Roundup

TPMDC Sunday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | April 10, 2011, 1:09PM

Ryan: Budget Deal 'Really Still A Drop In The Bucket'
Appearing on Meet The Press, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) said of the budget deal: "Well, we're here because the Democrats didn't pass a budget last year. I mean, for the first time since 1974, the House didn't even bother to try passing a budget last year. So that's why we're here. Now, I feel like we had a pretty good outcome. We represented one-third of the negotiators, but we got two-thirds of the spending cuts we were asking for. This is really still a drop in the bucket. We want to move from talking about saving billions of dollars to going on to saving trillions of dollars."

Plouffe: Ryan Plan 'Not Going To Become Law'
Appearing on Meet The Press, White House senior adviser David Plouffe was asked whether Rep. Paul Ryan's (R-WI) budget plan was dead on arrival. "It may pass the House. It's not going to become law," said Plouffe. "I--and I don't think the American people are going to sign up for something that puts most of the burden on the middle class, people trying to go to college, on senior citizens, while not just asking nothing of the wealthy, giving them at least a $200,000 tax cut. So that's a choice you're making."

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Roundup

TPMDC Sunday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | April 3, 2011, 1:16PM

Reid: 'Wait And See' On Arming Libyan Rebels
Appearing on Face The Nation, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said that the United States should hold off on arming the Libyan rebels for now. "I spoke to the president yesterday about this, President Obama, and I think at this stage we really don't know who the leaders of this rebel group is," said Reid. He also added: "We have others, as [Defense] Secretary Gates has said, that can do it more easily than we can. So I think at this stage let's just wait and see."

Graham: 'I'm Ready To Look At Arming Them'
Appearing on Face The Nation, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) was more positive on arming the Libyan rebels. "I'm ready to look at arming them to help themselves," said Graham. "We need American air power back into the site. We need to take the fight to Tripoli. Go after his inner circle. That's the way to end this war decisively and quickly. The strategy we have is going to lead to a stalemate. It needs to change. Help the rebels, take the fight to Tripoli. Get this thing over with. Qaddafi must go."

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Roundup

TPMDC Sunday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | March 20, 2011, 12:51PM

Saif Qaddafi 'Surprised' By Coalition Attack
Appearing on This Week, Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi's son Saif Qaddafi said the country was "surprised" by the multi-national air strikes on the country. "Step aside, why?" said the younger Qaddafi. "Again, there is a big misunderstanding. The whole country is united against the armed militia and the terrorists. Simply the Americans and the other Western countries, you are supporting the terrorists and the armed militia. That's it."

Mullen: Qaddafi's Future "Difficult To Know"
Appearing on Face the Nation, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen said of Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi: "He's a thug, he's a cagey guy, he's a survivor. We know that. So it's difficult to know exactly how it comes out, but in the immediate future we're very focused on protecting, providing the environment in which the Libyan civilians cannot be massacred by him and that there can be humanitarian relief and particularly in and around Benghazi."

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Roundup

TPMDC Sunday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | June 27, 2010, 1:19PM

Sessions: 'It's Conceivable A Filibuster Might Occur' Against Kagan
Appearing on Face The Nation, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) did not rule out a filibuster against the Supreme Court nomination of Elena Kagan. "I think the first thing we need to decide is, is she committed to the rule of law even if she may not like the law?" Sessions said. "Will she as a judge subordinate herself to the Constitution and keep her political views at bay? And then secondly, if things come out to indicate she's so far outside the mainstream, it's conceivable a filibuster might occur."

Leahy: If Obama Had Nominated Moses, Some Would Say He Hasn't Produced A Birth Certificate
Appearing on Face The Nation, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) joked that Republican lines have already been drawn against any Supreme Court nomination by President Obama: "It's reached the point that if [Obama] had nominated Moses the law giver, some would have said we can't have him because among other things he hasn't produced a birth certificate."

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Roundup

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | June 22, 2010, 10:27AM

Today: Key Primaries
Voters are headed to the polls in primaries today in North Carolina, Mississippi, South Carolina and Utah. The polls will close in South Carolina at 7 p.m. ET, in North Carolina at 7:30 p.m. ET, in Mississippi at 8 p.m. ET, and in Utah at 10 p.m. ET.

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama and Vice President Biden will received the presidential daily briefing at 9:30 a.m. ET. Obama will attend an 11:15 a.m. ET meeting with health insurers and state insurance commissioners, and deliver remarks at 11:45 p.m. ET on the ongoing effort to implement the new health care reform law. Obama and Biden will have lunch at 12:20 p.m. ET. Obama will meet with senior advisers at 1:35 p.m. ET. He will meet with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates at 3:15 p.m. ET. Obama will hold a Cabinet Meeting at 4 p.m. Et. Obama and Biden will attend a 6 p.m. ET LGBT Pride Month event, where Obama will deliver remarks.

