In Focus: Stats

• ABC News to air Obama interview on health care: ABC News will present a prime-time interview with President Barack Obama on health care issues next week. The special will air June 24 at 10 p.m. Eastern, on two-hour tape delay. Charles Gibson and Diane Sawyer will moderate the White House discussion with a live audience, also taking questions submitted by viewers. After a break for local news, the discussion will continue on"Nightline." That morning, Sawyer will interview Obama for"Good Morning America." Gibson will anchor that evening's edition of"World News" from the White House Blue Room.... - AP, 6-15-09

THE HEADLINES....

The Headlines...

• Democrats Scramble to Cut Costs From Health Plan: The high cost of securing health insurance for all Americans, the top domestic priority of President Obama, has Congressional Democrats scrambling to scale back their proposals or find ways to trim tens of billions of dollars a year from existing health programs. According to slides presented at a closed-door meeting this week, members of the Senate Finance Committee are debating several new ideas, including"an automatic mechanism" to reduce the growth of Medicare under an expedited procedure like the one used to close military bases.... - NYT, 6-18-09
• Obama's Pledge on Donations Faces Reality: When President Obama arrived at the Mandarin Oriental hotel for a fund-raising reception on Thursday night, the new White House rules of political purity were in order: no lobbyists allowed. But at the same downtown hotel on Friday morning, registered lobbyists have not only been invited to attend an issues conference with Democratic leaders, but they have also been asked to come with a $5,000 check in hand if they want to stay in good favor with the party’s House and Senate re-election committees.... - NYT, 6-18-09
• Republican: Will Sotomayor represent 'all of us'?: A GOP senator said Thursday he will use hearings on Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court to ask whether she intends to be a justice"for all of us, or just for some of us."... - AP, 6-18-09
• Elections in Iran, Illinois? Obama very busy not picking sides: If you ever wondered what Illinois and Iran might have in common, here’s one answer: President Obama is most definitely not picking sides in their elections. So insists the White House."Our response … on this has been, from the very beginning, consistent," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told a briefing Thursday when asked about the post-election turmoil in Iran."The American people and this government are not going to pick the next leader of Iran," he said."That's something that the Iranians have to do." - Reuters, 6-18-09
• Senate skeptical of financial oversight plan: Senators sharply questioned yesterday whether President Obama’s plan to increase oversight of banks and other financial institutions was enough to prevent another economic meltdown."They’re very angry, and they are worried. And they are wondering who's looking out for them," said Senator Christopher Dodd, a Connecticut Democrat and chairman of the Senate Banking Committee. In testimony before the panel, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner defended the proposal as the nation's best shot."It will be very hard, perhaps impossible, for any authority, any individual to anticipate and pre-empt all potential sources of future risk," Geithner said.... - AP, 6-18-09
• Senate passes apology for slavery, segregation: The Senate has unanimously passed a resolution apologizing for slavery and racial segregation and sent the measure to the House. Iowa Democrat Tom Harkin first introduced the measure years ago but wanted it passed Thursday on the eve of Juneteenth - a day of celebration commemorating the end of the Civil War and the release of African Americans from slavery. He said the House is to take it up soon and that a formal celebration will be held next month in the Capitol Rotunda.... - AP, 6-18-09
• Karl Rove: The GOP Can Stop ObamaCare The public is in no mood for drastic changes in current coverage: It's extremely unlikely that Republicans will be able to pass their own health-care plan in this Congress. But in politics you can't beat something with nothing, so it is critical that the GOP offers an alternative to President Barack Obama's government-run monstrosity.
  Americans will listen more closely to Republicans if they make empirical and specific arguments against Mr. Obama's attempted government takeover of the nation's health system. But they must also offer proposals that families, small-businesspeople and health-care providers will applaud.
