TPMDC Pete Rouse
Barack Obama
Hill Democrats Pleased With Daley's Diminished Role
Congressional Democrats weren't surprised Tuesday to learn, in a story first reported by the Wall Street Journal, that White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley had handed a big chunk of his portfolio over to senior adviser -- and former acting Chief of Staff -- Pete Rouse. Indeed, they've been living under the new regime for several weeks, and according to one highly placed Senate Democratic aide the improvement has been self evident.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: American Jobs Act, Barack Obama, Bill Daley, Democrats, Economy, Harry Reid, Jobs, John Boehner, Nancy Pelosi, Pete Rouse, Rob Nabors, White House, William Daley
2010 elections
NYT Mag Interview: Here Comes Obama 2.0
President Obama on the way to George Mason University
The New York Times Magazine is up with this weekend's massive interview with President Obama by the paper's Peter Baker. The story in a nutshell? Obama is ready to reboot after a tough first two years in office.
From the story:
While proud of his record, Obama has already begun thinking about what went wrong -- and what he needs to do to change course for the next two years. He has spent what one aide called "a lot of time talking about Obama 2.0" with his new interim chief of staff, Pete Rouse, and his deputy chief of staff, Jim Messina. During our hour together, Obama told me he had no regrets about the broad direction of his presidency. But he did identify what he called "tactical lessons." He let himself look too much like "the same old tax-and-spend liberal Democrat." He realized too late that "there's no such thing as shovel-ready projects" when it comes to public works. Perhaps he should not have proposed tax breaks as part of his stimulus and instead "let the Republicans insist on the tax cuts" so it could be seen as a bipartisan compromise.
Here are some highlights from the transcript of Baker's long interview with the President.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 2008 campaign, 2010 elections, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Judd Gregg, New York Times, Paul Ryan, Pete Rouse
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
GOP Eyes Potential Defectors
CQ reports: "House Republicans are already examining which Democrats might want to switch parties after Nov. 2 and are mapping out a strategy for how to persuade them to make the leap. Republican aides and lobbyists said there are a handful of Democratic Members whom GOP leaders plan to target, with Member-to-Member conversations beginning immediately after the midterm elections. Incentives for switching sides could include a leadership-level position or seat on a powerful committee such as Appropriations or Ways and Means."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will receive the presidential daily briefing at 10:30 a.m. ET. He will tour a small business in Bladensburg, Maryland, at 11:25 a.m. ET, and deliver remarks on the monthly jobs numbers at 11:40 a.m. ET. He will meet with senior advisers at 1:40 p.m. ET, at the White House. At 2:05 p.m. ET, he will sign the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010.
Topics: 2010 elections, Barack Obama, House '10, Joe Biden, John Boehner, Pete Rouse, Roundup
Roundup
TPMDC Saturday Roundup
Obama: GOP Wants To Shut Down Clean Energy
In this weekend's YouTube address, President Obama touted his administration's work in promoting solar power projects in the United States.
"Now there are some in Washington who want to shut them down. In fact, in the Pledge they recently released, the Republican leadership is promising to scrap all the incentives for clean energy projects, including those currently underway - even with all the jobs and potential that they hold," said Obama. "This doesn't make sense for our economy. It doesn't make sense for Americans who are looking for jobs. And it doesn't make sense for our future. To go backwards and scrap these plans means handing the competitive edge to China and other nations. It means that we'll grow even more dependent on foreign oil. And, at a time of economic hardship, it means forgoing jobs we desperately need. In fact, shutting down just this one project would cost about a thousand jobs."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 2010 elections, Barack Obama, Bush Tax Cuts, Jim DeMint, Mitch McConnell, Pete Rouse, Roundup
White House
Emotional Rahm Emanuel Chokes Up As He Departs White House (VIDEO)
Rahm Emanuel is known more for cursing than kind words, but he choked up today as he addressed West Wing staffers for a final speech announcing his departure from the White House.
Rahm said he knows he's supposed to be "tough" but talked about the honor he feels it has been working for President Obama. He said Obama has tackled massive challenges and credited the president with rescuing the economy from freefall. You can watch the video below.
[TPM SLIDESHOW: So Rahm, Farewell: A Salute To Rahm Emanuel's Time In Washington]
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 2011 Elections, Barack Obama, CHI-MAYOR, Pete Rouse, Rahm Emanuel, White House
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Rahm's Replacement Pete Rouse Known As 'Fixer'
The Washington Post reports: "Few people outside Washington, and not many inside, have heard the name Pete Rouse. The man President Obama will name as his interim White House chief of staff on Friday is a quiet political player who avoids the spotlight. He does not suit up for the Sunday talk shows; there are no stories about him reducing staff members to tears for their slip-ups. He is in many ways the opposite of Rahm Emanuel, the brash chief of staff he will replace."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will receive the presidential daily briefing at 10 a.m. ET. He will make a personnel announcement at 11:05 a.m. ET, on the new White House Chief of Staff. He will meet at 11:30 a.m. ET with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. He will attend Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan's Investiture Ceremony at 2 p.m. ET. He will receive the economic daily briefing at 3:20 p.m. ET. He will meet with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates at 4 p.m. ET.
Topics: 2010 elections, Barack Obama, House '10, Joe Biden, John Boehner, Pete Rouse, Rahm Emanuel, Roundup, Senate '10
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