modernization, or keeping teachers and law enforcement officers working rather than laid off. The policy the CBO found with the biggest bang for the buck is extending unemployment insurance -- a direct infusion of money into local economies by people buying for their basic needs.

Increasing the nation's deficit while not saving or creating jobs is just more politics as usual in Washington where those with the most money get rewarded with even more money.

Congress needs to hear this loud and clear. These high-end tax cuts serve K Street lobbyists not Main Street shop owners. Politicians should not use us to justify a very bad business decision.


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Knapp is President and CEO of the South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce.

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Copyright (C) 2010 by American Forum. 11/2010

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Daily Political Wire 11-11-2010

George Wenschhof

Deficit Commission Co-Chairs Release Draft Proposal - realizing much of what they are putting forth will not reach approval of the 14 member Debt Commission. Co-Chairs Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson don't leave much out as they cover everything from the military to social security. They must be hoping to stimulate a national discussion on how best to reduce the trillion plus national budget.

The White House is withholding comment until the commission releases it's report due early next month. Union Leaders and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi were quick to attack proposed changes in social security and medicare.

You can read the 50 page proposal here.

Speculation will certainly follow as to why former Clinton administration chief of staff Bowles and former Wyoming Republican Senator Simpson released this draft.

However, national discussion is important and serious discussion and consideration of budget reduction on all areas of the budget is needed.

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Axelrod says Obama willing to extend all Bush Tax Cuts - recognizing the votes are not there to only extend the tax cuts for those making under $250,000.

White House Senior Adviser David Axelrod was interviewed yesterday by the Huffington Post and you can read more here.

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Democratic House Leadership Vote Scheduled for Wednesday - to the surprise of many, Nancy Pelosi (Calf.) is running for the Minority Leadership position after losing her House Speaker position as a result of the huge Republican gains in the mid term elections.

Some Democrats in the House are now saying "hold on, this is moving too fast". Representative Mary Kaptur (Ohio) and Peter Defazio (Wash.) want the vote delayed until December. The NY Times The Caucus Blog has more here.

Pelosi's run for Minority Leader has also caused turmoil among House Democrats as Steny Hoyer (Md.) has now been pitted against popular James Clyburn (N.C.) for the Minority Whip position.

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Will U.S./Russia START Treaty pass in Lame Duck Session? - Senate Foreign Relations chair John Kerry (D-Mass.) is hopeful of passage. However, a two-thirds vote is needed to ratify a treaty and this may not be reached. If, the treaty, which further reduces nuclear weapons between the two counties, is not passed during the lame duck session, it is unlikely it will be passed when the new congress is sworn in next year. TheHill.com has more here.

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Israel/Palestine Peace Talks in Jeopardy - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expresses disappointment over the latest decision by Israel to approve 1000 building permits in East Jerusalem.

The talks broke down after just two meetings due to the refusal by Israel to extend a moratorium on building permits in disputed areas. CNN.com has more here.

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Deal reached in Iraq on leadership - eight months after their elections an agreement has been reached which will allow Nuri Kamal al-Maliki to continue as Prime Minister.

His rival, Ayad Allawi, was to become Speaker of the Parliament and also head of a newly formed national security committee. The NY Times has more here.

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Mid Term Election Update - voting continues in Alaska in the Senate race and 8 House seats remain undecided. You can read a full update here.

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