TPMDC Morning Roundup
NYT: Obama Offered Deal To Russians On Iran, Missile Defense
The New York Times reports that the Obama Administration sent a secret letter to the Russian government last month, suggesting that the U.S. could stop development of a missile-defense system if Moscow could get Iran to back off its own nuclear-weapons development. An administration official told the Times: "It's not that the Russians get to say, 'We'll try and therefore you have to suspend.' It says the threat has to go away."
WaPo: Clinton Pessimistic On Iran Outreach
The Washington Post reports that Hillary Clinton told the foreign minister for the United Arab Emirates that she had serious doubts as to whether the Obama Administration's attempts to reach out to Iran could work, and appeared to suggest the White House is being realistic about it, too. A source told the Post: "She said we are under no illusions about Iran and our eyes are wide open."
Obama's Day Ahead: Meeting With Gordon Brown
President Obama will be speaking at the Department of Transportation at 9:45 a.m. ET this morning. Then at at 11:30 a.m. ET he will meet with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, with whom he is expected to discuss the financial crisis. At 2 p.m. ET he will speak at the Department of the Interior, and at 3 p.m. ET he will receive a delegation from the Boy Scouts. At 4:30 p.m. ET, he and Vice President Biden will meet with Robert Gates.
Biden's Day Ahead: Discussing The Stimulus
Vice President Biden will be joining President Obama at the Transportation Department this morning, where they will both be speaking. In the afternoon, Biden will hold a conference cal with governors, and another one with mayors, to discuss the implementation of the stimulus program. Then he will join Obama for their meeting with Robert Gates.
Primary Today For Rahm's House Seat
Today is Primary Day in the special election for Rahm Emanuel's former House seat in Chicago. A total of 12 candidates are running in the Democratic primary, which is virtually tantamount to the election itself in this solid-blue district.
WaPo: Obama Budget Will Require Large Expansion In Federal Workforce
The Washington Post reports that President Obama's budget, with its expansion of social programs and creation of new initiatives, will require a large increase in the size of the federal workforce. The Post cites an independent estimate that the federal labor force could grow by 100,000 people, reversing the trend since the Reagan years of shrinking it down.
The Hill: McConnell's Earmarks Make Good Target For Dems
The Hill reports that Democrats are preparing a strong rebuttal to Republican attacks over earmarks: Namely, pointing to the earmarks that Republican Senators themselves have put in recent legislation, especially the $75 million from Mitch McConnell. Said a Republican aide: "This is exactly why it was important for Republicans last year to clean up our act -- because we knew we would be in this situation and it undercuts our credibility."
Pawlenty: GOP Needs To Be Relevant, Move Beyond Reagan
In an interview with Bloomberg News, Tim Pawlenty said the Republican Party has to move beyond just talking about Ronald Reagan. "We need to develop new Ronald Reagans and new reference points," said Pawlenty. "It would be as if Barack Obama was going around and constantly talking about Truman or LBJ. It's just become a reference point that isn't as relevant for young people."
Josh
Elana
Matt
Eric
Re Pawlenty -- What GOP Needs is Their Own Social Messaging Network: 'Bitter'
http://satiricalpolitical.com/?p=6414
March 3, 2009 9:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well, I like the russian letter. Smart move. Gee, why didn't the king think of that one? Duh.
Incidentally, the russians obviously don't want a nuclear iran on their doorstep as well, so it really is a no-brainer. The problem was the stupid saber rattling by the king. Also, the stupid system doesn't work anyway, so why stir up sh*t over a fantasy. Really stupid move, again, on the king's part. Smart move on the genius's part.
March 3, 2009 9:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
I don't see the point of leaking this. So was it just a couple of people who couldn't keep their mouths shut?
March 3, 2009 10:16 AM | Reply | Permalink
I agree with that. However, maybe it was leaked to put pressure on Iran. If not, someone's head will roll.
March 3, 2009 10:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
It was originally leaked by the Russians. It showed up in one of their papers Monday, according to the Times article.
March 3, 2009 11:27 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well, that tells me that the administration wanted it leaked. If they did not, they never would have sent the letter. The genius is always three moves ahead of the opposition. The idea was to put pressure on iran and the russians. No leak, no problem. Leak, no problem. It's a win/win for the administration.
March 3, 2009 11:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
About time. And even better if it involves insourcing work currently done by Bush's crony, corrupt contractors.
March 3, 2009 9:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
I am all for that.
March 3, 2009 11:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
Pawlenty's comments are hilarious. A new b-movie actor? Gee, that's a brilliant move to completely f*ck up the country again. They need to come up with a new platform and new ideas, not retreads from the distant past and better marketing of bankrupt ideas. Tax cuts for the super rich and deficit spending to line their pockets just doesn't cut it anymore. The b-movie actor, puuulllleeeez, the guy was a complete joke and a travesty.
March 3, 2009 9:27 AM | Reply | Permalink
Wingnuts will tell you it's not their message that is lacking, but rather the messenger/candidates. So maybe they get an actor to play the role of GOP candidate and Rush Limbaugh and Co. could write the "script" for him.
March 3, 2009 9:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, but wait, wait - what if instead of a him they get a her? And what if she's, like, really hot? And smart, but not too smart, at least not smarter than you, but she looks cute when she's pretending to be serious. And maybe she's not an actor, really, but she knows how to deliver lines because she used to be - get this - a sportscaster! Yeah, that's the ticket, she's not going to bitch at you for sitting all weekend on the couch in front of ESPN and a bowl of Rotel cheese dip. She understands you. And she can shoot, kill, and dress a moose. Yep, that's the ticket. Perfect.
