Democratic Chatter 3-7-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

In his weekly address to the nation this morning, President Barack Obama again spoke of the efforts being made to help the struggling economy - you can watch the video of his address here. The President and his family will be spending the weekend at Camp David. This is the presidential retreat in the Catoctin Mountains near Thurmont, Maryland.

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President Obama to reverse ban on stem cell research - It is being reported he will sign an executive order on Monday morning that will overturn the ban of federal funds for stem cell research. The Washington Post has more here.

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Howard Dean for U.S. Surgeon General? - now that Dr. Sanjay Gupta has withdrawn from consideration. Howard Dean is also a doctor, a former Governor of Vermont, a candidate in the 2004 Presidential election and most recently the chair of the Democratic National Committee. We reported recently Dean had returned to work with Democracy for America, the organization he formed after his failed presidential bid. His supporters are not happy that so far, he has been passed over by the Obama administration. Reuters.com has more here.

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410 billion Omnibus bill hits wall in Senate - the spending bill needed to fund government agencies throughout the remainder of this fiscal year stalled in the senate. This may have been the one too many bill with increased funding to come before Congress. Even democrats are fighting with each other over tack ons or earmarks which were added to the necessary funding. The result was a compromise to keep government running for five days until Congress can reach agreement on the bill. MSNBC.com has more here.

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On the foreign policy front, the U.S. has begun talks with Syria - secretary of state Hillary Clinton announced talks were underway with the country that has had strained relations with the U.S. - any break though here would be welcomed in a very troubled Mid-East region. Reportedly, two U.S. representatives; Jeffrey Feltman and Daniel Shapiro are in Syria conducting talks. You can read 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 1-7-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

President-elect Barack Obama will hold a press conference this morning - he will be discussing the need for fiscal restraint in addition to the massive stimulus program that is needed to get the economy back on track. He is expected to also name a new White House position, the chief performance officer. This position would help to set performance standards for government agencies which would hold managers accountable. Time.com has more here. Those of us who live in Maryland, have seen a similar system put in place by Governor Martin O'Malley.

Obama will also have lunch today at the White House today with President George W. Bush, and former Presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter.

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Blagojevich pick of Burris to fill vacant Illinois Obama Senate seat may stand - the initial move by Senate Democratic Leaders to block the swearing in of Burris yesterday may be losing support. Politico.com has more here. It is unfortunate that a Governor who has been arrested picked Mr. Burris but there has been no indictment by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, who recently requested a 90 day extension before issuing an indictment. California Senator Diane Feinstein (D) also said yesterday that Burris should be seated. Today, Burris is meeting with democratic senate Leaders Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.). One rumor has it that if Burris would agree to serve the remaining two years of the term and not run for reelection in 2010, he would be seated. Looks like the pendulum is swinging and Burris may not have to agree to any compromise.

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In Minnesota, Coleman files suit challenging the election - the state canvassing board certified Democrat Al Franken the winner by 225 votes over Republican incumbent Norm Coleman. However, Minnesota law allows a candidate to file suit challenging the election within seven days of the certification. The Coleman campaign's move to file suit means the Senate seat will remain vacant until the suit is decided. It is anticipated it will take weeks and possibly months before an outcome. TheHill.com has more here.

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Dr. Sanjay Gupta under consideration for U.S. Surgeon General - we know him as the medical correspondent for CNN. He is also a practicing neurosurgeon. His impressive medical experience along with his communication skills would make him a excellent pick for this position. Stay Tuned. CNN.com has more here.

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Conditions for the release of the additional 350 Billion TARP funds being negotiated - Bloomberg.com has more here. You may recall the first 350 Billion from the Trouble Assets relief Program went directly to financial institutions without any accountability. We still do not know how those funds were spent. Representative Barney Frank (D-Mass.), the head of the House Financial Services Committee has been negotiating terms for the release of the additional 350 Billion which would include more of what the plan initially called for including relief on foreclosures. Also requiring more loans to be made available and to restrict bonuses to executives.

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