George Wenschhof
New Woodward Book reveals division in White House - Washington Post Bob Woodward's new book, "Obama's Wars", highlights the division within the White House on the strategy toward Afghanistan. The New York Times has a good read with excerpts from the book here.
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Republicans Block repeal of D.A.D.T. - as expected the strictly political move by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to include D.A.D.T. and the DREAM Act as amendments to an appropriations bill failed by a vote of 56-43 with Democrat Blanche Lincoln (Ark.) voting against. First Read has more here.
A questionable move by the Senate Majority Leader. Look to see Democrats point to continued obstructionism by the Republicans and Republicans pointing at the games Democrats play.
The inclusion of amendments to allow gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military prior to when an agreed upon survey of opinions from the enlisted service men and women was complete along with a measure which would allow a pathway to citizenship for children of illegal immigrants were put forward by the Obama administration in a move to appease supporters.
However, it had to be known by the folks who count votes, these amendments would fail.
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Another Obama administration Economic Adviser Departs - this time it is Lawrence Summers who has announced he will be leaving after the mid term elections. Bloomberg.com has more here. He joins Peter Orzag and Christine Romer as top economic advisers to leave the White House. look to see Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner be next to either resign or be canned after the mid term elections.
The Obama administration efforts in regard to the sluggish economy have not worked as well as intended with unemployment remaining near 10%.
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House Ways and Means Committee to vote on Chinese Currency - a long term problem for the U.S., the undervalued Chinese currency has been a drag on the U.S. economy. The undervalued currency gives Chinese companies an unfair trade advantage. Bloomberg.com has more here.
Unfortunately, China also holds between 10-20% of U.S. debt in treasury bills so Congressional action must be carefully considered.
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Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. latest politician to have revelations of infidelity come forward - a businessman has claimed he was asked to pay air fare between D.C. and Chicago for a woman acquaintance of Rep. Jackson.
The same businessman has also claimed he was asked to raise 6 million for then governor Rod Blagojevich in exchange for Jackson being appointed to the vacant Obama senate seat.
CNN.com has more here. Stay Tuned...
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Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Daily Political Wire 9-22-2010
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Democratic News Chatter 4-4-2009
George Wenschhof Bio
Today, in his weekly address to the nation, President Barack Obama speaks of the global challenges we face. He discusses the highlights of his overseas trip to date and the potential for the U.S. to face these challenges with renewed international alliances.
download .mp3 or HD .mp4 (51.5 Mb) read prepared remarks
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NATO Summit has shaky start - Turkey was the only one of 28 nations who would not agree on the new Secretary-General. This blocked the announcement of danish prime Minister Andres Fogh Rasmussen to the post. Violent demonstrations continue to mar the site of the meeting in Strasbourg, France. President Obama announced he was not asking for NATO troops in Afghanistan but was looking for support. Reuters.com has more here.
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Will NY special election be a Minnesota redo? - as the final vote tallies are coming in from precincts the vote is now tied between Republican Jim Tedisco and Democrat Scott Murphy for the Congressional seat in District 20. Let's hope this is settled in a shorter time frame than the U.S. senate race in Minnesota where legal maneuvering has kept that seat open with no winner decided between Norm Coleman (R) and Al Franken (D). Politico.com has more here.
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Top Obama economic adviser Lawrence Summers earned 5 million salary while working for Hedge fund D.E. Shaw & Co. - Summers was named by the president to be director of the White House National Economic Council. Summers also earned considerable speaking fees from the same Banks receiving federal bailout funds today. Bloomberg.com has more here.
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Saturday, March 14, 2009
Democratic Chatter 3-14-2009
George Wenschhof Bio
Today, in his weekly address to the nation, President Barack Obama discusses food safety in the U.S. and announces several appointments to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Dr. Margaret Hamburg will be Commissioner and Dr. Joshua Sharfstein will be deputy Commissioner for the FDA. You can watch his address by clicking on the video below. WhiteHouse.gov has the full text of his speech here.
download .mp3 or .mp4 also available here read transcript
Sunday Morning "Talking Heads" Guests 3-15-2009
George Wenschhof Bio
Discussion of the ailing worldwide economy will be the focus of much of the discussion on Sunday morning and will continue to be so for some time. The Obama administration tried to give Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner some support as Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke and Lawrence Summers, the chair of the National Economic Council both gave public statements.
Geithner has been failing the public face test so look to see the Obama administration to continue to use others to be the public spokesman for the administration's efforts on reviving the economy. The good news is the Dow Jones gained over 700 points last week for the best weekly gain this year. The sobering news is the Dow is still at 50% of where it was 11/2 years ago.
Former Republican Vice President Richard Cheney will appear on CNN "State of the Union" with John King. Expect some discussion on allegations surfacing from NY Times reporter Seymour Hersch concerning "Hit Squads" operating out of the the Vice President's office during the George W. Bush administration.
Embattled chair of the Republican National Committee Michael Steele may receive some discussion. It appears with a two thirds vote of the members required to oust Mr. Steele, he will survive for a while longer in the position.
Below is the list of the Sunday morning "Talking Heads" political discussion shows with their scheduled guests. Remember to check your local listings for time and channel.
NBC "Meet The Press" - Dick Gregory will have Dr. Christina Romer who is chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers. Also appearing is Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) The roundtable discussion will include David Frum, Katty Kay, Travis Smiley and Steve Liesman.
ABC "This Week" - George Stephanopoulos will interview Lawrence Summers who is chair of the National Economic Council. Also appearing is Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) The roundtable discussion will include George Will, Jim Ellis, Robert Kutter, and Frank Rich.
CBS "Face The Nation" - Bob Schieffer will also interview Lawrence Summers. NY Times Thomas Friedman is his other guest.
