October 11, 2009 - October 17, 2009 Archives
Oct 17 2009, 2:01PM
Rethink 1: Obama Doesn't Get Katrina?
It wasn't so much the brief duration of President Obama's trip to New Orleans that riled the Katrina-smarties -- the folks who've spent the past several years obsessing, healthily, about the destruction of an American city. It was that, when he spoke there, he got his facts wrong. And he got his facts wrong to such an extent that he convinced folks like Harry Shearer that Obama has no idea what really happened during Katrina.
Oct 16 2009, 5:00PM
Mickey Edwards On Olympia Snowe's "Betrayal"
Former GOP Congressman Mickey Edwards, now an Atlantic Correspondent, writes that "Olympia Snowe is guilty of no more than having taken her oath of
office seriously. It's something more of her colleagues should try."
Oct 16 2009, 4:07PM
Rethink 2: The Chamber's Not Powerful?
It's been a tough week for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. A "lousy" week, writes Pulitzer-Prize-winning business columnist Steven Pearlstein. The Chamber's honesty was called into question when Mother Jones revealed that the Chamber routinely used a figure of 3,000,000 to describe the organization's membership when a more accurate figure is roughly a tenth of that. The Chamber's response is that, well, Mother Jones inflates its numbers, but besides that, the Chamber has regularly used both numbers, and accurately. It has 300,000 members but about 3,000,000 organizations are affiliated with organizations that pay national Chamber dues. It represents both types -- direct members, and companies that are represented by direct members -- in its lobbying activities. That's not an unfair point, although the Chamber is probably going to be quite careful about making the distinction in the future.
Oct 16 2009, 3:54PM
Remainders: What You're Missing On A Rainy Friday
The NSA is collecting so much data that a new number might have to be invented to describe the size of its database. (NY Review)
Binyan Mohamed torture documentation might soon be released to journalists. The UK government will appeal. The docs could shed light on how MI6 was complicit with the CIA in facilitating the torture of detainees. (The Telegraph)
More good news for Democrats on health care: the CBO score of two of the three House bills ends up at $905 billion or less. (Washington Post)
New HELP committee chairman Tom Harkin says the final Senate bill will include a public option. (TWI)
Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-MN) is speaking to the Western CPAC convention in Newport Beach (Orange County!) California. (TPM)
The Department of Homeland Security has no INTENTION of reading your e-mail. Capability? They'll have that. (NextGov)
Telecom immunity docs might soon be released, sans the names of the companies in question. (Politico)
Binyan Mohamed torture documentation might soon be released to journalists. The UK government will appeal. The docs could shed light on how MI6 was complicit with the CIA in facilitating the torture of detainees. (The Telegraph)
More good news for Democrats on health care: the CBO score of two of the three House bills ends up at $905 billion or less. (Washington Post)
New HELP committee chairman Tom Harkin says the final Senate bill will include a public option. (TWI)
Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-MN) is speaking to the Western CPAC convention in Newport Beach (Orange County!) California. (TPM)
The Department of Homeland Security has no INTENTION of reading your e-mail. Capability? They'll have that. (NextGov)
Telecom immunity docs might soon be released, sans the names of the companies in question. (Politico)
Oct 16 2009, 2:25PM
Obama Raises $3 Million In San Francisco
There's been a lot of talk about liberal discontent with President
Obama these days--mostly over health care, gay rights, and Afghanistan.
But it hasn't negated the president's ability to raise
money from Democratic supporters in one of the nation's liberal bastions.
Obama's fundraiser in San Francisco last night for the Democratic National Committee brought in an expected take of $3 million to the party's coffers, according to a party source.
Obama's fundraiser in San Francisco last night for the Democratic National Committee brought in an expected take of $3 million to the party's coffers, according to a party source.
Oct 16 2009, 1:45PM
Sex Roundup: Where They Stand
Nevada Senator John Ensign's fundraising has collapsed. After more details emerged in The New York Times about how he tried to bury an affair with a staffer and find work for her husband, he's seen his campaign fundraising fall to just $33,000 last quarter, down from almost 10 times that during the previous period, according to new campaign finance reports that Politico examined. So just to keep track of the sexually troubled: Mark Sanford is still governor of South Carolina, and that's not going to change anytime soon. Meanwhile, Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana looks like he's on track to be reelected next year. Vitter was the only sitting U.S. Senator to back Rudy Giuliani, who has had his own issues in this regard. He could be a strong candidate for governor of New York next year against David Paterson, whose troubled tenure began post Eliot Spitzer (!) when he disclosed his own extramarital affairs. So...lessons learned?
Oct 16 2009, 1:20PM
The Washington Post's Nobel Fetish
My colleague, James Fallows, made an excellent point about The Washington Post's op-ed lamenting that the Nobel peace prize didn't go to the martyred Iranian protestor. He noted that the award can't be given posthumously and thus never went to Gandhi and others who have been overlooked--a point that could have been checked rather easily. More Post weirdness today.
A different standard should probably apply to the opinion pieces. Authors should be given more latitude to hang themselves. But today the Post has a piece that says Obama's Nobel prize in unconstitutional because it violates the emoluments clause and constitutes an office from a foreign government.The piece by Ronald Rotunda and J. Peter Pham is here. A rather convincing takedown is here from Adam Blickstein at DemocracyArsenal.org. I won't rehash the arguments but suffice it to say that the knighthoods awarded by the British to Alan Greenspan and Norman Schwarzkopf survived constitutional muster. You do have to wonder why the Post wouldn't check out this piece more thoroughly. I'm not a constitutional scholar or an attorney but it seems pretty clear that Obama's nobel is constitutional just like Henry Kissinger's or Teddy Roosevelt's.
A different standard should probably apply to the opinion pieces. Authors should be given more latitude to hang themselves. But today the Post has a piece that says Obama's Nobel prize in unconstitutional because it violates the emoluments clause and constitutes an office from a foreign government.The piece by Ronald Rotunda and J. Peter Pham is here. A rather convincing takedown is here from Adam Blickstein at DemocracyArsenal.org. I won't rehash the arguments but suffice it to say that the knighthoods awarded by the British to Alan Greenspan and Norman Schwarzkopf survived constitutional muster. You do have to wonder why the Post wouldn't check out this piece more thoroughly. I'm not a constitutional scholar or an attorney but it seems pretty clear that Obama's nobel is constitutional just like Henry Kissinger's or Teddy Roosevelt's.
