Ted Kennedy

TPMDC Morning Roundup

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

Kennedy Memoir Does Not Ignore Personal Lows
The New York Times reports that Ted Kennedy's upcoming memoir, True Compass, does not gloss over his personal flaws -- notably calling his behavior after his 1969 car accident, which killed Mary Jo Kopechne, "inexcusable." Kennedy also wrote: "I have enjoyed the company of women. I have enjoyed a stiff drink or two or three, and I've relished the smooth taste of a good wine. At times, I've enjoyed these pleasures too much. I've heard the tales about my exploits as a hell-raiser -- some accurate, some with a wisp of truth to them and some so outrageous that I can't imagine how anyone could really believe them."

Biden's Day Ahead
Vice President Biden will deliver a speech at 10 a.m. ET today from the Brookings Institution, on progress that has been made under the stimulus bill. He will spend the remainder of the day in private meetings at the White House.

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CIA/DNI/Intelligence

What Does Daschle Have in Common With Panetta?

Elana Schor | February 4, 2009, 2:05PM

Leon Panetta, nominated to become CIA director, has his confirmation hearing tomorrow in the Senate intelligence committee. As we reported last month, initial resistance to his nomination from Democrats has faded into the background -- but that doesn't mean the GOP won't try to make Panetta's ride as bumpy as possible.

Which brings me to the answer to the question posed above: the common thread between Daschle and Panetta is Catherine Reynolds, the student-loan mogul whose ties to the now-withdrawn health secretary nominee first slowed his roll last month.

As the WSJ reports today, Reynolds -- still the subject of a Senate Finance Committee investigation into her company's tax status -- donated upwards of $50,000 to the California public policy think tank that Panetta led until his CIA nomination.

There's no evidence at all of any impropriety linked to the donation. But knowing Republicans' love of opposition research, don't be surprised if you hear Panetta field breathless, faux-concerned GOP questions on this tomorrow.

Tom Daschle

Baucus Has "Some Ideas" For Daschle's Replacement ...

Elana Schor | February 3, 2009, 3:36PM

... but he's not telling who. Max Baucus (D-MT), who would have had to shepherd former rival Tom Daschle's health secretary nomination to passage through his Senate Finance Committee, described himself as "surprised" by Daschle's sudden withdrawal today.

Baucus reiterated that he supported confirming Daschle's nomination, while acknowledging that the nominee's scheduled hearing was "a week from today ... it's hard to know what would have happened." When I asked if he had any suggestions for President Obama to fill the health secretary post, Baucus said coyly that "I've got some ideas" but declined to elaborate.

Could he be talking about Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), the Nancy Pelosi ally who rents an apartment to White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel? Or perhaps health care expert Jeanne Lambrew, now serving as a deputy health adviser to Obama? Or could Baucus be talking about ... himself?

Barack Obama

Axelrod: Daschle Made the Decision to Withdraw This Morning

Elana Schor | February 3, 2009, 2:07PM

White House adviser David Axelrod just briefed reporters outside the Senate chamber on the withdrawal of Tom Daschle's nomination as health secretary. Axelrod attributed the decision to pull out to Daschle -- not anyone within the administration -- and suggested that the news came as a surprise to the president, especially coming one day after Democratic senators stood behind their former leader.

"He called [the White House] this morning" to withdraw from consideration, Axelrod said. "I think he made the decision this morning." The

As a former senator, Axelrod added, Daschle "had a clear picture that there was going to be a delay" in his confirmation after revelations that he make a late payment of more than $100,000 in back taxes on a free car and driver as well as other benefits.

Asked about the stimulus bill pending before Congress, Axelrod offered a noticeably temperate endorsement of the legislation as it stands.

"Obviously, no piece of legislation is perfect. This is a very complicated one ... you can point to any number of small things" to have concerns with, he said before touting the larger need for an economic recovery bill.

Barack Obama

Dems Circle the Wagons for Daschle

Elana Schor | February 2, 2009, 6:55PM

Senate Democrats just emerged from an hour-long meeting to discuss the tax filing errors that have thrown Tom Daschle's nomination as health secretary into disarray. That Daschle's former colleagues are vociferously supporting him is to be expected, but Democrats were surprisingly confident that the former Senate leader would ascend to President Obama's Cabinet.

Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), powerful chairman of the Finance Committee, gave Daschle his vote of confidence, followed by Sens. John Kerry (D-MA) and Kent Conrad (D-ND). Daschle will have his confirmation hearing before Finance next week.

Other Democratic senators provided silent support in the background, with Republicans apparently sneaking out of the meeting in order to avoid the press.

The pro-Daschle appearance, staged in a corridor outside the Finance Committee's marble-walled hearing room, boasted only one mea culpa -- that of the nominee himself. The Democratic senators were more than happy to point fingers at Leo Hindery, the telecom mogul who paid for Daschle's private car and driver, for not sending the nominee a 1099 form indicating that Daschle would need to declare the "gift from a good friend" (Daschle's phrasing) on his taxes.

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Barack Obama

Baucus Makes Nice With Daschle as Nomination Remains in Limbo

Elana Schor | February 2, 2009, 11:47AM

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) has just released a statement affirming his commitment to health secretary nominee Tom Daschle, answering a widely circulating Politico report about his longtime frostiness with the former Senate Democratic leader.

