Week 6. Tuesday, President Obama spoke to the nation, Wednesday was dominated by budget and finance issues and by Thursday we were up in arms. Friday was about Iraq withdrawal. Saturday through Monday was a mixed bag of issues. Here is this week’s List.
February 24, 2009 Tuesday1. Obama spoke to nation: Transcript:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/24/us/politics/24obama-text.html?scp=12&sq=obama&st=cse 2. Obama calls for health-care reform in 2009: President Obama pledged Tuesday night to cure Americans from what he called "the crushing cost of health care," saying the country could not afford to put health-care reform on hold.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/24/obama.health.care/index.html?section=cnn_latest3. Obama's budget: Back to brass tacks: President's fiscal outline will reveal much more clearly how he plans to cut the deficit in half by 2013. Expect feathers ruffled all around.
http://money.cnn.com/2009/02/25/news/economy/obama_saving_proposals/index.htm?section=money_latest4. Obama Vows, ‘We Will Rebuild’ and ‘Recover’ President Obama urged the nation on Tuesday to see the economic crisis as reason to raise its ambitions, calling for expensive new efforts to address energy, health care and education even as he warned that government bailouts have not come to an end.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/us/politics/25obama.html?scp=2&sq=obama&st=cse5. Obama Vows Support for Renewables — and a Carbon Cap: On Tuesday evening, in his first address to Congress, President Barack Obama identified energy as one of the “three areas that are absolutely critical to our economic future.”
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/obama-vows-support-for-renewables-and-a-carbon-cap/?scp=7&sq=obama&st=cse6. Obama Vows to Slash Federal Deficit:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/24/us/politics/24web-obama.html?scp=15&sq=obama&st=cse7. In Time of Crisis, Urging Bold Action and Big Ideas:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/us/politics/25assess.html?scp=17&sq=obama&st=cse8. Polls Show: Obama Won The Night: Instant public surveys on Barack Obama's address before Congress showed, by in large, that the public was incredibly receptive to his speech, regardless of political party. But that did not hold true for every single study.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/24/polls-show-oba...9. Senate will advance torture commission: Is there a lot America doesn't know about Bush torture policies? There is, says Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse. "This is going to be big."
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2009/02/24/torture_co... /
10. Guarantees of 401(k) plans called 'hollow': House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller said Tuesday that 401(k) retirement plans do not provide sufficient retirement security for many Americans and must be revamped.
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1208&u_sid=105723...February 25, 2009 Reform, Regulation and Fiscal Responsibility Wednesday11. Obama seeks $634B over 10 years for health care: President Barack Obama is asking Congress to raise taxes on the wealthy and cut Medicare costs to provide health care for the uninsured while making the just-enacted $400 tax cut for most workers permanent. In his first budget blueprint, Obama proposes setting aside $634 billion over the next decade to expand government subsidized health coverage — a little more than half the money needed to ensure that every American gets medical care.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090226/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_budget12. Dodd: Congress to work with Obama on regulations: Senator Christopher Dodd, chairman of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, pledged on Wednesday that Congress would work with President Barack Obama to craft comprehensive reform of financial sector regulations.