Oct 16 2009, 12:15PM
Obama: The Health Care Bill "You Least Like" Is Still Good
Another snippet from President Obama's Democratic National Committee fundraiser last night: the president sought to allay liberal concerns about the health care bills being hashed out in Congress right now, telling the crowd that even their least favorite bill in Congress isn't so bad.
The Senate Finance Committee's bill, which was passed earlier this week, has been criticized by liberals, as it's the most conservative of the five pieces of legislation that have been passed, with other bills and sections of bills coming from the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, the House Ways and Means Committee, the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and the House Education and Labor Committee. According to consensus, it's the most likely blueprint for any merged package that will eventually pass.
The Senate Finance Committee's bill, which was passed earlier this week, has been criticized by liberals, as it's the most conservative of the five pieces of legislation that have been passed, with other bills and sections of bills coming from the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, the House Ways and Means Committee, the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and the House Education and Labor Committee. According to consensus, it's the most likely blueprint for any merged package that will eventually pass.
Oct 16 2009, 11:38AM
Obama: Don't Tell Me I'm Holding The Mop Wrong
Even in the midst of a difficult and taxing health care fight, the president hasn't lost his sense of humor--especially when making fun of his opponents. Last night at a Democratic National Committee fundraiser in San Francisco, the president offered an analogy for opponents of Demcoratic reforms: when I'm cleaning up your mess, don't tell me how to hold the mop...and don't tell me the mop is socialist. From a White House transcript of Obama's remarks:
What I reject is when some folks say we should go back to the past policies when it was those very same policies that got us into this mess in the first place. (Applause.)
Another way of putting it is when, you know, I'm busy and Nancy busy with our mop cleaning up somebody else's mess --- we don't want somebody sitting back saying, you're not holding the mop the right way. (Applause.) Why don't you grab a mop, why don't you help clean up. (Applause.) You're not mopping fast enough. (Laughter.) That's a socialist mop. (Laughter and applause.) Grab a mop -- let's get to work.
Oct 16 2009, 10:30AM
Applying Saudi Counterterrorism To The Afghanistan War
Expert opinion, public opinion, and even the White House are increasingly split between two camps on how we should proceed in Afghanistan: The doves, represented in the White House by Vice President Biden, call for targeted counterterrorism and a scaled down presence; while the hawks, with whom President Obama seems to side, insist that only boots on the ground and a strong counterinsurgency can tame the Taliban and restore stability. Divisions between the two are contentious and a clear path for success remains elusive. But an unusual program in Saudi Arabia may offer a way for both to come together.
Oct 16 2009, 10:13AM
Report Card: Which Groups Use Social Media?
Being tech savvy is a prized credential among the nation's top political organizations. As new social media tools have popped up over the past several years, the myriad activist coalitions and trade associations have started to use them to stay in touch with members and generate buzz. If you're a political activist, chances are someone has tried to reach out to you online.
But which groups use the most online media tools? And which tools get used the most?
In a contest among 102 of the nation's top pressure groups, cause organizations, and trade associations, the Sierra Club and Facebook are the winners.
But which groups use the most online media tools? And which tools get used the most?
In a contest among 102 of the nation's top pressure groups, cause organizations, and trade associations, the Sierra Club and Facebook are the winners.
Oct 16 2009, 6:30AM
Question Of The Day: Will Afghanistan Decision Cause A Rift?
Arianna Huffington says Joe Biden should resign if President Obama sends more troops to Afghanistan. This is highly unlikely, but do you think Obama's decision--whatever he chooses to do--will cause a rift in his national security team?
Oct 16 2009, 6:00AM
The Rundown, 10/16
At long last, some bipartisanship: President Obama wakes up in San Francisco this morning and heads to Bush Country. In College Station, TX, the president will participate in a community service forum at Texas A&M's George Bush Presidential Library Center, hosted by President George H.W. Bush. The discussion of community service will hopefully keep them off the topic of all the bad things Obama said about the latter Bush during the 2008 campaign.
With the Senate out of session and the House in a pro forma session (which is pretty much the same as being out of session), Capitol Hill will be quiet and sleepy--at least as quiet and sleepy as it can be in the midst of a major health care debate.
With the Senate out of session and the House in a pro forma session (which is pretty much the same as being out of session), Capitol Hill will be quiet and sleepy--at least as quiet and sleepy as it can be in the midst of a major health care debate.
Oct 15 2009, 7:22PM
Why Liberals Shouldn't Lay Off Obama
Judging from the headline, "Liberals, Lay Off Obama," Peter Beinart, in The Daily Beast, wants to make an argument about why liberal criticism of Barack Obama is counter-productive. He ends up making a different argument: Obama, it seems, is governing as a liberal, and doing a good job of it.
If he gets health-care reform, Obama will have done more to rebuild the American welfare state in one year than his two Democratic predecessors, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, did in a combined twelve.And that's true. And lots of liberals are happy. But that doesn't mean they ought to accept this blueberry pie and close their mouths.
Oct 15 2009, 6:00PM
The Invisible Primary, 10/15
Tracking the GOP race to 2012
Mike Huckabee reportedly owes Chuck Norris $23,570 for travel expenses; President Obama defended Bobby Jindal from boos at his event in New Orleans today; former Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) says Tim Pawlenty would make a great president; Newt Gingrich will attend an economic meeting in West Virginia; and sometime next year Sarah Palin will campaign for Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R), as he competes against fellow Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison in his reelection contest.
Mike Huckabee reportedly owes Chuck Norris $23,570 for travel expenses; President Obama defended Bobby Jindal from boos at his event in New Orleans today; former Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) says Tim Pawlenty would make a great president; Newt Gingrich will attend an economic meeting in West Virginia; and sometime next year Sarah Palin will campaign for Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R), as he competes against fellow Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison in his reelection contest.
