Daily Political Wire 12-29-2010

George Wenschhof

Alaska Board of Elections Certifies Murkowski as Winner in Senate Race - after Republican Joe Miller indicated he would not attempt to block the certification, a judge lifted his stay order. The Governor is expected to sign the certification tomorrow which will allow Independent Lisa Murkowski to be sworn in on January 5. The Washington Post has more here.

Miller reserves the right to continue his legal challenge, but his chances of success are minute. His main challenge of incorrectly spelled Murkowki votes are just over 8,000 and Murkowski won with over 10,000 votes.

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More Trouble on the Horizon for the Economy - recovering from the financial meltdown of 2008 continues to be elusive. Continuing Bank failures illustrate the problem as there were more bank failures in 2010 since 1992 - the last financial crisis fueled by the savings and loans debacle. 157 banks failed this year, on top of the 140 which failed last year. The F.D.I.C. has another 860 banks on their troubled list. You can read more here.

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Steele, 4 Others Agree to RNC Chair Debate - on January 3, embattled Republican National Committee chair Michael Steele will debate four challengers. The debate will be moderated by Ticker Carlson and Grover Norquist. You can read more here.

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Chicago Mayor Candidate Warns Clinton and Obama to "Stay out of Race" - Representative Danny Davis is upset over the planned visit by former President Bill Clinton to stump for Rahm Emanuel who is also running for Mayor of Chicago. The Chicago SunTimes has more here.

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Daily Political Wire 12-14-2010

George Wenschhof

856 Billion Tax Extension Bill Overwhelmingly Passes Cloture in Senate - the vote was 85-13. The Senate will now vote on it today and send it to the House, where the second Stimulus bill is expected to pass, despite many disgruntled progressive Democrats. Reuters.com has more here.

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Virginia Judge Rules health care bill Unconstitutional - this was the first ruling on the "individual mandate" requirement of the bill. This is the section of the bill which has been challenged by many Republican state attorney generals across the country. Expect the Supreme Court to have the final say in regard to the "commerce clause" in the constitution.

Judge Henry Hudson is also coming under fire for rendering a decision when he had invested in a firm which lobbied against health care reform. The Huffington Post has more here.

Social Security also received many legal challenges when instituted.

U.S. Attorney general Eric Holder and Health Secretary Katleen Sebelius have an op-ed in the Washington Post today with their response to the ruling. You can read it here.

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Ambassador Richard Holbrooke Unable to Survive Emergency Aorta Surgery - despite an incredible effort by doctors to repair a torn aorta. The career diplomat spent 50 of his 69 years working in the foreign service, most recently as U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan. the Wall Street Journal has more on his life here.

President Obama, will hold a previously scheduled meeting today on the year end review of U.S. Afghanistan policy. The report is expected to be released today. TheHill.com has more here.

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Steele to Seek Another Term - as chair of the Republican National Committee. In a conference call to supporters last night, he announced he was indeed running for reelection after the huge success achieved by Republican candidates in the mid term elections. The NY Times has more here.

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Miller Appeals Judge's Ruling - the Alaska senate race drags on as Joe Miller challenges the authenticity of misspelled votes for the write-in winner Lisa Murkowski. The Miller campaign says the state law requires the name be spelled correctly to be counted. You can read more here.

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Daily Political Wire 12-13-2010

George Wenschhof

Senate to Vote on Tax Compromise bill today - the second stimulus bill under the Obama administration is valued at 856 billion. It is expected to pass in the Senate today and then move to the House where Democrats are expected to attempt to amend the bill. Unhappy progressive Democrats will try to delete the estate tax portion of the bill. Reuters.com has more here.

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Busy week ahead as Congress Prepares to Close for Holidays - Congress hopes to close for the Holidays by the end of the day on Friday. The DREAM Act is not expected to pass the Senate, the START Treaty is expected to receive a vote, the repeal of D.A.D.T. will receive a stand alone vote, and a continuing resolution to fund government for the next year will need to be passed. TheHill.com has more here.

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President Obama will sign Child Nutrition bill today - lost in all the attention being given to the more contentious bills under consideration by congress, this bill was championed by the First Lady. Michelle Obama will join President Obama for the signing at a elementary school this morning. Politico.com has more here.

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"No-Labels" Non-Partisan Group Organizes - NY Mayor Michael Bloomberg is joined by Democratic Senators Evan Bayh (Ind.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (NY), Independent Senator Joe Lieberman (Conn.), and Republican Senators Mike Castle (Del.) and Bob Inglis (SC). CNN.com has more here.