http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE51O7IK20090226?virtualBrandChannel=1045213. Black Caucus Wants Obama Involved in Census: Congressional Black Caucus members plan to press President Obama to keep the 2010 census under White House supervision even if Democrat Gary Locke is confirmed as Commerce secretary.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/cq/20090226/pl_cq_politics/politics3061097_214. Obama ready to set out Iraq withdrawal plan: President Barack Obama is to announce his timeline for withdrawing US troops from Iraq on Friday, and is leaning towards a 19-month pullout rather than the 16-month target he backed when campaigning, officials said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090226/wl_afp/uspoliticsobamamilitaryiraq_2009022602061515. Obama: Financial sector needs stronger regulations: After devoting money and time in search of a rescue for the ailing banking sector, President Barack Obama on Wednesday demanded tough new regulations to keep financial institutions in check and avoid future Wall Street meltdowns.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090226/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_banks_1216. Obama urges quick action on Wall Street reform: President Barack Obama called on Wednesday for a sweeping overhaul of Wall Street regulations, saying big changes were needed to avoid a repeat of the financial meltdown.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090226/pl_nm/us_financial_obama_1617. Obama set to present budget to Congress: President Barack Obama will Thursday ask Congress for 634 billion dollars to fund healthcare reform in his 2010 budget which must reconcile a costly agenda with a vow to slash a gaping deficit.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090226/pl_afp/uspoliticsobama_2009022600293718. Sources: Obama slashes money for Yucca: President Barack Obama is taking the first step toward moving away from building a nuclear waste dump at Yucca Mountain in Nevada by slashing money for the program in his first budget.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090226/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_yucca_mountain_119. Ore. state secrets case is Bush leftover for Obama: For the second time since Attorney General Eric Holder ordered a review of Bush administration state secrets claims, the Obama administration finds itself defending the doctrine used to protect anti-terrorism programs accused of illegal spying.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090226/ap_on_re_us/warrantless_wiretaps_220. Costly US weapons face budget cuts under Obama: Hi-tech fighter aircraft, new warships and missile defense projects are all potential targets for big cuts in the US defense budget, as the American military faces a new era of limits under President Barack Obama.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090226/pl_afp/usmilitaryobama_2009022600132621. Obama receiving daily economic intel document: CIA: CIA Director Leon Panetta said on Wednesday President Barack Obama wants to aggressively pursue Islamic militants, stressing there has been no let-up in the war despite change in the White House.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090225/pl_nm/us_obama_intelligence_322. Obama to seek $537 billion defense budget: Murtha: President Barack Obama will sketch out a robust U.S. military budget for next year totaling $537 billion, a senior Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives said on Wednesday.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090225/pl_nm/us_obama_budget_pentagon_123. Obama Will Stick with Bush Moon Plan: The fiscal 2010 NASA budget outline to be released by the Obama Administration Feb. 26 adds almost $700 million to the out-year figure proposed in the fiscal 2009 budget request submitted by former President Bush, and sticks with the goal of returning humans to the moon by 2020.
http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.js...24. Obama to cut payments to farms making over $500,000: WASHINGTON, Feb 26 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will phase out government payments to crop producers making more than $500,000 a year and eliminate subsidies for cotton storage to help trim the U.S. budget deficit, a senior administration official said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/governmentFilingsNews/id...25. Obama Administration Supports Telco Spy Immunity: Obama Administration Supports Telco Spy Immunity. The Obama administration vigorously defended congressional legislation late Wednesday that immunizes U.S. telecommunication companies from lawsuits about their participation in the Bush administration's domestic spy program.
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2009/02/obama-adminis-...February 26, 2009 Up in Arms Thursday26. Obama to Seek New Assault Weapons Ban: The Obama administration will seek to reinstate the assault weapons ban that expired in 2004 during the Bush administration, Attorney General Eric Holder said today.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=6960824&page=127. Obama Expected To Kill Hedge Fund Tax Break: If there is one tax loophole that looks dead in the water, it's the law that lets hedge fund and private equity managers pay a 15-percent capital-gains rate on the multimillion-dollar fees they collect -- substantially less than the top income tax rates paid by their secretaries, chauffeurs, and the pilots of their private jets.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/26/will-the-taxman-cometh_n_170082.html28. Dem Spat Delays Mortgage Relief Bill In House: House Democratic leaders have abruptly canceled votes on legislation to let bankruptcy judges reduce the principal and interest rate on mortgages for debt-strapped homeowners. It hit a snag after a group of moderates expressed concerns in a closed-door meeting of House Democrats about how the bill would affect homeowners who are still struggling to make their mortgage payments.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/0... 