THE OBAMA PRESIDENCY:
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IN FOCUS: STATS |
In Focus: Stats- Crist maintains early lead in Senate race poll:
Gov. Charlie Crist, riding a wave of public support even greater than President Obama's popularity in
Florida, posted a big lead in a U.S. Senate campaign poll released Wednesday.
The new poll showed Crist leading 54 percent to 23 percent.... -
News Press, 6-10-09
- Poll: Third of Republicans view party unfavorably
How Republicans view their party:
USA TODAY/Gallup poll of 1,015 adults taken May 29-31. Margin of error is +/- 3 percentage points for the
full sample and 6 percentage points for the sub sample.
There's no such dyspepsia among Democrats. Just 4% have an unfavorable view of their party.... -
USA Today, 6-9-09
- Media bias can help GOP:
That could be the head-thumping postscript of the 2010 midterm elections. With the media fawning over President
Obama and failing to appropriately cover several key Democrat problems, scandals and missteps, a false sense of
security for the Democrats is growing.
The media, snugly tucked into the Democrats’ back pocket, paint a deceivingly rosy picture of the job Obama, House
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) are doing. The shopworn" conventional wisdom" that the GOP has marginalized itself into near-oblivion is being pedaled daily by cocksure
reporters and (other) Democratic operatives.
But the emerging true storyline is increasingly becoming diametrically opposed to this myopic view. Last rites
for the GOP may be premature.
A recent Gallup poll shows Americans overwhelmingly disagree with Obama on closing Guantanamo. Rasmussen
reports Republicans and Democrats tied on the generic congressional ballot. Americans have a more favorable
opinion of former Vice President Cheney than Pelosi and trust Republicans over Democrats on economic issues.
And Reid is down nationally, and in serious trouble in his home state of Nevada.... -
The Hill, 6-11-09
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THE HEADLINES.... |
The Headlines... |
POLITICAL QUOTES |
Political Quotes- Biden says 'everyone guessed wrong' on jobs number:
ice President Joe Biden said Sunday that"everyone guessed wrong" on the impact of the economic stimulus, but he
defended the administration's spending designed to combat rising joblessness."The bottom line is that jobs are being created that would not have been there before," Biden said....
"No one realized how bad the economy was. The projections, in fact, turned out to be worse. But we took the
mainstream model as to what we thought — and everyone else thought — the unemployment rate would be," Biden said....
"At the time our forecast seemed reasonable. Now, looking back, it was clearly too optimistic,"
he told reporters last Monday....
"Can I claim credit that all of that's due to the recovery package? No. But it clearly has had an impact,"
Biden said."Everyone guessed wrong at the time the estimate was made about what the state of the economy was at the moment
this was passed," Biden said.
Biden appeared Sunday on NBC's"Meet the Press" from his hometown of Wilmington, Del. -
AP, 6-14-09 - Health care status quo unacceptable: US official:
The United States' unwieldy health care system is"unsustainable," US health secretary Kathleen Sebelius warned
Sunday as she ramped up calls to back President Barack's Obama health reform plans."Everybody recognizes the status quo is the enemy. It's unacceptable, unsustainable," said Sebelius, who leads
the Department of Health and Human Services."We can't continue down this path," she told ABC television....
"Doctors understand the current system doesn't work. They're spending way too much time on paperwork and overhead,
and not enough time with patients. Hospitals can't sustain it," she said....
"It's crushing businesses, it's crushing families. Our workers are less competitive. We can't sustain the system
that we have right now, so the status quo is not an acceptable alternative," Sebelius told ABC. -
AFP, 6-14-09 - CIA head says Cheney almost wishing US be attacked:
CIA Director Leon Panetta says former Vice President Dick Cheney's criticism of the Obama administration's approach
to terrorism almost suggests"he's wishing that this country would be attacked again, in order to make his point."
Panetta told The New Yorker for an article in its June 22 issue that Cheney"smells some blood in the water" on the
issue of national security....
Panetta said of Cheney's remarks:"It's almost, a little bit, gallows politics. When you read behind it, it's almost as
if he's wishing that this country would be attacked again, in order to make his point. I think that's dangerous
politics."... -
AP, 6-14-09 - WEEKLY ADDRESS: President Obama Outlines More than $300 Billion in new Medicare and Medicaid Savings:
When it comes to the cost of health care, this much is clear: the status quo is unsustainable for families,
businesses, and government. America spends nearly 50 percent more per person on health care than any other country.
