Obama To Shake Up Security Team
Reuters reports: ” President Barack Obama will on Thursday name CIA Director Leon Panetta to become defense secretary and nominate General David Petraeus, who is running the war in Afghanistan, to take over the spy agency. The shakeup ahead of the 2012 presidential election could have broad implications for the Obama administration, which is seeking deeper Pentagon spending cuts and aims to start drawing down U.S. forces from Afghanistan in July.”
Obama’s Day Ahead
President Obama will receive his daily briefing at 10:15 a.m. ET, hold a meeting on Libya at 10:50 a.m. ET, and meet at 11:30 a.m. ET with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. At 2:05 p.m. ET, he will meet with a group of influential Hispanics from across the country, to discuss fixing the country’s immigration system. He will make a personnel announcement at 3:10 p.m. ET. He will meet at 3:45 p.m. ET with Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli, and they will deliver statements to the press at 4:20 p.m. ET.
Biden’s Day Ahead
Vice President Biden will meet at 10:30 a.m. ET with Budget Director Jacob Lew, National Economic Council Director Gene Sperling, and senior advisers to discuss fiscal policy. At 3:10 p.m. ET, he will attend President Obama’s personnel announcement in the Rose Garden.
In Major Reshuffle, Obama Opts For Continuity
The Washington Post reports: “President Obama has opted for continuity in a major reshuffle of his national security team, choosing familiar names to help him complete the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq, define the endgame in Afghanistan and give the Pentagon its fair share of budget cuts. Three of the four nominees Obama plans to announce Thursday — CIA Director Leon Panetta to be secretary of defense; the Afghanistan commander, Gen. David H. Petraeus, to head the CIA; and Central Command’s deputy chief, Lt. Gen. John R. Allen, to take over in Afghanistan — have been deeply involved in formulating administration strategy in the tumultuous Middle East and South Asia.”
Obama: Republicans Push Vision Of “Shrunken America”
Reuters reports: “President Barack Obama on Wednesday accused Republicans of using their cost-cutting proposals to push a vision of a ‘shrunken America’ as he sought to rally supporters on a re-election fundraising drive in New York. At a trio of events aimed at rekindling the enthusiasm of his 2008 presidential campaign, Obama touted his economic policies and budget plan and urged Republicans to engage in a ‘serious debate’ on tackling the nation’s debt and deficits.”
In Trying to Debunk A Theory, the News Media Extended Its Life
The New York Times reports: “The facts about Barack Obama’s birth never wavered. But the more the fraudulent theories were debated and dispelled in major news media outlets, the more people seemed to believe them. The conspiracy theories were promulgated on the Internet and by fringe publishers in the early days of the Obama presidency, and they were encouraged by right-wing radio and television hosts and, more recently, by Donald J. Trump, who is toying with a Republican run for president.”
GOP Strategists Fear Fallout From Obama Birth Record
Roll Call reports: “The question of whether President Barack Obama was born on U.S. soil will have zero impact on the 2012 campaign but could significantly damage Republicans’ prospects for retaking the White House if it lingers. That was the consensus analysis of more than a dozen experienced GOP political strategists, consultants and operatives who were interviewed Wednesday within an hour of Obama going on national television to publicly release the long-form version of his birth certificate.”
