George Wenschhof
The Wall Street Reform bill was finally passed and signed into law by President Obama this week and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has the dubious honor of trying to explain a very complicated, but necessary bill, to American voters. He will be on two of the morning shows; NBC "Meet the Press and ABC "This Week". Expect him to also be asked about the struggling economy and when unemployment numbers will finally drop across the country.
The unfortunate circumstances which led to the forced resignation of Agriculture Department employee Shirley Sherrod has brought the spotlight on race in America and the proper role of the media. This situation will be discussed on most of the morning shows this Sunday with CBS "Face The Nation" having a panel discussion on the subject of race.
NBC "Meet The Press" - Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. Roundtable with David Brooks, EJ Dionne, Anita Dunn, Marc Morial, and Rick Santelli.
CBS "Face The Nation" - Abigail Thermstrom, Michael Eric Dyson, Cornel West, John Fund, and Michael Gerson.
ABC "This Week" - Governor Chris Christie (R-NJ) and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. Roundtable with Steven Hayes, Sam Donaldson, Cokie Roberts, and Donna Brazile.
CNN "State of The Union" - General Michael Hayden (Ret.), Steve Forbes, Christopher Edley, John McWherter, and Mort Zuckerman.
Fox News Sunday - Howard Dean, Jesse Jackson, and Newt Gingrich.
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Saturday, July 24, 2010
Sunday Morning "Talking Heads" Lineup for 7-25-2010
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Sunday Morning "Talking Heads" Guests 4-5-2009
George Wenschhof Bio
The past week has been an incredible week for President Barack Obama. He continues to ride a wave of popularity in both domestic and international issues. The week began with the announcement of a new auto bailout plan with conditions. One of those conditions was the ouster of Richard Wagoner, the CEO of General Motors. Tongues will move on that move this Sunday morning with some wondering why the White House has been tougher on the auto industry than the financial industry. New GM CEO Fritz Henderson will appear on NBC "Meet The Press".
In spite of unemployment hitting 8.5%, the highest in 26 years, the Dow Jones registered gains for the last four straight weeks and closed above 8000. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, perhaps bolstered by this news will be the guest on CBS "Face The Nation".
On Thursday, the House and the Senate voted to approve the President's 3.55 trillion budget in non-binding resolutions. The final approval is expected by the end of this month
President Obama has wowed them overseas so far and the first leg of his trip was agreement by the G-20 to provide over 1 trillion to the IMF along with adding new regulations to the financial markets. Along the way he met with Russian president Dimitry Medvedev and they agreed to a meeting in Moscow to discuss further nuclear arm reduction. Not satisfied with that, Obama also met with Chinese President Hu Jintao and the two agreed to a meeting in China by the end of the year.
Stops in France and Germany continued the positive vibes for Obama and the NATO summit in Prague is up next where cooperation in rebuilding Afghanistan will be discussed. Dr. Susan Rice, U.S. UN ambassador will be the guest on ABC "This Week".
It appears the Talking Heads" are a little weak with guests with foreign policy experience and that is a disappointment. However, that may be because everyone is overseas with the President. Nonetheless, the discussion will be great. So plan to tune in and watch.
The guests are listed below. Remember to check your local listing for time and channel.
NBC "Meet The Press" - Dick Gregory will interview new GM CEO Fritz Henderson. The roundtable discussion will include John Harwood, Katty Kay, Dr. Bill Rogers, and Joshua Cooper Ramo.
ABC "This Week" - George Stephanopoulos will have as his guest Dr. Susan Rice, the U.S. UN ambassador. The roundtable discussion will include George Will, David Frum, Richard Haas, and Martha Raddatz.
CBS "Face The Nation" - Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner will sit down with Bob Schieffer.
Fox News Sunday - Chris Wallace has Senior White House Adviser David Axelrod, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Governor Mark Sanford (R-SC), and Representative Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-Fla.)
CNN "State of The Union" - John King also has new GM CEO Fritz Henderson and Senior White House Adviser David Axelrod. Also appearing will be Senators Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.)