Oct 15 2009, 5:19PM
Hurtling Toward 2010, 10/15
The 2010 midterms are just around the corner (sort of). Here's what's happening:
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) will start airing TV ads in his home state tomorrow; Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO) is outraising Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan in that state's Senate race; Rep. Mike Castle (D-DE) and Delaware Attorney general Beau Biden (D) are in a statistical dead heat for Vice President Joe Biden's former Senate seat; as polling in Pennsylvania's Senate race continues to vary, Rasmussen shows Sen. Arlen Specter (D) trailing both GOP challenger Pat Toomey and his primary opponent, Rep. Joe Sestak (D); meanwhile, Siena shows Democrat Bill Owens leading in New York's 23rd district.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) will start airing TV ads in his home state tomorrow; Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO) is outraising Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan in that state's Senate race; Rep. Mike Castle (D-DE) and Delaware Attorney general Beau Biden (D) are in a statistical dead heat for Vice President Joe Biden's former Senate seat; as polling in Pennsylvania's Senate race continues to vary, Rasmussen shows Sen. Arlen Specter (D) trailing both GOP challenger Pat Toomey and his primary opponent, Rep. Joe Sestak (D); meanwhile, Siena shows Democrat Bill Owens leading in New York's 23rd district.
Oct 15 2009, 3:50PM
The Administration's Latest Job Claims: Be Skeptical
Based on the thin slice of government data that's being reported today -- and, let's face it, based on the propensity of those in power to portray their own data in its rosiest light, it's wise to be skeptical of the administration's latest claims about the stimulus and the jobs it has created or saved. One would think that, having made projections about jobs that turned out not to be true, the administration would refrain from jawboning.
Oct 15 2009, 3:24PM
Did Limbaugh Get Burned?
Listening to Rush Limbaugh describe his involvement with St. Louis Blues owner Dave Checketts' bid to buy the St. Louis Rams, it sounds like he (and maybe Checketts, too) got burned.
Last night it was announced that Limbaugh had been dropped from Checketts' bid group, following the barrage of criticism the talk-show host's participation had brought, after it became public last week. Criticism came from all segments of the NFL community--ownership, players, the NFL Players Association, Commissioner Roger Goodell, and the journalists and commentators that cover the league--making Limbaugh's involvement untenable from a business standpoint.
But Limbaugh said today that Checketts actually approached him in the first place, that he warned Checketts about the criticism that would descend on the bid group, and that Checketts actually assured him it had been "taken care of."
Last night it was announced that Limbaugh had been dropped from Checketts' bid group, following the barrage of criticism the talk-show host's participation had brought, after it became public last week. Criticism came from all segments of the NFL community--ownership, players, the NFL Players Association, Commissioner Roger Goodell, and the journalists and commentators that cover the league--making Limbaugh's involvement untenable from a business standpoint.
But Limbaugh said today that Checketts actually approached him in the first place, that he warned Checketts about the criticism that would descend on the bid group, and that Checketts actually assured him it had been "taken care of."
Oct 15 2009, 2:17PM
Hillary's More Popular Than Obama. Here's Why.
This datum reflects several factors. One is a natural/artificial drift downward for the president, the result of his being the president for eight months. Another is that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been fairly invisible to the public eye for the same period of time. And if there's one HillaryLand lesson that still applies, it's that when Clinton keeps her head down, focuses on the work and evinces no political ambition, people like her. A lot. Notice that Clinton's numbers have stayed about the same from January to October. It's clear that people don't associate her portfolio with President Obama's domestic agenda, which is the main artificial depredation. You might even extrapolate, on the basis of this datum only, that Obama's foreign policy agenda has weathered the events of the past eight months rather nicely.
Oct 15 2009, 1:45PM
Climate Change Reform Will Be Tougher than Health Care
As health care's passage shifts into not-if-but-when gear, we can all look forward to the next wild rumpus on Capitol Hill: Climate change reform. The conventional wisdom seems to be that the Democrats' cap-and-trade bill will have to run, skip and jump through the same obstacle course as health care: Socialism rumors, liberal in-fighting, special interests teaming, fake deadlines and pressure to scale back ambitions. Democrats will probably feel like Bill Murray waking up to "I Got You, Babe" for the umpteenth time in Groundhog Day. Except instead of inching closer to winning the affections of that Andie Macdowell character, the Democratic protagonists will find the next iteration of reform will be a lot tougher.
Oct 15 2009, 12:46PM
How To Earn A Nobel Prize
Time's Joe Klein suggests Middle East conditions are favorable for President Obama to prove he's worthy of his Nobel Prize with a sweeping gesture--the public announcement of a peace plan for Israelis and Palestinians to agree to. It's not Obama's style, Klein notes, and likely agreement may require some political realignment in Israel before they take effect. But the awards ceremony will be held in Oslo on Dec. 10...which leaves Obama with just under two months to make it happen.
Oct 15 2009, 11:32AM
The Chamber Of Commerce, Cut Down To Size
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has longed claimed, and I've probably printed, that they've got a membership roster exceeding 3,000,000 businesses. When a company like, oh, say, Apple, decides to dis-affiliate, the Chamber press shop has been able to say, apparently with a straight face, that 2,999,999 entities still support the group. The implication: Apple (and Excelon and Nike) are just a few crumbs off the side of a mountain. (Privately, Chamber officials contend that these companies caved to pressure from Democrats and are afraid of retaliation from the administration.)
Oct 15 2009, 11:21AM
What's Glenn Beck Up To? Something Big, He Says
Hey -- we like conspiracies too! Here's one, with some fact attached to it: conservative media icon Glenn Beck is planning something big -- very big -- for 2010. On his radio show yesterday, Beck alluded to a major nationwide mobilization project of some kind that he and some colleagues will soon announce. "If you think the 9/12 project was something...you ain't seen nothing yet," he said (roughly -- I didn't have a pen handy when he uttered this).
Oct 15 2009, 11:12AM
Is Eliot Spitzer Running For Comptroller?
Eliot Spitzer has waded back into politics with an op-ed today at Slate that lays out a vision for how state comptrollers can revamp corporate politics and lobbying in Washington, DC--perhaps hinting that he wants the job.
