Bill Clinton Stumps For Obama
The New York Times reports: “During the 2008 presidential campaign, Bill Clinton was often at angry odds with the man who ultimately defeated his wife. Now, in the final weeks of the 2010 midterm campaign, Mr. Clinton is stumping hard to help his onetime foe — and has emerged as one of the most important defenders of President Obama’s Congressional majorities. Some candidates are asking for his help on the campaign trail, rather than the president’s. Even though Mr. Clinton insisted on Monday that he was only ‘peripherally and fleetingly’ back in politics, he has been headlining rallies and fund-raisers across the country to buck up the depressed party faithful.”
Obama’s Day Ahead
President Obama will receive the presidential daily briefing at 10:15 a.m. ET, and will meet with senior advisers at 10:45 a.m. ET. Obama and Vice President Biden will have lunch at 12:30 p.m. ET. Then at 1:15 p.m. ET, Obama will award the Medal of Honor to U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sergeant Richard L. Etchberger, giving the award posthumously for his actions in combat in Laos in March 1968. Obama and Biden will meet at 4:30 p.m. ET with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.
Biden’s Day Ahead
Vice President Biden will meet at 9:15 a.m. ET with Sen. John Kerry (D-MA). At 10:30 a.m. ET, he will host a roundtable meeting with university presidents from six leading research institutions, to discuss Recovery Act investments in university research programs. He will have lunch with President Obama at 12:30 p.m. ET. He will attend the Medal of Honor ceremony at 1:15 p.m. ET. He will meet at 3 p.m. ET with Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou. He and President Obama will meet at 4:30 p.m. ET with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.
GOP Softens Tone on Winning
Roll Call reports: “Even as House Republicans prepare to unveil their majority-making agenda, GOP Members are worried about appearing overly confident and have been trying to tone down talk that they will win. ‘I think it’s all a bit premature,’ Minority Leader John Boehner said last week when asked about how he would lead the chamber as Speaker. ‘We’ve got a lot of work to do in order to earn the majority back, but if we’re able to earn the majority back, we want to do so to renew our efforts for a smaller, less costly and more accountable government here in Washington, D.C.’”
DeMint’s Campaign Rift With Leaders Persists
CQ reports: “Senate Republican leaders and Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) are quietly waging a battle over campaign strategy even as the two sides seek to show a united front after a divisive primary season. Although the National Republican Senatorial Committee has begun spending millions of dollars on Senate candidates whom DeMint backed in the primary, South Carolina’s junior Senator remains dissatisfied with NRSC strategy in a handful of races. DeMint is taking what he deems corrective action by spending money in such races, drawing funds from his Senate Conservatives Fund political action committee and his own personal re-election account.”
Dems Showing Signs Of Midterm Angst On Legislative Agenda
The Hill reports: “Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is getting pushback from Democratic colleagues balking at the legislative agenda he set for the weeks before Election Day. Several Democratic senators have questioned the wisdom of voting on the military’s ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy and a scaled-down version of immigration reform, known as the DREAM Act.”
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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