Obama: We Will Deal With Drugs Coming From Mexico — And Guns From The U.S.
President Obama is headed to Mexico today, where he will offer U.S. solidarity in the Drug War. Speaking to CNN en Espanol yesterday, Obama explained: “We are going to be dealing not only with drug interdiction coming north, but also working on helping to curb the flow of cash and guns going south.”
Obama’s Day Ahead: Discussing High-Speed Rail, Traveling To Mexico
President Obama will be speaking at 9 a.m. ET this morning, discussing proposals to build a high-speed rail network. He will then leave for Mexico City, and is scheduled to arrive there at 2:10 p.m. ET. At 3:10 p.m. ET he will meet with President Felipe Calderón, and the two will hold a press conference at 4:45 p.m. ET. Obama will meet with U.S. Embassy employees at 5:40 p.m. ET, and will hold a working dinner at 9 p.m. ET.
Biden’s Day Ahead
Vice President Biden will be attending President Obama’s speech on high-speed rail this morning. He will then travel to Missouri, and is scheduled to arrive at Whiteman Air Force Base at 12:45 p.m. ET, where he will hold an event with Rep. Ike Skelton (D-MO) to thank the troops for their service. After visiting with the troops, Biden will head to Jefferson City, where he will hold an event alongside Gov. Jay Nixon (D-MO) and Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, promoting the stimulus program at the BB Transformer Factory.
CQ: Obama Charitable Deduction Plan Would Adversely Affect…Obama
CQ reports that President Obama’s proposal to cap the tax deduction on charitable deductions by top-earners would have had a serious effect on one particular taxpayer: Obama himself. Had this proposal been in effect last year, Barack and Michelle Obama would only have been able to deduct $48,174 out of their $172,050 in charitable donations, which would have resulted in an extra $20,000 on their their tax bill.
Rove: Tea Parties Show GOP Has To Stress Tax Cuts
In his latest column in the Wall Street Journal, Karl Rove hails the Tea Party protests, and urges the GOP to keep pushing tax cuts. “The open question is whether Republicans will be boosted by the nascent tea-party movement,” Rove writes. “House Republicans smartly offered a proposed spending plan this year that would freeze nondefense discretionary spending, suspend earmarks for five years, and reform entitlements. But cutting spending won’t be enough. Taxes matter — and will matter more in the coming years.”
White House Goes Into Lockdown — Thanks To Box Of Tea
The White House was placed under lockdown by the Secret Service yesterday, after a package was thrown over the fence of the North Lawn. As it turned out, the package was a box of tea bags — and along the way, the commotion itself shut down the Tea Party anti-Obama protest.
AP: Governing Not Easy For Palin
The Associated Press examines Sarah Palin’s current political goings-on in Alaska, finding that she has become a polarizing figure who, while popular, nevertheless has an uncertain future. “Her actions don’t fit together in a pattern,” said University of Alaska Fairbanks political science professor Gerald McBeath, when asked what Palin’s plans might be. “So that leaves me to suspect she hasn’t figured it out. She hasn’t decided. Or alternatively, maybe that’s just part of her style and we just haven’t gotten used to it yet.”
Ron Paul Makes Cameo In Bruno
Ron Paul has an upcoming cameo — unwittingly, of course — in the upcoming Bruno movie by Sacha Baron Cohen. “I was expecting an interview on Austrian economics,” Paul told Curtis Sliwa. “So, that didn’t turn out that way. But, by the time he started pulling his pants down, I … What in (inaudible) is going on here? I ran out of the room.”
