A grab bag Sunday, with topics likely to include filibuster reform in the Senate, Texas abortion laws, immigration reform, Syria and the failed peace process between Israel and Palestine.
NBC "Meet The Press" will have Senate leaders Harry Reid (D-Nev. and Mitch McConnell (R-KY) as guests and expect Reid to discuss the failure of Republicans to confirm President Obama nominees, causing him to consider the "nuclear" option for filibuster reform.
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will appear on CBS "Face The Nation" and will likely discuss the latest efforts by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to restart the Israel-Palestine peace talks.
On ABC "This Week", George Stephanopoulos goes one-on-one with former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer on his decision to re-enter political life as he joins the race for New York City comptroller.
Also, the pending verdict in the George Zimmerman trial will be discussed with NAACP President Ben Jealous on CNN "State of The Union".
The scheduled guests follow below.
NBC "Meet The Press" - Senators Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Mitch McConnell (R-KY.), Rep. Tom Cotton (R-AZ)
Roundtable with Rich Lowry; Former Democratic Governor of New Mexico Bill Richardson; President of the Center for American Progress Neera Tanden; and Republican Strategist as well as former senior strategist to the McCain-Palin campaign Steve Schmidt.
CBS "Face The Nation" - Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu, Reps. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), Peter King (R-NY), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) and Sen. Dick Durbin
Roundtable with The Wall Street Journal's Peggy Noonan, TIME Magazine's Bobby Ghosh, The New York Times' David Sanger, POLITICO's John Harris and CBS News' State Department Correspondent Margaret Brennan.
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ABC "This Week - Eliot Spitzer, Sens. Orin Hatch (R-Utah), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Reps. Karen Bass (D-Calf.) and Tom Cole (R-Okla.)
Roundtable with Wall Street Journal editorial page editor Paul Gigot; Politico senior political reporter Maggie Haberman; New York Times Magazine chief national correspondent Mark Leibovich, author of the new book “This Town”; and television and radio host Tavis Smiley.
Yesterday, in a bill signing ceremony at the White House, President Obama signed into law the Health Care Reform bill.
Today, President Obama will sign the executive order which makes clear the "Hyde amendment" which restricts use of federal funds for abortion, also applies to the health care reform bill. He has invited about a dozen pro-life Democrats from the House, including Representative Bart Stupak (Mich.), to attend.
Tomorrow, Obama is off to Iowa City, Iowa where he gave his first speech on the need for health care reform in May, 2007. Reports are over 16,500 have requested tickets online so far and the field House only holds 3,000.
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Gallup poll shows Americans favored passage of health care reform - in their daily tracking poll conducted a day after the House vote, 49% felt it was a good thing and 40% felt it was a bad thing. Voting was primarily along political party lines with Independents slightly in favor 46% - 45%. Gaullup.com has more here.
This shows the American voter is not buying the myths and outright lies put forward by many Republicans in regard to health care reform. Look to see the margin for those who approve to increase as the components of the bill are implemented and for the Republican Party strategy of "No" to backfire on them in the upcoming mid term elections.
--- Senate vote on House amendments to Health Care bill nears - after seven of the 20 hours of debate were used yesterday, senate Majority Leader Harry Reid yielded the remaining Democratic time. First Read has more here. That leaves about eights hours of debate and there is some speculation Republicans might also yield the remainder of their time for debate. this would allow the voting to begin in the senate. After, more than a year of debate, there is not likely to be new discussion at this point anyway. So, yielding the time for debate makes sense.
The latest Republican tactic to slow approval of the amendments is to offer new amendments which would be likely to pass and then require the bill to go back to the House for passage - and Republicans say Democrats use tricky legislative maneuvers.
--- President Obama meets with Israel Prime Minister - for nearly two hours yesterday the two met. Interestingly, there was no press conference, no photos or press release following the meeting. Politico.com has more here. Relations between the U.S. and Israel have been strained after Israel announced during a visit by Vice President Biden, the approval of 1600 building units on the disputed West Bank.
