Political Bulletin

WASHINGTON NEWS

Obama Proposes New Pay-Go Budget Rules

To largely skeptical coverage in print media, President Obama yesterday proposed new PAYGO budget rules. A number of stories this morning note objections to Obama's plan from Senate Democrats and "independent analysts." The Washington Post, under the headline "Some Democrats Warn Of Loophole In Obama's Pay-As-You-Go Rules," says that "some Democrats...complained that it would give a free pass to expensive policies that would sink the nation trillions of dollars deeper into the red over the next 10 years." The Hill similarly reports that "congressional skeptics from both parties...questioned whether President Obama's new budget-cutting plan will rein in the skyrocketing deficit." In an article titled "Obama: It's OK To Borrow To Pay For Health Care," the AP says the Obama budget plan would also "allow Congress to borrow tens of billions of dollars and put the nation deeper in debt to jump-start the administration's emerging health care overhaul."

In a story headlined "Democrats Mix Signals On Deficit," the Wall Street Journal reports that Obama's "congressional allies -- and his own actions -- threatened to undermine his message of fiscal discipline." According to "critics," Obama's proposed rules "are riddled with loopholes and would have little impact." The Politico also says that Obama "made his budgetary case a day after announcing plans to accelerate federal spending under his $787 billion economic stimulus plan." Roll Call, however, reports that Obama's plan drew "praise from leaders of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrats." On its front page, the New York Times claims Obama "does not have a realistic plan for eliminating the deficit, despite what his advisers have suggested."

Republicans Heartened By Gallup Poll AFP notes that a new Gallup poll "showed that 51 percent of Americans disapproved of Obama's performance in controlling federal spending." The Politico says Republicans "think they've finally found...Obama's Achilles' heel: rising public concern about government spending and the federal deficit." The Hill adds that RNC chairman Michael Steele "called for Republicans to demonstrate their principles in standing up against...Obama's spending plans." Dick Morris, in The Hill notes a Rasmussen poll showing that "more voters now trust Republicans more than Democrats to handle the economy, by a margin of 45-39."

Senate Panel Backs Offshore Drilling Expansion

Bloomberg News reports that the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee "approved expansion of offshore oil and natural gas drilling, in a bid to open more of the eastern Gulf of Mexico to energy development." The committee "voted 13- 10...in favor of an amendment to expand drilling, including off the coast of Florida." The committee rejected "a proposal by Senator Mary Landrieu...to share royalty revenues from offshore drilling with coastal states," and "a bid by Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski...to open a portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling." The Hill notes that supporters hailed the amendment "as a step toward a comprehensive plan that embraces all forms of energy and would reduce dependence on foreign oil," while critics "saw the step as backwards, given the emphasis in Congress on solving climate change and carbon dioxide emissions caused by the burning of fossil fuels like oil and natural gas."

On CNBC's The Kudlow Report, Landrieu regretted that "we did not include revenue-sharing, which in the long run will not encourage states to drill offshore. ... Part of the reason we don't have a lot of offshore drilling right now in America...is because there is really no reason for the states, coastal states, to engage in drilling. They don't get any direct benefit....unlike the interior states that keep 50% of their revenues." The Washington Times also reports that rising oil prices caused by "a surprise spurt in consumer demand and a growing wave of investor speculation" are "creating worries for the overall economy and legislative peril for energy companies in the nation's capital." The higher oil prices will "likely" be used by "Democrats in Congress and environmentalists...as ammunition to advance climate change legislation now pending in the House of Representatives."

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Obama Publicly Mentions Jesus More Often Than Bush Did

The Politico reports President Obama "has mentioned Jesus Christ in a number of high-profile public speeches -- something his predecessor George W. Bush rarely did in such settings, even though Bush's Christian faith was at the core of his political identity." Obama "is comfortable with public displays of his religion -- although he has also paid tribute to other faiths and those he called 'nonbelievers' during his inaugural address."

Obamas Changing America's "Food Culture"?