  Fortunately, Sens. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and Richard Burr of North Carolina, and Reps. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and Devin Nunes of California have devised a plan that will likely appeal to anyone interested in making health insurance more affordable and portable.... - WSJ, 6-18-09
• Key Iran Adviser Gains Obama's Ear: President Barack Obama, facing a mounting political crisis in Iran, is increasingly relying on the counsel of a career diplomat who has been a staunch supporter of tough measures to curtail Tehran's nuclear program. The emergence of Middle East specialist Dennis Ross as a presidential confidant is being scrutinized in Washington for its potential impact on Mr. Obama's approach to Tehran, as the nuclear issue and electoral crisis play out.... - WSJ, 6-18-09
• Obama Under Fire Again From Members of His Own Party: Some Congressional Democrats representing rural America are feeling left out when it comes to the President Obama's ambitious agenda. The Politico newspaper reports from greenhouse gases and climate legislation, to the closing of hundreds of car dealerships, many within his party aren't exactly feeling the love from the White House.... - Fox News, 6-17-09
• Wall Street isn't buying Obama's reform plan: Banks and other firms are quick to attack Obama's consumer-friendly overhaul of financial rules. The stage is set for a legislative battle, with Wall Street turning to allies in Congress.... Reporting from Washington -- At its core, President Obama's overhaul of regulations for the financial industry seeks a fundamental change: Make the federal bureaucracy work for consumers, not just Wall Street. And Wall Street, not surprisingly, doesn't like it. Striking a populist tone, Obama complained in a White House speech Wednesday that average Americans were often baffled by such intricacies as the terms of credit cards, home loans and other financial products. That confusion helped fuel the subprime mortgage meltdown that sent the U.S. and foreign economies reeling.... - LAT, 6-18-09
• Aggressive timetable for healthcare reform hits snag: A Senate panel will probably delay debate until July. The GOP accuses Democrats of moving too quickly and failing to find money to cover the costs of the massive overhaul.... - LAT, 6-17-09
• Hillary Clinton fractures elbow in fall: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton fractured her right elbow during a fall Wednesday, her chief of staff said. Clinton was on her way to the White House when she fell and injured her elbow, chief of staff Cheryl Mills said in a statement released late Wednesday.... - AP, 6-17-09
• 4 ex-senators prepare $1.2T, bipartisan health overhaul plan: Trying to prevent a repeat of the 1990s standoff over health care, four former Senate leaders are preparing a plan that combines ideas from both political parties to guarantee coverage for all. Democrats Tom Daschle and George Mitchell are set to join Republicans Bob Dole and Howard Baker on Wednesday to release a $1.2 trillion proposal that would be fully paid for with a combination of spending cuts and tax increases.... - AP, 6-17-09
• Strong words on climate change White House report notes apparent effects: Harmful effects from global warming are already here and worsening, warns the first climate report from Barack Obama's presidency in the strongest language on climate change ever to come out of the White House.... - Boston Globe, 6-16-09
• Corrected: Obama plan urges review of Fed system: document: The Obama administration's regulatory reform plan calls for a review of the Federal Reserve System's structure, which the U.S. Treasury would then consider to propose possible changes, according to a document obtained by Reuters on Tuesday."We propose a comprehensive review of the ways in which the structure and governance of the Federal Reserve System affect its ability to accomplish its existing and proposed functions," the document states. It said the review would be led by the central bank's Washington-based board and would take a look at the governance of the 12 regional Fed banks and their role in financial supervision. The Fed would be called upon to propose recommendations by October 1, the document said.... - Reuters, 6-16-09
• House passes $106 billion war funding bill: War-funding legislation survived a fierce partisan battle in the House on Tuesday, a major step in providing commanders in Iraq and Afghanistan the money they would need for military operations in the coming months. The $106 billion measure, in addition to about $80 billion for military operations, provides for an array of other spending priorities, including $7.7 billion to respond to the flu pandemic and more than $10 billion in development and security aid for Pakistan and Iraq as well as countries such as Mexico and the nation of Georgia. Democratic leaders pushing the bill on behalf of the Obama administration had to overcome an unusual alliance. Anti-war Democrats opposed continued war spending and Republicans condemned $5 billion in the measure to secure a $108 billion U.S. line of credit to the International Monetary Fund for loans to poor countries.... The vote was 226-202, with only five Republicans voting for the bill and 32 Democrats opposing it.... - AP, 6-16-09
