Morning Bulletin – Tuesday, April 28, 2009
A roundup of news, schedules, and key stories from CBS News Political Director Steve Chaggaris:
On the swine flu, "President Barack Obama responded to the first domestic emergency of his presidency by urging calm — and then dispatching officials to the cameras to again urge Americans to be calm," writes the Associated Press' Jennifer Loven.
"Obama said the emerging swine flu outbreak was 'not a cause for alarm,' even as the government began urgent steps to respond to the small but rising number of cases. The calming words belied an intense reaction across departments and agencies.
"The administration planned daily briefings to assure the public that officials are taking action. On Monday, the White House sent top health and homeland security officials out for televised briefings — and promised they'd return Tuesday and keep at it until the situation settles. And Obama inserted his own assurances in a previously scheduled speech, knowing the TV networks were waiting for his comments. Obama's aides were determined not to botch their first test."
While the administration is trying to show they're in control during this crisis – in contrast to the Bush administration reaction to Hurricane Katrina in 2005 – the Washington Post reports that there are still key administration posts that remain unfilled.
"The top post at the CDC remains open but is being filled by an acting director. And at the Department of Homeland Security, which is leading the federal government's response to the swine flu outbreak, the functions of nearly 20 senior-level posts are being temporarily performed by career civil service employees. The government's medical response is being coordinated by a temporary team including acting CDC director Richard E. Besser, acting HHS secretary Charles Johnson, a Bush assistant secretary previously approved by the Senate, and Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Rear Adm, W. Craig Vanderwagen, another Senate-confirmed holdover. ...
The Los Angeles Times' Noam N. Levey profiles Napolitano.
Meantime, Capitol Hill lawmakers are "pointing fingers" over who dropped the ball on pandemic flu readiness funding, reports the Wall Street Journal's John D. McKinnon and Gary Fields.
"Policy makers were pointing fingers over pandemic flu on Monday, with congressional Democrats saying Republicans set back U.S. readiness by blocking almost $1 billion in funding from February's economic-stimulus bill," write McKinnon and Fields.
"Rep. David Obey (D., Wisc.), the House appropriations committee chairman, issued a statement criticizing lawmakers who opposed the funding. 'We are not prepared today. Let's hope we don't need to be,' Rep. Obey said. 'I intend to again request additional funds' in another budget proposal, he added.
PRESIDENT'S BUDGET: "A budget pact reached on Capitol Hill would give an endorsement to President Barack Obama's agenda by his 100th day in office while putting off a series of difficult decisions on health care, global warming and taxes," reports the Associated Press' Andrew Taylor.
"But the budget pact also predicts dispiriting deficits that never get below $500 billion, even after the economy recovers and billions of dollars in financial rescue money are largely repaid. Obama's Democratic allies are endorsing his top priority of expanding health care coverage for the uninsured and boosting funding for education and clean energy programs, but they're allowing his signature tax cut for most workers to expire after next year. ...
"Most importantly, the congressional budget pact would prevent Senate Republicans from delaying or blocking Obama's plan to vastly expand government-subsidized health care when it advances this fall. The $3.5 trillion plan for the budget year starting Oct. 1 embraces several of Obama's key goals besides a health care overhaul, including funds for domestic programs and clean energy, and a tax increase for individuals making more than $200,000 a year or couples making more than $250,000. But the plan calls for extending most of the rest of former President George W. Bush's tax cuts for middle-class workers, investors and families with children. Democrats would allow Obama's $400 tax cut for most workers, $800 for couples, to expire at the end of next year.
"The temporary tax cut was part of the economic stimulus plan enacted in February, and Obama has proposed to make it permanent by using revenues from his global warming initiative to defray the cost. Even after squeezing the defense and war budgets to levels that are probably unrealistic, the plan would cause a deficit of $523 billion in five years."
"Just plane dumb. A perfect storm of idiocy led to a frightening 9/11 flashback for thousands of New Yorkers Monday when a jumbo jet and an F-16 fighter jet buzzed lower Manhattan without warning," report the Daily News' Kenneth R. Bazinet, Frank Lombardi and Corky Siemaszko.
"A 'furious' Mayor Bloomberg denounced the dunces who dreamed up the stunt - and the NYPD officials and bureaucrats who never told him about it. By day's end, an obscure City Hall deputy named Marc Mugnos, who makes $60,000 a year, was taking the fall for not telling Bloomberg that the low-flying planes were coming. He was reprimanded.
"But there was plenty of blame to go around. Louis Caldera, the director of the White House military office who sent Air Force One and the fighter jet on an 'aerial photo mission,' got slammed by an angry President Obama. 'I approved a mission over New York,' Caldera said in a hastily prepared statement. 'I apologize and take responsibility for any distress that flight caused.' Obama was not on the flight. Sources said the chief reason for the panic-inducing flight was to create souvenir pictures of Air Force One flying over the Statue of Liberty to be given out - like a presidential tie clip - to family, friends or supporters."
"I'm annoyed -- furious is a better word -- that I wasn't told,' said New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg at a news conference. ... He chastised his own office for its role in keeping the flyover secret. The email sent to City Hall describes a 'flying photo op' -- government-speak for a publicity photo -- to include two or possibly three passes over the area. The email, sent by an FAA official and reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, lists flight patterns and specifies a photo-op altitude of 1,000 to 1,500 feet," write the Journal's Suzanne Sataline, Jonathan D. Rockoff and Christopher Conkey.
