George Wenschhof
Response to the gun control measures put forward by President Obama will be the main focus of the morning political discussion shows.
White House senior adviser David Plouffe makes the rounds, appearing on four of the morning shows with White House adviser David Axelrod appearing on NBC "Meet The Press".
Outspoken former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) will be on ABC "This Week".
With the second inauguration of President Obama taking place this week, Doris Kearns Goodwin, presidential historian will add her thoughts when she also appears on "Meet the Press".
Eva Longoria, co-chairwoman, Presidential Inauguration Committee; executive producer, Latino Inaugural 2013, will be a guest on ABC "This Week".
Look to see the Republican Party developing proposal on extending the national debt limit for three months also be discussed.
Some discussion is likely on the upcoming testimony to Congress from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the Benghazi tragedy and expect Republicans to also criticize President Obama on the unfolding Algerian hostage situation, where one American is known to have been killed.
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will be on CBS "Face The Nation".
The scheduled guests follow below.
NBC "Meet The Press" - Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Ted Cruz (R-Tex.)
Roundtable discussion with David Axelrod, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Joe Scarborough, Tom Brokaw, Richard Engel and Chuck Todd.
ABC "Thia Week" - David Plouffe
Roundtable discussion with George will, Cokie Roberts, Jennifer Granholm, Rick Santorum, Matthew Dowd, and Eva Longoria.
CBS "Face The Nation" - David Plouffe, Condoleezza Rice, Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Tex.) and San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro
Roundtable discussion with Bob Woodward, Dee Dee Meyers and Peggy Noonan
A LOOK AT DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.'S LEGACY - Taylor Branch, Joe Califano and Dr. James Peterson
CNN "State of The Union" - David Plouffe, Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.)
Insight from two who have written inaugural speeches - Former Clinton Speechwriter Don Baer, and Former George W. Bush Speechwriter Michael Gerson.
Roundtable discussion with Russ Feingold, Newt Gingrich, Susan Page and Ron Brownstein.
Fox News Sunday - David Plouffe and Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.)
Roundtable discussion with Brit Hume, Liz Marlantes, Bill Kristol and Juan Williams.
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Saturday, January 19, 2013
Sunday Morning "Talking Heads" Cheat Sheet
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Sunday Morning "Talking Heads" Cheat Sheet
George Wenschhof
The status of the "fiscal cliff" negogiations taking place in Congress will dominate the Sunday morning political discussion with President Obama the guest on NBC "Meet The Press"
One of my readers and friends from Oregon; Aileen, is not a fan of Dick Gregory. But, he snagged the man of the moment. Now, we get to see how Gregory conducts the interview as the deadline to avoid the "fiscal cliff" will be only one day away when the program airs.
President Obama, in his press conference on Friday, borrowed a line from Yankee great; Yogi Berra, when he said this was "deja vu, all over again" when referring to the inability of Congress to craft an agreement.
After, summoning Congressional leaders to the white House for talks on Friday, the President, in his Saturday weekly address, stated he was "cautiously optimistic" Congress would reach an agreement.
Continuing the "fiscal cliff" discussion, Representative Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Senator Chuck Schumer will be guests on ABC "This Week". On CBS "Face The Nation", Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Tom Colburn (R-Okla.) square off.
The 112th Congress is coming to a close and will go down in history as the least effective with the distinction of only passing 219 pieces of legislation.
While, the last minute "fiscal cliff" negotiations will dominate the discussion Sunday morning, also look to see some discussion on the likelihood former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel will be nominated by President Obama for the next Defense Secretary.
Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calf.) will appear on "Fox News Sunday" and you can be sure her promise to present legislation to ban assault weapons to the new Congress will be discussed.
Perhaps, the failure of Congress to pass a farm bill will also receive attention, when Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) appears on CNN "State of The Union". Milk prices are set to double due to the failure to pass a farm bill. Stabenow is chairwoman, Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsak will also be on this program.
The scheduled guests follow below.
NBC "Meet The Press" - President Obama
Roundtable discussion with Tom Brokaw, John Meacham, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Chuck Todd and David Brooks
CBS "Face The Nation" - Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Tom Colburn (R-Okla.)