The antagonist of Spitzer's discourse is the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which, using dues from its member companies (most publicly traded companies in the U.S.), pushes the conservative angle on the gamut of issues that affect business, including tax policy and carbon emissions.
It's up to state comptrollers, Spitzer says, to pressure businesses to drop their Chamber memberships, as Apple recently did over climate change. Public pensions funds own stakes in a lot of those companies, and the state comptrollers that run those funds can, as shareholders, pressure the boards of those companies to drop out of the Chamber.
It's an interesting idea that Spitzer poses. It's also interesting that, if Spitzer wants to get back into electoral politics in the near future, the 2010 New York state comptroller's race is a likely choice.
The antagonist of Spitzer's discourse is the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which, using dues from its member companies (most publicly traded companies in the U.S.), pushes the conservative angle on the gamut of issues that affect business, including tax policy and carbon emissions.
It's up to state comptrollers, Spitzer says, to pressure businesses to drop their Chamber memberships, as Apple recently did over climate change. Public pensions funds own stakes in a lot of those companies, and the state comptrollers that run those funds can, as shareholders, pressure the boards of those companies to drop out of the Chamber.
It's an interesting idea that Spitzer poses. It's also interesting that, if Spitzer wants to get back into electoral politics in the near future, the 2010 New York state comptroller's race is a likely choice.
Oct 15 2009, 10:08AM
Why I'm Not Surprised Limbaugh Is No Longer Part Of The Rams Bid
Rush Limbaugh has been dropped from St. Louis Blues owner Dave Checketts' bid to buy the St. Louis Rams. This should be completely unsurprising news. Here's why:
1. For starters, this is a business. Dave Checketts is a businessman, and he's looking to do a business deal. As soon as Limbaugh's partnership was announced, the maelstrom of criticism that descended on the bid threatened those efforts.
Checketts' bid, from all public indications--of which there have been very few--appears to have a very reasonable shot of winning. The Rams front office has declined to comment on the sale process, other than to say it's ongoing, so we don't know for certain what other bids are out there, though there are reportedly six of them in the mix. We do know that a sale is expected to take place sometime between now and 2015, when the team's lease agreement with the Edward Jones dome faces a critical plot point (the dome will be required to meet "top-tier" status among NFL stadiums, which it won't without a significant upgrade). But that's about it.
1. For starters, this is a business. Dave Checketts is a businessman, and he's looking to do a business deal. As soon as Limbaugh's partnership was announced, the maelstrom of criticism that descended on the bid threatened those efforts.
Checketts' bid, from all public indications--of which there have been very few--appears to have a very reasonable shot of winning. The Rams front office has declined to comment on the sale process, other than to say it's ongoing, so we don't know for certain what other bids are out there, though there are reportedly six of them in the mix. We do know that a sale is expected to take place sometime between now and 2015, when the team's lease agreement with the Edward Jones dome faces a critical plot point (the dome will be required to meet "top-tier" status among NFL stadiums, which it won't without a significant upgrade). But that's about it.
Oct 15 2009, 6:30AM
Question Of The Day: Who Should Obama Listen To?
President Obama has a good deal of experienced leaders around him as he considers Afghanistan strategy--Robert Gates, Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Richard Holbrooke, and Stanley McChrystal among them. To whom should he listen most closely?
Oct 14 2009, 5:50PM
The Invisible Primary, 10/14
Tracking the GOP race to 2012
Sarah Palin will reportedly form a new political organization as her memoir hits bookstores in November; despite having predicted Palin would be a "catastrophic" nominee for the GOP in 2012, former McCain campaign manager Steve Schmidt defended the decision to pick her as VP nominee today; Tim Pawlenty addressed the Republican Jewish Coalition in DC today; Eric Cantor talked job-creation in a post at The Corner; Mike Pence met with local Republican activists and party officials in South Carolina this week; Rick Santorum will travel to North Carolina this month; Mike Huckabee will address the Conservative Party in upstate New York; and Newt Gingrich is getting sued by a photographer who claims he used her photos without permission in his 2006 book, Rediscovering God in America.
Sarah Palin will reportedly form a new political organization as her memoir hits bookstores in November; despite having predicted Palin would be a "catastrophic" nominee for the GOP in 2012, former McCain campaign manager Steve Schmidt defended the decision to pick her as VP nominee today; Tim Pawlenty addressed the Republican Jewish Coalition in DC today; Eric Cantor talked job-creation in a post at The Corner; Mike Pence met with local Republican activists and party officials in South Carolina this week; Rick Santorum will travel to North Carolina this month; Mike Huckabee will address the Conservative Party in upstate New York; and Newt Gingrich is getting sued by a photographer who claims he used her photos without permission in his 2006 book, Rediscovering God in America.
Oct 14 2009, 5:30PM
Hurtling Toward 2010, 10/14
The 2010 midterms are just around the corner (sort of). Here's what's happening:
Rep. Robert Wexler (D) will retire, leaving an open seat in Florida's 19th district; meaning an open seat in President Obama will head to New Jersey next week to stump for Gov. Jon Corsine (D); Joe Biden will appear with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) in Reno on Friday to talk about stimulus progress; Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) got outraised by his GOP challenger, Rob Simmons, in the third quarter; and a Quinnipiac poll has Chris Christie leading Corzine by one percentage point.
Rep. Robert Wexler (D) will retire, leaving an open seat in Florida's 19th district; meaning an open seat in President Obama will head to New Jersey next week to stump for Gov. Jon Corsine (D); Joe Biden will appear with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) in Reno on Friday to talk about stimulus progress; Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) got outraised by his GOP challenger, Rob Simmons, in the third quarter; and a Quinnipiac poll has Chris Christie leading Corzine by one percentage point.
Oct 14 2009, 4:39PM
Afghan Ambassador: More Troops Are Needed
But what impact, exactly, will it have on the debate going on in the U.S.?
