Daily Democratic Wire 8-20-2009

George Wenschhof

Today, President Barack Obama will be a guest on conservative talk show host Michael Smerconish radio show - this will be broadcast from the White House from 1:10 - 1:30 PM ET. The President wanted to confront the conservatives head on with the issue of health care reform. You can read more here.

At 2:30 PM ET, the President will hold a live conference call with supporters - the continuing campaign organization of Barack Obama, now called Organizing for America, will host the call and anyone can listen in. If you want to watch or listen live and also ask the President a question, click here.

In addition, Organizing for America has a new page on their website entitled "Setting the Record Straight" which debunks all the myths being thrown about. You can read it here.

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1.2 Billion from Stimulus Plan available for medical digital records - today, Vice President Joe Biden and HHS Secretary Katheleen Sebelius will discuss these grants while in Chicago. You can read more here.

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Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) requests change in process to refill vacant senate seats in Massachusetts - obviously concerned in regard to his own failing health and the current upcoming vote on health care reform. Kennedy sent a letter to the Governor, House Speaker and Senate President asking consideration be given to allow the Governor to temporarily appoint a replacement to a vacant seat prior to when a special election would be held. The Boston Globe has more here.

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Initial unemployment claims up 15, 000 last week - for a total of 576,000 based on a new Labor Department report. A Labor department spokesperson said they hoped to see claims remain under 600,000 and and felt signs the recession was ending would be when they fall below 500,000. Reuters.com has more here.

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CIA hired Blackwater in secret assassination program - The NY Times has a good read today on how the CIA hired contractors from Blackwater USA for a secretive program designed to assassinate leaders of Al Qaeda. You can read it here.

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Afghanistan vote concludes and the count begins - initial reports indicated voting was slow and steady despite sporadic violence. The results are not expected until Saturday. You can read more here.

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Daily Democratic Wire 8-15-2009

George Wenschhof

Today, President Barack Obama will attend another town hall meeting on health care - this time in Grand Junction, Colorado. The President and his family will also tour Yellowstone National Park. You can read more here.

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John Podesta suggests strategy to President on health care reform bill passage - the former Chief of Staff to President Bill Clinton feels an end line needs to be set. In addition, certain measures within the bill such as a public option needs to receive clear support from the White House or a decision made to scrap this provision. Bloomberg.com has more here.

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Has the absence of Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) had an impact on health care reform? - the Senator is battling brain cancer which was diagnosed last year. Health care reform has been a career focus of Kennedy. The other question is what has been the effect of former senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle not being the person shepherding the health care bill through Congress. Daschle withdrew from consideration for HHS Secretary when some tax issues surfaced during his confirmation hearing. The absence of both Kennedy and Daschle working on the approval of this bill has to be felt. TheHill.com has more here.

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Hillary Clinton heads home after 11 day trip to Africa - seven nations were visited by the Secretary of State, including yesterday's visit of Liberia with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the first democratically elected woman leader in Africa. MSNBC.com has more here.

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Afghanistan election on the horizon - little publicity has been given to this election on August 20. President Hamid Karzai who has received the support of the U.S. is on shaky ground as the election nears. Fears of added and targeted violence on election day by the Taliban is high among citizens. You can read more here.

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Daily Democratic Wire 6-26-2009

George Wenschhof

Today, President Barack Obama will meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel - they will meet at the White House and are expected to discuss a wide range of issues such as Afghanistan, the global economy and climate control. A press conference is scheduled for 11:30 AM ET. Reuters.com has more here.

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Energy and Climate vote expected today in House - while the House is overwhelmingly made up of Democrats, this bill is expected to pass by a narrow margin. Many compromises have taken place in the effort to reduce emissions by 17% by 2020. The Washington Post has more here.

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Health care reform legislation reduced to 1 Trillion over ten years - this legislation resembles the making of sausage as so many details are constantly being negotiated and changed. The latest effort at reaching consensus is an announcement by the senate finance chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.) that the cost had been reduced from the estimated 1.6 to 1.8 Trillion to 1 trillion over ten years. MSNBC.com has more here.

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The slow dance to replace Senator Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) begins - Edward Kennedy has been Senator since 1962 and now at his age and battling brain cancer, the quiet shuffle to position oneself for the position begins. Kennedy's term ends in 2012 and in a Democratic party controlled state, the question becomes who will succeed him? Politico.com has a good read here.

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Lack of minority hiring on Capitol Hill scrutinized - in the Senate only two chiefs of staff are minority. Under consideration is the NFL's so called Rooney rule - named after the owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The rule requires the owners of professional football teams to interview at least one minority for each vacant head coaching position. TheHill.com has more here.

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Gallup Poll shows differences between Republicans and Democrats on Economy - Republicans are concerned about increasing the federal deficit, increasing federal income tax, and problems states have with funding their budgets. Democrats are worried about rising unemployment, the rising cost of health care and those who are without health care. Gallup.com has more here.