Roundtable discussion with Dee Dee Myers, Peggy Noonan, Michael Duffy, Joe Klein, Nancy Cordes and Major Garrett
ABC "This Week" - Senators Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.). Representatives Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Raul Labrador (R-Idaho)
Roundtable discussion with Jonathan Karl, Howard Dean, Tim Pawlenty, Todd Purdum and Maggie Haberman
CNN "State of The Union" - Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.). Representatives Darrell Issa (R-Calf.) and Donna Edwards (D-Md.). Tom Vilsak
Roundtable discussion with Jessica Yellin, Karen Tumulty, Gerry Seib, and Matt Bai.
Fox News Sunday - Senators Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calf.)
Roundtable discussion will Bill Kristol, Steve Hays, Evan Bayh and Kirsten Powers
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Wednesday, November 7, 2012
In the end, it was never close
George Wenschhof
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
It's Romney's To Lose
George Wenschhof
Romney Wins Iowa - by 8 votes over Rick Santorum. The pollsters were right in predicting a close first to third race with Ron Paul coming in third. TPM.com has the final results here.
Now, the spin begins in earnest from both the winning and losing candidate campaigns as well as the Democratic Party.
As, I wrote last night, Romney is the clear winner as he did not campaign seriously in Iowa until two weeks ago when it became clear he could win. Headlining all the media stories, and appearing on all of the morning television news programs, Romney is in a strong position to win New Hampshire next Tuesday.
Adding to Romney's momentum will be the endorsement from Senator John McCain (Ariz.). If, Romney follows with a win in S. Carolina and Florida, the battle for the Republican nomination could be over by the end of this month. The Republican Party nomination is his to lose at this point.
Rick Santorum, by coming in a super close second, certainly receives a boost to his campaign efforts. However, he was so far behind, both in cash and organization, it is doubtful this showing with do much for him in the New Hampshire primary next week.
Santorum has to hope he can get an organization in place in S. Carolina and Florida quickly or else he will be toast.
Ron Paul was hurt by finishing third as he will do poorly in the rest of the primaries and caucuses. It is looking more and more likely a third party effort will result.
Jon Huntsman did not even receive 1% of the vote and has pinned his campaign hopes on a strong showing in New Hampshire on Tuesday. An intelligent moderate - you can call him done.
Newt Gingrich, the latest John McCain maverick style candidate, was bombarded with negative advertising in Iowa, once he became the flavor of the month for Republican voters, finishing a distant 4th with only 13% of the vote. Perhaps, he will reassess the Supreme Court narrow 5-4 "Citizens United" decision and urge Congress to call the Justices in to explain their decision.
Gingrich's only hope is to appeal to the conservatives in S. Carolina and hope for a good showing. He will lose New Hampshire, so a poor showing in S. Carolina and it's lights out for the Gingrich campaign.
Governor Rick Perry is heading home to lick his wounds after a disappointing 5th place finish with only 10% of the vote. He may well decide to stay there.
Minnesota Representative Michele Bachmann had perhaps the worst night, finishing a distant 6th with only 5% of the vote. A huge drop from the top after winning the Iowa straw poll. This will certainly hasten her return to Minnesota and lead to her filing for reelection as a Representative in the House.
Already, this morning, Jim Messina, manager of the Obama campaign sent an email to supporters asking for their support. He said the Iowa results clearly showed Republican voters could not agree on a candidate. Messina went on to say whoever the Republican nominee will be it is clear they will embrace the extreme "tea party' agenda.
In addition, he pointed out the 12.9 million spent by "Super Pacs" on negative advertising in the weeks before the Iowa caucuses, saying they will be aiming at President Obama.
A protracted Republican primary process does not appear to be in the cards, leading to an earlier and longer general election campaign.
Stay tuned...
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Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Daily Political Wire
George Wenschhof
State of The Union Speech Well Received - in total, it was a very good speech, but fell short of a "Sputnik moment". The president delivered a bipartisan speech which flowed with mentions of issues important to both Republicans and Democrats.
The overall theme of the need to innovate and educate was solid and one most Americans could relate to.
The Washington Post has a section devoted to reviewing the speech here.
The NY Times has their take here.
Politico.com has more here.
... and the Wall Street Journal adds their thoughts here.
