TPMDC Morning Roundup
Al Gore, Newt Gingrich, John Warner To Headline Committee Hearing
The House Energy and Commerce Committee will be holding a hearing on climate change at 10 a.m. ET today, featuring an all-star line-up of guests: Former Vice President Al Gore, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, and former Sen. John Warner (R-VA). Gore and Warner support various legislation to limit carbon emissions, while Gingrich was added at the last minute, at the request of Republicans, as an individual who is skeptical of the claimed human contribution to climate change.
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will meet with Vice President Biden for lunch at 12:30 p.m. ET. Then at 1:30 p.m. ET, he will speak about higher-education costs, discussing his proposal to end the Federal Family Education Loans program, a government subsidy to banks, in favor of direct government financing.
Biden's Day Ahead
Vice President Biden will attend President Obama's regular morning briefings, then meet with Obama for lunch at 12:30 p.m. ET. Afterwards, he will spend the remainder of the day in private meetings at the White House.
Bank Industry To Learn Results Of Stress Tests Today
Federal regulators will begin privately telling banks today about the results of the "stress tests," plus a public announcement of the methodology used, ahead of a public release of the results slated for May 4. This whole situation must be carefully managed in terms of how it affects the market, as explained by Scott Talbott, a lobbyist with the Financial Services Roundtable: "I'm worried about the overreaction -- people selling every bank short and pulling out all their deposits and hiding their money in the mattress."
NYT: Cheney A "Vocal Leader Of The Opposition"
The New York Times examines Dick Cheney's new status as a "vocal leader of the opposition" against President Obama, as he has set out to defend his own legacy. Said John Bolton: "It's about time he had a chance to get his voice back," explaining that Cheney is not bound to the Bush Administration's official line, and adding that "There's no cone of silence now."
Former McCain Manager: GOP A "Shrinking Entity"
Speaking yesterday at the University of Delaware, former McCain campaign manager Steve Schmidt criticized the Republican Party's current state of affairs as an opposition party: "As a matter of reality, in the first 100 days, [the Republican Party] has not done anything to improve its political position with regards to the fact that it has been a shrinking entity."
Hillary Counters Israeli Stance On Palestinians And Iran
Hillary Clinton said yesterday Israel will need to better pursue peace with the Palestinians if it also wants to improve its position against Iran: "For Israel to get the kind of strong support it's looking for vis-a-vis Iran it can't stay on the sideline with respect to the Palestinian and the peace efforts, that they go hand-in-hand."
WaPo: Critics Dismiss Obama's $100 Million Budget Cutting
The Washington Post reports budget experts are largely dismissive of President Obama's order that his Cabinet members cut a total of $100 million. "You're cherry-picking the base of the tree on stuff that is not innovative," said Paul C. Light, a scholar at New York University. "Purchasing in bulk? Wow, that's a bold idea! Teleconferencing? Holy moly!"
Josh
Matt
Eric
Do you think John Warner is embarrassed to be in the same lineup as Newt Gingrich?
On another note, yes Paul Light, purchasing in bulk does save money. It may not be the boldest and most innovative idea in the world, but if Obama can save some money with minimal effort, I don't see why he shouldn't.
April 24, 2009 9:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
The Republicans are making the torture issue partisan, and it's working it seems. Who knew Republicans were The Party of Torture.
I used to be in the camp that said lets get healthcare reform, energy independence etc. but the GOP is going to fight every step of the way on those issues regardless. The Bush Administration tortured for political cover to go into Iraq. The Bush Administration USED 9/11 in order to get revenge on a personal grudge.
Bill Clinton can be impeached by the Right for lying about a blowjob, and the media loves every detail, however going after Bush, Cheney and their Cabal for war crimes well that's a partisan hit job. Bull shit.
While getting Republican politicians on the record about their feelings towards Rush was a fun distraction, how about a campaign to get Republicans on the record regarding torture? Let Americans see them tapdance around trying to call it "enhanced interrogation techniques" and refuse to answer the question.
For get "The Party of No", I want "The Party of Torture" ad campaigns. The GOP wants to make it partisan, lets make it partisan.
America executed the Japanese for waterboarding American Service men. We called it torture then. It's torture now.
April 24, 2009 9:26 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yep. I don't want to see this torture stuff swept under the rug, but it'd be better if the shit started hitting the fan sometime in 2010.