Keep an eye on this group as the partisan bickering and gridlock in Congress has many voters looking for an alternative to the major political parties.

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Will Michael Steele Run for Another Term? - the Republican National Committee chair was constantly under the spotlight and today he is expected to announce if he will be running for reelection. TPM.com has more here.

Already, five have announced their intentions to run for party chair. They are Saul Anuzis, Ann Wagner, Gentry Collins, Reince Priebus and Maria Cino. With so many running, Steele would be the favorite to win as they would split the vote. Steele also made many friends as he conducted his nationwide bus tour leading up to the mid term elections. Stay Tuned...

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Richard Holbrooke Remains in Critical Condition - the U.S. diplomat for Afghanistan and Pakistan underwent another procedure yesterday following the twelve hour surgery Friday to repair a torn aorta. CNN.com has more here.

It is unclear if this will effect the release of the year end review of U.S. strategy for the region.

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Daily Political Wire 7-6-2010

George Wenschhof

Today, President Obama will meet with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - after meetings and a working lunch they will hold a joint press conference from the White House. Relations have been strained since Israel announced approval of building permits for the West Bank and Israeli commandos stormed a aid ship bound for the Gaza Strip. Reuters.com has more here.

All of which has made the job of U.S. Middle East Envoy George Mitchell even more difficult as he mediates "proximity talks" between Israel and Palestine.

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Senator Scott Brown (R-Mass.) signals he is now ready to support Financial Reform bill - after forcing Senate Majority Leader to postpone the vote on the bill prior to the 4th of July recess, Brown now says after the Bank fee has been amended, he is ready to support.

The vote delay was caused by the loss of Senator Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), Brown and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.); who is now saying she will support. TheHill.com has more here.

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RNC Chair Michael Steele likely to survive through 2010 elections - even as high profile republicans such as Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) call for his resignation. Changing leadership only four months before the elections is doubtful. However, it is safe to say Michael Steele is one gaffe away from the exit door. FirstRead.com has more here.

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Daily Political Wire 7-3-2010

George Wenschhof

President Obama is spending the 4th of July weekend at Camp David - on Tuesday he will meet with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.

This meeting has twice been postponed due to circumstances which erupted in Israel. The first visit was canceled after Israel announced, during a visit by Vice President Joe Biden, the approval of hundreds of building permits in the controversial West Bank. A policy contrary to what the U.S. and the Palestinians had been negotiating fo some time.

The second visit was canceled after Israeli commandos seized a humanitarian aid ship headed to the Gaza Strip.

In spite of these incidents, U.S. Middle East Envoy George Mitchell has continued to hold "proximity talks" between Israel and Palestine. Let's see if Netanyahu has any progress to announce in regard to these peace talks next week. Stay Tuned...

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Sunday morning "Talking Heads" Lineup - expect a lot of talk on Afghanistan with Senators John McCain (R-Ariz.), John Lindsey (R-S.C.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) appearing on different shows live from that country.

Sure to be brought up is the latest gaffe from RNC chair Michael Steele who was caught rambling about how the U.S. should not be involved in a ground war in Afghanistan; a position contrary to the majority of the Republican Party.

NBC "Meet The Press" - no program today - coverage of Wimbleton Tennis

ABC "This Week" - Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.)

CBS "Face The Nation" - Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)

CNN "State of The Union" - Representatives John Boccieri (D-Ohio), Duncan Hunter (R-Calf.), and Mike Coffman (R-Col.). Also appearing will be Afghanistan Ambassador to the U.S. Said Tayeb Jawab.

Fox News Sunday - Senators Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Jim DeMint (R-S.C.). Kenneth Feinberg - the independent administrator/arbiter of the BP 20 billion Escrow Fund.

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U.S. and Poland sign Missile Shield agreement - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was on hand in Krakow, Poland yesterday to witness the signing. The Obama administration scrapped the former Bush administration proposal for longer range defensive missiles in favor of shorter range missiles to defend against any possible attack from Iran. Russia has long opposed any deployment of U.S. missiles in Poland. MSNBC.com has more here.

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More calls for Steele's Resignation - the embattled chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC). Michael Steele, who barely won nomination as chair after six rounds of balloting less than a year ago has new efforts to oust him. Politico.com has more here.

Conservatives Bill Kristol; Weekly Standard Editor, David Foster of The National Review and Liz Cheney; chair of Keep America Safe all are calling for his resignation. This is coming after he was caught on a "hot mic" saying the U.S. should not be involved in a ground war in Afghanistan.