Afghanistan's ambassador to the U.S., Said Jawad, told Voice of America that Afghanistan needs more U.S. troops, as President Obama weighs the recently posed request by Gen. Stanley McChrystal for up to 80,000 more to be sent there:
Afghanistan's ambassador to the U.S., Said Jawad, told Voice of America that Afghanistan needs more U.S. troops, as President Obama weighs the recently posed request by Gen. Stanley McChrystal for up to 80,000 more to be sent there:
"We need space and room to train additional Afghan forces, and the current strength and composition of the Afghan and international forces are not adequate to confront the existing challenges," he said. "We do need additional troops, certainly. Afghans would like to see the enemy defeated, which is terrorism and extremism. They don't want to see the friends of Afghanistan being doubtful about their mission and resolution."
Oct 14 2009, 3:40PM
Michelle Obama, The Action Figure
It doesn't have Kung Fu grip, but Jailbreak Toys will sell a Michelle Obama action figure starting November 20, just in time for the holiday season, for $12.99. (You can preorder now.) The company already sells an action figure of Mrs. Obama's husband, as well as lots of pop culture/historical icons Che Guevara, Gandhi, and Charles Darwin. The Michelle action figure will come in one of three dresses...but none of them quite match up to the president's gold suit edition.
Oct 14 2009, 2:55PM
The Most Sensitive Subject In Washington
It's not national security. It's not Charlie Rangel. It's ... the currency.
Oct 14 2009, 2:28PM
Thanks To Snowe, Will Health Care Plans Get More Liberal?
Despite Sen. Olympia Snowe's (R) warnings that her "yes" vote on health reform in the Senate Finance Committee might not make floor passage a lock--"My vote today is my vote today. It doesn't forecast what it will be tomorrow," she said--The New Yorker's Steve Coll suggests Snowe will actually pull the debate leftward, wresting a more expansive bill from reluctant center-right Dems:
The "R" by Snowe's name may give some of the conservative Democrats some political cover if they can hold her to the end, but in truth Snowe has a more expansionist view of what health-care reform should accomplish than some of the Midwestern and Southern Democrats. The hope may actually be that she will pull some of the politically vulnerable Democrats a bit to left and produce a better bill in the final negotiating scrum. ... With Snowe's vote yesterday, I think we know one thing about the final legislation: it will be somewhat better than the Baucus legislation. It might be much better, but I doubt that...
Oct 14 2009, 12:13PM
After Industry Report, Democratic Party Goes After Insurers
Until now, the Democratic Party has shied away from hitting insurance companies during the health reform debate. But after after PricewaterhouseCoopers' insurance-industry-commissioned report on the Baucus health plan, that's changed.
The party sent an email last night to its full supporters list, 13 million strong, seeking to use the report to rally its support base. In it, Organizing for America Director Mitch Stewart blasted the report, asked supporters to sign a pro-health-reform petition to Congress, and supplied them with a link to donate.
Since the current health reform debate began, it was the first time the Democratic Party has sent its supporters an email criticizing insurers.
The party sent an email last night to its full supporters list, 13 million strong, seeking to use the report to rally its support base. In it, Organizing for America Director Mitch Stewart blasted the report, asked supporters to sign a pro-health-reform petition to Congress, and supplied them with a link to donate.
Since the current health reform debate began, it was the first time the Democratic Party has sent its supporters an email criticizing insurers.
Oct 14 2009, 11:55AM
Geithner's Aides Have Wall Street Ties. So What?
Bloomberg has an article this morning that reads like a hard-hitting investigative journalism piece. It turns out they've uncovered that some of Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner's aides earned millions of dollars working for Wall Street banks. Bloomberg might also be shocked to learn that former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson actually was the CEO of Wall Street behemoth Goldman Sachs, and consequently surrounded himself with his Wall Street kin as well. The fact that Geithner has drawn some talent from Wall Street is not surprising, newsworthy or even bad.
Oct 14 2009, 11:21AM
A Snapshot Of Tennessee: False Beliefs About Obama Persevere
A reputable poll out of Tennessee this morning shows how mere evidence and facts aren't enough to deter the perseverance of false beliefs. The quarterly Middle Tennessee State University Survey finds that 34% of adults believe that President Obama was born in another country. 47% of Republicans hold that belief. About a third -- 30% -- say Obama is a Muslim. 46% -- and this includes many Democrats and independents -- say he's a socialist. Put aside the socialist finding for a second. The first two claims -- that Obama is a Muslim and/or was born outside the U.S. -- have been definitely, repeatedly and loudly debunked by the press, by watchdog groups, and by Republicans. A reasonable person, looking at the facts and putting him or herself at a distance from whatever emotions entangle one's appraisal of Barack Obama, cannot help but come to that conclusion. Obama was born in the US; he's not Muslim. These facts are as fact-y as facts can get. And yet -- among adults in a major American state, false beliefs prevail and flourish. What are we to make of this?
Oct 14 2009, 11:12AM
The Curious Resignation Of Robert Wexler
Today, Rep. Robert Wexler (D-FL), a well-regarded young congressman with a good job and enough seniority to ensure that he is comfortable, will announce his resignation from the House of Representatives. The reason: he intends to perform other work in a "public policy" capacity. Initially, speculint (speculative intelligence) placed Wexler as the head of USAID at the State Department, or perhaps even as ambassador to Israel. But an administration official told reporters last night that, so far as he knows, Wexler wouldn't be joining the administration. Reports from South Florida
indicate that Wexler has decided to become the head of the Center for
Middle East Peace and Economic Cooperation.
Oct 14 2009, 10:10AM
The Campaign Against Limbaugh: A Rush To Judgment?
Along with Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, and Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, NFL Players Association Executive Director DeMaurice Smith has denounced Rush Limbaugh's participation in a bid to buy the St. Louis Rams, encouraging NFL players to speak their minds about Limbaugh and "embrace their roles not only in the game of football but also as players and partners in the business of the NFL." At least seven players have taken that advice. At Politics Daily, Carl Cannon points out that Smith is Obama supporter who has worked closely with Attorney General Eric Holder. Cannon points to Smith's campaign against Limbaugh, and concludes in part that there's too much politics going on here...that the NFL is supposed to be free of all that.
