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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Daily Political Wire 8-23-2010

George Wenschhof

Vice President Joe Biden hits the road while President is on vacation - he will speak at the 111th VFW anniversary convention in Indianapolis before traveling to Ohio.

In Toledo, Ohio, Biden will tour a Chrysler plant. CNN.com has more here.

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Republican Leaders continue to fumble on how to pay for continuing former Bush administration tax cuts for the wealthy - This time, it was Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) who had no answer when appearing on NBC "Meet The Press".

Last week it was House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Senator John Cornyn (R-Tex.) who looked like the "deer caught in the headlights" when mild mannered moderator David Gregory repeatedly asked them how they were going to pay for the extension of these tax cuts for the wealthy.

The Republicans have become the "Party of No", except for when it comes to benefiting the wealthiest of Americans. Below is a clip from yesterday's "Meet The Press" segment with Senator McConnell.

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

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In case you missed them, below are highlights from the Sunday morning "Talking Heads" courtesy of Politico.com



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More Primaries tomorrow - In Arizona expect incumbent Republican Senator John McCain to easily turn back the challenge from tea party activist supported J.D. Hayworth.

In Hawaii, former representative Neil Abercrombie is expected to win the Democratic nomination for Governor against Mufi Hanneman.

While in Florida, the Republican nomination for Governor promises to be close between Rick Scott and Bill McCollum.

The Democratic Senate nominee appears to be Kendrick Meek who was leading in recent polls against Jeff Green.

In Alsaska, the Senate Republican race is between Lisa Muskowski and and Joe Miller.

Chris Cillizza and TheFix.com has more here.

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Daily Political Wire 8-16-2010

George Wenschhof

Today, President Obama heads to Milwaukee, Wisconsin - he will be touting the success of ZBB Energy Corp. which makes batteries and fuel cells. Afterward, he will attend a fundraiser for Milwaukee Mayor and Democratic Governor candidate Tom Barrett. The Boston Herald has more here. Back in 1980, when I was Employment and Training Director for the National Association of Counties, I had the fortune of traveling to this wonderful city.

The president is then off to Los Angeles, where he will speak at a fundraiser for the DCCC.

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In case you missed them, here are highlights of the Sunday morning "Talking Heads".



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Crist Ahead in Florida Senate Race - The new Independent has a slight lead according to a Ipsos Public Affairs poll. Charlie Crist had 32% and Republican Marco Rubio had 30%. Democratic candidates Kendrick Meek and Jeff Greene are also running close. Reuters.com has more here.

Look to see Crist prevail in the fall with the major question being which political party does he caucus with while serving in Congress? A hint - he showed up when President Obama visited Florida over the weekend and gave his support of the president's statement on religious freedom.

Former President Bill Clinton will be campaign for Kendrick Meek today and while Clinton still has star power, he will not be enough to propel Meek to victory. You can read more here.

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Bloomberg helping Sestak in Pennsylvania Senate Race - the Mayor of New York will be helping Democratic candidate for Senate Joe Sestak who is in a close battle with Republican Pat Toomey. The winner will take the seat currently held by Senator Arlen Specter (D). Politico.com has more here.

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Defense secretary Robert Gates plans to leave next year - a left over from the former George W. Bush administration, he recently stated he plans to step down next year after the U.S. review of Afghanistan policy is complete. ForeignPolicy.com has more here.

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Daily Political Wire 7-12-2010

George Wenschhof

Maryland Democratic Governor O'Malley releases first video campaign ad - coming shortly after a email blast to Maryland voters from President Obama expressing his support - in the campaign video entitled "Tough Choices", it is stressed Governor O'Malley oversaw record investment in public education, created tax credits for small businesses and cut the budget by 5.6 billion while balancing the budget four years in a row.



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Questions loom as Congress returns - when will the Financial Reform bill finally get passed, will the Energy/Climate bill receive approval, how about extension of unemployment benefits and aid to states to avert further teacher and firefighter lay-offs, will taxes go up for the wealthier as promised, will Immigration reform be tackled, and will Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan be confirmed? These are but a few of the lingering questions and issues on the plate of Congress to act on prior to the mid term elections. The NY Times has a good read here.

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W.Virginia Governor Joe Manchin to run for the late Senator Robert Byrd seat - all indications are he will announce he will run for the seat, even though he was just elected chairman of the National Governors Association during their weekend meeting.

First, he is calling a special session of their state legislature to determine when a special election will be held (this year or 2012), then he will consider a interim candidate to fill the seat until he would run.

