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.

---

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.

---

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.

---

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.

---

To receive "Daily Email Updates" from Air-it-Out with George Wenschhof, click on "Subscribe to this feed" below or use the sign up box located in the upper right hand margin.

Daily Political Wire 9-28-2010

George Wenschhof

President Obama interviewed by Rolling Stone - it was the interview by Rolling Stone of General Stanley McChrystal that led to his forced retirement by the president. In a wide ranging interview, the president discusses his first almost two years in office. You can read it here.

---

Rahm announcement expected Friday - White House chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel will most likely announce his departure date to run for Mayor of Chicago. President Obama is rumored to be leaning toward replacing him on an interim basis with Pete Rouse who served as his chief of staff when he was a U.S. Senator in Illinois. Rouse has little Capitol Hill experience so do no expect him to stay long. The Chicago Sun Times has more here.

---

Rick Lazio drops out of New York Governor race - the unknown is whether this will boost the campaign of Republican Carl Paladino. Lazio did not endorse him in his effort to beat the favored Democratic candidate Andrew Cuomo. The Washington Post has more here.

---

Senate to vote on restricting job outsourcing today - Democrats do not expect to receive the 60 votes needed to move the measure to a full vote on the Senate. The bill would restrict the ability of U.S. companies to move jobs overseas. TheHill.com has more here.

---

House Democrats continue to battle themselves on tax cut strategy - first, it was 36 Democrats who signed a letter to house Speaker Nancy Pelosi requesting an extension of all the Bush tax cuts. Now, it is 46 Democrats signing a letter calling for a vote to allow the cuts for the wealthy expire. Meanwhile, the Senate Republicans have blocked the vote from coming to the floor. Politico.com has more here.

This is an excellent example of the gridlock and foolishness that is taking place on Capitol Hill these days. Even, the casual observer sees the compromise solution being to extend all of the tax cuts with the cuts for those making over $250,000 extended for only two years. This would allow for continued growth in the economy to take place and limit the cost of the extension of the cuts for the wealthy.

---

Disturbing revelations of U.S. soldiers randomly killing Afghanistan civilians threaten progress - a gruesome tale is being told in a military trial of soldiers accused of killing Afghanistan civilians. The NY Times has more here.

---

Maryland Governor race begins to get nasty - counter charges are being thrown by the campaigns of Democratic Governor Martin O'Malley and his challenger; former Republican Governor Robert Ehrlich.

The latest is from the Ehrlich campaign who accuses the O'Malley administration of interfering with reports published by the state Labor Department. The Governor contest continues to be a pick-em race based on recent polling. The Baltimore Sun has more here.

---

To receive "Daily Email Updates" from Air-it-Out with George Wenschhof, click on "Subscribe to this feed" below or use the sign up box located in the upper right hand margin.

Democratic Chatter 3-2-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

President Barack Obama to nominate Kathleen Sebelius to be HHS Secretary today - as we reported several days ago, this afternoon the President makes it official for the Kansas Governor. As Health and Human Services Secretary she will be responsible for moving Obama's health care legislation forward. She is the second pick for this position by the president. Tom Daschle had been chosen due to his experience on capitol hill but withdrew when some embarrassing tax issues came to light during the confirmation process. Time.com has more here.

--------------------

American International Group, Inc. (AIG) to receive another 30 billion in bailout funds - their fourth quarter reported loss was 61.7 billion. AIG insures 100,000 companies, municipalities and retirement plan which affect 100 million Americans. Bloomberg.com has more here.

With this additional bad news, the Dow Jones dropped below 7000 in early trading today.

--------------------

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to meet with President Obama tomorrow to discuss the global economic crisis - Brown will be calling for a "global new deal" to rescue the world from depression. These talks come before the G-20 economic summit scheduled in London April 2. Brown will also address a joint session of congress on Wednesday. TheHill.com has more here.

--------------------

Limbaugh says he wants Obama to fail - this came as he spoke to the Conservative Political Action Conference. So much for the Republican mantra of "putting country first". White House Chief of Staff was quick to pounce on these remarks saying conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh was the face of the Republican party. Eric Cantor (R-Va.), the House Minority Whip, said he disagreed with Limbaugh's comments. CNN.com has more here.

--------------------

Tomorrow, the Democratic primary will be held to select the Democrat to replace Rahm Emanuel's old seat in the House - There are 12 Democrats running and three are considered the front-runners. They are state representatives Sara Feigenholtz and John Fritchey and Cook County commissioner Mike Quigley. Voter turnout is expected to be low. The special election will be held April 7. Politico.com has more here.

--------------------

To receive "Daily Email Updates" from Air-it-Out with George Wenschhof, click on "Subscribe to this feed" below.