"The email specifies that the information 'only be shared with persons with a need to know' and 'shall not be released to the public.' It also says that, 'Due to the possibility of public concern regarding [Department of Defense] aircraft flying at low levels, coordination with Federal, State and Local law enforcement agencies...has been accomplished.' The email's author, James J. Johnston, of FAA air traffic, declined to comment. An Obama administration official said the mission was 'classified' by the military and that the FAA, which controls much of the airspace over Manhattan, did what the military asked. ... The New York photo shoot wasn't the only one planned. The White House had scheduled a follow-up session on May 5 or May 6 in Washington, D.C., according to two government officials. The D.C. flyover has now been canceled, a government official said."
CBS News' Mark Knoller reports this morning that a White House "official says that White House Military Office Director Louis Caldera has not yet been called to the presidential woodshed, but that President Obama did have - what the official termed – 'an appropriately-toned conversation' about the flyover incident with Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. Caldera apologized yesterday 'for any distress the flight caused.' The White House put out the word that President Obama was 'furious' that some New Yorkers had been scared by the unannounced low-level flyover by one of the 747s that serve as Air Force One, followed by an F-16 warplane."
The New York Times' Sheryl Gay Stolberg and Marjorie Connolly add, "Barack Obama's presidency seems to be altering the public perception of race relations in the United States. Two-thirds of Americans now say race relations are generally good, and the percentage of blacks who say so has doubled since last July, according to the latest New York Times/ CBS News poll.
"Despite that, half of blacks still say whites have a better chance of getting ahead in American society, the poll found. Black Americans remain among the president's staunchest supporters; 70 percent of black respondents now say the country is headed in the right direction, compared with 34 percent of whites. The poll found broad support for Mr. Obama's approach on a variety of issues, including one of the most contentious: whether Congress should investigate the harsh interrogation tactics authorized by George W. Bush. Sixty-two percent of Americans share Mr. Obama's view that hearings are unnecessary.
"Americans seem to have high hopes for the president; 72 percent said they were optimistic about the next four years. By and large, Americans expect him to make significant progress in health care, energy and immigration policy, issues central to his ambitious domestic agenda. But the optimism is tempered by a feeling of resignation about two of the most difficult challenges he faces: reviving the economy and ending United States military involvement in Iraq. Most Americans say Mr. Obama has begun to make progress on both fronts, but many do not expect either the recession or the war to be over by the end of his term."
CBSNews.com Editor-In-Chief Daniel Farber discussed the findings with CBS News director of Surveys Sarah Dutton. Watch here
ALSO TODAY: Vice President Biden visits the National Domestic Violence Hotline Center in Austin, Texas at 12pm ET. He'll also attend two Democratic National Committee fund-raisers, one in Austin, the other in Houston.
TOMORROW: On Wednesday, day 100 of his presidency, Mr. Obama will hold a town meeting-style event in St. Louis before heading back to the White House for his third prime-time press conference.
OBAMA'S FIRST 100 DAYS
Tribune's Peter Nicholas and Christi Parsons, "Obama's 100th: just a Hallmark holiday?"
McClatchy Newspapers' Kevin G. Hall, "100 Days: Results not in on Obama's economic efforts"
Bloomberg News' Hans Nichols and Indira A.R. Lakshmanan, "Obama Leads by Listening to World Used to Bush One-Way Approach"
USA Today's Susan Page and Mimi Hall, "Road toughens after first 100 days"
CIA INTERROGATIONS
Christian Science Monitor's Gail Russell Chaddock, "Who attended 'torture' briefings? A GOP lawmaker wants to know."
Politico's Glenn Thrush, "Boehner wants CIA to release Pelosi notes"
ECONOMY / STIMULUS / BAILOUTS
Wall Street Journal's John D. Stoll and Sharon Terlep, "GM Offers U.S. a Majority Stake"
Washington Post's David Cho, Binyamin Applebaum and Peter Whoriskey, "U.S. Tries to Broker Sale Of Chrysler's Loan Arm"
NY Times' Gary Fineout, "Keeping Jobless Rules Intact, Florida Declines Stimulus Money"
Wall Street Journal's Elizabeth Williamson, "Some Lobbyists Try to Skirt Stimulus Ban"
CLIMATE CHANGE
NY Times' John M. Broder, "Clinton Says U.S. Is Ready to Lead on Climate"
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION
Washington Post's Dan Eggen, "Plan to Cut Weapons Programs Disputed"
FUTURE RACES
2009 VA Gov.: Roanoke Times' Mason Adams and Michael Sluss, "Clinton touts McAuliffe at downtown rally"
2009 VA Gov.: Washington Post's Anita Kumar, "McAuliffe Will Create Jobs, Bill Clinton Says"
2010 IL Gov: Associated Press, "Ill. Gov. Quinn 'sees no reason not to run'"
2010 IL Sen.: Chicago Sun-Times' Michael Sneed, "Chris Kennedy may be close to U.S. Senate bid – '85 percent chance'
2010 KY Sen.: Politico's Manu Raju, "Bunning bleeds; McConnell shrugs"
2010 PA Sen: CBS News' Andrew Cohen, "The Specter Spectre"
ETC.
CQ Politics' Emily Cadei and Jonathan Allen, "Steele's Silver Lining: Attacks Are Now Coming From Democrats"
LA Times' Rebecca Cole, "Congress members arrested in Darfur protest"
Associated Press' Mark Thiessen, "Palin's legal fund comes under fire"