TPMDC Morning Roundup
FBI: Palin Not Under Investigation
The Anchorage Daily News reports that the FBI has taken the unusual step of affirmatively declaring that Sarah Palin is not under investigation. "We are not investigating her," said FBI spokesman Eric Gonzalez. "Normally we don't confirm or deny those kind of allegations out there, but by not doing so it just casts her in a very bad light. There is just no truth to those rumors out there in the blogosphere."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama arrived in Moscow this morning. At 6 a.m. ET (2 p.m. local time), Obama participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Russian Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. At 6:50 a.m. ET, he met with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, with an expanded working meeting at 7:25 a.m. ET. At 10:30 a.m. ET, they will hold a joint press conference. At 11:30 a.m. ET, Obama and the First Lady will meet with U.S. Embassy personnel. At 12:35 p.m. ET, the Obamas will have dinner with President Medvedev and Russian First Lady Svetlana Medvedeva.
Biden's Day Ahead
Vice President Biden is spending the day in Washington, DC. At 12 p.m. ET, he will host conference calls with mayors and governors from across the country, to discuss stimulus implementation. He will have private meetings for the remainder of the day.
Obama And Medvedev Expected To Negotiate Deal On Arms Control
President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev are expected to negotiate a new arms-control framework, to succeed the START I accord that is set to expire December 5. Gary Samore, the President's coordinator for weapons of mass destruction, said that the White House will look at ways to enforce any agreement by executive order in case it is not ratified in time by the Senate: "We'll have to look at arrangements to continue some of the inspection provisions, keep them enforced in a provisional basis, while the Senate considers the treaty."
WaPo: Health Companies Hire Former Lawmakers And Top Staffers To Lobby On Health Care Bill
The Washington Post reports that the major health-care companies are going to great lengths to influence the health debate in Congress, hiring as lobbyists numerous former top staffers to members of Congress and former members themselves. Included on the list are staffers for both Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) -- the chairman and head Republican on the Finance Committee, respectively. Also, former House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-TX) and former House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt (D-MO) are both working for a New Jersey pharmaceutical firm.
CQ: Obama Winning Votes In Congress
CQ reports that the large Democratic majorities in Congress are having a clear payoff for President Obama. On the 26 votes in the House and 37 in the Senate where Obama has taken a clear position, including 20 votes to confirm his nominees, he has had a success rate of 95.2%. If this continues for the rest of the year, this would be the highest score for any year in the time that CQ has been keeping track of this, since President Dwight Eisenhower's first year in 1953.
McHugh Secures Big Defense Earmarks
The Hill reports that Rep. John McHugh (R-NY), who has been nominated by President Obama to be Secretary of the Army, has done a thorough job securing defense earmarks for his Upstate New York district. In the latest defense authorization bill -- for which McHugh was only one of eight Republicans to vote in favor -- he secured $44.13 in projects, including $8.2 million for an Army base in his district.


















Who Says Sarah Palin Is Not in the Great Tradition of RFK?
http://satiricalpolitical.com/?p=7726
July 6, 2009 9:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
Reported as abuse. Please stop or TPM please ban.
The special treatment by the FBI smells like a dead fish.
So that would be going downstream which means that it is taking the easy way out and not making hard decisions which are right decisions which feels good.
Hows my Palinese?
July 6, 2009 9:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
Seconded on reported as abuse.
Dude, we're getting tired.
July 6, 2009 9:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
Amen. Stop the spam! Sadly, the "Report Abuse" feature doesn't seem to work.
July 6, 2009 1:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
And a third complaint. Don't go away mad, just go away. Or at the very least STFU.
July 6, 2009 9:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
Fourthed. You've guaranteed that most regular visitors here will never, ever visit your site just on principle.
July 6, 2009 1:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Somebody, probably Fox News, offered her a shitload of money. Simple as that.
Please sue me.
July 6, 2009 9:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
All this tea-leaf reading. I foretold of its meaninglessness.
She is cuckoo. That's all you need to know.
I don't know why people have to find a reason. She got picked on, she got pissy, she quit. She is cuckoo. Quod erat demonstrandum.
William Jefferson stuck $90,000 in his freezer. Logical? No, it's cuckoo. Sanford skipped the country for a week, hoping no one would notice him, and wrote e-mails to his lover, and did all this while thinking he could be President. Reasoned? No, cuckoo. Vince Foster checked out permanently, and the note he left rails against Washington bloodsport. Sane? Sadly, clinically no.
So why is it so hard for people to accept that Sarah Palin may be cuckoo? It shouldn't be. Everything she has done points to her being an irrational, illogical cuckoo.
She's nuts.
July 6, 2009 9:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
Because that means McCain put us all in incredible danger, and people would rather not think about that?
July 6, 2009 10:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
Does megalomaniacal mean the same thing as cuckoo?
BTW, everyday I read a little Latin is a good day. Thanks!
July 6, 2009 11:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
Most likely explanation I've heard so far.
But you're high-falutin' use of another language that's not 'merican shows that you're one of them libruls, prob' not from Real America.
July 6, 2009 9:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
Have any of those Real 'Murikins ever checked the inscriptions on the walls of the Supreme Court? They might be s'prized.
July 6, 2009 11:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
The Fox news gig doesnt add up with the obvious hastiness of the decision.
Cuckoo it is.
July 6, 2009 9:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
The strategic decision making evident in just this press conference is just one more piece of evidence that a Palin-led presidential campaign would quickly implode.
July 6, 2009 10:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
She doesn't need to have a specific offer in hand to know that she will make fairly big bucks if she hits the speaking circuit. To paraphrase P.T. Barnum, you can never go broke underestimating the intelligence of the right wing audience.
July 6, 2009 12:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't care much why or where Palin is going, as long as she goes ..... away.
July 6, 2009 11:10 AM | Reply | Permalink
Actually, I really, really, REALLY hope that she hangs around and runs in 2012. First, she'll suck all of the air out of the room for the other GOP wannabe's and second, she'll be the stake in the heart of the GOP if she wins the nomination. I'm stocking up on popcorn just out of sheer, delerious anticipation of such a long shot of a spectacle.
July 6, 2009 11:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
FBI: No.
IRS: ?
July 6, 2009 11:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thought about the investigations angle, but it's simpler--
this is a person who flitted from school to school, who has a pattern of not finishing when she loses interest or it gets tough.
July 6, 2009 11:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
Whatever the reason may be, I personally think she did Alaska a GRAND FAVOR. Her only reason to be in politics is for PERKS legal or not. PUBLICITY her childish nature dictates she loves being the center of attention and MONEY elected officials have many possibilities to get more dollars than what is honestly due them.
July 6, 2009 11:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
A few more exclamation points and your Palinese would be flawless! ;-)
July 6, 2009 11:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
Ready Fire Aim!
WATCH: Fox News Contributor Rips Into Palin: "The Woman Is Inarticulate, Undereducated"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/06/fox-ne
ws-contributor-rips_n_226370.html
July 6, 2009 2:43 PM | Reply | Permalink