• Obama Intends to Extend Federal Benefits to Unmarried Partners: President Obama will announce tomorrow that he is extending federal benefits to include unmarried domestic partners of federal workers, including same-sex partners, White House officials said tonight. Obama will sign an executive order implementing the change in the Oval Office, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity to avoid upstaging the president's announcement. The move would give partners of federal employees access to health care and financial benefits such as relocation fees for moves. The State Department announced a similar extension of benefits last month, with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton calling it"the right thing to do."... - WaPo, 6-15-09
• Obama Sought to Enlist a Wide Consensus on Finance Rules: President Obama’s plan to reshape financial regulation, which he will unveil on Wednesday, is the product of weeks of meetings among government officials, financial experts, lawmakers, industry executives and lobbyists, many of whom were invited to help the White House draft the proposal. Mr. Obama told reporters on Tuesday that a"lack of oversight" allowed what he called"wild risk-taking." He said it led to"very dangerous" conditions that imperiled the global economy.... - NYT, 6-16-09
• John Aloysius Farrell Democrats Win Youth, But Republicans Have a Chance: OK, young voters. Your turn. The"millennial generation" is the subject of today's analysis, as we continue to sift through the commentary and statistics presented at the joint Brookings Institution/American Enterprise Institute conference on American political demography last Friday.... Once again, the news is bad for the Republican Party. The kids went Democratic. Big time. By 66 to 31 percent. But it is significant that young voters went 2 to 1 for Audacity since they are, of course, the future. And John Kerry also did well with younger voters in 2004, Keeter noted.... - US News & World Report, 6-16-09
• GOP weakened by demographic, political forces Experts say changing geographic and demographic trends are further endangering an already-beleaguered Republican party: For the past few months, political analysts and demographers have been poring over the results of the 2008 election and comparing them with presidential results from the past two decades. From whatever angle of their approach - age, race, economic status, geography - they have come to a remarkably similar conclusion. Almost all indicators are pressing the Republicans into minority status. Republicans are still capable of winning individual elections, but until they find a way to reverse, or at least minimize, these broader changes in the country, their chances of returning to majority status will be severely reduced.... - CS Monitor, 6-15-09
• Senate near bipartisan consensus on care reform: The U.S. Senate is near agreement on a broad bipartisan plan to revamp the costly healthcare system, and legislation is very likely to pass, a leading senator said on Monday. Democratic Senator Max Baucus said the powerful Senate Finance Committee he chairs would propose legislation this week, estimating there was an"85 to 90 percent" chance meaningful healthcare reform would be passed in the Senate with bipartisan support."I'll get you 85 to 90 percent (chance) -- bipartisan -- because enough Republican senators want to do the right thing and have spent a lot of time working on it," the Democrat told Reuters in an interview.... - Reuters, 6-15-09
• Obama says Italy will take 3 Guantanamo detainees: Italy has agreed to accept three detainees from Guantanamo Bay, President Barack Obama said Monday, as the administration continues its struggle to find homes for the prisoners so the facility can be shut down early next year. Speaking after an Oval Office meeting with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Obama praised the leader for supporting U.S. efforts to close Guantanamo, saying his assistance"is very important to us."... - AP, 6-15-09
• Senate GOP launches health care attack: As President Barack Obama tried to sell the American Medical Association today on his health care overhaul, the top Senate Republicans launched a familiar line of attack. They warned of rationed medical care, lack of patient control and government bureaucracy."The American people will not stand for rationed health care," Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl said Monday."We believe that a one size fits all approach is the wrong approach."... - Reuters, 6-15-09
• Analysis: GOP word war asserts 'socialism': Republicans are honing an attack line against President Barack Obama in an attempt to play on Americans' fears of government overreach and economic uncertainties, suggesting he is nationalizing American industry and socializing medicine....
  Democrats dismiss it as conservative sloganeering. And Obama is pushing back hard, lashing out on Monday at opponents to his health-care overhaul efforts as using"fear tactics to paint any effort to achieve reform as an attempt to, yes,; socialize medicine.'""There is a fear of change — a worry that we may lose what works about our health care system while trying to fix what doesn't," he told an American Medical Association conference in Chicago.... - AP, 6-15-09
• Did Netanyahu pass the Obama test?: In the wake of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's major address Sunday, the Obama administration has publicly been emphasizing the positive nature of the message despite it falling short of US demands that Israel halt settlement growth. The focus on the positive move by Netanyahu is being seen as effort to move past public disagreements with Israel to allay Israeli concerns and find a constructive approach that might include compromise on some points.