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Friday, March 20, 2009
Democratic Chatter 3-20-2009
George Wenschhof Bio
Today, President Barack Obama will meet with Schwarzenegger, Rendell and Bloomberg to discuss infrastructure and jobs - the Governors from California and Pennsylvania along with the NY City Mayor have formed a coalition called "Building America's Future". They will talk about the need for additional funds for infrastructure projects which will create jobs. MSNBC.com has more here.
The president will have a luncheon meeting at the White House with Leaders of the National Conference of State Legislatures.
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The President also taped a message reaching out to Iran and others celebrating Nowruz which marks the beginning of a new year. Entitled "A New Year, A New Beginning", President Obama spoke of the common humanity that binds us together.
Download .mp3, .mp4, or .mp4 with Persian subtitles Read the transcript in English or Persian
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A.I.G. bonuses last straw for Geithner? - the Treasury Secretary admitted he asked Senator Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) chair of the Senate Banking Committee to include the loophole in the Stimulus bill to allow bonuses to be paid by A.I.G. - seems he forgot to tell the president. CNN.com has more here. Meanwhile, the "breaking bad" exercise by the House yesterday to pass legislation taxing 90% of the bonuses is most likely unconstitutional and unenforceable. President Obama did defend Geithner during his appearance on Jay Leno last night. It is not good for the Obama administration to be defending their Treasury Secretary every day when the number one problem facing the country today is the economy. Stay Tuned.
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Wall Street will be listening to Bernanke speech today - the Federal Reserve chair will speak at noon today at the Independent Community Bankers of America National Convention. The recent announcement of the 1.2 trillion in additional spending by the Federal Reserve to buy securities has some concerned in regard to inflation. Watch to see how the Dow Jones reacts to the speech this afternoon. You can read more here.
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Blue Dog House Democrats are not push overs for President Barack Obama's 3.6 Trillion budget - the Blue Dog Democrats number 51 of the 257 Democrats in the 435 member House of Representatives. They are moderate and fiscally responsible leaning who believe in deficit reduction and pay as you go government. While they supported the recently passed 787 billion Stimulus bill, do not expect them to roll over as the 3.6 trillion FY 2010 budget is reviewed in Congress. If they voted with the 178 Republicans in the House, it would be a majority vote of 229. Bloomberg.com has more here.
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Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Democratic Chatter 3-18-2009
George Wenschhof Bio
Today, President Barack Obama will meet with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) to discuss Immigration Reform - an issue that has been pushed to the back burner since before the Presidential campaign last year. Let's hope that some comprehensive reforms can be brought forward to help in resolving this difficult issue that has served to divide many Americans. TheHill.com has more here.
The president will then fly to long Beach, California to appear at a town hall meeting. He will also appear on ESPN SportsCenter at Noon ET where he is interviewed on the NCAA Basketball Tournament.
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National debt hits 11 Trillion, politicians express outrage on A.I.G. bonuses, White House expresses confidence in Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner - are not the headlines Democrats want to be reading. The national debt is expected to approach 14 trillion at the end of fiscal year 2010, the first budget under the Obama administration. Meanwhile, the 165 million in bonuses paid by A.I.G. to some who no longer work for them has voters across the country asking who is paying attention to the hundreds of billions being spent by the U.S. government. Which has led to the early vote of confidence for Geithner floated by the White House. The Obama administration will want to change these headlines and in a hurry.
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Senate to take up Gary Locke confirmation hearing today - the Senate Commerce Committee is expected to vote favorable for the third nominee by President Obama to be Commerce Secretary. The lone remaining cabinet member to be confirmed by the Senate is Kathleen Sebelius for Health and Human Services.
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President Obama makes first pick for Judge - He has nominated Judge David F. Hamilton for the vacant seat on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago. Hamilton is considered a moderate and was counsel to Indiana Senator Evan Bayh (D) when he was Governor. Indiana Senator Dick Lugar (R) has signaled his support of Hamilton. CNN.com has more here.
