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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Democratic News Chatter 4-17-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

Yesterday, President Obama was in Mexico meeting with President Calderon - they discussed a variety of issues including arms trafficking, cracking down on drug cartels and strengthening regional security. WhiteHouse.gov has more on the meeting here.

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Today, the President attends the Summit of the Americas - the two day conference with leaders of 33 countries in Trinidad and Tobago will cover a wide range of topics. It is expected President Obama will be asked to end the 47 year old trade embargo with Cuba and to support the inclusion of Cuba in future summits. Reuters.com has more here.

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Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke announces 1 billion in U.S. aid to Pakistan - at at international conference in Tokyo, japan also committed to 1 billion in aid to Pakistan. How the money would be spent would be determined by the International Monetary Fund. This comes after Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari spoke out against any conditions being attached to the aid. TheHill.com has more here.

Meanwhile, diplomats and intelligence officials express increasing fear of Pakistan becoming an Islamic state - President Zardari has allowed Islamic law to prevail in various provinces within Pakistan, while Al Queda and the Taliban continue to operate freely within the country. McClatchydc.com has a good read here.

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Obama Car Czar may be under investigation by Security Exchange Commission - the NY Times is reporting the SEC has filed a complaint surrounding a payment of one million by a firm to secure NY state 122 billion pension fund. The firm was co-founded by Steven Rattner who was appointed by President Obama to oversee the restructuring of the auto companies. The NY Times has more here.

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CIA memos released justifying harsh interrogation techniques - four internal memos written during the George W. Bush administration provided the legal basis for the use of waterboarding and other interrogation techniques. The Obama administration has indicated they will not prosecute those CIA personnel who used these techniques. However, look to see those who provided the legal justification for the use of these techniques to come under scrutiny. McClatchydc.com has more here.

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NY District 20 special election update - most of the over 6000 absentee ballots have been counted and Democrat Scott Murphy has extended his lead over Republican Jim Tedisco to 178 votes. As of 4:00 PM ET yesterday, the state board of elections had the vote count at 79, 452 to 79,274. The remaining absentee ballots should be counted today. This is a Republican registered district where moderate Democrat Kirsten Hillibrand had served for one term prior to being named to fill the vacant Hillary Clinton Senate seat. The Republican National Committee had hoped for a victory here and had planned to spread the word that this was a anti-Obama message being sent by the voters. Regardless, of the outcome, it will be hard for Republicans to tout the outcome here.

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Sunday Morning "Talking Heads" Guests for 3-29-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

The economy will continue to be the focus of discussion by pundits this coming Sunday morning. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner will appear on "Meet The Press" and "This Week". Perhaps Mr. Geithner feels buoyed by the third straight week of gains on the Dow Jones. This is the first time that has happened in almost a year.

Geithner is not exactly a good front man so we will all get to see how he does explaining his latest public-private partnership plan to rid banks of their toxic assets. In addition, he will be asked about his request from Congress of new regulations on financial institutions.

On Monday, the president's auto industry task force will be announcing their recommendations to the automakers on how to restructure their companies. These changes will be monitored and tied to the receipt of the additional 22 billion that has been requested by GM and Chrysler. Let's see if anyone brings this up for discussion.

The president appears on "Face The Nation" so expect him to receive the same financial questions as Mr. Geithner. Another subject that will receive attention Sunday morning is the war in Afghanistan. President Obama announced an additional 4000 troops to be deployed and 1.5 billion in yearly aid to Pakistan for the next five years. It will be interesting to see if the president receives tough questions regarding sending this amount of aid to the unstable government in Pakistan. Getting the U.S. out of Iraq and into a quagmire in Afghanistan also deserves tough questions.

Perhaps, that is why Defense Secretary Robert Gates will be appearing on "Fox News Sunday" and General Petraeus and U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke will appear on "State of The Union".

As always, remember to check your local listings for time and channel. Below is a list of the guests appearing on the Sunday Morning "Talking Heads". Tune in and enjoy.

NBC "Meet The Press" - David Gregory will interview Senator John McCain (R-Az.) and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.

ABC "This Week" - George Stephanopoulos also interviews Timothy Geithner. The roundtable will include Matthew Dowd, Paul Krugman, George Will, and Cokie Roberts.

CBS "Face The Nation" - Bob Schieffer will lead the ratings this Sunday morning as his guest is President Barack Obama.

Fox News Sunday - Chris Wallace will interview Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

CNN "State of The Union" - John King lands General David Petraeus and Richard Holbrooke who is the U.S. special envoy for Afganistan and Pakistan. Also appearing will be Senators Kent Conrad (D-ND) and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). Representative John Spratt (D-SC) is also on the show.

