Election Central Morning Roundup
Obama Reworking TARP To Reduce Foreclosures -- And Win Over Congress
The Wall St. Journal reports that the Obama transition team is working some key new conditions into the Wall St. bailout, in order to win Congressional authorization for the remaining $350 billion. The bailout would now place new restrictions on recipients, and funds would also be used for additional purposes such as preventing foreclosures.
Obama Meeting With Calderon Today
Barack Obama is meeting in Washington today with Mexican President Felipe Calderon, a customary practice for presidents-elect before their inauguration. A big topic of discussion will reportedly be the Mexico drug war.
Bush Holding Final Press Conference
President Bush is holding a 9:15 a.m. press conference today, which is believed to be his final presser before leaving office.
Voinovich Expected To Announce Retirement
Sen. George Voinovich (R-OH) is expected to announce today that he won't be running for a third term in 2010. The new development sets up this big swing state for what should be a very heated open-seat race.
Today: Burris' Lawyers In Washington
Roland Burris' attorneys will be in Washington today to press the Senate leadership on the legality of Burris' appointment to the Illinois Senate seat. This comes after Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White issued a certified copy of Burris' certificate of appointment -- though he did not sign the appointment itself -- and after the state Supreme Court declared that the appointment was legal under Illinois law regardless of White's signature.
The Forecast For Inauguration Day: Cold, But Dry
The weather forecast for January 20, Inauguration Day, currently predicts temperatures in the high 30s in Washington, with sunny skies and no precipitation. The New York Times points out that this is comparable to the sunny and cold weather for Bill Clinton's two inaugurals, and better than the foggy or icy weather that George W. Bush had for his two events.
WaPo: The Audacity Of Terry
The Washington Post reports that Terry McAuliffe's candidacy for governor of Virginia seems to be going against just about every fundamental assumption of state politics: "that successful candidates must have deep roots in Virginia, that they must spend years cultivating support in local and state party organizations and that, if they are Democrats, they must stay connected with conservative-minded Virginians by keeping their distance from the national party."
Obama-Solomon ‘Bridges’ the Divide Between Spending and Tax Cuts
http://satiricalpolitical.com/?p=5551
January 12, 2009 9:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
Voinovich makes four long time GOP senators that are retiring. I know some Dems think this is great news as the long time incumbents are getting out of the way, but I think the plan for the GOP will be a "New Beginning" type deal, where they'll hype the wins in these safer seats as proof that they're back. These new candidates will be a clean cut from Bush and will be sold as "New Blood, New Ideas" while running on the idea of preventing the 60-seat boogeyman.
I think the Dems would have been better off running against the then 74yo Voinovich.
January 12, 2009 9:25 AM | Reply | Permalink
Don't you EVER get tired of concern-trolling?
Let me reassure you about Ohio. The Republicans will nominate some long-time apparatchick like Rob Portman, who will be at least as easily beatable as Gramps Voinovich.
January 12, 2009 9:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, no kidding. It's amazing how Jonzey Bonzey just spun another seat for the GOP to defend in a state we won in 2008 into some sort of negative. How 'bout we wait to start handicapping races that are two years away until after the current congress is fully seated, 'mmmmkay?
This is about as bad as that politico article about how if the stimulus doesn't work, Obama may be a one-term President. Here's a news flash: They're ALL potentially one-term Presidents before their inauguration!
January 12, 2009 10:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
I dunno. There's a lot of hype now about Rob Portman going after the seat. If that's what they consider a clean break from Bush, they're in for some heartache.
Saying that, Voinavich leaving is interesting because he was one of the few pro-union Senators left in the Republican caucus. It raises the stakes on Specter's reelection bid and any possible primary he might face. It's also an opportunity for labor to flex their political muscles and hopefully show Republicans why they need to expand their caucus to include pro-labor viewpoints.
This past election was important, but 2010's election will determine the direction that the Republican party goes in for the next decade or more.
January 12, 2009 9:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
Sorry, but Voinovich voted to filibuster the Employee Free Choice Act. That's really the defining issue as to whether someone is pro-union or anti-union.
The fact that he appears "pro-union" compared to the other Republican senators is just a comment on how virulently anti-worker today's GOP is.
January 12, 2009 10:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
We can't investigate torture because we're too busy congratulating Mitch McConnell for being OLD today in the Senate.
January 12, 2009 10:38 AM | Reply | Permalink