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they still maintain a solid majority in the House, Senate Republicans have shown they are capable, with the use of the outdated filibuster, of stopping Democratic legislation.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 Democratic Wire 9-3-2009

George Wenschhof

President Barack Obama to deliver health care reform speech to joint session of Congress - while he and his family are at Camp David, the president will be busy fine tuning the speech he will give next Wednesday. It is a pivotal speech in regard to the success of health care reform as Democrats need to recapture the momentum. Politico.com has more here.

The President while at Camp David, is also faced with reviewing the U.S. policy in Afghanistan and deciding if additional troops are warranted. You can read more here.

Look to see the speech on health care reform to focus on less than a half dozen areas where reform will help. Areas such as the rising cost of health insurance, denial of coverage due to preexisting conditions, and loss of insurance when you lose your job are likely to be included. Specifics are needed now as the Republicans have been successful in their misinformation campaign designed to scare Americans. Also, a new idea is being floated in regard to the public option which is being labeled a "trigger" provision - it would mean if certain conditions exist, then the public option would be instituted, otherwise, it would not.

Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle has an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal today where he talks about how the failure to reform the health care system will be costly for Americans. You can read it here.

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Vice President Joe Biden to give speech on Stimulus Bill today - He will address the Brookings Institute and talk about the success of the 787 Billion program. This speech comes as Americans are becoming wary of the massive government spending without visible signs of improvement in unemployment across the country. Biden is expected to discuss the added jobs in education, the addition police, and infrastructure projects underway. You can read more here.

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Union Card Check bill still alive - another controversial bill received a needed boost for passage when incoming AFL - CIO president Richard Trumka indicated he would favor preserving an employer's right to demand a secret ballot election. TheHill.com has more here.

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NY Times offers glimpse into Kennedy Memoir - a book penned by the late Senator Ted Kennedy is due to be released this month and is entitled "True Compass". The NY Times has some excerpts here.

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Democratic News Chatter 4-5-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

Saturday night, President Barack Obama arrived in Prague where he will be attending the EU Summit - he was greeted by Czech Republic President Vaclav Klaus and Prime Minister Mirek Topolank. Obama immediately condemned the missile launch by North Korea and called upon the UN Security council to take punitive measures. The NY Times has more here.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command has reported the missile did not make orbit and the various stages of the rocket and it's payload ended up in the Sea of japan and the Pacific Ocean. CNN.com has more here.

This morning in a speech delivered in Prague, President Obama called for a ban on testing of nuclear weapons. He went on to call for the elimination of the world's nuclear weapons. ThePage.time.com has the text of his speech and a video clip here.

It was the Czech republic and Poland where the George W. Bush administration had intended to place missiles as part of a missile shield. This had led to heightened tensions between Russia and the U.S. before President Obama indicated he would review the U.S. plan.

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Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich says U.S. should have disabled missile - appearing on Fox News Sunday, he ridiculed President Obama's Prague speech calling for the end of nuclear weapons. He went on to say you can't trust Russia and other nations. Politico.com has more here. Gingrich is fast rising to the top in a crowded field as the visible spokesman for the Republican party. It was Gingrich's "Contract with America" that led to the 1994 elections and republicans gaining power in Congress.

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NATO agrees to send 5000 military personnel to Afghanistan - they will be used for military training and police. They will be helpful in providing security for the upcoming August elections. You can read more here.

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Attorneys already in place for candidates in NY district 20 special election - as I suspected yesterday, this has all the signs of another long dragged out determination of who won. Both the Jim Tedisco (R) and Scott Murphy (D) campaign have hired lawyers to represent them. Prior to 6000 absentee ballots being counted the unofficial vote count has it exactly tied between the two candidates with about 154,000 votes cast. TheHill.com has more here.

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Sunday Morning "Talking Heads" Guests for 3-29-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

The economy will continue to be the focus of discussion by pundits this coming Sunday morning. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner will appear on "Meet The Press" and "This Week". Perhaps Mr. Geithner feels buoyed by the third straight week of gains on the Dow Jones. This is the first time that has happened in almost a year.

