TPMDC Morning Roundup
Obama To Stimulus Critics: Spending "Is The Whole Point"
President Obama spoke last night to the House Democrats, where he rallied support for the stimulus bill -- and hammered the opposition. "They say this isn't a stimulus bill. It's a spending bill," said Obama. "Well, that's the whole point." A full transcript is available here.
Obama's Day Ahead: Discussing The Economy, And Gitmo
President Obama and Paul Volcker are holding an 11:15 a.m. event at the White, to introduce members of the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board. At 3:30 p.m., Obama will be holding a closed meeting at the White House with family members of the victims of 9/11 and the USS Cole bombing, in order to discuss his decision to close the detention camp at Guantanamo Bay -- a decision that has been strongly objected to by some of the people he'll be meeting today.
Biden Speaking To House Dems, Then Heading To Germany
Joe Biden will be speaking today to the House Democratic Issues Conference in Williamsburg, Virginia. He will then travel to Germany, where he will be representing the United States at the 45th Munich Conference on Security Policy.
Reid Wants To Hold Stimulus Vote Today
The Washington Post reports that Harry Reid hopes to hold a vote on final passage of the stimulus bill today, after yesterday's negotiations with a small handful of Senate Republicans dragged on. If today's effort fails, Reid will call for a Sunday session.
Hillary Going To Asia For First Overseas Trip As Secretary
Hillary Clinton is set to go to Asia for her first overseas trip the Secretary of State, visiting Japan, South Korea, China and Indonesia. She is scheduled to embark on her trip on February 15.
Steele Shakes Up RNC, Asks For Resignations
The Hill reports that Michael Steele is undertaking a top-to-bottom review of the Republican National Committee's staff, asking all top staffers to submit their resignations. Some of them could be rehired, but the ironically named "state victory directors" won't be coming back.
Poll: GOPer Ahead In Virginia-Gov. Race, But It's Still Wide Open
A new Rasmussen poll shows Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell leading all three Democrats in the open race for governor, though the undecided numbers remain high: McDonnell leads state Senator Creigh Deeds 39%-30%, is ahead of former state Delegate Brian Moran 39%-36%, and leads Terry McAuliffe 42%-35%.
Obama Takes First Ride On Air Force One
President Obama took his first ride as the sitting president on Air Force One last night, as he traveled to the House Dems' retreat in Williamsburg. Said Obama to the reporters: "Hey guys, what do you think of my -- this spiffy ride here?"
Josh
Matt
Eric
Joe the Plumber Nails the GOP ‘Stimulus Position’
http://satiricalpolitical.com/?p=5981
February 6, 2009 9:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
I hope terry "baghdad bob" mcbs hangs it up. He will get slaughtered in virginia if he makes it out of the primary and va is ripe for another dem governor.
February 6, 2009 9:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
Unfortunately he has the most money (I believe by far) backing him. He just seems so slimy and phony in his television ads. And his days as a political operative will be used against him come the 2010 general campaign - those same connections that will help him in the primary will bury him against the Republican. Not to mention with both Senate seats going Dem, I think the Republican will have certain advantage in that folks might want to have some representative diversity.
February 6, 2009 9:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
Given this mornings job numbers it is unlikely the Republicans are going to hold fast in the face of Obama's public assault. Look for several defections. Now we have to get the blue dogs on board. Calling Dr. Obama. Calling Dr. Obama.
February 6, 2009 9:15 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well, I am going to be eating major crow on this, but apparently the republican strategy according to strategists in sync with the "leadership" if you want to call it that is to oppose everything pretty much in lock step. The 4-10 republicans looking out for their hide in 2010 or getting major pressure from home won't, but the rest will.
The strategy is that if obama succeeds, they will get slaughtered in 2010, so they don't want to help him or vote bi-partisan, because it won't matter if they obstruct or assist, because they will still get slaughtered. They are banking on failure to gain seats and increase their power. Unfortunately, in a twisted republican way it is a republican "logical" strategy.
They definitely don't put country first, that's for sure. I really hope they go the way of the whigs, this is pathetic and absurd.