Quick polls following the speech indicated an overwhelming percentage of viewers approved what President Obama mentioned.
CNN/Opinion Research had 52% of viewers had a very positive reaction and another 32% has a somewhat positive rating.
CBS News/Knowledge showed 92% approved of the president's proposals.
Look to see the overall approval ratings for President Obama to receive a 3-5 point bump following this speech. This will continue the upward trend he has received since his success in the lame duck session of Congress and his excellent speech delivered at the Tucson memorial.
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Representative Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) Gives GOP Response - having to follow a speech by President Obama is not an easy task and Ryan was hardly up to it. He basically stuck to Republican themes of less spending and less government. CNN.com has more here.
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Tea party Favorite Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) Gives her Two Cents - in an odd moment, Representative Bachmann felt the need to deliver her own response. You can read it here.
Long an odd duck in Minnesota politics, she has elevated herself to further silliness with this speech. MSNBC commentator Chris Matthews described her best when he referred to her as a "balloon head" - a comment I felt was being kind.
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Rahm Emanuel Stays on Ballot - thanks to the Illinois Supreme Court issuing a Stay on the Illinois Appellate Court decision to remove him from the ballot. A pivotal decision as ballots were just sent to the printer. The Illinois Supreme Court will hear the case quickly as the primary election is nearing. You can read more here.
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Friday, December 31, 2010
Daily Political Wire 12-31-2010
George Wenschhof
New York Times Readers Weigh In on Top Political Moments of 2010 - from the passage of health care legislation, to the flurry of activity during the lame duck session. You can read more here.
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Politico.com Looks at the Top Ten Worst decisions for 2010 - From Delaware Republicans nomination Christine "I am not a Witch' O'Donnell for Senate, to Representative Charles Rangel (D-NY) firing his lawyer before his ethics hearing. You can read them here.
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Chris Cillizza Takes a look at 2011 - on his Washington Post "The Fix" Blog. He wonders how the incoming Republican "tea party" backed members of congress will get along with the other Republicans, whether immigration legislation will be passed and more. You can read it here.
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CNN Poll Shows optimism Up For 2011 - 63% are optimistic what the new year will bring, which is up 12% from one year ago. CNN.com has more here.
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How will Unemployment Effect the 2012 Presidential Election? - an interesting question with the answer being; significantly. No president since WWII has been elected with unemployment rates as high as they are today. When Jimmy Carter was elected in 1976 with unemployment at 7.6%, it was the highest rate in over 50 years. FirstRead.com has more here.
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What is Obamanomics? - Ezra Klein takes a stab at defining the major components of the Obama administration approach to the economy. In spite of being hammered by the GOP, Obama's purchase of GM has turned out to be a success, Stimulus I and the most recently passed Stimulus II (disguised as the tax compromise) has kept unemployment from skyrocketing, and low interest rates and the buying of mortgages have kept the Housing industry afloat. You can read more here.
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Pathway to Citizenship Most Difficult part of Immigration Reform - agreement between Democrats and Republicans on methods to strengthen U.S. borders, enforcing laws against business who hire illegal immigrants, and the creation of a universal ID, all seem to be reachable, among the politicians on the Hill.
However, once the discussion turns to how to create a pathway to citizenship, the divide remains huge. TheHill.com has more here.
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Monday, November 29, 2010
Daily Political Wire 11-29-2010
George Wenschhof
Press Begins Reporting on latest WikiLeaks Document Dump - over a quarter of a million U.S. Diplomatic cables are part of the overall documents to be reviewed. Major newspapers from around the world were given the information as the website Wikileaks.org was under a cyber-attack yesterday that was jamming access to their website. Their website is now up and running and the cables can be accessed here.
There is so much information, it will take months for it all to be released. Makes you wonder how only the one man accused could have obtained so much information.
Amazing details have been released so far including disclosure of a U.S. military Internet "Siprnet"where much of the information was taken from. Seems as though the no-so secret Internet had over 3 million cleared to use it. The Guardian has more here.
Early revelations include U.S. embassy officials offering bribes to foreign countries to take terrorist prisoners from Quantanamo Bay, Saudi Arabia King Abdullah wanting the U.S. to attack Iran, as well as snippets on Russian President Dimitry Medvedev, French President Nicholas Sarkozy, and Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan.
