Republican Response 8-28-2010

George Wenschhof

Today, Florida Republican Senate candidate Marco Rubio delivers the Republican weekly address. He calls the 787 billion Stimulus bill a failure and calls for the repeal of the recently passed health care reform legislation.

Rubio also wants to extend the former George W. Bush administration tax cuts for the wealthy set to expire at the end of this year.



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Daily Political Wire 8-24-2010

George Wenschhof

Stem Cell Research Banned by Judge's ruling - in a ruling yesterday, U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth issued a temporary ban on federal funding of stem cell research. Politico.com has more here.

In effect, it says the executive order expanding federal funding for research on embryonic stem cells signed by President Obama last year violates the intent of the Dickey-Wicker amendment approved by Congress in 1996.

Expect the government to appeal to a higher court.

This decision could easily be ratcheted up and made a campaign issue in the upcoming mid term elections.

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Today, Vice President Joe Biden will give an update on the "787 billion Stimulus" bill - he will be joined by Energy Secretary Steve Chu and will talk about investments in science and technology. Politico.com has more here.

The Obama administration attempted to highlight the success of the bill with planned announcements across the country entitled "Recovery Summer". Unfortunately, the planned effort to highlight the successes of the bill has fallen flat as unemployment has remained steady at 9.5%.

In addition to the lack of a jobs program, the Stimulus bill was so varied and diverse, the resulting effects of reduced spending on a particular area of the economy has had little positive outcome.

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House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) to call for Firing of Obama's Economic Team - Budget Director Peter Orzag already saw the handwriting on the wall and left as has Christina Romer.

Boehner, citing continued high unemployment, will call for the ouster of Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and White House Economic Adviser Larry Summers today at a speech in Cleveland, Ohio. The Washington Post has more here.

Democrats are already responding to the planned speech saying the Republicans will continue to criticize but offer no solutions. TheHill.com has more here.

The main reason Democrats remain competitive going into the mid term elections is the fact the Republican leadership of Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Minority leader John Boehner is so weak and ineffective.

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O'Malley widens lead against Ehrlich in latest poll - in a OpinionWorks survey released today by Center Maryland Maryland Democratic Governor Martin O'Malley leads former Governor Robert Ehrlich 47% to 41%.

In the Republican primary newcomer Brian Murphy, in spite of an endorsement from Sarah Palin, is only receiving 15% with Ehrlich receiving 75%.

However, the Baltimore Sun points out that many of the owners of the company conducting the polling have contributed to Democrats. In addition, two of the founding members; Steve Kearney was former communications director for O'Malley and Damian O'Doherty was a former aide to Baltimore County Executive James Smith. The Baltimore Sun has more here.

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Shirley Sherrod to Meet with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today - Ms. Sherrod was forced to resign after portions of a speech racist she had previously given which made her appear racist appeared on a conservative Blog. Subsequent airings of the entire speech proved the opposite. MSNBC.com has more here.

Let's see what job she is offered and whether she accepts.

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Former President Jimmy Carter heads to North Korea to help win release of American - Aijalon Mahli Gomes was recently sentenced to 8 years of hard labor for illegally entering the country.

Former President Bill Clinton was successful, less than a year ago, in gaining the release of two women journalists who had been jailed for illegal entry into N. Korea.

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Obama Interview by Chuck Todd 7-15-2010

George Wenschhof

Chuck Todd of NBC News interviews President Obama, who was in Michigan touring a battery manufacturing plant. The batteries are being used in automobiles, such as the Ford Fusion.

The president defended his policies initiated toward improving the economy, especially the Stimulus bill, pointing out 600,000 new jobs have been created this year. While, President Obama acknowledged there is still a ways to go in reducing the current 9.5% unemployment rate, he believed the voters did not want to go back to the Republican dominated practices that got the country in the economic mess in the first place.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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Frederick Co. MD "Up and Coming" Democrats

Spencer Knoll Bio

Is Stimulus Bill a Mistake?

"The President's $800 billion stimulus package" may be a misnomer. "Congress's $800 billion mistake" may be slightly more accurate. President Obama had a clear, sensible, moderate plan for stimulating the economy that was pork-free and targeted at the sectors with the most potential to grow and provide stimulus. But instead of taking control of his plan's destiny, the President handed it off to Congress, who ripped it to shreds and ensured that it will have few positive results.

