Tea Parties Forge Alliances In Bid To Advance Agendas
The Wall Street Journal reports: “The tea-party movement is turning more professional. Around the country, tea-party groups are building increasingly sophisticated political organizations and overcoming early bickering to push legislative platforms, elect their own delegates, shake up statehouses and even form alliances with the Republican Party establishment they profess to dislike. Nowhere is this evolution more vivid than in Virginia, where a federation of more than 30 groups scattered across the state now has the ear of the Republican governor, top state legislators and the state’s congressional delegation.”
Obama’s Day Ahead
President Obama will receive the presidential daily briefing at 11:15 a.m. ET, and the economic daily briefing at 11:45 a.m. ET. Obama will have lunch with Vice President Biden at 12:30 p.m. ET. Then at 1:45 p.m. ET, Obama will posthumously award the Medal of Honor to the late Staff Sergeant Robert J. Miller, U.S. Army, for heroic actions in Afghanistan. Obama will meet at 3 p.m. ET with senior advisers. He will depart from the White House at 4:25 p.m. ET, and depart from Andrews Air Force Base at 4:40 p.m. ET, arriving at 5:30 p.m. ET in Newark, New Jersey. He will attend a Democratic National Committee fundraising dinner at 6 p.m. ET in Cresskill, New Jersey. He will depart from Newark at 7:45 p.m. ET, arriving at 8:35 p.m. ET at Andrews Air Force Base, and arriving back at the White House at 8:50 p.m. ET.
Biden’s Day Ahead
Vice President Biden will chair a regular meeting at 11:30 a.m. ET, of senior officials to assess progress in Iraq. Afterwards, he will have lunch with President Obama at 12:30 p.m. ET. Then at 1:45 p.m. ET, he will attend the Medal of Honor ceremony for Staff Sergeant Robert J. Miller, U.S. Army, for heroic actions in Afghanistan. In the evening, the Vice President and his wife Dr. Jill Biden will host a dinner at the Naval Observatory with Italian-Americans, in honor of Columbus Day.
Obama Strains To Get Liberals Back Into Fold Ahead Of Vote
The New York Times reports: “With four weeks until Congressional elections that will shape the remainder of his term, President Obama is increasingly focused on generating enthusiasm within the base that helped put him in the White House two years ago, from college students to African-Americans. But Mr. Obama has aimed much of his prodding — and not a small amount of personal pique — at the liberals most deflated by the first two years of his presidency. Assuming that many independents are out of reach, White House strategists are counting on Mr. Obama to energize, cajole, wheedle and even shame the left into matching the Tea Party momentum that has propelled Republicans this year.”
First-Term Members Alter Face Of Senate
Roll Call reports: “First-term Senators could make up 40 percent of the chamber next year, wielding significant influence over their parties and the institution itself. The seniority shift comes after two consecutive cycles of Democratic gains, and a 2010 election that is likely to give Republicans a historic number of new Members. ‘The clash is going to come when the new crop of Republicans meets the newer classes of Democrats who have absolutely had it with the Republican stalling tactics of the past couple of years,’ said one senior Senate Democratic aide who has worked in the chamber for decades.”
Presidential Seal Falls To The Floor During Obama Speech
CNN reports: “‘Was that my…uhhh…oh goodness,’ President Obama said as he looked around at the front of the lectern. When the presidential seal affixed to his lectern thudded to the floor mid-speech, Obama’s serious tone at a business conference took a backseat to comedy for about a minute Tuesday night. ‘That’s alright. All of you know who I am,’ he said to laughter and applause.”