Republicans are in a tough spot as the mid term elections near. Their chair continues to help Democrats with his gaffes, however, how effective will a change be at this point.

In the meantime, look to see Democrats point out the inability of Republican leadership to make decisions; especially in regard to their own voice of their Party. Is this the kind of leadership you want to elect to Congress?

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Daily Democratic Wire 8-1-2009

George Wenschhof

Health care reform passes in two crucial House committees - last night around 9:00 PM ET, the Energy and Commerce Committee passed 31-28 the America's Affordable Health Choices Act. All 23 Republicans opposed and were joined by 5 Democrats. The Ways and Means Committee had already passed a bill so now the two bills will be reconciled in the House. The NY Times has more here.

The passage of the bill out of committee prior to the August Congressional recess gives a boost to President Obama and his efforts to bring health care reform to Americans. There is still a long ways to go before a bill hits the president's desk to be signed. Stay tuned.

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Three American Tourists taken captive in Iran - sure to inflame an already volatile relationship between Iran and the U.S. Early reports indicate three tourists were in the northern Kurdish village Sulaimaniya and went out hiking along an unmarked border area with Iran and were detained by Iranian security. Reuters.com has more here.

Makes one wonder - certainly not an area where tourists would knowingly go hiking. Stay tuned.

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Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele spent $370,000 to win position last year - you may remember, it took the Republicans six rounds of balloting before Steele won with 91 of the 168 votes taken. Contributors included oil company executives who donated as much as $25,000 to his effort to win the chair. Questionable money has followed Steele throughout his career from when he reportedly was paid during his run for Lt. Governor of Maryland. TheHill.com has more here.

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Is Newt Gingrich back? - his group, "American Solutions for Winning the Future" raised 8.1 million in the first six months of this year. With Republican 2012 presidential hopefuls Sanford and Palin fading, is this a sign of strength for Gingrich? His chief operating officer Dan Varroney says the organization is not the start of a presidential campaign and instead is focused on finding solutions to the problems that exist today. Politico.com has more here.

I would not count out the man who fueled the Republican comeback in Congress the last time they were outnumbered when he was aided by his catchy slogan "Contract with America".

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Democratic Chatter 3-22-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

President Barack Obama will appear tonight, on CBS "Sixty Minutes" - it will be broadcast at 7:00 PM ET. The president continues to defend Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner in the interview. ThePage.Time.com has some excerpts from the show here. If Geithner's roll out this week of his plan to deal with toxic assets of banks flops, he is gone and the president is saying he accepts his resignation with regret...

The President and his family are spending the weekend at Camp David, the presidential retreat near Thurmont, Maryland. They will return to D.C. Monday morning.

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RNC raises more funds than DNC in February - The Republican National Committee, chaired by Michael Steele raised 5.1 million in February. While, the Democratic National Committee, chaired by Virginia Governor Tim Kaine raised 3.3 million. The DNC also has the 13 million email list from the Obama campaign. Grumbling is already happening among Democrats over the unusual part-time arrangement of Governor Kaine as DNC chair. Politico.com has more here.

It remains a mystery why the Obama administration was in such a hurry to replace Howard Dean as DNC chair. It was Dean's 50 state strategy which aided the success the Democrats experienced as they won the White House and gained majorities in the House and Senate. Dean was also passed over for any position in the Obama administration.

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Employee Free Choice Act receiving scrutiny - expect discussion on this bill also known as the "card check" bill to heat up over the next few months. Costco, Whole foods and Starbucks have offered a compromise proposal which would move from 50% to 70%, the number of employees required to have signed a authorization card to form a union. Stay tuned as this bill will be hotly debated. TheHill.com has more here.

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Decision due this week on Minnesota Senate race - nearly five months after the election, Judges are set to rule on the Senate race trial between Republican Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken. After a mandated state recount Franken was certified as the winner by 225 votes out of 2.9 million cast. The loser of this trial could still appeal to the state Supreme Court and ultimately to the U.S. Supreme Court. Meanwhile, Minnesota is short one Senator. The Washington Post has more here.

Look to see efforts made to streamline legal remedies in regard to election disputes as voters are denied of representation as the legal due process works it's way through the system.

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Democratic Chatter 3-13-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

Today, President Barack Obama will meet with Paul Volcker and receive a report on the 787 billion Stimulus Plan - Mr. Volcker is a former Federal reserve chair who is presently the chair of the Economic Recovery Board established by Obama. This afternoon, the President is expected to meet with the Press. Time.com has more here.

