TPMDC Morning Roundup
Americans United Continues Ad Campaign Against Limbaugh
The pro-Obama labor group Americans United For Change has this new ad on national cable, continuing to link Republican opposition to the stimulus bill to Rush Limbaugh's desire for President Obama to fail:
"I want Barack Obama to fail," we see from Limbaugh's CPAC speech, followed by the announcer: "Tell Rush and the Republicans, America won't take 'no' for an answer."
Obama To Lift Ban On Stem-Cell Funding Today
President Obama will be speaking from the White House at 11:45 a.m. ET, where he will discuss the importance of scientific integrity against political interference, and then sign an executive order lifting the Bush-era ban on government funding of embryonic stem-cell research. Then at 2:15 p.m. ET he will meet the finalists of the Intel Science Talent Search, a science research competition for high school students.
Biden Heading To Brussels, To Consult With NATO
Vice President Biden is leaving today for Brussels, Belgium, where he will meet with the North Atlantic Council. Biden will be consulting with allies on Afghanistan and Pakistan, will meet with NATO's Secretary General, senior officials of the European Union, Belgian government officials, and with leaders from non-NATO countries who are contributing to Afghanistan.
Omnibus Could Pass Tomorrow
The Senate is expected to vote Tuesday to end debate and pass the omnibus spending bill, after debate and votes tonight on four Republican amendments. Harry Reid came one vote short of 60 on Thursday night, necessitating the delay.
Obama Makes Surprise Appearance At Ted Kennedy Salute
President Obama put in a surprise appearance last night at the Kennedy Center's tribute to Ted Kennedy. Obama appeared on stage toward the end of the event, leading the crowd in singing "Happy Birthday" to Kennedy.
NYT: Axelrod Still Close At Hand
The New York Times profiles Obama White House adviser David Axelrod, examining how he has transitioned from the role of a campaign strategist to working on policy in Washington -- for example, he reportedly signed off on the recent attacks against Rush Limbaugh. However, Axelrod rejects any comparison to Karl Rove: "I'm not sitting here moving pieces around from the White House. I'm not trying to run the Democratic Party. I'm not trying to supplant the brilliant policy makers who are here."
Josh
Matt
Eric
haha what a brutally honest ad. :)
March 9, 2009 9:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
Love that new ad. This i s like a Dem's dream come true with Rush as their leader.
March 9, 2009 9:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
dems are missing the chance to end rush and most of the repigs.
2 things need to be done.
first tie limpbaughs remarks into a congressional resolution something along the lines of "and the republicans supporting their party leader rush, who has called for the death of American soldiers by hoping to see president Obamas policies fail"....etc..
then put it up for a vote on the floor.
party over!
March 9, 2009 9:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm not sure that would work haha. Anyone going to the debates between Bill maher and Ann Coulter?.. another pathetic talking head of this republican party.
http://www.governmentalityblog.com/my_weblog/2009/03/5-things-to-watch-for-this-week-1.html
March 9, 2009 9:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm actually surprised that cooter is doing this. She must be dying for cash and upset that she is not getting any air time anymore. Lush is sucking up all the oxygen concerning the lunatic fringe. Cooter's books must not be selling too well because of lush, so she is willing to go up against maher. I hope he sticks to the facts and points out how cooter lies all the time. That would be the way to go. Just the facts.
March 9, 2009 9:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
You shouldn't be surprised, she's an excellent speaker and debater. Maher doesn't stand a chance.
March 9, 2009 10:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
Huh? Cooter generally never gets in a situation where she can get hammered in a debate. She likes to spew garbage and lies and drown out the questioner or other debater. Maher will trounce her with facts pointing out her lies. It won't be a contest and cooter will not come out looking good, guaranteed. Maher is too smart to allow her to get away with her typical garbage.
March 9, 2009 10:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
They used to date, you know. Coulter and Maher.
March 9, 2009 10:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
Wow. I didn't know Maher was into guys or post-op transexuals. Not that there's anything wrong with that! But he could at least do better than Andy Coulter!
March 9, 2009 11:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
You've posted some pretty stupid things here but, by George, I think you've outdone yourself this time!
March 9, 2009 11:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
Great ad! So true!
