George Wenschhof Bio
The Inaugural Whistle Stop Tour was a huge success - yesterday, thousands of Americans showed up at stops along the route as the President-elect and Vice President-elect made their way from Philadelphia to Union Station in Washington, D.C.
Baltimore, Maryland had a great turnout and police had to turn away many who exceeded the 35,000 they had space to accommodate. This was an exciting day for Marylanders who provided Barack Obama with a huge margin of victory during the election with the vote being split 62% - 37%.
As Maryland is such a solid Blue state, visits by the President-elect were few during the campaign. So yesterday, it was a time for many of the electeds to shine. Maryland Congressman Elijah Cummings and Governor Martin O'Malley spoke to the crowd which included House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Present, but not acknowledged by any of the speakers was embattled Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon. Tonight, Maryland holds it's Inaugural Ball.
It is now two days until Inauguration Day!
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Inauguration events begin today - starting with all the stars at the Lincoln memorial at 2:30 PM ET. Beyonce, Bruce Springsteen, Sheryl Crow and John Mellencamp are among the many musicians performing today. ThePage.Time.com has a full schedule of the Inauguration Events here.
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On Wednesday, his first day as President, Obama will meet with Joint Chiefs of Staff - hitting the ground running, he will be discussing his plan to withdraw from Iraq, the refocusing of the effort in Afghanistan, the situation in Gaza, and much, much more. The NY Times has more here.
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Obama says he intends to keep his BlackBerry - this, in spite of legal advise to quit using it after he becomes President. He feels it is a great way for him to keep in touch and he feels confident he is able send communications that can pass the scrutiny of the press, as he realizes any electronic communication can readily be sent around the world through the Internet. Politico.com has more here.
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Speaking of the Internet, the Stimulus Bill contains Net Neutrality rules - this would continue to provide consumers to access the Internet without controls placed on their content. The Hill.com has more here.
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Israel - Hamas finally agree to cease-fire - after Israel offered a truce, Hamas agreed to a cease fire. provided Israel withdraws from Gaza within one week. Reuters.com has more here. The cease-fire was agreed to just days prior to the Inauguration of Barack Obama, leaving many to speculate if this action was taken deliberately during the last few weeks of the lame-duck presidency of George W. Bush.
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Sunday, January 18, 2009
Democratic Chatter 1-18-2009
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Democratic Chatter 1-17-2009
George Wenschhof Bio
Today, President-elect Barack Obama begins his Whistle Stop Tour - He and his family will depart from Philadelphia this morning and head to Wilmington, Delaware to be joined by Vice President-elect Joe Biden and his family. After a late afternoon stop in Baltimore, the final destination will be Washington, D.C. - We posted the schedule yesterday and it can be seen here.
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Solis nomination for Labor Secretary receives Republican opposition - Representative Hilda Solis continues to receive opposition that threatens to derail her nomination. The republican opposition surrounds her ties with Labor and her vague answers to questions pertaining to right-to-work laws and the card check bill. Politico.com has more here.
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Minnesota Senate race may be determined soon - the Coleman campaign challenge has been scheduled for January 26. Democrat Al Franken won the state mandated recount by 225 votes and was certified the winner by the state canvassing board but due to the legal challenge has not been able to be seated in the Senate. The Minneapolis Star-tribune has more here.
As to the only other open senate seat, NY Governor David Paterson has said he will make his decision on the person to fill the vacant Hillary Clinton Senate immediately following the Inauguration. Caroline Kennedy and Andrew Cuomo are the favorites to receive this appointment.
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Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich update - His lawyer, Ed Gensen has informed the Governor he will not defend him in the upcoming impeachment proceedings in the Illinois Senate. The reason was the rules were not fair. Gensen will continue to represent the Governor in the criminal charges against him. NBC affiliate has more here.
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No job for outgoing DNC chair Howard Dean in Obama administration - Howard Dean will step down as chair of the Democratic National Committee the day after the Inauguration of the President-elect and Virginia Governor Tim Kaine will be his replacement. To date, there have been no offers forthcoming from the incoming Obama administration. This, in spite of his successful 50 state strategy which was embraced by the Obama campaign. MSNBC.com has more here.
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