Health care premiums have doubled over the last decade, deductibles and out-of-pocket costs have skyrocketed, and
many with preexisting conditions are denied coverage. More and more, Americans are being priced out of the care
they need.
These costs are also hurting business, as some big businesses are at a competitive disadvantage with their foreign
counterparts, and some small businesses are forced to cut benefits, drop coverage, or even lay off workers.
Meanwhile, Medicare and Medicaid pose one of the greatest threats to our federal deficit, and could leave our
children with a mountain of debt that they cannot pay.
We cannot continue down this path. I do not accept a future where Americans forego health care because they can't
pay for it, and more and more families go without coverage at all. And I don’t accept a future where American
business is hurt and our government goes broke. We have a responsibility to act, and to act now. That is why I'm
working with Congress to pass reform that lowers costs, improves quality and coverage, and protects consumer
health care choices.... -
White House, 6-13-09 - Hospitals oppose Obama's Medicare, Medicaid cuts:
President Barack Obama said Saturday he wants to help pay for his health care overhaul by slowing
Medicare and Medicaid spending, but hospitals, medical technicians and others are resisting.
The high-stakes struggle over medical care is heating up as Obama declares the status quo unacceptable.
The president suggests trimming federal payments to hospitals by about $200 billion over the next 10 years, saying
greater efficiencies and broader insurance coverage will justify the change. Hospitals, especially those with many
poor patients, say the proposed cuts are unfair and will harm the sick and elderly.
Congress ultimately will shape the new laws. Obama is urging lawmakers to be bold and to resist powerful
lobbies trying to maintain their clout and profits."Americans are being priced out of the care they need," Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address.... -
AP, 6-13-09
- GOP says Democrats' climate bill is another tax:
Republicans on Saturday slammed a Democratic bill before the House that seeks to address climate change, arguing
that it amounts to an energy tax on consumers.
In the GOP's weekly radio and Internet address, Indiana Rep. Mike Pence said Congress should instead open
the way for more domestic oil and natural gas production and ease regulatory barriers for building new nuclear
power plants."During these difficult times, the American people don't want a national energy tax out of Washington, D.C.,"
said Pence, the third-ranking House Republican.
"The Republican energy plan calls for more domestic exploration for oil and natural gas, renewed commitment
to clean emission-free nuclear energy, investments in renewable and alternative energy technologies and
incentives to spur greater conservation among individuals and businesses," he said.... -
AP, 6-13-09 - STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT ON THE PASSAGE OF THE KIDS TOBACCO LEGISLATION Rose Garden:
THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon. I just wanted to give a quick statement about the kids tobacco legislation that
passed the Senate yesterday.
This bill has obviously been a long time coming. We've known for years, even decades, about the harmful, addictive,
and often deadly effects of tobacco products. Each year Americans pay nearly $100 billion in added health care
costs due to smoking. Each day about a thousand young people under the age of 18 become regular smokers.
For over a decade, leaders of both parties have fought to prevent tobacco companies from marketing their products
to children, and provide the public with the information they need to understand what a dangerous habit this is.
And after a decade of opposition, all of us are finally about to achieve the victory with this bill, a bill that
truly defines change in Washington.
I'm proud that the House and the Senate have acted swiftly and in an overwhelmingly bipartisan fashion to pass this
legislation that will protect our kids and improve our public health. Along with legislation to protect credit
card owners from unfair rate hikes, homeowners from mortgage fraud and abuse, and taxpayers from wasteful defense
spending, this kids tobacco bill would be the fourth piece of bipartisan legislation that I've signed into law
over the last month that protects the American consumer, and changes the way Washington works and who Washington
works for.