March 9, 2009 9:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
I would like to get responses back to a growing concern harboring in my tiny little mind.
I think Obama came in and put both hands around the current crisis in one sense, and that is by getting through a historical and unprecedented stimulus bill which, even if too small, was a significantly large spoonful of medicine he got this country to take. maybe it needs more, but I at least satisfied that he moved swiftly to get the prescription out there.
On the bank issue, however--the core of the problem, or at least the key to recovery--I am less than sanguine about what Obama is doing. I know it's only been seven weeks since inauguration, and I know we are dealing with a problem of unprecedented proportions and kind, but am I wrong to wonder what the hell is going on? Because this is a problem where I see less leadership, and it causes me agita. Or, put more simply, I laughed at the Saturday Night Live Geithner bit, but it was a very nervous laugh. A discomforting laugh. and it was only funny because it seemed true.
Finally, while I'm getting my beefs out, I thought the treatment of Brown and the gift of 25 DVDs to be Larry David-like in the cringeworthiness of embarrassment it made me feel.
March 9, 2009 9:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yep, I am very, very worried about the banking crisis as well. He really needs to get the gameplan in play and let everybody know what's happening. That is critical and it doesn't look good that it is taking so long.
I am speculating, but I think what is going on is that they are evaluating the big banks and making a decision on which ones to "nationalize." Every friday at 500 or so, I look for a press statement that they've completed the "stress test" and banks a, b, c, and who knows how many are being taken over. Once that happens, I am willing to bet that the market recovers and people start feeling better about the situation. This is just speculation, but I see no other good explanation why this is taking so long and it is really disturbing to be quite frank if it is just dithering.
Yep, agree on the dvd thing. Very cringeworthy. He could have done that on the sly and given brown something more substantial and presidential. That would have been the way to go in my book.
March 9, 2009 9:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
Dumpster dive outside of whichever hotel Brown stayed at and I bet you'd find yourself a set of 25 DVD's.
March 9, 2009 10:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
Obama gifting Gordon Brown a set of DVD's is pretty damn embarrassing. Did they at least make sure they were the UK variety, as American DVD's don't work over in the UK (among other places).
I guess it is more practical than a decorative paperweight, and I assume their policies are much like America's in that their politicians cannot keep any gifts given while acting in official capacity.
Which was especially cringeworthy was the gift Brown brought Obama -
March 9, 2009 10:02 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yep, I thought the same thing on brown's gift as well. Both of these guys need a new protocol officer. Obviously, the ones they have don't know WTF they are doing.
March 9, 2009 10:03 AM | Reply | Permalink
They ought to start giving each other Target gift cards or something. Then at least they could choose the DVDs or pens that they want.....
March 9, 2009 10:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
The more embarassing gift, I thought, was the "overcharged" button from the State Department to the Russian counterpart.
That mirrored absolutely all the ignorance and snobbishness of being an American, perceived in places like Russia.
Embarassing.
March 9, 2009 10:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
I have to say this incident, to me, reflects badly upon Hillary. I'm so glad she didn't get to be President!
The Russian language is not the dark black box that Americans regarded it as, a generation ago. She and her team "tried really hard"? How hard? I speak Russian. Could have asked me -- the Obama people have my contact details. Or asked the many millions of newer American citizens who grew up speaking Russian (many in computer businesses). Or the language professionals of the State Department and its affiliated language schools. Or U.S. Embassy Moscow -- they have dozens of local nationals who are native Russian speakers working there. Same in U.S. Embassies Kiev, Astana, Riga, all of whom have many staff for whom Russian is the first and native language, or other U.S. diplomatic posts. Or gone through a translation agency. Or language departments of leading universities. Or could have e-mailed friends/associates. I go back to U.S. Embassy Moscow, though. What, they wouldn't take Hillary's calls?
Sure it's a small thing. And she did a great job or laughing it off, and she shows how valuable she can be with her charm. Great.
But the original fuckup? That's hard to explain, irrespective of whether we regard it as small. With this "we really tried" malarkey, you'd think she was working it out via Morse code from some Antarctic weather station in a blizzard.
