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Week 13 Presidential Week in Review

Week 13

Summary: Bankruptcy, Bolivia, Banks, Bobama and baggers (teabaggers that is) are only the tip of the iceberg this week. The Summit of the Americas, United Nations' World Conference on Racism, CIA torture memos, Tax Day and the Drug War, held their fair share of the news while the EPA made a loud and clear statement!

April 14, 2009 Tuesday

Obama Agenda

1. Obama's day: Mr. Bo goes to Washington: President Barack Obama and wife, Michelle, join daughters Sasha and Malia in welcoming their long-awaited puppy, a black-and-white Portuguese water dog named Bo. The White House has planned a picture session as the first family gets its first pup. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i5sAh0RZ99xl-emMZ6j5xw7deMdgD97I54P80

2. When President Obama talks up the economy again today, it comes against a very mixed economic mood, which may actually be a good sign, since things were all bad not very long ago. Gallup finds a complicated picture in its weekly survey, with consumer spending down, and pessimism about hiring high, but nevertheless a stronger feeling that people’s standard of living is OK. A CNN/Opinion Research poll finds on the plus side for Obama that 58% of Americans think he has a clear plan for the economy, while just 24% think Republicans do. (One small ray of light for the GOP in the CNN poll is that the party has narrowed the gap between Democrats on which party people would rather see in charge, rising to 34% from 31% in January while Dems dropped from 56% to 49%.) ABC News’ pollster Gary Langer notes that while Obama may be justified in a careful celebration of rising confidence, he shouldn’t go overboard. “In the political equation, there’s little so risky as to be seen as out of touch with the public’s economic pain,” Langer writes. http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dc/2009/04/obama-faces-mixed-economic-moo.html

3. U.S. President Barack Obama has written a letter to FIFA president Sepp Blatter supporting the U.S. bid to host the World Cup in 2018 or 2022. In excerpts released Tuesday by the U.S. Soccer Federation, Obama writes of the ``spirit of unity'' from soccer he has seen as a child and as a father. FIFA's executive committee will decide the hosts for both tournaments in December 2010. The United States hosted the World Cup for the first time in 1994, and the 52 games drew records for
total attendance (3.59 million) and average (68,991). England and Spain's joint bid with Portugal are considered the
favorites to host in 2018, with the U.S. seen as a favorite for 2022. http://www.wctv.tv/sports/headlines/42996032.html

4. Poll: Obama earns nation's trust: Three months into his presidency, Barack Obama stands out as perhaps the most trusted figure in American politics. In a new Public Strategies Inc./POLITICO national survey of 1,000 registered voters, Obama outdistances figures on both the left and the right in earning the public’s trust, with two-thirds of respondents saying they trust the president “to identify the right solutions to the problems we face as a nation.” Of those who said they trust the president, 31 percent said they trust him “a great deal.” An additional 35 percent said they have “some” trust that Obama will find the correct solution. Thirty-one percent said they trust Obama either “not very much” or “not at all.” Voters were asked the same question of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Republican Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, former Massachusetts Republican Gov. Mitt Romney, conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh and the two major political parties. Among those choices, only the Democratic Party was trusted to find the right solutions by a majority of voters, 52 percent to 40 percent. Forty percent of those surveyed said they trusted the Republican Party, compared with 54 percent who did not trust the GOP. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0409/21213.html

5. Among the students and locals crowded around Healy Gates this morning to catch a glimpse of President Obama, approximately seven pro-life protesters rallied in opposition to the pro-choice president and his visit to a Catholic university while around 10 Georgetown students demonstrated against the pro-life protesters.
http://www.thehoya.com/node/18727#ixzz0CkDsaqTT&B

6. The Federal Trade Commission named Georgetown University law professor David Vladeck as director of the agency's Bureau of Consumer Protection. Vladeck is co-director of Georgetown Law Center's Institute for Public Representation, a program for civil liberties, open government and regulatory litigation. Previously, he spent nearly 30 years with the Public Citizen Litigation Group. As that group's director, he argued a number of First Amendment and civil rights cases before the Supreme Court, and more than 60 cases before the federal courts of appeal and state courts of last resort, the FTC said. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/14/AR2009041402853.html?wpisrc=newsletter

Domestic Issues

7. Immigration Accord by Labor Boosts Obama Effort: The nation’s two major labor federations have agreed for the first time to join forces to support an overhaul of the immigration system, leaders of both organizations said on Monday. The accord could give President Obama significant support among unions as he revisits the stormy issue in the midst of the recession. John Sweeney, president of the A.F.L.-C.I.O., and Joe T. Hansen, a leader of the rival Change to Win federation, will present the outlines of their new position on Tuesday in Washington. In 2007, when Congress last considered comprehensive immigration legislation, the two groups could not agree on a common approach. That legislation failed. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/14/us/14immig.html?ref=us

8. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says he doesn't see any immediate need to bulk up the military response to piracy on the high seas. Gates adds, however, that those decisions are being made moment by moment. Gates is in Alabama on Tuesday to hear from future military leaders as he tries to sell his new $534 billion budget plan. He says his budget focuses on what those future warriors will need for the kinds of wars the United States is fighting now. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/0...

Economy

9. Obama tempers optimism with reality on economy: Aiming to assert control over the nation's economic debate, President Barack Obama on Tuesday warned Americans eager for good news that "by no means are we out of the woods" and argued his broad domestic agenda is the path to recovery. In a speech at Georgetown University, Obama aimed to juggle his recent glass-half-full takes on the economy with a determination to not be stamped as naive in the face lingering problems. He summarized actions his administration has taken to steady the limping economy and coupled that with a fresh overview of his domestic goals. The speech, which key aides had signaled in advance would not contain any major announcements, came as Obama nears his symbolic 100-day mark in office, important because that has become a traditional marker by which to judge new administrations. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090414/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_economy

10. Economy must be built on rock, not sand, Obama says: "By no means are we out of the woods just yet," Obama said. "But from where we stand, for the very first time, we are beginning to see glimmers of hope." In what the White House is billing as a major address on the economy at Georgetown University, Obama said his economic policies are designed to help the economy recover now and build a stronger economy for the long haul, one that isn't built on quick profits, too much debt, and stagnant wages. http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/economy-must-built-rock-not/story.aspx?guid=%7BA3EE0525-9770-4AA1-A662-65F5CFB79D60%7D&dist=msr_1

11. Obama Sees More Pain Now but Hope Later on Economy: President Obama said on Tuesday that the battered economy was showing signs of recovery, but he warned Americans that more pain lies ahead and urged them to help build a foundation for a new, 21st century prosperity. Speaking just after a disappointing report on March retail sales made it clear that a sustained recovery is not yet at hand, the president delivered a speech that was part pep talk and part rebuke, not only for the once high-rolling members of the financial world but for politicians who he said had deferred tough decisions for too long. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/15/business/economy/15obama.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&ref=global&adxnnlx=1239757406-tjmfrxyUc6yarocnAOatjA

12. Recession far from over, Obama says President Obama called on Congress to tackle unpopular tasks it has avoided for decades, such as overhauling the nation's health care and retirement systems, or risk continued economic crises. http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2009-04-14-obama-georgetown_N.htm Obama: Economy Gaining Traction: Weak Retail Data Signal Confidence Remains Off-Kilter. The president and the Federal Reserve chairman voiced cautious optimism yesterday that the economy could be beginning to stabilize. But the economy wasn't cooperating. Retail sales dropped sharply in March, the government reported, and wholesale prices fell steeply. Both pieces of data underscore the hard slog the nation faces to emerge from its deep recession and the limitations of more optimistic talk from Washington. The stock market fell 2 percent, as measured by the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/14/AR2009041400893.html?wprss=rss_business

13. White House economic adviser Christina Romer said on Tuesday that the United States will experience continued job losses and a falling gross domestic product for several more months. "We know the economy's still sick. We know we've got several more months of job loss, for example. We know that the numbers on GDP are almost surely going to be very bad for this quarter and next," Romer, the head of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, said on NBC's "The Today Show." The U.S. economy lost 663,000 jobs last month, driving the unemployment rate to a 25-year high of 8.5 percent. Economists polled by Reuters expect the unemployment rate to rise to 9.8 percent a year from now. The economy shrank at an annual rate of 6.3 percent in the last quarter of 2008, the steepest decline since the first quarter of 1982. Economists polled by Reuters expect GDP to contract by 5.0 percent in the first quarter of 2009 and 2 percent in the second quarter before edging into positive growth toward the end of the year. http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE53D2J3200...

14. U.S. Planning to Reveal Data on Health of Top Banks: The Obama administration is drawing up plans to disclose the conditions of the 19 biggest banks in the country, according to senior administration officials, as it tries to restore confidence in the financial system without unnerving investors. The administration has decided to reveal some sensitive details of the stress tests now being completed after concluding that keeping many of the findings secret could send investors fleeing from financial institutions rumored to be weakest. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/15/business/economy/15ba...

Foreign Affairs

15. Iran: breakthrough near as Obama considers dropping key nuclear condition: Commentators are asking if a meaningful negotiated settlement between the US and Iran is at hand as news filters out that the Obama administration is considering dropping a key demand as a condition for the start of nuclear talks. In a major shift in strategy, the US administration is allegedly thinking of ending its long term insistence that Iran shut down its nuclear facilities as a prerequisite to the start of negotiations. The Islamic Republic has refused to concede this point, insisting its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only. However writing in the New York Times, columnist David E. Sangar, quoting sources, claims that the radical new approach, which has been negotiated in confidential strategy talks with European allies, will continue to press Tehran to open up to UN inspection however the US and its allies will allow the country to continue some enrichment of nuclear material. http://www.thetechherald.com/article.php/200916/3441/Iran-breakthrough-near-as-Obama-considers-dropping-key-nuclear-condition Obama to drop uranium precondition for Iran nuclear talks:
• End of precondition a major policy shift
• Concession means Iran can continue uranium enrichment
• Concern grows over unilateral action by Israel
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/14/obama-iran-...

