President Barack Obama met this morning at the White House with top business leaders to discuss his economic revival program.
** OBAMA ECONOMIC REVIVAL PROGRAM PASSES HOUSE IN PARTY-LINE VOTE. President Barack Obama got a major win late today when the House of Representatives passed his $825 billion economic revival program, 244 to 188. No Republican voted for it. Republicans tried earlier today to substitute a tax cuts-only program, which, with only 170 votes, lost a lot of Republicans.
Nevertheless, Obama, who spent two hours today over at the Pentagon in a meeting with the Joint Chiefs of Staff – I’ll have a column on that – is having Democratic and Republican legislative leaders over this evening for drinks.
His economic program goes on to the Senate, where it is expected to receive some Republican support.
** CALIFORNIA’S SOLAR POWER USAGE PICKED UP LAST YEAR. While he’s been consumed of late with the state’s chronic budget crisis, Schwarzenegger got some good news on another front. With his Million Solar Roofs initiative starting to kick in, California’s installation of solar electricity doubled in 2008 from the year earlier, according to the state’s Public Utilities Commission.
** SCHWARZENEGGER GENIALLY DELIVERS A DOUR MESSAGE. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger made his annual appearance today at the January luncheon of the Sacramento Press Club. Despite repeated questions, he gave no particular details about the ongoing negotiations on California’s chronic budget crisis. He did say that the state’s climate change program, now on the verge of getting the greenlight from the new Obama Administration, will be fully implemented.
As for legal challenges to his proposed furloughs of state workers, he said that if they succeed, which he doubts, he will have to actually lay off state workers.
He also said that the legal motion today by former Governor-turned-Attorney General Jerry Brown to replace the prison receiver and drop the $8 billion construction program he’s ordered is necessary. But that, in any event, that money will never be spent.
** BROWN AND SCHWARZENEGGER ADMINISTRATION SUE TO END PRISON RECEIVERSHIP AND $8 BILLION CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM. Former Governor-turned-Attorney General Jerry Brown appeared this morning at a Capitol press conference with state finance director Mike Genest and state corrections chief Matthew Cate to announce the filing of a motion in federal court to replace the current receiver overseeing the state’s long troubled prison system and terminate the receiver’s plan to require the state to spend $8 billion on construction to meet a constitutional standard of health care. The current receiver’s plans are dangerous to the state’s already overburdened finances.
“The court should terminate this unaccountable prison receivership and its $8 billion construction plan, restoring a dose of fiscal reality to the provision of inmate medical care in California,” said Brown. “The federal receivership has turned into its own autonomous government operating outside the normal checks and balances of state and federal law.”
** OBAMA AND THE CALIFORNIA WAY ON CLIMATE. President Barack Obama is choosing the California way of dealing with climate change. What this means is that major action to curtail greenhouse gases can happen faster, and without dealing with a traditional lobby-dominated Congress, with California and other states leading the way and doing the work.
Here’s how. … From my new column.
New US Mideast envoy George Mitchell kicked off his tour of the region yesterday in Egypt.
** OBAMA TODAY. A big day for President Barack Obam. He meets this morning with business leaders in the White House on the economic crisis, then makes some public remarks.
In the afternoon, he and Vice President Joe Biden go out to the Pentagon for their first meeting with the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The’ll be going over the drawdown of US combat troops from Iraq and what looks like a min-surge of US troops to Afghanistan.
And tonight, the House of Representatives votes on Obama’s economic revival program. Some Republicans have seized on some pork that has inevitably made its way into the package. How many Republican votes will Obama get in the House? Probably not many. Of course, that’s not a problem on this issue.
The truth is, Obama doesn’t need any House Republican votes. And he only needs a couple of Senate Republican votes if the minority party decides to try a filibuster.
But it serves Obama’s long-term interests to try to be bipartisan. Or at least to appear to try to be bipartisan.
