TPMDC Morning Roundup
Today: Blago Speaking To Illinois Senate
Rod Blagojevich will be speaking to the Illinois state Senate, the body that is poised to remove him from office in his impeachment trial, delivering a closing argument in his own defense at 12 p.m. ET. This should be very interesting to watch.
Obama's Day Ahead -- Signing Ledbetter Bill
President Obama will be signing the Lily Ledbetter Bill, a law to make it easier for women to sue for pay discrimination, at 10 a.m. ET. He will also be holding a series of closed meetings throughout the day with his economic advisers, Hillary Clinton and others. There will also be a pooled press meeting with Vice President Biden and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, scheduled for 3 p.m. ET.
Biden Meets With Daschle
Vice President Biden is meeting for breakfast this morning with Health and Human Services Secretary-designate Tom Daschle. He will then join with President Obama for the meetings and events listed above.
NYT: Stimulus Varies In Speed, Efficiency
The New York Times takes a look at the stimulus plan as it currently stands in the House-passed package, finding that its various components vary in terms of just how quickly they will spread through the economy. The quickest portions will be in unemployment benefits, food-stamp increase and tax cuts, while infrastructure spending would take a while to get going.
Minnesota Senate Trial Continues
This is the fourth day of the Minnesota election trial, scheduled to reconvene at 10 a.m. ET. Al Franken's legal team will continue their cross-examination of Deputy Secretary of State Jim Gelbmann, who was originally called by the Coleman campaign to examine the fallibility in the system -- and which the Franken camp has rebutted by pointing out that Coleman's team fought against the fallibility case right up until he fell behind.
Senate Expected To Pass Children's Health Care Bill
The Senate today will likely pass a bill expanding the SCHIP program, extending health insurance to 11 million children who are currently not eligible. The bill passed in the last Congress, but was vetoed by President George W. Bush.
Mitchell Speaks To Palestinian Leaders In West Bank
Middle East Envoy George Mitchell travelled to the West Bank today to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, in an effort by the Obama Administration to restart the Middle East peace process. He did not meet with Hamas.
Obama To Make First Foreign Trip To Canada
President Obama will be making his first trip outside the United States as president next month, the White House has announced. Obama will be visiting Canada, the United States' largest trading partner, on February 19.
Josh
Matt
Eric
Brian
The ONLY Way to Stimulate the GOP — to Support the Stimulus
http://satiricalpolitical.com/?p=5836
January 29, 2009 9:02 AM | Reply | Permalink
Georgia is poised to net more than $5.8 billion...could help save or create an estimated 3,500 jobs in Georgia, according to figures from the House Democratic leadership.
http://www.macon.com/198/story/603003.html
January 29, 2009 9:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
Being a diehard goper, how do you think the house vote by the gop will play in georgia? What's the opposition argument going to be to all the people out of work and being effected by the economic meltdown?
January 29, 2009 9:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
As long as the GOP keeps pointing out it's a "we won so we want everything" bill and not a economic stimulus bill, I think they'll be fine.
January 29, 2009 10:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
The problem is that that is not a true statement and obama will point that out big time. Who has the credibility right now? It sure isn't the gop. It's obama. There was all kind of right-wing press on the stuff that obama pulled to make the gop happy and they still stuck it to him. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.
January 29, 2009 10:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
In general, I think you're right. Unfortunately, here in GA....it's not going to matter.
You should've seen some of the comments on the AJC blog yesterday in response to the story of Rep. Gingrey's standing up to Limbaugh. Most of the nutters around here are not interested in doing anything other than standing against the "liberal socialist agenda". They listen to Limbaugh and Boortz, bitch about Pelosi and Obama, and then they run to the local Walmart to cash their SS or unemployment checks and to spend their food stamps. It doesn't matter to them because they won't suffer for it..it's a win-win: they get to bitch but they'll still happily take the benefits when it's handed to them.
I'm seriously at the point where I think no money should go to any congressional district whose reps vote "no" to the stimulus. Then we'll see who starts singing a different tune.