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Democratic News Chatter 3-31-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

Today, President Barack Obama and the First Lady head to London on the first day of an eight day overseas trip - He will meet with American workers today at the American School in London. Thursday is the G-20 Summit on the world economy. The G-20 is made up of leading industrial and emerging market nations. Together, they represent 80% of world trade and two-thirds of the world population. Time.com has more here.

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Obama's ouster of GM CEO Richard Wagoner has many talking - the removal of the CEO of GM by the President has many questioning as to if this was a proper move to be made by the government. The Dow Jones dropped 250 points yesterday after the announcement by the president. It also has many wondering why this was done for the auto industry, but not the financial industry. Bank executives are now taking notice. The Washington Post has more here.

However, there is no question the auto industry needed to change course. I was in those long gas lines in the early seventies when I was attending undergraduate school and often wondered how long the auto industry would push low mileage Vans and then SUVs to the American consumer. A free market system is great, as long as it does not act in a irresponsible manner that endangers future generations.

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Home prices continue to drop - it has now been 30 straight months of declines and the rate over the last year was 19%. CNN.com has more here. A little over three years ago when local home prices almost doubled overnight, I remember saying this was phony money. Unfortunately, I was right. Sustained low and adjustable interest rates had led sellers to raise the sales prices as they realized the buyer could afford twice as much with such low rates.

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Virginia Governor Tim Kaine (D) signs legislation to allow sale of "Choose Life" specialty license plates - since Michael Steele has become RNC chair he has continuously made gaffes. Now it is Kaine's turn as DNC chair to take heat from some party members. Supporters of a woman's right to choose are upset the Governor approved this legislation. Politico.com has more here.

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Eyes are on Congressional special election in NY today - voters will elect their congressman in the 20th district today as Democrat Scott Murphy faces Republican Jim Tedisco. This special election was necessary after Kirsten Gillibrand (D) who held the seat was named to fill the vacant Hillary Clinton U.S. Senate seat. Polls are showing it is too close to call. You can count on whoever the winner is, their party touting this victory nationwide. TheHill.com has more here.

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Health and Human Services Secretary nominee Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius to testify before Senate today - the last of the Obama administration cabinet members will face questions from the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee. Senator Ted Kennedy who is chair of the committee is expected to preside over the meeting. Sebelius is expected to stress the importance of health reform now. MSNBC.com has more here.

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Democratic Chatter 3-9-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

This morning, President Barack Obama will sign an executive order reversing the ban on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research - the ban had been put in place by the previous George W. Bush administration. You can read more here.

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Warren Buffet's latest comments and a volatile worldwide market may lead to losses on the Dow today - Stocks in Europe and Asia both fell as the week started. The NY Times has more here. Meanwhile, Buffet said this morning on CNBC that the economy "has fallen off a cliff". CNBC.com has more here. Expect both Buffet's comment and the losses in Asia and Europe to have a negative impact on the Dow Jones today.

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President Obama returns from Camp David early to attend Tribute to Senator Ted Kennedy - the Tribute was held at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.. Senator Kennedy received the John F. Kennedy "Profile in Courage" annual award while celebrating his 77th birthday. Many stars and politicians were in attendance including James Taylor, Bill Cosby, Lauren BaCall. CNN.com has more here.

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Senate expected to approve 410 billion omnibus bill tomorrow - much political bluster has resulted from this bill which Congress was unable to approve last Thursday. A stop gap government agency funding measure was approved for five days as elected officials from both sides of the aisle pointed fingers. The ballyhoo is over earmarks and there are plenty of them that were tacked on by both Republican and Democratic representatives. TheHill.com has more here.

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Vice President Joe Biden is off to Brussels today - he will be meeting with NATO allies to discuss Afghanistan and Pakistan. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was there last week as the Obama administration develops their plan for U.S. involvement in Afghanistan. You can read more here.

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Democratic Chatter 3-8-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

Did you remember to "Spring Forward"? Time to set your clocks around one hour!

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President Barack Obama considers reaching out to moderate Taliban - to aid in the stabilization of Afghanistan. A similar strategy was used in Iraq with segments of the Sunni community. Afghanistan President Karzai welcomed the news. The NY Times has more here.

The President is also planning a trip to Turkey - a large Muslim nation, this would fulfill Obama's promise to visit and reach out to the Muslim world. The Chicago Tribune Swamppolitics.com has more here.

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Help on the way for Treasury Secretary Geithner - the White House announced yesterday three senior appointments to the Treasury. They are David Cohen for terrorist financing, Alan Kreger for economic policy and Kim Wallace for legislative affairs. Early speculation is Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner will be among the first casualties of the Obama administration. So far, he has failed to instill confidence in investors or the American voter. CNN.com has more here.

