Daily Democratic Wire 3-7-2010

George Wenschhof

Iraq vote for members of Parliament unfolding amidst explosions - Iraqi insurgents are trying to disrupt the elections with mortar fire and road side bombs exploding across the country. The NY Times has more here.

It has now been seven years since the U.S. led invasion of Iraq. U.S. troops are scheduled to withdraw from Iraq by December if all goes well following this election. Leading up to the election, there were no sectarian or political blocks that appeared to be set to win a majority in the 325 member Parliament. How the various groups work together following the election, will largely determine the success of democracy in Iraq.

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Israeli - Palestine Talks on again? - Middle East Envoy George Mitchell arrived in Israel yesterday accompanied by a full U.S. foreign policy team. He met with Israel Foreign Minister Ehud Barak and today will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. On Monday, Mitchell will meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmood Abbas. Politico.com has more here.

It is expected the finishing touches will be made on the resumption of Israel-Palestinian talks prior to the arrival on Monday of Vice President Joe Biden. Biden will be giving a speech at Tel Aviv University. The hopes are he will be able to announce the resumption of talks.

Continued Israeli building of settlements on the West Bank have long hampered any serious discussion between Israel and Palestine.

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Senator Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) continues to push forward on Financial regulatory Reform - the chair of the Senate Banking Committee has been locked in discussions with Republican Senators and committee members Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and Richard Shelby (R-Ala.). The Republicans do not want a new Consumer Finance Protection Agency which was proposed by the Obama administration and passed by the House. TheHill.com has more here.

The two Republican Senators have suggested this agency be placed in the Federal Reserve to which Barney Frank (D-Mass.) chair of the House Financial Services Committee says he would be ok if it was placed in the Treasury Department.

For Dodd, the criteria is the head must be appointed by the president and confirmed by the senate, have an independent budget and the authority to write and enforce regulations. Dodd nails what is important. It is way past the time to pass this needed and expected legislation following the near collapse of the U.S. financial system.

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Is Senior White House Adviser David Axelrod suited for the Job? - he was the mastermind behind the message as the Obama campaign moved forward to victory in November 2008. He was credited along with David Plouffe as running a campaign that stayed on message.

Today, as President Obama struggles with health care reform and falling poll numbers, some are wondering if he is the right man to be handling the message coming out of the White House today. The NY Times has more here.

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Daily Democratic Wire 6-29-2009

George Wenschhof

Today, President Barack Obama will meet with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe - the meeting to be held at the White House will likely cover the U.S. concerns in regard to Human Rights and Colombian interest in a trade pact. The Washington Post has more here. It was just last year during the presidential campaign that Mark Penn, a senior adviser to the Hillary Clinton campaign, caught some flack over his company representing Colombia in regard to trade negotiations.

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Meanwhile in South America, a coup results in the ouster of Honduras President Manuel Zelaya - President Obama called for Democracy and the rule of law and a return to power of Zelaya. U.S. diplomats are working to ensure the safety of Zelaya and his family. MSNBC.com has more here.

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Over in Iran, results from a partial recount are expected to be released at the end of today - the government indicated they were conducting a recount of 10% of the vote. Hard to say what the recount will tell us as Iran Supreme Leader Khamenei has already ruled the election will stand. Reuters.com has more here.

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Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak to meet with U.S. Middle East Envoy George Mitchell - it is expected during a meeting in D.C. tomorrow, Israel will offer to suspend building on the West Bank for a period of 3-6 months as negotiations continue toward a two-state solution with Palestine. President Obama has said that Israel must stop the settlements in the West Bank in order for peaceful solutions to move forward. The NY Times has more here.

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Back home in the U.S., Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty (R) says he will not delay issuing certificate to Al Franken (D) - the Minnesota supreme court is expected to rule soon on the vote challenge by Norm Coleman (R). Minnesota has been one Senator short on Capitol Hill since the November 2008 election due to legal challenges by Coleman. Politico.com has more here.