Fox News Sunday - Chris Wallace will have FDIC chairman Sheila Blair, Austan Goolsbee, Mark Zandi, Representative Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and Senator Bob Corker (R- Tenn.).
CNN "State of The Union" - John King will interview former Vice President Dick Cheney.
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Saturday, February 7, 2009
Sunday Morning "Talking Heads" Guests 2-8-2009
George Wenschhof Bio
This will be the third Sunday morning following the inauguration of President Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States. The honeymoon period is effectively over as the President suffered setbacks with several of his Cabinet nominees withdrawing from consideration and his much ballyhooed Stimulus bill receiving critical scrutiny in the Senate.
With unemployment at 7.6% and consumer borrowing dropping at record numbers, expect the President's American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan to receive plenty of discussion. In spite of Obama saying there would be no pork included in his Stimulus bill, the House passed a 819 Billion bill which had many questionable funds which caused the bill to stall in the Senate. Many Republicans criticisms center on some of the funding is not creating jobs.
Friday night the Senate was still working on crafting a compromise with a target figure of 780 Billion which is down from the original 900 Billion Senate version of the bill. Currently, it looks like this will go to a vote with Sunday being a target date. It takes 60 votes to take it to a vote and that may be all the President gets on this bill.
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is also scheduled to announce Monday new rules and guidelines for the remaining 350 Billion of the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) - more commonly known as the bailout bill. This is likely to receive plenty of analysis from the pundits today as well.
White House counsel Larry Craig has now taken over the vetting process after repeated embarrassment, so let's see how the pundits feel he will do with those chosen to replace Tom Daschle for Secretary for Health and Human Services and Nancy Killefer for Chief Performance Officer. Latest rumor to be named for HHS Secretary is Governor Phil Bredesen (D-Tenn.) so expect this name to be floated along with former DNC chair Howard Dean.
On the foreign policy front, some discussion this morning may focus on George Mitchell, the Middle East Envoy just back from a visit of the region. He met with the President and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for a briefing of his visit this week.
The vice-President is also off to Germany to attend and speak at the annual Munich security conference. He is scheduled to speak Saturday so this speech may be dissected Sunday morning along with a comment from earlier in the week where he said there was a 30% chance they will get the Stimulus bill wrong. The latter comment drew a rebuke from White House Senior Adviser David Axelrod.
As always, plenty to discuss Sunday morning. Below is the list of the Sunday morning "Talking Heads" shows with the scheduled guests. Remember to check your local listings for time and channel.
NBC "Meet The Press" - David Gregory will have Senators John Ensign (R-NV) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO) along with Representatives Barney Frank (D-Ma.) and Mike Pence (R-In). Also appearing will be Washington Post senior Pentagon correspondent Tom Ricks.
ABC "This Week" - George Stephanopoulos will have chief economic adviser Lawrence Summers and newly named chair of the Republican National Committee, Michael Steele. The roundtable discussion will include Newt Gingrich, George Will, Claire Shipman and Robert Reich.
CBS "Face The Nation" - Bob Schieffer will have Senators John McCain (R-Az.) and Kent Conrad (D-ND). Also appearing will be Christina Romer, chair of the Council of Economic Advisers.
Fox News Sunday - Chris Wallace will also have Lawrence Summers and Senator John Coryn (R-TX).
CNN "State of The Union" - John King will have a busy Sunday morning with lots of guests starting with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. Also appearing will be Senators Richard Shelby (R-AL) and Charles Schumer (D-NY). Other scheduled guests include Governor Mark Sanford (R-SC), Jack Welch, former GE CEO, Katie Couric, CBS News Anchor and Dee Dee Myers, former White House press secretary.
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Thursday, February 5, 2009
Democratic Chatter 2-5-2009
George Wenschhof Bio
Today, President Barack Obama attended the annual National Prayer Breakfast - ThePage.time.com has the text of his speech here. This evening he will speak at the House Democrats annual Retreat in Williamsburg, Virginia.
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Two more Obama Cabinet nominees to face Senate Hearings today - Leon Panetta, the pick to head the CIA will go in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee. He is a former White House Chief of Staff under the Clinton administration and initial questions related to his lack of experience n the intelligence field. Recently. his financial disclosures show he worked for some of the major financial firms that have experienced difficulty of late. The Wall Street Journal has more here.
Hilda L. Solis who was nominated for Labor Secretary should receive a vote in the Senate committee reviewing her appointment today. Republicans had delayed the vote due to their concerns regarding her views on organized labor. The Washington Post has more here.
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A Paul Volcker - Lawrence Summers spat? - Volcker was picked by the president to head a economic advisory group to come up with new ideas for economic recovery for the country. He is upset that Summers, who is the White House Economic Council Director has not been communicating with him. Another distraction at a time when Obama is trying to pass his Stimulus bill. Bloomberg.com has more here.
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Unemployment jumps higher again - the labor department issued reports showing claims are the highest since 1982. The other distressing news is the length of time for the unemployed has increased which also shows how bad the job market has become. Reuters.com has more here.
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Stimulus bill continues to receive scrutiny - with the Senate version of the Stimulus bill now approaching 900 Billion, more and more Americans are questioning the bill. Even with the President's popularity, the bill has become a tough sell as voters are calling their elected officials on the Hill in record numbers. Politico.com has more here.
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Taxpayers at risk of fraud with TARP - that is what a 188 page report says that was prepared by Neil Barofky, a special inspector general, who delivered the report to Congress today. As everyone now knows, a lack of accountability surrounded the issuance of the first 350 Billion from the Troubled Assets Relief Program. TheHill.com has more here.
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Saturday, January 24, 2009
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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