Political Hotsheet
Jan 23, 12:24PM
By Brian Montopoli / 2 comments

Paterson Names Gillibrand To Clinton Senate Seat

(CBS)
Noting that he "didn't ask for this responsibility," New York Gov. David Paterson this afternoon named 42-year-old upstate Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand to the Senate seat vacated by Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton.

"I believe I have found the best candidate to become the next United States Senator from New York," Paterson said, lauding Gillibrand as a dynamic and articulate lawmaker.

In accepting the appointment, Gillibrand lauded the work of her predecessor Clinton. She noted that she is not well known to many New Yorkers and vowed to work hard for everyone in the state over the next two years.

The announcement ends a period of wild speculation and recriminations involving Caroline Kennedy, who announced her interest in the seat but ultimately pulled out, and resulted in embarrassment and criticism for both Kennedy and Paterson.

Gillibrand, who has earned the backing of the National Rifle Association, is a centrist Democrat whose positions have angered some liberal Democrats. Word that she would be selected for the seat prompted an announcement from Long Island Rep. and gun control activist Carolyn McCarthy that she will run against Gillibrand in the 2010 Democratic primary.

Paterson was reportedly drawn to Gillibrand for her ability to make "bold political moves." Also working in Gillibrand's favor is the fact that she is a woman, hails from upstate, and is a strong fundraiser who should be able to raise the money she needs for her reelection campaign.
Jan 23, 11:46AM
By Brian Montopoli / 2 comments

Obama Stresses Importance Of Stimulus

(AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
Before meeting privately with Republican and Democratic Congressional leaders about the economic situation this morning, President Obama discussed the importance of quickly passing his economic stimulus plan – despite "some differences around the table and between the administration and members of Congress about particular details on the plan."

"I know that it is a heavy lift to do something as substantial as we're doing right now," said Mr. Obama. "...But what I think unifies this group is a recognition that we are experiencing a unprecedented, perhaps, economic crisis that has to be dealt with, and dealt with rapidly."

The news on the economy, on which he is being briefed daily, "has not been good," the president said. He suggested, however, that the administration and Congress are "right on target" to pass his plan, which he says will create 3 to 4 million jobs, by President's Day weekend.

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Jan 23, 10:54AM
By Brian Montopoli / 449 comments

Obama To End Ban On Abortion "Global Gag Rule"

(AP)
President Obama plans to sign an executive order today reversing a Bush-era policy banning federal funding for international groups that promote or perform abortions, according to the Associated Press.

UPDATE, 4:40 pm: The president has signed the executive order.

"Women's health has been severely impacted by the cutoff of assistance," said Tod Preston of Population Action International. "President Obama's actions will help reduce the number of unintended pregnancies, abortions and women dying from high-risk pregnancies because they don't have access to family planning."

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Jan 23, 10:54AM
By Kevin Hechtkopf / 14 comments

Inaugural Performance Was Recorded


Complete Inaugural Coverage



(AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)

Barack Obama's Inaugural committee has acknowledged that the classical music quartet recorded the performance that was heard by spectators and the world on Inauguration Day.

People sitting near the quartet of cellist Yo-Yo Ma, violinist Itzhak Perlman, pianist Gabriella Montero and clarinetist Anthony McGill could hear them play the piece "Air and Simple Gifts," written by John Williams. But anyone else in the massive crowds or watching on TV (or online) heard an audio recording made two days earlier, which the performers played along with.

Spokeswoman Carole Florman told the Associated Press and the New York Times (which first reported the story) that they were worried the weather, which was around 30 degrees during the ceremony, would cause the instruments to break or be out of tune.

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Jan 23, 9:31AM
By Steve Chaggaris / Add Comment

Morning Bulletin – Friday, Jan. 23, 2009

A roundup of news, schedules, and key stories from CBS News Political Director Steve Chaggaris:

4747129President Barack Obama has another full day of meetings today – with a heavy dose of economic discussions on the schedule. He'll meet with Congressional Democratic and Republican leaders and it wouldn't be a stretch to guess that the Republicans' growing list of complaints with the President's economic stimulus plan will be on the agenda.

