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Tue Mar-31-09 07:08 AM
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Week 10 Presidential Week in Review

Week 10

I tried something a little different this week…. I grouped headlines by category for each day. Let me know if this is easier to read. I’ve also added a summary. WARNING: This was an extremely busy week and therefore this is an extremely lengthy post.
Summary: Despite the Economy and Budget dominating the news this week, and AIG in the spotlight consuming the public’s focus and outrage, The Environment, Healthcare Reform and the Flooding in the Midwest received some much needed attention. Mexico, Afghanistan, Pakistan and North Korea also made headlines. Here is this week’s List.

March 24, 2009 Tuesday

Domestic Issues

1. The Environmental Protection Agency put hundreds of mountaintop coal-mining permits on hold Tuesday, saying it wants to evaluate the projects' impact on streams and wetlands. The decision, announced by EPA administrator Lisa Jackson, targets a controversial practice that allows coal mining companies to dump waste from mountaintop mining into streams and wetlands. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/03/24/washington/A...

2. Obama unyielding on energy proposals: Budget pushes R&D tax credits: President Obama declared yesterday that the nation must move quickly to develop clean and innovative sources of energy after years of delay. "We can remain the world's leading importer of foreign oil, or we can become the world's leading exporter of renewable energy," Obama said at a White House event intended to draw attention to his energy proposals. http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2009/03/24/obama_unyielding_on_energy_proposals/

3. EPA Presses Obama To Regulate Warming Under Clean Air Act: The Environmental Protection Agency's new leadership, in a step toward confronting global warming, submitted a finding that will force the White House to decide whether to limit greenhouse gas emissions under the nearly 40-year-old Clean Air Act. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/23/AR2009032301068.html?hpid=moreheadlines

Economy

4. President Obama Pens Editorial in LA Times: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-ob...

5. The Obama administration, after months of criticizing Wall Street, has been scrambling to woo top bankers and financiers to back its latest bailout plan. President Barack Obama speaks about investments in clean energy and new technology included in the budget on Monday in Washington. In recent days, in spite of public furor over huge bonuses paid at American International Group Inc., the administration has concluded that it needs the private sector to play a central role in fixing the economy. So over the weekend, the White House worked to tone down its Wall Street bashing and to win support from top bankers for the bailout plan announced Monday, which will rely on public-private investments to soak up toxic assets. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123785266231219605.html...

6. U.S. Seeks Expanded Power to Seize Firms: Goal Is to Limit Risk to Broader Economy. The Obama administration is considering asking Congress to give the Treasury secretary unprecedented powers to initiate the seizure of non-bank financial companies, such as large insurers, investment firms and hedge funds, whose collapse would damage the broader economy, according to an administration document. The government at present has the authority to seize only banks. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/20...

7. Obama trying to temper furor over AIG bonuses: President Barack Obama is trying to dampen a fire he once stoked, urging a more tempered response to public furor over bonuses paid to executives of the publicly rescued insurance giant American International Group. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5isOFwdbq0tsqatW6vJpkDRTI1gMgD9748R100

8. President Obama's plan is the same old plot but with a better ending: It's deja vu all over again. Five months ago, Congress gave then-Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson what most thought was a $700 billion check to buy the toxic assets from the nation's banks as part of the Troubled Asset Relief Program. What happened next is regrettable: Panicked by fears of a global financial collapse, the Bush Treasury instead injected about half of the money into the banks. Now comes the Obama administration's Public-Private Investment Program, which attempts to return to the original intent of TARP, in a slightly different way: Instead of the government buying assets, it will lend money to investors to buy them. http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2009/03/23/2009-03-23_president_obamas_plan_is_the_same_old_pl.html

9. Obama: 'Hard at work' on resolution authority plan: U.S. President Barack Obama said on Tuesday the administration was "hard at work" on a detailed proposal that would give it the power to close down non-bank financial institutions that get into financial trouble. "Right now, we do not have resolution authority for a non-bank institution like AIG that is comparable for banks that get into trouble using the FDIC," Obama told reporters after his meeting with the Australian prime minister. "In the absence of that capacity, you end up with the situation we've been in, ... an institution that poses systemic risks to the system but a lack of capacity to close it down in an orderly fashion, renegotiate contract, sell off bad assets," he said. "We are already hard at work in putting forward a detailed proposal," Obama said. http://www.reuters.com/article/etfNews/idUSWAT01120120090324

10. President Obama's Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner asks Congress for 'extraordinary' powers: Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner asked Congress for "extraordinary" new powers that would enable him to quickly jump in and grab the wheel at some Wall Street institutions when things start to go bad. http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2009/03/24/2009-03-24_president_obamas_treasury_secretary_tim_.html

11. Obama: FDIC has good model for resolving big firms: President Barack Obama said on Tuesday that the government should look to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp's model for resolving banks when deciding how to structure a federal authority to shut down troubled non-banks. "It actually does these kind of resolutions effectively when it has the tools to do it," Obama said in his second prime-time White House news conference since taking office on January 20. http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-BarackObama/idUSTRE52N7TR20090325

Foreign Affairs

12. Obama: US will stay on offense in Afghanistan: Nearing completion of a revamped strategy in Afghanistan, President Barack Obama on Tuesday said the United States will "stay on the offensive" to dismantle terrorist operations in the country even as it rethinks its goals in trying to end the seven-year-old war. The president did not divulge details of his administration's war review, which he said is not yet complete. It is expected to be unveiled as soon as this week. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Obama said the threat of al-Qaida and its terrorist affiliates has not gone away. As a consequence, he said, "it's important for us to stay on the offensive." http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i93McMPYxNe5I5luHeUstklGV2RgD974HJPG0

