Politics Today: Obama Heads West
Politics Today is CBSNews.com's inside look at the key stories driving the day in Politics, written by CBS News Political Director Steve Chaggaris:
Editor's Note: Politics Today will take a short hiatus next week. We will return on August 24.
**President Obama is 'westward, ho' with health care town meetings in Montana and Colorado...
**Even as "end of life counseling" provision is removed, Palin continues criticism of health care reform...
**Bill Clinton says GOP wants Democrats "to fail" on health care...
"During a multi-state trip to national parks with his wife and daughters, Obama will speak and take questions in Montana and Colorado to try to convince Americans that the massive reform plan -- his top domestic policy priority -- is necessary to fix a broken system and push back against conservatives who say he wants a government takeover," reports Reuters' Patricia Zengerle. "The two 'town hall' meetings on Friday and Saturday will be Obama's second and third such events within less than a week, after a meeting in New Hampshire on Tuesday. They come as poll numbers reflect concern about the U.S. budget deficit and Republicans contend that the plan would be an expensive mistake, especially as the country tries to emerge from the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression."
Protestors have promised to "greet" Mr. Obama in Montana, however, given that today's event is adjacent to a tarmac, it's safe to say he'll be nowhere near the protestors. In order to be heard, however, opponents are trying to score some tickets to the actual event, reports the Bozeman Daily Chronicle's Daniel Person.
"Tea party protesters have reserved a spot off of Frontage Road to hold a rally, said organizer Henry Kriegel, but he said those sharing their anti-big-government views plan to attend the meeting. 'People who are not supporters of health care reform will definitely try to obtain a ticket and definitely try to ask a question,' he said.
"Kriegel said he would like someone to ask Obama about how his reform would affect accessibility of health care in the United States and what affect the increased government spending on health care will have on the worth of American currency.
"Kriegel said he expects "thousands" to turn out for the tea party protest."
"Demonstrators are targeting Obama's appearance as their most high-profile opportunity yet to make their case against a plan they perceive to be a government takeover of the nation's health-care system.
"Worried about the potential for a harsh reception, the Montana Democratic Party sent an e-mail to supporters Thursday urging them to show up Friday.
"'Last fall, when Swiftboaters and special interests attacked President Obama, folks like you came to his defense,' wrote Anna Gustina, who was the 2008 state director of Organizing for America, a grass-roots arm of the Obama presidential campaign. 'We knocked on doors, talked to neighbors, and made our voices heard. Now, we need to do it again.'"
"Perhaps no region of the country better illustrates Barack Obama's political vulnerabilities than the mountain West, a region traditionally wary of the federal government," the Associated Press' Liz Sidoti and Kristen Wyatt add.
"He's hoping to ease some of those concerns in a Western swing blending town hall appearances and visits to national parks beginning Friday.
"Democrats have made recent election inroads in the region by successfully courting independents, Republican crossovers and conservative-to-moderate loyalists in their own party. But it's these very voters — gun owners, civil libertarians, private property advocates — who seem to be turning away from the president across the country because of deep-seated concerns about expanding government and soaring budget deficits."
Politico's Carol E. Lee, "Can Obama keep town halls cool?"
USA Today's Jayne Clark, "Obama to pay a visit to two national parks"
5192102HEALTH CARE: The Post's Anne Kornblut also pointed out that Mr. Obama is holding these events "even as his allies are stepping up their efforts to rebut what they describe as 'myths' about health-care reform. Obama supporters are being urged to turn out for the president to counter what they anticipate could be the kind of vocal criticism that has recently dominated headlines and cable news.
"Facing questions about whether public support for the health overhaul initiative is sagging, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Thursday that the problem was rooted in misconceptions spread by political opponents.
"'Have some of those misconceptions contributed to the poll numbers? I don't doubt that,' Gibbs said. 'But at the same time, I mean, there's a little cause and effect here, but we're not going to stop pushing back on the misconceptions, whether or not the polling shows one thing or another. The president, again, strongly believes that, and has for years, that it's better to address what people's concerns are and take them on head-on.'"
Meantime, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is weighing in yet again on her Facebook page, applauding the dropping of the "end-of-life consultations" provision while continuing to criticize health care reform.
She accuses President Obama of having an agenda to enact a single-payer health care system.
She continues by arguing that reform will cost too much and contribute to higher taxes. "Our nation is already $11.5 trillion in debt. Where will the money come from? Taxes, of course. And will a burdensome new tax help our economy recover? Of course not. The best way to encourage more health care coverage is to foster a strong economy where people can afford to purchase their own coverage if they choose to do so. The current administration's economic policies have done nothing to help in this regard."
According to non-partisan analysts FactCheck.org, she has a point about the cost. Promises by the administration that reform won't add to the deficit are a bit of a stretch at this point.
"[W]e are not there yet...right now it is not paid for as things stand," FactCheck.org's Brooks Jackson told CBSNews.com earlier this week.
