AFP reports that the White House on Thursday "defended President Barack Obama's stance on Iran's political crisis, amid fresh Republican demands for him to strongly back demonstrators in Tehran." Despite a New York Times report that Secretary Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden have been urging the White House "to take a slightly stronger tone in favor of the protestors," AFP notes that White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said, "There's no debate in the White House. Everybody's on the same page. There's no difference of opinion."
USA Today, meanwhile, reports that "Obama is taking heat for his measured comments," with "Republicans such as John McCain, Obama's rival in last year's US election," accusing him "of not doing enough to help democratic supporters in Iran."
The AP reports the Administration "again chose caution over condemnation in its comments Thursday on the Iranian election crisis, a careful tack followed by other democratic nations anxious not to damage prospects for engaging whatever government emerges." The Wall Street Journal, however, says European nations "are taking a considerably more aggressive line toward Tehran's clerical leaders than the Obama administration as Iran's postelection crisis deepens, fueling the ire of US Republicans and some democracy activists."
On CNN's The Situation Room, David Gergen said, "One would think that by this time, the Administration would have found an imaginative way to send a stronger signal. You know, it's been so muted as to be passive in appearance. ... This White House has been careful to the point of -- to a point of fault, in my judgment." Gloria Borger said, "First of all, he has to make sure that the people who are demonstrating are safe and that he doesn't give the establishment any reason to be able to say this is an American inspired and motivated demonstration. I do, however, take David's point."
On CNN's The Situation Room, Sen. John Kerry said, "For the President of the United States to get in the middle of what is happening in Iran right now, I believe -- and I think many people believe -- would be an enormous mistake." Charles Krauthammer, in the Washington Post, says President Obama is offering "dialogue with a regime that is breaking heads, shooting demonstrators, expelling journalists, arresting activists."
Ahmadinejad Aide Blasts US "Interference" The Washington Post reports Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's "top political adviser said Thursday that the United States will regret its 'interference' in Iran's disputed election." Mojtaba Samareh Hashemi said in an interview with the Post that President Obama's comments this week about demonstrations will "make things harder" if the Administration "attempts to engage Iran in talks over nuclear and other issues."
The AP reports this morning that "key Senate Democrats, bidding for bipartisan support on health care, pared back subsidies designed to make insurance more affordable on Thursday." Sen. Max Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, "has said he intends to hold the cost of the legislation to about $1 trillion." The Wall Street Journal meanwhile, says that Baucus' committee is considering "cuts in Medicare that would kick in automatically if other efforts to trim spending in the program fail."
The New York Times reports another idea under consideration is requiring "some employers to contribute to the cost of Medicaid or private health insurance for low-wage workers." The Politico notes that the Finance Committee proposal "does not include a public insurance plan, although it does detail an idea offered by Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) to create nonprofit insurance cooperatives."
The Washington Post reports that the proposal "included an array of coverage provisions that were drastically scaled back from earlier versions, as lawmakers seek to shrink the bill's overall cost." The Washington Times, meanwhile, reports that "Democrats' plans to start the health care debate by taking up supposedly noncontroversial portions of a Senate bill backfired Thursday, devolving into partisan bickering and highlighting the tough hurdles ahead for President Obama's goal for historic health care reform."
House Democrats Consider Tax Hikes The AP reports Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee "privately circulated a list of possible tax increases to pay for expanded health care," ranging "from raising the Medicare tax, slapping a 10-cents-per-can increase on sweetened drinks, raising the alcohol tax, imposing a new payroll tax on employers equal to 3 percent of their health care expenditures and taxing employer-provided health insurance benefits above certain levels."
Cooper: Leaders Nixed Bipartisanship Glenn Thrush, in a blog entry in The Politico, reports that "Blue Dog Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.), writing a HuffPo op-ed, is accusing House Democratic leaders of ordering him to steer clear of Republicans in crafting a health care reform compromise. ... The question now is whether Cooper -- who is feeding the GOP storyline of Democratic bullying -- will be willing to reveal who 'explicitly' told him to rebuff Republicans -- and what their rationale was."
CBO Forecasts Slowing Drive To Reform Some media reports and analyses, including a report on ABC World News, cast the public's concerns about the budget deficit and recent CBO forecasts as growing obstacles to the President's healthcare reform plans. The Washington Post reports that recent "unexpectedly high cost estimates -- arcane data that nevertheless carry enormous import in the legislative process -- sent shockwaves along Pennsylvania Avenue and forced one key committee to delay action on its bill, probably until after the July 4 recess."
By contrast, the New York Times offers a markedly positive assessment of the President's efforts: "In their heart of hearts, few in the Obama administration would have predicted late last year that they would be this well positioned by June to achieve a major victory on health care."