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Democratic Chatter 2-14-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

This morning, in his weekly address to the nation, President Barack Obama spoke of the passage by Congress of his American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan - better known as the 787 billion Stimulus bill. He cautioned there are no quick fixes for the economy and recognized some questioned the effectiveness of the bill. He said Americans can check on the progress of the bill at http://www.recovery.gov/. You can watch his speech below.

privacy policy download .mp4 also available here audio

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787 billion Stimulus bill passes late last night in the Senate - the vote in the Senate was 60-38 and the reason for the late hour approval was they waited for Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Oh.) to return from memorial services for his mother who had passed away. In fact, the White House arranged for a plane to fly him to D.C. and then back to Ohio in order for him to attend funeral services today. He gave passage of the bill a veto-proof measure of victory. Senator Edward Kennedy was unable to make the vote as he was in Florida receiving treatment for his brain cancer.

You wonder where the 100th vote went? Well, it wasn't cast due to no resolution to the Minnesota Senate race involving Norm Coleman (R) and Al Franken (D). The three Republican Senators to vote in favor of the bill were Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins from Maine along with Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania. Republican Senator Judd Gregg who just withdrew from consideration for Commerce Secretary voted against the bill.

The House vote was 246-183 with seven Democrats voting with all Republicans against passage of the Stimulus bill. So much for bipartisan spirit in Washington.... The President is expected to have a bill signing ceremony on Monday. The NY Times has more here.

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Speaking of the Minnesota Senate race - yesterday, a three judge panel issued a ruling that appears will not be helpful for Republican Norm Coleman who is arguing for more rejected absentee ballots to be counted. The ruling was there had been not been a statewide problem in the counting of absentee ballots. They also provided a conservative guideline for the judges to use in determining what rejected absentee ballots should be examined. Maybe, by the end of the month Democrat Al Franken will be sworn in. Politico.com has more here.

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President Obama lays out ambitious agenda for the next two weeks - not slowing down, the President plans to present his plan to aid the housing crisis next Wednesday while in Phoenix, Arizona. On February 23, the President intends to hold a "fiscal responsibility" summit where social security and medicare will be discussed. The following day, Obama will give a speech to the joint session of Congress. CNN.com has more here.

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New fodder for Republicans to scream about - seems Representative Grace Napolitano (D-Calf.) loaned her campaign $150,000 back in 1998. Over the last ten years she has served in Congress, the campaign has paid her 18% interest on the debt amounting to $221,780 while only reducing the principle by $64,727. In 1999, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) ruled the interest payments were allowable. Nonetheless, in this economic crisis climate, expect this issue to gain traction among Republicans. Bloomberg.com has more here.

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On the foreign policy front, U.S. fired missiles from drones kill 25 militants in Pakistan - this is the third U.S. missile strike within Pakistan since Obama became President. It is being reported the killed were al-Qaeda linked militants and the location was in the South Waristan region. Pakistan has expressed outrage of the continued U.S. missile strikes within their country. Reuters.com has more here.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave her first foreign policy speech yesterday to the Asia Society in New York - she will be leaving on her first trip as Secretary of State next week to visit Japan, China, South Korea, and Indonesia. MSNBC.com has more here.

Special envoy to Afghanistan/ Pakistan Richard Holbrooke met with Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai - the Karzai administration/U.S. relationship has been deteriorating as the Taliban has regained strength in Afghanistan. President Karzai has also expressed displeasure of U.S. military tactics which have caused civilian deaths. You can read more here.

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Democratic Chatter 2-13-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

The House to vote on the 789 billion Stimulus bill today - this is the House-Senate compromise that came out of conference committee. It is expected to pass easily in the House and the Senate is expected to vote on it tomorrow. Time.com has more here.

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President Obama continues to stumble with Cabinet picks - the first three weeks of his Presidency has not been kind as a third Cabinet nominee announces his withdrawal. This time it was Republican Senator Judd Gregg (NH) who said yesterday his philosophical differences with the Obama administration would not allow him to serve as Commerce Secretary. Questions continue regarding the vetting process. When Gregg was announced as the nominee, liberal bloggers pointed out Gregg has supported discontinuation of the Commerce Department. TheHill.com has more here

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New chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee targets nine seats in 2010 - never too early to start the rhetoric. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) recently took over the chair from Senator Charles Schumer from New York who was able to claim large gains and a new Democratic majority while he served as chair. Menendez pointed out five open seats in Florida, Ohio, Missouri, New Hampshire, and Kansas and four other states where he feels Democrats will be competitive. The other states were Louisiana, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania. Out of the last four states, the Senate seat held by Republican Arlen Specter is the most likely pick up with Republicans going after Specter in the Primary due to his support of the Stimulus bill. CNN.com has more here.

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Leon Panetta confirmed by Senate for CIA Director - there was some initial hesitation by some Senators who questioned his total lack of experience in the intelligence field. however, in the end, he was approved by a voice vote in the Senate yesterday. Hilda Solis, the nominee for Labor Secretary, won approval in the senate committee and will be scheduled for a senate vote as early as today. The NY Times Caucus blog has more here.

