Morning Bulletin – Wednesday, April 1, 2009
A roundup of news, schedules, and key stories from CBS News Political Director Steve Chaggaris:
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."
"In his debut as president on the world stage, Mr. Obama sought to project a united front even as some G-20 leaders continued to challenge the model being pushed by his administration to get out of the crisis," writes the New York Times' Helene Cooper and Alan Cowell.
"Mr. Obama called reports of an international division 'vastly overstated.' Mr. Brown, for his part, promised reporters that French President Nicholas Sarkozy would not walk out of the Group of 20 meeting on Thursday, contrary to threats by French officials.
"Mr. Obama is under pressure to show that the United States, which much of the world blames for igniting the economic crisis, can lead the way out. ... Mr. Brown was conciliatory in response to questions about whether the French and German leaders, who want more regulation and less government spending, might torpedo the summit. 'I'm confident that President Sarkozy will be at the first course of the dinner and that he will complete the dinner,' Mr. Brown said."
"The president also disputed criticism that the United States was feuding with other nations about the need to pump more money into economic stimulus policies. 'I am absolutely confident that this meeting will reflect enormous consensus about the need to work in concert to deal with these problems,' Obama said. Obama prodded nations to spur growth and work together on regulatory reform, and not fall into the kind of protectionism and other mistakes that helped fuel the Great Depression."
"The summit will provide a chance for the US president to demonstrate his new credentials, according to the BBC's diplomatic correspondent James Robbins.
"'Just not being George Bush is a huge advantage. George Bush was one of the most unpopular presidents of modern times,' he said. He also said that the UK and US were worried that their model of capitalism could be challenged by the French and Germans. Detailed bargaining is expected to take place at these face-to-face meetings, although the two-day summit officially begins later when leaders from the G20, which includes the world's most powerful economies, attend a dinner reception with the Queen at Buckingham Palace. But expectations that the summit will come up with a definitive plan to stimulate the world economy are receding as rifts emerge between Europe and the US and UK."
In his instant analysis, Sparrow added, "Interpreting "body language" and the apparent warmth of a relationship between two men giving a press conference is a bit of a mug's game, but I suppose it has to be done; they did seem to get on pretty well. The jokes were less forced when they met in Washington (and Brown was bantering about beating Obama at tennis) and it's nice to think of Obama talking dinosaurs with Brown's children. Shame that no one asked about the DVD box set, though."
After the news conference, President Obama met with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev where, as CBS News producer Rob Hendin reports, Mr. Obama announced he'll be making a trip to Moscow in July.
"Better than in January," the president quipped. Meantime, "The United States and Russia, striving to ease strained relations, announced jointly Wednesday that they'll try to put a new nuclear arms reduction deal in place before the existing treaty expires in December," writes the AP's Jennifer Loven.
For his part, Russian President Medvedev wrote an op-ed in today's Washington Post, specifically citing the U.S. missile defense system as a cause of the rift between the U.S. and Russia.
"It is hard to dispute the pessimistic assessments of the Russian-American relationship that prevailed at the end of last year. Unfortunately, relations soured because of the previous U.S. administration's plans -- specifically, deployment of the U.S. global missile defense system in Eastern Europe, efforts to push NATO's borders eastward and refusal to ratify the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe," Medvedev wrote. "All of these positions undermined Russia's interests and, if implemented, would inevitably require a response on our part. I believe that removing such obstacles to good relations would be beneficial to our countries -- essentially removing 'toxic assets' to make good a negative balance sheet -- and beneficial to the world."
"Obama remains nearly as popular as he was during his last European visit, as a presidential candidate, when hundreds of thousands of Europeans came to hear him speak. Referring to this week's visit, one newspaper declared the return of Obamania,'" report the Los Angeles Times' Christi Parsons and Laurie Goering.
"'Obama was a symbol and an idol at a time when people were looking for symbols and idols. He has to deliver now.' The global economy's nose dive has changed the backdrop for Obama's first visit to Europe as president. In the run-up to Thursday's gathering of the Group of 20 nations, many European policymakers have disagreed with Obama's free-spending prescription for getting out of the economic ditch. And other differences are becoming apparent as well. Obama has disappointed war-weary Europeans with his calls for NATO countries to send more combat troops to Afghanistan, as well as with support for other long-standing American positions such as the death penalty. ...
"'Nobody's interested anymore in grand speeches,' Shepherd said. 'What people need are results. That's what he's going to be judged on.' ... Despite early signs of discontent from some leaders, there is also evidence that Obama's popularity continues, both among world leaders and ordinary Europeans. Obama T-shirts and memorabilia still stock the gift shops and kiosks of London, and he is well liked, particularly among students and younger professionals across Europe."
PRESIDENT'S UPCOMING SCHEDULE: At 12:35pm ET, President Obama and Michelle Obama meet with Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, followed by a G20 leaders reception there. At 3:30pm ET, President Obama attends G20 working dinner. Tomorrow, Mr. Obama attends the G-20 summit all day, with a news conference scheduled for 12:45 p.m. ET.