13. Next Foreign Crisis Could Be Next Door: Mexico’s economy is being dragged down by the recession to the north. American addicts have turned Mexico into a drug superhighway, and its police and soldiers are under assault from American guns. Nafta promised 15 years ago that Mexican trucks would be allowed on American roads, but the Obama administration says they are too unsafe for that. United States-Mexican relations are in the midst of what can be described as a neighborly feud, one that stretches along a lengthy shared fence. That border fence, which has become a wall in some places, is another irritant. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/25/world/americas/25mexico.html

14. The White House unveiled a new effort Tuesday to crack down on the two-way smuggling of drugs, guns and money across its border with Mexico. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29859803 /

Budget

15. Obama to hold nationally televised news conference this evening: The president is expected to press his case for a $3.6-trillion budget and field questions on bonuses for AIG executives, heightened regulatory powers and plans to unclog the credit system. Fighting GOP criticism and seeking to reassure a jittery public, President Obama takes to the airways tonight to push his case for a $3.6-trillion budget and his plans to deal with an ailing economy. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-obama-econ25-2009mar25,0,2925103.story Text of News Conference here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/obama_text/print

16. Brawl over Obama budget brews in Congress: Barack Obama is preparing for one of the toughest fights of his young presidency as Congress begins work on a budget that may trim his spending plans but back his healthcare, energy and education proposals. Obama will meet fellow Democrats in the Senate on Wednesday to try to shore up support for a budget that likely would increase the deficit more than initially estimated by the White House -- it's now expected to be $1.4 trillion for next year. http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE52G3OX20090324

17. Obama to GOP: Offer budget alternatives: Gearing up for negotiations with Congress over his proposed budget, President Obama chided Republican lawmakers Monday for opposing his initiatives without offering alternatives. "I do think that the Republican Party right now hasn't sort of figured out what it's for," Obama said in a White House interview with The Courier-Journal and reporters from five other newspapers. "And so as a proxy, they've just decided 'we're going to be against whatever the other side is for.' That's not what's needed in an economic crisis." He added that "you could play that game maybe in the early '90s, when basically we were pretty prosperous. Right now, everybody's got to pull together." http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-03-23-obama-gop_N.htm

March 25, 2009 Wednesday

Obama Agenda

18. Obama to critics: I'll bend, but not break: With Congress pushing back against his proposals for energy, taxes and other matters, President Barack Obama is taking a bend-but-don't-break posture. He will compromise on certain details if he must, he signaled at his news conference Tuesday evening, but not on the heart of his key initiatives. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090325/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama

19. Barack Obama's prime-time presidential news conference was the most-watched program Tuesday night, averaging 31.1 million viewers http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2009/03/obama-dancing-w.html

20. Harold Hongju Koh, an outspoken advocate of human rights and international law, has been chosen to be the top lawyer at the State Department. Koh, dean at the Yale Law School, has been one of the most vocal critics of the Bush administration's approach to the detention and trial of terrorism suspects, calling a 2002 memo justifying harsh interrogation methods a "stain on our national reputation." If confirmed as State Department legal advisor, he would have a key role in dismantling the Bush administration's approach to that issue and others. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-ju...

21. President Obama's nominee for the No. 2 post at the Environmental Protection Agency dropped out, saying scrutiny of a group he was affiliated with was threatening to become "a distraction" for the administration. The EPA announced the decision by Jonathan Cannon, nominated for the post of deputy EPA administrator, a day before he was scheduled to appear before a Senate panel considering his nomination. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123801318996041041.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

22. Americans say too early to judge Obama performance:
*Americans showing patience with Obama recovery plan
* Public not expecting quick turnaround to economy
* Obama ratings remain high as he goes on TV to sell plan
After his second prime-time news conference to defend the decisions he's made since taking office two months ago, Obama appears to enjoy the confidence -- or at least the patience -- of ordinary Americans anxious about the economy. http://www.reuters.com/article/governmentFilingsNews/idUSN2542028120090325

23. White House is 'Open for Questions' on economy; Obama will answer some Thursday: In another sign that the new administration is going to use the Web to reach out directly to Americans (and, at the same time, to potential voters) in campaign-style ways, it has launched "Open for Questions." As you'll see if you follow that link, the idea is for folks to sign up so that they can submit questions that the president will then answer (some of them, that is) during an online town hall. Participants can also rate the questions that come in. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2009/03/64608591/1

Foreign Affairs

24. Obama commits more federal agents to Mexico border: Drug violence feared moving closer to US. President Obama will send at least 450 more federal agents, drug-sniffing dogs, X-ray scanners, intelligence analysts, and other law enforcement resources to the US-Mexico border in what administration officials yesterday called a comprehensive response to fight Mexican drug cartels and keep violence from spilling into the United States. http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2009/03/25/obama_commits_more_federal_agents_to_mexico_border/

25. Clinton: US shares blame for Mexican drug wars: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday pledged to stand "shoulder to shoulder" with Mexico in its violent struggle against drug cartels, and acknowledged the U.S. shares blame because of its demand for drugs and supply of weapons. She said the United States shares responsibility with Mexico for dealing with violence now spilling across the border and promised cooperation to improve security on both sides. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090325/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/clinton_mexico