Geithner is not exactly a good front man so we will all get to see how he does explaining his latest public-private partnership plan to rid banks of their toxic assets. In addition, he will be asked about his request from Congress of new regulations on financial institutions.

On Monday, the president's auto industry task force will be announcing their recommendations to the automakers on how to restructure their companies. These changes will be monitored and tied to the receipt of the additional 22 billion that has been requested by GM and Chrysler. Let's see if anyone brings this up for discussion.

The president appears on "Face The Nation" so expect him to receive the same financial questions as Mr. Geithner. Another subject that will receive attention Sunday morning is the war in Afghanistan. President Obama announced an additional 4000 troops to be deployed and 1.5 billion in yearly aid to Pakistan for the next five years. It will be interesting to see if the president receives tough questions regarding sending this amount of aid to the unstable government in Pakistan. Getting the U.S. out of Iraq and into a quagmire in Afghanistan also deserves tough questions.

Perhaps, that is why Defense Secretary Robert Gates will be appearing on "Fox News Sunday" and General Petraeus and U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke will appear on "State of The Union".

As always, remember to check your local listings for time and channel. Below is a list of the guests appearing on the Sunday Morning "Talking Heads". Tune in and enjoy.

NBC "Meet The Press" - David Gregory will interview Senator John McCain (R-Az.) and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.

ABC "This Week" - George Stephanopoulos also interviews Timothy Geithner. The roundtable will include Matthew Dowd, Paul Krugman, George Will, and Cokie Roberts.

CBS "Face The Nation" - Bob Schieffer will lead the ratings this Sunday morning as his guest is President Barack Obama.

Fox News Sunday - Chris Wallace will interview Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

CNN "State of The Union" - John King lands General David Petraeus and Richard Holbrooke who is the U.S. special envoy for Afganistan and Pakistan. Also appearing will be Senators Kent Conrad (D-ND) and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). Representative John Spratt (D-SC) is also on the show.

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Democratic Chatter 3-9-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

This morning, President Barack Obama will sign an executive order reversing the ban on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research - the ban had been put in place by the previous George W. Bush administration. You can read more here.

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Warren Buffet's latest comments and a volatile worldwide market may lead to losses on the Dow today - Stocks in Europe and Asia both fell as the week started. The NY Times has more here. Meanwhile, Buffet said this morning on CNBC that the economy "has fallen off a cliff". CNBC.com has more here. Expect both Buffet's comment and the losses in Asia and Europe to have a negative impact on the Dow Jones today.

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President Obama returns from Camp David early to attend Tribute to Senator Ted Kennedy - the Tribute was held at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.. Senator Kennedy received the John F. Kennedy "Profile in Courage" annual award while celebrating his 77th birthday. Many stars and politicians were in attendance including James Taylor, Bill Cosby, Lauren BaCall. CNN.com has more here.

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Senate expected to approve 410 billion omnibus bill tomorrow - much political bluster has resulted from this bill which Congress was unable to approve last Thursday. A stop gap government agency funding measure was approved for five days as elected officials from both sides of the aisle pointed fingers. The ballyhoo is over earmarks and there are plenty of them that were tacked on by both Republican and Democratic representatives. TheHill.com has more here.

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Vice President Joe Biden is off to Brussels today - he will be meeting with NATO allies to discuss Afghanistan and Pakistan. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was there last week as the Obama administration develops their plan for U.S. involvement in Afghanistan. You can read more here.

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Democratic Chatter 3-8-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

Did you remember to "Spring Forward"? Time to set your clocks around one hour!

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President Barack Obama considers reaching out to moderate Taliban - to aid in the stabilization of Afghanistan. A similar strategy was used in Iraq with segments of the Sunni community. Afghanistan President Karzai welcomed the news. The NY Times has more here.

