Media reports are casting President Obama's trip to Denver (where he'll sign the stimulus bill this morning) and Phoenix as an attempt to boost popular support for his economic agenda. Moreover, says the Los Angeles Times, the tour "reflects a decision by the president to escape the Beltway and touch base with the rest of the country at least once a week" and a recognition "that congressional Republicans were gaining traction in the debate." The Politico says that "in turning their fire on the capital's process-and-power-obsessed political class," Obama's aides are "actually indulging in a time-honored Beltway tradition." Both Arizona and Colorado "are...key to Obama's reelection strategy," notes The Hill
As part of Obama's push to promote his stimulus measure, says Roll Call, the President has also been "pitching" it "aggressively to the media." The Financial Times notes Colorado is "one of the states poised to benefit from an infusion of stimulus investment in renewable energy," which the Denver Post puts at "$1.97 billion" this year. The Miami Herald notes "more than $80 billion in spending and tax cuts will go toward renewable domestic energy." The Denver Post reports Obama and Vice President Biden "will tour a solar panel installation atop the Denver Museum of Nature and Science." The Colorado Daily and the Rocky Mountain News also detail Obama's schedule for the day. . The Rocky Mountain News reports that Colorado officials "must close a $625 million budget gap by June 30." On its front page, meanwhile, the Arizona Republic assesses the stimulus bill.
The Washington Post reports that in addition to the "gales of Republican criticism," the President "is...facing quieter misgivings from liberal Democrats who say the bill does not go far enough." According to the Wall Street Journal, Obama's approach "has already sparked criticism...from some Democrats that Mr. Obama isn't forceful enough." The Wall Street Journal also says that "politically, it might have been useful" for the White House "to blame congressional Democrats for the growth of the stimulus package." Roll Call adds that "the price a handful of Senate Republicans could demand for their votes on future economic recovery plans may become more and more painful for both...Obama and Congressional Democrats." The Washington Times says the bill "includes smaller tax cuts than [Obama] wanted, drew fewer Republicans than desired and got done nearly a month later than he had hoped."
The Wall Street Journal notes Sen. John McCain "said Democrats have simply tried to pick off a few Republicans to support their agenda, rather than sitting down and negotiating." In his Wall Street Journal column, William McGurn says "it might be worth asking what...McCain's strong dissent says about this president's commitment to lead us into a postpartisan future." However, McClatchy contends Republicans are "taking a big risk by looking like the party of 'no.'" On its front page, the New York Times notes that Obama did gain the support of several Republican governors. Richard Cohen writes in the Washington Post that "all this wailing about partisanship...is a product of the system as we engineered it and tolerate it." James Morone, professor of political science at Brown University, writes in the New York Times that "great presidents do manage to push past partisanship -- not by reaching out to the other party, but by overwhelming it with a new vision."
CNN's The Situation Room reported that on Wednesday, President Obama "will detail his plan to help troubled homeowners in Arizona, where one in 182 homes faced foreclosure last month. According to the New York Times, President Obama's plan "will include a mix of government inducements and new pressure on lenders to reduce monthly payments for borrowers at risk of losing their houses. ... One possibility is a stepped-up effort to enact legislation that would give bankruptcy judges new power to restructure mortgages and reduce a borrower's payments. That change, sometimes described as a mortgage 'cram-down,' would greatly increase the bargaining power of borrowers in negotiating new loan terms with their lenders. The banking industry has vehemently opposed it."
The Hill reports House minority whip Rep. Eric Cantor "said that the Obama administration's...plan to stem home foreclosures may only add to the country's fiscal and housing problems. ... 'If we put the bill for $50 billion plus on top of all the bills that families have right now, you may very well be set to encourage more foreclosures,' said Cantor." Roll Call also notes Cantor's criticism.
Geithner's "Sudden About-Face" On TARP II Noted The Washington Post (2/17, D1, Irwin, Appelbaum) reports that "just days" before Treasury Secretary Geithner "was scheduled to lay out his much-anticipated plan to deal with the toxic assets imperiling the financial system, he and his team made a sudden about-face." Geithner "had come to the conclusion that the strategies he and his team had spent weeks working on were too expensive, too complex and too risky for taxpayers." According to the Post, "The sharp course change was one of the key reasons why Geithner's plan...landed with such a thud last Tuesday." According to the AP, Geithner "spent the weekend explaining the plan...at a meeting of the Group of Seven major industrial countries, where he got a much better response than the initial reaction on Wall Street."
According to the Christian Science Monitor, "Nationalizing weak banks, even large ones, is the surest way to end the credit crisis, say many finance experts." AFP says "financial market angst remains high over the lack of a clear strategy to rescue the US banking system."
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The Chicago Tribune is reporting this morning that Illinois Attorney Gen. Lisa Madigan yesterday "led a growing chorus of Democratic officials Monday calling for a deeper investigation of US Sen. Roland Burris." CNN's The Situation Room reported, "Under oath, just days before taking a seat in the U.S. Senate, Roland Burris told Illinois lawmakers he had spoken to various people in then governor Rod Blagojevich's office, including Blagojevich's indicted chief of staff. What he left out, conversations he had had with the governor's brother, Rob." The Wall Street Journal reports a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said, "Clearly, it would have been better if Sen. Burris had provided this information when he first testified."