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White House may use legislative process to bypass Senate filibusters - Peter Orszag, director of White House Office of management and Budget said yesterday the President could use a budget "reconciliation" process to bypass filibuster rules in the Senate to pass future proposed bills. The Democrats currently have 56 senate seats and 2 Independent senators who vote with them for a total of 58. A vote of 60 is needed to end discussion on a bill and have it go to a floor vote. Mr. Orszag was pointing out the budget "reconciliation" process has been used before by both Republican and Democratic presidents and when used only requires a simple majority to pass a proposed bill. McClatchydc.com has more here.
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U.S. to support UN declaration calling for worldwide decriminalization of Homosexuality - AP is reporting the Obama administration has indicated they will sign the non-binding declaration. The former Republican George W. Bush administration had refused to sign the declaration. MSNBC.com has more here.--------------------
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Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Democratic Chatter 3-10-2009
George Wenschhof Bio
Today, President Barack Obama will discuss his education plan - He will speak this morning at the annual legislative conference of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. One of the components of the education reform plan will include merit pay for teachers. ThePage.Time.com has the White House Fact Sheet on the President's Education proposal here.
Also today, the president will meet with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
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Yesterday, the President ordered the review of past Presidential Signing Statements - Presidential signing statements have been in use for some time as previous administrations while signing a bill into law, wanted to note questions pertaining to certain aspects of the bill. President George W. Bush is reported to use this practice more than any other president. Obama has sent a memo to all Agency heads informing them to refer previous signing statements to the Attorney General's office for guidance before relying on them. Bloomberg.com has more here.
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Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner meets with House Democratic Caucus - last night for nearly two hours Geithner described the administration's plan to end the economic crisis and answered questions from Representatives. Apprehension continues as to exact measures being taken and questions were asked as to when he intends to have his Department fully staffed. House Financial Services Committee Chair Barney Frank (D-Mass.) spoke in defense of Geithner. Politico.com has more here. It may not happen for another 6-12 months but the odds remain high that Geithner will become the first Obama Cabinet member to be replaced.
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Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke says financial system regulation needed - in a speech to the Council on Foreign Relations he spoke of how the financial regulatory system must be overhauled. Not a big surprise to many as we watch what deregulation of the financial institutions under the previous George W. Bush administration has done. You can read more here.
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Senator Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) to face stiff challenge in 2010? - Dodd is the current Senate Banking committee chair and was also a candidate for the Democratic Party nomination for president last year. He has faced criticism for receiving favorable refinancing on homes he owns. A new Quinnipiac poll shows him trailing a former Republican Representative Bob Simmons by 1 point, 43-42. Still way early, but an interesting development. Stay tuned.. TheHill.com has more here.
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Sunday, March 8, 2009
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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Friday, March 6, 2009
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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Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Democratic Chatter 2-11-2009
George Wenschhof Bio
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Democratic Chatter 2-10-2009
George Wenschhof Bio
President Barack Obama spoke to Americans about the economic crisis during prime time on television last night - some of the pundits are saying if he had done this a week ago, the passage of the Stimulus bill would have gone easier. However, that is doubtful as many questions remain as to how to best solve the economic problems facing the country today. If you missed it last night, you can watch the entire press conference here.
Continuing a message to the people, the President will travel to Ft. Myers, Florida today to attend a town hall meeting at noon. The DNC, now merging with the Obama campaign email list also sent a email to supporters with a message from DNC chair and Governor Tim Kaine (D-Va.). Last weekend 3,587 meetings were organized at the grassroots level to discuss the economic crisis in all 50 states across the country and to hear from voters their experiences and suggestions. To view a short video from Governor Kaine discussing those meetings, click here.
Debate in the Senate on the 838 Billion Stimulus bill concluded last night with just one vote (61-36) over the required 60 needed to end discussion and move the bill to a full vote. The Senate is expected to pass the bill today. It will then go to committee conference for reconciliation with the House version before being sent to the president for signature.
