President Obama signaled Tuesday that he has changed his stance on the prosecution of Bush Administration aides over the possible torture of terrorism suspects. Coverage of the story is extensive, leading all three network newscasts, and is generally negative toward the Administration. Much of it casts Obama's comments as a reversal -- one triggered by criticism from Capitol Hill Democrats and key segments of his political base. Both print and TV reports also tend to note Obama's apparent contradiction of recent comments on the issue by his chief of staff Rahm Emanuel. The CBS Evening News called Obama's remarks "stunning," and noted "the White House later denied the President had reversed policy."
AFP recounts a "contentious White House briefing" in which "spokesman Robert Gibbs denied Obama had remade previous administration policy." USA Today reports that although Emanuel and Gibbs himself "have suggested recently that prosecutions of Bush lawyers were off the table, Gibbs said Tuesday that Obama's latest comments do not represent a policy shift." The Washington Times says, "When asked about the difference between Mr. Obama's remarks and Mr. Emanuel's comments, Mr. Gibbs told reporters to heed the president."
The coverage overwhelmingly describes the President's position as a clear shift. The AP reports Obama widened "an explosive debate on torture," and ABC World News said the issue "is turning into a hornet's nest for the Obama Administration." ABC added that "current Administration officials first said there would be no prosecutions: not for those who employed the techniques, not for those who authorized them as legal." ABC added that "the White House would not explain the change." NBC Nightly News reported Obama moved "under pressure from Congress and outside critics," reversing "what the President said last week and what his chief of staff said two days ago."
Roll Call refers to a "striking turnabout" by Obama, which "came as the administration began to incur fire from its allies for appearing to exclude policymakers from culpability." McClatchy says Obama's statements "caught Washington by surprise." The Wall Street Journal says Obama "has shifted several times in dealing with the Bush-era issues." CNN's Situation Room called it "a dramatic reversal" and "a sharp break from what his press secretary said 24 hours earlier." Fox News' Special Report reported Obama acted "in apparent contradiction of his own White House staff." Congressional Republicans "said they were perplexed." Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said, "We are interested to know what is the policy or the position of the Administration. Because now it seems to be somewhat confusing."
Administration Denies Cheney Asked For Release Of Memos The Politico reports the Obama Administration denied former Vice President Cheney "had directly asked the CIA to declassify memos that he claims would vindicate Bush-era techniques for harsh interrogation of suspected terrorists." NBC Nightly News reported that Cheney "wants the CIA to declassify memos he claims proved the interrogations worked."
ABC World News reported Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner "acknowledged on Capitol Hill that the government's attempts to bail out banks and get credit flowing have had mixed success. Borrowing costs, he said, remain high, and credit is still not flowing where it is needed to get the economy back on track." NBC Nightly News reported Geithner "also told a congressional committee the vast majority of banks have enough capital to weather this current crisis." CNN's Situation Room reported, "The big issue for a growing number of angry Americans is that they need more information about how the government has already spent nearly $600 billion of taxpayer money."
Fox News' Special Report reported Geithner "said he would welcome repayment by TARP banks but said the decision to allow them to repay the money wouldn't be just based on their desire and their financial health." CNBC reported Geithner "said the decision on which banks will be allowed to repay TARP funds will depend on the needs of the broader economy." On CNBC's Kudlow Report, oversight panel member Rep. Jeb Hensarling said Geithner failed to provide "any plan for these firms that have taken money to be able to pay it back when they want to pay it back," nor "any commitment to ensure that we don't have federal control of our financial institutions."
The Financial Times reports Geithner "sparked a rally in financial stocks after he said the 'vast majority' of the nation's banks are well-capitalised and damped investor fears that the government will wipe out their holdings." But he "conceded the massive effort by the US authorities to rescue the banking system from the crisis was showing only 'mixed' signs of success." The AP says confidence in the TARP program "is wearing thin on Capitol Hill. With lawmakers back from their spring break, even bailout supporters are skeptical that Congress -- weary of bankers' bonuses and still-scarce credit -- would approve additional bank rescue money if requested."
