Barack Obama began outlining his economic priorities in his first press conference as president-elect on November 7th.
** BIDEN’S LONGTIME CHIEF OF STAFF TAKES SENATE APPOINTMENT. Delaware Governor Ruth Ann Minner today named Vice President-elect Joe Biden’s retired Senate chief of staff, Ted Kaufman, to the US Senate seat that Biden won in another landslide on November 4th. Kaufman, who was a senior advisor to Biden’s presidential and vice presidential campaigns, will not run in the 2010 special election to fill out the remainder of the six-year term Biden just won again. This will allow Biden’s son, Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, to run for the seat. The younger Biden, who surived the terrible car crash that claimed the life of his mother Neilia and his younger sister Naomi, just days after the 29-year old Joe Biden was elected to the Senate, in 1972, could not be appointed to his father’s seat because his National Guard unit recently deployed to Iraq.
** REPUBLICAN INCUMBENT LEADS IN GEORGIA SENATE RUN-OFF. The new Public Policy Polling survey shows Senator Saxby Chambliss leading his Democratic challenger, Jim Martin, 52% to 46%. Chambliss fell just below the 50% plus one needed under Georgia law to avoid a run-off next month. He has increased his lead over Martin since then. Why? Because fewer young voters are expected to turn out than participated in the regular general election 20 days ago.
Barack Obama benefited from a huge turnout of young voters in finishing only 5 points behind John McCain in the longtime red state. While at the polls, many of them voted for Martin. But without Obama himself on the ballot, it’s harder to get these new and/or occasional voters to the polls. For those who were wondering why Obama insisted on keeping Joe Lieberman in the Senate Democratic caucus.
Democrats have picked up seven US Senate seats in this election. And eighth looks quite possible, with comedian Al Franken having at least an even chance against Republican incumbent Norm Coleman as the recount proceeds in Minnesota.
** SCHWARZENEGGER HAS BIG 5 MEETING THIS AFTERNOON. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and the four legislative leaders from the two parties meet this afternoon to try to salvage the special session of California’s lameduck Legislature on the state’s chronic yet deepened budget crisis.
Not much has happened in this session, with key legislators traveling the world and the Capitol’s long entrenched factions seemingly remaining in stasis.
The Morning Column: MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK
A short week in presidential and California politics, with Thanksgiving just around the corner. Yet a consequntial week as President-elect Barack Obama unveils much of his top economic team and begins laying out his economic revival program. (See item below.) And Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger tries to salvage his special session of the lameduck Legislature, pushing for a vote to solve the deepening nature of California’s chronic budget crisis. (See item below.)
Meanwhile, major moves are afoot on the geopolitical front, with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev touring Latin American capitals as a squadron of the Russian Navy arrives for its first Caribbean maneuvers since the Soviet days nearly 20 years ago. And Iraq’s Parliament takes up the US troop withdrawal plan negotiated by the Bush/Cheney Administration — a plan which vastly accelerates the pullback of US forces beyond the wishes of this White House — with Iraq’s Cabinet. Iraqi officials say that if parliamentary approval is not forthcoming, US forces will have to withdraw immediately.
Russia’s navy began sailing the world’s oceans again a year ago. Today a squadron arrives in the Caribbean for maneuvers.
Medvedev will meet with a variety of presidents in the region, including the heads of Brazil, Venezuela, and Cuba. Oil powers Russia and Venezuela are expected to announce a new energy conglomerate. Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez’s party just swept 17 of 20 state elections over the weekend. Russia is making the none too subtle point that it doesn’t like the US meddling in its backyard.
Will the Iraqi Parliament turn down the negotiated withdrawal plan? It’s looked upon favorably by senior figures in Iran, which should tell any neocons seeking to declare victory quite a lot. On the other hand, without a status of forces agreement, US forces would be legally obligated to withdraw immediately, as the UN mandate runs out at the end of the year.
Back to domestic politics. The bailout of Citigroup I reported on Saturday morning is underway now, with the US government investing $20 billion for another equity stake in the troubled financial giant — America’s largest bank — and the government agreeing to guarantee a “bad bank” portion of the firm’s assets, some $300 billion.
President Bush spoke with Obama about this over the weekend, apparently seeking some sort of approval. Bush is increasingly absent from the play on these things, with Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson running things. At a press avail just now, Paulson grimaced as Bush referred to Citigroup as “Citicorp,” which it hasn’t been for years.
