Democratic Chatter 2-5-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

Today, President Barack Obama attended the annual National Prayer Breakfast - ThePage.time.com has the text of his speech here. This evening he will speak at the House Democrats annual Retreat in Williamsburg, Virginia.

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Two more Obama Cabinet nominees to face Senate Hearings today - Leon Panetta, the pick to head the CIA will go in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee. He is a former White House Chief of Staff under the Clinton administration and initial questions related to his lack of experience n the intelligence field. Recently. his financial disclosures show he worked for some of the major financial firms that have experienced difficulty of late. The Wall Street Journal has more here.

Hilda L. Solis who was nominated for Labor Secretary should receive a vote in the Senate committee reviewing her appointment today. Republicans had delayed the vote due to their concerns regarding her views on organized labor. The Washington Post has more here.

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A Paul Volcker - Lawrence Summers spat? - Volcker was picked by the president to head a economic advisory group to come up with new ideas for economic recovery for the country. He is upset that Summers, who is the White House Economic Council Director has not been communicating with him. Another distraction at a time when Obama is trying to pass his Stimulus bill. Bloomberg.com has more here.

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Unemployment jumps higher again - the labor department issued reports showing claims are the highest since 1982. The other distressing news is the length of time for the unemployed has increased which also shows how bad the job market has become. Reuters.com has more here.

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Stimulus bill continues to receive scrutiny - with the Senate version of the Stimulus bill now approaching 900 Billion, more and more Americans are questioning the bill. Even with the President's popularity, the bill has become a tough sell as voters are calling their elected officials on the Hill in record numbers. Politico.com has more here.

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Taxpayers at risk of fraud with TARP - that is what a 188 page report says that was prepared by Neil Barofky, a special inspector general, who delivered the report to Congress today. As everyone now knows, a lack of accountability surrounded the issuance of the first 350 Billion from the Troubled Assets Relief Program. TheHill.com has more here.

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