Steele’s Rocky Tenure At RNC Expected To End
CNN reports: “It’s anybody’s guess which candidate will emerge as the next chairman of the Republican National Committee after Friday’s election, but RNC watchers largely agree on one thing: the reign of Michael Steele has come to an end. The phrases ‘Steele’s toast’ and ‘Steele’s done’ were confidently thrown out by three different RNC delegates supporting rival candidates when asked Thursday to forecast the election, and even some of Steele’s most ardent supporters privately admit that the outlook is grim.”
Obama’s Day Ahead
President Obama will receive the presidential daily briefing at 10 a.m. ET, and meet at 10:30 a.m. ET with senior advisers. He will meet at 11:15 a.m. ET with Pakistani President Asif Zardari. At 3 p.m. ET, President Obama and Vice President Biden will attend the funeral service of Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, and Obama will deliver remarks.
Obama Draws 31 Million TV Viewers For Memorial Tribute
Reuters reports: “Some 31 million U.S. television viewers tuned in to see President Barack Obama lead a memorial tribute to victims of the deadly shooting rampage in Tucson, Arizona, according to TV ratings provider Nielsen. The emotionally charged speech, in which Obama urged Americans not to politicize a tragedy that left six people dead and 13 others wounded, drew generally high marks for his bid to balance words of consolation with a call for national unity.”
House Republicans Edge Back To Business As Usual
The New York Times reports: “Republicans are carefully trying to return to normal business in the House, announcing on Thursday that lawmakers will next week consider the effort to repeal the health care law that was pulled from the agenda after the Saturday shooting rampage in Arizona. In a statement, Brad Dayspring, a spokesman for the office of the majority leader, Eric Cantor of Virginia, said, ‘It is important for Congress to get back to work, and to that end we will resume thoughtful consideration of the health care bill next week.'”
House Republicans Begin Annual Retreat Under Tight Security
The Hill reports: “Dozens of Capitol Hill policemen and Baltimore City police surrounded the Marriott Waterfront hotel as GOP House members arrived for their annual retreat on Thursday. The streets lining the Charm City hotel, located in the Inner Harbor, were congested with bumper-to-bumper U.S. Capitol Police cars, while plainclothes and uniformed cops manned the lobby.”
Liberal Groups Worry Obama Will Cut Deal On Social Security
The Hill reports: “A broad coalition of labor unions and liberal groups has launched an intense lobbying campaign directed at the White House in advance of President Obama’s State of the Union address. These groups are concerned about Obama’s taciturn response to the proposal by his fiscal commission to gradually increase the retirement age and use a different calculation for cost-of-living adjustments.”