Nonetheless, obama still needs to keep reaching out to them and show the country how out of step they are to get independents and 50% of the republican voters. If he succeeds, the republicans could lose 10 senate seats in 2010 and countless house seats, which is what we are all hoping for.
By the way, I owe a bunch of people lunch. I will be getting flambayed crow myself.
February 6, 2009 9:27 AM | Reply | Permalink
While this might be the best baldly partisan strategy, should Obama succeed the GOP's obstructionist bent could destroy the party. If they played along, and the stimulus succeeded they'd at least remain relevant in opposition. They're trying to make a comeback in one election cycle and risking their very existence to do so. They don't have party elders to tell them to take a step back, take their lumps and accept the fact that Obama and the Dems will have four years. The GOP shouldn't start making political moves until after 2010, and that's only if the political climate is looking good for them. If Obama is still riding high, they should hold off until 2014 before finally making big political plays again.
February 6, 2009 9:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
The funny thing is the exact same thing happened to the whig party. They lost their primary leaders and then fractured along the slavery fault line after a series of electoral defeats, which I would submit in today's republican party is the anti-abortion fault line. It really is amazing the similarities. People who ignore history are destined to repeat it.
February 6, 2009 9:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
People who ignore history are destined to repeat it.
Thank goodness.
February 6, 2009 10:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
If the Senate can't get it together after today's numbers than I don't know when they ever can.
GET IT DONE!
Everybody should watch Obama's performance last night and NOT read the transcript. Obama went OFF TRANSCRIPT about the third of the way through.
It FIRED ME UP!
February 6, 2009 9:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
Crawford just dropped the charges against a Saudi detainee at Guantanamo involved in the USS Cole bombing back in 2000.
http://www.governmentalityblog.com/my_weblog/2009/02/crawford-drops-charges-at-gitmo.html
Wonder what will happen in Obama's meeting...
February 6, 2009 9:26 AM | Reply | Permalink
yeah, good to see Obama take the gloves off. The vast majority of Republicans aren't acting in good faith, they knew full well that Obama campaigned against supply-side, trickle-down economics--and he's not going to meet halfway with failure. Enough is enough.
February 6, 2009 9:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
The repugs are all drunkards. There's no way in hell anyone can get a drunk off the bottle - they have to do it themselves. And the only way that happens is when the drunk finally realizes they've hit bottom. As far as I can see, the repugs don't realize their drunkenness is a problem and are still partying hardy with total disregard - they're partying as if the morning will never come.
While I understand the reason for President Obama's attempt to get the repugs to sign on to the stimulus, I think the olive branch he's been offering to the them has withered. It's time to set sail with the crew he has and hope they can weather the storm that's approaching.
February 6, 2009 9:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
Reid and Co should tell their Republican counterparts either they sign on to the compromises or the Dems will go back to their original plan and the GOP can stand on the Senate Floor and fiddle a filibuster while the country burns and America will be watching.
February 6, 2009 9:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
Exactly
Reid needs to call them on the GOP's bluff on the filibuster.
The NYT had it right. They said that Reid should make the GOP actually filibuster which means they have to actually be talking and talking.
I would really like to see them do thus while the stock market falls.
February 6, 2009 9:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
Isn't the strategy you are suggesting the exactly why we didn't like the way Republicans ran the governmane and exactly why we elected Obama?
February 6, 2009 9:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
Obama told Reid to hold the vote so congress could see these job numbers and DARE THEM to vote against this bill.
February 6, 2009 9:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
Obama playing a trump card! kewl !
February 6, 2009 9:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
Exactly. I'm beginning to think Obama's strategy all along was a kind of rope-a-dope. If they want to obstruct, then let them punch themselves out and just put the hammer down when it comes time. If the R's still want vote against a cloture motion, then make them actually vote. Get them on the record, then hammer them on it. I'm betting enough of them lose their nerve.
February 6, 2009 10:10 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hrmm... Michael Steele cleaned house at the RNC eh? I wonder if it was because of the reception he got?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcZ9ku_wInw
And just to put these job loses in perspective.
The U.S. is averaging 20,000 job losses a day. If that doesn't wake people up then I don't know what will.