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Remember the Minnesota Senate race? - well, it is still not over. Democrat Al Franken just lost a state supreme court decision on his request to have the state recount be certified and for him to be seated as Senator. The Democrats could sure use this seat in the Senate so it is not a surprise that Republican Norm Coleman is battling so hard to retain his seat. Politico.com has more here.

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A tribute will be held for Senator Ted Kennedy tonight - in celebration of his 77th birthday and a lifetime in politics. Vice President Joe Biden and his wife plan to attend. ThePage.time.com has more here.

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Democratic Chatter 3-6-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

Today, President Barack Obama will be in Columbus, Ohio - He will speak at a police graduating ceremony where recruits will be able to keep their jobs due to the Stimulus bill. The Washington Post has more here.

At the conclusion of the Health Care Summit yesterday at the White House, Senator Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) spoke of the time is now. Kennedy has long been a supporter of health care reform. ThePage.time.com has a video of his remarks here.

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Sanjay Gupta withdraws from consideration for U.S. Surgeon General - He informed the President he will be staying on as CNN commentator and as a practicing neurosurgeon. He is a very good communicator for those who have watched his reporting on CNN and would have excelled in this area as Surgeon General. The stated reason he gave was a standard line of being able to stay closer to family, etc. Politico.com has more and a video here.

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Two candidates for high level Treasury department positions withdraw from consideration - This can not help Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner whose roll out on how the remaining TARP funds would be spent was less than spectacular. Annette Nazareth was under consideration for deputy Treasury Secretary and Caroline Atkinson for International Affairs undersecretary. Both had been vetted but had not yet been nominated. Reuters.com has more here

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Yesterday, the Dow dropped again - the Dow dropped 281.40 to close at 6544.44. To put all of this into perspective, the Dow high was reached on October 9, 2007 and was 14,164.53. So, in less than 18 months, the losses have exceeded 50%. This shows the seriousness of the current global economic crisis. MSNBC.com has more here.

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Unemployment hits 8.1% - further illustrating the tough times Americans are experiencing, the Labor Department released figures today that unemployment has risen to the highest level in 25 years. 4.4 million jobs have been lost since December 2007. Bloomberg.com has more here.

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410 Billion spending bill stopped in Senate - the house had voted earlier on this bill to not only continue, but also increase the funding of government agencies through the end of this fiscal year which is September 30, 2009. Democratic Senators Russ Feingold (Wisc.) and Evan Bayh (IN) both were against the bill and wanted time to review the many amendments. In what has now become a routine practice, the house will have to submit a continuing resolution bill to the Senate and have them agree prior to midnight tonight in order to keep funding government agencies. TheHill.com has more here.

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Democratic Chatter 1-26-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

President Barack Obama to direct EPA to allow States environmental protection flexibility - in yet another reversal of positions taken by the George W. Bush administration, President Obama is expected to to sign an executive order this morning. The order would allow the Environmental Protection Agency to process and approve stricter tailpipe emissions regulations California and 13 other states want to enact. The NY Times has more here.

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Senator Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) will introduce constitutional amendment to change the way vacant U.S. Senate seats are filled - recently, the method of having the Governor appoint vacant Senate seats has been exposed for scrutiny due to the many open seats resulting from appointments to the Obama administration. New York with the Caroline Kennedy media circus and of course Illinois with Governor Rod Blagojevich being arrested in an alleged "pay-to-play" scheme has brought tons of attention to this section in the constitution. Senator Feingold says it is time to begin holding special elections to replace Senators who leave prior to the end of their term. ThePage.time.com has his statement here.

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Meanwhile, the "Blago watch" continues - the impeachment trial is scheduled to begin today for Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. He is refusing to take part, saying the state senate impeachment trial is unfair and he is not even being allowed to have witnesses testify. Instead, he has gone on a frenzied media tour, appearing on whatever show will have him. One of the more outlandish statements made so far is his admission he had considered appointing Oprah to the vacant Senate seat. Tonight, he appears on CNN Larry King Live at 9:00 PM ET. The Chicago Tribune has more here.

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Over in Minnesota, the Norm Coleman trial begins - the incumbent Republican Senator filed suit challenging the mandated recount results by the state canvassing board which certified Democrat Al Franken the winner by 225 votes. The argument will try to show errors in the recount. Hopefully, this drama will end soon with this Senate seat filled by Franken. CNN.com has more here.

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House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC) says comprehensive heathcare reform will not happen this year - he was remembering the healthcare reform failure by Hillary Clinton back in 1994 when she tried to push it through in President Clinton's first year in office. However, his statement is at odds with Senator Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) who has promised comprehensive healthcare reform in 2009. Kennedy is suffering from brain cancer. TheHill.com has more here.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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