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Vice President Joe Biden will speak at Union Station today - he will be discussing the positive impact of the stimulus Plan on Amtrak. The Vice President will also swear in Labor Secretary Hilda Solis today. The Washington post has more here.

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How long will Michael Steele survive as RNC Chair? - since narrowly winning the chair of the Republican National Committee after 6 rounds of voting, Mr. Steele has had one misstep after another. While a delight to many Democrats, he has become an embarrassment to the Republican Party. His latest flap took place during an interview with GQ Magazine when he said he favored a woman's choice to an abortion. He went on to say it should be a state decision and not a federal decision. He has since been busy clarifying his statement. CNN.com has more here.

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Another withdraws from consideration for Deputy Director at Treasury - Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is having a hard time getting out of the gate. Rodgin Cohen is the third to withdraw from consideration within the last week. Speculation is Geithner is a very good behind the scenes person, but not a good one to be leading the show and facing the spotlight. If this is true, the Obama administration should make a move here quickly as the Treasury Secretary will continue to be in the news daily during the economic crisis. Politico.com has more here.

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FBI raids D.C. office of Chief technology Officer - two individuals were arrested in a investigation of corruption. The head of this agency, Vivek Kundra was named recently by President Obama to be the federal government Chief Information Officer. Kundra is not considered a suspect in the investigation. Reuters.com has more here.

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Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao expresses concern about their investment in U.S. debt - this will certainly cause the Obama administration to listen as the Chinese government has 1 Trillion invested in U.S. debt. Stay tuned as foreign investment in U.S. debt has been a topic for discussion for some time. It is difficult to conduct sincere diplomatic discussions when a country's debt is secured by the country you are talking with on an international relations issue. The NY Times 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 3-3-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

This morning, President Barack Obama will speak at the Departments of Transportation and Interior - he will be discussing his Stimulus bill and how it affects them. He will be accompanied by Vice President Joe Biden. Later, the President will meet with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. ThePage.Time.com has more here.

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Yesterday, the Dow Jones lost 300 to close below 7000 - at 6,763.29, this is the lowest close since 1997 and has investors wondering what is the bottom? The news that the government was going to be in for another 30 billion for AIG along with Warren Buffet's dire comments on the prospects for this year's economy helped to spur the selling yesterday. Bloomberg.com has more here.

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Steele - Limbaugh battle as Republican party infighting grows - the conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh and the chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC) Michael Steele are attacking each other as the Republican party continues it's meltdown. After losing the House, the Senate and the Presidency, Republicans are struggling to find a message and a leader. TheHill.com has more here.

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CIA acknowledges it destroyed close to 100 interrogation tapes, Obama releases Bush administration Justice Department memos on warrantless search and seizure - Wow! a double whammy for the George W. Bush administration that gives support for Democratic leaders who are calling for investigations. Seems close to 100 tapes of terrorists being interrogated were destroyed. You can read more here.

In addition, it was revealed today a total of nine memos were released by the Justice Department with one dated back in 2001 in which the Bush administration claimed the military could search and seizure without warrants. You can read more here.

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Oops! another Obama nominee with back tax issues - this time it is Ron Kirk, the nominee for U.S. Trade Representative. The Senate finance committee discovered the $10,000 in owed backed taxes during the confirmation process. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) chair of the committee still called Kirk the right man for the job. MSNBC.com has more here.

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Howard Dean returns to Democracy for America (DFA) - he sent a email to supporters last night informing them he was back with the organization he founded. After his failed bid for the Democratic party nomination for president in 2004, he founded DFA to promote Democratic candidates across the country. He was then elected chair of the Democratic National Committee and his brother took over at DFA. Today, with one million members, DFA provides grassroots training, training for candidates, and fundraising for candidates.

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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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Democratic Chatter 1-31-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

Today, in President Barack Obama's weekly address he discuses the importance of the passage of his bill "The American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan". Click on the photo below to watch the video.

privacy policy download .mp4 download audio also available on vimeo

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Another Obama Cabinet nominee with back tax problems - previously it was Timothy Geithner for Treasury Secretary who did not pay taxes for several years before paying up along with penalties prior to his nomination. This time, it is Tom Daschle, the nominee for secretary of Health and Human Services. Seems he did not report lino services provided to him by the private equities firm he worked for as a consultant. Reportedly $100,000 in back taxes were paid and in spite of this embarrassment, expect him to be confirmed by the senate. Poliico.com has more here.

