GOP: Dems ‘Lucky’ In Arrest of Shahzad
The Washington Post reports that Republicans are spinning the government’s arrest of Times Square bombing suspect Faisal Shahzad as a product of luck, rather than any effectiveness on the part of the Obama administration. “Yes, we have been lucky,” House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) said Thursday, “but luck is not an effective strategy for fighting terrorism.”
Obama’s Day Ahead
President Obama will make a statement at 11 a.m. ET, on the monthly job numbers. Joining him will be Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, Budget Director Peter Orszag, Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers Romer and National Economic Council Director Larry Summers. There are no other public events scheduled.
Senate Rejects Limits On Bank Size
The Senate last night defeated a proposal to limit the size of the nation’s largest banks as part of financial reform. The amendment, which was offered by Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Ted Kaufman (D-DE) was voted down by a margin of 61-33.
Obama To Seek Line-Item Veto Power
The New York Times reports that President Obama plans to ask Congress to give him and future presidents a line-item veto power — the ability to try to delete individual items from spending bill: “In doing so, Mr. Obama will join a long line of his predecessors who have sought either line-item veto power or, after the Supreme Court in 1998 ruled such a veto unconstitutional, some other rescission authority that passes muster. Congress once again is unlikely to be receptive, though growing antidebt sentiment could give the proposal life.”
House GOPers: Too Soon To Say We’ll Win The House
Politico reports that many House Republicans are saying it is too soon to confidently predict winning the House this November. “I don’t think you say that publicly,” said Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID). House Republican Conference Chairman MIke Pence (R-IN) said: “My message every time I travel around the country is, it’s halftime in the locker room. We’re ahead on the scoreboard, but there’s a lot of time left on the clock.”
Senate Judiciary Committee Punts vote On Goodwin Liu
Roll Call reports that the Senate Judiciary Committee has delayed voting on the nomination of Goodwin Liu for the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, one of President Obama’s more liberal picks: “While he is likely to be approved in committee along party lines, his outlook on the floor is far less certain…By delaying action one week, the Judiciary panel could very well return to Liu’s nomination just as it begins reviewing Obama’s next Supreme Court pick.”
Lieberman: Offshore Drilling ‘Getting A Second Look’ In Climate Bill
Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) told reporters that offshore oil drilling was “getting a second look” as part of his upcoming energy bill with Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), in light of the BP oil spill. He also added: “I think the bill, when it reaches the floor, will still have a section that will call for development of domestic energy resources as we transition to a clean energy economy.”