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The Obamas decide on a Church - after visiting many of the churches in D.C., they have decided on the Evergreen Chapel located at Camp David, the presidential retreat. It is a nondenominational church and is the same one used by former President George W. Bush. Time.com has more here.

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Democratic Chatter 2-27-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

President Barack Obama's FY 2010 Budget to receive plenty of scrutiny - the summary for the fiscal year which begins October 1, 2009 was released yesterday. Full details of the budget will not be available until April. The total may reach 3.55 Trillion with the deficit near 1.75 Trillion. CNN.com has more here.

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President Obama proposes 1 Trillion in tax increases over the next decade on the wealthiest of Americans and companies - set to begin in 2011, this will reverse the Bush administration's policy and revert back to rates present during the Clinton administration. The highest rates of 33% and 35% would be increased to 36% and 39.6%. Capital gains tax would be increased from 15% to 20%. It is estimated this will affect 2.6 million taxpayers. The Republican trickle down theory has never proven to work. Bloomberg.com has more here.

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Vice president Joe Biden will be in Philadelphia today to chair the first meeting of the Middle Class Task Force - the meeting will include many members of the Cabinet from Labor, Energy, Agriculture, HUD, Education and Transportation. The meeting will be held at the William B. Irwin Auditorium at the University of Pennsylvania. WhiteHouse.gov has more here.

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Washington D.C. close to receiving vote in Congress - the only city without a vote in Congress moved a little closer yesterday when the Senate voted 61-37 to add a floor vote to their Representative. Currently, their Representative could serve on House committees, but have no vote on the floor. The bill still needs to pass the House and is expected to do so easily. The strange part is a amendment attached to the senate bill repealing all of the gun control laws in the district. Expect this to be removed as the bill is reconciled. The Washington Post has more here.

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CPAC set to hold straw poll for Republican Presidential candidates tomorrow - The Conservative Political Action Conference will conclude their three day meeting with the announcement of the results of who won the straw poll. The contenders for the dubious honor are all former or current Governors. The usual suspects include Jindal, Palin, Huckabee, Romney, Sanford, and Pawlenty. First, I wonder who will win and second, I wonder if the winner will flaunt the honor - egaad! MSNBC.com has more here.

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Democratic Party Leaders not happy with Obama plan for withdrawal from Iraq - the issue is not the extension from 16 to 19 months but rather the change from all troops to two-thirds of the troops. The 50,000 Troops planned to remain in Iraq has angered House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calf.), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.), and Senator Charles Schumer (NY). Stay Tuned. Politico.com has more here.

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Special envoy George Mitchell in Israel for talk with Leaders - Israel's recent election was extremely close resulting in the more hard liner Benjamin Netanyahu, who does not believe in Palestinian statehood, being designated as Prime Minister. The moderate Tzipi Livni who lost the close election has not agreed to work as part of the Netanyahu government. This is the second trip in the last month for Mitchell who met with both Livni and Netanyahu yesterday. You can read more here.

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Democratic Chatter 1-29-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

President Barack Obama will meet with Cabinet members today - back to business after members of Congress for cocktails last night at the White House. The President is expected to meet with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and also Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.

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Not one House Republican votes in favor of Stimulus bill - Eleven Democrats joined the Republicans in voting against the bill which passed with a 244-188 vote. Included in the Democrats who voted against the bill was first term Maryland Congressman, Frank Kratovil. A trip to the Hill by the president did not help as more and more questions are being asked as to what has been included in this massive 819 Billion plan. Originally sold to the public as a major infrastructure repair bill that would put Americans back to work, it now seems less than 5% of the funding goes toward infrastructure spending. The NY Times has a good read on how effective and how quickly this stimulus plan will be. You can read it here.

Expect even more scrutiny to be applied by members of the senate and expect more changes. However, in the end, the bill will pass. The House vote by the Republicans also sets up a possible major issue come the 2010 mid term Congressional elections. If this massive spending bill does not help in putting the U.S. economy back on track by the 2010 elections, the Republicans will be saying "we told you so". Politicians should remember it did not take one action or one bill to get the U.S. in this economic mess and it is extremely doubtful, it will take only one bill to get the U.S. out of the mess we are in. Politico has a good read here.