So I look forward to signing it. I want to thank all the people in the House and the Senate for working so
hard to pass this bill in a bipartisan way. And I want to give a special shout-out to my legislative director,
Phil Schiliro. He and his team have just done an outstanding job. They've been working on this for a long time,
even before they joined the administration. I'm really proud of them.... -
White House, 6-12-09 - An Answer on Iranian Elections:
THE PRESIDENT: We are excited to see what appears to be a robust debate taking place in Iran. And obviously,
after the speech that I made in Cairo, we tried to send a clear message that we think there is the possibility of
change. And ultimately, the election is for the Iranians to decide, but just as has been true in Lebanon, what
can be true in Iran as well is that you're seeing people looking at new possibilities. And whoever ends up winning
the election in Iran, the fact that there's been a robust debate hopefully will help advance our ability to engage
them in new ways.... -
White House, 6-12-09
- Troops in Iraq hailed by Bush on 'Colbert Report':
Former President George W. Bush had a hearty message for troops serving in Iraq - and delivered it on a silly
TV comedy show. Appearing in a pretaped spot during Comedy Central's"The Colbert Report" on Thursday, Bush hailed
the military.
"Your achievements in Iraq have earned you a special place in American history. You are men and women of great
courage and endurance - and that's gonna come in handy," Bush noted, winding up to zing Stephen Colbert,
the blustery"Colbert Report" host:"I've sat through Stephen's stuff before."
Bush said former first lady Laura Bush joined him in the shout-out. -
AP, 6-12-09 - No. 2 House Republican compares Obama to Putin:
The No. 2 Republican in the House on Thursday compared President Barack Obama's plans for the auto industry to
the policies of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, saying the White House has stripped credit holders of
rights and given them to Democratic allies.
"They said, 'Set aside the rule of law, let's strip secured creditors, bondholders, of their rights. Take them
away outside of the bankruptcy process and give them to the political cronies and the auto workers' unions," Rep.
Eric Cantor, R-Va., said in an interview with The Associated Press."It's almost like looking at Putin's Russia," added Cantor, the GOP's House whip."You want to reward your
political friends at the expense of the certainty of law?"... -
AP, 6-11-09 - Obama confronts critics on health care overhaul:
President Barack Obama challenged Republican critics Thursday to offer alternative plans for overhauling U.S.
health care, declaring he's"happy to steal people's ideas" but that doing nothing about out-of-reach costs and
uninsured Americans is not an option.
"What else do we say to all those families who spend more on health care than on housing or on food?" Obama said
at a town hall-style meeting, surrounded by supportive citizens in the nation's heartland."What do we tell those
businesses that are choosing between closing their doors and letting their workers go?"....
"I know there are some who believe that reform is too expensive, but I can assure you that doing nothing will cost
us far more in the coming years," Obama said."Our deficits will be higher. Our premiums will go up. Our wages
will be lower, our jobs will be fewer and our businesses will suffer."... -
AP, 6-11-09 - REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT IN TOWN HALL MEETING ON HEALTH CARE
Southwest High School Green Bay, Wisconsin:
For the government, the growing cost of Medicare and Medicaid is the biggest threat to our federal deficit,
bigger than Social Security, bigger than all the investments that we've made so far. So if you're worried
about spending and you're worried about deficits, you need to be worried about the cost of health care.
We have the most expensive health care system in the world, bar none. We spend almost 50 percent more per person
on health care than the next most expensive nation -- 50 percent more. But here's the thing, Green Bay: We're not
any healthier for it; we don't necessarily have better outcomes. Even within our own country, there are a lot of
the places where we spend less on health care, but actually have higher quality than places where we spend more.
And it turns out Green Bay is a good example. Right here in Green Bay, you get more quality out of fewer health
care dollars than many other communities across this country. (Applause.) That's something to be proud of.
I want to repeat that: You spend less; you have higher quality here in Green Bay than in many parts of the
country. But across the country, spending on health care keeps on going up and up and up -- day after day,
year after year.
I know that there are millions of Americans who are happy, who are content with their health care coverage --
they like their plan, they value their relationship with their doctor. And no matter how we reform health care,
I intend to keep this promise: If you like your doctor, you'll be able to keep your doctor; if you like your
health care plan, you'll be able to keep your health care plan.... -
White House, 6-11-09 - President Obama"On the Holocaust Museum Shooting":
I am shocked and saddened by today’s shooting at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. This outrageous act reminds
us that we must remain vigilant against anti-Semitism and prejudice in all its forms. No American institution is
more important to this effort than the Holocaust Museum, and no act of violence will diminish our determination
to honor those who were lost by building a more peaceful and tolerant world.
