Watch Obama Speech at Newton Vigil

George Wenschhof



The president spoke for nearly 20 minutes at an interfaith vigil for the victims of the rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Friday. He praised the teachers who died trying to protect their students and those who kept their charges out of harm’s way. He comforted the bereaved families of the victims and the stricken community. And he admonished the nation for not doing enough to take care of its children.

---

Your financial contributions to Air-it-Out with George Wenschhof are appreciated - Click here to donate. Thank You!

Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Obama To Vist Newton Today - President Obama will meet with the families of the 27 victims of Friday’s shooting, including the 20 small children slain inside their elementary school. Obama will then speak at an interfaith vigil in the evening in Newtown, Connecticut.

Obama made similar visits to Fort Hood, Tex., in 2009, Tucson in 2011 and Aurora, Colo. , this July — each time, in the aftermath of a gunman’s spree. Obama has tended to focus on emotion and healing in these moments, touching only lightly on the subject of guns and gun control.  The Washington Post has more here.

---

Bloomberg Urges New Gun Laws - New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg urged Congress to renew the ban on certain semi-automatic firearms that expired in 2004. He also called for improved databases to trace gun ownership, stricter enforcement against illegal gun trafficking and more laws to prevent sales to criminals. Bloomberg.com has more here.

Senator Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) immediately called for the reinstatement by Congress of the assault weapon ban and for the establishment of a violence commission. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calf.) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY said they will introduce legislation in the new Congress to ban assault weapons. 

---

Boehner Proposes "Millionaire Tax" - House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), in the latest exchange of proposals has offered an increase in taxes to those earning more than $1 million in exchange for more spending cuts.

This is the first time Republicans have indicated they would accept any tax increases.  President Obama has stated taxes must go up for the upper 2% of wage earners who make over $250,000. 

If an agreement is not reached by January 1, automatic spending cuts and tax increases for all will go into effect.  You can read more here. 

---

Obama To Nominate Kerry for Secretary of State - ABC News is reporting Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.) will be nominated by the President.  It is anticipated the announcement will come before Christmas.

---

Benghazi Report To Be Released This Week - a report prepared by an independent review ordered by secretary of state Hillary Clinton will be presented to the State Department on Monday.  On Thursday, Clinton deputies Bill Burns and Tom Nides are scheduled to testify before a House committee.  They are substituting for Clinton, who suffered a concussion after fainting due to dehydration from a stomach illness.  You can read more here.

---

Your financial contributions to Air-it-Out with George Wenschhof are appreciated - Click here to donate. Thank You!

Sunday Morning "Talking Heads" Cheat Sheet

George Wenschhof

Sadly, it is the tragic shootings at the Sandy Hook elementary school in Newton, Conneticut, that will momentarily take the focus off of the "fiscal cliff" negotiations taking place between President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio).

The discussion on Sunday morning will shift, rightfully so, to gun control legislation; whether new laws are needed and if so, what type of legislation will be effective in curbing the gun violence in the United States.

The scheduled guests follow below.

NBC "Meet The Press" - NY City Mayor Michael Bloomberg

ABC "This Week" - Coverage of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Conn.

CBS "Face The Nation" - Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-Tex.)

Roundtable discussion with Georgetown University's Michael Eric Dyson, The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg, and The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence President Dan Gross on the state of gun control laws in the U.S., and whether there's a culture of violence.

CNN "State of The Union" -  Candy Crowley will anchor “State of the Union” from Connecticut with the latest developments on the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

Fox News Sunday - Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT) 

Roundtable discussion with Brit Hume, Nina Easton, Bill Kristol and Liz Marlantes 

C-SPAN "Newsmakers" - Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.)

---

Your financial contributions to Air-it-Out with George Wenschhof are appreciated - Click here to donate. Thank You!

Obama Weekly Address

George Wenschhof



“As a nation, we have endured far too many of these tragedies in the last few years,” Obama said in his weekly address on Saturday.

Obama listed incidents of gun violence around the nation and called on people to put partisan differences aside to find ways to reduce the bloodshed.

“Any of these neighborhoods could be our own. So we have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this. Regardless of the politics,” he said.

House Speaker John Boehner's (R-Ohio) office announced on Friday there would be no weekly Republican address "so that President Obama can speak for the entire nation at this time of mourning."

---

Your financial contributions to Air-it-Out with George Wenschhof are appreciated - Click here to donate. Thank You!