** FROM THE ARNOLD FILE. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger makes his annual appearance today at the January luncheon of the Sacramento Press Club. He also holds private talks in and around the Capitol, mostly focused on California’s chronic budget crisis.
Schwarzenegger will get lots of questions about the budget crisis at the Press Club luncheon, naturally, but may not have many specifics about the ongoing negotiations.
Some Republican legislators, who have essentially blockaded the budget for months by publicly refusing to consider any tax hikes, seem to be getting closer to going for a budget that includes tax hikes as well as program cuts and a spending cap.
Naturally, much of California’s far right – which is doing a remarkable job of driving the state’s Republican Party deeper into permanent minority status – is going bonkers over this.
The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association is running some ads in a few markets making the argument that it’s all a spending problem, and not a revenue problem, notwithstanding the fact that big cuts have already been agreed to.
Schwarzenegger’s speech and Q & A session will be webcast live at 12:20 PM at www.gov.ca.gov.
** “MAC IS BACK?” HEY, IT NEVER LEFT. MACINTOSH TURNS 25. Whenever John McCain and his backers would start up one of their chants in the campaign that “Mac is back,” I’d say, what the heck are they talking about? It’s never left.
So here we are, 25 years to the day since Apple launched the Macintosh computer. And the Mac, unlike my old friend John McCain, is going as strong as ever, maybe even stronger. It hasn’t taken over the world, as Steve Jobs hoped. But it’s changed the face of computing in many ways, and is doing a lot better than any other computer in this global recession.
I’m a Mac guy since the ’80s. I run what we laughingly call my operation, a one-person operation, that is, as a Mac shop. Two Apple laptops on a wireless network, with a six-year old iBook as an emergency back-up.
But it’s deeper than that. I was there in Silicon Valley 25 years ago when the Macintosh was launched by Steve Jobs.
I was working with Senator Gary Hart then, and had gotten to know his backer, Apple’s marketing and PR guru Regis McKenna (I later worked with him as assistant to the chairman at his firm). Regis, who came up with the Apple logo, told me that I really didn’t want to miss the 1984 Apple shareholders’ meeting. As usual, he was right. …
** OBAMA AND HIS COMMANDERS. … From my Friday column.
** OBAMA: RIDING WITH HISTORY. (NOTE: As Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States, this column was the featured column on the top of the front page of the Huffington Post.) … From my January 19th Huffington Post column.
** ANOTHER DAY: 24 AND THE AGE OF OBAMA. … From my January 13th column.
** CIA: THE PANETTA PICK AND THE FEINSTEIN FACTOR. … From my January 12th column.
** CIA: PARSING THE PANETTA PICK. … From my January 6th column.
** OBAMA: VACATION’S END. … From my January 2nd Huffington Post column.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin kicks off the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland with a keynote address.
** 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.
** 24/7 LIVE TV NEWS FEED FROM AL JAZEERA. With the US entangled in two wars in the region, it’s valuable to keep up with news and perspectives from the leading Middle Eastern-based TV news network. Based in the Gulf Arab state of Qatar, Al Jazeera is very influential and more than a bit controversial.
Click here for a live TV news feed on your computer. The NWN live link to AJ 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 range of $41 to $42 per barrel.
The drop of $106 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 previous 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.
Read 
| Comments (75) |
Putin kicks off Davos. I guess Russia really is back.
George Mitchell is pretty dry.
He makes sense, however.
I’m going to be there. It should be very interesting.
What knee jerks those “Howard Jarvis” people are.
** FROM THE ARNOLD FILE. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger makes his annual appearance today at the January luncheon of the Sacramento Press Club. He also holds private talks in and around the Capitol, mostly focused on California’s chronic budget crisis.
Schwarzenegger will get lots of questions about the budget crisis at the Press Club luncheon, naturally, but may not have many specifics about the ongoing negotiations.
Some Republican legislators, who have essentially blockaded the budget for months by publicly refusing to consider any tax hikes, seem to be getting closer to going for a budget that includes tax hikes as well as program cuts and a spending cap.