New York Times Jim Rutenberg and Jackie Calmes, "False 'Death Panel' Rumor Has Some Familiar Roots"
USA Today's John Fritze and David Jackson, "Health care showdown shifts to TV ads"
Washington Post's Lori Montgomery, "Deficit Plays Into Health Reform"
New York Times' Robert Pear, "Obama Proposal to Create Medicare Panel Meets With Resistance"
Associated Press' Anne Flaherty, "E-mails from public overload House Web site"
Bloomberg News' Jonathan D. Salant and Lizzie O'Leary, "Six Lobbyists Per Lawmaker Work to Shape Health-Care Overhaul"
New York Times' Mary Williams Walsh, "Senators Investigate Hospital Purchasing"
Town meeting coverage:
Wall Street Journal's Douglas Belkin, "At Indiana Forum, Skepticism of Overhaul Reigns"
McClatchy Newspapers' Michael Doyle, "'Town brawls' have California reps rethinking how to reach out"
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Daniel Malloy, "Specter met by cheers, jeers in Kittanning"
"But the progressive community must also not get bogged down in petty disagreements over the fine points of health care policy, he added. "'It is politically imperative for Democrats to pass a health care bill now,' he said, because 'If you get out there and don't prevail, then the victors get to rewrite history.'
"'You hold the seeds of a genuine revolution in public life, and you do it by mobilizing and getting people to think,' he told the enthusiastic crowd at the convention's first night keynote session. 'People trust you. They believe that you believe what you put down [in blogs], they don't believe you fudge the facts. They believe you're being straight with them, and if you make a mistake it's of the head, not of the heart.'"
Politico's Charles Mahtesian adds, "The speech, which was otherwise warmly received, was interrupted several times by shouts from the audience referring to his administration's sanctioning of the 'don't ask, don't tell' policy regarding gays in the military and the former president's signing of the 'Defense of Marriage Act.'
"Clinton responded with an impassioned defense of his actions and expressed regret.
"'Nobody regrets how this was implemented any more than I do,' he said. 'I hated what happened.'"
Politics Daily's Carl M. Cannon, "Bill Clinton: Unlikely Hero of the Liberal Netroots"
ALSO TODAY: Vice President Biden heads to Hyannis, Mass., today for the funeral of Eunice Kennedy Shriver.
Cape Cod Times' Jake Berry, "A fond farewell to Eunice Shriver"
AFGHANISTAN / IRAQ
NY Times' Thom Shanker, "U.S. to Resume Training Georgian Troops"
Washington Post's Karen DeYoung, "Gates: No Troop Request In Afghanistan Review"
NY Times' Carlotta Gall, "A Technocrat Shakes Up the Afghan Campaign"
McClatchy Newspapers' Adam Ashton and Sahar Issa, "Iraqis remaining cool despite attacks on mosques, minorities"
FOREIGN POLICY
Washington Post's Mary Beth Sheridan,"Clinton Dismisses Flap, Calls Africa Trip 'Great'"
Wall Street Journal's Sarah Childress and Jay Solomon, "In Africa, Clinton Balances Criticism, Praise"
NY Times' Jeffrey Gettleman, "Clinton Supports President of Liberia"
CONGRESS
Bloomberg News' Daniel Whittman and Simon Lomax, "Climate Change Measure Should Be Set Aside, U.S. Senators Say"
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION
Washington Post's Al Kamen, "Hagel Climbing the Ladder in Obama White House"
Associated Press' Libby Quaid, "Sharpton, Gingrich push Obama's school reforms"
GOV. MARK SANFORD
The State's John O'Connor, "Probe of governor's flights urged"
JOHN EDWARDS
WRAL-TV, "Sources: Edwards to admit paternity of ex-mistress' child"
FMR. SEN. GEORGE ALLEN
Washington Post's Sandyha Somashekhar, "Allen Tries to Shake Off the 'Macaca' Shadow"
FUTURE RACES
2009 NJ Governor: Newark Star-Ledger's Trish G. Graber, "Gov. Corzine wants GOP challenger Chris Christie to explain Rove talks"
2009 VA Governor: Associated Press' Bob Lewis, "Deeds dodges call for taxes for roads"
2009 NYC Mayor: NY Times' David W. Chen, "For a Bloomberg Rival, an Unexpected Boost"
2010 CA Governor: CQ Politics' Rachel Kapochunas, "Whitman, Brown Lead for Governor"
2010 PA Senate: CQ Politics' Greg Giroux, "Since Switch, Specter Reliable Democratic Vote"
2012 Presidential: Politico's Jeanne Cummings, "Newt Gingrich's advice for a Sarah Palin comeback"
2012 Presidential: The Daily Beast's Mark McKinnon, "Santorum Is Dangerous"
ETC.
Philadelphia Inquirer's Bob Brookover, "Michael Vick joins Eagles"
CBS News "60 Minutes", "Michael Vick Vows To Help End Dogfighting"