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Roundup

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | June 9, 2010, 11:01AM

Gates: Public Will Not Tolerate 'Perception of Stalemate' In Afghanistan
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said that progress must be made in Afghanistan, in order to maintain support of the mission. "If we are making progress and its clear that we have the right strategy then I think the people will be patient," Gates said. "The one thing think none of the publics, ... including the American public, will tolerate is the perception of stalemate in which we're losing young men."

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama received the presidential daily briefing at 9:45 a.m. ET, and the economic daily briefing at 10:15 a.m. ET. He will meet at 11 a.m. ET with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. He will receive a briefing at 2 p.m. ET on the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

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Roundup

TPMDC Sunday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | May 16, 2010, 1:14PM

Kyl: I Don't Think Kagan Represents 'Extreme Circumstances' For Filibuster
Appearing on Face The Nation, Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-AZ) said that Elena Kagan's nomination for the Supreme Court would not be filibustered. "I don't think so," he said. "The filibuster should be relegated to the extreme circumstances, and I don't think Elena Kagan represents that."

Feinstein Dismisses 'Gingrich Hyperbole'
Appearing on Face The Nation, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) rebutted former Speaker Newt Gingrich's (R-GA) call for the Senate to oppose Elena Kagan's nomination on the grounds that she is "disqualified from the very beginning" due to her policies on military recruiters at Harvard. Feinstein called it "nonsense. I think it's Gingrich hyperbole. I hope no one would fall for that."

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Roundup

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | April 16, 2010, 9:05AM

Obama Extends Health Care Visitation Rights To Gay Couples
President Obama has ordered the Department of Health And Human Services to draft rules requiring that hospitals receiving Medicare and Medicaid funding grant all patients the ability to designate people who can visit with them and consult on medical decisions -- a move aimed at guaranteeing health care visitation rights to same-sex couples. In his statement, Obama said: "all too often, people are made to suffer or even to pass away alone, denied the comfort of companionship in their final moments while a loved one is left worrying and pacing down the hall."

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama and Vice President Biden will receive the presidential daily briefing at 9:30 a.m. ET. Obama will deliver remarks at 10:15 a.m. ET, at the White House Conference on America's Great Outdoors. Obama will meet at 11 a.m. ET with his national security team on Afghanistan and Pakistan. Obama and Biden will have lunch at 12:45 p.m. ET. Obama and Biden will meet at 1:30 p.m. ET with the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board.

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Roundup

TPMDC Sunday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | April 11, 2010, 1:10PM

Leahy: Current Supreme Court: 'Most Activist Court In My Lifetime'
Appearing on Meet The Press, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) took aim at Republican rhetoric about the Supreme Court, with Leahy charging that the current conservative court are the activist judges: "This is a very, very activist court, the most activist court in my lifetime. They rewrote the law to say that--so they said that women could be paid less than men. They rewrote the law to say that age discrimination laws won't apply if corporate interests don't want them to. They rewrote the law to give ExxonMobil a $2 billion windfall. And they rewrote the law to say that corporations could come in and meddle in elections in this, in this country."

Sessions: GOP Would Filibuster Somebody Like Goodwin Liu
Appearing on Meet The Press, Sen. Jeff Sessions was asked about the possibility of a filibuster of the upcoming Supreme Court nominee: "I promise a fair hearing, and I, I promise that the nominee will have a chance to explain any criticisms that are raised. But if a nominee is, is one that is so activist like Goodwin Liu that's just been nominated, who's written that, that the Constitution requires welfare and health care to individuals, if it's somebody like that, clearly outside the mainstream, then I think every power should be utilized to protect the Constitution. We'll not confirm somebody like that."

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Roundup

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | March 29, 2010, 8:58AM

Obama's Afghanistan Trip Kept Secret
Reuters reports that President Obama's trip to Afghanistan was kept shrouded in secrecy: "For security reasons, the trip was cloaked in secrecy. He arrived at night and left while it was still dark. Reporters were barred from telling anyone where they were going on Saturday evening as they made their way to Andrews Air Force Base, where the presidential aircraft is housed."

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will arrive back at Andrews Air Force Base at 9 a.m. ET, and at the White House at 9:15 a.m. ET, after his surprise trip to Afghanistan. He will participate in a 4 p.m. ET credentialing ceremony for foreign ambassadors. At 6:30 p.m. ET, the President and First Lady will mark the beginning of Passover with a seder at the White House.

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Roundup

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | November 16, 2009, 9:01AM

Today: Palin On Oprah Winfrey
Sarah Palin's interview on the Oprah Winfrey show will be broadcast today. The interview was taped last week, and kicks off Palin's media tour for her new book, Going Rogue.

Obama's Day In China
President Obama visited U.S. Consulate employees and their families in Shanghai, China, at 10:20 a.m. local time (9:20 p.m. ET last night). He met at 11 a.m. local time with Party Secretary Yu Zheng Sheng and Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng, with a working lunch at 11:30 a.m. local time. He held a town hall meeting with Chinese leaders at 12:45 p.m. local time. He departed Shanghai at 2:40 p.m., arriving in Beijing at 4:50 p.m. He arrived at the Diaoyutai State Guest House at 6:30 p.m., and was greeted by President Hu Jintao. The two held a bilateral meeting at 6:35 p.m, and had dinner at 7 p.m.