The AP reports, "Pizza from St. Louis, pancakes from Pittsburgh. A juicy burger or a chili half-smoke in D.C., soul food in Chicago. Our new president eats something and the world wants to eat it, too." Food blogger Eddie Gehman Kohan "sees a fusion of two potent forces: An escalating interest in food and food policy, and enormous curiosity in anything Obama. And all this interest may have even more to do with Michelle than Barack." The First Lady has "made food a prime area of interest." The Politico quotes Food Network host Ted Allen saying, "I think they're changing the food culture nationally and internationally by their wonderful step of planting an organic garden on the White House grounds."

Jon Voight: Obama "A Very Good Actor"

The Washington Times reports "silver-screen conservative" Jon Voight "likens the Obama administration to a Hollywood script, rife with technique and craft, very compelling but not necessarily real." Voight said, "It is a very, very slick, relentless campaign to build Obama as the answer to all our needs. ... Obama is a very good actor. He knows how to play it."

Emanuel's Brother Emerges As New Hollywood Power Player The New York Times profiles White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel's brother Ariel Zev Emanuel, a Hollywood "operative" who now heads "a sprawling new talent agency of his own design, called William Morris Endeavor Entertainment." Emanuel "has emerged in the last six weeks as the pre-eminent power player in a Hollywood that has often bemoaned the sunset of colorful moguls from an older generation, including Michael Ovitz and David Geffen."

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CAMPAIGN NEWS

Deeds Wins Big In VA

In what the Washington Post calls a "stunning come-from-behind victory," state Sen. Creigh Deeds won the Democratic gubernatorial primary in Virginia with 50% of the vote, followed by Terry McAuliffe with 26% and Brian Moran with 24%. Deeds will now face GOP nominee Bob McDonnell, who was unopposed, in a general election rematch of the 2005 state Attorney General race, in which McDonnell edged Deeds.

Much of the coverage today focuses on the loss by McAuliffe, a former chair of the Democratic National Committee and a leader of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. The Washington Times calls the results a trouncing of "the once-mighty Clinton political machine that backed" McAuliffe. The AP says Deeds "raised only about $3.7 million, far less than his rivals. McAuliffe, who dominated fundraising, received nearly twice Deeds' total." Characterizing the results as a "brutal repudiation" of McAuliffe, The Politico suggests that he had dominated the race up until the end.

Other media outlets suggest the race has national implications. The New York Times says the national parties are heavily invested in the race, "as Democrats hope to continue their party's recent winning streak in this historically conservative state." The Politico suggests that the general election "will draw national attention as an early indicator of how Democrats are faring in the Obama era."

Christie Has Early Lead In NJ

A new poll out this morning from Quinnipiac University shows challenger Chris Christie (R) leading New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine 50%-40% among likely voters. Among a larger sample of registered voters, Christie leads 46%-37%. Pollster Clay Richards says, "Don't count Gov. Jon Corzine out just because he trails by 10 points less than five months before Election Day." However, Richards adds, Corzine "certainly has his work cut out for him. Most New Jersey voters say he does not deserve re-election; that things have gotten worse since he became Governor and that personally he is cold and businesslike, not warm and friendly." The poll surveyed 1,388 registered New Jersey voters from June 3-8.

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POLITICAL HUMOR

The Latest From Late Night Comedians

Conan O'Brien: "Yesterday, Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor fell and broke her ankle, and she's expected to be on crutches for several weeks. ... In a related story, Republicans have announced that Sotomayor's confirmation hearing will consist of three questions and a timed obstacle course."

David Letterman: "Boy, this is a weird story. Supreme Court nominee Sonya Sotomayor is at LaGuardia and she breaks her ankle. ... This happened, like, two days ago. And in a 5-to-4 ruling, the current justices have voted to send her a get well card."

Craig Ferguson: "Al Gore is back in the news today because President Obama is saying he might send him to North Korea to negotiate with Kim Jong-Il. ... I'm thinking if you're going to send a vice president to negotiate with a madman, why don't you send Joe Biden? At least...Biden speaks the language of crazy. He understands the ways of the bonkers."

Craig Ferguson: "He's been acting up a lot lately, Kim Jong-Il. Yesterday he sentenced two American journalists to a labor camp. And a couple of weeks ago, he tested another nuclear weapon. I think he thinks he's a Bond villain. ... The next thing you know, he'll be living in a hollowed-out volcano with an army of robot skeletons and he'll be stroking a large cat."

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