Naturally, much of California’s far right – which is doing a remarkable job of driving the state’s Republican Party deeper into permanent minority status – is going bonkers over this.
The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association is running some ads in a few markets making the argument that it’s all a spending problem, and not a revenue problem, notwithstanding the fact that big cuts have already been agreed to.
Russia is strong again, like Bill predicted. However, they must be in trouble too, like everybody else. It makes far less money on oil than it used to.
All hail heroic leadership of Comrade Vlad.
Does this mean they’re going to help us with Afghanistan?
I guess being boring is an asset for a negotiator. He’ll put those Mideast hotheads to sleep.
Jonas Blane Says:
January 28th, 2009 at 7:48 am
George Mitchell is pretty dry.
lol
That’s a very informative story on the greenhouse gas issue. It’s great how Obama can use Arnold and the other governors to back-door a big climate program without having to take federal action.
Hey, where’s my comment?
We should be so lucky.
Len Says:
January 28th, 2009 at 8:39 am
All hail heroic leadership of Comrade Vlad.
Does this mean they’re going to help us with Afghanistan?
“The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association is running some ads in a few markets making the argument that it’s all a spending problem, and not a revenue problem, notwithstanding the fact that big cuts have already been agreed to.”
Listened to the ad — it’s aimed at putting pressure on Republicans to hold on tax increases.
Alas, there will be no sneak peek at the judge’s tentative ruling today in the furloughs case.
PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS IN CALIFORNIA GOVERNMENT, et al., v. GOVERNOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, et al., Case No. 2008-80000126 (and related cases)
The above-captioned actions are set for hearing on respondents’ demurrers to the petitions for writ of mandate and complaints for declaratory relief, and on the merits of the petitions/complaints, on Thursday, January 29, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. in Department 19.
The Court is not posting a tentative ruling for these matters. Appearance of counsel for oral argument is required.
Just read that the House Republicans have defeated the bill to delay the switch to digital television. Vote unanimously passed the Senate, but couldn’t muster the 2/3′s needed in the House.
Seems as if some folks just never learn…
Good. You deleted those crazy ramblings.
Where’s Schwarzeneger?
Just about …
Yep.
># marcos leon Says:
January 28th, 2009 at 12:18 pm edit
Good. You deleted those crazy ramblings.
I wonder why they did that.
># Sacramento Solon Says:
January 28th, 2009 at 11:31 am edit
Just read that the House Republicans have defeated the bill to delay the switch to digital television. Vote unanimously passed the Senate, but couldn’t muster the 2/3’s needed in the House.
Seems as if some folks just never learn…
It may be moot in any event.
># Wilbur Says:
January 28th, 2009 at 10:44 am edit
Alas, there will be no sneak peek at the judge’s tentative ruling today in the furloughs case.
PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS IN CALIFORNIA GOVERNMENT, et al., v. GOVERNOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, et al., Case No. 2008-80000126 (and related cases)
The above-captioned actions are set for hearing on respondents’ demurrers to the petitions for writ of mandate and complaints for declaratory relief, and on the merits of the petitions/complaints, on Thursday, January 29, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. in Department 19.
The Court is not posting a tentative ruling for these matters. Appearance of counsel for oral argument is required.
Of course. That’s the entire point of the organization.
># Brasky Says:
January 28th, 2009 at 10:19 am edit
“The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association is running some ads in a few markets making the argument that it’s all a spending problem, and not a revenue problem, notwithstanding the fact that big cuts have already been agreed to.”
Listened to the ad — it’s aimed at putting pressure on Republicans to hold on tax increases.
A continued glitch, sorry.
># Jack Aubrey Says:
January 28th, 2009 at 10:16 am edit
Hey, where’s my comment?
Thanks. Obama can get a de facto climate change program without having to do much, or expend much political capital.
