Roundup

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | November 4, 2009, 9:01AM

GOP's Hopes Rekindled, But Internal Arguments Could Continue
The New York Times reports that the mixed election results from last night -- with Republicans winning solidly in the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial races, but losing the NY-23 special election -- will simultaneously rekindle the GOP's hopes and continue arguments about the party's direction. "Conservatives can win when they emphasize the right things and don't allow their message to get co-opted," said former Michigan GOP chairman Saul Anuzis. "The Democrats and some of their friends in the media attempt to paint all conservatives as fire-breathing cavemen."

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will participate in a 10:30 a.m. ET credentialing ceremony for foreign ambassadors. He will depart the White House at 11:15 a.m. ET, arriving at 1:30 p.m. ET in Madison, Wisconsin. He and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will meet with students at Wright Middle School at 2 p.m. ET, and Obama will deliver remarks on strengthening the education system at 2:30 p.m. ET. He will depart from Madison at 3:55 p.m. ET, arriving back at the White House at 5:55 p.m. ET. He and the First Lady will host an event at 7:15 p.m. ET, celebrating classical music.

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Roundup

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | November 3, 2009, 9:00AM

Today: The 2009 Elections
Today is Election Day in the Virginia gubernatorial race, the New Jersey gubernatorial election, the NY-23 special House election and other local races. The polls will close in Virginia at 7 p.m. ET, in New Jersey at 8 p.m. ET, and in New York at 9 p.m. ET. TPM will be live-blogging and keeping a scoreboard of the results.

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will meet at 9:10 a.m. ET with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. He will meet at 11:25 a.m. ET with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. At 2:40 p.m. ET, he will participate in the U.S.-European Union Summit. At 4:30 p.m. ET, he and Vice President Biden will meet with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. He will meet at 5:15 p.m. ET with Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR).

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Roundup

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | November 2, 2009, 9:01AM

Hillary: U.S. Opposes Israeli Settlements
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is meeting today with several Arab foreign ministers, in an effort to restart peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians. Clinton reiterated the administration's opposition to continued Israeli settlements: "Successive American administrations of both parties have opposed Israel's settlement policy. That is absolutely a fact, and the Obama administration's position on settlements is clear, unequivocal and it has not changed."

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will have his daily briefing at 10 a.m. Et. He will meet at 11:10 a.m. ET with the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board. He will meet at 2 p.m. ET with Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt. He will meet at 3 p.m. ET with senior advisers.

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Bill Clinton

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | September 22, 2009, 9:00AM

Bill Clinton: Some Right-Wingers Don't Want Black President -- But Would Be Opposing Obama If He Were White, Too
Appearing last night on Larry King Live, former President Bill Clinton weighed in on the question of whether racism has motivated opposition to President Obama, saying that Democrats ultimately have to win the health care debate on the merits. "I believe that some of the right-wing extremists which oppose President Obama are also racially prejudiced and would prefer not to have an African-American president," said Clinton. "But I don't believe that all the people who oppose him on health care - and all the conservatives - are racists. And I believe if he were white, every single person who opposes him now, would be opposing him then."

Obama's Day Ahead: Diplomacy
President Obama will deliver remarks at 9:15 a.m. ET, at U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's Climate Change Summit. He will meet at 10:30 a.m. ET with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and at 11 a.m. ET with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. He will then hold a trilateral meeting at 11:30 a.m. ET with Netanyahu and Abbas. At 1:15 p.m. ET, he will attend a lunch with Sub-Saharan African heads of state, and at 3:30 p.m. ET he will meet with President Hu of China AT 5:15 p.m. ET, he will speak at the Clinton Global Initiative, and at 7 p.m. ET he will attend Secretary General Ban's Climate Change Summit Dinner.

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Barack Obama

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | July 31, 2009, 9:02AM

Beer Summit Goes Down Smoothly, Participants Agree To Have Lunch
The "Beer Summit" of President Obama, Harvard Prof. Henry Louis Gates and Cambridge Sergeant James Crowley appeared to conclude successfully yesterday -- with the three of them agreeing to meet again for lunch at a later time. Gates gave this very memorable line: "We hit it off right from the beginning. When he's not arresting you, Sergeant Crowley is a really likable guy."

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will meet with business leaders at 12 p.m. ET. He will meet with Vice President Biden and Sec. of State Hillary Clinton at 3:30 p.m. ET. Obama and Biden will host a meeting with member of the Cabinet at 6:15 p.m. ET at Blair House, and they will return to the White House at 10 p.m. ET.