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In case you missed the Sunday morning "Talking Heads", below are some highlights provided courtesy of Politico.com



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Daily Political Wire 6-21-2010

George Wenschhof

Today, President Obama hosts a Father's Day mentoring barbecue at the White House - he will also deliver a speech on the importance of fatherhood at the Arts Recreation Center. The Washington Post has more here.

It Vice President Biden's turn to hit the road promoting the Stimulus bill projects as he head to Michigan to tour a battery manufacturer. Bloomberg.com has more here. On his way back to D.C. Biden will attend a fundraiser for Illinois Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias. Real Clear Politics has more on his trip to Illinois here.

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Gallup poll shows Republican voters more enthusiastic about mid term elections than ever - the poll showed 59% of Republicans and Republican leaning Independents to be enthusiastic about the upcoming mid term elections. This is the highest level for the Republicans since 1994 when they won majority of the House.

Democratic voters meanwhile, registered at 44% down from 50% in 2006 when they won majority of the House. Gallup.com has more here.

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More primaries and runoff elections tomorrow - In South Carolina, Nikki Haley has a runoff for the republican nomination for Governor. She is facing Gresham Barrett who she beat earlier by 20 points but failed to reach 50% of the vote. Both Sarah Palin and mitt Romney have endorsed Haley with Romney even donating $40,000 - the reason? - S.C. is positioned as the third or fourth primary in the 2012 presidential election - think they want Haley's endorsement? - You bet ya.

In North Carolina, Democrats will decide their senate candidate between Cal Cunningham and Elaine Marshall. Over in Utah where Republican incumbent Senator Bob Bennett lost in the state convention, voters will decide between Tim Bridgewater and Mike Lee. TheHill.com has more here.

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In case you missed the Sunday morning "Talking Heads", Politico.com has some highlights below.


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Nebraska town to vote on new immigration laws - the voters in Fremont will decide on a law which would ban the hiring of undocumented workers and also make it illegal to rent property to them. This continues to show the frustration that is out there among Americans in regard to immigration and the lack of enforcement. MSNBC.com has more here.

Hiring of illegal immigrants is already violating existing federal law, but is not enforced. The Obama administration is making noises they will challenge Arizona's new Immigration law. What is needed is a new comprehensive Immigration reform federal law that includes a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants already in the U.S., the development of a universal ID card, and stricter enforcement of our borders.

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Daily Political Wire 6-7-2010

George Wenschhof

In case you missed some of the Sunday morning "Talking Heads" yesterday, Politico.com has some highlights below.


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Ten primaries and one run off election will be held tomorrow - Time.com has a quick rundown on the races to watch here.

The main Democratic intrigue involves the Arkansas run-off for senate between Lt. Governor Bill Halter and incumbent Blanche Lincoln who held a slim lead in the latest polls. On the Republican side, there are lots of battles from who will be their candidate for Governor in California (Steve Poizner or Meg Whitman), who will be their candidate for U.S. Senate in Nevada (Sue Lowden or Sharon Angle), to whether Nikki Haley can survive rumored affairs to reach the needed 50% for Governor of South Carolina. Look to see Haley win. MSNBC FirstRead has their thoughts on the races here.

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Congress conference committee to tackle Financial Reform bill this week - President Obama has tried to keep the pressure on Congress to complete the reconciliation process between the House and Senate bills with a goal of signing the bill into law by July 4. Meanwhile, Wall Street lobbyists are working hard to weaken provisions in the bill. The NY Times has more here.

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Vice President Biden to visit Africa this week - accompanied by his wife Jill, they will first meet with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. On Friday, they will attend the World Cup opening ceremonies in South Africa. CNN.com has more here.

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Daily Political Wire 5-17-2010

George Wenschhof

Today, President Obama will sign into law the Daniel Pearl Freedom of The Press Act - as a result of the tragic death of Wall Street Journalism Daniel Pearl in Pakistan as he was pursuing a story on terrorism.

The law reemphasizes to foreign nations the importance the United States feels toward the freedom of the press everywhere in the world and it's intent to prosecute those who violate the provisions. You can read more here.

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GM posts profit for the first time in three years - the first quarter profit was 865 million. So much for the naysayers of the Obama administration. GM is on track to make a full repayment of the 50 billion loaned to them by the U.S. government by the end of this year. A public offering would be made of the 61% ownership by the U.S. government. MSNBC.com has more here.

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Pennsylvania Senate race too close to call - Democratic Representative Joe Sestak has closed hard in the weeks leading up to the primary tomorrow and leads incumbent Arlen Specter 42% - 41%. Specter, a lifelong Republican changed political parties when conservative Republicans expressed anger at his support of the Stimulus bill. Even with the support of President Obama and Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, Specter has steadily lost support of voters. Quinnipiac has more here.