16. Obama vows efforts to halt piracy: The US president has said he will work to "halt the rise of piracy," after the country's navy rescued an American captain who had been held hostage by pirates off the coast of Somalia. Barack Obama said on Monday that international allies had "to ensure that those who commit acts of piracy are held accountable for their crimes". Obama's remarks were his first in public on the rescue of Richard Phillips, the captain of the cargo-ship Maersk Alabama, who was held hostage on board a lifeboat adrift off Somalia's coast in a five-day standoff. http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2009/04/200941411544148287.html

17. As an American journalist is put on trial for espionage in Iran, some in the West say Iran’s hard-liners are using her case to gain an advantage in upcoming presidential elections by derailing warming relations with the US. “If they wanted to arrest Saberi, they could have done it a year ago,” says Professor Jahanbegloo. “Why do it now? It benefits the ultra-conservatives and those who are against any form of dialogue… They want to close the potential avenue for dialogue.” US President Barack Obama has recently reached out to Iran, indicating a willingness to talk with the nation former President Bush called a member of the “axis of evil.” Mr. Obama is also reportedly mulling dropping key preconditions for talks with Iran. (The Christian Science Monitor reported last week on the possible détente between the two nations.) An easing of hostility between the two nations could bolster reformist candidates and weaken the position of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who is expected to run for another term. Reformists are hoping that dissatisfaction with Iran’s current leadership could lead to a victory in June. http://features.csmonitor.com/globalnews/2009/04/14/us-journalist-goes-on-trial-in-iran/

18. Obama brings new tone to Mexico, aiding drug war: As President Barack Obama makes his first visit to Mexico this week, the United States and Mexico seem to have realized they need each other like never before. In response to Obama's dramatic moves in the U.S. war on drugs — and his forceful acknowledgment that Americans share the blame for violence south of the border — Mexico has agreed to set aside questions of sovereignty and pride, and accept U.S. help in unprecedented ways. The new tone has made it easier for President Felipe Calderon to welcome increased U.S. border security and even U.S. training for Mexico's navy. Prosecutors from both countries now plan to evaluate drug cases together and put captured traffickers on trial in whichever country promises a tougher sentence. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ihF_oPFNCGcN9aIsUD9tFSn69B4QD97ID2080

19. US looks at Colombia for military base: The United States confirms it is looking into the possibilities of moving its military capacity to Colombia after the closing of its base off the coast of Ecuador. “I am not going to deny that we are talking about this possibility,” U.S. Ambassador to Colombia William Brownfield stated. He went on to say that the United States is not looking for a new partnership with Colombia, but seeks to build on the existing relationship. “Colombia and the United States are working together in efforts against illegal drug trafficking and international crime. Part of that collaboration, without a doubt, calls for access to military bases in both countries, which requires an adjustment,” Brownfield said. Nevertheless, the air base will continue to be under Colombia’s control and jurisdiction, he assured. http://www.colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/3583-...

20. Obama Wavering on CIA Memos-Top Officials at Odds Over Whether to Withhold Some Details : The Obama administration is leaning toward keeping secret some graphic details of tactics allowed in Central Intelligence Agency interrogations, despite a push by some top officials to make the information public, according to people familiar with the discussions. These people cautioned that President Barack Obama is still reviewing internal arguments over the release of Justice Department memorandums related to CIA interrogations, and how much information will be made public is in flux. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123975168816518691.html

21. Obama Team Tells Jewish Leaders: UN Durban Text Crosses "Red Line": In a private conference call with Jewish leaders on Tuesday, the Obama White House reaffirmed that it has not decided to formally reengage negotiations over the charter of the United Nations' World Conference on Racism, citing lingering disputes over the review document's language. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/14/obama-team-tel...

April 15, 2009 Wednesday

Obama Agenda

22. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is naming a "border czar" to oversee issues related to drug-cartel violence along the U.S.-Mexico border and the hundreds of thousands of people who try to enter the U.S. illegally through the Southwest. An Obama administration official says Napolitano on Wednesday will name Alan Bersin, a former federal prosecutor, to fill the new post at the Homeland Security Department. The official would speak only on condition of anonymity ahead of the announcement expected in El Paso, Texas. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090415/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/drug_war_border_czar

Budget

23. The new first family paid more than $900,000 in federal and state taxes this year after President Obama's book sales last year earned him more than $2.6 million. In addition to paying more than $855,000 in federal taxes, the Obamas also paid more than $77,000 in state taxes in Illinois, according to the White House. Vice President Biden and his wife, Jill, reported paying $46,952 in federal taxes on "an adjusted gross income" of close to $270,000. The Bidens paid a little more than $11,000 in state taxes in Delaware. While the Obamas donated more than $172,000 to charity, including $25,000 gifts to the United Negro College Fund and CARE, the Bidens donated a little more than $1,800. http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/obamas-pay-more-tha...

Domestic Issues

24. Obama to tea-baggers: I've already cut taxes: Obliquely answering the hundreds of "tea bag" protests around the country on tax day, President Barack Obama said Wednesday that he's already delivered the most progressive tax cut in history, with 95% of families getting a tax break in every paycheck. Americans need a "government that is working to create jobs and opportunity for them, rather than simply giving more and more to those at the very top in the false hope that wealth will trickle down," Obama said. In his remarks, Obama decried the use of taxes as a political wedge issue "to scare people into supporting policies that increased the burden on working people instead of helping them live their dreams." "We start from the simple premise that we should reduce the tax burden on working people, while helping Americans go to college, own a home, raise a family, start a business and save for retirement," Obama said. http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Obama-tea-baggers...

25. Obama Vows To Rewrite, Simplify 'Monstrous' US Tax Code: With a midnight deadline looming for Americans to pay their taxes, President Barack Obama pledged to rewrite the "monstrous" U.S. tax code, which he said is "far too complicated" for most people to grasp.
"We will make it quicker, easier, and less expensive for you to file a return, so that April 15 is not a date that is approached with dread each year," Obama said in remarks Wednesday at the White House. The brief comments, which coincided with a series of tax day "tea party" protests around the country, focused on the cuts implemented in this year's economic recovery package, including Obama's signature Making Work Pay credit. But the president also honed in on longer-term changes he says are necessary because the tax code has been thrown "out of balance." "We need to stop giving tax breaks to corporations that stash profits or ship jobs overseas so that we can invest in job creation at home," Obama said. "And we need to end the tax breaks for the wealthiest 2% of Americans, so that folks like me are paying the same rates that the wealthiest 2% of Americans paid when Bill Clinton was President." http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20090415-711395.htm...

26. Whether General Motors Corp. or Chrysler LLC file for bankruptcy, the Obama administration wants to protect retiree health care to a greater degree than the debt of banks and bondholders, said a person close to the talks among the parties. That means that while bondholders are being pushed to take pennies on the dollar for their debt, the union remains on track to receive a substantial ownership stake in the automakers if deals can be hammered out. In return, the UAW would forgive the automakers part of the $30.6 billion they owe the union to start a retiree health care fund that takes huge liabilities off the automakers' books. While President Barack Obama and the other parties are still striving to avoid bankruptcy, little progress was apparent at either automaker with 15 days left before a deadline for Chrysler. http://www.freep.com/article/20090415/BUSINESS01/904150471

Economy

27. 6 companies to get $9.9B under mortgage program: The Obama administration on Wednesday named the first six companies participating in a $75 billion program designed to help millions of struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure. The administration said the companies — including some of the mortgage industry's biggest players — will receive a maximum of $9.9 billion in incentive payments, which are designed to encourage mortgage companies to lower borrowers' monthly bills. The government expects to finish arrangements with other companies in the coming months. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090415/ap_on_bi_ge/bailout_mortgages

Foreign Affairs

28. Obama takes gamble on trip to Mexico City: President Obama could have picked Cancun, with its sugary white beaches and turquoise waves, for his first official visit to Mexico this week. Or he could have picked a photo-friendly site like the Mayan ruins of Palenque. Instead, Obama is plunging into Mexico City, a chaotic, crime-ridden metropolis of 20 million people where street protests snarl traffic nearly every day — the kind of place that gives headaches to Secret Service agents and motorcade drivers alike. Of the 29 previous U.S. presidential visits to Mexico since 1909, only five have been to the capital. Obama flies in Thursday for a two-day visit before heading to the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago. At a time when the U.S. and Mexico are working closely together to tackle issues such as immigration, border security and rising drug-related violence, the choice to visit Mexico City was a deliberate diplomatic gesture, said Denis McDonough, one of Obama's security advisers. http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2009-04-14-obamamexico_N.htm

29. The Obama administration says Pakistan's imposition of Islamic law in a northwest valley to quell a Taliban insurgency undermines human rights. The comment, by White House spokesman Robert Gibbs on Tuesday, is the most pointed criticism the US has made so far of Pakistan's peace efforts in the Swat Valley. "The administration believes solutions involving security in Pakistan don't include less democracy and less human rights," Gibbs said. "The signing of that denoting strict Islamic law in the Swat Valley ... goes against both of those principles." http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/world/5499743

30. Obama Tilts to CIA on Memos: The Obama administration is leaning toward keeping secret some graphic details of tactics allowed in Central Intelligence Agency interrogations, despite a push by some top officials to make the information public, according to people familiar with the discussions. These people cautioned that President Barack Obama is still reviewing internal arguments over the release of Justice Department memorandums related to CIA interrogations, and how much information will be made public is in flux. Among the details in the still-classified memos is approval for a technique in which a prisoner's head could be struck against a wall as long as the head was being held and the force of the blow was controlled by the interrogator, according to people familiar with the memos. Another approved tactic was waterboarding, or simulated drowning. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123975168816518691.html

31. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has unveiled a four-point plan to tackle piracy in the Gulf of Aden. She said an expanded international effort was needed, as well as freezing pirates' assets, and plugging gaps in the shipping industry's own defences.
Improving the situation in Somalia itself was also key, she said. Pirate attacks have increased in the past few days, including on US vessels, despite anti-piracy patrols by the US and other navies. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8001102.stm
Clinton calls for expanded global response to piracy
http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE53E5...

32. The US government has placed three Mexican organisations on its list of suspected drug syndicates. A day before President Barack Obama visits Mexico, his spokesman announced the Sinaloa Cartel, Los Zetas and La Familia Michoacana had been listed. The move aims to cut off access to US financial systems and block trade with US companies and individuals. Mr Obama also appointed a senior official to stop drugs-related violence from Mexico crossing into the US. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8001009.stm

33. Holder: Law Not Always Followed in Terror Fight: Attorney General Eric Holder told a mostly military audience Wednesday that some of those engaged in the battle against terrorism did not always follow the law. Holder did not mention torture or name the target of his criticism, leveled in a speech for a law conference at the U.S. Military Academy. However, he praised military lawyers in the Judge Advocate General Corps for their work representing terror detainees. ''In our current struggle against international terrorism, when others surrendered faithful obedience to the law to the circumstances of the time, it was the brave men and women of the JAG corps who stood up against the tides, many times risking their careers to do so,'' Holder said. The speech came a day before a court deadline for the Obama administration to release all or parts of key Bush administration memos detailing which tough interrogation techniques were acceptable against terror suspects. Critics of the Bush administration say those tough techniques amounted to torture.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/04/15/us/AP-Holder...

