The Administration's expected announcement of new mileage and pollution standards is receiving extensive (and largely positive) media coverage. Last night, the story led all three network newscasts. ABC World News said, "Environmental groups are hailing this as the first major step ever by the United States to curb global warming." The proposals "are sweeping," and while "the auto industry has long opposed these moves...this time" it is "onboard. The Washington Post notes that David McCurdy, president of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, "said that the agreement reached late Sunday night would provide the industry with 'clarity and predictability.'"
The Detroit News reports that according to a "senior administration official," the plan "will cost automakers $1,300 per vehicle," or "$13 billion to $20 billion annually based on total auto sales." The Politico, however, says that according to a "senior administration official," the new rules "will add an expected $600 to the cost of an average car."
The CBS Evening News called Obama's plan "a major step aimed at reducing greenhouse gases and cleaning up the environment." The Hill says that the "effort had been held up after the Bush administration rejected a waiver request to federal clean air laws from California."
NBC Nightly News calls the move "the biggest step in history to clean up auto exhaust and increase gas mileage," with "a full 30% tougher on pollution and fuel economy by 2016." Another NBC Nightly News story reported that Obama's plan "gives a road map to the auto industry for how to give Americans what they want, which is power and size, whole delivering better fuel economy." Likewise, the Detroit Free Press says "the rules could radically reshape the US automotive industry by forcing automakers to push higher levels of technology such as hybrid-electric drives into vehicles faster than once planned."
The AP reports that Obama's move marks "the first time limits on greenhouse gases will be linked to federal standards for cars and trucks." The Washington Post reports the industry "will get its national standard, but at the price of one that approximates California's targets. Industry officials said they would drop all related lawsuits." USA Today, meanwhile, notes that "to streamline the cumbersome rulemaking process, the two agencies mainly responsible -- the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation -- would work through the process jointly, almost unheard of, an administration official said."
The Financial Times notes that "the return of the fuel efficiency issue to the political spotlight comes as...Obama is attempting to push restrictions on carbon emissions through Congress as a means to fight global warming."
Gas Prices On The Rise ABC World News reported, "The move by the administration is timely. For the government reported today that the national average price for a gallon of gas is now $2.31, up seven cents in the past week alone." The CBS Evening News also reported, "The recession drove gas prices down to as low as $1.61 a gallon at the end of last year, but they're spiking again."
Media outlets suggest some House Democrats are looking for a way to extricate their caucus from the contentious debate over Speaker Nancy Pelosi's knowledge of the Central Intelligence Agency's use of enhanced interrogation techniques, including waterboarding. CNN's The Situation Room reported that "privately, some Democrats are desperate to try to move beyond" Speaker Nancy Pelosi's "claim that she was misled by the spy agency back in 2002." Several Democratic congressmen "who say they do still back the Speaker" want "to move on. The Republican strategy is to not make that happen." Aides to House Minority Leader John Boehner "are working to keep the heat on" Pelosi.
Fox News' Special Report reported, "CIA director Leon Panetta seemed pretty sure about what CIA records contained when he released a letter Friday that flatly contradicted Pelosi's assertion that she had not been told about enhanced techniques used on Abu Zubaydah, the first high-ranking terrorist captured."
Roll Call reports, "Congressional Democrats can't seem to get out of this debate over the harsh interrogations of terror suspects during President George W. Bush's first term. ... 'It's drowning out our message,' one senior House Democratic aide said." The Hill reports, "The Obama administration and Democrats in Congress sought to change the subject Monday, making it clear they want to talk about anything but waterboarding."
In a second story, The Hill reports when Pelosi "took a swing at the CIA, she was attacking the only people who could prove her right." Now "the CIA has all the cards because it has records from the briefings." Asked on MSNBC's The Ed Show how Democrats in Congress are reacting to the criticism of Pelosi, Rep. Jan Schakowsky said, "It's absolutely amazing to us that she has been the subject of this debate when it's a complete diversion from the issue of torture."
Rep. Pete Hoekstra, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, appearing on Fox News' On The Record, said, "The memorandum on meetings that we've had, the meeting notes. ... Speaker Pelosi has said that she wants it out. I want it out." On Fox News' On The Record, Sen. Lindsey Graham said, "I want to know what she knew and when she knew it."