Will California’s budget crisis be solved tomorrow? What do you think?
** OBAMA TODAY. President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden hold a press conference to announce some of the leaders of his economic management team, and answer questions about his emerging plan to revitalize the US economy. As reported Friday, New York Federal Reserve Bank chief Timothy Geithner is slated to be secretary of the treasury and former Treasury Secretary and Harvard University president Larry Summers will head the National Economic Council inside the White House. UC Berkeley Professor Christina Romer will chair the Council of Economic Advisors. Melody Barnes, a former top aide to Senator Ted Kennedy, will chair the Domestic Policy Council in the White House, which will be involved with such economic-related issues as health care, Social Security, and energy. New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, a key backer in the primaries, will be announced as secretary of commerce in a separate event.
Obama will take questions about his emerging plan, which he first spoke of in his weekend video address below, to revive the US economy with a big jobs program.
The event is at 9 AM Pacific at the Chicago Hilton and will be roadblocked on all cable news nets.
** FROM THE ARNOLD FILE. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger meets this morning with Korean President Lee Myung-bak at the InterContinental Hotel in Century City, then flies to Sacramento for private meetings and discussions in and around the Capitol.
Schwarzenegger will push for a state budget vote on Tuesday, probably the last day for such action in the special session of the lameduck Legislature he called to deal with the deepening nature of California’s chronic budget crisis.
Predictably, the dominant far right faction of the California Republican Party’s board of directors voted over the weekend to oppose any tax increases as part of a budget solution.
** SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON: MASTERSTROKE, MOUSETRAP, OR BOTH? Potential Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Masterstroke or mousetrap? Or both? And for whom?
The political world has been all aflutter for the better part of a week at the prospect — initially portrayed as a done deal — that Hillary Clinton will be Barack Obama’s secretary of state. On the Republican side of the aisle, Henry Kissinger calls her “highly qualified” and Arnold Schwarzenegger dubs it “a great move.” The Clintons’ opponents in the Democratic Party have been restrained in their response. The media loves it, running with endless references to historian Doris Kearns Goodwin’s very fine book on the Lincoln Cabinet, an Obama favorite, “Team of Rivals.” … From my Wednesday column.
** MIAMI BLUES: PALIN AND NATIONAL REPUBLICANS LOOK LIKE THE SAD CALIFORNIA REPUBLICAN PARTY. … From my November 14th column.
** THE AMERICA THAT CAN BE/THE AMERICA THAT HAS BEEN. It was the America That Can Be vs. the America That Has Been. The future won. Yet there is much in the past that is of enduring value.
I must say that this campaign, for all its excitement, its twists and turns, and its thrilling outcome, was something of a disappointment. In Barack Obama and John McCain, we had the two most compelling figures in the two parties, representatives of an emerging set of values and an enduring tradition. … From my November 7th Huffington Post column.
** GLOBAL OBAMA: BIG OPPORTUNITIES, BIGGER CHALLENGES. If he wins, Obama will have the global popularity that no American president has had in a great many years. But what sort of challenges will counter the global opportunity that an Obama presidency might afford America? … From my October 24th Huffington Post column.
** 24/7 LIVE TV NEWS FEED FROM RUSSIA TODAY. Russia has re-emerged as one of the world’s great powers. Click here for a live TV news feed on your computer, bringing you English-language, jargon-free, fast-paced coverage of global and Russian news from the new Russia Today channel. You probably already know about CNN International, BBC World, and Al Jazeera. Russia Today, which also features culture, entertainment, and sports, is based in Moscow and is owned and operated by the TV Novosti division of Russia’s state news agency, RIA Novosti.
While it’s quite foolish to expect to see, say, criticism of Vladimir Putin on Russia Today, which I know as a former DemRussia advisor, the channel is very interesting nonetheless. With U.S. cable news chattering away as it does, this sort of respite can be informative. The NWN live link to RT does not constitute an endorsement of the channel’s views. It’s presented as an otherwise unavailable new media window.
** SCHWARZENEGGER’S CALIFORNIA. Here is my series of five columns on the governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger for the Los Angeles Times in debate with Pulitzer Prize-winning former Times reporter/editor Bill Boyarsky, whose columns are also included.