January 29, 2009 10:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'll sign on with the small condition that they stop taking revenue from those same districts...
January 29, 2009 10:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
Good point and you got it. The thing is that most of the "red" areas of the country now get substantially more in benefits from the government then the revenue that they give to the government. The big blue states like cali and NY are the ones that get screwed and don't get a one for one deal. The south gets at least 2 bucks for every buck it gives the government in revenue and they are always the ones that whine the most. Total hypocrisy.
January 29, 2009 10:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
Co-sign.
January 29, 2009 10:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
don't hold your breath waiting for a response to that one.
January 29, 2009 10:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
Double co-sign.
January 29, 2009 11:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
2005 Dadt seems to be the latest: http://www.taxfoundation.org/taxdata/show/266.html
Only 2 states get $2 for every $1 they pay, New Mexico (Blue) and Mississippi (Red) D.C. gets more than $5 to $1 (Bluest). 32 states (+DC) get more than they give 21 Red 12 Blue, South 11, West 7, Plains 6, NE 5 (DC), MW 4.
FYI GA gets $1.01
January 29, 2009 11:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
Oops, I screwed up on the reply.
You got me. I should have said a buck and a half. That would have been more accurate.
Thanks for the link. I was looking for one as well after I shot my mouth off.
By the way, 16 out of the 17 states that are below 1 to 1 are blue state. Also, where is cali and NY by the way?
January 29, 2009 12:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Call me naive, but I believe that that portion of the population is shrinking as fast as the economy. People are really scared and hopefully are starting to wake up. I guess we will see how it plays out, but I do definitely like the way that obama is playing it. Don't demonize the opposition. Trivialize and coopt them. That's totally the way to go.
January 29, 2009 10:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
ITA...I think Obama's playing this beautifully.
Unfortunately, there are some real die-hards around here....people who have never met a real "librul" in their lives. They think they only exist in Berekely or in inner-city Atlanta. Unless you have spent some time in this area, you have no idea how seriously demonized progressives really have been for years and years.
That's why I think the 50 state strategy was/is so important. By not even having a presence around here, it just made it easier for the right to caricature and pigeon-hole us. At least now, maybe some will realize that it's possible to be a lefty without having three heads and a tail.
January 29, 2009 10:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
You mean as long as you and the GOP keep lying, you may or may not be "fine", but their constituents most certainly will not be fine.
January 29, 2009 10:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
Are you suggesting that none of the funding in that bill is going to anything but "economic stimulus." No funding for the Arts...STD research at the CDC...I even buy the fact that refurbishing the Mall will put some folks to work...NEA funding...not so much.
January 29, 2009 10:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
And, by the way, tax cuts don't do squat to stimulate the economy, but obama threw the gop a bone. That more than off-set your piddly nit picking. Nonetheless, I will concede that there were many things in there that didn't belong; however, in the grand scheme of things it was a stimulus bill and a good one.
January 29, 2009 10:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
Bingo--although I'd certainly like to see more big infrastructure spending, and hopefully there will be more down the road(was that a pun?), there are jobs in the arts and entertainment field that will be saved or created as well.
Of course it's easy to sit back and pick at individual items and mischaracterize things. I don't really expect much more from Repubs who have nothing to offer but the same failed policies of the past. They've had their chance, and everyone knows the result.
January 29, 2009 10:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
The point is that this is the "no time to waste, we need this stimulus now for the economy" bill. This is the big infrastructure bill. Not the "let's pay off our boys for helping us win" bill. All that stuff that you'd like to see "down the road" that will help with jobs and the overall economy is what should be in this. Not the periphrial BS that can be nit picked.
January 29, 2009 11:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm not disagreeing that there is stuff in this bill that shouldn't be there. However, after 8 years of out of control spending, I find it laughable that any Republican can stand there with a straight face and talk about fiscal responsibility.