The Los Angeles Times reports the White House "indicated for the first time that it will let some big banks repay their bailout cash early, estimating that at least $25 billion will come back to the government in the next year." Geithner "disclosed the new numbers as he defended the administration's bailout efforts" before the oversight panel. The Wall Street Journal reports the banking industry "is aggressively lobbying" Treasury "to make it less costly" to get out of TARP."
USA Today reports Senate Foreign Relations Chairman John Kerry, who recently visited Pakistan, says the Obama Administration's "plan for that volatile country, rolled out last month with great fanfare, 'is not a real strategy.'" Kerry said, "Pakistan is in a moment of peril. ... And I believe there is not in place yet an adequate policy or plan to deal with it." Kerry's comments "amounted to one of the most serious criticisms leveled by a Democrat at Obama on foreign policy." Kerry's remarks are "a change from his initial reaction to Obama's announcement of his plan for the region in a speech March 27, when Kerry issued a statement calling it 'realistic and bold.'"
Petraeus: Afghanistan Situation Likely To Worsen The Boston Globe reports Gen. David Petraeus told a Harvard forum Tuesday that the "military situation in Afghanistan will probably deteriorate in the near term." Petraeus said, "We do believe we can achieve progress, but it's going to get worse before it gets better. ... There will be tough months ahead."
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The AP reports that with President Barack Obama slated to "tour...a former Maytag Corp., factory in" Newton, Iowa, today, "his trip to the state that launched him toward the White House is being billed as a return visit," but "in fact he never really left" and there are "signs everywhere of the organization he's building for his re-election campaign in 2012."
The Politico reports, "Democrats are confident that Al Franken will prevail in the Minnesota Supreme Court appeal, but they're still hedging a bit on whether a high court victory means" he "could quickly be seated." Meanwhile, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports Franken's lawyers yesterday proposed yesterday that the state Supreme Court "hear oral arguments in as soon as two weeks," which the St. Paul Pioneer Press says Norm Coleman's (R) camp is agreeable to.
The Hill reports that National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Sen. John Cornyn "said it will be difficult to stop the Democrats from winning a 60-seat majority in 2010."
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The Washington Times reports that Arizona Sen. John McCain (R), "who once favored amnesty for illegal immigrants, is hearing thunder on his right as Minuteman Civil Defense Corps founder Chris Simcox" prepares to challenge him in the 2010 GOP Senate primary. The Arizona Daily Star says Simcox "is scheduled to appear today at a press conference outside the state Capitol, where he will announce he is stepping down from his position with the Minutemen to challenge McCain."
The Topeka Capital-Journal reported on its website that a SurveyUSA poll of 1,400 Kansas adults conducted April 17-19 shows KS1 Rep. Jerry Moran (R) leading KS4 Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R) 39%-35% in the GOP primary race for the seat currently held by Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback (R), who is leaving the Senate to run for governor.
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Jay Leno: "They are now holding national elections in India. They have a month of voting, which seems long for an election. Unless you're from Minnesota. Then it's like nothing."
Jay Leno: "So many newspapers all across the country" are "going out of business. It's pretty scary, so congratulations to the New York Times," which this week "won five Pulitzer Prizes. ... I read about it online on Google News."
Jay Leno: President Obama told his Cabinet "to ensure that every taxpayer dollar is spent wisely." But "there was one embarrassing moment when he had to explain to the Cabinet what a taxpayer was."
David Letterman: "Scientists are now saying that overweight people...cause or contribute to global warming. Talk about embarrassing for Al Gore."
Jimmy Fallon: "Bill Clinton and George W. Bush will appear together on stage in Toronto for a two-hour friendly debate. Each side gets to pick a topic, so the first hour will be centered on" the "international banking crisis. The second hour will be dedicated to NASCAR trivia."
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