But Limbaugh's style and substance both are polarizing on their own. The pros and cons of Limbaugh-as-owner are a discussion the NFL was bound to have: it kind of makes one wonder if that campaign would have gotten underway on its own, without the help of a Democratic NFLPA leader. Encouragement from the union signals that it's okay to speak up, but the NFL is full of personalities, and lots of interviews happen daily. One has to wonder if just as many members of the NFL family would offer their opinions without anyone telling them it's okay.
But Limbaugh's style and substance both are polarizing on their own. The pros and cons of Limbaugh-as-owner are a discussion the NFL was bound to have: it kind of makes one wonder if that campaign would have gotten underway on its own, without the help of a Democratic NFLPA leader. Encouragement from the union signals that it's okay to speak up, but the NFL is full of personalities, and lots of interviews happen daily. One has to wonder if just as many members of the NFL family would offer their opinions without anyone telling them it's okay.
Oct 14 2009, 6:30AM
Question Of The Day: Does Snowe's Vote Mean Something Passes?
Does Olympia Snowe's "yes" vote in the Senate Finance Committee mean that some form of comprehensive health care reform will pass?
Oct 14 2009, 6:00AM
The Rundown, 10/15
Evidently sick of the political chatter and uncannily clean streets of downtown Washington, DC, President Obama will hit up two of America's cultural epicenters today: New Orleans and San Francisco.
Obama will fly to New Orleans this morning, where he'll visit a charter school and hold a town-hall meeting to talk about Katrina recovery. It'll be Obama's first trip to New Orleans as president, after a campaign where he promised an administration dedicated to rebuilding where the Bush administration had left work undone. Expect some criticism from Republicans of his efforts so far.
Obama will fly to New Orleans this morning, where he'll visit a charter school and hold a town-hall meeting to talk about Katrina recovery. It'll be Obama's first trip to New Orleans as president, after a campaign where he promised an administration dedicated to rebuilding where the Bush administration had left work undone. Expect some criticism from Republicans of his efforts so far.
Oct 14 2009, 6:00AM
The Rundown, 10/14
With the Baucus plan approved by the Senate Finance Committee, now begins the fight over what the full Senate can pass. But, as the Senate leadership sketches out its plan for bringing health care reform to the floor, here's what else will be happening...all of which is probably less glitzy.
Oct 13 2009, 6:35PM
The Invisible Primary, 10/13
Tracking the GOP race to 2012
Tim Pawlenty announced health care policy proposals at a news conference in Minnesota and a blog post at Big Government; he'll also be in DC tomorrow to speak at a luncheon hosted by the Republican Jewish Coalition; Iowa has been relatively calm, with little traffic from GOP presidential contenders as compared to this point in the 2008 cycle; Mitt Romney traveled to Philadelphia to announce his endorsement for GOP Pennsylvania Senate candidate Pat Toomey; and Rick Santorum spoke at the Grand Rapids Right to Life's annual dinner.
Tim Pawlenty announced health care policy proposals at a news conference in Minnesota and a blog post at Big Government; he'll also be in DC tomorrow to speak at a luncheon hosted by the Republican Jewish Coalition; Iowa has been relatively calm, with little traffic from GOP presidential contenders as compared to this point in the 2008 cycle; Mitt Romney traveled to Philadelphia to announce his endorsement for GOP Pennsylvania Senate candidate Pat Toomey; and Rick Santorum spoke at the Grand Rapids Right to Life's annual dinner.
Oct 13 2009, 6:02PM
Hurtling Toward 2010, 10/13
The 2010 midterms are just around the corner (sort of).
Here's what's happening:
When asked in an editorial board meeting whether he thinks challenger Chris Christie is fat, New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D) patted his smooth head and asked, "Am I bald?"; elsewhere in the state, independent gubernatorial candidate Chris Dagget says ballot order will put him at a disadvantage; GOP challenger Rob Simmons raised $967,000 in his campaign to unseat Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT); Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), meanwhile, raised $2 million; but a Mason-Dixon poll showed him trailing possible GOP challengers; and a new poll shows Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) leading GOP challenger Pat Toomey in his reelection race; though Toomey scored an (unsurprising) endorsement and appearance from Mitt Romney.
When asked in an editorial board meeting whether he thinks challenger Chris Christie is fat, New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D) patted his smooth head and asked, "Am I bald?"; elsewhere in the state, independent gubernatorial candidate Chris Dagget says ballot order will put him at a disadvantage; GOP challenger Rob Simmons raised $967,000 in his campaign to unseat Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT); Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), meanwhile, raised $2 million; but a Mason-Dixon poll showed him trailing possible GOP challengers; and a new poll shows Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) leading GOP challenger Pat Toomey in his reelection race; though Toomey scored an (unsurprising) endorsement and appearance from Mitt Romney.
Oct 13 2009, 5:49PM
Insurance Lobby Miscalculated: Some Evidence
Let's get the chain of events correct:
Some insurance industry CEOs start to panic about reform. They press their DC lobby, America's Health Insurance Plans, to do something about it.
AHIP asks PriceWaterhouseCooper to score a few of the Baucus mark's provisions.
Sunday, the industry issues what would quickly become a widely debunked report about what health insurance reform would mean for your health insurance premiums. Even GOPers are reluctant to use the report as a talking point -- so effectively did the White House and Democrats discredit it.
Investors freak out and start selling off their health insurance stock. PriceWaterhouseCooper acknowledges that their report was partial and incomplete.
Today, unbowed, the Senate Finance Committee passes the Baucus bill.
Only then do health insurance stocks start to rebound.
Maybe it's foolish to look at the stock prices... But it doesn't seem as if AHIP's getting a lot of traction for their last-minute panicked attack.
Oct 13 2009, 5:18PM
What The Budget Scolds Are Saying
One of the paradoxes of health reform is that you have to spend money to save it. The current system is killing our long-term fiscal outlook, and so it needs reform, but to achieve such reform you have to spend more now in order to save money later. The same logic applied, in a way, to the argument that the stimulus package was fiscally prudent--spend now so the economy doesn't go off a cliff. After the Senate Finance Committee bill passed today, one of the leading budget scold groups--and I use the term affectionately because I think they're more right than wrong--the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget praised the overall direction of the bill but noted things that could make it even more fiscally prudent. Given that the bill is going to get married to more liberal versions in the House and Senate, I doubt that'll happen, but it's worth noting what they point to:
Oct 13 2009, 3:49PM
Health Insurers On Committee Vote: We Support Reform...Just Not This Reform
After the Senate Finance Committee passed Chairman Max Baucus's health reform plan on a 14-9 vote, America's Health Insurance Plans--hot off the controversy of the report it commissioned from PricewaterhouseCoopers--insisted that it does support comprehensive health care reform...just not the Finance Committee's plan.