34. Obama calls South American meeting at summit: U.S. President Barack Obama has called for a meeting with South American leaders at the Summit of the Americas this weekend, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Wednesday. Obama asked Chilean President Michelle Bachelet to convene a meeting of the South American union, Unasur, for early on Saturday because he wouldn't have time to meet each of the region's leaders individually, Lula said. "As there is only one day of meetings, it was smart of Obama (to convene Unasur)," Lula said. "It's important for him to meet the people who will be his partners over the next four years."

35. Obama Puts Focus on Latin America : President Obama will visit Latin America this week to reassure the region it will have a place in U.S. foreign policy, visiting Mexico and attending a regional summit in Trinidad and Tobago to take up issues including drug-related violence, the global economic crisis and U.S. policy toward Cuba. "We want to correct the perception coming up from the South that in recent years the United States has turned its attention elsewhere," said Jeffrey Davidow, Mr. Obama's special adviser for the 34-nation Summit of the Americas, which will be held Friday and Saturday. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123982313590721993.html

April 16, 2009 Thursday

Obama Agenda

36. Obama Publishes Op-Ed in Advance of Summit of the Americas: President Obama wrote an op-ed that ran today in 15 Carribean, Latin American and United States newspapers, promising the other nations of the hemisphere "a new day" in their relationship to its most powerful member. "Choosing a Better Future in the Americas" appeared this morning in the St. Petersburg Times and Miami Herald, both of which serve substantial Cuban American readerships, and the Trinidad Express of Trinidad and Tobago, where Obama is headed to tomorrow to attend the Summit of the Americas than runs through April 19. As well, the op-ed ran in El Nuevo Herald, an American Spanish-language paper. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/04/16/obama_publishes_op-ed_in_advan.html?wprss=44

37. Bo Obama to star in children's book : Barack Obama's dog, Bo, has been given a book deal, just a day after entering the White House. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/5167659/Bo-Obama-to-star-in-childrens-book.html

Domestic Issues

38. The Environmental Protection Agency for the first time will require pesticide manufacturers to test 67 chemicals contained in their products to determine whether they disrupt the endocrine system, which regulates animals' and humans' growth, metabolism and reproduction, the agency said yesterday. Researchers have raised concerns that chemicals released into the environment interfere with animals' hormone systems, citing problems such as male fish in the Potomac River that are bearing eggs. Known as endocrine disruptors, the chemicals may affect the hormones that humans and animals produce or secrete. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/15/AR2009041501960.html?wpisrc=newsletter

39. Obama pledges help to slow US arms flow: Confronting a Mexican drug war that is "sowing chaos in our communities," President Barack Obama signaled Thursday he will not seek renewal of a U.S. assault weapons ban but instead will step up enforcement of laws banning the transfer of such guns across the border. Obama had pledged during his campaign to seek renewal of the ban but has bowed to the reality that such a move would be unpopular in politically key U.S. states and among Republicans as well as some conservative Democrats. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090416/ap_on_go_pr_wh/lt_obama_mexico

40. The Obama administration ruled out prosecution of government interrogators as it released censored versions of legal memos that guided harsh questioning of terror suspects by the CIA under President George W. Bush. The four memos show that Justice Department lawyers authorized the Central Intelligence Agency to use such techniques as sleep deprivation, slapping, nudity and waterboarding that simulates drowning. Lawyers also said it would be all right to put one high- ranking al-Qaeda suspect in a cramped box with what he was told would be a stinging insect. The idea was discarded, a footnote in one memo said, “for reasons unrelated to any concern” it might be unlawful. Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement today that intelligence officials who relied on the Justice Department’s legal advice won’t be prosecuted for carrying out what critics called torture. The memos, written from 2002 to 2005, were released in response to a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=adc... Obama: No charges for harsh CIA interrogation: President Barack Obama absolved CIA officers from prosecution for harsh, painful interrogation of terror suspects Thursday, even as his administration released Bush-era memos graphically detailing — and authorizing — such grim tactics as slamming detainees against walls, waterboarding them and keeping them naked and cold for long periods. Human rights groups and many Obama officials have condemned such methods as torture. Bush officials have vigorously disagreed. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090416/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/torture_memos Obama: No prosecution for prior interrogation tactics: President Barack Obama, in releasing Department of Justice memoranda that supported the Bush administration's interrogation of combatants held in the so-called "war on terror,'' assured government officials today that they will not be prosecuted for their interrogation tactics. "In releasing these memos, it is our intention to assure those who carried out their duties relying in good faith upon legal advice from the Department of Justice that they will not be subject to prosecution,'' the president said in a statement issued by the White House. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation/politics/bal-interrogate0416,0,4241808.story

41. Democrats: Texas gov should disavow secession talk: In a state that once was its own nation, a Republican governor who talked about secession without completely dismissing the idea has Democratic lawmakers in an uproar. Gov. Rick Perry, in comments following an anti-tax "tea party" Wednesday, never did advocate Texas breaking away from the United States but suggested that Texans might at some point get so fed up they would want to leave the union. That was enough to feed opinions for and against secession on Web sites, cable TV and talk radio across the nation. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090416/ap_on_re_us/perry_secession

42. Obama: Better trains foster energy independence: President Barack Obama is calling for the country to move swiftly to a system of high-speed rail travel, saying it will relieve congestion, help clean the air and save on energy. Appearing with Vice President Joe Biden and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Thursday, Obama said the country cannot afford not to invest in a major upgrade to rail travel. He said he understands it necessarily will be "a long-term project" but said the time to start is now. Obama said that "this is not some fanciful, pie-in-the-sky vision of the future. It's happening now. The problem is, it's happening elsewhere." He cited superior high-speed rail travel in countries like China, Japan, France and Spain. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i6vd11tQjgDt_UiV1emaKY_RciWgD97JJFF83 Obama Seeks High-Speed Rail System Across U.S.: President Obama on Thursday highlighted his ambition for the development of high-speed passenger rail lines in at least 10 regions, expressing confidence in the future of train travel even as he acknowledged that the American rail network, compared with the rest of the world’s, remains a caboose. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/17/us/politics/17train.html

43. Fiscal crises may force Obama to save costs via a single-payer plan: http://www.dollarsandsense.org/archives/2009/0309bybee.html

44. NSA Wiretapping: Justice Department Reining It In: The Justice Department has reined in electronic surveillance by the National Security Agency after finding the agency had improperly accessed American phone calls and e-mails. The problems were discovered during a review of the intelligence activities, the Justice Department said in a statement Wednesday night. The New York Times, which first reported the matter on its Web site, said the NSA had been improperly intercepting communications by Americans. In its statement, the Justice Department said it has taken "comprehensive steps to correct the situation and bring the program into compliance." The Justice Department did not elaborate on what problems it found. Once corrective measures were taken, Attorney General Eric Holder sought authorization for renewing the surveillance program, officials said. Government officials have also briefed lawmakers on the issue.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/16/nsa-wiretappin...

Economy

45. Bank Test Results May Strain Limits Of Bailout Funding: Much Rides on Size of Capital Needs. As the Obama administration works to complete its stress tests for gauging the health of major banks, it could confront another problem: how to pay for shoring up any weaknesses the tests reveal. No one yet knows the extent of the banks' needs. But a senior administration official said yesterday this will be clear once tests on the nation's 19 major banks are done and the results are released early next month. The administration would be hard-pressed to ask Congress for more rescue funds to plug the holes. Anger on Capitol Hill is high, especially after the furor over bonuses paid to employees at American International Group. The troubled insurer had earlier received more than $170 billion in bailout funds. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/15/AR2009041503943.html?wpisrc=newsletter

46. Jump in Foreclosures Dims Obama's 'Glimmers of Hope' for Economy: Just two days after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke mentioned housing data as one sign of hope that economic recovery may be beginning and President Barack Obama agreed that there are "glimmers of hope," reports on new-home construction and foreclosures have brought more cause for pessimism. http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/stimulus/2009/04/16/jump-in-foreclosures-dims-obamas-glimmers-of-hope-for-economy.html

47. Geithner Refrains From Labeling China a Manipulator: U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner refrained from labeling China a manipulator of the yuan’s exchange rate, backtracking from an assertion he made during his confirmation hearings in January. In its first semiannual report on foreign-exchange policies since Geithner became secretary, the Treasury said yesterday that while the yuan remains “undervalued,” no country “met the standards” for illegal currency manipulation in the second half of 2008. The conclusion clashes with Geithner’s January 22 statement to a Senate panel that President Barack Obama “believes that China is manipulating its currency.” The shift may anger U.S. lawmakers, companies and trade unions who have sought measures to punish nations perceived to have undervalued exchange rates. “Clearly the Treasury has made more of a political decision than an economic decision here,” Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said in a Bloomberg Television interview. “The truth is the Chinese manipulate their currency.”
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=abw...

48. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is calling for a congressional commission to investigate the causes of the U.S. financial crisis, a spokesman for the California Democrat said. Speaking to the Commonwealth Club of California, Ms. Pelosi said Wednesday she had spoken to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner about creating a panel modeled after the Pecora Commission, which studied the 1929 stock market crash. The Pecora Commission eventually helped pave the way for Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the creation of the Securities and Exchange Commission in 1935. Ms. Pelosi's comments were reported Thursday in the San Francisco Chronicle. Details have yet to be sorted out. Pelosi spokesman Brendan Daly said the speaker plans to talk to fellow lawmakers next week about the proposal, when Congress reconvenes after a two-week recess. Mr. Daly said the commission "would be a congressional panel," rather than an outside commission. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123991967177926907.html

Foreign Affairs

49. Obama envoy to Israel: U.S. wants Palestinian state: U.S. President Barack Obama's Middle East envoy told Israel's ultranationalist foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, Thursday that Washington wants to see the creation of a Palestinian state. "I reiterated to the foreign minister that U.S. policy favors, with respect to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a two-state solution which will have a Palestinian state living in peace alongside the Jewish state of Israel," envoy George Mitchell told reporters, with Lieberman at his side. "We look forward also to efforts to achieving comprehensive peace throughout the region," Mitchell said. http://uk.reuters.com/article/usTopNews/idUKTRE53F20V20090416

50. Somali leader: Give us resources to pursue pirates: The United States pressed Somalia on Thursday to root out the pirates menacing the seas off the Horn of Africa, and its prime minister said he could go after them if other nations give him the resources he needs. That could open the way for more missions to hunt down the pirates inside the lawless country — actions that have been authorized by the United Nations but rarely carried out. Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke told The Associated Press that his piracy-fighting plan will be ready next week in time for an international conference on Somalia in Brussels. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090416/ap_on_re_af/af_piracy

51. U.S. Durban II attendance unlikely, Jewish leaders assured: Obama administration officials reconfirmed to Jewish leaders during a conference call that the Untied States is unlikely to participate in the Durban II conference. Participants on the call said that administration officials reaffirmed a Monday State Department statement that while the government believes there have been improvements in the conference's draft document, the changes were insufficient to allow the U.S. to take part in the United Nations-sponsored anti-racism conference. Specifically, the State Department statement noted that the document must not reaffirm the 2001 Durban conference's draft document - which, by mentioning the "plight of the Palestinian people" places Israel's treatment of Palestinians in the context of race - and that the U.S. cannot support restrictions on freedom of expression that could result from the document's language related to "incitement" to religious hatred. http://jta.org/news/article/2009/04/16/1004420/durban-ii-attendance-unlikely-administration-reaffirms-to-jewish-leaders

52. Obama to Push to Ratify Treaty on Gun Trafficking: President Obama, seeking to send a strong signal that he is committed to stopping the rising tide of cross-border drug violence, will announce on Thursday that he is pressing the Senate to ratify a decade-old arms treaty intended to curb the flow of guns and ammunition to drug cartels, a senior administration official said. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/17/world/americas/17prexy.html?ref=global-home

53. Obama calls for 'signal' from Cuba: President Barack Obama Thursday urged Cuba to show signs of change, as the United States and its communist neighbor work on warming up relations after a half-century of strained Cold War ties. Obama said he hoped Havana would show evidence of democratic reform to keep momentum building in improving relations. The neighbors do not have full diplomatic ties and the United States has had a full economic embargo on Cuba since 1962. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jHh1R6acURqo1vxvbakV4BDAnPkg

54. Obama's back door to Iran ties: First create trust by seeking a deal on Afghanistan – it's a mess for both.

55. U.S.-Mexico fence building continues despite Obama's promise to review effects: “On the day of its first foreign policy discussions with Mexico, the Obama administration remains mum on whether it will honor a campaign promise to alter a Bush administration policy establishing a massive fence along the U.S.-Mexico border, including in federally protected areas.” So far, the Department of Homeland Security has erected about 613 miles of new pedestrian fencing and vehicle barriers to thwart illegal border crossers and drug smugglers trying to enter the United States. http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/04/16/16greenwire-usmexico-fence-building-continues-despite-obam-10570.html

56. The Obama administration won’t impose additional sanctions on Iran if it freezes nuclear development work and joins talks over the future of its program, European diplomats said. Undersecretary of State William Burns informed Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia of the new U.S. approach to the so-called “freeze-for-freeze” proposal at a meeting in London on April 8, according to the diplomats, who spoke on condition they weren’t identified. Under President George W. Bush, the U.S. said it was prepared to accept a freeze on United Nations and European Union sanctions. President Barack Obama would extend that offer to include U.S. sanctions, which under Bush often targeted Iranian banks. Obama has echoed Bush’s demand that Iran not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. The European diplomats said that in return for the new U.S. concession Iran would have to refrain from further development steps, such as adding centrifuges to enrich uranium. The deal would be for a limited time leading up to the beginning of formal negotiations.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aGR...

57. US President Barack Obama has said the US is a "full partner" with Mexico in its fight against the drug cartels. Speaking in Mexico City, Mr Obama said the US must stem the flow of guns across the border that is fuelling the bloodshed. He also spoke of his ''admiration'' for his Mexican counterpart, Felipe Calderon. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8003521.stm Obama, Calderón vow to crush drug cartels as they outline agenda. President Barack Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderón set out an ambitious bilateral agenda Thursday that includes immigration reform but focused their immediate aims on concrete actions to weaken drug cartels. At a break during their meetings in Mexico City, the two presidents said their four years in office together will be marked by a new era of cooperation not just on the drug crackdown but on trade ties and even working together toward better U.S.-Cuba relations and clean energy. "This is my first trip to Mexico as president, and I see this trip – as I know President Calderón does – as an opportunity to launch a new era of cooperation and partnership between our two nations," Obama said.

April 17, 2009 Friday

Domestic Issues

58. Obama Administration Faces Privacy, Security Challenges in Defending Cyberspace: Role of Bush NSA Plan Under Review. The Obama administration is looking at the Bush plan as part of a 60-day review of the government's cybersecurity strategies and programs expected to be completed today. Congressional committees had concerns about civil liberties, cost and complexity, officials said. DHS still plans to conduct the sensor test, part of a program called Einstein 3, in a manner that the department says will respect privacy and civil liberties laws and rules, and has briefed Congress on the proposal, spokeswoman Amy Kudwa said. The Bush administration's Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative, much of which is classified, has renewed longstanding anxieties about whether the NSA -- which has spurred controversy over its warrantless surveillance of Americans' e-mails and phone calls -- can be trusted to keep inappropriate information out of its files. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/16/AR2009041604291.html?wpisrc=newsletter

59. Credit Executives Are Summoned To White House: Card Issuers Face New Scrutiny. Under pressure for questionable industry practices, top executives of 14 of the nation's largest credit card companies are heading to the White House on Thursday for a meeting with senior administration officials. The executives plan to talk about their efforts to increase transparency and help the economy, according to an industry official and a Capitol Hill aide, both of whom spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting has not been announced. The credit card industry has been under intense scrutiny in the past year for practices such as arbitrarily raising interest rates, charging excessive fees and giving customers little time between billing them and requiring payment. In December, the Federal Reserve approved new rules that would ban such practices. But consumer groups and several members of Congress criticized the Fed's efforts because the new regulations don't take effect until July 1, 2010. Bills have been introduced in both the House and Senate to accelerate that time line. The congressional committee overseeing the government's bailout is also investigating industry practices, including whether banks that received federal aid have increased fees or tightened rules in recent months. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/16/AR2009041603579.html?wpisrc=newsletter

60. The Obama administration issued guidelines yesterday limiting government-sponsored embryonic stem cell research to cells taken from excess fertility clinic embryos, a compromise based on its reading of public opinion about the cutting-edge science. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/17/AR2009041701880.html

61. EPA declares greenhouse gases a health threat: The Environmental Protection Agency's decision Friday to declare greenhouse gases a health threat – the first step toward possible federal regulation of carbon dioxide from power plants, refineries and vehicles – could speed up congressional action on global warming while thrusting Texas into a key role. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, who announced the proposed finding, and other Obama administration officials have declared cutting CO2 emissions a national goal. They add, however, that they would rather have Congress create a comprehensive federal strategy than look to the EPA for regulations. "This finding confirms that greenhouse gas pollution is a serious problem now and for future generations," Jackson said. "Fortunately, it follows President Obama's call for a low carbon economy and strong leadership in Congress on clean energy and climate legislation." Whether the EPA or Congress writes a climate plan, Texas would find itself in the spotlight. The same factors that make the state first in CO2 emissions in the U.S. and seventh worldwide – coal power, oil and chemical operations, and cars and trucks for a heavily urban population of 25 million – also are among the state's economic engines. http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/nation/stories/041809dnproepagreenhouse.e46cc1a5.html

62. President Barack Obama has confidence in Steven Rattner, head of his administration's task force on the U.S. auto industry, who has been linked to an investigation of a pension kickback scheme. http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20090417-711260.html

63. Obama's EPA unravels Bush blockade to curb greenhouse gases: Today, the EPA began to pull apart and unravel the resistance in its announcement that greenhouse gasses pose a serious health risk. The Attorney General's Office wasted no time in sending up a slow clap of approval for what Brown is calling "the first step" toward responsible policy that will curb greenhouse gas emissions. “After years of inexcusable neglect under the Bush Administration, the EPA has taken the first concrete step toward curbing global warming by making a preliminary determination that greenhouse gases endanger public health or welfare.” Brown said. “This proposed endangerment determination opens the door to the first serious national effort to reduce greenhouse gases.” http://www.examiner.com/x-4106-California-Statehouse-Examiner~y2009m4d17-Obamas-EPA-unravels-Bush-blockade-to-curb-greenhouse-gases Obama administration declares greenhouse gases a threat to public health: The ruling today by the Environmental Protection Agency paves the way for federal limits on carbon dioxide emissions. The Obama administration today declared greenhouse gases a threat to public health, marking a major step -- both practically and symbolically -- toward federal limits on the carbon dioxide emissions scientists blame for global warming. The move by the Environmental Protection Agency was prompted by a 2-year-old Supreme Court decision. It paves the way for the White House to regulate emissions from vehicles and effectively force the U.S. auto fleet to be cleaner and more efficient -- a plan the administration is expected to put in place soon. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-obama-greenhouse18-2009apr18,0,885400.story

64. Changing the U.S. military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy for gay troops is “very difficult,” Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday, indicating that doing so could take years - if it ever happens. Speaking at the Army War College, Gates said he and President Barack Obama were discussing the policy and whether to change it. Gates said he was not yet taking a position about whether gay troops should be open about their sexuality, which could lead to their discharge under the current rules. Gates also noted it took five years for the U.S. military to racially integrate during the Truman administration. “If we do it, it’s imperative that we do it right and very carefully,” Gates told reporters later on a military jet to Newport, R.I., where he was to speak Friday at the Navy’s war college. He added: “It’s very difficult. To get peoples’ real feelings about it you have to have almost a one-on-one private conversation. I think it’s very difficult for people to speak in front of their peers about this issue.”
http://www.365gay.com/news/gates-still-not-ready-to-sig... /

65. Obama directs GM to convert debt to equity: report: may structure a new debt plan that would convert $48 billion owed to bondholders and its union to equity at the direction of the Obama administration, Reuters reported late Friday, citing people briefed on the plan. GM intends to propose the plan to bondholders and the United Auto Workers union within the next two weeks, according to Reuters. Tentative plans to convert some amount of GM's debt for equity have been at the core of the company's restructuring effort for months and are seen as a way to spread the financial risks more evenly between bondholders and employees. http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/obama-directs-gm-convert-debt/story.aspx?guid=%7B2E681441-2974-4DB1-B6FB-83DB80278D52%7D&dist=msr_1

66. White House to show off green Detroit vehicles: The Chevrolet Volt, Ford Fusion hybrid and other environmentally-aimed models from Detroit automakers will be on display at the White House next Wednesday as part of the Obama administration's bid to boost Detroit through government fleet purchases. The display is being organized by the General Services Adminstration, the federal agency that will oversee the purchase of 17,600 new vehicles from the Detroit automakers over the next few months. President Barack Obama is not expected to attend, as he's traveling to Iowa that day. Vehicles from General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC are all expected to be shown
http://freep.com/article/20090417/BUSINESS01/90417095/W...