BUDGET: "The battle over President Obama's budget will intensify today with his grassroots army descending on Washington and congressional Republicans holding an event of their own," reports the Boston Globe's Foon Rhee.
"In an unusual move, House and Senate Republicans will join together to unveil an alternative to Obama's $3.6 trillion blueprint, which they say will drive the economy further into the ditch and possibly bankrupt the country. This time, Representative Paul Ryan, the top Republican on the House Budget Committee, is to take the wraps off an alternative that will include details and numbers. Democrats and the White House mocked the GOP when last week it produced a 19-page outline that was rather vague and had few numbers."
The Associated Press' Andrew Taylor reports, "President Barack Obama's Democratic allies in Congress are taking only baby steps with his budget, putting off crucial decisions on his ambitious plans to expand health care, curb global warming and raise taxes on the wealthy. Presidents Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and both Bushes all got far stronger assists from Congress on their first budgets. Nonetheless, Obama, is counting on votes approving budget outlines this week to give him some semblance of momentum.
"'If we don't pass the budget, it will empower those critics who don't want to see anything getting done,' Obama told House Democrats Monday, according to a House aide who required anonymity to reveal what was said at the closed-door meeting. Risk-averse Democrats, however, are merely kicking the can down the road rather than using the budget to give a real push to the president's agenda. On health care, global warming and even Obama's signature 'Making Work Pay' tax cut, the pending House and Senate budget plans offer no clues as to how those big ideas might advance. The House and Senate are expected to pass separate versions of the budget resolution by week's end, then reconcile differences after their spring break."
"Taking a hard line, three judges hearing Coleman's lawsuit ordered further review of 400 unopened absentee ballots in the race, far fewer than the former Republican senator had asked be counted. Within two hours of the ruling, Coleman attorney Ben Ginsberg warned of an appeal to the Minnesota Supreme Court."
"Tuesday's decision was a vital step in advancing the long fight over Minnesota's Senate race," adds the St. Paul Pioneer Press' Rachel E. Stassen-Berger. "Since March 13, the last day of a seven-week trial over the election, the race has waited on word from the contest's three judges about which absentee ballots would be counted. Now that the court has issued its order, the end of the case may come within weeks. The court, made up of three district judges, said Tuesday it wants to review 400 ballots Monday and wants the ones it selects counted in open court April 7. The Secretary of State's office is charged with the actual counting, and attorneys for both Franken and Coleman will have the chance to challenge the ballots, just as they did during the two-month recount."
"The ruling is not a final order and it's not clear for which candidate the ballots were cast. About half of them came from Hennepin, Ramsey and St. Louis Counties, which went heavily for Franken in the election. But about 61 percent of the 400 ballots are from Republican-leaning suburbs of Hennepin County or counties that broke for Coleman," report the Minneapolis Star Tribune's Pat Doyle and Kevin Duchschere.
"10,055 absentee ballots were issued — and 5,907 received so far, state election officials said — meaning the election cannot be decided until the paper ballots are counted," adds the New York Times' David M. Halbfinger. "Moreover, it is likely that the count may not begin until at least April 6, said Bob Brehm, a spokesman for the State Board of Elections. Republicans held out hope of recapturing the seat in the 20th Congressional District, which is heavily Republican and stretches from the Catskills through the Albany suburbs to the Adirondacks. Democrats, meanwhile, waited to see whether their standard-bearer, a first-time political candidate who campaigned on his support for the federal stimulus package, could pull off an upset."
The National Republican Congressional Committee sent out a fund-raising appeal late last night telling supporters, "Don't Let 'em Pull a Franken". "Don't let the Democrats steal this election. Less than 80 ballots separate Republican Jim Tedisco and his Democrat opponent. We cannot afford to allow the Democrats to steal this election. We need your support to ensure we can overcome the Democrats' legal maneuvers," writes the NRCC's Executive Director Guy Harrison. "Democrats have almost succeeded in stealing the election in Minnesota and seating Al Franken. We cannot allow them to manipulate electoral results to seat another tax-troubled liberal. ... Please contribute today and together we can ensure a fair and accurate count of the remaining ballots.
ALSO TODAY: Vice President Joe Biden and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack are in North Carolina talking up the effect of the economic stimulus on rural Americans.
Former GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney is in Washington tonight to raise money for the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
FOREIGN POLICY
Wall Street Journal's Jonathan Weisman and Jay Solomon, "World Leaders Lay Out Tests For Obama"
Washington Post's Glenn Kessler, "At Summit on Afghanistan, U.S. Extends a Hand to Iran"
NY Times' Mark Landler, "Obama Administration Has First Face-to-Face Contact With Iran"
Time Magazine's Vivienne Walt, "Can Obama Win Russia's Cooperation on Iran?"