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Barack Obama

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | June 10, 2009, 9:01AM

Mitchell: Obama Administration Committed To Palestinian State
George Mitchell, the White House Special Envoy on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, said today after meeting with Palestinian officials that Washington is committed to the creation of a Palestinian state, saying that Obama considered it "the only viable resolution to this conflict...for the aspirations of both sides to be met through two states." He also said the Administration will be seeking "prompt resumption and early conclusion" of peace talks.

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will have lunch with Vice President Biden at 12 p.m. ET. At 4 p.m. ET, Obama will meet with Sec. of the Treasury Tim Geithner. At 4:45 p.m. ET, Obama and Biden will meet with with Sec. of State Hillary Clinton.

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Barack Obama

TPMDC Saturday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | June 6, 2009, 1:03PM

Obama YouTube: Health Care Must Be Fixed
In his weekly Presidential YouTube Address, President Obama discussed his proposals for health care -- and the urgency to get a new reform bill passed:

"Simply put, the status quo is broken. We cannot continue this way," said Obama. "If we do nothing, everyone's health care will be put in jeopardy. Within a decade, we'll spend one dollar out of every five we earn on health care - and we'll keep getting less for our money. That's why fixing what's wrong with our health care system is no longer a luxury we hope to achieve - it's a necessity we cannot postpone any longer."

Sessions Decries "Empathy Standard" For Judges
In this weekend's Republican YouTube, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), the lead Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, discussed the pending nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court -- and warned against an "empathy standard" in law:

"I hope that the American people will engage in this nomination process and follow it closely. They should learn about the issues, and listen to both sides of the argument. And, at the end of the day, ask: 'If I must one day go to court, what kind of judge do I want to hear my case?" said Sessions. "'Do I want a judge that allows his or her social, political, or religious views to impact the outcome? Or, do I want a judge that objectively applies the law to the facts, and fairly rules on the merits?' That is the central question around which this entire nomination process will revolve."

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Barack Obama

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | June 5, 2009, 9:00AM

Obama Calls For Increased Efforts For Two-State Solution
In a press conference earlier today, alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel, President Obama called for the international community to increase its efforts towards a two-state solution in the Israeli-Palestinian disputes. "I think the moment is now for us to act on what we all know to be the truth," said Obama, "which is each side is going to have to make some difficult compromises."

Obama's Day In Germany
President Obama arrived at Dresden Castle at 2:55 a.m. ET (8:55 a.m. local time), and held a bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at 3 a.m. ET, then meeting with an expanded German delegation at 3:15 a.m. ET. At 4:10 a.m. ET, Obama and Merkel held a press conference, and then toured Church of Our Lady at 4:45 a.m. ET. Obama will tour Buchenwald Concentration Camp at 9:15 a.m. ET, and will then make a statement to the press at 10:05 a.m. ET. He will visit Landstuhl Regional Medical Center at 11:50 a.m. ET. He will depart from Ramstein Air base at 2:30 p.m. ET, en route to Paris, France.

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Israel/Palestine

Gallup: Arab World's Opinion Of U.S. Leaders Has Improved Since Last Year -- But Still Low

Eric Kleefeld | June 2, 2009, 5:58PM

A new polling analysis from Gallup shows that as President Obama prepares to tour the Middle East, the Arab world now has significantly higher approval of the U.S. leadership than they did last year under George W. Bush -- though it's still far from being a thumbs-up.

In Egypt, the approval rating of the American leadership rating last year was only six percent, to 74% disapproval -- a number that has now gone up to 25%-52%. Saudi Arabia has gone from 12%-81% last to 29%-52% now; and Syria from 4%-91% to 15%-71%, among others.

It hasn't been all positive, though. In the Palestinian Territories -- which have seen a lot of political strife thanks to the recent war with Israel -- things have gone from 13%-81% to 7%-80%.

From the pollster's analysis: "Gallup Polls show that Obama will deliver his message Thursday with an arguably stronger basis of support than his predecessor ever had in many Arab countries. Nonetheless, approval remains low and underscores the work that remains as Obama seeks to pave a new, more positive way forward."

Barack Obama

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | June 2, 2009, 9:00AM

Obama: Cheney "Happens To Be Wrong" On National Security
In an interview with National Public Radio, President Obama responded to Dick Cheney, saying that while Cheney has every right to speak up on national security, "He also happens to be wrong, right?" Obama added: "Last time, immediately after his last speech, I think there was a fact check on his speech that didn't get a very good grade."