Economy

67. President Barack Obama nominated Fannie Mae Chief Executive Herb Allison Friday to oversee the Treasury Department's Troubled Asset Relief Program, putting him at the heart of the administration's drive to bolster the U.S. financial system. Michael Williams, currently Fannie's chief operating officer, is expected to be named to succeed Mr. Allison as CEO, according to people familiar with the situation. If confirmed by the Senate, Mr. Allison will become assistant Treasury secretary for financial stability and counselor to Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner. He also will serve as an adviser on policy matters, the White House said. In choosing Mr. Allison to head TARP, the administration is turning to an experienced manager at a time when it is having trouble filling key finance posts. Fannie Mae and fellow mortgage company Freddie Mac are vital cogs in the administration's plan to aid struggling homeowners. Both have experienced management turmoil; Freddie Mac is without a permanent CEO. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124000437105430225.html

Foreign Affairs

68. Talks toward a thaw in U.S.-Cuba relations seemed to be a real possibility after the new presidents of both countries reached out to each other with surprisingly straightforward language about their desire to revive a relationship frozen by 50 years of cold war. Barack Obama said Thursday it was up to Havana to take the next step after his "good faith" gesture of removing some of the restrictions that lock Americans and their money out of Cuba. Raul Castro responded within hours, saying "we have sent word to the U.S. government in private and in public that we are willing to discuss everything — human rights, freedom of the press, political prisoners, everything." "We could be talking about many other things," Castro replied from a summit in Venezuela. "We could be wrong, we admit it. We're human beings." http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090417/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/cb_us_cuba

69. President Obama has said urgent and coordinated action is needed between the United States and Mexico in the continuing battle against the drug cartels. At a press conference in Mexico City, Mr Obama said he would push the US senate to ratify a small arms trafficking treaty to stem the flow of weapons crossing the border into Mexico that is fuelling the bloodshed. Mr Obama, who held talks with his Mexican counterpart, Felipe Calderon, acknowledged that America, as a consumer of cocaine, shares responsibility for the violence which has killed more than six thousand people in Mexico over the last year. http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/news/2009/04/090417_us_mexico_wt_sl.shtml

70. Obama envoy: Two-state solution is only solution: A Palestinian state alongside Israel is the only way to end the Mideast conflict, President Barack Obama's Mideast point man said Friday, sending a stern message to Israel's hardline leaders, who have expressed misgivings about a two-state solution. Envoy George Mitchell, in the region on his third trip since Obama took office in late January, suggested the U.S. was eager to see quick progress after years of failed peace efforts. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iO7ykFycnRj346lkiXHapfx3PoHwD97KDU587

71. The day after President Obama's first official visit to Mexico, the country's leading newspapers toasted the prospect of better relations between Mexico and the United States -- and reported on Mexico's fascination with the man who beat steep odds to become America's first black president -- but noted that Obama made little in the way of solid plans. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/04/17/mexican_press_obama_made_good.html?hpid=moreheadlines

72. President Barack Obama and Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez shared a friendly handshake at the start of the Fifth Summit of the Americas Friday. The Venezuelan government called the handshake ''historic'' and hinted that it was the first step toward thawing chilly relations between the two nations. ''Before the start of the inaugural session of the Fifth Summit of the Americas, the president of the United States Barack Obama approached the president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Hugo Chávez and offered him a greeting,'' according to a statement released by the Venezuelan government. ``Both leaders gave their hands in a historic greeting, after several years of tensions with the Bush administration, when the relations between Washington and Caracas had deteriorated.'' http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking-news/story/1005320.html

73. Obama responds to Cuban leader at Americas summit: President Obama will call for a "new beginning with Cuba" during opening ceremonies at the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad. Echoing themes he penned in an op-ed earlier this week, Obama said in text prepared for delivery that "there is a longer journey that must be traveled in overcoming decades of mistrust, but there are critical steps we can take toward a new day." The text is being cited now in Associated Press and CNN reports. Obama said he wants to engage Cuban President Raul Castro and his government on a range of issues, including human rights, free speech, immigration and the economy. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2009/04/65667845/1

74. U.S. President Barack Obama does not plan to have a one-on-one meeting with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez at an upcoming summit of leaders, the White House said on Thursday. Obama and Chavez, who has both mocked and praised the U.S. president, are slated to meet with leaders from across the hemisphere at the Summit of the Americas starting on Friday in Trinidad and Tobago. "There's no one-on-one meeting with Mr. Chavez on the schedule," spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters. "I believe he is among several leaders that are in a multilateral meeting." When asked whether Obama would walk away if Chavez pulled him aside for a private talk, Gibbs said: "Every time I've pulled the president aside to have a conversation, we've had that conversation, so I assume he would do the same." http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKN1628925120090...

75. Obama Urges 'Equal' Ties in Hemisphere: Latin American Resentment of U.S. Policy on Cuba Overshadows Speech. President Obama was forced to confront long-standing resentment of U.S. dominance of Latin America as he told regional leaders here Friday evening that his administration seeks an "equal partnership" with the rest of the hemisphere. "There is no senior partner or junior partner," Obama said following a pair of harshly critical speeches from the leaders of Argentina and Nicaragua at the opening ceremony of the 34-nation Summit of the Americas. "There is just engagement based on mutual respect." Although Obama's remarks were greeted with enthusiastic applause, the message of new partnership he brought to the summit was overshadowed by opposition to U.S. policy toward Cuba, the only Latin American country not invited to the hemispheric gathering. As he sat on the stage with them, several speakers called on Obama to lift what Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner called the "anachronism" of the decades-old U.S. trade embargo of the island. "The United States seeks a new beginning with Cuba," Obama countered in his own speech. "I know there is a longer journey that must be traveled in overcoming decades of mistrust, but there are critical steps we can take toward a new day." Earlier this week, Obama lifted restrictions on travel to the island by Cuban Americans. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/17/AR2009041700389.html?wpisrc=newsletter

April 18, 2009 Saturday

Obama Agenda

76. President Obama has named Virginia's Secretary of Technology, Aneesh P. Chopra, to be the nation's first Chief Technology Officer. The president announced the choice in his weekly radio and Internet address today, adding Chopra to a small group of advisers whose aim it is to enhance and modernize the delivery of government services. "Aneesh will promote technological innovation to help achieve our most urgent priorities -- from creating jobs and reducing health care costs to keeping our nation secure," Obama said in the radio address. Obama also named Jeffrey Zients, a former management consultant, to be his chief performance officer, a position that was initially offered to Nancy Killifer, who withdrew after questions were raised about her failure to pay some taxes. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/04/18/obama_appoints_virginian_to_ct.html?wprss=44

77. Obama picks new team to help streamline government: President Barack Obama on Saturday named Jeffrey Zients, a longtime management consultant, as chief performance officer to head an effort to streamline government and cut costs. The selection of Zients comes after Obama's first choice for the newly created position, Nancy Killefer, withdrew in February over tax problems. Zients, a founder and managing partner of the investment firm Portfolio Logic, will also serve as a deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gUq_4SrG5mgaD0cybphh10_a3VQwD97L1PH03

78. Obama’s weekly address: “It’s not news to say that we are living through challenging times: The worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. A credit crisis that has made that downturn worse. And a fiscal disaster that has accumulated over a period of years. In the year 2000, we had projected budget surpluses in the trillions, and Washington appeared to be on the road to fiscal stability. Eight years later, when I walked in the door, the projected budget deficit for this year alone was $1.3 trillion. And in order to jumpstart our struggling economy, we were forced to make investments that added to that deficit through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. “ more here: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2009/04/obama-gop-weekly-addresses.html

79. Currently, 61% of Americans approve of the way that Barack Obama is handling his job as president while 26% disapprove. His approval rating is largely unchanged from March (59%) or February (64%). Obama is loved by Democrats (91% approve) but has already run into growing opposition from Republicans (29% now approve). But the president retains his high approval rating overall with independents supporting him by a two-to-one margin (56% approve, 27% disapprove). Obama also enjoys strong support with respect to his economic leadership. Fully 70% say they have a great deal or a fair amount of confidence in him to do the right thing when it comes to fixing the economy. By comparison, 55% have confidence in congressional Democratic leaders and only 38% have confidence in Republican leaders in Congress. Majorities also believe the president’s policies will both improve economic conditions (66%) and reduce the budget deficit over time (54%). http://news.yahoo.com/s/pew/20090417/ts_pew/61presidentialapproval In terms of budget tradeoffs, most Americans (59%) say they would place a higher priority on spending more money to make health care more accessible and affordable than on reducing the budget deficit. A nearly identical majority (58%) believes that spending more to improve education ranks as a higher priority than reducing the deficit. However, opinion is more evenly divided over whether increasing funding to develop new energy technology should trump deficit reduction: About half (49%) say that spending on new energy technology is the higher priority while nearly as many say reducing the budget deficit (45%) is the higher priority. http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1184/partisanship-back-obama-economic-confidence-high-gop-image-low

Budget

80. President Barack Obama promised Saturday to eliminate dozens of government programs that have been shown to be "wasteful or ineffective" and said he will call on his cabinet to hunt their budgets for more. "There will be no sacred cows, and no pet projects. All across America, families are making hard choices, and it's time their government did the same," Mr. Obama said in his weekly radio and video address. He said that on Monday, at his first, full cabinet meeting, he will ask all agency heads for specific budget cut proposals. He cited efforts under way at the Pentagon to reform contracting procedures and kill hundreds of billions of dollars in "wasteful spending and cost overruns." He also pointed to a decision to end a Department of Homeland Security consulting contract to create new seals and logos that has cost $3 million since 2003. He said that in the coming weeks, he will announce dozens more programs to be eliminated. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124002247015831371.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

