Sotomayor Set To Be Confirmed Today
The Senate is expected to vote today to confirm Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. Her confirmation is essentially guaranteed, as no Democrats have come out against her, and eight Republicans are now set to vote in favor of the nomination as well.
Obama’s Day Ahead
President Obama will meet with members of the Senate Finance Committee at 11:30 a.m. ET. He will meet with Sec. of the Treasury Tim Geithner at 3:15 p.m. ET. He will meet at 4 p.m. ET with John Brennan, the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism. He will speak at a 6:40 p.m. ET fundraiser in Virginia for state Sen. Creigh Deeds, the Democratic nominee for governor this year, and then speak at a 7:10 p.m. ET rally for Deeds.
Biden On Vacation In South Carolina
Vice President Biden and his wife Jill are spending the week in Kiawah Island in South Carolina, at the private home of Maria Allwin. They arrived last night, and will be staying through August 12. No public events are scheduled.
CNN Poll: Obama’s Approval Falls 10 Points Over Last 100 Days
A new CNN poll finds that President Obama’s approval rating has fallen by ten points during his second 100 days in office. According to the poll, 56% of Americans approve of his performance, with 40% disapproving, compared to a 63%-33% rating when he’d first reached the 100-day mark back in April.
Quinnipiac: Obama Approval At 50%
The new Quinnipiac poll finds President Obama’s approval rating at 50%, to disapproval of 42%. This is down from a 57%-33% rating a month ago, 59%-31% two months ago, and 58%-31% from three months ago — meaning that there has been a significant decline after a period of stability.
WaPo: Obama Using More Than Bullets And Bombs To Fight Terrorism
The Washington Post reports that the Obama Administration is pursuing a far different strategy on terrorism than the Bush White House, combining military pressure against al Qaeada with comprehensive economic and diplomatic measures throughout the Muslim world. “It needs to be much more than a kinetic effort, an intelligence, law enforcement effort. It has to be much more comprehensive,” said John Brennan, the senior counterterrorism adviser to President Obama. “This is not a ‘war on terror.’ . . . We cannot let the terror prism guide how we’re going to interact and be involved in different parts of the world.”
White House To Overhaul Policy On Immigrant Detention
The New York Times reports that the Obama Administration will announce today an overhaul of the country’s policies on detaining immigration violators. The changes could take months or years to complete, but will involve centralizing authority over the system, and providing direct oversight of detention centers that have come under criticism for poor conditions.
Gregg To Vote For Sotomayor
Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) announced yesterday evening that he will vote to confirm Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, making him the eighth Republican to indicate support. Gregg said in his statement that he does not agree with Sotomayor on everything, but that is not what the confirmation process is about: “Ultimately, my decision comes down to qualifications. I will vote to confirm Judge Sotomayor, because in my judgment, she is qualified to serve on the Supreme Court.”