"Republicans accused Democrats of abandoning the new president's pledge, ignoring his call for bipartisan comity and shutting them out of the process by writing the $850 billion legislation," reports the Washington Post's Paul Kane.

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Jan 23, 8:30AM
By Michelle Levi / 4 comments

Day 4: President Obama's Schedule

(AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
On day four in office President Obama, joined by Vice President Biden will hold a meeting with Democratic and Republican congressional leadership. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, House Minority Leader John Boehner, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn and House Minority Whip Eric Cantor will also participate in the meeting. President Obama is expected to make brief comments at the start of the meeting at 9:45am ET. Also on tap today, from the White House Press Office:

9:15am ET: President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will attend the closed presidential daily briefing tomorrow morning.

9:45am ET: Meeting with Democratic and Republican Congressional leaders.

11:20am ET: President Obama holds a closed meeting with his National Security Council.

12:40pm ET: President Obama and Vice President Biden attend the closed Economic Daily Briefing in the Oval Office.

1:00pm ET: President Obama and Vice President Biden will meet for a private lunch in the White House dining room.

2pm ET: President Obama and Vice President Biden hold a closed budget meeting in the Roosevelt Room.

TBD ET: President Obama tapes his weekly radio address.

3:30pm ET: President Obama meets with Treasury Secretary-designate Tim Geithner in the Oval Office.
Jan 22, 7:30PM
By Brian Montopoli / Add Comment

Day 3: Obama Moves To Shutter Gitmo

4747129On his third day in office, President Obama signed orders to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center, shut down secret overseas CIA prisons, review military war crimes trials and ban the harshest interrogation methods.

He and his new secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, named former Senate Majority Leader George J. Mitchell as a special envoy for the Middle East and Former U.N. ambassador Richard Holbrooke as a special adviser on Afghanistan and Pakistan.

And he announced daily economic briefings, lauded choice on the anniversary of the Roe Vs. Wade decision, and got to keep his BlackBerry.

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Jan 22, 6:49PM
By Mark Knoller / 37 comments

Obama Pays Friendly Visit To White House Reporters

(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
President Obama made an unannounced visit to the White House press room Thursday, engaging in some friendly banter that centered more on basketball and Blackberrys than Guantanamo and the global economic collapse.

Some highlights:

  • Asked if he had played basketball yet on the White House ground, he said, "I have not tried the basketball court. It's been too cold." He mentioned, though, that "we installed a new backboard on the tennis court … so we'll be able to play full court."

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    • Jan 22, 5:47PM
    By Brian Montopoli / Add Comment

    The New Yorker's Obama Cover

    (The New Yorker)

    Presented without comment: The cover of The New Yorker's inauguration issue.

    (For a trip down memory lane, click on this story about a previous, controversy-generating New Yorker cover featuring Mr. Obama.)
    Jan 22, 5:37PM
    By Brian Montopoli / Add Comment

    Obama Weighs In On Israel/Hamas Conflict

    (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
    This afternoon President Obama called for both sides in the conflict between Israel and Hamas to do its part to ensure an end to violence.

    Hamas must stop firing rockets into Israel while Israel must complete its withdrawal from Gaza, Mr. Obama said.

    The president said he is "deeply concerned" about casualties on both sides and said he backed a "credible" system to end smuggling into Gaza, as the Associated Press notes. He called for Gaza's borders to be opened so that aid could get through, adding that there should be "appropriate monitoring" of the border.

    Mr. Obama made the comments at a State Department appearance where he and Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton announced that former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell will serve as special envoy to the Middle East.
    Jan 22, 5:27PM
    By Charles Wolfson / Add Comment

    Obama-Clinton Diplomacy Day One

    (CBS)
    Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived for work at the State Department just after 9 am and spoke to an enthusiastic gathering of about a thousand of her new employees including foreign service officers, members of the civil service and others who work at the Harry S Truman building, known fondly as "the building." Clinton, America's 67th Secretary of State, was greeted with real enthusiasm, saying "I want you to think outside the proverbial box," something most bureaucrats never hear their bosses say. Then she took a not so veiled shot at the Bush administration, saying "We are not any longer going to tolerate the kind of divisiveness that has paralyzed and undermined our ability to get things done for America."

