Pres. Obama meets with soldiers and Gold Star families today, a day after delivering his speech to the nation on the future of America's involvement in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, our future is also on the line in Washington. Check back later for today's Outlook and Underbuzzed. Meanwhile, here's your Morning EDition:
TODAY
- Pres. Obama meets with soldiers, Gold Star families at Ft. Drum, NY
- Pres. Obama attends DNC fundraisers in NYC.
ECONOMY
- Map: The world's richest are richer now than before the recession. #Dedistributionofwealth.
- This is why banks were pushing crappy mortgages: Because they could sell any mortgages they had.
- Small business (you know, the job creators?) bash GOP's idea for big-business tax holiday.
- Republican Fed Chairman Bernanke confirms that GOP spending cuts will destroy jobs.
- Weekly jobless claims worse than expected.
- Auto-bailout ripples begin to nurture Michigan's economy.
- VIDEO: Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) votes against agency he once praised for creating jobs.
BUDGET
- Senate GOP split over killing tax breaks.
- The two biggest threats to our deficit? The Bush tax cuts and repealing health-care reform.
- Even the Washington Times says we're just six years from a balanced budget -- if Congress doesn't screw it up.
- Democrats worry the White House will be the one to screw it up.
- Congress fears Biden group won't meet its deadline for raising the debt ceiling. Clean bill, anyone?
- House GOP Leader Cantor pulls out of the Biden talks.
- Poll: Democrats have won the Medicare battle.
- Poll: Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) has lost the Medicare battle; he's third most-disliked Republican in the country. #Ryanforpresident!
- Ezra Klein on the poll numbers.
WALL ST. / BANKS
- Democrats cry for the head of the Republican Comptroller of the Currency after he gripes about bank regulations.
GAS PRICES
- Pres. Obama taps the strategic reserve. Instead of capping Wall St.
BIG OIL
- House Republicans pass a bill making it easier to drill for oil offshore. They're sorry they didn't do it sooner, BP.
- Even some Republicans want tougher fuel-efficiency rules.
ENVIRONMENT
- North Dakota flooding expected to reach record levels.
HEALTH CARE
- Analysis: Employers dropping health-care plans is a good thing.
AFGHANISTAN
- Was Pres. Obama's speech intended to signal an end to an era of militarization?
- Roundup of reaction to the speech.
- Word clouds: Bush's Afghanistan speech versus Obama's.
- The Republican presidential field didn't feel the need to unite in hawkish militarism. (Under Democratic presidents, you get to love your country even without bombing others.)
- Sec. Gates found the way somewhere between White House advisers and Gen. Petraeus.
LIBYA
- House Republicans prepare to confront the president tomorrow.
- House GOP shifts further away from supporting Libya operations.
JUSTICE
- First Osama bin Laden, now Whitey Bulger? After 17 years! Wow. And Whitey even gets a trial!
- Another group that Justice Thomas always sides with.
- Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) calls on Justice Thomas to explain his links to GOP donor.
WAR ON DRUGS
- Reps. Paul (R-TX) and Frank (D-MA) introduce bill letting states decriminalize marijuana.
GAY RIGHTS
- This could be a historic day for New York, and dramatically increase the number of gay people who will be allowed to marry.
MELTING POT
- For the first time, most American babies are non-white.
MICHIGAN
- Lawsuit challenges new law allowing for "emergency management" of municipalities.
ELECTIONS
- NRCC echoes the shocking racist/sexist ad in CA-36.
TIM PAWLENTY
- If he can't afford to pay his own staff, how can he manage America's books?
- Tim Pawlenty will KICK. YOUR. ASS.
MITCH DANIELS
- Daniels is a financial genius who saved Indiana, so why's Indiana in such bad shape?
EVAN BAYH
- Bayh is now working for: The US Chamber of Commerce, Fox News, a lobbyist, a hedge fund and a bank. Any questions?
(What I'm reading: Greg Sargent's Plum Line, Think Progress, Matt Yglesias, The Wonk Room, Talking Points Memo, TPMDC, Taegan Goddard's Political Wire, the Washington Monthly, the National Journal, Ezra Klein, Politico's Playbook and Huddle, Dave Weigel, Wonkette, Firedoglake, the NYT Caucus, Daily Kos, Crooks and Liars. What my iPod has me listening to: Lovers in a Dangerous Time (Live) by Bruce Cockburn.)
Follow Senior Producer Jonathan Larsen (@jtlarsen) on Twitter
Leave a Comment:
Breaking News!!
Just discovered that 1 of our favorite right wing loons is no longer on this blog. Seems that mikey-22030/regressive tp got the dreaded "Oh my. There doesn't seem to be a page here anymore" moniker slapped on his Newsvine pages. Though he wasn't a worthy opponent, he did provide us with laughs. Let us all bow our heads in a moment of silence for this troubled individual. LOL!
