Daily Democratic Wire 7-10-2009

George Wenschhof

Today, President Barack Obama is in Rome - He will be meeting with Pope Benedict XVI. Yesterday, the G-8 agreed to contribute 20 Billion in farm aid to help feed needy nations. Reuters.com has more here.

The President then heads to Ghana where a huge crowd is expected. BBC has more here.

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Obama says health care reform will happen this year - he offered these comments from L'Aquila, Italy, prior to heading to Rome to meet with the Pope. the president is urging Congress to have a bill out by the end of August. Obama acknowledged reform was not easy due to intense lobbying by special interests who benefit from the current system. Politico.com has more here.

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Costa Rica President Oscar Arias begins mediation of Honduras situation -yesterday, he hosted separate meetings with ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya and interim President Roberto Micheletti. No agreement was reached. You can read more here.

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GM emerges from bankruptcy after only 40 days - CEO Fritz Henderson says the auto maker will focus on "customers cars, and culture". Makes you wonder, what were they focusing on previously? Let's see how they do now that their massive debt has been eliminated. MSNBC.com has more here.

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Senator John Ensign (R-Nev.) stays in spotlight as his parents admit they gave his mistress's family $96,000 - a benevolent gift, of course and not to be confused with the term "hush money". I guess the line "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" did not apply in this case. Republicans continue to receive the headlines they do not want. TheHill.com has more here.

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Illinois Senator Roland Burris (D) will not run for election in 2010 - Democrats had their share of wackiness as the entire former governor rod Blagojevich saga was being played out. Along the way, the Governor appointed Burris to fill the vacant U.S. Senate seat held previously by Barack Obama. Burris is set to announce today, he will not run for election next year. The Chicago Sun-Times has more here. One Democrat to watch in the coming primary, is businessman Chris Kennedy, the son of the late Robert F. Kennedy.

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