26. Obama, NATO chief talk Afghanistan and Russia: President Barack Obama says he and the NATO secretary-general on Wednesday discussed increasing alliance effectiveness in the fight against Islamic militants in Afghanistan. Obama said he hopes the talks and the upcoming new U.S. plan for the fight against the Taliban and al-Qaida would "invigorate" NATO participation in the U.S.-led operation, now in its 8th year http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jhtqGT7ZR1ZoyeU-5-fJ9cjZG2ZgD9755EJG0

Budget

27. President Obama traveled to the Capitol Wednesday afternoon to rally Democrats around his budget proposals. He argued for a budget that would open the door to his health care, energy and education plans, saying they are crucial to restoring the nation’s economic health. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/us/politics/26budget.html?hp

28. Dems advance Obama's tax, spending budget outlines: Congressional Democrats advanced budget outlines Wednesday that largely mirror President Barack Obama's tax and spending plans while imposing marginal changes to tame ballooning deficits. "This budget will protect President Obama's priorities — education, energy, health care, middle class tax relief and cut the deficit in half," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said after the president met privately in the Capitol with rank-and-file Democrats. Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad, D-N.D., said the purpose of the president's visit was not to round up votes to assure passage of the plan. "He came here to show leadership and to show we're together on his priorities," the senator said. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090325/ap_on_go_co/congres...

Economy

29. Talks on new world reserve currency "legitimate": IMF chief: IMF managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn said Wednesday that talks on a new world reserve currency to replace the US dollar were "legitimate" and could take place "in the coming months." Strauss-Kahn cautioned that the dollar's standing was not seriously threatened. "I don't believe it and even the Chinese don't believe it," he commented, but he added that the global crisis had "renewed interest" in the issue. The issue of the world currency reserve is expected to be raised that the April 2 summit of the G20 club of developed and emerging economies. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090325/bs_afp/financeecon...

30. Obama Plans to Propose Stronger Financial-Fraud Rules: The Obama administration plans to unveil new rules to protect consumers and investors against financial fraud, aiming to stamp out practices that helped spark the mortgage-market crisis. The administration will also release this week proposed legislation requesting new powers for the Treasury and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to take over failing financial institutions and wind them down. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aaQgDF.ca2jk&refer=home

Domestic Issues

31. President Obama Declares North Dakota a Disaster Area: President Barack Obama declared the entire state of North Dakota a federal disaster area due to the statewide flooding North Dakota has experienced this week. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1594667/presid...

March 26, 2009 Thursday

Obama Agenda

32. Obama turns to Web to bypass news media: Call it Round Two of the news conference, with a big Internet twist. President Barack Obama took questions from the White House press corps on Tuesday in a prime-time, East Room session that represented the most formal and time-honored of president-and-reporter interactions. On Thursday, he is taking to that same room for another public grilling — this time by regular folks armed with questions submitted via the Internet and in person, as part of a political strategy to engage Americans directly. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090326/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_online

33. WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama seized the bully pulpit Thursday and reprised the best of his acclaimed campaign skills in an unprecedented Internet town hall from the White House — a direct sales pitch for Americans to get behind his $3.6 trillion budget and be patient as he tries to right the tottering economy. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090326/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_online_town_hall

34. Obama Spending Plan Faces First Test in New York Race: A special U.S. congressional election in Upstate New York may provide an early referendum on a politician who’s not on the ballot: President Barack Obama. The race in New York’s 20th district will replace Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat who was appointed to fill Hillary Clinton’s U.S. Senate seat when she became secretary of state. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aKR5GGiN7OI8&refer=us

Economy

35. Treasury head Geithner unveiling regulatory agenda (AP) AP - The Obama administration is proposing an extensive overhaul of financial regulations in an effort to prevent a repeat of the banking crisis last fall that toppled once-mighty institutions and wiped out trillions of dollars in investor wealth. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090326/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/financial_regulation

36. The Obama administration on Thursday unveiled a sweeping overhaul of the financial system designed to impose greater regulation on major players like hedge funds. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told lawmakers that the changes are needed to fix the flaws exposed by the current financial crisis, the worst to hit the country in seven decades. The goal is to repair a system that has proven "too unstable and fragile," he said. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090326/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/financial_regulation Proposed strengthening of government's powers would alter regulatory landscape. The Obama administration is proposing the most far-reaching revamp of the financial industry since the Great Depression, including measures that would regulate hedge funds and give government the power to seize and dismantle companies deemed a threat to the economy. The measures, which need the approval of Congress, come in the wake of last fall's near-meltdown of the global financial system. Click here to see the key measures outlined on Thursday http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-fri-geithner-regulate-mar27,0,1681331.story

37. An estimated 50 million Social Security recipients will receive their one-time $250 economic stimulus check in May — several weeks ahead of schedule, Vice President Joe Biden announced Thursday. http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3801581

38. Obama Defends Push to Cut Tax Deductions for Charitable Gifts: President Obama defends his proposal to cut the tax deductions that wealthy Americans can claim for their charitable donations by arguing that the shift would not have an adverse effect on giving, but two independent analyses concluded that the proposal could result in a drop of as much as $3.87 billion for the already reeling nonprofit sector. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/25/AR2009032503103.html?hpid=topnews

Budget

39. Obama budget on the march through Congress: President Barack Obama's Democratic allies are endorsing his ambitious budget plan, but general agreements on fighting global warming and boosting health care promise to be severely tested later in the year as details are penciled in. The Senate Budget Committee was poised to adopt Obama's budget plan Thursday after approval by a companion House panel on a party-line vote late Wednesday. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090326/ap_on_go_co/congress_budget