Sunday Morning "Talking Heads" Guests 3-1-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

This is only the fifth Sunday since Barack Obama was sworn in as President. He continues to operate at a frenzied pace putting the finishing touches on his Cabinet as well as addressing pressing domestic and international issues. Expect all to be discussed this morning along with reaction to his address to congress and the nation last Tuesday..

As to his Cabinet, the President has to be hoping Gary Locke will secure nomination as Commerce Secretary after the two previous nominations did not pan out. The remaining Cabinet position is Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Plenty of discussion will surround the budget summary President Obama released on Thursday for fiscal year 2010. The projected deficit for that year alone is 1.75 trillion with the budget total being 3.55 trillion. Also the 787 billion Stimulus bill will continue to be examined along with analysis of Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal's Republic response to Obama's speech. A speech which fell flat for the Republican Party.

The timetable for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq and the increase of troops in Afghanistan announced by the President is sure to be discussed this morning.

Other topics which may receive some discussion is Senator Robert Byrd's (D-WV) letter to the President asking for him to define executive privilege and Senator Pat Leahy (D-Vt.) naming a committee to investigate wrong doings in the George W. Bush administration.

As always, the Sunday Morning "Talking Heads" and Guests promise to be fun to watch. Remember to check your local listings for time and channel. Below is the list of the morning shows and their guests.

NBC "Meet The Press" - Dick Gregory will interview Defense Secretary Robert Gates. The roundtable discussion will include Harold Ford Jr., Mike Murphy, Dee Dee Myers, and Joe Scarborough.

ABC "This Week" - George Stephanopoulos will interview Peter Ozag, Director Office of Management and Budget and Representative Eric Cantor (R-Va.). The roundtable discussion will include Karl Rove, Stan Greenberg, Katrina vanden Heuvel, and George Will.

CBS "Face The Nation" - Bob Schieffer will have as his guest, White house chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

Fox News Sunday - Chris Wallace will have Joint Chief of Staffs chair Mike Mullen, Senator Jon Kyl (R-Az.) and Representative Paul Ryan (R-Wi.)

CNN "State of The Union" - John King also interviews Mike Mullen. Other guests include Hawaii Representative Neil Abercombie (D), personal finance expert Suze Orman, and former NY Post gossip columnist Liz Smith.

--------------------

To receive "Daily Email Updates" from Air-it-Out with George Wenschhof, click on "Subscribe to this feed" below.

Democratic Chatter 1-21-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

Today, President Barack Obama will receive his first daily intelligence brief - as he begins the first first day as President. Now begins the arduous task of governing for the Obama administration. This afternoon, he will meet with the Joint Chiefs to discuss foreign policy issues. The President also plans to meet with his economic advisers today.

In case you missed President Obama's Inauguration Speech, you can watch it here. It was a good and measured speech which focused on the hard times ahead and the need to work together.

I would give a higher rating to several other of his notable speeches including the speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, the speech in Philadelphia on race issues after the Reverend Wright controversy erupted during the campaign, and his Democratic Party nomination acceptance speech at "Mile High" stadium in Denver.

However, it set the right tone. Now is the time to go to work at solving the major issues facing Americans today.

--------------------

The Senate confirmed 7 of his Cabinet nominees yesterday - all were approved by a voice vote when the Senate convened at 3:00 PM ET. The Secretaries confirmed were: Energy - Steven Chu, Education - Arne Duncan, homeland Security - Janet Napolitano, Interior - Ken Salazar, Agriculture - Tom Vilsak, veteran affairs - Eric Shinseki. OMB director Peter Orzag was also approved. Hillary Clinton will face a roll call vote today in the Senate for Secretary of State but is expected to be confirmed easily. Politico.com has more here.

--------------------

Congressional Luncheon goes well, Kennedy, Byrd fall ill - Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) suffered a seizure and taken to the hospital. Doctors say the seizure was brought on by fatigue - Kennedy, is battling brain cancer and seizures are common after the surgery and treatment he has received. Senator Robert Byrd (D-W. Va.) who has been battling ill health for some time also experience some difficulty but is expected to be ok. TheHill.com has more here.

--------------------

Obama orders halt to all pending regulations - in a wise move, chief of staff Rahm Emanuel informed all agency heads to halt all pending regulation - often, an outgoing administration will try to push regulations through at the end of their term in office. MSNBC.com has more here.

--------------------

Obama seeks to suspend for 120 days prosecution of Gitmo detainees at Guantanamo Bay - this will allow his administration to review the current process and make recommendations for changes as necessary. It is no secret President Obama intends to close Gitmo, it is just a matter of time. The Washington Post has more here.