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RNC Chair to be selected tomorrow - more than a handful of candidates exist for the chair of the Republican National Committee who meet tomorrow in Washington D.C. to have a final vote on the choice. The early favorite was current chair, Mike Duncan. Other contenders include African-Americans Michael Steele who was a former Lt. Governor of Maryland and Ken Blackwell who was a former Secretary of State in Ohio. Another notable contender for the chair is Chip Saltsman, former campaign manager for the Mike Huckabee, who sent the CD entitled "Barack, the Magic Negro" out to friends over the holiday season. Let's see what direction the RNC intends to take with their choice for chair tomorrow. CNN.com has more here.

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Ethics questions surround new White House deputy counsel for economic affairs - just yesterday, the President announced Neal Wolin in this new position. Already, he is coming under scrutiny with concerns pertaining to his recent position as executive of The Hartford Financial Services Group. Seems, after some maneuvering, Hartford qualified for some of the bailout bill funds. It is being said Mr. Wolin would need to recuse himself from future actions pertaining to his former employer. McClatchydc.com has more here.

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"Blago Watch" Update - Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich will appear at his impeachment proceedings in the state senate. His appearance come after the senate president, John Cullerton asked him to speak. He will be given ninety minutes beginning at 12:00 PM ET with no questions being allowed. The prosecutor will then have thirty minutes, followed with a vote. You can count on Lt. Governor Quinn to be nearby following the vote. The Chicago Tribune has more here.

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Obama's choice for national intelligence confirmed by senate - In a unanimous voice vote, retired admiral Dennis Blair was confirmed last night. he replaces former director Michael McConnell who resigned shortly before Blair was confirmed. CNN.com has more here.

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On the foreign policy front, newly appointed Middle East envoy is on the job and busy - wasting no time after being appointed by President Obama, George Mitchell arrived yesterday in Israel and after meeting with officials will be in the West bank today. He will meet with Palestinian President Abbas and Prime Minister Fayyad. This is part of a seven day tour of the region. So far, no meetings with Hamas have been scheduled. The Washington Post has more here.

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Democratic Chatter 1-27-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

President Barack Obama reaches out to Muslims in interview - I watched on CNN part of the interview conducted by Hisham Melhem broadcast on Al-Arabiya. This was a significant interview where the president was reaching out in friendship to the many moderate Muslims. he pointed out the actions of radical Muslim factions resulting in the tearing down of communities as opposed to the building of communities. George Mitchell, the recently appointed Middle East envoy is on his way to the region to begin negotiations. McClatchydc.com has more and some video of the Obama interview here.

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President Barack Obama will meet with Republican Congressmen today - he is expected to continue to push his Economic Stimulus bill. Republicans and some democrats are questioning the size of his bill and how effective it will be. Meanwhile, Caterpiller, Sprint and others announced large numbers of layoffs. Reuters.com has more here

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Vice President Joe Biden to swear in Kristen Gillibrand as NY Senator today.- the ceremonies are expected to take place at 12:30 PM ET in the U.S. Capitol. Earlier today, the Vice president had breakfast with the new Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. Time.com has more here.

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Timothy Geithner confirmed as Treasury Secretary - this was expected in spite of the revelations Mr. Geithner had not paid social security taxes for several years. Geithner is expected to spell out new restrictions on the 700 Billion bailout program today after criticism of no accountability for the first 350 Billion that has been spent. Read more here. William Dudley is reported to be the person to replace Geithner as President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Bloomberg.com has more here.

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McAuliffe's race for Governor of Virginia not a given - for many Democrats, he was referred to as "McAwful" when he served as chair of the Democratic National Committee. Now, he is bringing his experience of raising millions to the Virginia Governor race. RealClearPolitics has a good read here. Expect Brian Moran, a former Democrat state delegate to battle for the Democratic nomination. He is already calling on candidates to refuse to accept out of state contributions, clearly a shot at McAuliffe. In addition, Moran has just added Joe Trippi as his media director. Read more here. Joe Trippi gained notoriety when he managed the Howard Dean campaign for President in 2004.