29. President Takes Aim at Foreign Profits: President Barack Obama has proposed a dramatic tax increase on the foreign profits of U.S. multinationals, in a 10-year budget blueprint released Thursday. The tax increase on foreign income, taken together with proposals to crack down on offshore tax cheating, would swell federal coffers by an extra $25 billion a year in revenue by 2014, according to projections by White House budget officials.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123566551506583891.html... 30. Obama to cut payments to farms making over $500,000: President Barack Obama will phase out government payments to crop producers making more than $500,000 a year and eliminate subsidies for cotton storage to help trim the U.S. budget deficit, a senior administration official said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/governmentFilingsNews/id...31. Holder Vows To End Raids On Medical Marijuana Clubs: Holder Vows To End Raids On Medical Marijuana Clubs
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/26/holder-vows-to...32. Sources: Obama Cuts Funds for Nevada Nuclear Dump (Yucca Mountain): President Barack Obama is taking the first step toward blocking a nuclear waste dump at Nevada's Yucca Mountain by slashing money for the program in his first budget, according to congressional sources. Obama's budget to be announced Thursday will eliminate virtually all funding for the Yucca project with the exception of money needed for license applications submitted last year to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090226/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obam...33. Senate bars FCC from revisiting Fairness Doctrine: The Senate has barred federal regulators from reviving a policy, abandoned two decades ago, that required balanced coverage of issues on public airwaves.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iZo8H...34. Pelosi tosses cold water on assault-weapon ban: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tossed cold water on the prospect of reinstating the assault weapons ban, highlighting Democrats’ reluctance to take on gun issues.
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/pelosi-tosses-cold-...35. Senate Passes D.C. Voting Rights Bill, 61-37: By a vote of 61-37, the Senate passed a bill providing full voting representation for the nation’s capital in the House of Representatives, nearly ensuring that the measure will become law this time around. While advocates were declaring victory already, a court fight almost definitely looms over the constitutionality of giving the District of Columbia voting privileges in the House that are akin to those of the 50 states.
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/senate-pa... /
36. Obama Will Stick with Bush Moon Plan: The fiscal 2010 NASA budget outline to be released by the Obama Administration Feb. 26 adds almost $700 million to the out-year figure proposed in the fiscal 2009 budget request submitted by former President Bush, and sticks with the goal of returning humans to the moon by 2020.
http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.js...37. Obama tells lawmakers troops to leave Iraq by 2010 (AP) AP - President Barack Obama told lawmakers on Thursday he plans to withdraw most American troops from Iraq by August 2010 but leave tens of thousands behind to advise Iraqi forces and protect U.S. interests, congressional officials said.
February 27, 2009 Friday38. Obama sets firm withdrawal timetable for Iraq (AP) AP - President Barack Obama consigned the Iraq war to history Friday, declaring he will end combat operations within 18 months and open a new era of diplomacy in the Middle East. "Let me say this as plainly as I can: By August 31, 2010, our combat mission in Iraq will end," Obama told Marines who are about to deploy by the thousands to the other war front, Afghanistan.
39. Most Iraqis Welcome Obama's Pullout Plan: It should come as no surprise that Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has been quick to endorse emerging plans to hasten the departure of U.S. forces from his country: Maliki, after all, had opposed the Bush Administration's decision to expand U.S. troop levels in the surge of 2007
http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20090227/wl_time/085991882...40. Obama budget gives Dems a roadmap, GOP a target: With ambitious plans to change health care, energy, farm payments, taxes and more, President Barack Obama's budget gives congressional Democrats goals to reach for. And highlights political targets for Republicans to aim at.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090228/ap_on_go_co/obama_congress41. AP Source: Obama to rescind Bush abortion rule: President Barack Obama plans to repeal a Bush administration rule that has become a flash point in the debate over a doctor's right not to participate in abortions.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090228/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/abortion_rule42. Court Rejects Obama Bid to Stop Wiretapping Suit: The Obama administration has lost its argument that the state secrets privilege is a good enough reason to stop a lawsuit over the government's warrantless wiretapping program.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/02/27/washington/A...43. Democrats Assail Withdrawal Plan: President Obama sought yesterday to quell growing complaints from members of Congress about his plans for drawing down troops in Iraq, inviting lawmakers to a White House meeting on the eve of a North Carolina speech in which he is expected to announce that he will pull out many combat troops by August of 2010. After House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) complained that the level of troops -- 50,000 -- who would remain in Iraq is too high
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/20...44. Senate to investigate CIA's actions under Bush: The 'fact-finding' effort will seek details on secret prisons and interrogation methods -- but will not aim to determine if CIA officials broke laws, legislative sources say.