Among them is what I’m sure is the first piece examining Schwarzenegger’s legacy as governor of California. Since he will actually be governor of California until 2011. No technology known to be disruptive to the space/time continuum was used in its preparation.
** TRACK GLOBAL AND NATIONAL ENERGY PRICES IN NEAR REAL TIME VIA BLOOMBERG ENERGY MARKET WATCH. After crashing over $147 for yet another record on July 11th, crude oil is trading in the $51 to $52 per barrel range. That’s up $4 per barrel from Friday’s close.
OPEC forecasts a 0.6% decline in global oil consumption in 2009. But sees a 2.5% growth in oil consumption in developing nations.
The drop of $98 per barrel since the record high over the summer comes on acknowledgment that the weak US economy will cut future demand and on the easing of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. It is clear that that, contrary to much chatter, neither the US nor Israel is about to launch a strike against Iran. And the Russian war with Georgia, confounding much speculation and reporting to the contrary, actually decreased the geopolitical risk premium in the oil market.
Your posts are welcome in the Forum.
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| Comments (64) |
That was a good Obama press conference on 11/7. He knew the problems would be big.
Those Russian navy ships look pretty good.
Barack saw that Bush was leaving him the biggest mess in 75 years.
Didn’t Russia just lose a sub?
The Flash Report Republicans will never do anything realistic. They are wingnuts, dyed in the wool.
** FROM THE ARNOLD FILE. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger meets this morning with Korean President Lee Myung-bak at the InterContinental Hotel in Century, then flies to Sacramento for private meetings and discussions in and around the Capitol.
Schwarzenegger will push for a state budget vote on Tuesday, probably the last day for such action in the special session of the lameduck Legislature he called to deal with the deepening nature of California’s chronic budget crisis.
Predictably, the dominant far right faction of the California Republican Party’s board of directors voted over the weekend to oppose any tax increases as part of a budget solution.
Obama sounds like he knows what he’s doing. The plan is still pretty vague.
Bush has screwed this country up so bad that it is unbelievable.
The dozens political emails I was getting for the past year have been replaced by dozens of emails from desperate retailers. They are all offering great sales…and I haven’t opened a single one.
“The bailout of Citigroup I reported on Saturday morning is underway now, with the US government investing $20 billion for another equity stake in the troubled financial giant — America’s largest bank”
Too big to fail…
“the dominant far right faction of the California Republican Party’s board of directors voted over the weekend to oppose any tax increases as part of a budget solution.”
The vote was 14-2, which means Lord Vader is going to be troubled by their lack of faith…
This is certainly the most unusual presidential transition I can recall. Obama is striving to find just the right balance: On one hand, he continues to position himself as a change agent and man of action; at the same time, he doesn’t want to “own” this mess until he solemnly swears on 1/20 (and, really, he wants W to “own” it forever).
That all seems pretty logical. Is that what make it unusual? Heheh.
Those characters are worthless.
Brasky Says:
November 24th, 2008 at 10:14 am
“the dominant far right faction of the California Republican Party’s board of directors voted over the weekend to oppose any tax increases as part of a budget solution.”
The vote was 14-2, which means Lord Vader is going to be troubled by their lack of faith…
There are a lot of things that are too big to fail.
This is going to make the New Deal look like small change.
Brasky Says:
November 24th, 2008 at 10:01 am
“The bailout of Citigroup I reported on Saturday morning is underway now, with the US government investing $20 billion for another equity stake in the troubled financial giant — America’s largest bank”
Too big to fail…
Unusual circumstances, mostly.
But there’s something else going on. It relates to Bill’s post-election piece describing his overall “disappointment” with the content of the campaign, during which neither candidate truly addressed the economic challenges we were facing. For Obama, that was smart in the short-term electoral sense because he could win simply by being the anti-Bush (and because facts on-the-ground were rapidly changing). The two-year campaign allowed people to become comfortable with Obama, but it did little to educate the public about the economic realities facing our nation. Now his transition must compensate for the campaign’s substantive shortcomings.
>Is that what make it unusual? Heheh.
“Those characters are worthless.”
and yet, they can back everyone else into a corner.
Okay, serious folks, do we have a thumbs up or down on last night’s “24″????
I could only watch part of Obama’s press conference but it looked good.
If it’s 8 with Franken, and Lieberman stays, we only need one more to stop cloture. Who is that? Susan Collins?