The President is also planning a trip to Turkey - a large Muslim nation, this would fulfill Obama's promise to visit and reach out to the Muslim world. The Chicago Tribune Swamppolitics.com has more here.

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Help on the way for Treasury Secretary Geithner - the White House announced yesterday three senior appointments to the Treasury. They are David Cohen for terrorist financing, Alan Kreger for economic policy and Kim Wallace for legislative affairs. Early speculation is Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner will be among the first casualties of the Obama administration. So far, he has failed to instill confidence in investors or the American voter. CNN.com has more here.

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Remember the Minnesota Senate race? - well, it is still not over. Democrat Al Franken just lost a state supreme court decision on his request to have the state recount be certified and for him to be seated as Senator. The Democrats could sure use this seat in the Senate so it is not a surprise that Republican Norm Coleman is battling so hard to retain his seat. Politico.com has more here.

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A tribute will be held for Senator Ted Kennedy tonight - in celebration of his 77th birthday and a lifetime in politics. Vice President Joe Biden and his wife plan to attend. ThePage.time.com has more here.

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Democratic Chatter 3-5-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

President Barack Obama will convene a Health Care Summit at the White House today - over 120 are expected to attend to discuss health care reforms. The president will make opening remarks and then break out groups will be formed to discuss different areas of needed health care reform for the country. Kathleen Sebelius who has been nominated for HHS Secretary is not expected to be there today. Reuters.com has more here.

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Karl Rove and Harriet Miers will testify before Congress - a federal judge recent ruled they could not use executive privilege as a reason not to testify. The House judiciary committee chaired by John Conyers (D-NY) have been investigating the firing of U.S. attorneys for political reasons during the George W. Bush administration. Rove was a White house political adviser and Miers was White House counsel. CNN.com has more here.

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California Supreme Court to hear arguments on ban of same-sex marriages - Proposition 8 was recently passed which banned same-sex marriages in the state. Questions surround if this action was constitutional and what to do in regard to the estimated 19,000 same-sex marriages which took place prior to the ban. McClatchydc.com has more here.

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Is Michael Steele on the way out as RNC Chair? - he was selected as chair after six rounds of balloting about one month ago. Ever since then, he has been stumbling as the newly elected chair of the Republican National Committee. Whether it has been his boisterous comments of "either work with us or get out of the way..." or his recent public spat with Republican talk show host Rush Limbaugh, republicans are wondering if they made the right choice. Politico.com has more here.

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On the economic front, the Dow Jones is down 100 today in early trading - GM announced it may not be able to avoid bankruptcy and China indicated they will not be adding to their current stimulus plan. Bloomberg.com has more here.

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On the foreign policy front, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been busy in meetings with NATO - she proposed NATO resume formal relations with Russia which had been suspended after the Georgia republic-Russia flare up. NATO voted to resume relations with Russia today. In a smart move, Clinton also proposed a international meeting on Afghanistan. It will take more than just the U.S. involvement to stabilize Afghanistan. Tomorrow, she travels to Geneva to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. You can read more here.

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Democratic Chatter 2-18-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

Today, President Barack Obama will announce his mortgage relief program in Phoenix, Arizona - this is the home state of his 2008 presidential opponent, Senator John McCain. Phoenix has experienced high levels of foreclosures. The program is part of the revised 700 billion Bailout bill (TARP), Secretary Timothy Geithner tried to explain last week. Reportedly, 50-100 billion will be made available to help banks restructure loans resulting in lower monthly payments to homeowners. CNN.com has more here.

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Unfortunately, the first reaction by Wall Street to the Stimulus bill signing yesterday was a 297.1 drop in the Dow Jones - the close was 7552.60, the lowest in ten years. We could see this coming as we reported the drop on Global stocks yesterday morning. It did not help when former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said the U.S. is not doing enough to stabilize the financial markets. Bloomberg.com has more here.

