Morning Bulletin – Wednesday, April 1, 2009
A roundup of news, schedules, and key stories from CBS News Political Director Steve Chaggaris:
"I came here to put forward our ideas, but I also came here to listen, and not to lecture. Having said that, we must not miss an opportunity to lead," President Obama said this morning about his approach to fixing the global economy.
At a news conference in London with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Mr. Obama added, "To confront a crisis that knows no borders, we have a responsibility to coordinate our actions and to focus on common ground, not on our occasional differences. If we do, I believe we can make enormous progress. And that's why, in preparation for these meetings, I've reached out and consulted with many of the leaders who are here or will be arriving shortly."
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(AP)
At a news conference in London with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Mr. Obama added, "To confront a crisis that knows no borders, we have a responsibility to coordinate our actions and to focus on common ground, not on our occasional differences. If we do, I believe we can make enormous progress. And that's why, in preparation for these meetings, I've reached out and consulted with many of the leaders who are here or will be arriving shortly."
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Morning Bulletin – Tuesday, March 31, 2009
A roundup of news, schedules, and key stories from CBS News Political Director Steve Chaggaris:
4903757President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are en route to London as he embarks on his first overseas trip as president and he "hopes to convince European allies that his young administration can improve the global economy and the United States' image," reports the Associated Press' Philip Elliott.
"Obama's eight-day, five-country [England, France, Germany, Czech Republic, Turkey] trip begins early Tuesday, sending him to meet with European leaders who split with the United States over the war in Iraq and the treatment of suspected terrorists at Guantanamo Bay under President George W. Bush."
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4903757President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are en route to London as he embarks on his first overseas trip as president and he "hopes to convince European allies that his young administration can improve the global economy and the United States' image," reports the Associated Press' Philip Elliott.
"Obama's eight-day, five-country [England, France, Germany, Czech Republic, Turkey] trip begins early Tuesday, sending him to meet with European leaders who split with the United States over the war in Iraq and the treatment of suspected terrorists at Guantanamo Bay under President George W. Bush."
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Can Obama's Overseas Popularity Translate Into Results?
(AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)
When Barack Obama visited Europe 8 months ago as a presidential candidate, he was selling himself to voters as someone who could look presidential while also selling himself to the world as someone who would engage other nations differently – and less unilaterally – than President George W. Bush did.
While his opponent, John McCain, took the opportunity to skewer the rock-star aspect of that trip, his already high popularity rating in Europe skyrocketed after his visit.
Now, Mr. Obama's about to embark on a return trip to Europe, his first overseas trip since taking office, and his sales pitch has shifted due to the current conditions – the global economic meltdown and the war in Afghanistan.
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Morning Bulletin – Monday, March 30, 2009
A roundup of news, schedules, and key stories from CBS News Political Director Steve Chaggaris:
President Obama and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner will announce the administration's auto bailout plan at 11am and they'll talk about what was reported overnight: the resignation – at the urging of the administration – of GM chief Rick Wagoner, a new timeline (60 days for GM to restructure, 30 days for Chrysler to work on a merger with Italy's Fiat SpA), and serious words for GM and Chrysler about their efforts to date: it's not enough.
Mr. Obama "was set to unveil on Monday that new direction for Detroit's automakers. Its details amount to a stern ultimatum to GM and Chrysler: Shape up in 30 to 60 days, or ship out. Only Ford, which has avoided a government loan so far, isn't in Obama's sights," writes the Associated Press' Ken Thomas.
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(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Mr. Obama "was set to unveil on Monday that new direction for Detroit's automakers. Its details amount to a stern ultimatum to GM and Chrysler: Shape up in 30 to 60 days, or ship out. Only Ford, which has avoided a government loan so far, isn't in Obama's sights," writes the Associated Press' Ken Thomas.
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Morning Bulletin – Friday, March 27, 2009
A roundup of news, schedules, and key stories from CBS News Political Director Steve Chaggaris:
President Obama lays out his plan for Afghanistan this morning - CBS News' Chief White House Correspondent Chip Reid had the details last night: "President Obama ... will announce plans to send 4,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan in late spring or early summer. Their primary mission will be to train Afghan army and police forces.
"Sources say the president will set a goal of expanding those Afghan forces from 170,000 to more than 210,000 by 2011. The hope is that they will play a rapidly increasing role in the war against al Qaeda, which the president identified on '60 Minutes' last Sunday as the central mission. ...
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(AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)
"Sources say the president will set a goal of expanding those Afghan forces from 170,000 to more than 210,000 by 2011. The hope is that they will play a rapidly increasing role in the war against al Qaeda, which the president identified on '60 Minutes' last Sunday as the central mission. ...
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Morning Bulletin – Thursday, March 26, 2009
A roundup of news, schedules, and key stories from CBS News Political Director Steve Chaggaris:
If you have a question to ask President Obama, today's your chance. At 11:30am ET, he'll be taking questions online during a virtual town meeting.