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-cia-secrets2...February 28, 2009 Saturday45. Obama moved toward commanders in Iraq decision (AP) A P - President Barack Obama leaned heavily toward field commanders' preferences in settling a time frame for ending the war in Iraq, as he weighed the fervent desires of the anti-war community that propelled him into office and the equally strong worries of the generals commanding troops in the war zone.
46. Obama challenges lobbyists to legislative duel: President Barack Obama challenged the nation's vested interests to a legislative duel Saturday, saying he will fight to change health care, energy and education in dramatic ways that will upset the status quo. "The system we have now might work for the powerful and well-connected interests that have run Washington for far too long," Obama said in his weekly radio and video address. "But I don't. I work for the American people."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090228/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_lobbyists47. Obama taps Kansas governor for health secretary: US President Barack Obama has tapped Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius to be his health secretary to carry out his ambitious healthcare reform program, the White House said. A senior administration official told AFP Saturday that Sebelius had accepted the offer to serve as secretary of health and human services -- a position Obama had first offered to former Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle, who withdrew over tax questions.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090301/pl_afp/uspoliticsobamahealthsebelius_2009030113391648. Obama team lays out new Afghan-Pakistan approach: After setting a deadline to pull US forces from Iraq, President Barack Obama is shifting gears quickly to Afghanistan and Pakistan as he lays out a broad, regional approach to fighting extremism. The Obama administration held three days of talks last week with the foreign ministers of Afghanistan and Pakistan and said it would turn it into a regular dialogue to chart a new course in the "war on terror."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090301/wl_sthasia_afp/usdiplomacyafghanistanpakistanunrest_2009030106145849. With Pledges to Troops and Iraqis, Obama Details Pullout. President Obama announced that he would withdraw combat forces from Iraq by August 2010 and all remaining American troops by December 2011.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/28/washington/28troops.html?scp=2&sq=obama&st=cse50. Consensus emerges in Congress for Obama Iraq plan: Congress has agreed to a timetable for troop withdrawals in Iraq after years of bitterly debating whether to set one. The general consensus came Friday in the form of statements endorsing President Barack Obama's plan to bring home roughly two-thirds of the U.S. military force in Iraq by August 2010.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gPStX...51. Obama tells powerful lobbies: Bring it on: President Barack Obama challenged the nation's vested interests to a legislative duel Saturday, saying he will fight to change health care, energy and education in dramatic ways that will upset the status quo. "The system we have now might work for the powerful and well-connected interests that have run Washington for far too long," Obama said in his weekly radio and video address. "But I don't. I work for the American people."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090228/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obam...52. Obama Will Seek More Aid for Banks If Necessary, Orszag Says: President Barack Obama’s administration will seek congressional approval for as much as $750 billion in new aid to bolster U.S. financial institutions if it is needed, White House budget director Peter Orszag said.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aqcvi7_O_1nIMarch 1, 2009 Sunday53. With budget at stake, Obama ready to fight: The Obama administration began a vigorous new offensive this weekend to sell its economic program, countering the Republicans who call the new budget plan "mind-boggling" in its numbers and ambition. "I'm ready to fight," President Barack Obama said in his weekly radio talk Saturday, calling for the passage of a plan that would invest heavily in expanded health care, cleaner energy and education, but do so partly through taxes affecting the wealthy and polluters.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/03/01/america/prexy.php54. Obama open to health-reform board: Peter Orszag, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, said Sunday that President Obama would consider the idea of a health-care board or commission that would de-politicize the process by taking some power from Congress.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20090301/pl_politico/19459_255. Obama budget chief defends economic projections: President Barack Obama's top budget adviser is defending White House forecasts that predict a strong economic recovery. Budget office director Peter Orszag (OHR'-zag) says a sharper contraction in the gross domestic output shows the tough situation that Obama has inherited. But Orszag says the stimulus package should help the economy recover.