Their votes have NOTHING to do with fiscal conservatism and EVERYTHING to do with politics. The Republicans only hope for the 2010 elections and beyond is that Obama fails and fails in a big way. That's why it doesn't matter what's in the bill...they will always find "periphrial BS that can be nit picked". They need an issue to run against.
January 29, 2009 11:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
...but you can keep a straight face when you talk about the Democrats and why they oppossed Republican bills when they were in the minority? When iot's your side it's principled opposition, when it's the other side it's unabashed obstructionism, that's politics.
January 29, 2009 12:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Depends on what the bill is about and what's going on with the country. It's not black and white by any means.
January 29, 2009 12:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Agreed.
I'm certainly not saying Dems don't play politics (although I will add the caveat that they don't play them particularly well); but where has all the fiscal responsibility talk been for the last 8 years? What happened to "deficits don't matter"? Now people are hurting and and after 8 years of being in charge, the Repubs are standing around shrugging their shoulders like they bear no responsibility for it.
We're in a real sh**hole right now and the fact that you've got Limbaugh talking about how he hopes Obama fails and hardly a peep is heard from the right denouncing him, says all I think needs to be said about their motivations.
January 29, 2009 12:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
"...you've got Limbaugh talking about how he hopes Obama fails and hardly a peep is heard from the right denouncing him..."
That's because you only took the soundbite and ran with it. Here's what he actually said:
http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=42668
January 29, 2009 12:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks, but I'm more than aware of what Limbaugh said. My point still stands.
January 29, 2009 1:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Instead of the ellipses, why not include the actual text:
"Still, the portion of the stimulus designed to help offset the state’s budget shortfall could help save or create an estimated 3,500 jobs in Georgia, according to figures from the House Democratic leadership."
Georgia has a $2.2B budget deficit that would be addressed in a variety of cuts in education and other programs. And my guess is the other money is going toward unemployment benefits, since Georgia has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country (8.1%).
January 29, 2009 9:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
What, a member of the Southern Regional Party is deliberately misrepresenting something? Go figure. And the so-called liberal media gave them a full day of air time to spread their lies.
Go figure.
January 29, 2009 10:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
There were two headlines that caught my eye this morning in the AJC: the unemployment rate here in metro ATL hit 7.6% and then there was a story on the huge increase in the number of children who are showing up every day to school with either no lunch or no lunch money. One school district is so overwhelmed that they are considering just giving them a cheese or PB sandwiches and milk instead of a full lunch.
My husband's company yesterday announced the closure of one of their satellite offices and the rumor is that two more are on the block. This is despite the fact that the company just announced record profits.
After 8 years, I'm so glad that Republicans have finally decided to take a stand on fiscal responsibility and deficit spending. Couldn't have been more perfect timing.
January 29, 2009 9:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yep. We should ignore Georgia until we have completely rebuilt Iraq.
January 29, 2009 9:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
You mean the stimulus bill no longer has the Sherman Million Man March provision for Georgia?
January 29, 2009 1:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Rod Blagojevich will be speaking to the Illinois state Senate... This should be very interesting to watch.
Am I the only one who thinks this guy's sell-by date has come and gone?
January 29, 2009 9:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm with you on Blago fatigue. Tired of seeing the creep, and even more weary of watching the TV glitterati climb over each other to express their presumption of his guilt.
January 29, 2009 9:59 AM | Reply | Permalink
Except on fox entertainment. Did you see the clips of rivera going off about his innocence and how he is such a great guy? It was more frightening than blaggo's bloviating. Nonetheless, blaggo clearly has a major screw loose. I will be glad when his 5 minutes of fame are over.
January 29, 2009 10:16 AM | Reply | Permalink
Did you see the clips of rivera going off about his innocence...
No, and I won't because medical coverage doesn't include mental health benefits.
January 29, 2009 10:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
True, but john stewart got a huge laugh out of it. It was very funny and might help with the mental health issues. Laughing is the best medicine.
January 29, 2009 10:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
And Jon Stewart's show, as usual, nailed it with the name/logo they've come up with for their Blago segments: SCUMDOG MILLIONHAIRS.