Also damaging was information on how the U.S. state department asked diplomats to spy on their UN counterparts. The NY Times has more here and the Huffington Post has more here.
One lesson sure to be learned by the Diplomats quoted in the released cables is to not put in writing what you don't want to read in the newspaper tomorrow - a lesson hopefully learned by political operatives years ago in the early days of using email to communicate.
Stay tuned as this is a story that will keep going for some time.
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Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Begins Trip to Central Asia and Middle East Today - should be interesting as many of the leaders she will be meeting are mentioned, in a not so flattering way, in the documents released by wikileaks.org. Reuters.com has more here.
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EU Approves 113 billion (85 billion Euro) to Bail Out Ireland - this action follows the aid package to Greece with Portugal and Spain next on the list of countries under the euro in dander of collapse. Watch to see how the markets respond today. Bloomberg.com has more here.
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Lame Duck Session to Resume Today - less than a month remains on the lame duck session and many bills are up in the air.
The Senate Ratification of the START treaty, the extension of the "Bush tax cuts", D.A.D.T., the DREAM Act, extension of long term unemployment benefits, and a bill to continue to fund government are part of what will be a busy agenda.
Look to see the House take up unemployment benefit extension today as the current benefits run out tomorrow for several million Americans.
Tomorrow, President Obama tries again to work toward bipartisan cooperation when leaders of Congress will be invited to the White House for discussion and dinner. the rescheduled meeting comes two weeks after Republican leaders said they were unable to attend an earlier planned meeting.
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Rangel Wants Reprimand and not Censure - after being found guilty of 11 charges, the House Ethics committee recommended censure. Representative Charles Rangel (D-NY) will appeal to the full House for a reprimand. Politico.com has more here.
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Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Daily Political Wire 11-23-2010
George Wenschhof
North and South Korea exchange Artillery fire - the latest in long standing differences between the countries. South Korea had been test firing artillery near the North Korea border when North Korea responded with shots to a island of South Korea, killing several soldiers. The NY Times has more here.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs issued a statement calling on North Korea to halt it's belligerent action and to honor the 1953 armistice agreement. The Washington Post has more here.
Another test for the Obama administration.
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Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad faces Impeachment - an interesting development as the parliament indicated they wished to impeach but have refrained from doing so due to the wishes of Supreme Leader Allatollah Ali Khamenei. The Wall Street Journal has more here.
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Kathleen Kennedy Townsend to chair "American Bridge" - a liberal counterpart to conservative groups such as "American Crossroads". David Brock, a Democratic political operative, has set up the group and former Maryland Lt. Governor Townsend has agreed to chair the committee. The committee will support Democratic candidates in the 2012 election and already has 4 million in pledges, including one million from George Soros. You can read more here.
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Four House Races still Undecided - Republicans added another win yesterday when Democrat Representative Solomon Ortiz conceded to Blake Farenthold in Texas. Two races in New York and two in California remain to be decided. Democrats lead in 3 of the remaining races. Republicans have now picked up a total of 62 seats. TheHill.com has more here.
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Miller Sues to Halt Murkowski Senate Victory - Joe Miller backed by Sarah Palin and a tea party favorite, has filed another lawsuit challenging the write in victory of Senator Lisa Murkowski. At issue, the legal definition of the state statute which spells out what is acceptable for a write-in. His argument will be the name has to be spelled correctly and intent is not good enough. Stay tuned... Reuters.com has more here.
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Axelrod to Leave White House after "State of The Union" - the senior adviser to President Obama will be replace by David Plouffe. Plouffe is expected to arrive soon and work for the next month or more with David Axelrod before he leaves. Axelrod will essentially be changing roles with Plouffe, who was the Obama campaign manager in 2008. Politico.com has more here.
One of the problems with the Obama administration is there has been no good spokesperson after the president. Axelrod is one of a long list; a smart individual, but poor appearance and delivery of positions on issues. Don't look to see Plouffe be the answer.
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Jurors Deliberating in Tad DeLay Money Laundering Case - a long time coming in the case involving the former Republican House Majority Leader. CNN.com has more here.