81. Obama to Cabinet: Show Me Your Cost Cuts: In a weekend dominated by foreign relations, President Obama used his Saturday address to refocus on domestic issues, calling for members of his administration to present specific proposals for cutting department and agency budgets. The president –- who will return from a five-day trip to Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago later this weekend –- will convene his first full Cabinet meeting on Monday at the White House to focus on cost-cutting measures. “I will ask all of my department and agency heads for specific proposals for cutting their budgets,” the president said in his weekly address. Obama also praised his former opponent in the presidential race, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., for teaming up to lead cost-cutting efforts in Congress. http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/04/obama-to-cabine.html

Domestic Issues

82. Hearings this week could revolutionize how U.S. produces, uses energy: Lawmakers start work on global warming bill: The last time Congress passed major environmental laws, acid rain was destroying lakes and forests, polluted rivers were on fire and smog was choking people in some cities. The fallout from global warming, while subtle now, could eventually be even more dire. That prospect has Democrats pushing legislation that rivals in scope the nation's landmark anti-pollution laws. Lawmakers this coming week begin hearings on an energy and global warming bill that could revolutionize how the United States produces and uses energy. It also could reduce, for the first time, the pollution responsible for heating up the planet. If Congress balks, the Obama administration has signaled a willingness to use decades-old clean air laws to impose tough new regulations for motor vehicles and many industrial plants to limit their release of climate-changing pollution. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30284017 /

Foreign Affairs

83. At summit, Obama gets friendly with Chavez: President Barack Obama offered a spirit of cooperation to America's hemispheric neighbors at a summit Saturday, listening to their complaints about past U.S. interference in the region and even reaching out to Venezuela's fiery leftist leader. While he worked to ease friction between the U.S. and leaders at the Summit of the Americas, Obama cautioned them to resist a temptation to blame all their problems on their behemoth neighbor to the North. "I have a lot to learn and I very much look forward to listening and figuring out how we can work together more effectively," Obama said. Obama said he was ready to accept Cuban President Raul Castro's proposal of talks on issues once off-limits for Cuba, including the scores of political prisoners held by the communist government. While praising America's initial effort to thaw relations with Havana, the leaders pushed the U.S. to go further and lift the 47-year-old U.S. trade embargo against the communist nation. To Latin American nations reeling from a sudden plunge in exports, Obama promised a new hemispheric growth fund, an initiative to increase Caribbean security and a new regional partnership to develop alternative energy sources and fight global warming. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090418/ap_on_go_pr_wh/cb_obama_summit

84. Iran convicted an American journalist of spying for the United States and sentenced her to eight years in prison, her lawyer said Saturday, complicating the Obama administration's efforts to break a 30-year-old diplomatic deadlock with Tehran. The White House said President Barack Obama was "deeply disappointed" by the conviction, while the journalist's father told a radio station his daughter was tricked into making incriminating statements by officials who told her they would free her if she did. It was the first time Iran has found an American journalist guilty of espionage — a crime that can carry the death penalty. Roxana Saberi, a 31-year-old dual American-Iranian citizen, was arrested in late January and initially accused of working without press credentials. But earlier this month, an Iranian judge leveled a far more serious allegation, charging her with spying for the United State. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090418/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iran_us_journalist the case of Roxana Saberi could become the first big test of relations between Iran and the new administration of President Barack Obama. For nearly three months, Ms Saberi has been held in Evin prison, Tehran. It soon became clear the bottle of wine was only a pretext. She was accused of operating as a journalist without a valid press pass. Then, in a space of barely 10 days, she was charged with the much more serious offence of spying, tried and sentenced to eight years in prison. It all raises deep suspicions over whether this case has been hijacked by hardliners within the Iranian government, eager to sabotage any reconciliation with the United States. Ever since President Obama started reaching out to the government of President Ahmadinejad, it has been clear that the government here is sceptical of his intentions, and confused about how to respond. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8006413.stm

85. At Summit, Obama Draws on Race to Push Agenda: In presenting himself at a summit here as an equal partner to Latin America, President Obama is drawing on his race as evidence of U.S. social progress and of his own affinity for the region's poor. Race occupies a far larger and more troubled place in Latin American politics than it does in Europe, where Obama rarely mentioned his ethnic background this month during his first overseas trip as president. He is doing so more often here at the Summit of the Americas in part to push an agenda that, among other issues, seeks to address the region's income disparity between rich and poor that is the widest in the world. Obama is more closely associating himself than his predecessors did with Latin America's indigenous, black and mixed-race underclass, which has long identified the United States with economic policies that benefit the elite of European descent far more than them. The approach has helped to reduce, though not entirely eliminate, the expected political strife between Obama and such populist leaders as Venezuela's Hugo Chávez and Bolivia's Evo Morales, the first indigenous president of his country.

* 'Part of Who He Is': Obama said, "We have to stand up against any force that separates any of our people from that story of liberty -- whether it's crushing poverty or corrosive corruption; social exclusion or persistent racism or discrimination. "Here in this room, and on this dais, we see the diversity of the Americas," Obama said. "Every one of our nations has a right to follow its own path." In recent decades, the left represented by Chávez, Morales and Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega, who delivered a speech highly critical of the United States on opening night, has been lifted by an anti-American populism held most strongly by indigenous and mixed-race populations. "As you go around the globe, there are many different ways of saying it and a different need to say it, but it follows him internationally wherever he goes," said James L. Jones, Obama's national security adviser, who also accompanied the president on his European trip. "It is part of who he is," said Jones, referring to Obama's race. "It may not be fair in a way, carrying the hopes of millions of other people from around the world. And in a few years his words will be measured against his achievements, and that will be the acid test."

* Latin America's 'Open Veins': Chávez handed Obama a book, "Las Venas Abiertas de America Latina," or "The Open Veins of Latin America." The work, originally published in the 1970s, is by Eduardo Galeano, an Uruguayan writer. It discusses the history of European colonization of Latin America and what Galeano sees as the malign influence that the United States has exerted in the region. In an interview with the radio program "Democracy Now!" soon after Obama's election, Galeano said, "The White House will be Barack Obama's house in the time coming, but this White House was built by black slaves. And I'd like, I hope, that he never, never forgets this."

* 'Global Concensus' Sought: Obama announced Saturday that the United States would contribute to a new $100 million micro-finance loan program for the region. And during a meeting with 14 Caribbean leaders the previous evening, he said "bottom-up growth" should be the approach each leader takes to reduce poverty, a senior administration official said.

86. The Obama administration has decided "with regret" to boycott a U.N. conference on racism next week over objectionable language in the meeting's final document that could single out Israel for criticism and restrict free speech, the State Department said Saturday. The decision follows weeks of furious internal debate and will likely please Israel and Jewish groups that lobbied against U.S. participation but upset human rights advocates and some in the African-American community who hoped President Barack Obama, as the nation's first black president, would decide to send an official delegation. The administration had wanted to attend the April 20-25 meeting in Geneva, although it warned in late February that it would not go unless significant changes were made to the draft text. Some revisions — including the removal of specific critical references to Israel and problematic passages about the defamation of religion — were negotiated.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090418/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/u...

87. Chávez Seeks to Restore Envoy to U.S. Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez said he had proposed a former foreign minister as his ambassador to Washington in a move toward restoring normal ties with the United States. Chavez expelled the U.S. envoy to Caracas in September and Washington responded by kicking out Venezuela's ambassador during a dispute over U.S. activities in Bolivia. The Venezuelan leader made the announcement at a Summit of the Americas in Trinidad hours after he said he had no doubt relations with Washington would improve with U.S. President Barack Obama in the White House. http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2009/04/18/world/interna...

88. President Barack Obama says America's estranged relationship with Cuba will not change overnight. It just did — at least in tone. Immersed for the first time in Latin American politics, Obama now is assessing whether a genuine change in relations with the isolated communist island is already under way. While no one is talking of fundamental reform in Cuba soon — and overtures by no means lead to actions — it is clear that U.S. dealings with Havana have changed. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jVX9DtP2Bu1yubOwiM5fEGHsDt4AD97L9MI80

April 19, 2009 Sunday

Obama Agenda

89. Obama begins leading America in a new direction: On the last Friday in March, President Obama summoned leaders of the banking industry to the White House, where they gathered around a mahogany table in the State Dining Room, site of many a feast. On this day there was not a piece of fruit nor can of soda in sight. At each place was a glass of water. No ice. No refills. The president's message was hard and crusty as a slab of day-old bread. He urged the bankers to view corporate excess through the eyes of Americans who are belt-tightening their way through the recession. Obama mentioned the carpet stains in the Oval Office, to make a frugal comparison with $1-million suites decorated with $8,000 trash cans. The corporate chieftains protested, citing the specialization of their field and the need to pay handsomely to avoid a brain drain. Obama cut them off: "Be careful how you make those statements, gentlemen. The public isn't buying that. My administration is the only thing between you and the pitchforks." http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/washingtondc/la...

90. Transcript: Rahm Emanuel and Rep. John Boehner White House Chief of Staff and House Republican Minority Leader on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" Sunday : http://www.abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/story?id=7373578&page=1 President Barack Obama wants Republicans to return to Congress this week from their spring recess with a more constructive attitude toward health care, energy and other administration initiatives. GOP lawmakers say they have ideas, just not the ones the president may want. "When you're the party of no, when you're the party of never, when you're the party of no new ideas, that's not constructive," White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel said Sunday. "The challenge will be, will the Republicans come to the table with constructive ideas?" Emanuel predicted progress by congressional committees on changing the health care system, particularly on proposals for controlling costs and providing incentives for healthy lifestyles. Obama will not consider proposals to tax employer benefits before those and other problems are addressed, Emanuel said, and perhaps not even then. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gfg3wahhWYeWNcAwtQuN9xWH0Z9QD97LLQM80 ABC News / George Stephanopoulos White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said during our exclusive interview Sunday on "This Week" that President Barack Obama will not pursue the prosecution of Bush-era officials who devised torture policy against detainees, as laid out in memos the Obama administration released this week. I asked Emanuel: "The president has ruled out prosecution for CIA officials who believed they were following the law. Does he believe that the officials who devised the policies should be immune from prosecution?" "He believes that, look, as you saw in that statement he wrote, let's just take a step back. He came up with this and worked on this for about four weeks. Wrote that statement Wednesday night after he had made his decision and dictated what he wanted to see. And Thursday morning I saw him in the office, he was still editing it. He believes that people in good faith were operating with the guidance they were provided," Emanuel said. What about those who devised the policy, I asked? "Yeah, but those who devised the policy, he believes that they were, should not be prosecuted either," Emanuel said. http://blogs.abcnews.com/george/2009/04/obama-adminis-1...