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After six rounds of voting Michael Steele elected RNC chair - the meeting in Washington D.C. of the Republican National Committee, had lots of drama with the rules dictating the winner must receive 85 votes. The final vote was 91-77 with Michael Steele prevailing over Katon Dawson, the GOP South Carolina chair. Michael Steele, the former Maryland Lt. Governor, is the first African-American to chair the RNC. He immediately talked about competing in all 50 states. Sound familiar? - let's see - a Democratic African-American elected President and the former DNC chair, Howard Dean promoted the successful 50 state strategy which aided Obama in his victory. Time.com has more here.

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Senator Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) introduces bill to limit executives pay - the bill pertains to executives who are or will be working for companies receiving government funds from the 700 Billion bailout known as TARP, the Trouble Assets Relief Program. It would limit them to not making more money than the President of the United States. Reuters.com has more here.

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Obama to send 20 million in humanitarian relief to Gaza - while government funds in the U.S. are being spent in record numbers, this is a wise move. Hamas, in the past after flare ups with Israel resulted in much destruction were quickly there in neighborhoods passing out money and offering assistance. The U.S. humanitarian aid will be administered to the Palestinians through the UN. CNN.com has more here.

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Sunday Morning "Talking Heads" Guests 2-1-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

Always plenty to talk about on the Sunday morning political discussion shows. This second Sunday after the Obama inauguration will be no exception.

In spite of attempts by President Barack Obama to charm Republicans on the Hill, his Stimulus bill was passed in the House without a single Republican vote. Expect dissecting of the 819 Billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan by the pundits and guests today. This bill is likely to capture most of the attention today.

The selection by the Republican Party on the sixth round of balloting of their first African-American to be the head of the Republican National Committee will have the tongues wagging as well. Is former Maryland Lt. Governor Michael Steele a response to the first African-American President who happens to be a Democrat?

Of course, the final gasp of Governor Rod Blagojevich prior to being removed will receive some attention. New Illinois Governor Patrick Quinn will also be discussed.

A little below the radar is a Judge who refused to suspend a trial of a Gitmo detainee in spite of the request by the President.

Some mention may also be made of the rapid deployment of new foreign policy envoys George Mitchell and Richard Holbrooke to their respective assigned regions in the Middle East and Afghanistan/Pakistan.

Below is a list of the Sunday morning "Talking Heads" with their scheduled guests. As always, remember to check your local listings for time and channel.

NBC "Meet The Press" - David Gregory will interview Senators Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-Tx.) and John Kerry (D-Mass.). The roundtable discussion will include Erin Burnett, Steve Forbes, and Mark Zandi.

ABC "This Week" - George Stephanopoulos will have Representative Barney Frank (D-Mass.), Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC), Google executive Eric Schmidt and FedEx executive Fred Smith. The roundtable will include Bob Woodward, George Will, Martha Raddatz, and David Sanger

CBS "Face The Nation" - Bob Schieffer welcomes Senators Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) and Charles Schumer (D-NY) and NY Times David Brooks.

Fox News Sunday - Chris Wallace scores newly elected RNC chair Michael Steele. Also appearing will be Senators Jon Kyl (R-Az.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.)

CNN "Sate of The Union" - John King will have Governors Tim Pawlenty (R-Minn.) and Jennifer Granholm (D-Mich.). Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calf.) and John Ensign (R-NV). Also former Labor Secretary Robert Reich and Grover Norquist.

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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 1-8-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

Today, President-elect Barack Obama will give speech on his economic recovery plan - he will give the speech at 11:00 AM at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. ThrPage.time.com has some of the excerpts from his speech here.

Obama will also meet later today with Virginia Governor Tim Kaine who he chose to be the new Democratic National committee Chair.

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Jobless claims reach 4.6 million - this is the highest level in 26 years. Bloomberg.com has more here.

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The appointment of Roland Burris to the vacant Illinois Senate seat gathers support - seems Mr. Burris will testify today in front of the Illinois state Governor Blagojevich impeachment committee. He could then receive the certification by the state leading to his seating in the Senate. The handling of this situation by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has also drawn questions. The Washington Post has more here.

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Tom Daschle Confirmation Hearing for Secretary of Health and Human services begins today - next Tuesday it will be Senator Hillary Clinton who begins the confirmation process for her appointment to Secretary of State. MSNBC.com has more here.

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Former Maryland Lt. Governor Michael Steele receives Florida Republican Party Chair endorsement - Jim Greer was expected to run himself for the chair of the Republican National Committee, but instead announced his support for Michael Steele for the position. CNN.com has more here.

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