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Monday, November 22, 2010
Daily Political Wire 11-22-2010
George Wenschhof
In case you missed them, below are some quick highlights of the Sunday morning "Talking Heads" put together by CNN.
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Only 43% say Obama deserves another term - the Quinnipiac poll out today shows 49%-43% say he does not deserve another term in office. Obama is essentially tied with Republicans Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee and leads Sarah Palin 48-40%.
A lot can happen in two years to adjust thes numbers, so stay tuned.... Quinnipiac has more on the poll results here.
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Tomorrow, President Obama will tour a Chrysler Plant in Kokomo, Indiana - the transmission plant is receiving 300 million in renovations and the president will tout the stimulus bill. Kokomo has suffered high unemployment rates. Unfortunately, for the the president, the voters in Indiana no longer support him at the same level when they voted for him in the 2008 election. The Chicago Tribune has more here.
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D.A.D.T. report to be released November 30 - the long awaited study by the Pentagon will have an impact on the repeal of the military policy toward gays and lesbians serving in the armed services.
The Obama administration is pushing for a real vote to be held during the lame duck session of Congress. The Washington Post has more here.
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Vice President Joe Biden to meet with Kerry and Hoyer today - in separate meetings, Biden will talk about the ratification of the START Treaty with Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.) who is chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. With Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), the current House Majority Leader, the vice president will most likely be discussing the passage of tax cuts for those making less than $250,000. Politico.com has more here.
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Obama's Middle East Policy Fizzles - the two year effort to reach a Palestinian-Israel peace agreement has been a failure to date. Middle East Envoy George Mitchell has done a yeoman's job at trying to keep dialogue going, but Israel and Palestinian leadership has failed to cooperate.
The latest attempt by the Obama administration to bribe Israel with 3 billion in military stealth fighters in exchange for a ninety day building moratorium is the latest example of the mistakes by the Obama administration. You can read more here.
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Sunday, November 21, 2010
Daily Political Wire 11-21-2010
George Wenschhof
North Korea Shows U.S. Scientist Large Nuclear Enrichment Plant - the secretive country has long avoided disclosure with the U.S. in regard to their nuclear program. Which makes this disclosure interesting. The NY Times has more here.
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Meanwhile, President Obama presses Republicans to approve START Treaty.
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Israel/Palestine Peace Talks Remain Stalled - Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas says the talks will not resume without a building moratorium from Israel. The U.S. has tried to persuade Israel to agree to a 90 day moratorium in exchange for 20 stealth fighter warplanes worth 3 billion. You can read more here.
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Barbara Bush on Sarah Palin - "She's beautiful... very happy in Alaska, and I hope she stays there."
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It didn't take NBC "Saturday Night Live" Long to Parody TSA Pat-Downs.
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Saturday, November 20, 2010
Obama Weekly Address 11-20-2010
George Wenschhof
Today, President Obama speaks of the importance in ratifying the START Treaty with Russia. The treaty which further reduces nuclear arsenals, also provides for inspectors on the ground and is pivotal in maintaining nuclear security in the world.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will appear on three of the Sunday morning "Talking Heads" shows tomorrow, also making the case for the ratification of this treaty during the lame duck session of congress.
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Republican Weekly Address 11-20-2010
George Wenschhof
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell continues to push for the extension of all the Bush tax cuts. He accuses Democrats of focusing on controversial issues during the lame duck session of Congress, instead of actions which will create jobs.
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Thursday, November 18, 2010
Daily Political Wire 11-18-2010
George Wenschhof
Congressional Leadership Stays the Same - in spite of the "wave" election in which republicans gained control of the House and also gained seats in the Senate, the leadership remained the same as before the elections.
Both, the Republican and Democratic Parties will know in two years if staying the course was the right decision.
Meanwhile, a NBC/Wall Street Journal poll finds 73% believe there will be little change after the election and 76% believe the country is headed for more divisiveness. You can read more on the poll results here.
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Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to Hold Votes for D.A.D.T. and DREAM Act - both controversial bills will be brought up in the lame duck session in early December. The NY Times has more here.
The pentagon survey report on D.A.D.T. will be released on December 1 and in spite of opposition by Senator John McCain, the bill repealing the current military policy toward gays/lesbians should be passed.