March 3, 2009 10:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
Make sure that person can send starbursts through the television!
March 3, 2009 10:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
You betcha! (wink)
March 3, 2009 2:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Here is part of the problem with the message and finally the dems are starting to hit back on the tax cut bs. 50% of people pay no taxes, so do they really give a sh*t about a tax cut? From 50 to 85% pay minimal taxes. People are out of work so there are no taxes to cut as they have no income. Soooo, f*ck the tax cuts.
The talking point response from the wingers has been that the top 5% pay like 60% of federal taxes and the top 2% pay like 40% or something like that, it constantly is changing. For a few days the dems had no response to that talking point and then bang, response, something like 80% or 90% of the wealth of the country is concentrated in the top 2%, sooooo, they are actually underpaying and should pay more. Seems like we have a genius in the whitehouse with a subtle, yet brilliant counter messaging operation.
Bottom line, if the message is tax cuts and you are on your own, then they should make it clear. Then, what they will win maybe 5 states with an uninformed populace? If they are lucky.
March 3, 2009 10:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe its just me but it seems like Clinton and Obama are really putting an effective diplomatic one two punch on Iran. First they use serious leverage on Russia to get them to push Iran hard on nukes while at the same time Clinton publicly says she doesn't expect them to be open to talks. (message to world if we can't get together and discuss this its Iran's fault.)
Combine that with the announced troop pullout of Iraq and we are suddenly boxing Iran in tight. If they continue to refuse to negotiate they will quickly start to loose their standing as the Muslim champion against western aggression and once again be seen by the world as just another dangerous dictatorial middle east regime.
That my friend is effective use of soft power that we use to be the best at. Color me impressed.
March 3, 2009 9:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
I never liked the term soft power. It's not "soft", it's diplomatic hardball at it's finest. Threatening military action, when there is no military option, is "soft power" in my book.
March 3, 2009 10:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
I agree. Looks like Clinton has learned the lowering expectations lesson she failed in the primaries.
March 3, 2009 10:26 AM | Reply | Permalink
I wish Pawlenty would admit it's time for the MN GOP to move beyond Coleman.
March 3, 2009 10:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
For point of reference, the youngest of those voters once attracted to Ronald Reagan is 42.
March 3, 2009 12:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
The incredible amount of press given to Limbaugh these days, added to his radio time, is giving him even more power than he's had in the past. I wish people would lay off. He WILL become the de facto head of the GOP this way. At the very least, it will amalgamate the GOP and energize them. Who needs that!
March 3, 2009 12:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
that's actually the point: rush is very unpopular with average voters from dems to independents to even moderate republicans. the more power rush has as the apparent leader of the republican party (as lightning rod or mouthpiece) the less power the republican party has.
March 3, 2009 4:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
To clarify what I meant in my previous post, for all that the Dems are trying to paint Limbaugh as way off course and that Limbaugh, Coulter and Palin will assure Repub. defeat. It actually seems as if he IS the course. although he doesn't say anything constructive (such as present a program), he is the lightening rod for those who will be the equivalent of a right winged Move On, unless the other Repubs get their act together. Scary.
March 3, 2009 1:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Jindal is such a petty little man, so superficial and phony it's hard to give any relevance to anything he says.
What it is with Rush is $$$$$. He's under a $100 million dollar contract. Of course his greedy chubby fingers doesn't want to pay increased taxes. Rush wants to do what Rush wants. He's a mega egomaniac and most of his followers are also the millionaires or the sons of such or the wanna bes...and the fanatical authoritarians who demand the majority cater to the minority as they are the only ones who are 'right'.
We hear so much more from them than from the majority that elected Obama. Now they are attempting to demonize the word 'socialism' just like in FDR's time. They called FDR "comrade Roosevelt" and screamed socialism while at the same time hiring Col. Smedley Butler to overthrow FDR and lead a military coup to install these 'economic royalists'.
Rush is the new effort to achieve the same result. When a group considers Coulter, Hannity. Beck and Rush to be the voice of their party while cultivating ignorance fear and hatred...then urge it on to undermine the legitimate government while demonizing it as "socialist" just to justify their greed and power...it's time to turn them out.
This began with Reagan. Tax cuts for the wealthy, deregulation and the idea that government was evil and we are living the results of this disaster...and now Rush is heading a return to the same tactics and policies yet stand s without any qualifications to support his opinions why would the press even give time to him and his supporters when they are a minority of seditious anti-American anti-Democratic big mouths. They deserve to be laughed at but not put on TV. It's still a right wing media accusing the media of being liberal so they can continue to justify being a right wing mouthpiece.
Rush et al cultivate ignorance and mis information at their own risk. The People's Obstructionist Party has defined itself as the party who wants the majority to fail. Clinton got his budget passed without a single republican vote too and left the economy with a surplus. These Obstructionists never learn because they are incapable of progression caring only to protect their holdings and the means to greatest profiteering. And little boy Jindal blew his horn...
March 3, 2009 1:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
russia won't be doing anything for obama over missile defense because russia already knows that obama's gonna abandon it. russia knows they've already got missile defense in their pocket.
March 3, 2009 4:18 PM | Reply | Permalink