Ed Schultz, at the opening of MSNBC's The Ed Show, said, "We're expected to believe that the CIA under Bush gave Democrats a full and honest accounting of what the heck was going on and what they did with detainees and Gitmo. Give me a break."
Meanwhile, The Politico says former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said on Monday that Nancy Pelosi's claim that she was "misled" by the CIA 'disqualifies' the California Democrat from continuing as speaker."
Pelosi Disapproval Rating At 48% CNN's The Situation Room (5/18, Blitzer) reported that there is "new evidence that Pelosi isn't necessarily all that popular across the nation right now. Take a look at our new CNN/Opinion Research Poll. It shows almost half of Americans, 48%, disapprove of how she's handling her job as Speaker of the House."
Sign up here to get the US News Political Bulletin emailed to you each morning at 8 a.m.
Media reports last night and this morning (including reports on all three network broadcasts) tend to portray yesterday's White House meeting between President Obama and Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu as having produced little diplomatic progress. McClatchy, for example, reports while "the two leaders spoke kindly to one another...their body language appeared strained at times during their public appearance, and Obama made clear that he expects Israel to make some concessions." The AP notes "Obama told reporters that serious negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians would be possible only if Netanyahu ordered an end to the expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank."
ABC World News also reported "Obama said no to more Israeli settlement building," adding that "now Palestinians are waiting to see if he means it." NBC Nightly News reported that the "meeting today went well beyond the allotted time," and also said that while the two "exchanged the requisite compliments...behind the pleasantries, key divisions remain." ABC World News similarly referred to "polite but pointed talks" with "two main topics on the agenda: how to stop Iran's nuclear program, and how to restart peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians."
The Los Angeles Times, meanwhile, reports that "Netanyahu has long contended that any Palestinian state would have to cede traditional sovereign powers to have a military and to control its borders and electronic communications, steps he said are necessary to give Israel 'the means to defend itself.'" The Hill reports "White House press secretary Robert Gibbs brushed off any suggestion that the leaders' body language showed friction between Obama and Netanyahu, noting that their meeting went far beyond the allotted time."
Obama Signals Deadline For Iran Outreach The New York Times reports President Obama said "he expected to know by the end of the year whether Iran was making 'a good-faith effort to resolve differences' in talks aimed at ending its nuclear program, signaling to Israel as well as Iran that his willingness to engage in diplomacy over the issue has its limits." The Los Angeles Times says "Obama has been under pressure from Israel to set a deadline for his diplomatic outreach to Iran,."
AFP notes that Obama "rejected a suggestion by a reporter that his offer of talks with Iran could be exploited by the government in Tehran." The Washington Post, meanwhile, reports that in the White House meeting, Netanyahu "made clear that his interest in checking Iran's nuclear ambitions is far greater than his desire to revive dormant peace negotiations with a divided Palestinian leadership."
The AP reports Obama "told Netanyahu that progress in peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians would help rein in the Iranian nuclear threat."
31% Of Israelis View Obama As Pro-Israel The Hill reports that a "new poll" out yesterday "showed that just 31 percent of Israelis consider the Obama administration to be pro-Israel. This contrasts sharply with the 88 percent of respondents who called former President George W. Bush pro-Israel."
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner's announcement on Monday that banks participating in the Troubled Asset Relief Program would not face executive salary caps did not prevent recipients from lining up to repay the TARP funds, which are portrayed in media reports as a liability for banks' competitiveness. The Financial Times reports US banks "are scrambling to be in the first wave of lenders to repay Washington bail-out funds after the authorities told Wall Street executives they would allow five or six big financial groups to return taxpayers' money before the rest of the industry." US authorities "decided to allow a group of banks to return the funds, rather than approving individual applications, to avoid a 'rush for the exit' by lenders vying for bragging rights of being the first to repay, said people close to the matter."
Meanwhile, the Financial Times reports Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Monday that bankers "will not have their salaries capped by the Obama administration but they will face changes to executive compensation aimed at discouraging risky short-term bets." Government "intervention of any kind into the way companies choose to pay their executives is a sensitive issue on Wall Street. Restrictions already placed on pay at those institutions that received government assistance from the troubled asset relief programme are one of the main reasons behind the banks' desire to repay the money."
Sign up here to get the US News Political Bulletin emailed to you each morning at 8 a.m.