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All of this while the auto industry asks for more money - the 13.4 billion GM and Chrysler received earlier under the bailout bill required restructuring plans to be submitted to congress yesterday. The plans were submitted and included - guess what? - a request for more money while cutting a total of 50,000 jobs. Chrysler wants 5 billion and GM wants 16.6 billion. Meanwhile, the United Auto Workers (UAW) union has agreed to restructure current agreements. MCNBC.com has more here.

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The President announces a 17,000 troop level increase in Afghanistan - hardly a surprise as he campaigned that the U.S. had lost it's focus in Afghanistan under the previous administration. Currently, the U.S. has 38,000 troops deployed and NATO has another 30,000 troops in Afghanistan. It is anticipated President Obama will increase the troop level again as he continues a review of the military strategy for the region. In Iraq, there are currently 146,000 U.S. troops. Reuters.com has more here.

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Senate Ethics Committee to investigate Illinois Democratic Senator Roland Burris - the more the former Governor Rod Blagojevich appointed Senator speaks, the more trouble he stirs up. First, it was an amendment to his statement to his testimony given to the Illinois impeachment panel which said the former Governor's brother had solicited campaign funds from him. The state of Illinois is considering charges of perjury. The latest revelation is Burris says he did try to hold a fundraiser for the Governor but no one was interested. Now it seems the Senate Ethics committee, chaired by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Calf.) has opened an investigation. TheHill.com has more here.

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Democratic Chatter 2-17-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

President Barack Obama will sign the 787 billion Stimulus bill today in Denver, Colorado - today is also when Chrysler and GM have to submit restructuring plans to the Treasury, a condition of the 13.4 billion in government loans given to them. The automakers are expected to receive an additional 7 billion in aid. Tomorrow, the president will be in Phoenix, Arizona to announce his new effort to help on the foreclosure front. The NY Times has more here.

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Meanwhile, stocks dropped worldwide - stocks in Europe and Asia dropped. The Euro fell while Gold climbed. The global economic crisis continues so it is important the Obama administration works in a concerted manner with nations around the world. Bloomberg.com has more here.

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Obama close to announcing troop increase in Afghanistan - the president has been weighing advise as to the size and the mission before he announces his decision. however, 3000 new troops just arrived in Afghanistan to bolster a weak area around Kabul. MSNBC.com has more here.

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Will Senator Roland Burris (D-Ill.) resign? - some Democrats are hoping that is what happens as the state of Illinois is preparing to investigate whether the Senator committed perjury when testifying before the impeachment panel of then Governor Rod Blagojevich (D-Ill.). Seems like Blagojevich will continue to haunt the Democrats for a little while longer. Politico.com has more here.

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Both NY Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Governor David Paterson appear to be weak candidates for reelection - in yet another of the Democratic sagas involving a Governor selecting the replacement for a vacant senate seat. Gillibrand was selected to fill the vacant Hillary Clinton senate seat after an embarrassing series of events surrounding Caroline Kennedy who had expressed interest in the seat. A Quinnipiac poll shows Gillibrand trailing Representative Carolyn McCarthy (D) by 10 points and Governor Paterson trailing state attorney Andrew Cuomo (D) by 32 points. TheHill.com has more here

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Democratic Chatter 2-11-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

Today, President Barack Obama will travel to Springfield, Virginia - he will visit a construction site with Virginia Governor Tim Kaine late this morning as he continues to sell the creation of jobs under his Stimulus bill to the public. You can read more here.

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The Senate and House may reach compromise on Stimulus bill today - reportedly, progress was made last night on a compromise between the House and Senate versions of the bill. Yesterday, the Senate voted in the same manner they had to end the filibuster, 61-37 to pass the America Recovery and Reinvestment Plan. The bill is expected to be signed by the President by Monday. Politico.com has more here.

Meanwhile, questions abound pertaining the the Stimulus bill and what effect it will have on bolstering the weak economy. The use of an impending doom to create urgency to act has failed in the past. Most recently, in the area of foreign policy with former President George W. Bush. In the urgency to avoid disaster in the shape of "a mushroom cloud", President Bush invaded Iraq and in the process redefined the acronym WMD from Weapons of Mass Destruction to Words of Mass Distortion.