He really tried, but he seems to be a wing or arm off our other favoritePPT and he fell into his own trap. They will be back. LOL
Cantor and Republican co-harts just walked out on Biden and the Democrats. They will not ever cooperate when it comes to taxes. Still more interested in politics than solving the problems of our economy. Their propaganda has nothing to do with the Truth.
I heard that too TM. Just how far are these maniacs willing to go? Even THEY can't be as stupid as to let the U.S. go into default, and crash the WORLD economy over tax increases. But, then again, maybe they are.
Please me more supportive of our President. I am so disappointed in MSNBC recently. You did not support Weiner and now you are questioning the President's decision. He knows more than you know about the Afganistan situation. You are going to give the Republicans the Presidency and then you will really have a lot to talk about the US will be in dire straits. Right now it is the Republicans that are affecting the economy and unemployment and you are helping them blame it on the President.
A difficult decision but correct in the eye of the current situation affecting the world we're all living in!
So, Cantor and friends cant even do what they are paid to do and thats negogiate. Thats part of their job when they get elected. It doesnt surprise me in the least Cantor walked out, more than likely he had that planned all along so he could look like a hero in the eyes of his tea partiers. Unfortunately, what the Tea Party doesnt get is that Cantor isnt doing it for them, because they will be the ones paying for the lack of revenue tax increases to the rich would bring in. Also, with the Republicans even hinting of not raising the debt ceiling, they are hurting our economy and they know it. They would rather hurt our economy than to see Obama succeed at anything. Why isnt that considered treason? I hope Virginians in Cantor's district send him packing if he runs for re-election.
My comment (#4) referred to the troop issue.
As for Cantor stepping away from talks, he and all the repubs know that increasing tax revenues will solve the nation's budget crisis. Mind you, a crisis created by former President George W. Bush and it is finally coming back to bite us all. Their entire party is refusing to raise tax revenues because they know that will begin the process of fixing the nation's financial house. They know by doing this action, it will start a chain reaction of events that will be positive in the President's favor. They are playing politicals while the nation is suffering. Its time for the American people to say, ENOUGH! We're sick of the games and want you to lead. Stop serving the interest of corporations and the extremely wealthy and start looking out for the ENTIRE United States of America! If the Dems are putting difficult chooses on the table, they need to start doing the same!
The entire war in Afghanistan exists because the large corporations who control this country, and military companies can profit off the war.
The argument they give, "fighting them over there will prevent attacks here in USA is bull.#hit."
There is no organized military called Taliban. They are tribal peoples scattered all around the middle East. Libya, Pakistan,Sudan,Iran,Syria,Yemen...
CNN keeps showing the vast Taliban "military training as guys swinging on monkey bars or jumping over a wooden beams. The guys who do call themselves Taliban today might call themselves something else tomorrow. Like a prison gang.
Why doesn't CNN ever ask the question, "why don't Muslim terrorists attack 95% of other countries around the world?" WHY? Because USA has military bases in there country and supports Israel. That simple!
What if Afghanistan had military bases here with troops running around New York of another American city with machine guns, what do you think American people would do? BE ANGRY that's what. Our country has bases in 136 other countries around the world. Something with this picture? Seem necessary spending billions of dollars to not fix our country.
It is all made up people. By corporations who pay the politicians there campaigns to vote for war so they can make PROFIT!
hey, I'm no republican. let's stop blaming Bush. I could not stand him then and the record proves he was worth not standing. the democrats had the power but didn't use it for the middle class. health care is going thru the roof price wise. gas is up. groceries are up and so on. what we need is a president to get up on the bully pulpit and hammer the repubs for the hypocrites they are. where's the stand against Ryan by the PRESIDENT. notice I said the stand. no more community organising. the OTHER side does not want the president to be an organizer of anything. they do not represent that part of the middle class organization of America. draw a line Obama. make it loud and clear. we the middle class are almost to the point of nothing to lose if the Ryans get their way. how about you Obama getting on the pulpit????
I agree that Obama needs to get more assertive and start truly fighting for the middle class and the poor. Its like one news anchor said, Obama wants to work with the Republicans but they dont want to work with him so his method isnt going to work. Its time for him to say enough is enough, you had your chance to be involved now get out of the way. The right is blocking everything that is proposed so its not just Obama's fault but at the same time, he should be using their actions against them because whether or not they believe it, it will turn around to haunt them sooner than later.
obama will get elected he has to know the people of poor so do the democratic parties of the congress and senate go to the seek homeless see who electracted you all i hear on news is a laugh u in our government don't care. i have more to say but my computer screws up boy would like to get to gether with people that care of the people and not people that get elected from the president,house,senate. i hated civic in school this government and bodies are a laugh. grow up i had to my husband died with als. suck it up i did