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will be meeting with Senate Democrats at 2:30 p.m. ET in the State Dining Room, to discuss health care reform. At 3:45 p.m. ET, he will sign the Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission Act. At 4:15 p.m. ET, he will meet in the Oval Office with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. At 6:45 p.m. ET, he will depart from the White House, heading for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

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Sonia Sotomayor

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | May 28, 2009, 9:00AM

WaPo: Sotomayor Has Experience With Tough Confirmations
The Washington Post looks back at Sonia Sotomayor's 1997 confirmation hearings to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, which was a contentious process due to rumors that she could later be nominated for the Supreme Court. Sotomayor performed strongly, the Post says, though interestingly enough there was a tense exchange with Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) -- now the head Republican on the Judiciary Committee -- over an apology she gave to a convicted defendant who was given a mandatory five-year sentence.

Obama's Day Ahead: Meeting With Mahmoud Abbas, And Hillary Clinton
President Obama will be leaving Los Angeles at 10:35 a.m. ET, and is scheduled to arrive back at the White House at 3:15 p.m. ET. At 4 p.m. ET, he will have a one-on-one meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the Oval Office. They will hold an expanded meeting at 4:45 p.m. ET. At 5:30 p.m. ET, Obama will meet in the Oval Office with Sec. of State Hillary Clinton.

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Barack Obama

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | April 24, 2009, 9:01AM

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.

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Barack Obama

Both Surprising and Subtle

Matthew Cooper | March 10, 2009, 6:04PM

Hmmm? Where would Chuck Schumer come down on the withdrawal of Chas Freeman? In the shy and retiring style which Brooklynites and all New Yorkers know so well, the Senior Senator declared:

Charles Freeman was the wrong guy for this position. His statements against Israel were way over the top and severely out of step with the administration. I repeatedly urged the White House to reject him, and I am glad they did the right thing.

I will confess to being a total agnostic on Freeman's appointment to the National Intelligence Council. My friend James Fallows made a good case for him as did my boss, Josh Marshall. My former New Republic colleague and friend, Jonathan Chait, made the case against him here. All are pretty thoughtful looks at the guy, unlike Schumer's I-told-you-so.

Israel/Palestine

Leahy Likens Palestinians to His Irish Ancestors, Urges Rejection of Kyl Amendment

Elana Schor | March 9, 2009, 6:44PM

I reported earlier today on Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl's (R-AZ) amendment to this week's 2009 spending bill, which appears to be directly inspired by a debunked internet rumor about plans to resettle Palestinian refugees in America.

Earlier today, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) gave a refreshingly candid speech urging rejection of the amendment and comparing today's everyday Palestinian citizens to his Irish ancestors, who were "hunted because they wouldn't renounce their religion" and concluding: "Thank goodness the United States had open arms for them."

A brief excerpt of Leahy's remarks is after the jump.

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Israel/Palestine

Is Kyl's Refugees Amendment Inspired by an Internet Rumor?

Elana Schor | March 9, 2009, 9:22AM

Republicans have won votes on a dozen of their amendments thanks to their successful filibuster of the $410 billion 2009 spending bill last week -- and one-quarter of that dozen were introduced by Sen. Jon Kyl (AZ), the second-ranked GOPer in the upper chamber.

Interestingly enough, all three of Kyl's amendments deal with U.S. policy towards Palestine at a time when signs are pointing to a possible unity government by Fatah and Hamas. The most eyebrow-raising of the three, however, is a bid to prevent any government money from being used to resettle Palestinian refugees from Gaza to America.

As the Mondoweiss blog explains, an Internet rumor making the rounds on the right has accused President Obama of signing an order to resettle hundreds of thousands of Hamas sympathizers in the U.S. ... without a grain of truth to it.

And even Kyl himself seems to acknowledge that his amendment is based on speculation, saying on the Senate floor last week that:

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Barack Obama

Revolutionary Road

Matthew Cooper | February 27, 2009, 9:45AM

The Conservative Poliitical Action Conference is brimming with colorful characters looking to ban gay marriage, legalize online poker, help Israel keep every inch of the west bank, and generally stir things up. These are a few of the people I spoke with yesterday at the CPAC meeting in Washington.

