The CBS Evening News ran a feature on President Obama's assertion that "he has already saved or created tens of thousands of jobs." It's "the President's favorite number, those 150,000 jobs, and he uses it as clear numeric proof the stimulus is working. ... But here's the reality: Those 150,000 jobs are a guess, based on this 16-page White House document which uses what's called macroeconomic methodology that gives the President a formula for the jobs that should be created, not a tally of jobs actually created." Meanwhile, the New York Times writes that as Obama "struggles to turn around the moribund economy and confront multiple international issues, he wastes few opportunities to remind the country that the problems are not of his making." Obama "is hardly the first president to point to his predecessor," but "at a certain point, a new president assumes ownership of the problems and finds himself answering for his own actions."
Budget Deficit Could Become Major Dilemma In the Wall Street Journal, Gerald Seib calls the Federal budget deficit "a nasty virus lurking inside President Barack Obama's plans, threatening both his efforts at economic recovery and his broader agenda. This virus will need long-term treatment -- years of it. But the deficit also is becoming a significant short-term psychological problem that the administration has to deal with now."
The Washington Post editorializes, "Imagine going on a diet in which you figure out how many calories a day you eat and pledge to make up for any amount beyond that with vigorous exercise. Except that your regular consumption includes four gooey slices of chocolate cake daily -- which you have no intention of giving up. You might not put on weight as quickly, but you're not likely to slim down, either. This is about what President Obama proposed this week with new legislation to codify congressional pay-as-you-go rules."
Cantor Likens Obama, Putin On Economy The AP reports, "The No. 2 Republican in the House is comparing some of President Barack Obama's economic policies to those of Russia's prime minister and former president, Vladimir Putin." Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia "tells The Associated Press that Obama is micromanaging the auto industry to win points with Democratic allies and labor unions. Cantor said Thursday that Obama's plans for the auto industry are, in his words, 'almost like looking at Putin's Russia.'"
On its front page this morning, the Washington Post reports that the Administration "has all but abandoned plans to allow Guantanamo Bay detainees who have been cleared for release to live in the United States, administration officials said yesterday." The move is said to reflect "bipartisan congressional opposition to admitting such prisoners," and it "complicates efforts to persuade European allies to accept them." Also on its front page, the Los Angeles Times says that the Administration has "virtually abandoned plans to resettle" detainees in the US, "officials said" in a "recognition that the task had become politically impossible because of congressional opposition."
Meanwhile, the AP says the Administration will "be allowed for the next four months to order Guantanamo Bay detainees into the United States to face trial under a compromise reached Thursday by House and Senate negotiators struggling with a war-funding bill."
Six Detainees Freed Yesterday The AP, meanwhile, reports that four Chinese Muslims, known as Uighurs, detained at Guantanamo Bay prison "were freed Thursday and resettled in Bermuda, sparking complaints from China and Britain even as the Obama administration tried to iron out details for sending more detainees" to Palau. The four men were "accompanied on the plane to Bermuda by White House counsel Greg Craig and Guantanamo closure chief Daniel Fried, who played a logistical role and ensured that the process went smoothly, White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said." Also on Thursday, the AP reports, "US officials say two more Guantanamo Bay detainees have been released, sent to their home countries of Iraq and Chad." The Justice Department said "Jawad Jabber Sadkhan was sent to Iraq Wednesday night," and Mohammed el-Gharani, "the youngest detainee at Guantanamo, arrived in Chad Thursday." The release of the six men, the New York Times reports, "drew wide attention as the president has struggled to meet his goal of closing the prison by January." The transfers "were the biggest steps the administration has taken toward that goal."
Intel Officials Reportedly Warned Against Transfers On its front page, the Washington Times reports that US intelligence officials "have quietly told Congress they advised against transferring 25 of the 60" Guantanamo Bay detainees deemed eligible for relocation by the Administration, "including five who are considered to be highly dangerous and likely to return to the battlefield." However, "the Defense Intelligence Agency officials did not raise any formal objections with the administration because they concluded the decision to move prisoners already had been made," according to a letter Sen. Tom Coburn sent Tuesday to Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair.