Included in the behemoth bill are the "buy American" provisions which the President explicitly opposed. These provisions will serve only to drive up the cost of infrastructure projects provided for by the act and alienate America's trading partners.

Furthermore, the tax cuts touted by the Republicans, while important, will be mostly ineffective. $237 billion out of the $288 billion of cuts are directed at individuals. While a tax break is nice, given the current state of consumer confidence that money will go directly into savings and provide little to no actual stimulus, whereas tax cuts for small businesses can help offset costs and stimulate job growth.

Of course, spending is also necessary for real stimulus, but in this case Congress got it wrong as well. Infrastructure investment, which can put people to work right now, accounts for only $80.9 billion – a pittance compared to the total value of the bill. Infrastructure spending can help stimulate nearly every sector of the economy; it can trigger spending by heavy equipment manufacturers, automakers, engineering firms, steel producers, and many other sectors by increasing demand for their products.

The jobs created by this spending extend beyond just the workers on the job site, as every business that sees increased demand from infrastructure projects will need to hire workers to meet that demand. Infrastructure spending has the most potential to put the most people to work at every income and skill level while simultaneously improving America's failing roads, bridges, and railways.

Given our country's current economic predicament, a massive influx of government spending and tax cut dollars was certainly warranted. In this case, however, the stimulus was rushed through a legislature that is paralyzed by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calf.) who is unwilling to compromise and an angry opposition that is still getting used to being in the minority.

The result was a bill that will serve more to drum up the opposition and give the Republicans a rallying point in 2010 and 2012 than it will to stimulate the economy. I would say that President Obama should have vetoed the bill and sent it back to Congress, threatening the veto until they produced a sensible final product. It seems that not even a powerful veto from a popular President would have been enough to smack some sense into the folks on Capitol Hill.

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What Will the Stimulus Bring to Maryland?

Ann-Marie Luciano Bio

The short answer is that Maryland will receive a whopping $3.8 billion share of the total $787 billion federal stimulus package. Where will that money go and how will it help create jobs and grow our economy?

Governor O'Malley announced earlier this week that Maryland's $3.8 billion share of the stimulus package will include about $610 million in transportation funds, which is expected to support about 17,500 jobs. As the economy continues to spiral down, the key question is one of timing: How can Maryland spend this money fast enough in order to stop the bleeding and get people to work?

Governor O'Malley's answer on Wednesday was that as much as $365 million in transportation projects will be funded by federal stimulus funds within 90 days. The Maryland Board of Public Works has already approved $2.9 million to repair the Laurel MARC station.

What's amazing to me is to see how closely the government is following through with the pre-stimulus promises that were made about potential projects. In early February Vice President Biden toured the Laurel train station with Governor O'Malley and referred to it as an example of one of the train stations across the country that would benefit from the stimulus. In politics, usually there is a disconnect between promises and action, especially once money is in hand and competing interests start clamoring for their share. This time around, it seems that our leaders are highly attuned to the growing public outrage at waste and mismanagement and are taking extraordinary measures to instill public confidence.

For example, Governor O'Malley has already set up a website that enables the public to track the spending of the stimulus package in Maryland. I was impressed by the "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Summary of Phase 1 Transit and Highway Projects" chart, which provides a detailed description of each project – organized by category – showing the jurisdiction of the project, cost, and estimated jobs supported. (One wonders what "supported" really means – is it new jobs, jobs saved, a combination of the two or simply the number of people it will take to do the job?).

Marylanders are also expected to receive approximately $1 billion in tax relief through the stimulus package. One wonders where the rest of the money will go and how those decisions will be made. Lobbyists have already started to pitch their case as to why they should receive part of the stimulus funds. Hopefully our leaders have devised some type of plan to spend or provide tax relief to those businesses and sectors that could stimulate the economy most directly. It would be a shame if only those with the loudest and most organized lobbyists get a share of the stimulus pie.

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Frederick's "Up and Coming" Democrats

Joe Welty Jr. Bio

Stimulus Vote puts Spotlight on Democrats

There are a large number of topics I could write about for this week's edition of Frederick's "Up and Coming," but what's most on my mind and probably on the minds of most Americans is the stimulus bill. At the time of the writing of this column, the bill is on its way to the President's desk and will have no doubt been signed by the time this is posted.