February 6, 2009 9:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thoughts on Obama speaking to the House Democrats:
1) The morning shows certainly play up the partisan aspect of his speech. While it had elements playing to the party, I thought that it was more balanced and bipartisan than the pundits gave Obama credit for.
2) Shouldn't Obama have been speaking this way about the bill earlier? My impression is that Obama has a tendency to react slowly (e.g., responding to the Wright situation during the campaign). His delay has allowed the GOP to define the bill in their own terms.
3) Did Obama have to use Air Force One for his trip? Could he have used something that was more fuel efficient, or are the security concerns too large?
February 6, 2009 9:59 AM | Reply | Permalink
Great speech. However, I agree on his reaction time. He gave the republicans too much credit for allegedly wanting to put their country first. He was going to let the legislative process play out before he jumped in. He gave the house dems too much rope and the republicans. Big mistake and I'm sure that he won't make the same mistake again.
He actually used a smaller plane. The plane that obama is on is designated airforce One. He did not use the 747. It's easier and cheaper for the security and the selected right-wing hack press to be together on one plane.
February 6, 2009 10:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
I knew about the AF One designation. I thought that he used the 747. Thanks for the clarification.
I also agree that Obama gave the House Dems too much freedom in crafting the bill. The administration should have had more input in its original drafting.
I also think that the GOP is once again
1) using Congress to polarize the country and
2) unrolling comments from people such as Dick Cheney and Andrew Card to attack Obama on his character.
Changing politics as usual will not be easy.
February 6, 2009 10:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
No it won't be easy, but he can't give up. He has to keep trying and make the republican leadership sound like neanderthals and foolish. He needs to get the people on board with his agenda, including 50% of republican voters and independents. Crush the republican party as we know it is what he has to do for the good of the country.
February 6, 2009 10:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
1)I agree, but they always dissapoint so it's no suprise.
2)Obama likes to counter-punch, he always says he doesn't throw the first blow, but he throws the last one
3)Not everyone knows this but Air force One isn't one plane. It's a fleet of planes and Obama took a much smaller plane for the 30 minute trip.
February 6, 2009 10:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
The way I read it, Obama has been using his rope a dope thingy to take care of the GOP problem,,,, just like the Hillary problem and the McCain problem.
That Williamsburg speech was brilliant.
February 6, 2009 10:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
>>3) Did Obama have to use Air Force One for his trip? Could he have used something that was more fuel efficient, or are the security concerns too large?>>
Yeah. He should have taken the hybrid plane for this trip. And when he goes to Illinois next week, he should take Lincoln Force One. When he goes to Iowa, he needs to take the ethanol plane.
There is an entire fleet of planes to choose from for the president. Just like Jay Leno's cars. Each one has a full crew and security clearances at the ready. Or he could walk. That would really save.
{rolling eyes}
February 6, 2009 10:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
Actually, I think that walking may not be time efficient...
:)
I brought up the point (which I concede is relatively minor) because everything a President does or says is scrutinized. Look at how much time the media and the public has spent ruminating on what type of dog the Obamas will choose.
From what I have read, energy conservation is one ot the lowest hanging of the fruit that we can pick to help in decreasing our dependence on foreign sources of energy and lowering carbon emissions. The President can help set an example in his behavior. (If previous responses to my comment are correct, Obama did indeed use a smaller plane.)
February 6, 2009 12:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
So now the Pentagon is practicing propaganda. Nearly $5 BILLION dollars are spent trying to "sell policy".
http://www.governmentalityblog.com/my_weblog/2009/02/pentagon-propaganda-5-billion-industry.html
February 6, 2009 10:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
Regarding the Virginia poll, oh come on! TPM should have learned something about polls by now. The margin of error in the right-wing/Republican Rasmussen poll (funny how that is left out) is plus or minus 4.5 percent. That means Moran and McDonnell are statistically tied. Which is amazing considering how few know Moran (and I don't support him) and how well known McDonnell is. Come on, TPM, don't be so lazy about learning about polls if you are going to refer to them.
February 6, 2009 12:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
So, is it "Whither the Economy?" or "Wither the Economy."
February 6, 2009 6:12 PM | Reply | Permalink