--------------------

Israel withdraws from Gaza - perhaps wanting to make New President Barack Obama's life a little easier, Israel completed their withdraw from the Gaza Strip. Hamas remains defiant so do not expect this situation to go away. The New York Times has more here.

--------------------

To receive "Daily Email Updates" from Air-it-Out with George Wenschhof, click on "Subscribe to this feed" below.

Frederick's Up and Coming

J. Burke Miller Bio

Welcome to day 1, Mr. President

January 21, 2009 – Day 1 of 100: As the streets of DC are swept and the platforms, seats and stages are all broken down; as the black tie affairs come to an end and the millions of out-of-towners head back to their homes, Washingtonians will head back to their jobs after the long, celebratory weekend. As most return to the Washington jobs they left on Friday, President Barack Obama and his modern-day Team of Rivals begin new ones tasked with fixing our country's seemingly downward path.

With all of the excitement generated around the election and the Inauguration, it is sobering to consider the laundry list of problems that the new administration will inherit: two wars, a fledgling economy, heightened tension in Gaza, a disappearing act by American industry, a bitterly partisan nation, and more. Now, it is not that I am skeptical of President Obama's message of "hope" but I am admittedly unnerved by the electorate's expectations of an immediate delivery of the promised "change."

Prior to President Obama's Inaugural Address, I was sure that he needed to use his captivity of the world's attention to temper expectations by saying, "If our plans fall short, that does not mean we did not all succeed." Instead, President Obama used his first few moments as #44 to continuously reaffirm the world's nearly impossibly high expectations. My first thought: "What is he thinking?!"

Although the first 100 days of a new administration will not provide a permanent brand of successful or unsuccessful, they will certainly set the tone for the remainder of the term.

Will early successes provide Chief-of-Staff Rahm Emanuel with the clout necessary to easily accumulate support on Capitol Hill? Will the administration be able to follow through on promises made concerning Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay to a level that allows Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to rebuild America's reputation abroad? Will reversals of Bush policies like the Mexico City abortion policy immediately eliminate the necessary bipartisan goodwill needed to truly unite Washington under a banner of "progress?"

Evidence from Obama's campaign and from his transition team suggests that the new administration will continue to use calculated actions to expeditiously dispose of road blocks en route to a better America. Still, it seems as though the American people expect the new administration to judiciously answer each of these questions without faltering – even once.

I am nervous as to how the world will react the first time President Obama comes up short because with such expectations, this is not a "shoot for the moon and even if you fall short you land among the stars" moment. It may only take one blemish to ruin the impeccable record that so many Obama skeptics have been so weary of trusting and these are the dangers of such records in a business where perception is reality.

One source of criticism that is often over-looked is President Obama's faithful supporters. How will the Democratic Party react when the Obama administration begins to compromise major planks from their agenda? To be honest, I do not believe it will be long before we find the answer to this question. After all, Obama's Inaugural Address has confirmed (to me, at least) that he was not simply using a break from standard Washington politics as a campaign ploy; instead, he expanded upon that theory.

Yesterday's address was a very bold move by the new President of the United States and while my initial reaction was shock, my ultimate reaction follows the same emotions I felt during his campaign: awe and inspiration. Ultimately, it was a hopeful moment for those Americans that are placing the welfare of their country firmly in front of the welfare of their respective political parties and allegiances.

--------------------

To receive "Daily Email Updates" from Air-it-Out with George Wenschhof, click on "Subscribe to this feed" below.

Democratic Chatter 1-2-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

President-elect Barack Obama and family will move to D.C. this weekend - In the first of two moves prior to occupying the White House, they will stay at the Hays-Adams Hotel. Due to prior commitments they were unable to move into the government owned Blair House until January 15. The reason for the earlier move is the daughters begin school next week. CNN.com has more here.

--------------------

Obama to meet with Congressional leaders today to discuss his stimulus bill - He is meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calf.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) He will also meet with Republican Congressional Leaders John Boehner and Mitch McConnell. Reuters .com has more here.

--------------------

Israel continues attack on Gaza - determined to defuse Hamas, Israel continued air strikes for the seventh day and were poised for a ground invasion. The NY Times has more here. Some reports have indicated the Israeli military favor a short term ground attack aimed at further rooting out Hamas supporters. Meanwhile, the Arab states in the region are condemning the air strikes and the French continue to negotiate a cease fire.

The last time this military action took place under the same circumstances, Hamas was able to gain favor with the innocent civilians by offering aid. Hopefully, that will be remembered and humanitarian aid is provided by Israel and the UN as soon as possible.

--------------------

Can Democrats stop Roland Burris from being seated as Senator? - embattled Governor Rod Blagojevich (D-Ill.) continues to cause problems for Democrats at a time when there is a lot to cheer about. His recent appointment of Roland Burris to the Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama is sure to generate more angst among Democratic leaders who are saying they will not seat Burris if he shows up next week.