To begin, it is great that Congress could get this thing passed, though I have some major issues with it. There is no doubt in my mind that a stimulus package is very much needed across the country, but I do not think it will be as effective as most are hoping it will be.

The primary goal of this stimulus package was to save or create 3.5-4 million jobs. I am confident that it has the ability to do so; on this point I believe the stimulus will be effective, but people are going to have to be patient to see results.

The area in which I believe the stimulus will be less successful is in the area of tax cuts. Don't get me wrong, I love a good tax cut for the middle class like every Democrat—that is where a tax cut will do the most good, in the hands of people that are statistically more likely to spend the money directly on consumer goods and services.

The only problem with the tax cuts in this stimulus package is that they are going to fall victim to the economic times and in my opinion be unable to fulfill their purpose. In general, the idea behind giving tax cuts to the middle class is that we are most likely to spend that money on consumer goods and services and thus cause an increase in consumer spending and stimulate the economy.

But, our current economic climate has created a situation where consumer confidence is extremely low. As a result, the majority of people receiving a tax cut check in the mail are more likely to save that money to pay rent or bills, or generally to feel some security; I know that is exactly what I am going to do with mine.

The question then remains: where do we go from here? At this point, now that the stimulus will begin creating jobs, it is most important to focus on the financial and banking industry. The truth of the matter is that the first half of the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) was an absolute waste of money in the truest sense of the meaning—we gave out $350B and have no idea where it went or what it did to shore up the banking and finance markets.

The entire purpose of (TARP) was to remove troubled assets from the market, shore up the finance markets, and to most importantly get the flow of credit and lending restored. Not surprisingly, a bill that had very little accountability exercised saw exactly zero of the intended goals realized.

The money which will be spent on tax cuts through this stimulus package would be better used to remove bad assets from the marketplace and restore the flow of credit in the financial and banking markets. If we're going to call this package a stimulus, then let's actually put the money where it has the best chance to create stimulus; and unfortunately for me, my rent and bills, that means not giving me $400 to save.

Quickly, I'd like to look forward to the mid-term Congressional elections in 2010 and say something about the Democratic Party's Congressional leadership. I'm not going to kid myself into thinking this bill could have been more bipartisan, this bill needed to pass and if the Republicans wanted to try and stand in the way—run'em over to get it passed.

But, an important thing to keep in mind is that President Obama is making real strides to increase the bipartisanship in Washington, something our politics desperately needs.

Though, if Democrats are actually serious about a new era of bipartisanship and governing from the center, while still holding fast to our democratic principles—I'm sorry, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calf.) needs to be shown the door by the House Democrats.

The Stimulus bill easily passed the House with a 246-183 vote. However, no Republican voted for it and seven Democrats voted against passage of the bill.

She has done nothing but antagonize Republicans since she began as Speaker, something that is the right course when Democrats were in the minority. Now that Democrats are once again the majority party we need someone in that position that can exercise restraint. Someone with the political acumen to get legislation passed without leaving Congressional Republicans feeling burned—we need a Speaker more like Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill than Nancy Pelosi.

If Nancy Pelosi is Speaker much longer, I have serious fears that we will see the Democratic majority severely reduced in the House in 2010; that is if we can keep it at all.

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Democratic Chatter 2-14-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

This morning, in his weekly address to the nation, President Barack Obama spoke of the passage by Congress of his American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan - better known as the 787 billion Stimulus bill. He cautioned there are no quick fixes for the economy and recognized some questioned the effectiveness of the bill. He said Americans can check on the progress of the bill at http://www.recovery.gov/. You can watch his speech below.

privacy policy download .mp4 also available here audio

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787 billion Stimulus bill passes late last night in the Senate - the vote in the Senate was 60-38 and the reason for the late hour approval was they waited for Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Oh.) to return from memorial services for his mother who had passed away. In fact, the White House arranged for a plane to fly him to D.C. and then back to Ohio in order for him to attend funeral services today. He gave passage of the bill a veto-proof measure of victory. Senator Edward Kennedy was unable to make the vote as he was in Florida receiving treatment for his brain cancer.

