TPMDC Diane Wood
Supreme Court
Top Strategist Advises GOP To Prolong SCOTUS Fight To Block Obama Agenda
Brian Beutler | May 10, 2010, 12:00PM
Curt Levey
Liberals have been warning President Obama for weeks that Republicans and conservative activists would fight and seek to delay confirmation of his Supreme Court nominee no matter whom he picked. Turns out they were right.
In an April 22 conference call with RNC members, which was recorded and passed my way by a source, activist Curt Levey, director of the conservative Committee for Justice, offered Republican operatives candid strategic advice, pressing them to put up a fight against even the most moderate of judges, and providing a glimpse of the GOP's playbook for obstructing Obama nominees.
The crux of the GOP's strategy is to use Obama's nominee to wedge vulnerable Democratic senators away from the party, and drag the confirmation fight out until the August congressional recess, to eat up precious time Democrats need to round out their agenda.
Topics: Barack Obama, Climate Change, Curt Levey, Democrats, Diane Wood, Elena Kagan, Filibuster, Immigration, Ken Salazar, RNC, Republicans, Senate, Supreme Court
2010 elections
TPMDC Saturday Roundup
Eric Kleefeld | May 8, 2010, 1:10PM
Obama: 'This Is What Health Care Reform Is Achieving'
In this weekend's YouTube address, President Obama promoted the benefits that he said the new health care reform law has already achieved.
"I've said before that implementing health insurance reform won't happen overnight, and it will require some tweaks and changes along the way. Ultimately, we'll have a system that provides more control for consumers, more accountability for insurance companies, and more affordable choices for uninsured Americans," said Obama. "But already, we are seeing how reform is improving the lives of millions of Americans. Already, we are watching small businesses learn that they will soon pay less for health care. We are seeing retirees realize they'll be able to keep their coverage and seniors realize they'll be able to afford their prescriptions. We're seeing consumers get a break from unfair rate hikes, patients get the care they need when they need it, and young adults get the security of knowing they can start off life with one less cost to worry about. At long last, this is what health care reform is achieving."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS (6) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 2010 elections, Barack Obama, Diane Wood, Dick Durbin, Elena Kagan, Financial Reform, Joe Biden, Merrick Garland, Michelle Obama, Richard Shelby, Supreme Court vacancy
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Eric Kleefeld | May 5, 2010, 9:00AM
Israel Sees Talks Failing As George Mitchell Meets Netanyahu
U.S. Middle East Envoy George Mitchell is set to meet today with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. At the same time, the Israeli government is openly predicting that indirect talks with the Palestinians would fail. "This won't work ... indirect talks, proximity talks will not yield results," said Intelligence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor, in remarks published in the Jerusalem Post.
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will receive the presidential daily briefing at 10 a.m. ET, and meet at 10:30 a.m. ET with senior advisers. He will meet at 11:15 a.m. ET with Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-AZ), and at 11:45 a.m. ET with Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT). At 1:30 p.m. ET, he will deliver remarks and sign the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act. At 6 p.m. ET, he will deliver remarks at a Cinco de Mayo reception.
Topics: Barack Obama, Dan Burton, Diane Wood, Financial Reform, George Mitchell, Israel, Roundup, Supreme Court, Supreme Court vacancy, Tea Party, Terrorism
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Eric Kleefeld | April 22, 2010, 8:57AM
Geithner: If Banks Mess Up In The Future, 'Dismember Them'
In an interview with ABC News, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner explained the goals of financial reform. "Our view is that we need to make sure that you're limiting how big they can get and how risky that they can get," said Geithner. "But if, in the future, if they mess up and they take themselves to the edge of the cliff again, then we want to make sure we can put them out of existence, dismember them, break them up safely without the American taxpayer having to bail them out again"
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will depart from the White House at 10 a.m. ET, and from Andrews Air Force Base at 10:15 a.m. ET, arriving at 11:10 a.m. ET in New York City. He will deliver remarks on Wall Street reform at 11:55 a.m. ET, at Cooper Union. He will depart from New York City at 1:05 p.m. ET, arriving back at Andrews Air Force Base at 2 p.m. ET, and at the White House at 2:15 p.m. ET. He will meet at 3:30 p.m. ET with Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner He will deliver remarks at an Earth Day reception in the Rose Garden, at 5:30 p.m. ET.