Domestic Issues

91. Ex-CIA chief: Obama risks national security : A former head of the CIA slammed President Obama on Sunday for releasing four Bush-era memos, saying the new president has compromised national security. Michael Hayden, who served as former President Bush's last CIA director from 2006 to 2009, said releasing the memos outlining terror interrogation methods emboldened terrorist groups such as al Qaeda. "What we have described for our enemies in the midst of a war are the outer limits that any American would ever go to in terms of interrogating an al Qaeda terrorist. That's very valuable information," Hayden said during an appearance on "Fox News Sunday." "By taking techniques off the table, we have made it more difficult -- in a whole host of circumstances I can imagine -- for CIA officers to defend the nation." But Sens. Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri, and Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, said certain techniques should not have been allowed in the first place. McCaskill called them "a great recruitment tool for those who want to do harm to our country." White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel dismissed Hayden's assertion that releasing the memos had undermined U.S. intelligence efforts by giving al Qaeda critical new information. "One of the reasons the president was willing to let this information out was that already the information was out," he said on ABC's "This Week." "Go get the New York Review of Books. It's there." http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/19/cia.torture.chief/

92. Obama to take aim at credit card abuses, aide says: President Barack Obama plans to crack down on deceptive credit-card industry practices that have saddled U.S. consumers with huge debts and soaring interest rates, a senior aide said on Sunday. Top White House economic adviser Lawrence Summers said Obama would be "very focused in the very near term on a whole set of issues having to do with credit card abuses." "We need to do things to stop the marketing of credit in ways that addict people to it," Summers said in an interview on the NBC television talk show "Meet the Press." Summers, director of the White House National Economic Council, said the administration is concerned about practices that result in consumers being "deceived into paying extraordinarily high rates that they wouldn't have paid if they knew they were getting themselves into." http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSN1934359720090419

93. White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said Sunday U.S. President Barack Obama will sign a Republican-backed bill on national service this week. Emanuel said the Democratic president will sign the legislation Tuesday as a sign of his eagerness to work with Republicans when they are willing to be "constructive." http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/04/19/Emanuel-Obama-eager-to-work-with-GOP/UPI-98641240178884/

94. Official: Obama doesn't want interrogation charges: President Barack Obama does not intend to prosecute Bush administration officials who devised the policies that led to the harsh interrogation of suspected terrorists, White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel said Sunday. Obama last week authorized the release of a series of memos detailing the methods approved under President George W. Bush. In an accompanying statement, he said "it is our intention to assure those who carried out their duties relying in good faith upon legal advice from the Department of Justice, that they will not be subject to prosecution." He did not specifically address the policymakers. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5imDvIlEBNgzKdqYgIuTUEzUEImrQD97LTCDG0

Foreign Affairs

95. American leaders enthusiastic about summit : Leaders attending the Organisation of American States (OAS) summit in Trinidad and Tobago have referred to the atmosphere as 'outstanding' and 'positive'. For most of them, it was their first chance to meet US President Barack Obama. One of the most notable meetings was that with Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez. http://www.radionetherlands.nl/news/international/6264682/American-leaders-enthusiastic-about-summit Obama kicks up storms at Summit of Americas: President Hugo Chavez, who once likened George W. Bush to the devil, told Obama in English that “I want to be your friend,” and said he inscribed the book: “For Obama, with warm regards.” http://www.ajc.com/services/content/printedition/2009/04/19/obama0419.html

96. Summit ending on hopeful note for President Obama: A Western Hemisphere summit was wrapping up on Sunday with President Barack Obama hopeful he'd boosted the image of the U.S. among its friends in the region and perhaps even made some new ones. "There is great hope that with all the outreach ... we are indeed starting new relationships," said Deputy National Security Adviser Denis McDonough.
Obama was to meet with Central American leaders before the final working session of the Summit of the Americas here in the two-island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. He was also scheduled to hold a news conference before returning home to Washington. Among those seemingly charmed by the president's promise of a new, more equal partnership was Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, the fiery leftist who famously likened former President George W. Bush to the devil. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090419/ap_on_go_pr_wh/cb_o...

97. Obama: US journalist jailed in Iran was not a spy: President Barack Obama says he's "gravely concerned" about the safety and well-being of a U.S. journalist jailed in Iran. He's confident she is not involved in espionage against Tehran. At the Summit of the Americas, Obama said Sunday that he's working to ensure the safety of Roxana Saberi, a 31-year-old dual American-Iranian citizen. She was sentenced to eight years in an Iranian prison on charges of spying for the United States. Saberi's case has been an irritant in U.S.-Iran relations at a time when Obama is offering to start a dialogue. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jpmrfSxck2qqhKtCvvndi2X2KaCQD97LLN0G1 US President Barack Obama on Sunday denied an Iranian-American journalist was a spy and demanded her release, after she was sentenced to eight years in prison for espionage. "She is an American citizen and I have complete confidence that she was not engaging in any sort of espionage," Obama told reporters at the end of the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hIxO2RJNsfxxwvHDM7MYjTtdFJFQ

98. President Obama freely admits that the U.S. trade embargo of Cuba "hasn't worked the way we wanted it to" although it’s been in effect for nearly 50 years. Even so, he made it clear today it will stay in place until Cuban leaders take more overt action to free political prisoners, and permit freedom of the press and democratic elections. During a trip-ending news conference at the site of the Summit of the Americas (where Cuba’s exclusion and the U.S. embargo were highly-contentious issues), the president said his concerns about Cuba are “not simply something to be brushed aside.” That puts his policy in line with all of his predecessors, who resisted calls at home and abroad, even from members of Congress, that the embargo be lifted. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/04/19/politics/100d... Obama: Cuba has steps it can take right now: President Barack Obama says Cuba should release political prisoners, afford greater freedoms and reduce fees on money sent from the United States to Cuba. Obama said Sunday that U.S. policy toward to Cuba isn't going to change overnight, but freedom for the island nation remains the ultimate goal. He says decades-old policy hasn't worked the way it was meant to and deserves another look. The president says it would be foolish to think that ignoring Cuba would bring about change in Cuba's government. Obama says policies formulated before he was born should be re-evaluated. Obama said he was encouraged by signals sent from Cuban President Hugo Chavez and that he sees an opening for progress.

99. Obama Closes Summit with Broad New Agenda: President Obama concluded a summit of the hemisphere's leaders Sunday by articulating a broad new agenda for Latin America and the Caribbean, having gained momentum in his bid to repair relations with some of the region's shrillest critics of the United States. In a news conference at the end of the fifth Summit of the Americas, Obama outlined what he is learning about the world and how he intends to engage it based on his experiences here and earlier this month in Europe and Turkey. He expressed support for a more central U.S. place in global alliances, including a firm endorsement of the United Nations, and said "we do our best to promote our ideals and our values by our example." But Obama, whose reception as the first black U.S. president was at times celebratory in a region where race and poverty are intertwined, indicated that the U.S. role in the hemisphere remains paramount given the size of its economy. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/19/AR2009041901730.html Transcript of Obama news conference http://www.miamiherald.com/news/more-info/story/1007396.html

April 20, 2009 Monday

Obama Agenda

100. Obama names Chopra, Zients to top posts: President Barack Obama named two men who have been executives at Washington-area businesses to lead efforts to improve the government’s use of technology and the performance of federal employees. In his weekly Saturday morning radio address, Obama said he appointed Aneesh Chopra, Virginia’s secretary of technology and former managing director of the D.C.-based Advisory Board Co., to the position of federal chief technology officer. Also in the radio address, he announced the appointment of investor Jeffrey Zients, former CEO of the Advisory Board Co. and former chairman of the Arlington-based Corporate Executive Board Co., as federal chief performance officer. http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/stories/2009/04/20/daily4.html

101. Obama greets Tiger Woods, White Sox: On a day when he met with his Cabinet and visited CIA headquarters, President Barack Obama made room for a favorite pastime: talking sports with top professionals. Golf star Tiger Woods dropped by the White House on Monday, as did members of the Chicago White Sox baseball team. Obama, an occasional golfer, greeted Woods in the Oval Office, presidential staffers said. Woods got a tour of the White House from Marvin Nicholson, an Obama aide who once caddied at the Augusta golf course, where Woods tied for sixth place in this year's Master's tournament. Obama also chatted with members of his favorite baseball team, the White Sox, from his home town. The Sox were in the Washington area to play the Baltimore Orioles. White House aides said Woods happened to be in Washington and was invited to stop by. He and Obama had met in January at an inaugural event, they said. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5guru81tB37iS0XtGRYWV0M7RA1fgD97MFU480

102. Obama’s Inaugural Fund-Raising Topped $53 Million: Fund-raisers for President Barack Obama’s inaugural committee brought in more than $53 million, surpassing by $7 million its budget of $45 million, according to a report filed with the Federal Election Commission today. That total was also $11 million more than the previous record of $42.3 million for President George Bush’s 2005 inauguration. Mr. Obama is also the first president since Watergate to pay for his primary and general election campaigns entirely through donations, without any public financing. He had already raised a record $750 million for his campaign before soliciting inaugural donations. http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/20/obamas-inaugural-fund-raising-topped-53-million/

Budget

103. Obama to Order Cabinet to Quickly Cut $100 Million From Department Budgets: President Obama plans to convene his Cabinet for the first time today, where he will order members to identify a combined $100 million in budget cuts over the next 90 days, according to a senior administration official. The budget cuts, while they would account to a minuscule portion of federal spending, are intended to signal the president's determination to cut spending and reform government, the official said. Obama's order comes as he is under increasing pressure to show momentum toward his goal of eventually reducing the federal deficit, even as he goes about increasing spending in the short run to prop up the economy and support his priorities. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/19/AR2009041902009.html

104. Downpayment on responsibility: President Obama pledges $100M in agency cuts: President Obama is making a $100 million downpayment on fiscal responsibility when he holds his first formal cabinet meeting Monday. He'll do that by ordering the agency bosses to come up with that much in savings within the next 90 days. And that $100 million is on top of whatever efficiencies have already been uncovered. The President will point to some of those savings as he asks his teams for more, officials said. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2009/04/20/2009-04-20_downpayment_on_responsibility_president_obama_100_million_in_agency_cuts.html

