Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Obama Meets with National Security Team on Egypt - President Barack Obama held a holiday meeting with members of his national security team Thursday to discuss the ouster of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, a White House spokeswoman said.
 
Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry were among those joining the meeting in the White House Situation Room, National Security Council spokesperson Bernadette Meehan said, adding that some officials took part by secure video conference.

"Members of the president's national security team have been in touch with Egyptian officials and our regional partners to convey the importance of a quick and responsible return of full authority to a democratically elected civilian government as soon as possible; a transparent political process that is inclusive of all parties and groups; avoiding any arbitrary arrests of President Morsy and his supporters; and the responsibility of all groups and parties to avoid violence," Meehan said.  Politico.com has more here.
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Sens. McCain, Graham Visit Afghanistan on 4th of July - Senior Republican Sen. John McCain arrived in Kabul Thursday for a surprise visit to American troops in Afghanistan to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday.

McCain presided over a reenlistment ceremony for about a half dozen U.S. soldiers in Kabul.

A member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and unsuccessful presidential candidate, McCain was accompanied on the visit by Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham.  CBS News has more here.

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Report: Mandela on Life Support - The South African government denied that former president Nelson Mandela is in a permanent vegetative state, as outlined in court documents filed on June 26.

" We confirm our earlier statement released this afternoon after President Jacob Zuma visited Madiba in hospital that Madiba remains in a critical, but stable condition," said the statement using Mandela's clan name.

"The doctors deny that the former president is in a vegetative state," the statement added.

Court documents obtained earlier Thursday by AFP showed that doctors treating Mandela said he was in a "permanent vegetative state" and advised his family to turn off his life support machine a week ago.  You can read more here.

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Egypt Installs Interim President - Morsi Associates Arrested - Egyptian authorities installed an interim president and ordered the arrests of senior leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood on Thursday, hours after the nation’s all-powerful military ousted Mohamed Morsi, the country’s first democratically elected leader.

Egypt’s new president, a virtual unknown named Adly Mansour, vowed to include all sections of society, including Islamists, in an interim coalition government shortly after he was sworn in Thursday. But even as he spoke, an arrest warrant was issued for Mohammed Badie, the Muslim Brotherhood’s “supreme guide.”

The Egyptian armed forces were quick to put a civilian face on what their opponents have labeled a coup. But the swift moves against the military’s longtime nemesis, the Morsi-allied Brotherhood, suggest that the nation’s generals are in no mood to reconcile with an Islamist group that until Wednesday had effectively controlled Egypt’s highest office for a year.

Authorities operating under the military’s protection swept up Morsi associates in a flurry of arrests and warrants, placing the Brotherhood even further on the defensive.  The Washington Post has more here.

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European Union Parliament To Investigate U.S. Snooping Programs - The European Parliament on Thursday voted to conduct an “in-depth inquiry” into U.S. surveillance programs, including the reported bugging of European Union (EU) offices.

A resolution, passed 483 to 98, expresses concern over the National Security Agency’s (NSA) Internet monitoring and other programs.

The NSA's PRISM program reportedly gives the government access to the contents of users' emails, video chats, photographs and other information.

Parliament members also condemned spying on EU representatives and called on the U.S. to provide full information on the allegations.  TheHill.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 1-20-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

Inauguration Day is finally here! - The official festivities will begin at 10:00 AM on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. Aretha "RESPECT" Franklin will perform before Joe Biden is sworn in as Vice-President. It is anticipated Barack Obama will be sworn in as the 44th President around 12:00 PM ET. He will then give his Inauguration Speech. ThePage.Time.com has the schedule for today here.

Optimism among Americans runs high today with record numbers expected to be present for the Inauguration, joined by what promises to be a record breaking number of viewers watching the proceedings on their television sets.

Obama's Inauguration Speech is expected to last 15-17 minutes. When it is available, we will post it.

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As President, Barack Obama will continue his online presence - the Obama campaign showed how to use the Internet in even more effective ways to engage millions of supporters in the effort. After Obama won the election, the Transition Team continued the use on the Internet, providing Americans with the opportunity to weigh in on the issues and providing the transparency pledged during the campaign.

Now, after Barack Obama is sworn in as President, you are invited to be a part of a soon to be activated new website; WhiteHouse.gov. John Podesta, the co-chair of the Obama-Biden Transition Team sent an email to supporters inviting them to join the new online community by going to http://change.gov/joinus to sign up and stay involved.

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Confirmation Votes will be held in the Senate today on many Obama Cabinet Nominees - Moving quickly, up to a dozen appointees are expected to receive a confirmation vote today when the Senate convenes at 3:00 PM ET. Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State will be one of them. CNN.com has a list here.

Politico.com is reporting Senator John Cornyn (R-Tx.) may block the the required unanimous voice vote on Hillary Clinton over his concerns in regard to the Bill Clinton foundation. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) would then need to schedule a roll call vote for Wednesday where Clinton would receive her confirmation easily. You can read more here.

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Yesterday afternoon, Jill Biden makes the news on the Oprah Winfrey Show - she stated her husband had been offered his choice of either the Vice-President or Secretary of State. She indicated she preferred her husband take the Vice-President position as he would be home more often. Vice-President elect Joe Biden's office released a statement later saying he had only been offered the Vice-President position. Politico.com has more here.

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Last Night, President-elect Barack Obama promoted bipartisanship while attending three dinners - He hosted and attended dinners for Senator John McCain, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, and Vice President-elect Joe Biden as he continued the theme that together we can make a difference. MSNBC.com has more here.

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Tomorrow, President Barack Obama will meet with his Joint Chiefs - Even General Petraus is returning from Iraq to be present for the meeting. Expected to be discussed is a plan for withdrawal from Iraq in 16 months as Obama promised during the campaign. Also troop levels and strategy will be examined for Afghanistan. CNN.com has more here.

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