Sign up here to get the US News Political Bulletin emailed to you each morning at 8 a.m.
The Wall Street Journal says House and Senate leaders "agreed Thursday night on a $106 billion spending bill to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, paving the way for congressional passage next week." But earlier in the day, "a joint House-Senate committee meeting to finalize the bill almost collapsed...when Senate Democrats initially joined Republicans in insisting on a provision that would give the administration clear authority to withhold photos of abused detainees."
Under the headline "Photo Finish For Imperiled War Funding," The Politico reports that Sen. Daniel Inouye "later read aloud a letter from Obama pledging to use every 'legal and administrative remedy' available to prevent the disclosure of the pictures."
Federal Court Blocks Release Of Photos The AP reports 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan yesterday ruled that the "US government can keep pictures of detainee abuse secret while it asks the Supreme Court to permanently block release of the photographs on the grounds they could incite violence in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan." The "one-paragraph ruling" by the court "came after the Obama administration asked the court to keep the pictures secret so it could appeal to the nation's highest court."
President Obama promoted healthcare reform in Green Bay, WI, yesterday. Obama's healthcare message was not covered by the networks, though it did gather some coverage on cable and local TV broadcasts as well as print outlets around the country. Most reports cast the President's trip as an effort to build up public pressure on lawmakers to act, and note that Obama linked his healthcare push to the economy. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says the President in fact "gave few specifics about what he wants to see," and instead "emphasized the need for swift action. Aides, reported CNN's The Situation Room, said the Administration is trying to convey a sense of urgency" on healthcare reform, "while giving the public a chance to help shape the health care debate." USA Today refers to "an aggressive push by the administration to tackle health care legislation this year," and The Politico says Obama drew "on campaign-style tactics and rhetoric and taking sharp aim at critics of his proposed 'public option' plan."
Obama's comments in support a "public" healthcare reform plan are gathering attention from major print outlets. The Wall Street Journal notes that the President said, "I strongly believe that one of the options in the [health-care insurance] exchange should be a public insurance option. ... And the reason is not because we want a government takeover of health care...but we want some competition."
The Washington Times reports that Obama took "a side last week on one of the debate's two most controversial issues," and the New York Times says that while "in a letter to top Senate Democrats last week, he stated his strong preference for a public plan," yesterday "was the first time Mr. Obama had used his presidential platform to defend the idea at length." The Los Angeles Times also called it one of Obama's "most extensive defenses of the so-called public option."
Obama, the AP reports, "challenged Republican critics Thursday to offer alternative plans for overhauling US health care, declaring he's 'happy to steal people's ideas' but that doing nothing about out-of-reach costs and uninsured Americans is not an option." The New York Times, meanwhile, says that "Obama neglected to mention that some centrist Democrats have qualms about a new government health plan."
Last night, WFRV-TV Green Bay reported that "the President specifically chose Green Bay because it's developing a positive reputation for how it manages healthcare costs." WBAY-TV Green Bay said that that while "local health professionals agree the healthcare system needs to be changed...many are concerned about how the President plans to do that."
On the network newscasts, the coverage of the President's visit to Wisconsin focused not on his remarks on healthcare, but rather on his exchange with the father of a 10-year-old who attended the event. The man, ABC World News "let his daughter skip school to attend." Obama wrote, "To Kennedy's teacher, please excuse Kennedy's absence. She's with me. Barack Obama." On the CBS Evening News , Katie Couric said about running footage of the exchange, "Pretty cool." NBC Nightly News also noted the "interesting moment."
The Politico reports the Rev. Jeremiah Wright on Thursday "tried to step back from a controversial comment he made earlier in the week, explaining that when he said 'them Jews' were keeping him from getting access to President Barack Obama he meant to say 'Zionists.'" Interviewed by Sirius/XM radio host Mark Thompson, Wright said, "I misspoke. Let me just say Zionists." The AP this morning runs Wright's original "them Jews" comments, and notes that Wright also said at the time, "Ethnic cleansing is going on in Gaza. Ethnic cleansing (by) the Zionist is a sin and a crime against humanity, and they don't want Barack talking like that because that's anti-Israel."