Today, we have lost a courageous security guard who stood watch at this place of solemn remembrance. My thoughts
and prayers are with his family and friends in this painful time.... -
White House, 6-10-09
- Huckabee warns against 'mushy middle':
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is warning Republicans against moving to the"mushy middle," arguing that
only clearly articulated and conservative policies can bring the party back into power.
In an interview Wednesday with The Associated Press, Huckabee mocked suggestions that Republicans moderate their
stands and move to the left. He says that sounds like advice from Democrats that would ensure"we'd never win
another election, ever."... -
AP, 6-10-09
- Jon Voight: Obama"Bringing Us To Chaos And Socialism" (VIDEO):
Fresh off making headlines for calling President Obama a"false prophet" at a GOP fundraiser, actor Jon Voight
appeared on Bill O'Reilly's show Tuesday night to continue pressing his case against Obama.
After a quick name-checking of Julius Caesar--as in Obama thinks he is a"soft-spoken Julius Caesar"--Voight got
down to business, making the case that Obama is"a fellow who's bringing us to chaos and socialism."... -
Huffington Post, 6-9-09
- REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT ON"PAY AS YOU GO" East Room:
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you all for joining us here in the White House. Before I begin, I want to comment
briefly on the announcement by the Treasury Department with regard to the financial stability plan.
As you know, through this plan and its predecessor, taxpayer dollars were used to stabilize the financial system at
a time of extraordinary stress. And these funds were also meant to be an investment -- and they were meant to be
temporary. And that's why this morning's announcement is important.
Several financial institutions are set to pay back $68 billion to taxpayers. And while we know that we will not
escape the worst financial crisis in decades without some losses to taxpayers, it's worth noting that in the first
round of repayments from these companies the government has actually turned a profit.
This is not a sign that our troubles are over -- far from it. The financial crisis this administration inherited
is still creating painful challenges for businesses and families alike. And I think everybody sees it in their own
individual districts. But it is a positive sign. We're seeing an initial return on a few of these investments.
We're restoring funds to the Treasury where they'll be available to safeguard against continuing risks to financial
stability. And as this money is returned, we'll see our national debt lessened by $68 billion -- billions of dollars
that this generation will not have to borrow and future generations will not have to repay.
I've said repeatedly that I have no interest in managing the banking system -- or, for that matter, running auto
companies or other private institutions. So today's announcement is welcome news to me. But I also want to say
the return of these funds does not provide forgiveness for past excesses or permission for future misdeeds. It's
critical that as our country emerges from this period of crisis, that we learn its lessons; that those who seek
reward do not take reckless risk; that short-term gains are not pursued without regard for long-term consequences.... -
White House, 6-9-09
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HISTORIANS' COMMENTS |
Historians' Comments- Victor Davis Hanson"Obama's history is off":
In his speech last week in Cairo, President Obama proclaimed he was a"student of history." But despite Mr.
Obama's image as an Ivy League-educated intellectual, he lacks historical competency in both facts and
interpretation.
This first became apparent during the presidential campaign. Mr. Obama proclaimed then that during World War II,
his great-uncle had helped liberate Auschwitz and that his grandfather knew fellow American troops who had entered
Auschwitz and Treblinka.
Both are impossible. The Americans didn't free either Nazi death camp. (Regarding Mr. Obama's great-uncle's war
experience, the Obama team later said he had meant the camp at Buchenwald.)
Much of what Mr. Obama said to thousands of Germans during his Victory Column speech in Berlin last summer also
was ahistorical. He began,"I know that I don't look like the Americans who've previously spoken in this great
city." He apparently forgot that for the previous eight years, the official faces of American foreign policy
in Germany had been Secretaries of State Colin L. Powell and Condoleezza Rice - both black....
This list of distortions could be expanded easily. Mr. Obama, in elegant fashion, may casually invoke the means of
politically correct history for the higher ends of contemporary reconciliation. But it is a bad habit. Eloquence
and good intentions exempt no one from the truth of the past - Mr. Obama included. -
The Washington Times, 6-14-09 - Julian E. Zelizer Commentary: Palin, Gingrich, Romney and 2012:
The first hundred days is barely over and the Republican primaries for 2012 have begun.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has announced he won't seek a third term, immediately stirring speculation that he
is preparing to run for president.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has been delivering speeches on many key issues, ranging from national
security to tax cuts, keeping himself in the public eye.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich called Judge Sonia Sotomayor, a"reverse racist." This is one of many statements
that he has been making in recent months to define his agenda and position himself as a leading candidate in the
Republican Party. He then backtracked from his original statement which had not played well in the press or
politically.