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Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) proposes special commission to investigate possible wrongdoings by the George W. Bush administration - this is a hot topic among the more liberal Democrats who want investigation into possible illegal wiretapping, use of the Justice Department for political purposes, and the use of torture on detainees. A USAToday/Gallup poll conducted January 30 - February 1 showed 60% of Americans favored some type of investigation into these actions. While only 41% favored criminal probes. So far, the Obama administration has not indicated any desire to begin these proceedings. Gallup.com has more here.

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On the foreign policy front, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton leaves today for her first official trip - she is off to Asia to visit China, Japan, Indonesia and South Korea. Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke is in Afghanistan and Senator John Kerry (D-Ma.) is scheduled to visit countries in the Middle East next week. Politico.com has more here.

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Democratic Chatter 1-30-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

Irresponsible and Shameful are the words used by President Obama yesterday - he was referring to the Wall Street bankers who gave themselves 18 Billion in bonuses. This. at a time when they are accepting help from the government and taxpayers during this severe economic downturn. The WhiteHouse.gov blog has more here.

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Commerce Department releases more gloomy news on the economy - seems the decline of 3.8% in the last quarter of 2008 was the worst in a quarter since 1982. There are indications the first quarter decline in 2009 could be even higher. MSNBC.com has more here.

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Meanwhile, Exxon reports record 45.2 Billion profit for 2008 - their fourth quarter earnings were down by 33% from 2007, but the fourth quarter profit was still a staggering 7.8 Billion. A 7.8 Billion profit in a quarter when gas prices plunged and the country had it's worst decline in the economy in a quarter of a century. This could easily have some calling for some government intervention. You can read more here.

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A Republican for Commerce Secretary? - rumors are flying that Republican Senator Judd Gregg (NH) is seriously being considered for the position by the President. This Cabinet position has been open since New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson withdrew from his nomination.

The scuttlebutt that has everyone talking is the Governor of New Hampshire is a Democrat and would be able to pick the replacement should Gregg be picked for Commerce Secretary. A Democrat would most likely be picked to fill Gregg's position and if Al Franken survives the court challenge in Minnesota, this would give the Democrats 58 plus 2 Independent Senators (Lieberman-Conn. and Sanders - Vt.), giving them the magic 60 filibuster proof number of Senators.

In spite of the allure, do not expect this to happen. Politico.com has more here.

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Vice President Joe Biden to head Middle Class task force - President Obama was often critical of the George W. Bush administration and the Republican "trickle down" theory of economics. Biden has an editorial in USAToday.com you can read here. As part of their commitment to a change recognizing middle class challenges, a new White House website will be announced today astrongermiddleclass.org

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SCHIP approved by Senate 66-32 - after some reconciliation with the House bill, it will head to the President for signature. This twice vetoed bill by former President George W. Bush will provide health insurance to 11 million disadvantaged youth. This is a 4.1 million increase from the current 6.7 million children currently being served by the program. TheHill.com has more here.

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On the foreign policy front, new envoy Richard Holbrooke to visit Pakistan/Afghanistan - as George Mitchell stays busy in the Middle East, Holbrooke has plenty to be discussed here as well. India and Pakistan continues to be a potential flash point and the new Pakistan government could easily be classified as fragile. Afghanistan poses it's own unique issues and challenges as President Obama prepares to send an additional 20,000 troops to help stabilize the country. CNN.com has more here.

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Democratic Chatter 1-23-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

President Barack Obama to meet with Democratic and Republican Congressional Leaders today - the discussion will center on his economic stimulus plan. Time.com has more here.

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New White House Press Secretary does well on first day - the first briefing was delayed one day due to WH press staffers still moving in. Yesterday, Robert Gibbs performed well in what will be a totally different experience than he had as the Obama campaign communications director. The toughest grilling from the press pertained to the do-over swearing in of President Obama by Justice Roberts and why the Press had not been invited. Future questions from the Press promise to be much tougher than that. Politico.com has more here.

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NY Governor David Paterson to name Senator today at noon - after all the media frenzy following the announcement by Caroline Kennedy that she was withdrawing from consideration, the Governor moved up a day his announcement of the person to fill the vacant Hillary Clinton Senate seat. Rumors are flying that NY Representative Kristen Hillibrand is the pick. The other name most mentioned is NY Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. Interestingly, it is being reported the Governor has invited all of those who were being considered to be present at 12:00 PM ET when he makes his announcement. We'll all know soon! CNN.com has more here.

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Hillary Clinton begins first day as Secretary of State, Obama names two special envoys - The President showed he is serious in showing new resolve in U.S. foreign policy by yesterday naming George Mitchell as special envoy to the Middle East and Richard Holbrooke as special envoy to Pakistan-Afghanistan. Both regions are flash points and both gentlemen named are experienced negotiators in foreign policy. Reuters.com has more here.

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Senate passes pay equity bill - this bill failed passage last year. This time the vote was 61-36. While the House needs to agree with the Senate version of the bill, it is expected to be the first bill signed into law by President Obama. TheHill.com has more here.

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