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Democratic Chatter 1-23-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

President Barack Obama to meet with Democratic and Republican Congressional Leaders today - the discussion will center on his economic stimulus plan. Time.com has more here.

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New White House Press Secretary does well on first day - the first briefing was delayed one day due to WH press staffers still moving in. Yesterday, Robert Gibbs performed well in what will be a totally different experience than he had as the Obama campaign communications director. The toughest grilling from the press pertained to the do-over swearing in of President Obama by Justice Roberts and why the Press had not been invited. Future questions from the Press promise to be much tougher than that. Politico.com has more here.

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NY Governor David Paterson to name Senator today at noon - after all the media frenzy following the announcement by Caroline Kennedy that she was withdrawing from consideration, the Governor moved up a day his announcement of the person to fill the vacant Hillary Clinton Senate seat. Rumors are flying that NY Representative Kristen Hillibrand is the pick. The other name most mentioned is NY Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. Interestingly, it is being reported the Governor has invited all of those who were being considered to be present at 12:00 PM ET when he makes his announcement. We'll all know soon! CNN.com has more here.

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Hillary Clinton begins first day as Secretary of State, Obama names two special envoys - The President showed he is serious in showing new resolve in U.S. foreign policy by yesterday naming George Mitchell as special envoy to the Middle East and Richard Holbrooke as special envoy to Pakistan-Afghanistan. Both regions are flash points and both gentlemen named are experienced negotiators in foreign policy. Reuters.com has more here.

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Senate passes pay equity bill - this bill failed passage last year. This time the vote was 61-36. While the House needs to agree with the Senate version of the bill, it is expected to be the first bill signed into law by President Obama. TheHill.com has more here.

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Democratic Chatter 1-22-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

Obama has busy first day as President as he sets a new tone in the White House - let's see - where do I begin? Meetings with economic advisers and Joint Chiefs of Staff, executive orders on pay freezes and ethics guidelines for staff, phone calls to middle east leaders, putting a hold on Gitmo trials, and oh yeah, he and Michelle greeted several hundred visitors at the White House. On top of all that, Obama retook the oath of office after Chief Justice John Roberts flubbed it the first time. Joan Walsh of Salon.com has a good read on the first day here.

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Obama set to issue orders today to close Gitmo, ban torture, and review detention policies - the executive orders would close Gitmo prison at Guantanamo Bay within one year, require the use of the Army Field manual for interrogation techniques, and also review current detention procedures. The Army field manual bans waterboarding, and reviewing current detention procedures would involve identifying and closing overseas secret detention centers currently in use. CNN.com has more here.

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Hillary Clinton confirmed as Secretary of State - the roll call vote was 94-2. The Wednesday vote was forced after Senator John Cornyn (R-Tex.) would not agree with a voice vote that was to be held for her on Tuesday. TheHill.com has more here.

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Caroline Kennedy withdraws from consideration for NY Senate Seat - NY Governor David Paterson's job just got a whole lot easier as he planned to announce Saturday his pick to replace the vacant seat previously held by Hillary Clinton. One reason given by Ms. Kennedy is her Uncle, Senator Ted Kennedy's health. However, speculation also surrounds a theory she was not going to be picked and this was a way for her to save face. The clear frontrunner now is NY Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. The NY Times has more here.

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Meanwhile, Republicans delay the confirmation of Eric Holder as Attorney General - Republicans were able to use some parliamentary moves to delay the vote Senator Pat Leahy (D-Vt.) was set to call for yesterday. Some Republicans are expressing concern in regard to potential prosecution of intelligence agents for using harsh interrogation methods. Holder is expected to be confirmed next week. MSNBC.com has more here.

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George Mitchell may be named special envoy to the middle east - Mitchell served a similar role for the George W. Bush administration in the early 2000's. Mitchell also helped to broker the Northern Ireland peace under the Clinton administration. The former Senator also prepared the steroid and drug use report for Major League Baseball. CNN.com has more here.

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