"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," reports the Associated Press' Philip Elliot.
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(AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)
"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," reports the Associated Press' Philip Elliot.
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Morning Bulletin – Wednesday, March 25, 2009
A roundup of news, schedules, and key stories from CBS News Political Director Steve Chaggaris:
Following a drama-free press conference last night where President Obama took the opportunity to repeat (and repeat) his call for health care reform, education reform and an energy plan in the next budget as necessary catalysts to help fix the economy, the president heads to Capitol Hill at 1pm ET to meet with Senate Democrats – some of whom have warned that his budget will look nothing like what he's proposed.
"Alarmed by rising deficit predictions, Congressional Democrats prepared Tuesday to pare spending in President Obama's budget and limit some middle-class tax cuts even as Republicans stepped up their criticism of the plan as irresponsible," report the New York Times' David M. Herszenhorn and Carl Hulse. "The draft unveiled Tuesday by Senate Democrats reflected significant changes to Mr. Obama's proposal. It drops his appeal to set aside money for future bank bailouts, provides only a temporary fix for a mandatory income tax increasingly hitting the middle class and leaves open-ended the handling of major health care and energy initiatives. Administration officials sought to play down any differences, saying they were satisfied with the emerging plans. Senator Kent Conrad, Democrat of North Dakota and chairman of the Budget Committee, said the base proposal he would present saved $608 billion over five years compared with the president's plan."
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(AP Photo)
"Alarmed by rising deficit predictions, Congressional Democrats prepared Tuesday to pare spending in President Obama's budget and limit some middle-class tax cuts even as Republicans stepped up their criticism of the plan as irresponsible," report the New York Times' David M. Herszenhorn and Carl Hulse. "The draft unveiled Tuesday by Senate Democrats reflected significant changes to Mr. Obama's proposal. It drops his appeal to set aside money for future bank bailouts, provides only a temporary fix for a mandatory income tax increasingly hitting the middle class and leaves open-ended the handling of major health care and energy initiatives. Administration officials sought to play down any differences, saying they were satisfied with the emerging plans. Senator Kent Conrad, Democrat of North Dakota and chairman of the Budget Committee, said the base proposal he would present saved $608 billion over five years compared with the president's plan."
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Instant Analysis: The Obama News Conference
(AP)
Steve Chaggaris is CBS News' Political Director.
Morning Bulletin – Tuesday, March 24, 2009
A roundup of news, schedules, and key stories from CBS News Political Director Steve Chaggaris:
On the heels of the AIG bonus flap and as he continues to deal with the country's financial and economic crises, President Obama readies for his second prime time news conference tonight. He expected to talk about the crises and his budget blueprint at the top before being grilled by the press corps.
Also expect Mr. Obama "to use Tuesday's prime-time news conference to continue an effort that began over the weekend: cooling the anti-AIG ferocity, now that it threatens to undermine his efforts to bail out the nation's deeply troubled financial sector," reports the Associated Press' Charles Babington.
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(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Also expect Mr. Obama "to use Tuesday's prime-time news conference to continue an effort that began over the weekend: cooling the anti-AIG ferocity, now that it threatens to undermine his efforts to bail out the nation's deeply troubled financial sector," reports the Associated Press' Charles Babington.
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Morning Bulletin – Monday, March 23, 2009
A roundup of news, schedules, and key stories from CBS News Political Director Steve Chaggaris:
4861593Today, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner makes his second attempt at unveiling the Obama Administration's plan to deal with the banking crisis, though you won't actually see Geithner talking about it until later tonight.
He's briefing reporters this morning (no TV cameras allowed) before meeting with President Obama and Vice President Biden (where we'll get a brief glimpse of him). Tonight he'll deliver a speech to the Wall Street Journal Future of Finance Initiative.
Geithner did lay out the "Private-Public Investment Program" in an op-ed in today's Wall Street Journal: "[The] Program will purchase real-estate related loans from banks and securities from the broader markets. Banks will have the ability to sell pools of loans to dedicated funds, and investors will compete to have the ability to participate in those funds and take advantage of the financing provided by the government. The funds established under this program will have three essential design features. First, they will use government resources in the form of capital from the Treasury, and financing from the FDIC and Federal Reserve, to mobilize capital from private investors. Second, the Public-Private Investment Program will ensure that private-sector participants share the risks alongside the taxpayer, and that the taxpayer shares in the profits from these investments.
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4861593Today, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner makes his second attempt at unveiling the Obama Administration's plan to deal with the banking crisis, though you won't actually see Geithner talking about it until later tonight.
He's briefing reporters this morning (no TV cameras allowed) before meeting with President Obama and Vice President Biden (where we'll get a brief glimpse of him). Tonight he'll deliver a speech to the Wall Street Journal Future of Finance Initiative.