># Jack Aubrey Says:
January 28th, 2009 at 10:16 am edit
That’s a very informative story on the greenhouse gas issue. It’s great how Obama can use Arnold and the other governors to back-door a big climate program without having to take federal action.
I’ve met George Mitchell. He thinks of himself as stately, not boring.
># Len Says:
January 28th, 2009 at 8:40 am edit
I guess being boring is an asset for a negotiator. He’ll put those Mideast hotheads to sleep.
Jonas Blane Says:
January 28th, 2009 at 7:48 am
George Mitchell is pretty dry.
Probably. But it will come at a price.
># Len Says:
January 28th, 2009 at 8:39 am edit
All hail heroic leadership of Comrade Vlad.
Does this mean they’re going to help us with Afghanistan?
Russia’s financial system is actually in big trouble. Past oil earnings are keeping it propped up.
># Capitol Boy Says:
January 28th, 2009 at 8:04 am edit
Russia is strong again, like Bill predicted. However, they must be in trouble too, like everybody else. It makes far less money on oil than it used to.
Yes. But hardly to Soviet levels.
># Jonas Blane Says:
January 28th, 2009 at 7:46 am edit
Putin kicks off Davos. I guess Russia really is back.
Gee, Jerry and Arnold have figured out there is political capital to be gained by railing against the receivership. What a surprise. Next they can rail against the Judge Henderson when he says no, there’s a reason you’re under a receivership, and it was never supposed to be pleasant.
In keeping with that theme Obama should support and defend Arnold’s diesel retrofit reg, which the Reeps want canceled as a budget concession, by including a tax credit for it in the stimulus. It would be another way to follow the CA lead, it’s immediate spending injected into the economy, I think (hope) that tech is made in the good ol’ USA, and it’s sorta greentech. retro-greentech if you will. And it’s a business tax relief bone he can throw to the House Reeps.
No threat to AB32 sez Arnold. Who started that rumor?
Bee editorial this a.m.: “With California just days away from running out of money, Republicans are quietly insisting that Democrats and the governor weaken state rules to allow greater diesel pollution from construction equipment, more use of pesticides by farmers and more greenhouse gas emissions from development projects.”
Yesterday’s Bee: Environmentalists sound alarms over budget deal
By Kevin Yamamura
While Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger celebrated President Obama’s embrace of California’s strict auto emissions standards, environmentalists said Monday they fear the governor and Democrats will approve GOP environmental rollbacks in exchange for tax increases.
Republican leaders have asked to relax diesel equipment rules, protect developers from greenhouse-gas lawsuits and give the governor’s Business, Transportation and Housing secretary oversight in future California Air Resources Board decisions.
Seems to me I’ve read a lot of this Reep railing against the diesel retrofit rules lately as business killers. And Cogdill and Villines are both from Ag districts, no?
Yes, both Codgill and Villines represent districts with lots of cows and bulls.
I believe the dust-up over diesel rules is for non-farm mobile source pollution — it’s mostly the construction industry that is complaining. I believe ag diesel (tractors) are covered by Carl Moyer, while construction diesel (bulldozers) are not.
If we had the money, I’m sure we would just expand Carl Moyer. But we don’t, so we aren’t.
“No threat to AB32 sez Arnold.”
That’s always been good enough for me.
Actually Wilbur, you could use stimulus money to fund a temporary expansion of Carl Moyer to cover a short retrofit period (say two years) of “use it or lose it” funding. The program would need a urgency bill to be modified and the money could be earmarked in the stimulus package.
“BROWN AND SCHWARZENEGGER ADMINISTRATION SUE TO END PRISON RECEIVERSHIP AND $8 BILLION CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM. ”
Good God — what took them so long?!
Brasky Says: “Actually Wilbur, you could use stimulus money to fund a temporary expansion of Carl Moyer to cover a short retrofit period (say two years) of “use it or lose it” funding. The program would need a urgency bill to be modified and the money could be earmarked in the stimulus package.”