The margin could increase by either candidate as the poll conducted May 12-16 showed 16% of the voters were still undecided and even more important 25% who committed to a candidate said they may still change their mind.

While a Specter victory will likely spread anti-incumbent fever thoughts by main street pundits, his loss is more likely a result of voters being unhappy with the deal making in Congress today. Specter's change of political parties was strictly due to his wish to keep his job and the voters see this.

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Runoff may result from vote in Arkansas tomorrow - Incumbent Democratic U.S. senator is facing tough competition from Lt. Governor Bill Halter in tomorrow's primary election. Halter is the netroots darling; winning the support of MoveOn.org, while Halter has the support of former president Bill Clinton. A third Democratic candidate in the race; D.C. Morrison may win enough votes to deny either of the other two a majority of the vote. This would result in a state constitution mandated runoff election on June 8. The Washington Post has more here.

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For those of you who may have missed the Sunday morning "Talking Heads", Politico.com has some highlights below.


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Daily Political Wire 5-3-2010

George Wenschhof

Yesterday, President Barack Obama toured the Gulf coast area threatened by what promises to be the largest oil spill disaster - he has directed all U.S. resources to contain the spill while making sure he and staff always mentions BP is picking up the bill. You can read more here.

If an inverted tunnel apparatus planned to be deployed over the well head in the coming weeks does not work, it could be months before a second shaft could be drilled to eliminate the current spillage estimated to be 5000 barrels of oil per day.

Time will tell whether there were adequate mechanisms in place to avoid such a disaster. Meantime, it certainly appears the price of shrimp, crabs and oysters will go up along with the rate of unemployment in the Gulf coast region. We can only hope that other wildlife and sensitive environmental areas will be protected by the Booms and other measures used to contain to what amounts to be a gigantic oil slick.

How this horrific event affects the passage by Congress of a Energy/Climate bill remains to be seen. Stay tuned...

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In case you missed any of the Sunday morning "Talking Heads", here is a video from Politico.com

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Republican Charles Djou leads Hawaii Special election to replace Neil Abercrombie (D) - in another example of Democrats hurting themselves. TheFix.com has more here. The special election allows for multiple candidates from the same party to be on the ballot and two Democratic candidates are splitting the vote, allowing Djou to presently lead in the polls.

In a recent Honolulu Advertiser poll, Djou (R) has 36%, with former Representative Ed Case (D) 28% and state senate president Colleen Hanabusa with 22%. Attempts by the DCCC to back Case have been twarted by Hawaii two Democratic U.S. senators Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka who support Hanabusa.

The result? - a Republican candidate leading in a district won by Obama with 70% in 2008. If the Republican wins, expect the spin to be "the voters wanted more fiscal responsibility, etc....", instead of "Democrats beat themselves".

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Daily Political Wire 3-29-2010

George Wenschhof



Yesterday, President Barack Obama made a surprise visit to Afghanistan - after, he fooled most of the media (including me) with a story he was spending the entire weekend at the presidential retreat Camp David.

After giving a pep talk and the assurance of support to the 2000 troops at Bagram Air Base near Kabul, the President flew by helicopter for a meeting with Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai.

Interestingly, reports are that Karzai was not informed until the President was within two hours of Afghanistan. The Karzai government remains fragile and full of corruption.

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President Nicolas Sarkozy of France arrives in D.C. today - he will be in town for two days including a meeting and dinner with President Obama tomorrow. France has been an ally with the U.S. in Afghanistan so expect that to be part of the discussion. The NY Times has more here.

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Washington Post/ABC News poll shows bounce for Democrats - 76% of registered Democrats are now looking forward to the mid term elections and the poll also shows Democrats with a 4 point advantage (48-44) over Republicans in a generic ballot test.

The final passage of the health care reform bill along with the announcement by President Obama of a new agreement with Russia to reduce nuclear weapons has also given Obama a boost and he now has a 54% approval rating.

However, the economy, the federal deficit and immigration continue to be lagging indicators for the President and these three areas are sure to have an impact on the mid term elections. The Washington Post has more here.

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In case you missed some of the Sunday morning "Talking Heads", some highlights courtesy of Politico.com

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U.S. Treasury to sell it's entire assets of Citgroup - the U.S. had acquired a 27% stake in Citigroup during the bailouts on 2008 and 2009. A trading plan has been developed and will be implemented based on market conditions. It is estimated this sale would result in 8 billion in U.S. profit. Citigroup has already repaid the other 20 billion it owed the Treasury. MSNBC.com has more here.

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