Topics: Barack Obama, Diane Wood, Financial Reform, Joe Biden, Roundup, Sarah Palin, Supreme Court, Supreme Court vacancy, Ted Kennedy, VAT
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Eric Kleefeld | April 19, 2010, 9:02AM
Obama Health Team Turns to Carrying Out Law
The New York Times profiles the Obama administration officials whose job it will now be to put the new health care reform law into practice: "Jay Angoff, a longtime consumer advocate and nemesis of the insurance industry, will lead efforts to regulate insurers and insurance markets. Jeanne M. Lambrew, an idealistic veteran of the Clinton White House, is carrying out provisions of the law aimed at expanding coverage. And Phyllis C. Borzi, a top Labor Department official, will police the conduct of employers, who provide health benefits to more than 150 million Americans. Their task is to translate the promise of the law into reality, with help from the private sector, if possible."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will meet at 12:30 p.m. ET with senior advisers. He will meet at 1 p.m. ET with Sudan Special Envoy General Scott Gration. He will depart from the White House at 3 p.m. ET, and from Andrews Air Force Base at 3:15 p.m. ET, arriving in Los Angeles at 8:25 p.m. ET. He will deliver remarks at a 9 p.m. ET fundraising reception for Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and the DNC, at another fundraising event for Boxer and the DNC at 9:40 p.m. ET, and at a fundraising dinner for Boxer and the DNC at 11:45 p.m. ET.
Topics: 2010 elections, Barack Obama, Diane Wood, Financial Reform, Health Care, Joe Biden, Ron Paul, Roundup, Sarah Palin, Supreme Court, Susan Collins, Tea Party, Timothy Geithner
Roundup
TPMDC Saturday Roundup
Eric Kleefeld | April 17, 2010, 12:58PM
Obama: McConnell Making 'Cynical And Deceptive Assertion' About Financial Reform
In this weekend's YouTube address, President Obama put forward his case for the proposed new financial regulations. And he went after Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) for working with Wall Street firms to block the proposals.
"Now, unsurprisingly, these reforms have not exactly been welcomed by the people who profit from the status quo - as well their allies in Washington. This is probably why the special interests have spent a lot of time and money lobbying to kill or weaken the bill. Just the other day, in fact, the Leader of the Senate Republicans and the Chair of the Republican Senate campaign committee met with two dozen top Wall Street executives to talk about how to block progress on this issue," said Obama. "Lo and behold, when he returned to Washington, the Senate Republican Leader came out against the common-sense reforms we've proposed. In doing so, he made the cynical and deceptive assertion that reform would somehow enable future bailouts - when he knows that it would do just the opposite."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS (11) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 2010 elections, Barack Obama, Census, Diane Wood, Elena Kagan, Eric Cantor, Financial Reform, Fiscal Commission, Harry Reid, Jeb Hensarling, Mitch McConnell, Roundup, Supreme Court
Supreme Court
Conservative Operative: Everything Depends On Who Obama Nominates
Justin Elliott | April 9, 2010, 11:17AM
Curt Levey
Reacting to the retirement announcement of Justice John Paul Stevens, a conservative operative who was one of the fiercest critics of Sonia Sotomayor tells TPMDC that he believes President Obama is in a weaker position now that he was fresh off the election last summer -- and that he will pick a "moderate" for the court.
Curt Levey, executive director of the Committee for Justice, tells TPMDC: "We'll certainly be involved one way or another. As the loyal opposition I'm sure we'll point out what we see as the weaknesses" of any Obama nominee.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS (39) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Barack Obama, Curt Levey, Diane Wood, John Paul Stevens, Merrick Garland, Pamela Karlan, Sonia Sotomayor, Supreme Court
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