** REPUBLICAN INCUMBENT LEADS IN GEORGIA SENATE RUN-OFF. The new Public Policy Polling survey shows Senator Saxby Chambliss leading his Democratic challenger, Jim Martin, 52% to 46%. Chambliss fell just below the 50% plus one needed under Georgia law to avoid a run-off next month. He has increased his lead over Martin since then. Why? Because fewer young voters are expected to turn out than participated in the regular general election 20 days ago.
Barack Obama benefited from a huge turnout of young voters in finishing only 5 points behind John McCain in the longtime red state. While at the polls, many of them voted for Martin.
Democrats have picked up seven US Senate seats in this election. And eighth looks quite possible, with comedian Al Franken having at least an even chance against Republican incumbent Norm Coleman as the recount proceeds in Minnesota.
“24: Redemption” was good. The UN was too much of a villian. However, Jack was great, his old Special Forces buddy played by one of the best Bond villains, Robert Carlyle, was heartfelt. I like the setup for the season.
Sacramento Solon Says:
November 24th, 2008 at 11:53 am
Okay, serious folks, do we have a thumbs up or down on last night’s “24″????
The UN record in peacekeeping situations is at best, decidedly mixed. …
Collins has gone that way before. There may be others.
>marcus waldron Says:
November 24th, 2008 at 12:25 pm edit
If it’s 8 with Franken, and Lieberman stays, we only need one more to stop cloture. Who is that? Susan Collins?
It went well, but the plan is not yet there.
># marcos leon Says:
November 24th, 2008 at 12:11 pm edit
I could only watch part of Obama’s press conference but it looked good.
Thumbs UP.
># Sacramento Solon Says:
November 24th, 2008 at 11:53 am edit
Okay, serious folks, do we have a thumbs up or down on last night’s “24″????
Well, some folks are allowing themselves to be backed into a corner.
I see no serious sign in over a year of Democrats playing hardball in the Legislature.
># four waters Says:
November 24th, 2008 at 11:43 am edit
“Those characters are worthless.”
and yet, they can back everyone else into a corner.
That wasn’t the only thing they didn’t truly address …
># Chris M Says:
November 24th, 2008 at 11:41 am edit
Unusual circumstances, mostly.
But there’s something else going on. It relates to Bill’s post-election piece describing his overall “disappointment” with the content of the campaign, during which neither candidate truly addressed the economic challenges we were facing. For Obama, that was smart in the short-term electoral sense because he could win simply by being the anti-Bush (and because facts on-the-ground were rapidly changing). The two-year campaign allowed people to become comfortable with Obama, but it did little to educate the public about the economic realities facing our nation. Now his transition must compensate for the campaign’s substantive shortcomings.
>Is that what make it unusual? Heheh.
Perhaps.
># Jack Aubrey Says:
November 24th, 2008 at 11:33 am edit
There are a lot of things that are too big to fail.
This is going to make the New Deal look like small change.
Brasky Says:
November 24th, 2008 at 10:01 am
“The bailout of Citigroup I reported on Saturday morning is underway now, with the US government investing $20 billion for another equity stake in the troubled financial giant — America’s largest bank”
Too big to fail…
I don’t actually find it that unusual, except in who is doing it and how fast it is happening.
># Chris M Says:
November 24th, 2008 at 10:52 am edit
This is certainly the most unusual presidential transition I can recall. Obama is striving to find just the right balance: On one hand, he continues to position himself as a change agent and man of action; at the same time, he doesn’t want to “own” this mess until he solemnly swears on 1/20 (and, really, he wants W to “own” it forever).
Detroit is too big to fail, but the Bushies aren’t doing much there. I think they’re saving the Republican Party’s longtime base.
># Brasky Says:
November 24th, 2008 at 10:01 am edit
“The bailout of Citigroup I reported on Saturday morning is underway now, with the US government investing $20 billion for another equity stake in the troubled financial giant — America’s largest bank”
Too big to fail…
But isn’t this the perfect time to get $100 off on diamond earrings?! …
># Brasky Says:
November 24th, 2008 at 10:00 am edit
The dozens political emails I was getting for the past year have been replaced by dozens of emails from desperate retailers. They are all offering great sales…and I haven’t opened a single one.
No.
But over 20 sailers died due to a freon leak.
># Capitol Boy Says:
November 24th, 2008 at 9:04 am edit
Didn’t Russia just lose a sub?