40. Obama wants high-paying, high-skill jobs in future (AP) AP - President Barack Obama fielded questions on jobs, the auto industry, universal health care, mortgages, education, veterans' care and legalization of marijuana as he kicked off a first-of-its-kind Internet era Town Hall at the White House. Obama said job creation in America is difficult in a time of economic hardship and that the work of the future should be in more high-paying, high-skill areas like clean energy technology. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090326/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_online

41. Democrats on the Senate Budget Committee defeated a Republican attempt Thursday to reduce recommended spending across hundreds of programs over the next five years as they moved toward approval of a blueprint that preserves President Barack Obama's top priorities. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090326/ap_on_go_co/congress_budget

42. New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo plans Thursday to subpoena American International Group Inc. for information on its credit default swaps, people familiar with the matter say. Mr. Cuomo is among the state authorities investigating the bonuses paid to executives in the financial products group at AIG. He is subpoenaing the information as he tries to assess AIG's claims that it needed the expertise of its employees to unwind certain contracts, these people say. He is concerned that in some cases AIG essentially made some investors whole, raising questions about what the staffers who got bonuses did. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123808477010749145.html

43. Obama administration’s call for greater financial regulation may have its limits. The administration late yesterday urged the Supreme Court to bar New York and other states from enforcing their fair- lending and other consumer-protection laws against federally chartered banks including JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Wells Fargo & Co. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aCd...

44. President Shifts Emphasis From Wall Street to Budget: In attempting to harness public anger over the financial crisis on behalf of his budget, President Obama is confronting the politically uncomfortable fact that the success of his long-term agenda and Wall Street's recovery are intertwined. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/03/25/ST2009032503120.html

45. Senate panel backs Obama budget plan with changes: A key Senate committee has adopted President Barack Obama's ambitious budget blueprint, giving the president a symbolic endorsement of his plans to boost clean energy, fight global warming and improve access to health care.

46. The Senate Budget Committee's OK on Thursday sets the stage for debate next week on the Senate floor, where Democrats unhappy with deficits wield more influence. The Senate measure is a nonbinding road map for major legislation later this year on health care, energy and education. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gSu1RI33g5jZfU8YAz7ZFmoPbb7AD975UUF00

Foreign Affairs

47. Concerned about the faltering war in Afghanistan, President Barack Obama plans to dispatch thousands more military and civilian trainers on top of the 17,000 fresh combat troops he's already ordered, people familiar with the forthcoming plan said Thursday. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090326/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_afghanistan

48. Lawmakers Hear Obama Afghanistan-Pakistan Strategy: President Obama briefed congressional leaders -- minus Senate Republicans Mitch McConnell (Ky) and Jon Kyl -- this afternoon on the new Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy he will announce tomorrow. McConnell spokesman Don Stewart said the invitation to the 1 p.m. White House session came too late yesterday afternoon to rearrange a scheduled meeting with several dozen Republican Senators. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/03/26/obama_to_brief_lawmakers_on_af.html?wprss=44

49. President Obama telephoned Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, on Thursday to share the main elements of the American strategic review of policy in Afghanistan and the war on Islamic militants, a statement from the presidential palace here said. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/27/world/asia/27karzai.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&ref=world&adxnnlx=1238122965-3c+EuzRfGW+o/3D5IdI7cQ

Domestic Issues

50. Courts Already Heeding Obama's New FOIA Policy: federal courts are already considering the new Holder policy in response to plaintiff requests and are modifying the course of pending FOIA litigation as a result. In one case, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) asked a court to stay a proceeding and to order the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Department of Justice to reconsider their denial of requested records by employing the new Holder guidelines. Those agencies opposed the idea. But in a March 23 opinion (pdf), Judge Jeffrey S. White of the Northern District of California granted the EFF motion. Likewise, in another EFF FOIA lawsuit this week, Judge John D. Bates ordered (pdf) the Department of Justice “to evaluate whether the new FOIA guidelines affect the scope of its disclosures and claimed withholdings in this case.” http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2009/03/attention_foia....

51. President Obama said yesterday that his administration will offer the auto industry an aid package that will require General Motors and Chrysler to make "painful" and "pretty drastic" changes. The aid package for the companies will be unveiled in the next several days, he said, and will be contingent upon the companies adopting business plans that reflect the fact that they have a smaller share of the auto market. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/26/AR2009032602156.html?hpid=topnews

52. Legalizing marijuana is not the kind of change President Barack Obama can believe in -- -- at least not as a remedy for the ailing U.S. economy. On Thursday, Obama tackled the issue head-on, only half-jokingly, at an online townhall meeting where he noted that the idea was a favorite among the 3.6 million people who voted on more than 100,000 questions submitted on the White House website. "I have to say that there was one question that was voted on that ranked fairly high, and that was whether legalizing marijuana would improve the economy and job creation," he said to laughter at the White House event. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090326/pl_nm/us_obama_mari...

53. The Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a bill to broadly expand national community service programs, increasing the number of positions to 250,000 from 75,000 and creating new cadres of volunteers focused on education, clean energy, health care, and veterans. The vote was 78 to 20, and the Senate renamed the bill the Senator Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, in honor of the Massachusetts Democrat who was a main architect of the legislation and has been undergoing treatment for brain cancer. http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/senate-ap... /

March 27, 2009 Friday

Obama Agenda

54. President Obama took the time today to hold a second, purely ceremonial, swearing-in for Attorney General Eric Holder, reinforcing his pledge to enforce the law and uphold the Constitution without regard to politics and ideology. http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligen...