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090301/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_budget_1156. Obama budget cuts taxes of typical family: Wealthier counterparts could see their payment due rise in 2011 A typical American family would get a tax cut under President Barack Obama's budget proposal, and their low-income neighbor would fare even better. Their wealthier counterparts, however, would face some steep tax increases, starting in 2011.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29436397/57. Top Military Chief 'Optimistic' About Obama's Plan: The nation's top military official says he's optimistic that U.S. troops will accomplish their new mission in Iraq. Adm. Mike Mullen's appearances on two Sunday talk shows bolstered President Obama's recent announcement detailing his withdrawal plans for Iraq.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101318909&ft=1&f=100158. Obama raises hopes on climate treaty: A top British official says U.S. President Barack Obama may be able to convince nations to unite for an international treaty on climate change. "The No. 1 thing will be for everyone to see that the United States is on an urgent and transformational path to a low-carbon economy -- that would have a galvanizing effect," said John Ashton, Britain's representative for climate change.
http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2009/03/01/Obama_raises_hopes_on_climate_treaty/UPI-47861235930880/March 2, 2009 Monday59. Obama releases internal Bush Justice Department memos: The Obama administration Monday released nine previously secret internal Justice Department memos and opinions defining the legal limits of government power in combating terrorism.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/02/justice.memos.released/60. Days 40-41: Obama Takes On Lobbyists: the president defended his budget blueprint which was released last Thursday and also said he was gearing up for a "fight" with lobbyists who oppose his plans. "I know these steps won’t sit well with the special interests and lobbyists who are invested in the old way of doing business, and I know they’re gearing up for a fight as we speak.
61. TEAM OBAMA'S CLUES ON AFGHAN GOALS: As the Obama administration conducts a policy review to clarify U.S. goals in Afghanistan, Robert Gates offered a few clues about where that process is heading in his first television interview on Sunday as President Obama's Defense secretary.
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/03/02/1817382.aspx62. White House fires back at Rush Limbaugh: Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) won't comment on anything the hero of conservatives has to say — and he has a lot to say — but the White House on Monday was only too happy to respond to Limbaugh's repeated assertion over the weekend that he hopes President Obama's presidency fails.
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/white-house-fires-b...63. SEC Enforcement Lawyers Say Morale Is Up: Enforcement lawyers at the Securities and Exchange Commission have recently been dressed down by Congress, blamed for major investment bank failures and publicly criticized for missing the alleged frauds of financiers Bernard Madoff and R. Allen Stanford. And still, they're in the best mood they've been in for years.
http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=120242871211264. Republicans Concede Budget Is Hard to Block: Republican congressional leaders ramped up criticism of President Barack Obama's budget proposal, even as they conceded that they likely won't be able to block it.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123592142217703383.html65. Obama gov't will not use 'waterboarding' – Holder: U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder ruled out the use of "waterboarding" as an interrogation technique for terrorism suspects on Monday, calling it a form of torture that the Obama administration could never condone.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N02479125.htm66. Clinton Pursues 'Comprehensive Peace' in Mideast: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Monday the Obama administration is committed to achieving "a comprehensive peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors and we will pursue it on many fronts."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/20...67. Brown to support Obama's Afghan plea - Prime minister will back American call for more Nato troops: Gordon Brown and Barack Obama will plot a joint strategy to persuade other Nato countries to send more troops to Afghanistan when the prime minister makes a historic visit to Washington this week.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/mar/01/gordon-b...See you next week
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