Top
2008 Democratic Primary Emerges As Issue In VA Governors Race The Washington Post reports that Virginia gubernatorial candidate Brian Moran (D) "is for the first time trying to bring attention to rival" Terry McAuliffe's (D) "aggressive push" as Hillary Clinton's campaign chair "to defeat Barack Obama during last year's fierce presidential nomination battle." Moran "this week unveiled radio advertisements in the heavily African American communities of Hampton Roads and Richmond reminding voters of Clinton's '3 a.m. phone call' ad that questioned Obama's qualifications for the presidency." The Washington (DC) Examiner adds that McAuliffe, "looking to fend off" those charges, yesterday announced the backing of former Sen. Tom Daschle (D), "Obama's national campaign co-chairman and short-lived Cabinet pick." The Examiner notes, "Critics say Daschle's endorsement reflects more on McAuliffe's history as a political fundraiser, which involved working closely with Daschle, than his ability to lead the state."
The Miami Herald reports that Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum (R), a former Congressman, "immediately became the" GOP "frontrunner for governor in 2010 when he officially launched his campaign Monday in Orlando with the support of his party's establishment." The Tampa Tribune adds that McCollum "promised 'a new way up' for Florida, apparently introducing the phrase as a campaign theme. 'The hallmark of a McCollum administration will be access and inclusion it will be one that doesn't look at partisan labels' or race or gender in seeking to solve these state problems, he said." However, the New York Times reports that "political analysts say the establishment ties that help Mr. McCollum with endorsements and contributions may make it hard for him to fashion a new image." Meanwhile, Roll Call reports that on the other side of the aisle, "All 10 Democrats in" Florida's "House delegation announced Monday that they will support" state CFO Alex Sink's (D) bid for governor.
Fox News' Special Report reports, "After a rocky first four months" as Republican National Committee chairman, Michael Steele "plans a major speech to his party Tuesday aimed at silencing those in the GOP who criticize his leadership." Steele says, "I want a party that speaks to people. I mean, the idea that we only narrowly speak to one segment of the population is boneheaded, and it is not reflective of the history of this party. How is kicking Colin Powell out, or kicking Dick Cheney out, or Rush Limbaugh in going to feed a child who is hungry tonight?" CNN adds that Steele, in his remarks as prepared will say, "The era of apologizing for Republican mistakes of the past is now officially over."
Sign up here to get the US News Political Bulletin emailed to you each morning at 8 a.m.
Top
Jay Leno: "General Motors announced they're closing over a thousand dealerships. A lot of people are blaming GM's new CEO, some guy named Barack Obama."
Jay Leno: "Well, another gaffe by Vice President Joe Biden. God bless Joe Biden. ... He's been our savior here. 'Newsweek' is reporting that at the Gridiron Dinner, Joe Biden started talking and accidentally revealed Dick Cheney's secret hiding place. See, there's more proof you don't need waterboarding to get secret information. Just give Joe Biden a couple of drinks."
David Letterman: "Here's something that I am very excited about. Joe Biden, the current vice president, was yakking away over the weekend. And he -- remember when Dick Cheney...was in an undisclosed location and everybody thought where? ... So supposedly top secret information, classified information. And Joe Biden just says, 'No, I know where he was. He was hiding under his house. ... Joe Biden is living proof that people can give up sensitive information without being tortured."
Jimmy Fallon: "In the new issue of 'Newsweek,' they're calling Barack Obama 'Spock with global sex appeal,' which is a bit of coincidence because 'Time' magazine is calling Joe Biden 'Chewbacca with fur plugs.'"
Sign up here to get the US News Political Bulletin emailed to you each morning at 8 a.m.
Top
Click image for larger view.
Smart analysis, insightful reporting, in-depth perspective—in a new, digital format.
Log in | Buy Now | See sample
View sample page 2View sample page 3View sample page 4View sample page 5advertisement
Get your POLITICALBULLETIN
Click image for larger view.
Smart analysis, insightful reporting, in-depth perspective—in a new, digital format.
Log in | Buy Now | See sample
View sample page 2View sample page 3View sample page 4View sample page 5Embed exclusive U.S. News headlines, rankings, columns, and blog postings to your Web site, blog, or social network.
advertisement
Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our Terms and Conditions of Use and Privacy Policy.