You wonder where the 100th vote went? Well, it wasn't cast due to no resolution to the Minnesota Senate race involving Norm Coleman (R) and Al Franken (D). The three Republican Senators to vote in favor of the bill were Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins from Maine along with Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania. Republican Senator Judd Gregg who just withdrew from consideration for Commerce Secretary voted against the bill.

The House vote was 246-183 with seven Democrats voting with all Republicans against passage of the Stimulus bill. So much for bipartisan spirit in Washington.... The President is expected to have a bill signing ceremony on Monday. The NY Times has more here.

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Speaking of the Minnesota Senate race - yesterday, a three judge panel issued a ruling that appears will not be helpful for Republican Norm Coleman who is arguing for more rejected absentee ballots to be counted. The ruling was there had been not been a statewide problem in the counting of absentee ballots. They also provided a conservative guideline for the judges to use in determining what rejected absentee ballots should be examined. Maybe, by the end of the month Democrat Al Franken will be sworn in. Politico.com has more here.

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President Obama lays out ambitious agenda for the next two weeks - not slowing down, the President plans to present his plan to aid the housing crisis next Wednesday while in Phoenix, Arizona. On February 23, the President intends to hold a "fiscal responsibility" summit where social security and medicare will be discussed. The following day, Obama will give a speech to the joint session of Congress. CNN.com has more here.

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New fodder for Republicans to scream about - seems Representative Grace Napolitano (D-Calf.) loaned her campaign $150,000 back in 1998. Over the last ten years she has served in Congress, the campaign has paid her 18% interest on the debt amounting to $221,780 while only reducing the principle by $64,727. In 1999, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) ruled the interest payments were allowable. Nonetheless, in this economic crisis climate, expect this issue to gain traction among Republicans. Bloomberg.com has more here.

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On the foreign policy front, U.S. fired missiles from drones kill 25 militants in Pakistan - this is the third U.S. missile strike within Pakistan since Obama became President. It is being reported the killed were al-Qaeda linked militants and the location was in the South Waristan region. Pakistan has expressed outrage of the continued U.S. missile strikes within their country. Reuters.com has more here.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave her first foreign policy speech yesterday to the Asia Society in New York - she will be leaving on her first trip as Secretary of State next week to visit Japan, China, South Korea, and Indonesia. MSNBC.com has more here.

Special envoy to Afghanistan/ Pakistan Richard Holbrooke met with Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai - the Karzai administration/U.S. relationship has been deteriorating as the Taliban has regained strength in Afghanistan. President Karzai has also expressed displeasure of U.S. military tactics which have caused civilian deaths. You can read more here.

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Democratic Chatter 2-13-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

The House to vote on the 789 billion Stimulus bill today - this is the House-Senate compromise that came out of conference committee. It is expected to pass easily in the House and the Senate is expected to vote on it tomorrow. Time.com has more here.

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President Obama continues to stumble with Cabinet picks - the first three weeks of his Presidency has not been kind as a third Cabinet nominee announces his withdrawal. This time it was Republican Senator Judd Gregg (NH) who said yesterday his philosophical differences with the Obama administration would not allow him to serve as Commerce Secretary. Questions continue regarding the vetting process. When Gregg was announced as the nominee, liberal bloggers pointed out Gregg has supported discontinuation of the Commerce Department. TheHill.com has more here

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New chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee targets nine seats in 2010 - never too early to start the rhetoric. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) recently took over the chair from Senator Charles Schumer from New York who was able to claim large gains and a new Democratic majority while he served as chair. Menendez pointed out five open seats in Florida, Ohio, Missouri, New Hampshire, and Kansas and four other states where he feels Democrats will be competitive. The other states were Louisiana, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania. Out of the last four states, the Senate seat held by Republican Arlen Specter is the most likely pick up with Republicans going after Specter in the Primary due to his support of the Stimulus bill. CNN.com has more here.

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Leon Panetta confirmed by Senate for CIA Director - there was some initial hesitation by some Senators who questioned his total lack of experience in the intelligence field. however, in the end, he was approved by a voice vote in the Senate yesterday. Hilda Solis, the nominee for Labor Secretary, won approval in the senate committee and will be scheduled for a senate vote as early as today. The NY Times Caucus blog has more here.