Besides it being a distraction from important legislation (look for GOOPers to scream bloody murder when budget reconciliation is used to pass health-care reform), there hasn't been enough time for the Obama administration to get control of enough of the levers of bureaucratic power. There are still lots of important positions to fill, including some that require Senate confirmation.
Maybe this will happen anyway. DoJ investigations are gonna take time.
I can wait a bit to see Dickwad Cheney indicted. Revenge, they say, is a dish best served cold.
April 24, 2009 10:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
Obama is showing the weakness of his political personality. He sees the whole torture issue, which in my view is the paramount issue of the nation, as a secondary concern compared to the various tweaks he wants to do with Health Care and the Economy.
Obama's "pragmatism" ultimately may relegate his presidency to one where a critical opportunity; to define our country as one of laws rather than of men was lost.
April 24, 2009 9:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
Sorry, I can't go along with that. I'm as upset about torture as anybody (although I can't exactly say I'm shocked or outraged since I knew this was going on all along. Honestly, who didn't?). But if you spend a little time outside the political bubble, you will realize that for the vast majority of the population, torture really IS a secondary concern compared to health care and the economy. And Obama is hardly trying to tweak the system. His new policies on health care, the economy and the environment could end up being the largest overhaul of government programs in the past two decades.
Meanwhile, the torture investigation will continue on. It's not as if there's a statute of limitations on war crimes.
April 24, 2009 10:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
Meanwhile, the torture investigation will continue on. It's not as if there's a statute of limitations on war crimes.
Uh................
Although the statute of limitations for torture is eight years, anyone accused is sure to argue that their conduct wasn’t technically “torture” and try to use as a shield the infamous John Yoo “torture memos” from the Office of Legal Counsel – defining torture as inflicting only the most extreme pain such as accompanies death or organ failure.
“So lots of conduct for people involved in torture and assault, unless death resulted, the statute of limitations probably has lapsed on most of those claims,” says Anders. (If death results, there is no statute of limitations. According to Human Rights First, at least 100 detainees died in U.S. custody between August 2002 and February 2006.)
...from:
http://washingtonindependent.com/29711/time-is-running-out
April 24, 2009 11:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
My understanding is that there is a statute of limitations on the actual act of waterboarding, head walling, stress positions etc. but there is no statute of limitations on the leadership committing the war crime of actively sanctioning torture. In other words, the CIA agents may get off, but John Yoo may not. If I'm wrong, I'll stand corrected.
April 24, 2009 11:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
>>Obama is showing the weakness of his political personality. >>
That's where you're wrong. He's actually showing the strength of his political personality by not making prosecutions a priority. People need jobs, food and healthcare and prosecuting Bush cronies don't do a thing to address that.
Iran/Contra did not come define the Reagan adminstration. Reaganomics and "tear down this wall" did. In fact, even post-Iran/Contra, Democrats could not regain the White House. It's what you do for people that impact their daily lives that endures, not how many scalps you collect for your prosecution wall.
Maybe I'm crass and craven but I'd rather have healthcare and education reform and a stable economy than Bush prosecutions that one land a single person in jail. In the end, any prosecutions will be a lot of bluster.
April 24, 2009 10:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
As usual Newt Gingrich proves what a truly moronic fuck is really is. Next week Gingrich will agruing that the earth is flat and gravity does not exsist.
April 24, 2009 10:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think that it'd be great if TPM could get someone to fact check Gingrich live during his testimony. Maybe someone like Chris Mooney, author of "The Republican War on Science," whose blog is at: http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/intersection/
April 24, 2009 10:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
On the one hand, you have former VP and Noble Laureate Al Gore arguing the human activityiss responsible for climat change.
On the other hand, you have former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich possibly arguing that fighting global warming will result in "Bigger government and higher taxes".
I guess to keep the hearings impartial, you have to balance reality (Gore) with unreality (Newt).
April 24, 2009 10:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
Dick Cheney lost his voice? When? Where? Does anyone seriously doubt that this guy has been anything other than a purposely loose cannon--while still being totally on message?
More importantly, is anyone within the NYT (or any other MSM establishment) ever, finally, going to publicly fact-check his BS?
April 24, 2009 11:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
Nice juxtaposition!
April 24, 2009 11:16 AM | Reply | Permalink
Message to Newt and the GOP:
I'm skeptical of many things, but that doesn't make me an expert.
Do they really get to put him up in these hearings? Disgusting.
April 24, 2009 11:26 AM | Reply | Permalink