  "The Netanyahu government took a big step forward yesterday in acknowledging for the first time the need for a two- state solution," said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs Monday."I think the president believes that there is a long way to go and many twists and turns in the road to get there, but is pleased thus far with the progress that's being made. And I think yesterday's speech certainly is a big part of that."
  In his speech, Netanyahu said that"in my vision of peace, in this small land of ours, two peoples live freely, side-by-side, in amity and mutual respect; each will have its own flag, its own national anthem, its own government." ... Jerusalem Post, 6-15-09

Political Quotes

• Obama pokes fun at broadcasters' annual dinner: President Barack Obama knows a little something about catching flies — knowledge he says he's using to help win over groups in solving the nation's health care crisis."I'm pleased that in our quest to reform the health care system, I have gained the support of the American Medical Association," Obama told the Radio and Television Correspondents' Association dinner Friday night."It proves true the old expression that it's easier to catch flies with honey. And if honey doesn't work, feel free to use an open palm and a swift, downward wrist motion."...
  Obama told the crowd he is working to repair the financial institutions and auto companies."But you probably wouldn't understand the concept of troubled industries," he said,"working as you do in radio and television."
  "Why hang out with celebrities when I can spend time with people who make me one?" Obama said.
  "I'm sure you've all seen the pictures of Rahm on that camel," Obama said."I admit, I was a little nervous about the whole situation. I said at the time, 'This is a wild animal known to bite, kick and spit. And who knows what the camel could do?'"... - AP, 6-18-09
• Bush takes swipes at Obama policies: "I know it's going to be the private sector that leads this country out of the current economic times we're in," the former president said to applause from members of a local business group."You can spend your money better than the government can spend your money."...
  "Government does not create wealth. The major role for the government is to create an environment where people take risks to expand the job rate in the United States," he said to huge cheers....
  "The way I decided to address the problem was twofold: One, use every technique and tool within the law to bring terrorists to justice before they strike again," he said, adding that the country needs to stay on offense, not defense. On Guantanamo, which while in office Mr. Bush said he wanted to close, the former president was diplomatic.
  "I told you I'm not going to criticize my successor," he said."I'll just tell you that there are people at Gitmo that will kill American people at a drop of a hat and I don't believe that -- persuasion isn't going to work. Therapy isn't going to cause terrorists to change their mind."...
  "Clearly, there's a level of frustration on the Iranian streets," Mr. Bush said."It looks like it's not a very fair election."....
  "I am told, 'If you do not move strongly, Mr. President, you will be a president overseeing a depression that will ultimately be greater than the Great Depression,'" Mr. Bush said."I firmly believe it was necessary to put money in our banks to make sure our financial system did not collapse. ... I did not want there to be bread lines, to be a great depression."....
  He said his administration sought to address the"housing bubble" before the system broke down."We tried to reform" mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac,"but couldn't get it through the vested interests on Capitol Hill." Still, Mr. Bush was optimistic, pressing, as he did as president, free trade, open markets and the free enterprise system."We'll come out of this better than before," he said to more applause.
  But he was less than convinced about Mr. Obama's move to overhaul the health care system.
  "There are a lot of ways to remedy the situation without nationalizing health care," Mr. Bush said."I worry about encouraging the government to replace the private sector when it comes to providing insurance for health care."
  Asked by the evening emcee at the 104th annual Manufacturer and Business Association meeting if he finds the new president's policies"socialist," Mr. Bush started -- then stopped.
