Obama Teaming Up With Bush 41, Promoting Volunteerism
President Obama is teaming up today with former President George H.W. Bush, to promote the cause of community service at Texas A&M University. The event at the conservative school will also be protested by the college chapter of the Young Conservatives of Texas. “I actually did get an invitation,” said chapter chairman Justin Pullman, age 19, “but I had to decline due to our protest.”
Obama’s Day Ahead
President Obama will depart from San Francisco at 12:35 p.m. ET, arriving in Houston at 3:55 p.m. ET. He will attend a Point of Light Forum at Texas A&M University, at 5:50 p.m. ET, hosted by former President George H.W. Bush. He will depart from Houston at 8:25 p.m. ET, arriving back at the White House at 11:15 p.m. ET.
Biden’s Day Ahead
Vice President Biden will attend a 12 p.m. ET fundraiser for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), in Reno. Afterward, Biden and Reid will hold an event at the University of Nevada-Reno to discuss the progress of the stimulus program. They will make remarks at 2 p.m. ET. Biden will then travel in the evening to Wilmington, Delaware.
WaPo: Obama’s Judicial Nominations Blocked By GOP, White House Inaction
The Washington Post reports that President Obama has thus far failed to win confirmation on many judgeships:”During his first nine months in office, Obama has won confirmation in the Democratic-controlled Senate for just three of his 23 nominations for federal judgeships, largely because Republicans have used anonymous holds and filibuster threats to slow the proceedings to a crawl. But some Democrats attribute that GOP success partly to the administration’s reluctance to fight, arguing that Obama’s emphasis on easing partisan rancor over judgeships has backfired and only emboldened Senate Republicans.”
ACORN’s Woes Strain Ties With Dems, HUD Secretary
The New York Times reports that Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan has distanced himself ACORN, in light of the organization’s current scandals, after years of working closely with them. “I can’t get near him,” said ACORN chief executive Bertha Lewis.
Freshman Republican Urge Afghanistan Surge
A group of freshman House Republicans have urged a troop increase in Afghanistan. “It would be irresponsible to take any action other than what Gen. McChrystal has recommended, which includes adding at least 40,000 troops to the region,” said Rep. Duncan D. Hunter (R-CA). “Victory in Afghanistan is well within reach, but it will only be possible if our military leadership and combat forces receive the resources they need to win.”
Pence’s Travel Picking Up 2012 Attention
The Hill reports that Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) has become the only potential Republican presidential candidate to travel to both Iowa and South Carolina — and he’s picking up the attention of the GOP base. “With Republicans, quite frankly, there’s a lot of bandwagon people who are saying, ‘Hey, we’re with you now.’ I don’t feel that Pence is one of those,” said Ryan Rhodes, chairman of the Iowa Tea Party Patriots. “I don’t think Pence is someone who’s lost our trust. He’s been aligned with the limited-government mentality that the tea party movement has been about.”
