Poll: Americans Don’t Blame Obama For Economy
A new ABC/Washington Post poll finds the public agreeing with the Obama administration that it has inherited the problems it has to deal with. Only 26% of Americans think the Obama administration deserves blame for the current economic problems, compared to 80% who blame banks and businesses, 70% who blame the Bush administration, and 72% who blame consumers. President Obama’s approval rating remains high at 66%, with 60% approval on the economy specifically.
Obama Going To London For G20, Biden In Washington
President Obama and Michelle Obama are headed to the United Kingdom for the G20 summit. They left Washington early this morning, and will arrive in London in the evening. Vice President Biden is in Washington today, just back from his trip to Latin America, and will be planning an upcoming event of the Middle Class Task Force, and will make phone calls to House and Senate members to discuss the budget.
Election Day In New York Special
Today is Election Day in the special election for Kirsten Gillibrand’s old House seat, with Democratic businessman Scott Murphy and Republican state House Minority Leader Jim Tedisco locked in a tight race, and backed up by hefty spending from their own campaigns and the national parties and interest groups. The polls will close at 9 p.m. ET.
Obama Presses House Dems On Budget
President Obama met yesterday evening with the House Democrats, urging party unity in passing his budget plan — and warning that failure to do so would undermine Democrats on other issues, too. “If we don’t pass the budget, it will empower those critics who don’t want to see anything getting done,” said Obama, according to one attendee.
Hillary Offers Olive Branch To Non-Militant Taliban
Speaking at a conference at the Hague, Hillary Clinton said the West had to reach out to reconcilable elements of the Taliban. “They should be offered an honorable form of reconciliation and reintegration into a peaceful society, if they are willing to abandon violence, break with al Qaeda, and support the constitution,” said Clinton.
NYT: Gates Finding Role, Leaving Mark On Obama Administration
The New York Times profiles Defense Sec. Robert Gates, and how he has made the transition from working for President George W. Bush to President Obama: “This past week, as Mr. Gates stood behind Mr. Obama during the announcement of the Afpak plan, his pragmatist fingerprints were evident: The strategy broadened the effort to include more troops and civilian development experts but narrowed the goal from the second President Bush’s ‘flourishing democracy’ to one this White House (and Mr. Gates) consider more realistic, denying Al Qaeda and its allies a safe haven in the region.”
Government Watchdogs, Lobbyists Join Together Against Strict Stimulus Lobbying Rules
The Hill reports that the American Civil Liberties Union, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, and the American League of Lobbyists are all joining together to request that the Obama administration change its set of restrictions on lobbyists discussing stimulus projects with government officials. The groups contend that the rules are too restrictive, and may infringe on the First Amendment right to petition the government.