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Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) proposes special commission to investigate possible wrongdoings by the George W. Bush administration - this is a hot topic among the more liberal Democrats who want investigation into possible illegal wiretapping, use of the Justice Department for political purposes, and the use of torture on detainees. A USAToday/Gallup poll conducted January 30 - February 1 showed 60% of Americans favored some type of investigation into these actions. While only 41% favored criminal probes. So far, the Obama administration has not indicated any desire to begin these proceedings. Gallup.com has more here.

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On the foreign policy front, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton leaves today for her first official trip - she is off to Asia to visit China, Japan, Indonesia and South Korea. Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke is in Afghanistan and Senator John Kerry (D-Ma.) is scheduled to visit countries in the Middle East next week. Politico.com has more here.

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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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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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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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Democratic Chatter 2-7-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

The weekly address by President Barack Obama this morning focused on his Stimulus Bill entitled "America Recovery and Reinvestment Plan". The Senate last night appeared to have reached a compromise with a vote expected on Tuesday. Bloomberg.com has more here. Part of the compromise included a reduction in spending from 900 to 780 Billion in the Senate bill. However, keep in mind the House bill was 819 Billion so the 780 Billion Senate version is only 5% lower than the House version. Click on the picture below to watch the weekly address.

privacy policy download .mp4 also available here

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Last night, The President and family watched the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at the Kennedy Center. Today, they will be taking their first trip to Camp David, the Presidential retreat in the Catoctin mountains near Thurmont, Maryland. CNN.com has more here.

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Vice President Joe Biden's foreign policy speech received warmly in Munich, Germany - he was speaking to a international conference on security policy. He pledged America would not use torture and promised diplomacy. Politico.com has more here.

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CIA Director nominee Leon Panetta says no prosecution for those who used harsh interrogation techniques - when questioned, he indicated this was an Obama administration policy. This answer, much to the chagrin of the liberal netroots. Panetta is expected to be confirmed next week. MSNBC.com has more here.

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Democratic Chatter 2-5-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

Today, President Barack Obama attended the annual National Prayer Breakfast - ThePage.time.com has the text of his speech here. This evening he will speak at the House Democrats annual Retreat in Williamsburg, Virginia.

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Two more Obama Cabinet nominees to face Senate Hearings today - Leon Panetta, the pick to head the CIA will go in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee. He is a former White House Chief of Staff under the Clinton administration and initial questions related to his lack of experience n the intelligence field. Recently. his financial disclosures show he worked for some of the major financial firms that have experienced difficulty of late. The Wall Street Journal has more here.

Hilda L. Solis who was nominated for Labor Secretary should receive a vote in the Senate committee reviewing her appointment today. Republicans had delayed the vote due to their concerns regarding her views on organized labor. The Washington Post has more here.

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A Paul Volcker - Lawrence Summers spat? - Volcker was picked by the president to head a economic advisory group to come up with new ideas for economic recovery for the country. He is upset that Summers, who is the White House Economic Council Director has not been communicating with him. Another distraction at a time when Obama is trying to pass his Stimulus bill. Bloomberg.com has more here.

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Unemployment jumps higher again - the labor department issued reports showing claims are the highest since 1982. The other distressing news is the length of time for the unemployed has increased which also shows how bad the job market has become. Reuters.com has more here.

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Stimulus bill continues to receive scrutiny - with the Senate version of the Stimulus bill now approaching 900 Billion, more and more Americans are questioning the bill. Even with the President's popularity, the bill has become a tough sell as voters are calling their elected officials on the Hill in record numbers. Politico.com has more here.

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Taxpayers at risk of fraud with TARP - that is what a 188 page report says that was prepared by Neil Barofky, a special inspector general, who delivered the report to Congress today. As everyone now knows, a lack of accountability surrounded the issuance of the first 350 Billion from the Troubled Assets Relief Program. TheHill.com has more here.

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Democratic Chatter 2-3-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

President Barack Obama remains confident of passage of his Stimulus Bill - the President began this process with a promise of "no pork" in the bill and that promise is receiving serious questions as review of the many provisions in the 819 Billion bill passed by the House continues. Already, 75 million for anti-smoking programs and another 400 million for STD and HIV programs have been removed.

