Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Budget Talks Continue - if the "gang of six" 3.7 trillion debt reduction proposal continues to garner support, the likelihood of a short term agreement increases. This, to give time for the details of the "gang of six" proposal to be finalized. The McConnell "emergency" plan authorizing President Obama to make cuts, up to a limit, also remains a distinct possibility as the August 2 default date nears.

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), after sharing pizza with a group of freshmen tea party supported Representatives, will hold a press conference this morning at 11:15 AM.

Meanwhile, Wall Street is hedging on the budget talks, making plans to make money regardless of what transpires. The NY Times has more here.

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Obama maintains 47% Approval Rating - in the latest Gallup poll, it shows Obama has maintained an approval rating near 47% for the last 5 quarters. History shows Reagen with a lower approval rating in quarter 10 with 44%, who then went on to win reelection. Gallup suggests the data is more important indicator in quarters 12 and 13 as to whether a president will win reelection. Gallup.com has more here.

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Unemployment Claims up 10,000 - for the week ending July 16. Another bad sign for the economy as seasonal job opportunity typically reduced unemployment over the summer months. Bloomberg.com has more here.

For over two years now, I have been calling for the President and Congress to implement a federal public service employment program. A program which has successfully in the past put people to work in the areas affected the most by recession.

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Recall of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker Next? - in a response to the union busting bill passed by the Governor, recall elections near for eight state senators next month. The results of the recall elections could well alter the balance of the Republican majority state senate, resulting in the bill being overturned. But, another recall may well be in the works. In Wisconsin, the governor must be in office for at least one year before a recall can begin. So, the earliest would be early 2012. The Wisconsin state democratic Party has indicated if a recall does take place, they would prefer it coincide with the 2012 general election. TPM.com has more here.

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Massachusetts Governor Supports Reduced In-State Tuition for Undocumented Immigrants - Democratic Governor Deval Patrick is the latest to support the state version of the "Dream Act" which failed in the U.S. Congress. Twelve states, including Maryland, have passed similar legislation which provides in-state tuition to children of undocumented immigrants who agree to follow a pathway to citizenship. The Boston Globe has more here.

The passage of the DREAM Act in Maryland resulted in a petition which will cause a referendum on the issue to be held in the 2012 general election.

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Bachmann Releases Doctor's note on Migraines - in response to the media questions pertaining to her history of migraines. You can read more here. I would suggest there are many more important and compelling reasons why Representative Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) should not be president.

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