The DREAM Act will be a heavier lift for Democrats as will be introduced as a stand alone bill and not an attempt toward comprehensive immigration reform. Heated rhetoric is expected as the bill provides for a pathway to citizenship for children of illegal immigrants who attend college or serve in the military. A good bill which could easily be torpedoed due to the lack of consensus of overall immigration reform.
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Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pushed for ratification of START - testifying in front of her former Senate colleagues, she argued the treaty with Russia can not wait for approval. The White House is fighting for approval of this nuclear arms reduction treaty which requires a two-thirds vote in the Senate. TheHill.com has more here.
Failure to have this treaty ratified would be a major blow to the Obama administration.
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Rangel Sanctions Expected Today - the House Ethics committee is meeting this morning to determine the punishment for representative charles Ragel (D-NY) who was found guilty on 11 of 12 ethics charges.
On tap is representative Maxine Waters (D-Calf.) who has her ethics hearing scheduled for November 29. She is accused of intervening in helping a Bank, where her husband owned stock, receive federal funds.
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Unemployment extension set for a vote - so far 319 Billion has been spent in unemployment compensation and a fifth extension of benefits is set to receive a vote prior to the end of the year. If the benefits are not extended, 2 million will stop receiving benefits. You can read more here.
319 billion spent funding a national public service employment program for the unemployed would have been a better use of tax payers money.
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More on Palin running for President in 2012.
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Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Daily Political Wire 11-16-2010
George Wenschhof
Rangel offers No Defense in Ethics Trial - after, what has seemed years of delay, Representative Charles Rangel (D-NY) asked for another delay due to his being unable to afford a lawyer. Turns out, he had spent his entire campaign fund (approx. 1.6 million) on his defense to date and could no longer afford legal representation. The use of campaign funds is allowable, but this is a painful example of what is wrong with existing use of campaign funds. When the delay was not granted, Rangel left the hearing.
The House ethics committee is expected to make a ruling today. Expect a letter of reprimand or a censure, but for the ruling to fall short of an explusion from the House. TheHill.com has more here.
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Wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to step down as Director of Conservative Organization - Virginia Thomas has been the executive director of Liberty Central, a conservative group which supports tea party positions on issues. Her serving in this capacity has led many to question the ethics of a wife of a supreme court justice working for a political organization. The NY Times has more here.
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Pelosi continues to put out fires in Democratic caucus - after Heath Shuler (D-NC) realized he would not have the votes to oust Nancy Pelosi (D-Calf.) as House Speaker and soon to be Minority Leader, he and other blue dog democrats are working to strip her of the power to appoint chairs of the DCCC and other important committees. The (CBC) Congressional Black caucus is also asking for more details of the position promised to James Clyburn (D-N.C.). Politico.com has more here.
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3 Billion for 20 stealth fighters part of U.S. deal with Israel to restart peace talks - and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has to plea with his parliament for approval of a 90 day building freeze? A ridiculous proposal by the Obama administration in a desperate attempt to restart the Palestinian/Israel peace process The proposed deal includes a guarantee no additional time for a building freeze would be submitted. Let's see, 3 billion for a 90 day building freeze - who wouldn't take that deal? NPR.org has more here.
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Monday, November 15, 2010
Daily Political Wire 11-15-2010
George Wenschhof
Representative Charles Rangel (D-NY) Ethics Trial Begins Today - his trial along with Representative Maxine Waters (D-Calf.) were delayed until after the mid term elections. This is the first ethics trial for a house member since 2002. Rangel faces thirteen charges ranging from failure to disclose income to misuse of government property. The NY Times has more here.
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Coons and Manchin to be sworn in to Senate today - Democrats Joe Manchin of Virginia and Chris Coons of Delaware will be sworn in this afternoon by Vice President Joe Biden. They will be sworn in before the regular January ceremony as they are finishing the terms of Robert Byrd and interestingly, Joe Biden.
Republican Mark Kirk who won the Obama seat in Illinois is still waiting to receive certification from the state. he is expected to be sworn in at the end of the month. TheHill.com has more here.
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Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates Argue for START ratification - in an op-ed published in the Washington Post. One of the reasons for passage is the treaty allows for the U.S. to inspect Russia's nuclear program. You can read it here.