ABC World News reported, "Radicals of the ultra-fringe, filled with rage about illegal immigration, fear of losing their guns, abortion and race, making law enforcement increasingly nervous about a potential wave of domestic terror." Former FBI Special Agent Brad Garrett: "These people are acting because they really believe there's a big conspiracy going on. And people are going to take their guns away. Or African-Americans are going to take over and run the country."
Jesse Washington writes in an AP analysis, "Crazies. Lone nut jobs. Isolated loonies. Those are frequent descriptions of people like James von Brunn," but some analysts "believe he represents something more dangerous: a growing racist movement motivated by a number of converging factors, including the first black president."
The Los Angeles Times reports that on the day after the Holocaust museum shooting, "experts disagreed about whether it was an isolated event or the latest sign of a growing threat by domestic hate groups. The danger appeared to come from two directions: far-right fanatics who feed on domestic conspiracy theories and Muslim extremists who oppose U.S. policies abroad. Both have launched deadly attacks in recent weeks."
Eugene Robinson writes in his Washington Post column, "In April, a prescient Department of Homeland Security memo predicted that the election of the first African American president and the advent of economic hard times could worsen the threat from 'right-wing extremist groups.'" Robinson adds, "What we don't know is whether all the blast-furnace rhetoric coming from the right is giving validation and encouragement to some confused, angry man or woman with a rifle or a truck full of fertilizer -- the next 'lone wolf,' preparing to howl."
Paul Krugman also writes in his New York Times column about the "huge fuss" over the DHS report, noting, "Conservatives were outraged. ... But with the murder of Dr. George Tiller by an anti-abortion fanatic, closely followed by a shooting by a white supremacist at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the analysis looks prescient."
FBI Says Von Brunn Acted Alone As James von Brunn was charged yesterday in Washington, DC, court with first-degree murder in the Holocaust Museum shooting, the story continues to receive heavy press coverage, including reports on all three network broadcasts last night and by major newspapers and wire services this morning.
ABC World News reported, "More was learned today about his actions and his political beliefs, his hatred of Jews and blacks, and they are beliefs shared by some others. And authorities fear those beliefs could prompt other violent acts." The CBS Evening News reported that "the FBI says evidence shows he was a lone wolf motivated by hate."
Sign up here to get the US News Political Bulletin emailed to you each morning at 8 a.m.
Top
A Rasmussen Reports poll of 500 likely Virginia voters taken June 10 shows state Sen. Creigh Deeds (D) leading Bob McDonnell (R) 47%-41% in the Virginia gubernatorial race. Earlier Rasmussen polls has shown McDonnell with a lead over the Democratic contenders. Rasmussen says the poll, taken the day after Deeds' big victory in the Democratic primary, may reflect a "bounce" from that win, but could signify "more lasting change" in the character of the race.
The Politico reports that DE-AL Rep. Mike Castle (R) opted not to pursue a top House committee position "so he can still ponder" a Senate bid. The Politico adds that Castle "would be running for Vice President Joe Biden's old seat, which has been filled temporarily by" Delaware Sen. Ted Kaufman (D), who is expected to step aside so that Beau Biden (D), son of the VP, can run.
Sign up here to get the US News Political Bulletin emailed to you each morning at 8 a.m.
Top
David Letterman: "Well, it's been a busy week here on the late show. Earlier in the week, I made some jokes that upset Sarah Palin. And I was telling jokes about her family and stuff. She got really upset. And I think everything's fine now. I think everything's going to be great because she called today and...offered to take me hunting."
Conan O'Brien: "Fiat, which took over Chrysler this week, says it plans to build its cars with American, not Italian workers. ... Fiat says they got the idea from the Olive Garden."
Jimmy Fallon: "Congress is considering a bill that would force advertisers to lower the volume of their TV commercials. Okay, how did my mother get in Congress? When did that happen?"
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.