  "I hear a lot of those words, but it depends on --" he said, breaking off. He later offered a more diplomatic assessment:"We'll see." Washington Times, 6-18-09
• STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT ON THE PRESIDENTIAL MEMORANDUM ON FEDERAL BENEFITS AND NON-DISCRIMINATION, AND SUPPORT OF THE LIEBERMAN-BALDWIN BENEFITS LEGISLATION: I am also proud to announce my support for an important piece of legislation introduced in both Houses of Congress last month -- the Domestic Partners Benefits and Obligations Act of 2009. This legislation will extend to the same-sex partners of Federal employees the same benefits already enjoyed by the opposite-sex spouses of Federal employees. The legislation has a number of co-sponsors in both Houses of Congress, but among those many sponsors, I want to recognize one in particular -- Representative Tammy Baldwin, who has been a real leader on this issue, and more broadly on the LGBT struggle for equality. Representative Baldwin, I look forward to working with you to achieve the important objectives set out in this bill as it moves through the legislative process. I also look forward to working with the bill's Senate champions, Senators Lieberman and Collins; I know that they will approach this process with the same spirit of cooperation in pursuit of our shared goals that they bring to all of their work in the Senate.... - White House, 6-17-09
• New Foundation, New Stability: There's always been a tension between those who place their faith in the invisible hand of the marketplace and those who place more trust in the guiding hand of the government -- and that tension isn't a bad thing. It gives rise to healthy debates and creates a dynamism that makes it possible for us to adapt and grow. For we know that markets are not an unalloyed force for either good or for ill. In many ways, our financial system reflects us. In the aggregate of countless independent decisions, we see the potential for creativity -- and the potential for abuse. We see the capacity for innovations that make our economy stronger -- and for innovations that exploit our economy's weaknesses.
  We are called upon to put in place those reforms that allow our best qualities to flourish -- while keeping those worst traits in check. We're called upon to recognize that the free market is the most powerful generative force for our prosperity -- but it is not a free license to ignore the consequences of our actions.
  This is a difficult time for our nation. But from this period of challenge, we can once again tap those values and ideals that have allowed us to lead the global economy, and will allow us to lead once again. That's how we'll help more Americans live their own dreams. That's why these reforms are so important. And I look forward to working with leaders in Congress and all of you to see these proposals put to work so that we can overcome this crisis and build a lasting foundation for prosperity. - White House, 6-17-09
• REMARKS BY THE FIRST LADY AT THE WHITE HOUSE GARDEN HARVEST PARTY First Lady's Garden: Well, I've learned that if it's fresh and grown locally, it's probably going to taste better. That's what I learned. And that's how I've been able to get my children to try different things, and in particular fruits and vegetables. By making this small change in our family's diet and adding more fresh produce for my family, Barack, the girls, me, we all started to notice over a very short period of time that we felt much better and we had more energy, right? And so I wanted to share this little piece of experience that I had with the rest of the nation, a wider audience, which is what brings us here today.
  This gorgeous and bountiful garden that you saw over there has given us the chance to not just have some fun, which we've had a lot of it, but to shed some light on the important -- on the important food and nutrition issues that we're going to need to address as a nation. We have to deal with these issues.... - White House, 6-17-09
• United We Serve: The President is announcing United We Serve -- a call to action for all Americans to volunteer this summer and be part of building a new foundation for America, one community at a time: Serve.gov White House, 6-17-09
• Palin accepts Letterman apology, protest goes on: Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin accepted late-night TV host David Letterman's apology over a sexually charged joke about her teenage daughter, but it was not enough to stop a protest outside the comedian's studio on Tuesday."Of course it's accepted on behalf of young women, like my daughters, who hope men who 'joke' about public displays of sexual exploitation of girls will soon evolve," Palin said in a statement late on Monday night."Letterman certainly has the right to 'joke' about whatever he wants to, and thankfully we have the right to express our reaction," she said. On the occasion of a Palin trip to New York, Letterman joked on June 8 that New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez had"knocked up" Palin's daughter during a family trip to a baseball game. The comedian apologized for the joke on his show broadcast on Monday night.... - Reuters, 6-16-09
• Obama puts his name behind Dems' pick for Va. gov.: President Barack Obama plugged his party's candidate for Virginia governor into his fundraising and organizational pipeline by e-mailing hundreds of thousands of Democrats on Monday. Obama's political action committee, Organizing for America, blasted out the e-mail in support of R. Creigh Deeds to its vast contact list and Democratic National Committee lists. Obama's e-mail exhorts his supporters to reprise last year's efforts for Deeds.... - AP, 6-15-09
• Cheney: I Hope Panetta Was 'Misquoted' in Claiming My Wish for Attack: After the CIA director apparently told The New Yorker that he thinks the former vice president is crossing his fingers for another attack on America, Dick Cheney says he hopes his"old friend" didn't really say those words....