55. President Obama today nominated former Mississippi Governor Ray Mabus to be secretary of the Navy. http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2009/03/obama_taps_form.html

56. At least according to Gallup's tracking poll, President Obama's "approval rating" is holding very steady. For the third Friday in a row, Gallup's polling shows 62% of those surveyed saying they approve of the job the president is doing. Also for the third week in a row, 27% say they don't approve. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/20...

Economy

57. Obama seeks input of bank CEOs on recovery plans: President Barack Obama wants to hear from the chief executives of some of the country's biggest banks as he caps a week in which he clarified his overall plan for stabilizing the financial system. The president was set to take the temperature of the bank CEOs today at the White House. The session will be the latest in a series of such meetings Obama has had with financial industry representatives and business executives since taking office amid the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090327/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_economy

58. U.S. President Barack Obama called the heads of the nation's largest banks to the White House for talks Friday, in the latest effort to find ways to bolster the battered U.S. economy. Earlier this week, the Obama administration proposed a plan to help troubled banks by using a government and private partnership to buy up to $1 trillion in bad loans and other "toxic assets" from them. http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-03-27-voa28.cfm

59. Bankers Pledge Cooperation With Obama: In a bit of political stagecraft designed to quiet the public’s anger toward Wall Street, President Obama summoned the heads of some of the nation’s largest financial institutions to the White House on Friday and urged them to accept responsibility for their industry’s excesses. The 13 chief executives emerged from the 90-minute meeting pledging to cooperate with the administration’s efforts to shore up their industry and the broader economy. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/28/business/economy/28bank.html

60. Obama said he told the executives, according to an interview he taped Friday with Bob Schieffer of CBS News.
"Show that you get that this is a crisis and everybody has to make sacrifices." Obama said the bankers concurred. However, the president sounded a bit wary about whether they would actually follow through. "They agreed and they recognize" the problem, Obama said, before adding skeptically, "Now, the proof of the pudding is in the eating." http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0309/20583.html

61. The Obama administration’s call for greater financial regulation may have its limits. The administration late yesterday urged the U.S. Supreme Court to bar New York and other states from enforcing their fair-lending and other consumer-protection laws against federally chartered banks including JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Wells Fargo & Co. The legal brief, which adopts the Bush administration’s position, is a setback for consumer and civil-rights groups that had urged President Barack Obama’s team to switch positions. The filing puts the administration at odds with New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo over the respective roles of state and federal regulators. The high court will hear arguments April 28. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aCd...

Budget

62. Campaign for Obama's budget is widening: His allies' ads target districts led by conservative Democrats -- some of whom question the wisdom of the strategy, suggesting that it's divisive. A campaign to persuade Republicans to support President Obama's budget is morphing into something broader, with the White House political machine and its allies now focusing pressure on conservative Democrats and anyone else who might be tempted to vote no. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-obama-pressure27-2009mar27,0,5422344.story

63. White House Budget Director Peter Orszag dismissed a budget proposal offered by Republicans for providing few details on how they would stanch a projected gusher of government red ink in coming years. Republicans have gone from “the party of ‘no’ to the party of ‘no detail,’” Orszag said in an interview on Bloomberg Television’s “Political Capital With Al Hunt” scheduled for broadcast today. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=a2QRvJvupeic&refer=us

Foreign Affairs

64. President Obama this morning announced a new Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy that will require significantly higher levels of U.S. funding and thousands more military and civilian personnel to reverse what he called an "increasingly perilous" situation. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/27/AR2009032700836.html?hpid=topnews

65. With a bloody suicide bombing near the Khyber Pass adding urgency to his words, President Obama announced on Friday that he plans to further bolster American forces in Afghanistan, increase aid to Pakistan, and set strict standards for measuring progress in fighting Al Qaeda and the Taliban in both chaotic countries. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/washington/28prexy.html?hp

66. UN chief Ban Ki-moon welcomes the new Afghan strategy unveiled by US President Barack Obama in his speech Friday. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iy_epA2imwrmukIX9j--GZqq5Z2Q

67. President Barack Obama has declared that the United States must "disrupt, defeat and dismantle" the al-Qaida terrorist organization and the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Announcing plans for an increased American troop presence in Afghanistan, Obama also said that it's important for the American people to understand that Pakistan "needs our help" in going after terrorists. He called the situation in Afghanistan "increasingly perilous." http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i93Mc...

68. U.S. Navy ships capable of shooting down ballistic missiles are being moved to the Sea of Japan, a Navy spokesman said. The move came as North Korea was preparing for an expected rocket launch next month. http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/03/26/north.korea...

Domestic Issues

69. Obama autos plan may hold additional aid: But president calls for drastic change in the industry. http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2009/03/27/obama_autos_plan_may_hold_additional_aid/

70. The Obama administration unveiled its 2011 fuel economy standard of 27.3 miles per gallon today, saying it was already at work on standards for future years that it suggested would push the industry forward. The long-expected rule poses no hurdle for the industry, as it’s 0.3 m.p.g. higher than the average of cars and trucks sold in the 2008 model year. That average is expected to continue rising, since all major automakers have committed to building more efficient models in the face of uncertain fuel prices and tougher regulations. http://www.freep.com/article/20090327/BUSINESS01/90327044/Obama+unveils+2011+fuel+economy+standard

71. The White House says it's actively monitoring flooding in North Dakota and Minnesota, and President Barack Obama has dispatched the acting head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to the region. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says Nancy Ward is in Fargo and Obama has personally spoken with the governors of both states and with Fargo's mayor. Gibbs said the federal government is working closely with state and local leaders to give them any help they need. He also implored citizens in both states to be vigilant in tracking flood conditions. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gJjlw...