Thanks, Brasky. The wealth of knowledge here never fails to astound. I looked up the Carl Moyer program and yes that would be a very good fit, funneling it into up front grant money is even quicker than tax credits for something for which financing might be scarce.
I’m receptive to the economic argument that costly new mandates right now are a problem, and that if the government wants the transition to actually GET DONE in a timely fashion some subsidy is appropriate.
Wilbur — you’re welcome. People smarter than me could give you more info on the program — it’s not my specialty. Just one of the things you pick-up if you’ve been doing this long enough.
I think Obama’s point is appropriate to this discussion — industry must clean-up and conserve, and government must help them do it. A much better stimulus than giving billions to failed bankers to buy failed banks that need more billions to prevent a bigger failure…
Carrying the water of their construction industry campaign contributors–yeah, that is a worthy reason for the Reps to hold the budget hostage! Instead the non-budget item they should champion is to have the Energy Commission back off in re flat screen TVs. That would be a populist win among voters spun as the Reps heroically fighting big brother trying to take away what is currently the most popular consumer electronic item. Would be a brilliant tactical move.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-tv3-2009jan03,0,2869589.story
No kidding.
>Brasky Says:
Good God — what took them so long?!
The Republicans refused to delay the digital TV deadline in response to their supporters in the cable television industry. You can make a case that this whole thing was an attempt by cable to get everyone to subscribe.
And the most help the Russians could give us re: Afghanistan would be to point out what happened to the Red Army there.
Anyone catch Issa on Hardball today? Amazing how these architects of disaster are suddenly running away from their own policies of the past eight years. Now they disagree with Bush? A guy they never once spoke nor voted against.
Another Mac Guy
there’s a reason you’re under a receivership, and it was never supposed to be pleasant — But filing a lawsuit and having a webcast is what the glimmer twins do best (do only?). If they were serious about corrections costs, they would do something about the awful, medieval manner in which we parole people in this state, only to have them brought back in when they eat at a restaurant too close to a home of a known dealer. And that is just for starters.
Republicans refused to delay the digital TV deadline in response to their supporters in the cable television industry. — I believe the democrats have garnered much more contributions from the cable guys than the reeps ever have.
The switch over has been public knowledge for several years now. When TV broadcasters have to switch, they will be having to give up one of the two channels they now hoard in analog. The new channel is then available for cell phones, Internet, etc. which is a much better use of bandwidth. There are very few people who are using rabbit ears nowadays anyway, and my guess is primarily those who choose not to have cable or satellite because they don’t need TV to watch Netflix.
news reports say that Arnold said today that if public employee unions don’t accept furloughs 2 days a month, then he will lay off state workers to reduce salary costs.
Very good leadership by Arnold on this issue.
No Republican votes for the economic recovery plan. A try to replace it with all tax cuts. The Republicans learned nothing from the elections.
“OBAMA ECONOMIC REVIVAL PROGRAM PASSES HOUSE IN PARTY-LINE VOTE.”
Wow.
“Republicans tried earlier today to substitute a tax cuts-only program, which, with only 170 votes”
Wow.
These guys are lost in the weeds.
I thought Schwarzenegger was good today. He was realistic and still positive. The crowd liked him. What poll was the AP reporter talking about?
“Republicans refused to delay the digital TV deadline in response to their supporters in the cable television industry. — I believe the democrats have garnered much more contributions from the cable guys than the reeps ever have.”
Possibly. But evidently the Republicans are much more responsive.
Larry,
Let’s put it in the proper setting…it’s only the House Republicans who voted no. There were no “no” votes in the Senate…those Republicans acted responsibly.
As I understand it the reason for the request is that about 5-10% of the nation is still unready. Part of the problem is that the government funded program has run short on coupons and run out of money to reimburse.
What the House republicans have done is what the do best/only…obstruct. They are taking a page from the California Republican Party playbook.
Now, back to recovery mode…