Something very much like that, with the added geopolitical messes …
># Capitol Boy Says:
November 24th, 2008 at 9:01 am edit
Barack saw that Bush was leaving him the biggest mess in 75 years.
They’re not sending their worst around the world …
># Jonas Blane Says:
November 24th, 2008 at 9:00 am edit
Those Russian navy ships look pretty good.
Don’t know if it’s just my browser, but today, every post is #1.
That seems fitting for this crowd.
I’m on Safari and Firefox, and seeing all the numbers for the posts.
“Well, some folks are allowing themselves to be backed into a corner.
I see no serious sign in over a year of Democrats playing hardball in the Legislature.”
Nothing’s going to happen in lame duck. Everybody is running from the same playbook as the past 8 years. Probably is, it’s a different game.
The problem with the legislature is that the Republicans are so idiotically dogmatic on taxes and fees that we’ll never know how far Arnold could get the Dems to cut spending. Reeps aren’t going to move on taxes (and haven’t for the past 8 years) and it means Dems don’t have to be realistic on spending.
That’s the REAL problem with the 2/3 vote. It lets everyone hide from reality—and now denial is going to take a big bite out of our ass.
Reality forces everyone to move. Along with inducements and coercion.
The Dems have been playing pattycake with the California Republicans all year.
># Brasky Says:
November 24th, 2008 at 2:23 pm edit
“Well, some folks are allowing themselves to be backed into a corner.
I see no serious sign in over a year of Democrats playing hardball in the Legislature.”
Nothing’s going to happen in lame duck. Everybody is running from the same playbook as the past 8 years. Probably is, it’s a different game.
“The Dems have been playing pattycake with the California Republicans all year.”
Except for the recall attempt. Instead of “good cop/ bad copy,” we decided to run “bad cop/dumb cop.”
Don Perata is crazy. Karen Bass is nice but weak. That was the best we could do?
“Karen Bass is nice but weak.”
I think a lot of that is the circumstance — she was practically a lame duck as soon as she got elected.
Via LA Observed business columnist Mark Lacter, I found this Washington Post piece on how much lax regulation by the Office of Thrift Supervision created the mortgage meltdown. And some of these folks still work for the government? Amazing!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/22/AR2008112202213_pf.html
John Meyers’ take on tomorrow’s legislative session: http://blogs.kqed.org/capitalnotes/2008/11/24/a-vote-tomorrow-on-ummm-ummm/
Here’s the part that I’ve actually been thinking about a lot lately:
“There are days when the press corps… and by extension, the public… knows very little about how elected officials, paid by taxpayers and generally required to deliberate in public, actually plan to act. (With every year, by the way, this phenomeon grows stronger.)”
I checked in with a couple of very key players not long ago. The whole California budget situation seems absolutely up in the air right now.
But you don’t want to make a big bet on a solution for tomorrow …
Regulation in the Bush/Cheney Era? Fuggeddabout it.
># Dana Says:
November 24th, 2008 at 4:41 pm edit
Via LA Observed business columnist Mark Lacter, I found this Washington Post piece on how much lax regulation by the Office of Thrift Supervision created the mortgage meltdown. And some of these folks still work for the government? Amazing!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/22/AR2008112202213_pf.html
Well, I like Perata, but that was idiotic.
># Brasky Says:
November 24th, 2008 at 3:35 pm edit
“The Dems have been playing pattycake with the California Republicans all year.”
Except for the recall attempt. Instead of “good cop/ bad copy,” we decided to run “bad cop/dumb cop.”
… Oops, I mean, “non-serious.”
I have to keep my all-purpose euphemism constantly in mind.
“you don’t want to make a big bet on a solution for tomorrow …”
No. I’m putting at even money that they even have a vote in both houses.
“The whole California budget situation seems absolutely up in the air right now”
My hope is that someone files suit and we get a court-awarded administrator to raise taxes and cut services.
I mean, it seems more likely that prisoners will get health care reform before the state enacts a sensible budget.
Or pass emergency legislation so that Californians can vote for a budget via a 1-900 number – that seems to work for American Idol. It certainly isn’t any dumber than what we’ve accomplished over the past 8 or so years.
lol
Bill Bradley Says:
November 24th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
… Oops, I mean, “non-serious.”
I have to keep my all-purpose euphemism constantly in mind.