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Sonia Sotomayor

Sotomayor Vote Delayed Until July 28

Rachel Slajda | July 21, 2009, 11:45AM

The Senate Judiciary Committee will vote on Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation to the Supreme Court on July 28, a week from today. The vote was originally scheduled for today, but Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) granted a delay request made by Republicans.

Leahy reportedly said he was disappointed in the stall, but still expects her to be on the bench for the Supreme Court's fall session. Sen. Jeff Sessions, the committee's ranking Republican, said he expects Sotomayor to be confirmed by early August.

In other news, Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine has announced she will vote for Sotomayor's confirmation. She is the fourth Republican to do so, after Olympia Snowe, Richard Lugar and Mel Martinez.

Jeff Sessions

Sessions to Sotomayor: I Will Not Support A Filibuster Of Your Nomination

Brian Beutler | July 16, 2009, 3:32PM

Earlier today, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, made it pretty clear that Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor will not be filibustered.

"I will not support--and I don't think any member of this side will support--a filibuster or any attempt to block a vote on your nomination."

That's even farther than Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) was willing to go yesterday. Obviously other senators will do what they'll do, but it seems that, despite all the flame throwing, if Sessions has his way, Sotomayor will be confirmed before the August recess.

John McCain

TPMDC Sunday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | July 12, 2009, 1:20PM

Palin Plans To Stay Involved In Politics
Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) told the Washington Times that she'll be staying involved in politics: "I will go around the country on behalf of candidates who believe in the right things, regardless of their party label or affiliation." She did not rule out a presidential campaign in the future. "I'm not ruling out anything - it is the way I have lived my life from the youngest age," she said. "Let me peek out there and see if there's an open door somewhere. And if there's even a little crack of light, I'll hope to plow through it."

McCain: Palin Will Continue To Be A Major Factor
Appearing on Meet The Press, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) was asked about Sarah Palin's resignation. "Obviously I was a bit surprised, but I wasn't shocked," said McCain. "I love and respect her and her family, I'm grateful that she agreed to run with me." He added: "I'm confident that she will be a major factor in the national scene and in Alaska as well."

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Sonia Sotomayor

Puerto Rican Legal Organization Smacks Down Republican 'Guilt By Association' Attacks

Brian Beutler | July 8, 2009, 11:47AM

Last week, we noted that conservatives were mining hundreds of pages of documents, released by LatinoJustice PRLDEF (formerly the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund), related to Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor's tenure on the organization's board of directors.

Sotomayor's opponents have sought to tie the group's legal defense of minorities to her decision as a judge on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in Ricci v. Destefano--a decision conservatives contend was unfair to white people. Of the many problems with that strategy, the biggest is probably that PRLDEF board members don't do litigation. Its leaders made that clear in a letter to Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL)--ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee--who's been the most prominent Republican to object to Sotomayor's affiliation with the organization.

"Neither the Board as a whole nor any individual member selects litigation to be undertaken or controls ongoing litigation," the letter reads.

In fact, ABA Model Code 6.03 provides that Board members have no attorney-client relationship with the clients of a legal services organization and therefore do not control the activities of staff lawyers in individual cases. The Board's role is thus limited to overall policy questions such as whether to emphasize employment, housing, or education. Operational decisions were and are appropriately delegated to the organization's President and General Counsel; the President reported generally on the organization's docket at Board meetings. Judge Sotomayor, and the full Board, understood their advisory role and did not step outside of that role. Understanding this factual context, we hope you will see that your description that "Judge Sotomayor served in senior leadership roles" at PRLDEF is a mischaracterization.

You can read the letter in full here. Democrats will cite it on the Senate floor today, in advance of Sotomayor's confirmation hearings, which begin next week.

Al Franken

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | July 7, 2009, 9:00AM

Franken Being Sworn In Today
Sen.-elect Al Franken (D-MN) will be sworn into office today by Vice President Biden, at about noon. This ends a Senate race that lasted eight months beyond Election Day itself, and involved six months of litigation after the State Canvassing Board had completed the recount. Franken will take office six months plus one day after he would have been sworn in with the other Senators who were elected in 2008, if not for the sheer closeness of his race and the resulting litigation.

Obama's Day In Russia
President Obama had a working breakfast in Moscow with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, at 1 a.m. ET (9 a.m. local time). At 3 a.m. ET, he met with former President Mikhail Gorbachev. AT 3:15 a.m. ET, he delivered the commencement address for the 2009 graduation of the New Economic School. At 5:40 a.m. ET, he met one-on-one with President Dmitry Medvedev, and he and First Lady Michelle Obama attended a reception hosted by Medvedev at 6:10 a.m. ET. At 7:25 a.m. ET, Obama and Medvedev met with the Parallel Business Summit, and Obama met with the Parallel Civil Society Summit at 8:20 a.m. ET. AT 9:35 a.m ET, Obama will meet with Russian opposition leaders.

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