AHIP's stance all along has been to support the ideals of reform publicly, even as the White House and liberal action groups attacked it. But after the study it released yesterday, which suggested Baucus's plan would raise costs over the long term, many observers suggested the gloves had been taken off.
AHIP's stance all along has been to support the ideals of reform publicly, even as the White House and liberal action groups attacked it. But after the study it released yesterday, which suggested Baucus's plan would raise costs over the long term, many observers suggested the gloves had been taken off.
Oct 13 2009, 3:00PM
Top Ten Reasons Why The GOP Website Relaunch Is Fizzlin'
10. In a section devoted to "future leaders," there were none.
9. In the subsequent rush to get up a "future leaders" page, they choose "you."
8. The last GOP accomplishment cited on the accomplishment page was from 2004.
7. The what's up page -- hip! starts with this sentence: ""the internet has been around for a while now"
6. Administrator passwords were accidentally posted.
5. When the RNC hosted a kick-off conference call, the website was down.
4. The website cites Jackie Robinson as a GOP hero. Robinson wasn't a GOPer, and he criticized the GOP on race. Robinson left the party because of its views on race. He had been, as a reader points out, a Republican for many years.
3. The first question on the conference call was from an Hispanic Republican who asked why the GOP site didn't have a Spanish-language page and noted that the White House had one.
2. Bragging about web redesigns is so 2004.
1. It's not timed with the start of any major advocacy campaign -- or political campaign. And it portrays itself as something it's not: diverse and ready to embrace new ideas. That may be what the party leadership aspires to, but, at least when it comes to diversity, a few pictures of Hispanics and African Americans doesn't make up for ... well, the history of the party.
Oct 13 2009, 2:37PM
Obama Isn't Counting Chickens
President Obama says he's pleased with Sen. Olympia Snowe's (R-ME) pledge today to vote "yes" on Chairman Max Baucus's health care bill in the Senate Finance Committee, but he says he's not going to count the bill's fate as sealed.
"Senator Snowe has been extremely diligent in working together so we can reduce the costs of health care...So I never count chickens before they're hatched, but this is obviously another step forward in bringing about another deal for the American people," the president told reporters during a brief availability after meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.
"Senator Snowe has been extremely diligent in working together so we can reduce the costs of health care...So I never count chickens before they're hatched, but this is obviously another step forward in bringing about another deal for the American people," the president told reporters during a brief availability after meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.
Oct 13 2009, 2:13PM
Will Chris Daggett Fall Victim To The Ballot Order Effect?
New Jersey's independent, Springsteen-loving gubernatorial candidate, Chris Dagget, is on a roll. He's finally getting solid attention from the Manhattan television markets, he's getting major endorsements, and one of his opponents is making fun of another for being fat. But Daggett faces a ballot problem. Not ballot access itself ... he's on the ballot ... It's ballot design.
Oct 13 2009, 1:07PM
Snowe's "Yes" A Surprise
Sen. Olympia Snowe's "yes" vote today on the Senate Finance Committee's health reform mark is butter. A "no vote" would have been a kind of margarine. Snowe wants maximum leverage over the final bill. This committee vote is at least three steps removed from that end game. Voting "yes," at this moment, is a marker. Translated, it means, quite simply, that Snowe will vote "yes" on cloture after the House-Senate conference so long as the final bill roughly approximates the Baucus mark. The vote is a win for the White House, which has courted Sen. Snowe quite aggressively since the beginning of the year. It is a win, of sorts, for Baucus, because it means that his bill -- still to be reconciled with another Senate bill -- gains leverage.
Oct 13 2009, 12:49PM
GOP Gets A New Website
Can a new website bring a political party back to national competitiveness?
The Republican Party hopes so, as it launched a revamped website today aimed at making the party more accessible (read: "viral"?) through social networking utilities. The new GOP.com features an embedded, widgetized version of the party's Facebook page. It also cleverly asks if you want to sign in using your Facebook credentials (email and password)...at which point the site synchronizes itself with your Facebook account.
The Republican Party hopes so, as it launched a revamped website today aimed at making the party more accessible (read: "viral"?) through social networking utilities. The new GOP.com features an embedded, widgetized version of the party's Facebook page. It also cleverly asks if you want to sign in using your Facebook credentials (email and password)...at which point the site synchronizes itself with your Facebook account.
Oct 13 2009, 12:24PM
Limbaugh On Beck, Conservative Voices: "Look What I Have Spawned"
Rush Limbaugh says he's not intimidated by Glenn Beck or any of the other conservative media figures who have risen to prominence of late. In fact, he takes credit for paving the way--and he rather likes what conservative media has become following his success.
As he puts it: "Look what I have spawned."
NBC's Today show aired more of correspondent Jamie Gangel's interview with Limbaugh this morning, during which she asks the talk radio king what he thinks of the newly popular Beck.
Gangel: "Glenn Beck. Do you worry about the new guy on the block?"
Limbaugh: "No. In 1988, I'm the only national conservative voice. Now look at conservative media. Look what I have spawned. Glenn Beck, to me, is right on, daddy-o. Glenn Beck is a result of my success."
Oct 13 2009, 11:58AM
Corzine's Mean Jab Might Backfire
"Do you think Chris Christie is fat?" the reporter repeated, point blank.
The governor patted his pate and asked, "Am I bald?" without missing a beat -- eliciting lots of laughs from other reporters
Oct 13 2009, 11:56AM
The Guardian Gets To Speak, But Britain Deserves A Free Press
Here's something we can all agree on: after three hundred years of stalling, Britain deserves a better bill of rights. Twitter, functioning as a press cloud, found a way around a MP's pre-publication injunction against the Guardian newspaper from printing a story about a question that MP had submitted for consideration. It involved a powerful oil company, Trafigura, a very powerful and protective law firm and already public allegations of illegal dumping.