72. Healthcare Reform: Recent movement on Capitol Hill and by major health-care players suggests that consensus is growing for action this year, but deep rifts remain over how to pay for expanded coverage and whether a new government-sponsored program should be offered to people who have trouble buying private insurance. A coalition of hospitals, insurers, employers, physicians, drug makers and consumers released a report yesterday endorsing a set of policy changes that could cut in half the number of uninsured Americans. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/20... Dr. Howard Dean unveiled a major new health care campaign that will gear up his political operation to pressure the White House and Congress to preserve a public insurance option as part of health care reform http://www.standwithdrdean.com/ and Single Payer Medicare For All H.R. 676 <109th>: Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act appears to be back on the table. Read the text of the bill here http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h109-676

March 28, 2009 Saturday

Domestic Issues

73. President Obama used his weekly radio and Internet address today to reach out to the people of North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota whose homes and livelihoods are threatened by the rising of the Red River. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/03/28/obama_says_us_must_respond_to.html?wprss=44

74. Team Obama Halts Talk of Assault Weapons Ban: http://www.newsweek.com/id/191414

Budget

75. Weeks of Obama's budget sales pitch and support still slips: The Gallup Poll did another one this week on President Obama's $3,550,000,000,000 budget for fiscal 2010 and found support for it down slightly, disapproval up slightly and even "Don't Knows" also up a bit. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/

Economy

76. Establishing a dialogue between developed and developing countries, President Obama today launched a Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, with the group's first meeting set in Washington in April, followed by a summit in Italy in July. Obama invited the leaders of 16 major economies, as well as the secretary general of the United Nations, to participate in the forum. The White House said in a statement that the forum was designed to "help generate the political leadership necessary to achieve a successful outcome" at the U.N. climate change negotiations to take place in Copenhagen in December, as well as explore "concrete initiatives and joint ventures that increase the supply of clean energy while cutting greenhouse gas emissions." http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/03/28/obama_sets_international_clima.html?wprss=44

Foreign Affairs

77. Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Saturday that he was in "full agreement" with President Obama's newly announced strategy for Afghanistan, saying it was "exactly what the Afghan people were hoping for" and promising to "work very closely" with the United States to implement the plan. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/28/AR2009032801727.html

78. Biden says U.S. does not plan to lift Cuba embargo: http://uk.reuters.com/article/marketsNewsUS/idUKN282953...

March 29, 2009 Sunday

Economy

79. Obama taps USC VP Helen Garrett for his troubled Treasury Dept. The White House announced this afternoon that President Obama is nominating Helen Elizabeth Garrett as assistant secretary of Treasury for tax policy. Garrett is currently vice president for academic planning and the budget at the University of Southern California, where she oversees the university's academic and budget priorities. She's one of three senior Treasury Department appointments announced today as Obama and embattled Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner seek to fill numerous remaining posts there amid a barrage of ongoing controversies stemming from the recession, the Wall Street bailouts, the bizarre corporate bonuses and, frankly, Geithner's sometimes inarticulate handling of his public presentations. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2009/03/obama-treasury.html

Foreign Affairs

80. Obama calls Afghanistan 'America's war': Obama made it clear his strategy is not centered around the number of troops in the region, a contrast from President Bush’s “surge” strategy in Iraq, which Obama opposed
Mindful of history’s lessons in the region, where armies have become dangerously “overextended,” Obama stressed his most recent decision to send primarily troop to train Afghan forces.
“The central part of our strategy is to train the Afghan National Army,” Obama said. “That has been one of the recent success stories.” “This is going to be hard, Bob. I’m under no illusions,” Obama said of the Afghanistan conflict as a whole. “If it was easy it would have already been completed. And so we’re going to have to go with a strategy that is focused, that is narrowly targeted on defeating al-Qaeda.” "We think that if you combine military, civilian, diplomatic, development approaches, if we are doing a much better job coordination with our allies, that we can be successful." http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/obama-calls-afghani...

81. Obama said U.S. ally Pakistan needs to be more accountable, but ruled out deploying U.S. troops there. "Our plan does not change the recognition of Pakistan as a sovereign government," the president told CBS' "Face the Nation" in an interview broadcast Sunday. The president also bemoaned the tenuous security situation in Afghanistan, saying, "Unless we get a handle on it now, we're gonna be in trouble." He made clear that his new strategy for the long war is "not going to be an open-ended commitment of infinite resources" from the United States. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/29/obama-rules-ou...

82. US President Barack Obama will head to London on Tuesday for his first overseas trip since taking office, to take part in the economic summit of 20 major and developing nations. Advisers said the goal was to manage the current crisis by restoring growth and to prevent a future downturn by reforming financial regulations. Mr Obama has vowed to listen to his foreign counterparts and lead by example to address the economic crisis and work to stem future financial catastrophes. http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/2009/03/2... /
"The President and America are going to listen in London as well as to lead," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.Britain will get its first chance to see Barack Obama this week when a White House cavalcade - complete with armoured limousines, helicopters, 200 US secret service staff and a six-doctor medical team - sweeps into the UK. Obama will fly into London for his first visit to the UK as president of the United States on Tuesday to take part in the G20 summit in the capital's Docklands area. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/29/obama-londo...