Meanwhile, some Republican Senators have drafted their own 713 Billion version of a Stimulus bill saying the Democratic version is a spending bill not a stimulus bill. CNN.com has more here.

Obama will interview with all the major television networks today as he takes his case for the Stimulus bill to the voters. Look for the interviews to air tonight during prime time.

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How about that Bailout bill? Details are emerging of the hundreds of thousands of dollars spent by financial institutions to lobby Congress prior to the first 350 Billion being passed out. TheHill.com has more here.

New Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is expected to spell out new rules for the remaining 350 Billion of the Bailout bill. The Wall Street Journal has more here.

An interesting note: the bill is entitled the "Troubled Assets Relief Plan" (TARP) and not one Homeowner who is facing foreclosure has received assistance to date. Bloomberg.com is reporting this will be part of the revamped procedures introduced by Geithner. You can read more here.

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Eric Holder confirmed as Attorney General - after several weeks of Republican grousing about his role in the pardon of Marc Rich and concern over possible prosecution of those involved in harsh interrogation techniques. The vote last night was 75-21 with the 21 against all being Republicans. MSNBC.com has more here.

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Tom Daschle still has the President's support - in spite of being another Cabinet nominee with tax problems. Daschle received another major voice of support when the Senate Finance Committee chair Max Baucus expressed his support of his nomination for Secretary of Health and Human Services. Daschle also apologized to everyone possible last night. The NY Times has more here.

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President Obama will name Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) Commerce Secretary this morning - Reuters.com has more here. This should help in the bipartisan spirit. Despite the rumors this would help the Democrats reach the magic number of 60 in the Senate, the replacement for Gregg will be a Republican.

Governor John Lynch (D-NH) has publicly said he will not select a person who might tip the scales in the Senate to the Democrats. Early indications is the person to replace Gregg will be Bonnie Newman, a moderate Republican. Politico.com has more here.

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Vetting process for Obama administration comes under scrutiny - It was suppose to be a new administration with harsher ethics guidelines with a vetting process that originally was criticized for being too intrusive. But, then Governor Bill Richardson (D-NM) withdrew from consideration for Commerce Secretary due to an ongoing "pay-to-play" investigation involving the state. The, more recently, it was learned both Tom Dashle for HHS Secretary and Timothy Geithner for Treasury Secretary had unpaid back taxes problems. In addition, deputy counsel for Economic Affairs Neal Wolin was discovered to have ethics problems due to his previous employment with the Hartford Group. McClatchydc.com has more here. 10:47 AM ET Update - add Obama appointee Nancy Killefer to those with tax problems. She withdrew from consideration for chief performance officer. CNN.com has more here.

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Gore Presses for Passage of Stimulus Bill

George Wenschhof Bio

In an email sent to supporters, former Vice President Al Gore continues to work hard for passage of President Obama's Stimulus bill which includes clean energy investments. 40,000 members of "RepowerAmerica.org" wrote to their Congressmen supporting passage of the bill.

Gore recently testified in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the importance of the climate crisis facing the world today and now is asking supporters to contact their Senators to express their support of the American Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Plan. To contact your Senator, just click here. Below is a short video of his message to you. Click on his picture to watch.

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Democratic Chatter 1-29-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

President Barack Obama will meet with Cabinet members today - back to business after members of Congress for cocktails last night at the White House. The President is expected to meet with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and also Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.

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Not one House Republican votes in favor of Stimulus bill - Eleven Democrats joined the Republicans in voting against the bill which passed with a 244-188 vote. Included in the Democrats who voted against the bill was first term Maryland Congressman, Frank Kratovil. A trip to the Hill by the president did not help as more and more questions are being asked as to what has been included in this massive 819 Billion plan. Originally sold to the public as a major infrastructure repair bill that would put Americans back to work, it now seems less than 5% of the funding goes toward infrastructure spending. The NY Times has a good read on how effective and how quickly this stimulus plan will be. You can read it here.

Expect even more scrutiny to be applied by members of the senate and expect more changes. However, in the end, the bill will pass. The House vote by the Republicans also sets up a possible major issue come the 2010 mid term Congressional elections. If this massive spending bill does not help in putting the U.S. economy back on track by the 2010 elections, the Republicans will be saying "we told you so". Politicians should remember it did not take one action or one bill to get the U.S. in this economic mess and it is extremely doubtful, it will take only one bill to get the U.S. out of the mess we are in. Politico has a good read here.