  "I hope my old friend Leon was misquoted," Cheney said, in a written statement to FOX News."The important thing is whether the Obama administration will continue the policies that have kept us safe for the past eight years."... - Fox News, 6-15-09
• Berlusconi eyes concrete results for G8 summit: Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, meeting with President Barack Obama on Monday, called for concrete results on financial regulation, climate change and trade at next month's G8 summit of world leaders."We want this G8 to reach concrete solutions," Berlusconi told reporters after meeting with Obama at the White House."We both agreed on the fact that the G8 will certainly not be able to produce this body of rules, but this is going to be just one of the steps leading to that drafting of rules," Berlusconi said."There will be then the G20 summit in Pittsburgh, which will work on it, but the hope is to finally reach a body of rules which can be shared by everybody."
  Obama, who will visit Russia before attending the G8 meeting in Italy, said he hoped nuclear non-proliferation would also be on the group's agenda."Prime Minister Berlusconi, who has strong relationships with the Russians, was able to offer some insight in terms of how to approach reductions in nuclear arsenals," Obama said."And that hopefully is going to be a topic at the G8 summit, as well." - Reuters, 6-15-09

HISTORIANS' COMMENTS

Historians' Comments

• Donald Ritchie"Biggest Shift in U.S. Health Care Needs 45-Day Sprint": The packed schedule will be a particular challenge for the slower, more deliberate Senate. Democrats, who control 59 votes, must be able to secure the backing of 60 senators to overcome the possibility of a filibuster. The fast pace also may be an asset, said Senate historian Donald Ritchie."Sometimes there’s an advantage in setting a short schedule," Ritchie said."That gets people responding to the bill, it’s easier to schedule votes, people are more willing to cut a deal and compromise. Leadership around here often gets their best work done here before a recess when everyone has a plane ticket in their pocket." - Bloomberg, 6-17-09
• John Steele Gordon"Financial crisis shifts balance toward regulation":"In theory, regulation and markets should evolve together. In fact, almost always, regulation comes after disasters" and it isn't always for the better, said John Steele Gordon, an economic historian and author of the book"The Great Game: The Emergence of Wall Street as a World Power.""Disasters teach us how to prevent the last disaster," he said.... - AP, 6-17-09
• Julian Zelizer & Melissa Lerner: Commentary: Obama can succeed in Mideast: At a time when the Obama administration is dealing with a barely stable economy while trying to address long-term health care, two wars, the environment and the threat of terrorism, many ask whether it is wise for President Obama to try to resolve a problem that has frustrated so many presidents before him.
  With the latest events in Iran, there is even more reason for skepticism that progress towards Arab-Israeli peace is possible.
  Despite conventional wisdom, when presidents have become personally active in shaping American policy in the region and resolved to make the Mideast conflict a top priority, they've often succeeded in improving Arab-Israeli relations....
  At the same time, Obama will have to work with the Israeli government -- without antagonizing it -- in order to gain support for a settlement freeze during the negotiations and to push forward Netanyahu's promise to make progress towards a viable Palestinian state.
  Finally, Obama can't take his eye off the domestic front. He must continue to engage the domestic coalitions who are most interested in these policies and ensure they are brought into the deliberations.
  The key will be balance. Obama should take this opportunity to embrace a strategy that is truly even-handed and does not let either side avoid its responsibilities. - CNN, 6-16-09
• Clive Crook: Is this leadership on health care?: Obama's hands-off approach to health care reform looks ever more questionable. I'm getting tired of listening to speeches that state uncontroversial goals--widen coverage, curb costs, free doctors from useless paperwork, improve medical outcomes--but have little or nothing to say on how these things might actually be done. It's one thing to refrain from ramming a fully worked-out blueprint down the throat of a skeptical Congress, another entirely to step back altogether from fundamental questions of design and cost recovery.... - The Atlantic, 6-16-09