It promises to be a awkward situation for Democrats who would prefer to be putting their best foot forward after decisive victories on Election Day. A referral of the appointment to the senate credentials committee could take place, but that would involve up to a ninety day review, resulting in more testimony and attention. Failing to seat the only African-American Senator would also cause heartburn for many. The best move may be to seat him. Politico.com has more here.

--------------------

Another Illinois seat now open with Rahm Emanuel's resignation - he sent his letter of resignation to Governor Blagojevich effective today. The state Constitution requires the Governor to set a election date within 115 days. Interestingly, vacant Senate seats receive immediate appointment, while vacant seats of Representatives in Congress are filled by special election. TheHill.com speculates on who may run and you can read their take on the possible candidates here.

--------------------

To receive "Daily Email Updates" from Air-it-Out with George Wenschhof, click on "Subscribe to this feed" below.

Democratic Chatter 12-30-2008

George Wenschhof Bio

President-elect Barack Obama continues his family vacation in Hawaii - Yesterday, he and some close friends hit the golf course at Lanikai. The Honolulu Star Bulletin has more here. As he can surely tell from his daily briefings, he will have his hands full when he is sworn in 21 days from now with serious international and domestic issues to address.

--------------------

Israel air strikes on Gaza continue - the fourth day of targeted air strikes continue as Israel responds to persistent rocket attacks from Hamas. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert alluded to further escalation as he said the air strikes were the first of several stages. The NY Times has more here.

--------------------

More troubling economic news - Home prices fell 18% from one year ago in 20 major cities and now are at 2004 levels. Bloomberg.com has more here.

Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson announced yesterday an additional 6 Billion in aid to General Motors. Politico.com has more here.

--------------------

Rahm Emanuel to resign his Congressional seat Friday - The incoming White House Chief of Staff sent a letter to embattled Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich to inform him of his decision. The state constitution requires the Governor to set a date for a special election within 5 days and for it to be held within 115 days. The Chicago Tribune Swamppolitics.com has more here. It appears U.S. Senators are held in higher regard as their vacant positions are filled by appointment by the Governor.

--------------------

"Blago-watch" continues - U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald has asked permission from the court to provide partial recordings of four conversations of Governor Rod Blagojevich. Fitzgerald wants to provide the tapes to the Illinois state committee considering impeachment of the Governor. CNN.com has more here. Although the committee is not a court of law, this could open up requests by the defense to have all the tapes released. Stay Tuned.

--------------------

Minnesota Senate race hinges on ruling pertaining to absentee ballots - a recent court ruling said approximately 1500 previously rejected absentee ballots should be counted. The court gave the campaigns of Republican Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken until the end of the month to agree with the state canvassing board on a system to be used in counting the ballots. They have not yet reached agreement and now the Coleman campaign is pushing for additional absentee ballots to be counted. It has been reported Franken holds a narrow 47 vote lead prior to the count of the absentee ballots. The Minneapolis StarTribune.com has more here.

--------------------

To receive "Daily Email Updates" from Air-it-Out with George Wenschhof, click on "Subscribe to this feed" below.

Obama Transition Team Releases List of Contacts with Blagojevich

George Wenschhof Bio

The five page memo is dated today and is addressed to President-elect Barack Obama and is from incoming White House counsel Greg Craig. It is entitled "Transition Staff Contacts with the Governor's Office". You can read it at Change.gov here.

As was indicated previously by President-elect Obama, it does not appear anything out of the ordinary transpired between the Governor and the transition staff. It is also apparent from reading the report that the U.S. Attorney's office interviewed the President-elect, Rahm Emanuel, and Valarie Jarrett last week.

Rahm Emanuel did speak to Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich on one or two occasions with one conversation pertaining to his resignation from his representative seat and taking the position of White House Chief of Staff. Interestingly, he first recommended Valarie Jarrett for the Senate seat prior to any discussions with the President-elect. When the Senate seat was discussed with Obama, Emanuel was informed the President-elect had a list of names to pass on for consideration but that he was not going to personally recommend a replacement. At that time Emanuel was also informed by Obama that Valarie Jarrett was joining the White House staff and had removed herself from consideration for the Senate seat.

The names that were referred to the Governor's office by Rahm Emanuel were Representatives Jan Schakowsky and Jesse Jackson Jr., Tammy Duckworth and Dan Hynes.

At no point was there any attempt by the Governor or his staff to extract any benefit from the transition staff.

--------------------

To receive "Daily Email Updates" from Air-it-Out with George Wenschhof, click on "Subscribe to this feed" below.