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RNC Chair to be selected tomorrow - more than a handful of candidates exist for the chair of the Republican National Committee who meet tomorrow in Washington D.C. to have a final vote on the choice. The early favorite was current chair, Mike Duncan. Other contenders include African-Americans Michael Steele who was a former Lt. Governor of Maryland and Ken Blackwell who was a former Secretary of State in Ohio. Another notable contender for the chair is Chip Saltsman, former campaign manager for the Mike Huckabee, who sent the CD entitled "Barack, the Magic Negro" out to friends over the holiday season. Let's see what direction the RNC intends to take with their choice for chair tomorrow. CNN.com has more here.

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Ethics questions surround new White House deputy counsel for economic affairs - just yesterday, the President announced Neal Wolin in this new position. Already, he is coming under scrutiny with concerns pertaining to his recent position as executive of The Hartford Financial Services Group. Seems, after some maneuvering, Hartford qualified for some of the bailout bill funds. It is being said Mr. Wolin would need to recuse himself from future actions pertaining to his former employer. McClatchydc.com has more here.

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"Blago Watch" Update - Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich will appear at his impeachment proceedings in the state senate. His appearance come after the senate president, John Cullerton asked him to speak. He will be given ninety minutes beginning at 12:00 PM ET with no questions being allowed. The prosecutor will then have thirty minutes, followed with a vote. You can count on Lt. Governor Quinn to be nearby following the vote. The Chicago Tribune has more here.

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Obama's choice for national intelligence confirmed by senate - In a unanimous voice vote, retired admiral Dennis Blair was confirmed last night. he replaces former director Michael McConnell who resigned shortly before Blair was confirmed. CNN.com has more here.

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On the foreign policy front, newly appointed Middle East envoy is on the job and busy - wasting no time after being appointed by President Obama, George Mitchell arrived yesterday in Israel and after meeting with officials will be in the West bank today. He will meet with Palestinian President Abbas and Prime Minister Fayyad. This is part of a seven day tour of the region. So far, no meetings with Hamas have been scheduled. The Washington Post has more here.

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Democratic Chatter 1-28-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

President Barack Obama will meet with business leaders this morning - He is expected to give a press announcement after the meeting around 11:00 AM ET. Later today he and the Vice President will meet with Robert Gates and the Joint Chiefs at the Pentagon to discuss withdrawal plan for Iraq. Time.com has more here.

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House to vote on 825 Billion Stimulus bill today - the vote comes after the President went to the Hill yesterday to meet with Republicans. The 825 Billion is made up of 275 Billion in tax cuts and 550 Billion in spending. In spite of the conversation, many Republicans were still questioning the many inclusions in the bill. Expect the bill to pass easily in the House where the Democrats have a 257 to 178 advantage. However, with the added scrutiny the bill will receive, expect changes in the Senate version. The Washington Post has more here.

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Former Vice President Al Gore presses Congress to pass Stimulus bill - one of the many components in the bill includes many "green" jobs and technology. Gore is also expected to urge Congress today to take additional measures in regard to climate control. I received a email from him last night urging supporters to contact their Congressmen in support of the bill. MSNBC.com has more here.

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Holder confirmation expected soon - after a short delay with some Republican Senators who are members of the Judiciary Committee expressing concern in regard to prosecution of those in the previous administration who may have been involved in the harsh interrogation techniques that were authorized. Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) publicly announced his support of Eric Holder for Attorney General yesterday. CNN.com has more here.

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"Blago watch" update - the Illinois state senate is expected to vote on the impeachment of Governor Rod Blagojevich by tomorrow. Yesterday, the governor continued the circus atmosphere surrounding his impeachment by boycotting the trial and appearing on as many television shows as possible. Meanwhile, Illinois Lt. Governor Quinn prepares to be sworn in as Governor. The Chicago Sun-Times has more here.