83. Earlier this month, former vice president Cheney told CNN that President Obama is “making some choices that…raise the risk to the American people of another attack,” referring to Obama’s decisions to close Guantanamo and end torture. Today on CNN’s State of the Union, Centcom Commander Gen. David Petraeus — whom Cheney has previously called “extraordinarily capable” — said he doesn’t agree with Cheney’s assessment: PETRAEUS: Well, I wouldn’t necessarily agree with that. I think in fact that there is a good debate going on about the importance of values in all that we do. I think that if one violates the values that we hold so dear, that we jeopardize. … We think for the military, in particular that camp, that’s a line that can’t be crossed. http://thinkprogress.org/2009/03/29/cheney-petraeus-saf... /

84. US President Barack Obama has vowed a broad new approach on Afghanistan but ironically has also narrowed the goals -- replacing democratizing zeal with a more straightforward mission to fight Al-Qaeda. Experts say the Obama team's new strategy bows to the realities of Afghanistan -- the famed "graveyard of empires" -- and may also begin to lay the groundwork for an exit strategy in the nearly eight-year US involvement. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hMLvUMUwzY0aLeyfHfVZBLDYdrKA

85. The United States will give Pakistan the tools in needs to defeat al Qaeda, but it expects accountability in return, President Barack Obama said in an interview about his new Afghan strategy aired on Sunday. On CBS's "Face the Nation" program, Obama also said if the United States had al Qaeda leaders in its sights in Pakistan, it would go after them after consulting Pakistani authorities. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/29/AR2009032900073.html

86. President Barack Obama said his predecessor's administration had lost its "focus" in the war in Afghanistan, forcing a revamping of the strategy that is aimed narrowly at defeating the terrorists who make their base of operations there and in Pakistan. Speaking on CBS's "Face the Nation" on the eve of his first overseas trip, Obama said that the increase in troops he has approved is in service to that newly focused mission. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/03/29/obama_bush_administration_lost.html?wprss=44

87. US President Barack Obama has said he will consult Pakistan's leaders before targeting militants in that country. "If we have a high-value target within our sights, after consulting with Pakistan, we're going after them," Mr Obama told CBS television. But Mr Obama ruled out deploying US ground troops inside Pakistan. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7970935.stm

88. Obama envoy: Time to act on climate change: Once booed at international climate talks, the United States won sustained applause Sunday when President Barack Obama's envoy pledged to "make up for lost time" in reaching a global agreement on climate change. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jpokgFJzTVqBUWoSV4Qm3bXiDWlAD977QTVG0

Domestic Issues

89. Don't expect any change soon to the "don't ask, don't tell" policy about gays in the military.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates says both he and President Barack Obama have "a lot on our plates right now." As Gates puts it, "let's push that one down the road a little bit." The White House has said Obama has begun consulting with Gates and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on how to lift the ban. Gates says that dialogue has not really progressed very far at this point in the administration. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090329/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/g...

90. President Barack Obama says General Motors Corp., Chrysler LLC and all those with a stake in their survival need to take more hard steps to help the struggling automakers restructure for the future. Obama, in an interview with CBS' "Face the Nation" broadcast Sunday, said the companies must do more to receive additional financial aid from the government. "They're not there yet," Obama said. The president was set to announce a plan Monday for the government to provide more money in exchange for tough concessions from union workers, bondholders and others. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gA2mr12dJLiWM1QN59MYfpM9OQfwD977OFIO0

91. U.S. President Barack Obama on Sunday said he told the chiefs of the biggest U.S. banks that bonuses are not acceptable as many Americans struggle to meet basic expenses in the midst of a financial crisis. Referring to a meeting Friday at the White House with the chief executives of banks that have received U.S. government bailout funds, Obama said bankers need to show some restraint from big bonuses during the financial crisis. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/29/AR2009032900400.html

92. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has delayed a series of proposed immigration raids and other enforcement actions at U.S. workplaces in recent weeks, asking agents in her department to apply more scrutiny to the selection and investigation of targets as well as the timing of raids, federal officials said. A senior department official said the delays signal a pending change in whom agents at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement choose to prosecute -- increasing the focus on businesses and executives instead of ordinary workers. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/20...

93. GM CEO Wagoner to step down at White House request: General Motors Corp. Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner will step down immediately at the request of the White House, administration officials said Sunday. The news comes as President Obama prepares to unveil additional restructuring efforts designed to save the domestic auto industry. The officials asked not to be identified because details of the restructuring plan have not yet been made public.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/gm_wagoner

March 30, 2009 Monday

Economy

94. March 30 (Bloomberg) -- At 4:30 p.m. on March 23, on a day dominated by release of the Obama administration’s plan to save the banking system and the fourth-best day in postwar Wall Street history, the U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve released a one-page joint statement on the division of economic responsibilities between the two agencies. Amid the flurry of news, the statement passed with little public attention. The release said that while the Fed collaborates with other agencies to preserve financial stability, it alone is in charge of keeping consumer prices stable, its independence “critical.” The discussions were driven by Chairman Ben S. Bernanke’s concern that work with the Bush and Obama administrations on repairing banks and markets not lead to attempts at political pressure later that would delay the start of measures to combat inflation. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601068&sid=abu...