    As if to underscore the importance the new administration places on its foreign policy goals, by 3 pm the Secretary of State hosted her boss, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden at a ceremony in the department's ornate Benjamin Franklin room. Some 300 employees representing every bureau in the department---from senior members of the foreign service to the newest class of incoming diplomats--- heard Clinton and Mr. Obama speak of the need to work together to solve the problems America faces abroad.

    "We did not ask for the burden history asked us to bear," the President said, "but we will bear it."

    To get started on two of the most pressing problems the administration has to deal with, Clinton announced the appointment of two seasoned negotiators. Amb. Richard Holbrooke, who brokered a deal to end the crisis in the Balkans in the mid 1990s, was assigned the task of developing a regional policy for Afghanistan and Pakistan. In the understatement of the day Holbrooke called it a "daunting assignment." As if to underscore the hard work ahead, Holbrooke, with a nod to his family sitting in the first row, cracked "I hope to see you sometime in the next few years."

    Former Senator George Mitchell was given the task of handling Middle East peace efforts under the new administration. The man who is credited with working out a positive end to the so-called "troubles" in Northern Ireland now will seek to bring about a two state solution between Israel and the Palestinians. "The situation in the Middle East is volatile, complex and dangerous, " Mitchell said, "but danger and difficulty cannot cause the U.S. to turn away." From his experience in Northern Ireland, Mitchell said he had learned "there is no such thing as a conflict that cannot be ended."

    By day's end we saw as high a profile start as any administration could give to its diplomatic intentions. We 'll see in the coming days and weeks if this effort can be sustained.
    Jan 22, 4:57PM
    By Mark Knoller / 1 Comment

    Standing Room Only for Spokesman's First White House Briefing

    (AP)
    From the size and density of the throng of reporters jammed into the White House briefing room today, you might think they were handing out bailout money.

    Actually, it was just Robert Gibbs, holding his first formal session with reporters as Press Secretary to Pres. Obama.

    "How are you all?" he said to the journalistic crowd, hoping some common courtesy would break the ice and take some of the bite out of us.

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    Jan 22, 4:47PM
    By Declan McCullagh / 40 comments

    White House Confirms Obama Is Keeping His BlackBerry

    This is written by Declan McCullagh, CNET News' chief political correspondent.

    (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
    Barack Obama will be able to keep his beloved BlackBerry, an aide confirmed on Thursday, making him the first U.S. president to use e-mail regularly.

    White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters that, thanks to a "compromise," his boss will be able to keep a security-enhanced BlackBerry and use it for e-mail.

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    Jan 22, 4:43PM
    By Brian Montopoli / 54 comments

    Tax Problems For Kennedy, Or Something More Personal?

    (AP)
    The New York Times is reporting that Caroline Kennedy dropped her bid to take over the Senate seat vacated by Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton because of problems involving taxes and a housekeeper that emerged during the vetting process.

    The newspaper's source is a person close to New York Gov. David Paterson, who will be appointing Clinton's successor to the seat.

    A source close to Kennedy, however, tells CBS News Director of Political Coverage Steve Chaggaris that Kennedy likely did not pull out over tax or housekeeper issues but over a more "serious" personal issue.

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    Jan 22, 3:44PM
    By Brian Montopoli / 39 comments

    Obama: On Roe Anniversary, I Remain Committed To Choice

    President Obama has put out a statement to make the 36th Anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion.

    (AP / CBS)
    "On the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we are reminded that this decision not only protects women's health and reproductive freedom, but stands for a broader principle: that government should not intrude on our most private family matters," said the president. "I remain committed to protecting a woman's right to choose."

    The president went on to suggest that people on both sides of the debate agree on the importance of working to reduce the number of abortions that take place.

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