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Democratic Chatter 1-16-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

President-elect Barack Obama receives Senate approval on remaining 350 Billion of the Bailout funds - the Senate vote was 52-42, the close vote reflecting the disappointment in lack of accountability on how the first 350 Billion was spent. However, the President-elect was able to persuade enough Democrats to vote for the release of the funds. The way the bill was written does not require a House vote - the only way to have blocked the additional funds would have been for both the House and the Senate to vote to deny. The funds will be available shortly after the Inauguration next week. The NY Times has more here.

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House Democrats present 825 Billion Stimulus Bill - yesterday, the first version of the stimulus bill called for by Obama was released. TheHill.com has more here. The President-elect issued a statement supporting the bill. Thepage.time.com has his full statement here.

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Bank of America reports first losses since 1991 - they will be among the financial institutions receiving funds from the remaining 350 Billion just released by the senate. Bloomberg.com has more here.

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President George W. Bush says good-bye - last night at 8:00 PM ET, the President gave a fifteen minute farewell speech. Unfortunately for him, Americans across the country were focused on the incredible emergency plane landing in the NY Hudson River and the miraculous survival of all on board the flight. If you missed his speech, MSNBC.com has it and you can watch it here.

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Eric Holder holds his own in his confirmation hearing for Attorney General - facing tough questioning, Mr. holder stated he believed waterboarding to be torture, that gun control options had been limited after the recent Supreme Court ruling on the D.C. handgun ban, said the White House should work within the guidelines of FISA, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, admitted some mistakes in his role in the pardon of Marc Rich, and said the Gitmo prison at Guantanamo Bay would be closed although it will take time. It appears Mr. Holder is on line to become the next Attorney General. CNN.com has more here.

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Yesterday, Vice-President elect Joe Biden and Secretary of State designate Hillary Clinton said their good-byes to their fellow Senators - Ted Kaufman who was Biden's chief of staff will be sworn in to replace him and he has stated he will only serve until 2010. It is anticipated Joe Biden's son Beau will then run for the seat. Beau is currently serving in Iraq and has received leave to head home to attend the inauguration. Politico.com has more here.

The top contenders for the NY Senate seat vacated by Hillary Clinton are Caroline Kennedy and Andrew Cuomo. Expect the appointment from NY Governor David Paterson to come soon.

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Democratic Chatter 1-2-2009

George Wenschhof Bio

President-elect Barack Obama and family will move to D.C. this weekend - In the first of two moves prior to occupying the White House, they will stay at the Hays-Adams Hotel. Due to prior commitments they were unable to move into the government owned Blair House until January 15. The reason for the earlier move is the daughters begin school next week. CNN.com has more here.

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Obama to meet with Congressional leaders today to discuss his stimulus bill - He is meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calf.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) He will also meet with Republican Congressional Leaders John Boehner and Mitch McConnell. Reuters .com has more here.

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Israel continues attack on Gaza - determined to defuse Hamas, Israel continued air strikes for the seventh day and were poised for a ground invasion. The NY Times has more here. Some reports have indicated the Israeli military favor a short term ground attack aimed at further rooting out Hamas supporters. Meanwhile, the Arab states in the region are condemning the air strikes and the French continue to negotiate a cease fire.

The last time this military action took place under the same circumstances, Hamas was able to gain favor with the innocent civilians by offering aid. Hopefully, that will be remembered and humanitarian aid is provided by Israel and the UN as soon as possible.

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Can Democrats stop Roland Burris from being seated as Senator? - embattled Governor Rod Blagojevich (D-Ill.) continues to cause problems for Democrats at a time when there is a lot to cheer about. His recent appointment of Roland Burris to the Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama is sure to generate more angst among Democratic leaders who are saying they will not seat Burris if he shows up next week.

It promises to be a awkward situation for Democrats who would prefer to be putting their best foot forward after decisive victories on Election Day. A referral of the appointment to the senate credentials committee could take place, but that would involve up to a ninety day review, resulting in more testimony and attention. Failing to seat the only African-American Senator would also cause heartburn for many. The best move may be to seat him. Politico.com has more here.

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Another Illinois seat now open with Rahm Emanuel's resignation - he sent his letter of resignation to Governor Blagojevich effective today. The state Constitution requires the Governor to set a election date within 115 days. Interestingly, vacant Senate seats receive immediate appointment, while vacant seats of Representatives in Congress are filled by special election. TheHill.com speculates on who may run and you can read their take on the possible candidates here.

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