January 29, 2009 11:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
Let's try this again. Interesting take on the gop lock step no vote to the economic stimulus bill. I really don't understand it to be frank.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0109/The_no_votes_cost.html?showall
Obama politics at its best. He will come out stronger now than he was before. I don't think that the gop knows how to deal with this new brand of politics.
January 29, 2009 10:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
"'Later today, MoveOn, Americans United for Change, AFSCME and SEIU will be announcing a new ad campaign on the stimulus."
That's like me saying "FoxNews, The Washington Times and the Heritage Foundation are for this...why aren't you? Even the esteemed economist Grover Norquist has endorsed the bill...what? Are you guys just obstructionists?"
January 29, 2009 10:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
Excellent point and very funny. I actually wish that moveon would STFU by the way. I think that they do more harm than good. The other ones I'm ok with, but not moveon.
January 29, 2009 10:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think the GOP vote was a total misstep on their part. If the economy improves, in 2010, every Democratic opponent will throw that in the face of the Republican running for re-election. "Not one Republican chose to support legislation that has improved your life".
If the economy doesn't improve, incumbent dissatisfaction is going to be rife.
They've eliminated any sense that they're willing to work with a very popular and gracious president. Any resistance to future legislation is just going to be labeled "partisanship" because of this vote.
They really don't get it.
January 29, 2009 11:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
Totally agree 100%. I still think that after it comes back from the senate a bunch of republicans will get on board. They'll try to get their cake and eat it too. I guess we'll see.
January 29, 2009 12:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
HEY!: Condoleezza Rice will be on The View today. Even if you don't like the show, I can honestly tell you that sometimes they ask more probing questions than the cable news networks.
January 29, 2009 10:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
And I am sure that she will ignore the probing questions and just spin like a top, like she always does. I'll be glad when she rides off into the sunset in dallas and becomes the king's new neighbor. She is a pathological liar.
January 29, 2009 10:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
Canada's conservative cabinet's shameless attempt to influence the outcome of the Democratic party's primary process via their leaks and likely miscategorizations of then Obama campaign advisor Goolsbee's statements is now bound to be a source of major embarrassment for these weasels during the visit by a hugely victorious and unfailingly gracious President Obama. Goolsbee traveling along would be especially entertaining.
January 29, 2009 10:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
RE: the NYT story on the stimulus impact, here's my letter to the editor-
In his story "Stimulus a complex calculation," David Herszenhorn writes that "$20 billion for school renovations...would provide little near-term help for the economy." As a local school board member, I beg to differ.
In just our one school district, we have identified $273 million of work that can be completed in the next two years. These immediate projects will keep our 80-plus schools warm, safe, and dry as well as improve teaching and learning -- and will create or save more than 4,320 local jobs in architecture, engineering, various trades, and the businesses that supply them.
The list of short-term projects include supdating science labs, expanding libraries and classrooms to accommodate our growing population, installing water-saving fixtures, new furnaces and other energy- efficient upgrades, adding fire sprinklers to meet safety code, replacing aging roofs that are leaking into classrooms, and much more. We have the plans drawn up and are ready to go -- we only lack the funding.
Years of declining state funding, as well as shameful underfunding of federal programs such as special education, Title 1 for low-income children, and Head Start, have forced us to direct scarce dollars to the classroom, with resulting neglect of our physical plant. Our maintenance staff have worked heroically for years to patch roofs and keep ancient oil-burning furnaces going. It's time for a change, not just for Portland Public Schools but for our fellow school districts in Oregon and around the country. We are long overdue to make a proper investment in our children's schools.
January 29, 2009 11:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
You got me. I should have said a buck and a half. That would have been more accurate.
Thanks for the link. I was looking for one as well after I shot my mouth off.
By the way, 16 out of the 17 states that are below 1 to 1 are blue state. Also, where is cali and NY by the way?
January 29, 2009 12:01 PM | Reply | Permalink