Since the day that the McCain-Palin campaign closed shop, Gov. Sarah Palin has never stopped running. She has
appeared regularly at Republican fundraisers, conventions and speaking events as well as in the media.
President Obama must govern in a political environment where Republicans are already in full campaign mode.
There are many reasons behind the polarization that defines Washington, but the endless campaign is one of the
most important....
Is it possible to break this cycle? In general, the opportunities for reform are limited barring a radical
change to our election process that would make our system look more like Europe -- where elections are usually
shorter, cheaper and publicly funded.
One potential reform has to come from the media. If the major news outlets devote more attention to policymaking
and less to the statements of potential candidates, there will simply be fewer opportunities for people like
Romney (or any comparable Democrat when a Republican is in the White House) to run this early. Nobody will be
listening. The endless campaign thrives on receiving media attention.
The second change has to come from government. The White House and Congress must tackle campaign finance reform
and attempt to restore some of the system that had been put into place as a result of the Watergate scandal. Only
with public finance, enforced contribution limits and possibly expenditure limits would the nation be able to
dampen the fundraising pressures on candidates.
Until these and other steps are taken, presidents will have to govern constantly in a campaign season -- as will
the opposition party. And the policymaking process -- as well as public confidence that government officials have
their eye on the public rather than on the ballot box -- will suffer as a result. -
CNN, 6-9-09 - Stephen Hess & Julian Zelizer: Analysis: Obama woes no match for other presidents: "This fellow was dealt an incredibly difficult hand, both foreign and domestic," said Stephen P. Hess, senior
follow at the Brookings Institution."But maybe if you compare him to Lincoln or to FDR, it is not such a mountain
to climb."
History shows that other presidents have taken on bigger challenges, according to Hess and other presidential
scholars."On the scale of being confronted with truly major problems on taking office, I think I would have to put it in
the top 10 percent," Hess said."Lincoln took over on the verge of a civil war that was going to divide the
country. Americans were slaughtering Americans. Roosevelt faced the worst depression the United States ever had."
Roosevelt did not have a big foreign policy problem early on, said Julian Zelizer, professor of history and
public affairs at Princeton University.... -
AP, 6-9-09 - Matthew Dalleck"The Reassessment of Reagan":
Ronald Reagan is getting a critical re-evaluation — from both left and right — even as regrouping Republicans
double down on his legacy in opposing big government.... -
NYT, 6-9-09
- JULIAN E. ZELIZER"Recalling Ronald Reagan at Normandy":
President Ronald Reagan traveled to Normandy in June 1984 to deliver one of his most famous addresses. In a
carefully choreographed moment at Pointe du Hoc, adviser Michael Deaver had the president stand in front of a
dramatic backdrop where one Army battalion, being commemorated, had launched its attack."These are the
champions who helped free a continent," Reagan said of the veterans in front of him."These are the heroes who
helped end a war."....
In the three years that followed the Normandy speech, Reagan used diplomacy, courted moderate elements among
America's adversaries and made bold moves overseas with the hope of achieving peace without bloodshed.
In this respect, Obama’s visit to Normandy, his speech in Cairo and his broader national security agenda are
closely connected. As the administration and Congress seek breakthroughs in foreign affairs, they, too, will
need to rely on the pen and not just on the sword. -
Politico, 6-5-09 - First President in US History to Have Voted to Filibuster a Supreme Court Nominee Now Hopes for
Clean Process:
President Obama's expressed hope today in his weekly address"that we can avoid the political posturing and
ideological brinksmanship that has bogged down this (Supreme Court nomination) process, and Congress, in the past"
runs against another historical first for the 44th president: his unique role in history as the first US
President to have ever voted to filibuster a Supreme Court nominee.
So while there is little indication Republicans intend to filibuster President Obama's nominee for the Supreme
Court, Judge Sonia Sotomayor, the GOP will likely invoke the President's unique history whenever he calls
their tactics into question.... -
Jake Tapper ABC News, 5-30-09
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