First, one of the many groups dedicated to putting the kibosh on gay marriage:

You wouldn't think of poker as a conservative issue, but one of the stars of professional poker, Greg "Fossilman" Raymer, is on the board of the Poker Players Alliance which seeks to legalize poker and its attendant gambling online and in parlors everywhere:

There were no shortage of defense-of-Israel groups, mostly with a conservative Christian bent. In fact, one of the more popular lapel pins at the convention is an Israeli and an American flag together. Here's what concerned one activist had to say:

Israel/Palestine

John Bolton: The Mustache Lives

Matthew Cooper | February 26, 2009, 1:08PM

If you imagine Paul McCartney at Shea Stadium in 1965 you have some idea of the reception that the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, gave John Bolton this morning. The former United Nations Ambassador packed the largest ballroom at Washington's Omni Shoreham Hotel and delivered a rousing speech filled with attacks on the Obama administration but also plenty of broadsides aimed at George W. Bush and Condoleeza Rice. He ripped the administration for ruling out the use of force to stop the Iranian nuclear program and he denounced the multilateral, six-party talks that the Bush administration initiated to thwart North Korea's nuclear ambitions. According to Bolton, the talks succeeded only in giving the Pyonyang regime another five years to perfect its nuclear program and strengthen its missile capacity.

He saved his strongest attacks for the Obama administration, saying that it had appeased Russia during the campaign when then Senator Obama called on both sides of the Russian-Georgian conflict over South Ossetia to show restraint. He condemned Hillary Clinton for not making more of human rights issues on her recent trip to Asia and said that the administration's diplomatic approaches to Iran and North Korea were only allowing both nations to fuel their nuclear ambitions.

When it comes to Israel, Bolton was especially hard on the administration saying that "for those who thought an Obama administration would be friendly to Israel, it's time to wake up." Bolton did show moderation on some fronts. When asked by an audience member whether the policies of the Obama administration would lead to an armed revolution in the United States, Bolton said that he only wanted "a revolution at the ballot box." After his address, Bolton went to the exhibit hall where a long line of fans stood in line for him to sign copies of his latest book.

Israel/Palestine

Two House Dems: If Gaza Devastation Happened in America, 'There Would Be National Outrage'

Elana Schor | February 20, 2009, 10:15AM

We reported yesterday on the three Democratic lawmakers who visited the Gaza Strip yesterday, becoming the first government representatives to touch down in the area in more than three years.

Two of the three, Reps. Brian Baird (WA) and Keith Ellison (MN), have released a longer statement on what they saw in Gaza. They make a powerful plea for greater U.S. recognition of the human toll exacted by last month's outbreak of violence between Gaza and Israel. From Baird and Ellison's release:

If this had happened in our own country, there would be national outrage and an appeal for urgent assistance. We are glad that the Obama administration acted quickly to send much needed funding for this effort but the arbitrary and unreasonable Israeli limitations on food and repair essentials is unacceptable and indefensible. People, innocent children, women and non-combatants, are going without water, food and sanitation, while the things they so desperately need are sitting in trucks at the border, being denied permission to go in.

The two Democrats will head to the Israeli side of the border today.

Israel/Palestine

Two House Dems Visit Gaza, Unsanctioned by White House

Elana Schor | February 19, 2009, 10:11AM

Reps. Brian Baird (D-WA) and Keith Ellison (D-MN) arrived in the Gaza Strip in recent hours, becoming the first U.S. governmental representatives to visit the region in more than three years, according to a joint release from their offices. (Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry [D-MA] was also visiting Gaza today as part of a broader regional swing.)

Baird and Ellison met with representatives of the Palestinian Authority, led by Mahmoud Abbas, but neither they nor Kerry will meet with Hamas, which has controlled Gaza since 2007. The House Dems' trip was not officially sanctioned by the Obama administration. Hopefully, however, it will mark the beginning of a greater recognition on Capitol Hill of the humanitarian costs the Palestinians have paid amid the ongoing conflict with Israel.

Israel/Palestine

Sixty House Dems Ask Clinton to Intercede in Gaza Crisis

Elana Schor | January 28, 2009, 3:56PM

In a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today, 60 House Democrats urged her to release emergency funds to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East to help rebuild the the Gaza Strip in the aftermath of its war with Israel. The letter focuses on the need to rebuild Gaza's demolished infrastructure and remedy the shortage of medical supplies that has sparked a "humanitarian emergency."

Full text is after the jump, with the names of the Democrats who signed on.

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