95. Obama Names Garrett, Barr, Madison to Treasury Department Posts: President Barack Obama moved to expand the top ranks of the Treasury Department by naming Helen Elizabeth Garrett as his nominee to the post of assistant Treasury secretary for tax policy. The president also announced the nominations of Michael Barr as assistant Treasury secretary for financial institutions and George Madison as the department’s general counsel. The posts require Senate confirmation. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aZCVxGLIpS8Y&refer=us

Budget

96. The Obamas are using their own money to redecorate the White House residence and Oval Office, forgoing the $100,000 in federal funds that is traditionally allotted to new presidents for such renovation projects. The first couple — who made well over $2 million in 2008, largely fom from book revenues — is also turning down money from the White House Historical Association, the organization that financed a $74,000 set of china for the Bushes. http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/30/obamas-... /

97. Obama shores up Democratic backing on budget: Before he leaves for Europe, President Obama urged congressional Democrats late today to have his back on his ambitious budget. http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2009/03/obama_shores_up.html

98. President Obama traveled to Capitol Hill on Monday evening to bolster House Democrats as Congress began a politically charged budget debate that will determine the president’s ability to pursue his broad domestic policy agenda. In a private session with lawmakers, Mr. Obama urged them to remain united behind the House’s $3.5 trillion spending plan, saying its approval would provide momentum for more difficult fights to come over major policy changes he has promised. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/31/us/politics/31budget.html?ref=politics

Foreign Affairs

99. Vice President Joe Biden on Monday told Central American leaders pushing the United States to slow its record pace of deportations to be patient since it will not change in the short-term amid the U.S. economic downturn. Biden's one-day visit is the first to Central America by a top-level U.S. official since President Barack Obama took office in January, and he promised to work together with leaders to strengthen ties with a region that has felt ignored by Washington. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h-SRT...

100. South Korean and U.S. missile-destroying ships set sail to monitor North Korea's imminent rocket launch, as Pyongyang stoked tensions Monday by detaining a South Korean worker for allegedly denouncing the North's political system. North Korea says it will send up a communications satellite into orbit sometime between April 4 and 8. The U.S., South Korea and Japan suspect the regime is using the launch to test its long-range missile technology, warning it would face U.N. sanctions under a Security Council resolution banning the country from any ballistic activity. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_NKOREA_MISSIL...

101. Obama's climate envoy tempers hopes, but UN cheers Bush's exit: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-clim...

102. President Barack Obama said on Monday that Sudan faces an immediate crisis over the government's decision to expel some aid groups from Darfur as he dispatched a special U.S. envoy to the war-ravaged African nation. Obama spoke during a picture-taking session at the White House with envoy Scott Gration, a retired Air Force general who departs on Tuesday for Khartoum, southern Sudan and Darfur. http://www.reuters.com/article/newsMaps/idUSTRE52T7SX20090330

Domestic Issues

103. Obama denies bailout funds for automakers: The White House says neither GM nor Chrysler submitted acceptable plans to receive more bailout money, setting the stage for a crisis in Detroit and putting in motion what could be the final two months of two American auto giants. http://www.gulfnews.com/business/Automobiles/10299531.h...

104. General Motors's new chief executive told CNBC that filing for Bankruptcy may be the best option for the struggling automaker. In a taped interview to be aired tonight on NBC Nightly News, Fritz Henderson said that because of greater demands from the Obama administration to restructure, GM is considering the bankruptcy option. The auto giant previously had ruled out such a move, saying it would discourage people from buying GM cars. http://www.cnbc.com/id/29960093

105. President Obama is giving General Motors and Chrysler weeks to restructure or face bankruptcy. Read his prepared remarks. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10...

106. Obama To Fiat, Chrysler: Come Together, Right Now: The U.S. administration wants the car manufacturers to seal a partnership within 30 days. http://www.forbes.com/2009/03/30/chrysler-fiat-auto-markets-equity-nardelli-marchionne.html

107. Conservationists claimed one of their most significant victories of the new administration Monday as President Barack Obama signed sweeping land reform legislation designating two million additional acres of public wilderness areas. The federal wilderness designation provides the highest level of government protection from logging and other forms of commercial use and development. The land protected by the 2009 Omnibus Public Land Management Act extends across nine states. http://cnnwire.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/30/obama-signs-pub... /

108. Winds of Change Evident in U.S. Environmental Policy: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/20...

109. Reform of the U.S. healthcare system is vital this year because of growing costs and worsening care, the Health and Human Services Department said in a report on Monday. The HHS report, published at http://www.healthreform.gov, compiles findings of dozens of studies that have been used to justify calls for a complete overhaul of the healthcare system. While the need for change is not controversial, conservatives and liberals differ on how that should be approached. President Barack Obama has said he wants legislation this year but is leaving the details up to Congress to work out. "Today's report outlines the high cost of waiting to fix a system that has left too many Americans without the affordable, quality care they deserve," HHS spokeswoman Jenny Backus said in a statement. http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N30348680.htm

110. A new law named for "Superman" actor Christopher Reeve will coordinate research on paralysis and rehabilitation. President Barack Obama signed the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act on Monday, one of several pieces of legislation along with a measure designed to expand wilderness protection. Lawmakers brought almost 170 bills for Obama to sign. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jKt379Lb3rG9vVauFzsvLFi_VXZgD978K4SG0

Week 1: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x4932747
Week 2: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x4969890
Week 3: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5024162
Week 4: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5071365
Week 5: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5120381
Week 6: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5174449
Week 7: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5220647
Week 8: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5273111
Week 9: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5319543

You can also find previous weeks in my DU journal http://journals.democraticunderground.com/GinaMaria