AUTOMAKER BAILOUT
Washington Post's Peter Whoriskey and Kendra Marr, "U.S. Plans Key Role In Naming GM Board"
NY Times' Michael J. de la Merced and Jonathan D. Glater, "U.S. Hopes to Ease G.M. to Bankruptcy"
Time Magazine's Massimo Calabresi, "Obama's Auto Odd Couple Tries to Save Detroit"
USA Today's James R. Healey, "Possible Chrysler savior Fiat has low reliability scores"
FINANCIAL INDUSTRY BAILOUT
Wall Street Journal's Brody Mullins and Louise Radnofsky, "Lawmakers Have Long Rewarded Their Aides With Bonuses": "While Congress has been flaying companies for giving out bonuses while on the government dole, lawmakers have a longstanding tradition of rewarding their own employees with extra cash -- also courtesy of taxpayers.
648627"Capitol Hill bonuses in 2008 were among the highest in years, according to LegiStorm, an organization that tracks payroll data. The average House aide earned 17% more in the fourth quarter of the year, when the bonuses were paid, than in previous quarters, according to the data. That was the highest jump in the eight years LegiStorm has compiled payroll information.
"Total end-of-year bonuses paid to congressional staffers are tiny compared with the $165 million recently showered on executives of American International Group Inc., which is being propped up by billions of dollars of U.S. government subsidies. But Capitol Hill bonuses provide a notable counterpoint to the populist rhetoric and sound bites emanating from Washington these past weeks. Last year alone, more than 200 House lawmakers, both Republicans and Democrats, awarded bonuses totaling $9.1 million to more than 2,000 staff members, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of office-disbursement forms.
"The money comes out of taxpayer-funded office budgets, and is surplus cash that would otherwise be forfeited if not spent. Payments ranged from a few hundred dollars to $14,000. Lawmakers, at their own discretion, gave the money to chiefs of staff, assistants, computer technicians, and more than 100 aides who earned salaries of more than $100,000 a year. This has gone on for many years. There is no prohibition against handing out excess cash. The lawmakers say it is a nice incentive to get staff to conserve budgets, and it rewards hard work and long hours."
HEALTH CARE
NY Times' Robert Pear, "Democrats Agree on a Health Plan; Now Comes the Hard Part"
Washington Post's Shalaigh Murray, "Divisive Legislative Tool Gaining Democrats' Favor – Health-Care Reconciliation May Be Option"
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION
Kansas City Star's David Goldstein, "Sebelius pays back taxes of $8,000"
NY Times' Neil A. Lewis, "Storm Clouds Gather Over Obama Nominees"
Washington Post's Lois Romano, "Duncan Does the Math On Education Budget"
NY Times' Scott Shane, "Administration Is Debating Release of Interrogation Memos"
Washington Post's Dan Eggen, "Public Interest Groups Decry Obama's Strict Lobbying Rules"
FUTURE RACES
2009 NJ Governor: Philadelphia Inquirer's Cynthia Burton, "In N.J. race, corps of Democrats fields GOP lobs at Corzine"
2009 VA Governor: The Winchester Star's Drew Houff, "Candidates for governor traveling through state"
2010 CA Senate: San Jose Mercury News' Frank Davies, "Fiorina 'seriously considering' challenging Sen. Barbara Boxer"
2010 CT Senate: Politico's Eamon Javers, "Dodd shifts fundraiser site from club"
2010 KY Senate: Louisville Courier-Journal, "Fundraising 'lousy,' but it's improving, Bunning tells media"
2012 Presidential: Associated Press' Matthew Daly, "Palin out as GOP headliner"
ETC.
National Public Radio's Nina Totenberg, "Sources: Ex-Sen. Stevens Conviction To Be Voided"
Associated Press' Michael R. Blood, "SPIN METER: 'Open' forum dominated by Obama fans": "President Barack Obama's appearance two weeks ago before 1,100 people at a downtown school was advertised by the White House as free and open to the public. It was free. But it wasn't exactly public. Far from being an open-doors forum, hundreds of tickets never made it into the public's hands.
"Instead, they were distributed to Democratic officeholders and their staffs, community leaders, people connected to Obama's 2008 campaign, Democratic fundraisers and others invited by the White House. When Obama took the stage to cheers, he assured the audience the deck wasn't stacked in his favor. 'We haven't prescreened anybody,' Obama told the crowd. 'If you don't like me, go ahead and just say, you know, 'You're a bum.''
4903757"When the president holds events outside Washington, it's customary for his staff to dole out invitations to local supporters. But the significant number of tickets kept back from the public — about half the total — raises the question of whether the White House spiked the crowd with friends of the administration for an event carried on national TV. ... [President George W.] Bush's staff was known for tightly controlling access to his events, which ensured adoring audiences even at the low point of his popularity. Critics said the invitation-only crowds amounted to an attempt to manipulate the media; the White House attributed the restrictions to security, not political stagecraft."
Washington Post's Carrie Johnson, "A Split At Justice On D.C. Vote Bill"