Geithner did lay out the "Private-Public Investment Program" in an op-ed in today's Wall Street Journal: "[The] Program will purchase real-estate related loans from banks and securities from the broader markets. Banks will have the ability to sell pools of loans to dedicated funds, and investors will compete to have the ability to participate in those funds and take advantage of the financing provided by the government. The funds established under this program will have three essential design features. First, they will use government resources in the form of capital from the Treasury, and financing from the FDIC and Federal Reserve, to mobilize capital from private investors. Second, the Public-Private Investment Program will ensure that private-sector participants share the risks alongside the taxpayer, and that the taxpayer shares in the profits from these investments.
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Morning Bulletin – Friday, March 20, 2009
A roundup of news, schedules, and key stories from CBS News Political Director Steve Chaggaris:
Fresh from a two-day California swing, President Obama's back in Washington and will speak to the National Conference of State Legislators at 12:35pm ET. He'll be joined by Vice President Joe Biden.
Later, Mr. Obama meets with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, R-Calif., New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Gov. Ed Rendell, D-Pa., to talk about transportation infrastructure funding.
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(AP)
Later, Mr. Obama meets with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, R-Calif., New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Gov. Ed Rendell, D-Pa., to talk about transportation infrastructure funding.
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Morning Bulletin – Thursday, March 19, 2009
A roundup of news, schedules, and key stories from CBS News Political Director Steve Chaggaris:
As the fallout from the AIG bonuses dominates Washington, President Obama will spend a second day in California to talk about his budget blueprint. First, he'll tour a technical center in Pomona that tests rechargeable batteries for hybrid cars.
At 4pm ET, he will be joined by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, R-Calif., at a town meeting in Los Angeles before taping "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."
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(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
At 4pm ET, he will be joined by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, R-Calif., at a town meeting in Los Angeles before taping "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."
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Morning Bulletin – Wednesday, March 18, 2009
A roundup of news, schedules, and key stories from CBS News Political Director Steve Chaggaris:
President Obama will meet with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus at the White House this morning before embarking on a two-day swing through southern California to talk about the economy and sell his budget plan. He'll hold a town hall meeting at 7pm ET in Costa Mesa, Calif., tonight before overnighting in Los Angeles.
Mr. Obama's westward trip comes as the latest CBS News poll shows his approval rating holding steady at 62 percent.
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(AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)
Mr. Obama's westward trip comes as the latest CBS News poll shows his approval rating holding steady at 62 percent.
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Morning Bulletin – Tuesday, March 17, 2009
A roundup of news, schedules, and key stories from CBS News Political Director Steve Chaggaris:
On this St. Patrick's Day, President Obama – or "O'Bama" as the Irish like to call him – and Irish-American Vice President Joe Biden meet with Ireland's Prime Minister Brian Cowen this morning "for talks on the global economy, recent developments in the North, immigration reform in the US and the possible resettlement of Guant?namo Bay detainees in Ireland," reports the Irish Times' Denis Staunton and Stephen Collins.
"The meeting is scheduled to last 40 minutes and it will only be the third bilateral meeting Mr. Obama has had with any foreign leader since his inauguration. The bilateral meeting comes at the start of a day of St Patrick's Day celebrations at the White House that will include the traditional shamrock ceremony and a reception for almost 400 people. The president will join the Taoiseach [prime minister] at a lunch on Capitol Hill hosted by House speaker Nancy Pelosi. Mr. Obama is expected to drop by during a meeting at the White House between Northern Ireland's First and Deputy First Ministers and national security adviser Jim Jones."
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(AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)
"The meeting is scheduled to last 40 minutes and it will only be the third bilateral meeting Mr. Obama has had with any foreign leader since his inauguration. The bilateral meeting comes at the start of a day of St Patrick's Day celebrations at the White House that will include the traditional shamrock ceremony and a reception for almost 400 people. The president will join the Taoiseach [prime minister] at a lunch on Capitol Hill hosted by House speaker Nancy Pelosi. Mr. Obama is expected to drop by during a meeting at the White House between Northern Ireland's First and Deputy First Ministers and national security adviser Jim Jones."
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Morning Bulletin – Friday, March 13, 2009
A roundup of news, schedules, and key stories from CBS News Political Director Steve Chaggaris:
At Noon ET, President Obama will receive an update on the economy and the progress of his economic stimulus program from the chairman of his economic recovery advisory board, Paul Volcker. Following their meeting, the president is expected to announce new regulations regarding federal spending.
Also this morning, Mr. Obama's chief economic adviser, Larry Summers, talks about the economy at the Brookings Institution at 10:30am ET.
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(AP)
Also this morning, Mr. Obama's chief economic adviser, Larry Summers, talks about the economy at the Brookings Institution at 10:30am ET.
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