Domestic Issues

105. Congress tackles credit cards, health care, energy: When lawmakers return to Capitol Hill this week, hammering out details of the budget passed before the spring break will be at the top of the agenda. On Sunday Republicans continued to warn that President Barack Obama's spending plan is a "disaster" for the country, even though the federal income tax burden is at a historic low, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Obama wanted Republicans to return to Congress from their spring recess with a more constructive attitude toward health care, energy and other administration initiatives. GOP lawmakers say they have ideas, just not the ones the president may want. Obama senior adviser David Axelrod said it remains to be seen whether the president's budget proposal would gain any GOP support in Congress. "No one expects the Republican Party to fully embrace what we're doing," Axelrod said. "What they would like is for us to ratify the policies that we've had for the last eight years that have gotten us into the mess we're in. We have two parties for a reason, but there are areas of common interest, and we ought to pursue them." http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gfg3wahhWYeWNcAwtQuN9xWH0Z9QD97M2C5O0

106. President Obama eying 'credit card abuses': Top White House economic adviser Lawrence Summers lined up Sunday behind congressional efforts to curb abuses on credit card fees and interest. President Obama was "going to be very focused, in a very near term, on a whole set of issues having to do with credit card abuses," Summers said on NBC's "Meet the Press." Summers said the administration was looking at curbing credit card come-ons "to stop the marketing of credit in ways that addicts people to it." The House and Senate last week began hearings on legislation targeting the levying of fees for almost every transaction, raising interest rates with little or no notice and charging interest on balances already paid. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2009/04/20/2009-04-20_obama_eying_credit_card_abuses.html

107. Obama to meet Monday with Cabinet, CIA employees: Back from his fence-mending trip to Latin America and the Caribbean, President Barack Obama holds his first full White House Cabinet meeting on Monday. The topic will be federal belt-tightening. Obama will be asking each department and agency chief for specific proposals for trimming their budgets. He says families are having to make tough financial decisions and need to know the government is spending their money wisely, too. Later in the day, the president will visit CIA headquarters in Langley, Va. The White House says the president will be holding private meetings with CIA employees and delivering a public message on the agency's importance to national security. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i5sAh0RZ99xl-emMZ6j5xw7deMdgD97M3RMO0 Panetta and Obama’s Speeches to C.I.A. Workers: transcript: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/21/us/politics/21ciaremarks.html

108. Obama reaffirms support for CIA : US President Barack Obama has told the CIA it remains key to protecting the country, days after releasing memos on its harsh interrogation techniques. In a visit to CIA HQ to boost morale, he acknowledged recent "difficult" days but told staff they were needed to fight threats from al-Qaeda and piracy. Mr Obama has already said CIA staff would not be prosecuted for the methods, which critics say are torture. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8007891.stm

109. House panel launches 4 days of climate, energy bill hearings: House Democrats will begin the sprint toward global warming legislation this week with a series of hearings featuring high-ranking Obama administration officials and dozens of other witnesses to discuss the expansive climate and energy measure unveiled last month. The Energy and Commerce Committee will delve into the details of the 648-page draft bill (pdf) introduced by Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Energy and Environment Subcommittee Chairman Ed Markey (D-Mass.). President Obama and Democratic congressional leaders are hoping to finalize legislation this year that would establish a program requiring a mandatory cap on greenhouse gas emissions. http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2009/04/20/20climatewire-energy-and-commerce-panel-launches-4-days-of-10588.html

110. The Obama White House may reinstate at least one of the U.S. Attorneys fired by the Bush Administration, part of its infamous axing of nine top federal prosecutors in 2006, reports Murray Waas for the Atlantic. The White House Counsel's Office is "quietly vetting" former Nevada U.S. Attorney Daniel Bogden to return as a U.S. Attorney, Waas says. http://blogs.abcnews.com/roodfromdc/2009/04/justice-at-... Wass report: http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200904u/us-attorney-bogd...

111. U.S. Senate Approves New Top Antitrust Chief. '(S)he would have challenged mergers that Bush antitrust enforcers allowed to go through, such as the merger of appliance rivals Whirlpool and Maytag in 2006. Varney, a former commissioner on the Federal Trade Commission, said she would work with the FTC, which also enforces antitrust law, on issues like drug companies' settlements with other companies to delay production of cheaper, generic drugs. She said she would support legislation to ban the practice if courts determine the settlements are legal. She also said she would support a bill to strip railroads of antitrust exemptions.' http://nytimes.com/reuters/2009/04/20/us/politics/polit...

Economy

112. U.S. May Convert Banks’ Bailouts to Equity Share: President Obama’s top economic advisers have determined that they can shore up the nation’s banking system without having to ask Congress for more money any time soon, according to administration officials. In a significant shift, White House and Treasury Department officials now say they can stretch what is left of the $700 billion financial bailout fund further than they had expected a few months ago, simply by converting the government’s existing loans to the nation’s 19 biggest banks into common stock. Converting those loans to common shares would turn the federal aid into available capital for a bank — and give the government a large ownership stake in return. While the option appears to be a quick and easy way to avoid a confrontation with Congressional leaders wary of putting more money into the banks, some critics would consider it a back door to nationalization, since the government could become the largest shareholder in several banks. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/20/business/20bailout.ht...

113. AIG closes deal for $30 billion in new federal funds: American International Group Inc (AIG.N), which has received more than $150 billion in taxpayer support since last September, has closed a deal to access nearly $30 billion in additional federal funds. In a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday, AIG said it would issue and sell to the U.S. Treasury 300,000 preferred shares, including warrants to purchase common stock, in exchange for up to $29.835 billion. The original amount agreed in early March was $30 billion, but officials subtracted $165 million in retention bonuses paid to employees of the AIG Financial Products unit last month. The bonuses set off a maelstrom of protest across the United States. The financial products unit is blamed for most of the red ink at AIG, and taxpayers balked at executives of the unit being paid extra while the nation grapples with rising unemployment and recession.
http://www.reuters.com/article/ousiv/idUSTRE53J4N620090...

114. In A Shift, Obama Doesn't Plan To Reopen NAFTA Talks: The administration has no plans to reopen negotiations on the North American Free Trade Agreement to add labor and environmental protections, as President Obama vowed to do during his campaign, the top trade official said on Monday. “The president has said we will look at all of our options, but I think they can be addressed without having to reopen the agreement,” said the official, Ronald Kirk, the United States trade representative. It was perhaps the clearest indication yet of the administration’s thinking on whether to reopen the core agreement to add labor and environmental rules. Mr. Kirk spoke in a conference call with reporters after returning from a regional summit meeting that Mr. Obama attended over the weekend in Trinidad. He said that Mr. Obama had conferred with the leaders of Mexico and Canada — the other parties to the trade agreement — and that “they are all of the mind we should look for opportunities to strengthen Nafta.” But while he said that a formal review of the 1992 pact had yet to be completed, Mr. Kirk noted that both Mr. Obama and President Felipe Calderon of Mexico had said that “they don’t believe we have to reopen the agreement now.” Mexico in particular, whose exports have exploded under Nafta, has little interest in such a renegotiation. Not only Mr. Obama but also one of his rivals for the presidency, Hillary Rodham Clinton, had promised during their campaigns to renegotiate the accord — a politically popular position in some electorally important Midwestern states that have lost thousands of manufacturing jobs.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/21/business/21nafta.html...

Foreign Affairs

115. U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk reports progress on deals with Panama, Colombia: U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk reported progress today on pending trade deals with Panama and Colombia. The former Dallas mayor accompanied President Barack Obama to the Summit of the Americas this weekend in Trinidad and Tobago, where he met privately with Panama's president, Martin Torrijos, and Colombia's president, Álvaro Uribe, to discuss separate free-trade deals long stalled in Congress. Both countries are eager to finalize the deals, and Kirk said he's working "in good faith" to do so. "It was a very productive summit for the U.S., and and it was something that I personally enjoyed," Kirk told reporters today in a conference call before attending the first meeting of the Obama Cabinet. On Panama, Kirk said he's focused mainly on beefing up labor rules, and to a lesser degree addressing concerns in Congress about Panama's tax laws. Panama holds a presidential election next month, and Kirk said that may provide a "window to move more forcefully." http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/national/stories/042109dnnatkirk.f418b574.html

116. Rebuffing criticism of the warm greetings he exchanged with Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, President Obama said Sunday that the United States, with its overwhelming military superiority and need to improve its global image, could afford to extend such diplomatic "courtesy."
In a news conference capping a three-day meeting of leaders from the Western Hemisphere, Obama also said the U.S. must engage other countries through humanitarian gestures, not only military intervention. Obama said it would be a mistake to measure the Summit of the Americas by the specific agreements reached. By listening to his counterparts and eschewing heavy-handed diplomacy, he said, he was creating an atmosphere in which, "at the margins," foreign leaders are "more likely to want to cooperate than not cooperate."
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-oba...

I will not be able to work on the list for the next couple of weeks. If any of you would like to take over the weekly list during that time, drop me a PM.

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annabanana

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Tue Apr-21-09 06:47 AM
Response to Original message

1. Kick, Rec & bookmarked for the inevitable "100 Days" summary that

corpomedia is SURE to serve up half-baked!

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lamp_shade

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Tue Apr-21-09 06:53 AM
Response to Reply #1

2. Second that. (and thanks Gina)

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Hubert Flottz

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Tue Apr-21-09 07:53 AM
Response to Original message

3. "carried out their duties relying in good faith"

Edited on Tue Apr-21-09 07:58 AM by Hubert Flottz

What in the hell, does "GOOD" and "FAITH" have to do with torture, rape and murder committed in your and my names behind our backs, on our dime?

I'll K&R, but I'm not a happy camper.

Edit...I can't put into words, how sad and disappointed that I am about this, "Not Looking Back" idea.

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GinaMaria

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Tue Apr-21-09 10:21 PM
Response to Reply #3

10. I agree Hubert.

This is one bitter pill to swallow. :-(

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ihavenobias

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Tue Apr-21-09 11:38 AM
Response to Original message

4. K & R, to the greatest. n/t

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tandot

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Tue Apr-21-09 12:36 PM
Response to Original message

5. K & R

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Hubert Flottz

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Tue Apr-21-09 02:10 PM
Response to Original message

6. Kick

:kick:

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Boomerang Diddle

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Tue Apr-21-09 03:12 PM
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7. K & R!

:hi:

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Political Tiger

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Tue Apr-21-09 04:07 PM
Response to Original message

8. Thank you GinaMaria!

K & R!

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GinaMaria

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Tue Apr-21-09 05:16 PM
Response to Original message

9. Thanks everyone!

it's been a pleasure doing this and sharing the results with you. Hope to be back at it in a few weeks.

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Hubert Flottz

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Wed Apr-22-09 08:27 AM
Response to Reply #9

11. Your list will be sadly missed by yours truly...

Hurry back!

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