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Remember the 700 billion Bailout bill? - Today, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner will announce changes that will include public-private partnerships, limits on executive compensation, more monitoring of use of the funds and 100 billion of the remaining 350 Billion targeted on foreclosure relief. Interestingly, the name of the bill is Troubled Assets Relief Plan, (TARP). CNN.com has more here.
The combined spending of the Bailout and Stimulus bills will exceed 1.5 Trillion. Let's hope they work at strengthening the economy.
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William Lynn expect to be confirmed today for deputy defense secretary - this appointment by the President also drew criticism due to Lynn's former work as a Lobbyist for a defense contractor. His appointment required Obama to waive new own ethics guidelines the President had recently instituted. You can read more here.
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Elena Kagan expected to be confirmed as Solicitor General - she will be the first woman to fill this position. The Solicitor General represents the government before the Supreme Court and Appeals Courts. She is a former Harvard Law School Dean who has respect from both sides of the aisle. The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to vote on her nomination today. The Washington Post has more here.
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Iran President says they are ready for talks with the U.S. - Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says he is ready for talks as long as they are based on mutual respect. The U.S. severed ties with Iran in 1979 after the Iranian revolution. MSNBC.com has more here.
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Sunday, February 8, 2009
Democratic Chatter 2-8-2009
George Wenschhof Bio
President Barack Obama continues to sell his Stimulus Plan - Yesterday morning, it was the focus of his weekly address to the nation and later in the day a email with a video from him was sent to his multi-million supporter list.
In an effort to get back on track with his message on the Stimulus Plan, he will travel to cities in several states this week and talk directly with voters. The schedule has him in Elkhart, Indiana on Monday, Ft. Myers, Florida on Tuesday and Springfield, Illinois on Thursday.
The Senate vote is expected on Tuesday with the reconciliation bill between the House and the Senate expected to take about a week before the bill is presented to the President for signature. The NY Times has a good read on the difference in the House and Senate versions here.
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Stabilizing the U.S. banking system is still a major priority - in addition, to the stimulus bill, the remaining 350 Billion of the (TARP) Troubled Assets Relief Plan must restore confidence in banks across the country. Treasury secretary Timothy Geithner was set to detail his plans tomorrow, but has not delayed his speech until Tuesday. The Washington Post has a good read on the options available to help the banking system here.
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Vice-President Joe Biden continues European trip - after delivering his speech yesterday in Munich, Germany, the Vice-President met privately with Russia deputy prime minister Sergie Ivanov and the President of Georgia. Ivanov signaled the Russians were pleased with the new tone from Washington and what was said by Biden in his speech. At issue, is the U.S. missile defense shield the Bush administration had intended to deploy in Poland and other European countries. CNN.com has more here.
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Governor Kathlees Sebelius (D-Kan.) is being considered for Secretary of HHS - she was an early supporter of Barack Obama. Also, under consideration for the position left vacant when Tom Daschle withdrew, is Governor Phil Bredesen (D-Tenn.). You can read more here.
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Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Obama Suffers Dual Blow as Daschle and Killefer Withdraw
George Wenschhof Bio
We reported earlier today Nancy Killefer had withdrawn from consideration for the position of Chief Performance Officer due to tax problems. Although former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle continued to have the support of the President, he also announced his withdrawal for consideration for Secretary of Health and Human Services.
This announcement came on the same day the NY Times ran an editorial saying Daschle should withdraw. You can read the editorial here. Daschle stated his tax issues had become a burden that could impact the support he needed from Congress to carry out the implementation of the Health Plan proposed by President Barack Obama. CNN.com has more here.
The Killefer position was a new White House position created by the Obama administration. While the Secretary for Health and Human Services is a critical position under the Obama administration, as Daschle had been hand picked to be the one to write and gain Congressional approval of the President's health plan.
Both of these withdrawals came after Timothy Geithner, who also had unpaid back tax problems, was confirmed as Treasury Secretary.
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