March 9, 2009 11:09 AM | Reply | Permalink
I was watching Morning Joe this morning (I'm not sure why I do that to myself; guess I'm just a glutton for punishment) and both Jack Welch and a man named William Cohan who just wrote a book about the Bear Stearns collapse called House of Cards were on as guests. Both indicated that they think Geitner has some good blueprints for solving the financial crisis but that 1) He is taking the time to get the plan right before he rolls it out and that 2) he has not done a very good job of communicating what the road map is.
Also, I don't want to sound like some cooing school girl with a crush, but every time I have begun to think that Obama and his crew don't know what they are doing, they prove me wrong.
I wonder if part of this is perception and culture. Most Americans (I admit I can be like that too) want instant gratification. We want what we want when we want it. Unfortunately, I think this problem might be too big to solve with quick or easy answers and maybe Obama and his administration are doing the right thing by being measured. We don't know what's going on behind the scenes and it may just be a lot more than we know right now.
March 9, 2009 10:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
Remember the campaign? We were often up in arms saying that Obama was shooting himself in the foot by not reacting to something immediately. Well, he's president. Of course, that doesn't mean he's infallible.
March 9, 2009 10:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well, some of you were ;)
I am not particularly happy about the non-radical solutions to the banks issue or disproportionate benefits to companies rather than individuals from the stimulus and rescue packages, but then I was not expecting any better.
March 9, 2009 12:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
First, I think Tim Geithner is to Obama was Gen McClellan was to Lincoln: they both look great on paper, have all the training but they are essentially cowards who suffer paralysis by analysis.
Second, what's so cringeworthy about 25 DVDs? What should he have given Brown--a set of encyclopedias? It's obvious that neither of them "need" anything so any gift is frivolous. I'd rather have a collection of DVDs than a paperweight. But that's just me. I'm practical like that.
Third, I think that as Obama supporters, we tend to behave like stage mothers--sweating the small stuff when the population in general doesn't give a shit. That's what happens when we need our fix of the daily political machinations like some back alley junkie.
March 9, 2009 11:16 AM | Reply | Permalink
Speaking of ads. Here in Norther Virginia this morning, there was an ad against high corporate taxes. It then explained how the high tax is passed onto the consumer. Lastly, it explained all the things you could buy with all the extra money you would save if the corporate tax was lower. One of the things it spouted off was a Russian bride. It had to be one of the most bizarre ads I've ever seen.
March 9, 2009 10:10 AM | Reply | Permalink
The Russian bride part was intended to catch the interest of people living in Annandale, and certain Pentagon officials.
March 9, 2009 10:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
Also, since I am on a tear, can someone please please please tell me I am stupid and a glutton for punishment by clicking on NoQuarterUSA.net? Please tell me I am only getting my blood pressure up by wallowing in that idiocy, trying to make sense of the conservative/white Clinton voter/pissed off PUMA/mildly racist anti-Obama elements over there. please tell me they are just a thin slice of Harriet Christian types (she of the "And they are throwing her [Clinton] away! For what? An inadequate black man?!" fame) and they do not represent any significant portion of the U.S. population. Seriously. I am at near Defcon 1 levels of rage over the ignorance allowed to blossom there. Help me break my addiction from seeing the car wreck of stupid I...must...go...see there.
Also, since I am clearly in a pissy little mood right now, I thought Watchmen was meh. F*cking people.
March 9, 2009 10:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
I visit NoQuarter when my blood pressure drops dangerously low. It's guaranteed to spike after reading a couple of posts.
That site is a joke. There are probably only 25-50 posters there and they are so pathetically sad. While most of them are bitter Hilliary supporters, they are joined by just regular right-wingers who share a common mission--bash Obama, prove he's not really a citizen, prove he stole the primary and the general election, prove Michelle is a racist, blah, blah, blah.
They are totally irrational and their arguments are absurd. They're going to have a long four years to wallow in their irrational hatred.
March 9, 2009 11:25 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thank you Americans United for stating the obvious and doing something the Democrats in Congress are too afraid to do and the msm are too lazy and brainwashed to report on. .
State the facts. The msm will always frame the debate or topic of conversation based on the republican point of view as if it were fact without ever bothering to research to find the actual truth.
March 9, 2009 10:43 AM | Reply | Permalink