Oct 13 2009, 10:42AM
Government Delays uGov Migration After Protests
Intelligence community users of the popular "uGov" domain will to get to keep the service for at least another six months while the government reviews the impact of closing the domain.
Two weeks ago, an unexpected announcement of uGov's closure provoked a quiet but persistent e-rebellion among spies, analysts and techies, who flooded the home office -- that's the Office of the Director of National Intelligence -- with complaints and set up an internal protest wiki.
Two weeks ago, an unexpected announcement of uGov's closure provoked a quiet but persistent e-rebellion among spies, analysts and techies, who flooded the home office -- that's the Office of the Director of National Intelligence -- with complaints and set up an internal protest wiki.
Oct 13 2009, 10:23AM
Health Insurers = MLB?
The liberal activist group Americans United for Change compares the insurance industry to Major League Baseball in a new TV ad, as the gloves continue to be off (for the most part) between insurers and supporters of the Democratic health blueprint. The similarity? Exemptions from certain antitrust violations.
Oct 12 2009, 4:06PM
A Furious And Rapid Response To The Insurance Industry's Face Flip
It seems weird that the insurance industry, which had played so nicely with the White House for months -- their lobbying against the public option in August aside -- would suddenly embrace a facially flawed conclusion about the effects of health care reform. Electoral politics is probably the last thing the American Health Insurance Plan (AHIP) trade group wants to be accused of now -- and shifting gears on an increasingly popular health care reform bill at the last minute -- playing directly into the hands of Democrats who just knew that the insurance industry only a fair-weather friend -- stiffing Max Baucus's Herculean efforts to craft an acceptable bill without a public option (for the industry!) -- is a curious stratagem.
Oct 12 2009, 12:35PM
On the Diversity Of Opinion Among Democrats
From day one of his administration, the left has held Barack Obama's feet to the fire way more than the right ever did to George W, Bush -- at least until Bush's nomination of Harriet Meirs to the Supreme Court. Put another way: the diversity of opinion about Obama and his presidency among activist Dems far exceeds early Bush-era diversity of opinion among activist GOPers. Now -- a few caveats.
One -- this isn't just a case of a journalist discovering -- gasp -- that liberals aren't monolithic. It's an observation about a significant difference in the political context in which Obama governs. Democrats like and support Obama, as do liberals, but they're willing to be openly critical -- not always, but often enough, some more than others, in different forums.
Oct 12 2009, 12:02PM
Democrats, Administration Officials Don't Like The New AHIP Study
America's Health Insurance Plans has been circulating a new study that claims the Senate Finance Committee's health reform bill will raise costs over time--more so than under current law--and Democrats are not happy about it. The White House and the Finance Committee's Democratic office have accused it of skewed results for dishonest, political purposes.
"This is the type of self-serving and shoddy analysis you get from industry sponsored research," Office of Management and Budget spokesman Kenneth Baer said, echoing the White House message.
The study, conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers, claims that single insurance coverage would be $1,500 more expensive on average in 2019 than under the current plan ($9,700 vs. $8,200), while family insurance coverage would cost $4,000 more ($25,900 vs. $21,900).
"This is the type of self-serving and shoddy analysis you get from industry sponsored research," Office of Management and Budget spokesman Kenneth Baer said, echoing the White House message.
The study, conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers, claims that single insurance coverage would be $1,500 more expensive on average in 2019 than under the current plan ($9,700 vs. $8,200), while family insurance coverage would cost $4,000 more ($25,900 vs. $21,900).
Oct 12 2009, 11:29AM
"Take Off The Pajamas, Get Dressed"
An unnamed White House adviser had some choice words for liberal bloggers who've criticized the administration for failing to make progress on gay rights issues, CNBC's John Harwood said yesterday, and some are pretty upset about it.
When asked about "conversations about some things they thought would have been done but haven't," Harwood said that "[t]he White House views this opposition as really part of the Internet left fringe...And for a sign of how seriously the White House does or doesn't take this opposition, one adviser told me today those bloggers need to take off the pajamas, get dressed and realize that governing a closely divided country is complicated and difficult."
When asked about "conversations about some things they thought would have been done but haven't," Harwood said that "[t]he White House views this opposition as really part of the Internet left fringe...And for a sign of how seriously the White House does or doesn't take this opposition, one adviser told me today those bloggers need to take off the pajamas, get dressed and realize that governing a closely divided country is complicated and difficult."
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Oct 12 2009, 6:30AM
Question Of The Day: What Happens If Obama Doesn't Send More Troops?
If President Obama doesn't approve at least most of the 40,000 additional troops Gen. Stanley McChrystal has requested for the war in Afghanistan, will will be the consequences
-for McChrystal's tenure as top commander in Afghanistan?
-for Obama's public support and political capital?
-for the 2010 midterms?
-for the people of Afghanistan, troop commitments from U.S. allies, and the broader war effort?
-for McChrystal's tenure as top commander in Afghanistan?
-for Obama's public support and political capital?
-for the 2010 midterms?
-for the people of Afghanistan, troop commitments from U.S. allies, and the broader war effort?
Oct 11 2009, 12:45PM
The Sunday Shows In Five Bullet Points
1. Sen Dianne Feinstein urged President Obama to approve Gen. Stanley McChrystal's "middle" approach -- 40,000 more troops. On This Week:
2. Arianna Huffington joined the chorus of progressives who want Rep. Charlie Rangel to removed as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.
The architect of the Iraq surge, Gen. Jack Keane (Ret.) said that, if he were in McChrystal's position and Obama rejected his advice, he would probably resign."I don't know how you put somebody in, who is as 'cracker jack' as General McChrystal who gives the president very solid recommendations and not take those recommendations if you are not going to pull out. If you do not want to take the recommendations then you put your people in such jeopardy."
2. Arianna Huffington joined the chorus of progressives who want Rep. Charlie Rangel to removed as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.
Copyright © 2009 by The Atlantic Monthly Group. All rights reserved.