Obama, GOP Start $50 Billion Apart
The Hill reports: “The Obama administration opened talks on a budget deal Thursday with congressional Republicans and Democrats, but the two sides appeared miles apart on how much to reduce this year’s spending. The White House offered to slash spending by an additional $6.5 billion a day after President Obama signed short-term legislation cutting spending by $4 billion to prevent a government shutdown. Republicans, however, want $61 billion in cuts, and some dismissed the new offer from Democrats as small grapes.”
Obama’s Day Ahead
President Obama and Vice President Biden will receive the presidential daily briefing at 9:30 a.m. ET. Obama will meet with senior advisers at 10 a.m. ET, will meet with Chicago Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel at 10:45 a.m. ET, and will meet with Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner at 11:15 a.m. ET. Obama will depart from the White House at 12 p.m. ET, will depart from Andrews Air Force Base at 12:15 p.m. ET, and will arrive at 2:40 p.m. ET in Miami, Florida. At 3:05 p.m. Et, he will tour a classroom at Miami Central Senior High School with former Gov. Jeb Bush (R-FL) and Education Secretary Arne Duncan, and deliver remarks at 4 p.m. ET. He will deliver remarks at a DSCC fundraiser at 5:35 p.m. ET, and deliver remarks at another DSCC fundraiser at 7:30 p.m. ET. He will depart from Miami at 8:30 p.m. ET, arriving at Andrews Air Force Base at 10:35 p.m. ET, and arriving back at the White House at 10:50 p.m. ET.
Biden’s Day Ahead
Vice President Biden will attend President Obama’s daily briefing in the Oval Office. Afterwards, he will meet with senior advisers.
Republicans And Biden Meet Amid Budget Pressure
Reuters reports: “Vice President Joe Biden held budget talks with congressional leaders on Thursday as Republicans came under pressure to scale back their plan to slash domestic spending by 25 percent. President Barack Obama and his fellow Democrats are at odds with Republicans over how to shrink the budget deficit, which is due to reach a record $1.65 trillion this year, and keep the federal government running through September.”
Less Drama In White House After Staff Changes
The New York Times reports: “The new team that Mr. Obama has assembled to run the White House is just starting to make its mark. But together Mr. Daley and Mr. Plouffe are bringing a new order and a different management style for different times, say people within the West Wing and others who deal with them. The White House is more disciplined and less personality-driven, more focused on long-term strategic goals and less consumed by the daily messaging skirmishes with Republicans — even when that means absorbing hits and pulling punches.”
Barack Obama Reelection Starts Cash Chase
Politico reports: “President Barack Obama’s 2012 fundraising team has begun nailing down major cash commitments from top donors during a coast-to-coast “listening” tour — the surest sign to date that the vaunted Obama money machine is back in business. Former White House deputy chief of staff Jim Messina, along with Hollywood producer-turned-Democratic fundraiser Rufus Gifford, has been aggressively recruiting big-money contributors who maxed out to the 2008 campaigns of Obama and Hillary Clinton, donors and party officials told POLITICO.”