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Yesterday, the Bailout bill grew from an original 700 Billion to who knows? - a couple of Trillion? - Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner presented his modifications to the bill yesterday which included more oversight on how the remaining 350 Billion of the TARP funds are used. Other new aspects presented were public-private partnerships up to 1 Trillion to buy bad debt from banks and up to another 1 Trillion to provide lending to businesses and consumers. Yesterday, after the announcement the Dow Jones dropped several hundred. Bloomberg.com has a good read here.

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On the foreign policy front, Israel elections do not produce a clear winner - and you think our representative form of government is hard to figure out? As the results were tabulated from Israel's elections, a woman, Tzipi Livini's centrist Kadima party had won 28 seats in the 120 seat Knesset. While, right-wing Benjamin Netanyahu's party had won 27 seat with him claiming to be able to control 64 seats. President Simon Peres will choose the next Prime Minister. Keep an eye on these developments as the outcome will be crucial in future negotiations with the Palestinians. Reuters .com has more here.

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Defense Secretary Robert Gates to meet with President Obama today - they will be discussing troop levels in Afghanistan. Hard to believe it has been seven years since the initial U.S. action in Afghanistan following 9/11. It is expected the President will announce an increase of up to 25,000 troops to be deployed in Afghanistan. You can read more here.

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Democratic Chatter 2-9-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

Today, President Barack Obama is in Elkhart, Indiana - Elkhart, which has a population of 53,000, leads the country in unemployment. In December, the unemployment rate hit 15.3% in this town where the recreational vehicle industry is a major job source. The President will hold a town hall meeting to discuss his Stimulus bill at Concord Community High School at noon. The Indianapolis Star has more here.

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Tonight, the President will hold a press conference at 8:00 PM ET - part of his push this week to sell his stimulus bill known as the America Recovery and Reinvestment Plan. He will be back at the White House and will take questions from the Press from the East Wing. Read more here.

Meanwhile, the Senate continues to debate the bill with a vote to end discussion possibly taking place tonight. 60 votes are needed and presently it looks as though there will not be more than one or two more votes than are needed. The bill would then go to a full vote in the Senate tomorrow before heading to committee to reconcile differences with the House version of the bill. After reconciliation of the bill, it would be sent to the White House for signature.

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While the economy currently has the spotlight, the Obama administration is hard at work addresses the foreign policy issues facing the country - Vice-President Joe Biden just returned from a trip to Germany where he set a new tone for U.S. relations in Europe.

Also attending the conference in Munich was special envoy to Afghanistan-Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke. Holbrooke warned the stabilization of Afghanistan could be tougher than Iraq. The NY Times has more here.

An ABC-BBC-ARD German TV poll released today shows public support of U.S. plummeting in Afghanistan. In regard to is the country headed in the right direction?, the results were 40%, down from 77% in 2005. As to views favorable to the U.S.? the results were 47%, down from 83% in 2005. ABC News has more here.

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Howard Dean receives support for Secretary of HHS - we reported after Tom Daschle withdrew from consideration for the cabinet position that Howard Dean should be considered. Bernie Sanders, the Independent Senator from Vermont voiced support for the former Governor of Vermont. The Hill.com has more here. Others being considered are Governors Kathleen Sebelius (D-Kan.) and Phil Bredesen (D-Tenn.). Dean, the former chair of the DNC has not been considered for any positions within the Obama administration leading some to speculate there is a rift that exists.

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Terry McAuliffe receives early shot across the bow at Virginia annual Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner - many look at the former national chair of the Hillary Clinton for president campaign and former DNC chair as an interloper in Virginia. One of his opponents in the Democratic primary is Brian Moran who took a swipe at Mcauliffe's bringing in national dollars to a local race and showing up after the tough battles had been waged to turn the state blue. CNN.com has more here.

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