The Chicago Sun-Times, meanwhile, reports that Rep. Jack Franks, "a key Democrat on the House panel that moved to impeach Gov. Blagojevich believes that...Burris should be called back before the committee to explain his 'absolutely misleading' testimony about his appointment." In its "Clout Street" blog, the Chicago Tribune quotes Franks saying, "I feel like I got kicked in the gut. ... At a time when we were supposed do be doing it right, when the whole world was watching, what do we do but screw it up."
USA Today notes that "two Republicans, state Reps. Tom Cross and Jim Durkin, said Sunday they will ask a local prosecutor to investigate whether Burris...lied when he testified during the governor's impeachment hearings." The AP reports that in January, the House impeachment committee "specifically asked whether he had ever spoken to...Blagojevich or [his] aides...about the Senate seat." Asked on MSNBC's Hardball if he believes Burris perjured himself, Durkin answered, "I believe he did." However, on the CBS Evening News, Andrew Cohen, CBS News legal analyst, said, "From a purely legal point of view, it is not a strong perjury case." Keith Olbermann, on MSNBC's Countdown called Burris's imminent removal from office "a distinct possibility." Bloomberg's Margaret Carlson said, "If there is any justice he's a goner. The idea that the brother of Rod Blagojevich isn't a close associate of the governor's, doesn't fall into the category of the people that he was being asked about, is absurd."
The New York Times, meanwhile, reports that "at a Presidents' Day dinner in Peoria, Mr. Burris again denied any wrongdoing. He said he had been treated unfairly by Republicans and by the news media." The Chicago Sun-Times reports that earlier in the day, "Burris made himself available...for about a minute." The Wall Street Journal says Burris made his appearance as he started "a five-day 'listening tour' across the state." In its "Clout Street" blog, the Chicago Tribune notes Burris "denied that his filing of a recent affidavit outlining for the first time contacts with key Blagojevich insiders was done because federal authorities had told him he had been secretly recorded."
The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that in the Minnesota Senate recount, Norm Coleman's (R) attorneys want judges "to reverse" a ruling on Friday "and consider counting rejected absentee ballots similar to others that previously were tallied." The AP quotes Coleman attorney Ben Ginsberg as saying of the judges' Friday ruling, "There is a quandary when there is a court order that says some of the ballots that were counted ... are now illegal votes under Minnesota law, and that is a quandary that we would like to address with the court." Meanwhile, The Politico reports that Al Franken (D) "has started using the title 'Senator-elect,' despite the fact that his" battle with Coleman "has not yet been decided."
The Chicago Tribune reports that a new unauthorized biography of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) by People writer Lorenzo Benet is due out today, which includes details on efforts made by Palin to hide her pregnancy last year.
The Hill reports state Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D) "is on a hot fundraising streak in the race" for the seat of ex-IL5 Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D), according to new reports filed with the Federal Elections Commission, bringing in $43k in large contributions in the last week, compared to no more than $11k for any of her other opponents.
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The Hill reports that FL17 Rep. Kendrick Meek (D), a candidate for the seat of retiring Florida Sen. Mel Martinez (R), has "won the support of the Service Employees International Union, a major force in Florida Democratic politics." Meanwhile, the Miami Herald reported that North Miami Mayor Kevin Burns (D), "the city's first openly gay mayor," has also entered the race for the seat.
The AP reports the Senate "has set a preliminary vote for Feb. 24 on legislation to grant the District of Columbia full voting representation in the House of Representatives. ... The proposal would also grant Utah an additional seat in the House until 2012, when it would be reassigned on the basis of the 2010 census." In an editorial today, the New York Times says the DC voting rights bill should be passed.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports Georgia Democrats are "scrambling" to find a challenger for Sen. Johnny Isakson (R), "who on Tuesday day will announce his run for a second term in 2010," with most top-tier Democrats aiming for the open gubernatorial seat instead.
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The Fargo Forum reported that North Dakota Sen. Byron Dorgan (D) "would have no trouble besting" North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven (R) in a 2010 match up, according to a Research 2000 poll for the liberal web site Daily Kos, which should him topping Hoeven 57%-35%.
The New York Post reports that New York Gov. David Paterson (D) is taking more fire, as yesterday he "was blasted by public-employee unions, legislative Republicans and even fellow Democrats for granting sky-high pay hikes to his key staffers at a time when he's asking 130,000 state workers to give up their 3 percent raises."
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Jay Leno: "Happy Presidents' Day, everybody. As you know, the banks were all closed today. I understand a few are expected to open tomorrow."
Jay Leno: "Congress passed the biggest spending bill in US history: $787 billion. The newspapers said today not one politician in Washington has read the bill, to which President Bush said, 'See, nobody reads that stuff! Who says I have no legacy?'"
Conan O'Brien: "This is weird. Yesterday, one of President Obama's top advisors said that choosing cabinet members is not like picking 'American Idol.' Yeah, mainly because the 'American Idol' contestants have paid their taxes."
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