Obama: ‘Our Commitment In Iraq Is Changing’
President Obama will speak today at the Disabled Veterans of America Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, where he will outline a change of America’s mission in Iraq. “Make no mistake: Our commitment in Iraq is changing, from a military effort led by our troops to a civilian effort led by our diplomats,” Obama will say, according to pre-released excerpts.
Obama’s Day Ahead
President Obama will depart from the White House at 9 a.m. ET, and depart form Andrews Air Force Base at 9:15 a.m. ET, arriving at 10:45 a.m. ET in Atlanta, Georgia. He will deliver remarks at 11:30 a.m. ET, at the Disabled Veterans of America Conference. He will deliver remarks at 1:25 p.m. ET, at a Democratic National Committee fundraising event. He will depart from Atlanta at 2:30 p.m. ET, arriving back at Andrews Air Force Base at 3:55 p.m. ET, and at the White House at 4:10 p.m. ET. He will meet at 4:15 p.m. ET with senior advisers.
Fox Gets Front-Row Seat In White House Press Room
The Associated Press reports: “Fox News Channel has been granted a much-coveted front-row seat in the White House briefing room. The White House Correspondents Association said Sunday that The Associated Press’ reporter has been moved to the front-row center seat previously occupied by Helen Thomas. Fox’s correspondent will take the AP’s former front-row seat, and National Public Radio’s correspondent will move up one row to Fox’s old second-row seat.”
Tea Party Movement vs. Tea Party Caucus
Politico reports: “To anxious Republicans trying to channel grass-roots conservatism, the Congressional Tea Party Caucus is part of the solution. To many in the tea party, the caucus seems like part of the problem. Instead of embracing the caucus and its 49 House members, many tea party activists see it as yet another effort by the GOP to hijack their movement — and symptomatic of a party establishment that, they say, is condescending and out of step with their brand of conservatism.”
PACs Split Difference Between Parties
CQ reports: “Despite a volatile election season that could see the current majorities in Congress upended, K Street is adhering to its tradition of favoring incumbents by putting most of its money into the campaigns of Democratic candidates. At the same time, these stakeholders are signaling that they recognize a possible GOP resurgence this November by contributing more heavily to Republican committees than their Democratic counterparts.”
Corporate Campaign Fundraising Against Dems Picks Up Speed
The Los Angeles Times reports: “Driven by increasing anger at Democratic policies and by recent Supreme Court decisions unshackling corporate contributions, business and conservative groups are preparing a flood of campaign money to try to wrest control of Congress from the Democrats…One report circulating among Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill last week estimated that more than $300 million has been budgeted for the campaign by a group of 15 conservative tax-exempt organizations.”
Kagan Presents A Test For The NRA As Court Confirmation Assured
The Hill reports: “The Supreme Court nomination of Elena Kagan presents a political conundrum to the National Rifle Association, one of the nation’s most powerful grass-roots lobbying groups. Republicans lawmakers and conservative activists fear that Kagan will emerge as a strong voice against gun-ownership rights on the High Court. But five Republican senators have pledged to vote for Kagan, making her a shoo-in for confirmation. This puts the NRA in the tricky position of having to decide how much political capital to spend against Kagan.”
Eric Kleefeld
Eric Kleefeld joined TPM as an intern for the final months of the 2006 midterm elections, and then kept showing up for work. His other interests include guitars, old comic books and the politics of various English-speaking countries.
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