Ratification by the Senate, where a two-thirds vote is needed, will not be easy in the current political climate.
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Obama hopeful 90 day Israeli freeze on Settlements will restart peace talks with Palestinians - the latest U.S. initiated peace talks ended almost as soon as they began as Israel refused to agree to an extension of a moratorium on new building permits in the West Bank.
Now, the U.S. has proposed a 90 day building freeze during which negotiations would resume. The U.S. offered Israel sweeteners such as security guarantees to move the deal forward. Politico.com has more here.
Doubtful, peace can be achieved in ninety days in a region beset by centuries of ethnic and religious differences.
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Obama to present 4 year plan to end U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan - the plan is to be presented to NATO at a meeting this week. You can read more here.
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Sunday, November 14, 2010
Notes on the Week Ahead in Washington
George Wenschhof
Two weeks will have passed since the mid term elections and President Obama will be back in town after a ten day Asian trip. Results from the mid term elections and the Asian trip were not very positive for the Obama administration as Democrats lost control of the House and little positive outcomes from trade and global economic negotiations were announced during the president's trip.
This week, the Lame-Duck Congress will open and the looming question is what will be accomplished?
While Democrats could pass most of what they wanted as they still maintain a solid majority in the House, Senate Republicans have shown they are capable, with the use of the outdated filibuster, of stopping Democratic legislation.
Before, Congress focuses on what bills to address, they will first vote on their new leadership. Interesting, as the vote will take place before newly elected members of Congress are sworn in.
No major changes are expected on either side as Democrats are expected to keep Harry Reid (Nev.) as Senate Majority Leader and Republicans will keep Mitch McConnell (Ky.) as Minority Leader.
The House Leaders will also stay the same with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calf.) and Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) merely changing positions upon the start of the new Congress. Democrats avoided a nasty insider fight by agreeing to make Steny Hoyer (Md.) Minority Whip and creating a new position of Assistant Minority Leader position for James Clyburn (N.C.). Eric Cantor (Va.) will assume the Majority Leader position.
With no changes in leadership on either side of the aisle, do not expect much compromise and consensus building to transpire.
However, President Obama will take a stab at it by inviting the leaders of Congress to the White House on Thursday for a afternoon discussion, followed by dinner. Expected to be discussed is what bills can we pass now during the lame-duck and where do we go from here?
No big shake ups expected within the Obama administration other than a long planned exit of Senior White House adviser Axelrod who will most likely be replaced by David Plouffe. In a reversal of roles by the two close advisers as the campaign to reelect Obama kicks into gear come Spring.
Votes most likely to come forward during the lame duck session, in no particular order are as follows:
Extension of Bush Tax Cuts - sunsets as of 12-31-2010. Expect at minimum a passage of all tax cuts for two years, which effectively puts off making a decision. An option picking up support is a passage of all the current tax cuts except those on folks making more than one million.
An interesting figure is if all the tax cuts enacted by the Bush administration were allowed to expire and we went back to the Clinton administration tax levels, the deficit would be reduced by more than 2.5 trillion.
The START Treaty with Russia which further reduces the number of nuclear weapons, is now in danger of not being passed if it is not acted on during the lame duck session. Even if acted on now, the required two-thirds votes needed in the Senate will be difficult. Obama needs this to pass - if this also fails, it will be another blow to his administration.
Extension of Unemployment Benefits - set to expire the end of the year. Democrats will push for a one year extension, but doubtful this will be approved. Look to see a 3-6 month compromised approved.
What should have been proposed is a national public service jobs program which required unemployed to work in an area of public service. This way, a public service would be provided for the tax payers money being spent.
DREAM Act - a bill which provides a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants who attend college or serve in the military. This is a good bill and should be approved, but it is unlikely to be approved until a comprehensive immigration bill is introduced.
Energy bill - Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.) will try again for some watered down bill devoid of the controversial cap-and-trade provisions, but it will face stiff opposition.
The deficit reduction commission will also issue their recommendations in early December, but do not expect any action by Congress on them during the lame-duck session.
Also, remember there is a planned update on the Afghanistan war in December planned which would hopefully lead to the beginning of U.S. troop withdrawal this coming summer.