Middle East Envoy George Mitchell had spent the past year setting up "proximity" peace talks between Palestine and Israel. The start of these talks were to be announced by Vice President Biden during his trip to Israel. Biden did not issue the announcement and Palestine has since dropped out of the planned talks.
Netanyahu's visit to the U.S. has continued with a stubborn insistence on Israel's right to build settlements in disputed land they captured in the 6 day 1967 war. Interestingly, at an AIPAC conference yesterday the differences were highlighted with secretary of state Hillary Clinton speaking on how continued building of settlements undermined the peace process and Netanyahu boldly stating Israel will continue to build.
Netanyahu also moved to changed the subject somwhat when he called for more severe sanctions against Iran, who to date, has refused to be forthcoming in regard to their nuclear development. AIPAC and pro-Israel political action committees are very powerful and this is an important foreign policy issue in the U.S. so stay tuned...
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Senator Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) donates 1 million to Ellsworth campaign - TheHill.com has more here. Wow! is likely a record contribution. Bayh is sitting on 13 million in campaign funds from a reelection campaign he decided to end. The lucky one million recipient is Indiana Representative Brad Ellsworth (D) who is running for what will be an open seat. The one million will go to the Indiana Democratic Party who will spend it on efforts to elect Ellsworth. I wonder where the other 12 million will go....
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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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George Wenschhof Today, President Barack Obama will give a speech on the economy at Hudsen Valley Community College in Troy, New York - he will discuss the need for innovation in the economy and how the Stimulus bill is helping in this area. You can read more here. Later, Obama heads to New York City to tape a show with David Letterman that will air tonight. Tomorrow, the President hosts meetings with Israel prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Later in the week, it is the G-20 Summit on the economy being held in Pittsburgh. Here the focus will be on the global economy and how the industrialized nations can work together to avert similar problems in the future. The Wall Street Journal has more here. -------------------- Blue Dog Democrats question need for new consumer protection agency for the financial sector - this new agency is part of the financial regulatory reform sought by Obama. Instead, they look to combine existing agencies. Politico.com has more here.
Senator Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) chair of the senate finance Committee also favors combining several agencies into one. He also is proposing new limits on banks for overdraft fees. MSNBC.com has more here.
-------------------- Will anyone responsible for Wall Street collapse ever be held accountable? - Americans continue to wonder this question as they lose their homes to foreclosure and find themselves out of work. While numerous investigations are underway, one year after the financial collapse, no one has been brought to trial. McClatchydc.com has more here. --------------------
U.S. General Stanley McChrystal says more troops needed in Afghanistan to avoid failure - as the Obama administration intensifies discussion on strategy and the need for additional troops, this leak of an internal memo is reported by the Washington Post. You can read it here. -------------------- Lieberman's ideas for climate bill likely to anger environmentalists - Senator Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) is looking to include money for coal power and nuclear plants in the bill. Politico.com has more here. -------------------- To receive "Daily Email Updates" from Air-it-Out with George Wenschhof, click on "Subscribe to this feed" below.
George WenschhofBio President Barack Obama addresses the annual State of the Black Union Forum - in a video message he talks about how difficult economic times often mean even tougher times for African Americans. He spoke about how the recently passed Stimulus bill and the Children's health care bill known as SCHIP along with his budget will make a big difference in the African American community. Travis Smiley organized the event and Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and RNC chair Michael Steele were scheduled to speak. TheHill.com has more here. -------------------- President Obama to move to rescind Bush administration abortion rule - President George W. Bush signed a rule in the last days of his administration that supported Doctors who refused to perform abortions due to moral reasons. It is being reported the Obama administration will issue new rules soon to reverse the actions by President Bush. MSNBC.com has more here. -------------------- CPAC Picks Mitt Romney for 2012 Republican candidate for President - the Conservative Political Action Conference voted Mitt Romney as the best choice. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal finished second. Romney has finished first three years in a row so doubtful this is any barometer of who the Republican nominee will be in 2012. In fact, with Rush Limbaugh as the headline speaker yesterday, it is a scary thought that anyone CPAC would choose as a candidate would ever become President. CNN.com has more here. -------------------- Billionaire Warren Buffet sees more gloom for the economy throughout 2009 - in a letter to shareholders, he indicated he believed the economy would be bad even beyond 2009. The fourth quarter report for his company Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. showed net income fell 96% to 117 million. Bloomberg.com has more here. -------------------- On the foreign policy front, Israel Prime Minister designate Benjamin Netanyahu is unable to reach agreement with Tzipi Livni - President Shimon Peres named Netanyahu as Prime Minister after a razor thin election with Livni. This is not good news for the region as Netanyahu is more a right wing hawk who does not support the U.S. sponsored two state vision with Palestine. Reuters.com has more here.