Baucus' statement was as effusive as can be, given his laconic reputation and the uncertain political landscape that faces Daschle:

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Tom Daschle

TPMDC Morning Roundup

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

Daschle "Deeply Embarrassed" By Tax Problems
Tom Daschle has sent a letter to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus and Ranking Member Chuck Grassley, declaring himself "deeply embarrassed and disappointed by the errors that required me to amend my tax returns." Daschle also told the committee reviewing his nomination to be Secretary of Health and Human Services: "I apologize for the errors and profoundly regret that you have had to devote time to them."

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama is meeting at 11 a.m. with Vermont Governor Jim Douglas, a Republican who has been advocating for passage of the stimulus bill. At 1:50 p.m. he and Vice President Biden will be meeting with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and at 4:45 p.m. ET Obama and Biden will be meeting with Congressional leaders to work on the stimulus bill.

The Minnesota Election Trial: Week Two
Today begins the second week of the Minnesota election trial, with Al Franken's legal team set to cross-examine Ramsey County (St. Paul) election director Joe Mansky. Norm Coleman's legal team secured an expert opinion from Mansky on Friday that it was highly likely that some absentee ballots were double-counted -- a glitch that would have unfairly favored Franken, because of his edge among absentees overall -- so expect Franken's team to explore both alternative explanations and the difficulty in calculating such a problem.

Obama Predicts GOP Support For Stimulus
In an interview with Matt Lauer aired last night, President Obama predicted that a good number of Republicans will vote for the final stimulus bill when all is said and done. "I am confident that by the time we actually have the final package on the floor that we are going to see substantial support," said Obama.

Gregg Appointment Could Come Soon
President Obama could potentially name Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) as his Secretary of Commerce as early as today. It looks like Gregg's appointment would not affect the Senate balance of power, as Gregg appears to have arranged for his state's Democratic governor to appoint a fellow Republican. Speculation at this point has centered on former Gregg chief of staff Bonnie Newman.

Parties Pick Candidates For Gillibrand's Seat
Democrats have selected venture capitalist Scott Murphy to run for Kirsten Gillibrand's former House seat, giving the Dems a candidate capable of spending a lot of money on the race. Republicans have already picked state Assembly Minority Leader Jim Tedisco to run for this Upstate seat, which has historically been a GOP stronghold but has also moved to the Democrats in recent years.

DCCC Targeting House GOP's Opposition To Stimulus
The DCCC has announced a new round of radio ads against 28 House Republicans, targeting them for their votes against the economic stimulus package. "Did you know Congressman Eric Cantor voted to bail out big banks, but opposed tax breaks for 95 percent of American workers?" the announcer says in one example ad.

Barack Obama

TPMDC Sunday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | February 1, 2009, 1:03PM

Daschle Knew Of Tax Issues, Didn't Tell Obama Team
The New York Times reports that Tom Daschle knew this past June about his failure to pay taxes on a car and driver provided to him by a private equity firm, but did not disclose it to the Obama team until weeks after the vetting process and the announcement of his cabinet appointment. A Daschle spokesperson said that he didn't inform people about it because he didn't yet know how the owed amount really was -- $128,000, plus interest -- and he thought an accountant was taking care of it.

WaPo: Daschle Confirmation Depends On Senate Comity
The Washington Post reports that Tom Daschle's confirmation as Secretary of Health and Human Services now hinges on his close personal connections to Senators with whom he formerly served. For example, the Post mentions Daschle's friendship with Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), who has not yet commented on Daschle's troubles -- and who voted against Tim Geithner because of his tax issues.

Obama Hosting Bipartisan Super Bowl Party At White House
President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are hosting a Super Bowl Party at the White House tonight, beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET. The guest-list of four Senators and 11 House members is made up of mostly Democrats, but there are a few Republicans: Sen. Arlen Specter (PA), Rep. Charlie Dent (PA), Rep. Trent Franks (AZ), and Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI).

Biden Hosting Super Bowl Party, Too
Vice President Biden and his wife Jill are hosting their own Super Bowl Party tonight at the Naval Observatory. The six Senators and four House members on the official guest-list are all Democrats.

McConnell: Gregg Would Be Replaced By A Republican
Appearing today on Face The Nation, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell predicted that a Republican would be appointed to fill Judd Gregg's seat if he becomes Commerce Secretary. "Senator Gregg has told me that if he were to take this appointment, it would not alter the makeup of the Senate in terms of the majority and the minority," said McConnell, implying that some sort of deal has been made with New Hampshire's Dem Governor John Lynch.

GOP Governors Want Stimulus Money
The Associated Press reports that most Republican governors are breaking form the Congressional GOP's opposition to the stimulus bill, and are asking the Senate to pass the bill. This dichotomy is best expressed by Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal -- he said he would accept the money as governor, but would have voted against the bill if he were still in the House.

Hillary's Debt Down To $5.9 Million -- Mostly To Mark Penn
Hillary Clinton's campaign debt has now been whittled down to $5.9 million, down from highs of over $20 million -- and $5.4 million of it is owed to Mark Penn's consulting firm, with the rest of it to four smaller vendors. The Hatch Act prevents Hillary from directly raising cash as Secretary of State, though others would be able to raise money on her behalf.

Obama To Alfalfa Club: Robert E. Lee Would Be Very Confused
President Obama spent last night at the Alfalfa dinner, telling jokes to the elite Washington social club. "I know that many you are aware that this dinner began almost one hundred years ago as a way to celebrate the birthday of General Robert E. Lee." said Obama, according to released excerpts. "If he were here with us tonight, the General would be 202 years old. And very confused."