Democratic Chatter 1-24-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

Obama delivers his first weekly address to the nation as President - He speaks of the importance of his Stimulus bill known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

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President Obama orders staff to come up with new restrictions on use of the remaining 350 Billion from the Bailout bill - this comes after reports of executives of banks renovating offices after receiving funds from the first 350 Billion. reportedly, Lawrence Summers, White House Director of National Economic Council is developing details of the new restrictions. Bloomberg.com has more here.

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The President to address a joint session of Congress in February - continuing to push for approval of his stimulus plans, Obama is expected to give a speech to members of congress in early February. The president hopes to have approval of his plan by the middle of next month. MSNBC.com has more here.

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NY Governor David Paterson pick to fill Hillary Clinton's seat not all that surprising - seems Kristen Hillibrand has been picking up supporters since her first victory in a Congressional race in 2006. A lawyer, she has been able to gain a 100% approval rating from the National Rifle Association while also receiving support from women's groups such as Emilys List. However, even with the advantage of being the incumbent, the Senate race in 2010 will not be as easy as a Congressional race. The NY Times has more here.

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William Lynn nomination for deputy Secretary of Defense raising questions - the new Ethics standards announced by President Barack Obama this week have already needed to be waived in this case. Mr. Lynn is a former executive/lobbyist for Raytheon. which is one of the largest defense contractors in the country. Carl Levin (D-Mich) who is the chair of the senate Armed Services Committee has expressed his support for Lynn but John McCain (R-AZ.) is questioning why the waiver is being provided to Lynn. TheHill.com has more here.

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Remember the SCHIP legislation President George W. Bush vetoed twice? - It's back, and the children's health insurance bill is likely to pass in the Senate on Monday. The House has already passed their version of the bill. Politico.com has more here.

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"Blago watch" continues - Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich's penchant for doing the bizarre, reached a new level yesterday as he said his impeachment trial was similar to a lynching. Last night on CNN Larry King show, it was announced the Governor would be his guest this coming Monday night and would be talking calls from the public. Who knows if the latest actions by the Governor prompted his defense attorney Ed Gensen to indicate he would no longer represent the Governor. CNN.com has more here.

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Sunday Morning "Talking Heads" Guests 1-25-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

This is the first Sunday morning the pundits will be referring to Barack Obama as Mr. President. The newly sworn in President has had a busy first several days on the job so expect lots of analysis and discussion Sunday morning.

Sure to be mentioned is the do-over swearing in performed by Chief Justice John Roberts at the White House. One aspiring CNN reporter tried to make a deal out of the fact media cameras were not invited to the do-over, taking a swipe at the transparency promised by the President. Hard to buy into that attempted "gotcha" moment by that reporter, when the Obama administration informed the press of the do-over, provided a photo and a audio of the swearing in, part two.

The real news was the signing of executive orders by President Obama to close Guantanamo Bay, ban waterboarding and all harsh interrogation techniques not allowed in the Army Field Manual, and the identification and closing of secret U.S. prisons located around the world. This was a clear and loud signal to the world that the U.S. was going to end the questionable actions undertaken under the George W. Bush administration.

Other executive orders signed by the President, included pay freezes for White House staffers making over $100,000, new ethics rules to be followed by staff, and a reversal of a Bush order, allowing U.S. funds for family planning organizations overseas..

The first round of confirmations of the incoming cabinet were finalized, including Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State. Holdup on confirmations for Eric Holder for Attorney General and Timothy Geithner for Treasury Secretary will also receive scrutiny this morning.

Expect some discussion this Sunday morning on the appointments of George Mitchell and Richard Holbrooke as special envoys to the Middle East and Pakistan/Afghanistan respectfully. Some pundits may say this is an immediate erosion of Clinton's power as Secretary of State. However, it only makes sense to have experts in certain foreign policy issues devoting full time toward resolution to problems in those areas.

The status of the President's Economic Stimulus bill will also be discussed. The President indicated he expected to have it on his desk for signature by mid February.

Of course all the gossip surrounding the withdraw by Caroline Kennedy from consideration for the vacant New York senate seat will receive attention. Also, the tongues will be wagging pertaining to Kristen Hillibrand, the new Senator picked by NY Governor David Paterson.

So plan to have your favorite coffee or tea nearby and tune in to enjoy this Sunday's "Talking Heads". The following is a list of the scheduled guests on the shows. As always, check your local listings for time and channel.

NBC "Meet The Press" - David Gregory scores with new Director of Economic Council, Lawrence Summers. Also appearing is House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Oh.). The roundtable includes Michelle Norris, Thomas Friedman, and Stephen Hayes.

ABC "This Week" - George Stephanopolous will interview House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calf.). The roundtable will include Carly Fiorina, George Will, Cokie Roberts, and Sam Donaldson.

CBS "Face The Nation" - Bob Schieffer will have as his guest, Vice President Joe Biden.

Fox News Sunday - Chris Wallace will have Senators John McCain (R-Az.) and Charles Schumer (D-NY).

CNN "State of The Union" - John King will have NY Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Representative Mike Pence (R-IN.)

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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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