This report is also pivotal for the Obama administration. If the withdrawal of troops is delayed, this would be another setback for Obama and further anger the Democratic base.
Stay Tuned...
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Saturday, November 13, 2010
Daily Political Wire 11-13-2010
George Wenschhof
Obama heads home with few results from Asian trip - the trade agreement with India announced during the first leg of the ten day overseas trip turned out to be the best news to come forth.
A trade agreement with S. Korea was delayed and only a statement of principle was announced from the G-20 summit on trade guidelines. The Washington Post has more here.
President Obama began the ten day trip immediately after the mid term elections and had to be hoping for more positive news following the drubbing Democrats took in Congress.
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Democrats reach agreement on House Leadership - Nancy Pelosi (Calf.) created the leadership problem when she decided she wanted to be the new House Minority Leader, a position most assumed would go to Steny Hoyer (Md.), who is the current House Majority Leader.
The odd man out became James Clyburn (N.C.), who as current House Majority Whip, would have become the House Minority Whip. Now, a new, third ranking position has been created for Clyburn, to avert a bitter struggle between Clyburn and Hoyer for the Minority Whip position. The NY Times has more here.
The next two years and the results of the upcoming 2012 presidential election will determine whether Pelosi's decision to stand and fight was good for the Democratic Party.
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Sunday Morning "Talking Heads" - the usual suspects appear tomorrow, including White House Senior Adviser David Axelrod, Senator John McCain (R-Az.) and Representative James Clyburn (D-N.C.). Politico.com has more here.
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52% Negative Rating for Palin - the president want to be can not shake the high negative rating Americans have of her. The latest Gallup poll had her favorable rating at only 40%. Not a good sign for former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as she weighs entering into the 2012 presidential contest. Gallup.com has more here.
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Obama Weekly Address 11-13-2010
George Wenschhof
Today, President Obama called on reform of Earmarks used in Congress. He stated more transparency is needed, especially due to the difficult economic times facing Americans.
Obama also discusses his trip to India resulting in an increase in American trade which will lead to more jobs for Americans.
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Republican Weekly Response 11-13-2010
George Wenschhof
Representative Greg Waldren (R-Ore.) delivers the Republican Weekly Address today and discusses the changes Republicans intend to make in the House. He was chosen by incoming House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) to lead the Republican transition to majority in the House.
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Friday, November 12, 2010
Daily Political Wire 11-12-2010
George Wenschhof
President Obama in Japan today - on the last leg of his Asian trip. The G-20 meetings did not result in any major agreements and the long negotiated trade deal with South Korea also delayed. Japan is facing major economic problems including deflation. CNN.com has more here.
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Obama faces economic issues when he returns home - to compromise or not on the extension of the Bush tax cuts is one of the first issues the president has to confront as the tax cuts expire at the end of the year. Liberal democrats, led by House speaker Nancy Pelosi says Democrats should not compromise. The Washington Post has more here.
In addition, the bipartisan deficit reduction commission co-chairs have released a series of proposals to reduce the deficit which has angered both the Left and Right. The NY Times has more here.
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Congressional Approval Only 17% - the recent mid term elections did little to improve the rating Americans have of Congress. The Gallup poll shows a drop from the 21% approval prior to the elections. Gallup.com has more here.
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Steele to face Challenges for RNC Chair - Saul Anuzis, former chair of the Michigan republican Party has announced he will run for chair of the Republican National Committee. In spite of huge Republican victories in the mid term elections, Steele has been beset with problems and political gaffes after barely winning the chair position in the 11th round of balloting less than two year ago. You can read more here.
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Will an Energy bill be introduced in Lame Duck Session? - doubtful any major legislation will be introduced. However, attempts might be made to require utilities to increase use of clean energy in producing electricity. TheHill.com has more here.
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Dream Act Likely to be Introduced during lame Duck Session - a bill which would provide a pathway to U.S. citizenship for children of illegal immigrants. Citizenship would be earned after serving in the military for two years or attending college. You can read more here.
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FreedomWorks Provides Orientation to Incoming Tea Party Congressmen - Former Republican Majority Leader Dick Armey is leading the several day orientation to new members. Politico.com has more here.
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