-------------------- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton off to Mideast on Monday - she will attend a international conference in Egypt where she will announce the U.S. pledge of 900 million to help rebuild the Gaza strip after the recent Israel incursion. She will then head to Israel to meet with PM Netanyahu and Tzipi Livni before meeting with Palestinian Authority Leaders including President Abbas. She will reaffirm the Obama administration commitment to the two state solution. On Friday she will be in Geneva to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. You can read more here. --------------------
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George WenschhofBio 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. -------------------- 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. -------------------- 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. -------------------- 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. -------------------- 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. -------------------- 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. -------------------- 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. -------------------- To receive "Daily Email Updates" from Air-it-Out with George Wenschhof, click on "Subscribe to this feed" below.
George WenschhofBio Today, President Barack Obama will travel to Springfield, Virginia - he will visit a construction site with Virginia Governor Tim Kaine late this morning as he continues to sell the creation of jobs under his Stimulus bill to the public. You can read more here. -------------------- The Senate and House may reach compromise on Stimulus bill today - reportedly, progress was made last night on a compromise between the House and Senate versions of the bill. Yesterday, the Senate voted in the same manner they had to end the filibuster, 61-37 to pass the America Recovery and Reinvestment Plan. The bill is expected to be signed by the President by Monday. Politico.com has more here. Meanwhile, questions abound pertaining the the Stimulus bill and what effect it will have on bolstering the weak economy. The use of an impending doom to create urgency to act has failed in the past. Most recently, in the area of foreign policy with former President George W. Bush. In the urgency to avoid disaster in the shape of "a mushroom cloud", President Bush invaded Iraq and in the process redefined the acronym WMD from Weapons of Mass Destruction to Words of Mass Distortion. -------------------- Yesterday, the Bailout bill grew from an original 700 Billion to who knows? - a couple of Trillion? - Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner presented his modifications to the bill yesterday which included more oversight on how the remaining 350 Billion of the TARP funds are used. Other new aspects presented were public-private partnerships up to 1 Trillion to buy bad debt from banks and up to another 1 Trillion to provide lending to businesses and consumers. Yesterday, after the announcement the Dow Jones dropped several hundred. Bloomberg.com has a good read here. -------------------- On the foreign policy front, Israel elections do not produce a clear winner - and you think our representative form of government is hard to figure out? As the results were tabulated from Israel's elections, a woman, Tzipi Livini's centrist Kadima party had won 28 seats in the 120 seat Knesset. While, right-wing Benjamin Netanyahu's party had won 27 seat with him claiming to be able to control 64 seats. President Simon Peres will choose the next Prime Minister. Keep an eye on these developments as the outcome will be crucial in future negotiations with the Palestinians. Reuters .com has more here. -------------------- Defense Secretary Robert Gates to meet with President Obama today - they will be discussing troop levels in Afghanistan. Hard to believe it has been seven years since the initial U.S. action in Afghanistan following 9/11. It is expected the President will announce an increase of up to 25,000 troops to be deployed in Afghanistan. You can read more here. -------------------- To receive "Daily Email Updates" from Air-it-Out with George Wenschhof, click on "Subscribe to this feed" below.
