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Today: Obama Giving Speech On Iraq Pullout Timeline
President Obama will be speaking at 11:45 a.m. from the Camp Lejeune military base in North Carolina, where he will be laying out his plan for a withdrawal from Iraq. The plan will involve the withdrawal of combat troops by August 2010, with a residual force of 30,000-50,000 troops to continue training the Iraqis through December 2011.

Biden Holding Meeting On Middle Class Issues, Green Economy
Joe Biden is at the University of Pennsylvania campus in Philadelphia today, where he will be leading the first meeting of the Middle Class Task Force, focusing on the creation of green jobs, accompanied by several cabinet and task force members. This evening, Biden and his wife Jill will be speaking at the Delaware State Education Association Winter Advocacy Retreat in Rehoboth, Delaware.

WaPo: Obama Iraq Plan Faces Opposition On The Left
The Washington Post reports that Obama’s Iraq withdrawal plan is not impressing other Democrats, and that not one member of the Dem Congressional leadership supported it during a meeting last night between Obama and members of Congress. Chuck Schumer declared that a withdrawal “has to be done responsibly, we all agree. But 50,000 is more than I would have thought, and we await the justification.”

NYT: Obama Budget Repeals Reaganism
The New York Times examines President Obama’s budget, marveling at its program of progressive taxation and other measures to address income inequality. The Times declares: “The budget that President Obama proposed on Thursday is nothing less than an attempt to end a three-decade era of economic policy dominated by the ideas of Ronald Reagan and his supporters.”

Obama To Meet With Australian Prime Minister
The Obama Administration has announced that the president will be meeting March 24 with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, at the White House. The two leaders will discuss the financial crisis, Afghanistan, climate change, nuclear proliferation and other issues.

Report: Pelosi To Refuse Contributions From Banks
Roll Call reports that Nancy Pelosi will refuse campaign contributions from banks, in the wake of their opposition to a mortgage reform bill. Pelosi made the announcement at a Democratic caucus meeting yesterday morning — perhaps a signal to other members that they should follower her lead on this.

Senate Votes For D.C. Representation In Congress
The Senate voted last night by 61-37 to pass a bill to to give the District of Columbia a full vote in the House of Representatives. The bill will be signed into law by President Obama, but will immediately face a court challenge on the grounds that it is unconstitutional.

Another Ad Ties GOP Leaders To Rush Limbaugh
The labor-backed group Americans United For Change has this new ad out, attacking the Republican leadership for saying “No” to President Obama’s stimulus plan, and connecting them to Rush Limbaugh’s “I want him to fail” policy:

“So who are Republican leaders listening to?” the announcer asks, followed by Limbaugh’s “I want him to fail.” The ad is going up on national cable and in the D.C. media market — essentially aimed at the political class and higher-information voters who watch the news.

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