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The Hill reports that as lobbying intensifies ahead of the potential House floor vote on the Waxman-Markey climate change bill, "the coal industry is pushing back" against the bill, which "would likely curb coal use." The industry is "circulating a map that shows which states would see their electric bills increase the most under the legislation" in order to draw "battle lines based on region rather than political party." However, supporters say the industry's figures are off the mark and don't factor in ways the bill will offset rising energy costs or the jobs that it will create."
Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reports that "House Democrats are on the verge of a deal with rebelling Farm Belt legislators on a climate-change bill," which "could pave the way for a full House vote on legislation as soon as next week." Sources "close to the negotiations" indicated that the two sides "could reach an agreement within days, under which rural utilities could receive a small share of free emission credits -- less than 1% of the total that would be handed out" -- which addresses the Farm Belt Democrats' concerns that the bill "could disproportionately raise energy prices for residents and businesses in their states."
The Washington Times reports that "in a strategy memo, Democratic think tank Third Way and top party strategist Stanley Greenberg" warned House Democrats "that to sell any plan to voters they'll need to change the way they pitch it -- including curbing the use of the term 'green' jobs and even talk of 'global warming.'" The memo "suggests that Democrats tap into Americans' optimism that clean energy can help improve the faltering economy."
The AP reports Congress on Thursday "sent President Barack Obama a massive spending bill aimed at ensuring that the military efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan won't run out of money in the coming months." The bill also "branches off to provide money for programs ranging from pandemic flu preparedness to a 'cash for clunkers' initiative to encourage drivers to switch to more fuel-efficient vehicles." The Senate "passed the measure on a one-sided 91-5 vote."
The Washington Post reports, "Worried about releasing or permanently incarcerating detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in their districts or states, lawmakers stripped $80 million from the bill to implement Obama's plan to close the detention facility there, instead allowing the administration to bring detainees to the United States only for trials."
The New York Times reports that "Senators Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, and Joseph I. Lieberman, a Connecticut independent, had threatened to block the spending measure because it had no longer included a ban on the release of photographs showing abuse of prisoners held by American forces." McClatchy recounts that Graham "spoke to White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel" his concerns. Graham said that "Emanuel 'assured me these photos would not see the light of day.'" The Washington Post reports, "The Senate approved a $1 billion program yesterday to give vouchers to consumers who trade in their gas-guzzling clunkers for more fuel-efficient models -- a move that dealers hope will revive slumping auto sales."
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The Politico reports President Barack Obama's "strict ban on lobbyist contributions" limited "the haul" from last night's big fundraising dinner for congressional Democrats to about $3 million (a fifth of what the GOP brought in at a similar even this month), but the New York Times reports in a front page story that there is a second fundraiser at the same site being held this morning, which the President will not attend. At today's event, "registered lobbyists have not only been invited to attend an issues conference with Democratic leaders, but they have also been asked to come with a $5,000 check in hand if they want to stay in good favor with the party's House and Senate re-election committees." The AP says lobbyists will still be able to give "cash to the same political account" funded by the dinner. The Washington Times says the Republican National Committee "was quick to point out what it labeled a hypocritical action by the Obama administration, with RNC Chairman Michael S. Steele blasting the committees for banning lobbyist cash for one night only."
The Politico reports that RNC Chairman Michael Steele is accusing ABC News of openly advocating President Obama's health care agenda by planning to broadcast a special on the subject directly from the White House, while FOX News reports opponents of Obama's plan "are blasting ABC News for refusing to air opposing ads during a prime time special next Wednesday, just as a new study finds ABC News coverage of the president's health care plan is favorable by a ratio of 3 to 1." Meanwhile, a Washington Times investigation finds that ABC employees gave $124,000 to Obama's 2008 campaign, "80 times" more than given to McCain's campaign.
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Conan O'Brien: "A lot of people worried about the situation in Iran now. And I mean everybody's worried. This is a true story. ... Ashton Kutcher is urging the US government not to intervene in the crisis in Iran because he fears that Iran will end up just like Iraq. ... President Obama thanked Kutcher for his advice, said he'd get back to him after running it by the Jonas Brothers."
Jimmy Kimmel: "President Obama" is "getting a lot of criticism from PETA, you know, the Psychotics for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. They're taking issue with the fact that he killed a fly. For real. ... PETA said he should have captured the fly and taken it outside, which would have been a great message to send to North Korea."
Craig Ferguson: "Not such a great day for Hillary Clinton. She fell down, broke her elbow. ... You know, Fox News is going to be all over this story. This proves the Democrats are weak. Reagan fell over 10 times, didn't even break his hair."
David Letterman: "This guy, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, I mean, he claims victory and he is very unpopular. ... And the danger politically of this, he could ruin the political career of his brother, Jeb Ahmadinejad."
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