TPMDC Morning Roundup

Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Obama’s Day: Promoting Stimulus And Paying Tribute To Lincoln
President Obama is meeting with Hillary Clinton at 10:45 a.m. ET. Then at 11:30 a.m. he will be speaking at the Capitol Rotunda, honoring the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln. He will then be heading to Illinois, where he’ll be meeting at 4:25 p.m. ET with workers at a Caterpillar Plant in East Peoria, promoting the stimulus plan. Then at 8 p.m. ET he will attend a dinner in Springfield, honoring Lincoln.

Joe Biden Visiting the Special Olympics
Joe Biden is traveling today to Boise, Idaho, where he will attend a 3:45 p.m. ET reception for Special Olympics athletes and their families.

WaPo: Yes, Economists Say The New Deal Helped The Depression
The Washington Post has a new article this morning, rebutting the Republican critique that the New Deal either failed to help or even caused the Great Depression. While the verdict is mixed on some particular aspects, most economists say the New Deal helped — and if anything, the problem was Roosevelt didn’t spend enough. Said Berkeley economics professor Barry Eichengreen: “Should we be surprised that it didn’t end the Depression given its small size by the standards of the problem? No.”

Karl Rove Praises House GOP On Stimulus, Denounces ‘My Way or The Highway’ Obama White House
Karl Rove’s latest column in the Wall St. Journal provides some interesting perspective into the stimulus spin war, making the case that Republicans — especially the House leadership team — have performed well in the stimulus debates. “House Republicans had the wisdom to continue to talk to the Obama White House,” Rove says. “This made them look gracious, even as the president edged toward a ‘my way or the highway’ attitude.”

Obama Honors Lincoln At Ford’s Theatre
President Obama also honored Lincoln last night, at the rededication of Ford’s Theatre. “We know that Ford’s Theatre will remain a place where Lincoln’s legacy thrives,” said Obama, “where his love of the humanities and belief in the power of education have a home, and where his generosity of spirit are reflected in all the work that takes place.”

Poll: Crist The Early Favorite For 2010 Florida Senate Race
A new Strategic Vision (R) poll of Florida shows that Republican Governor Charlie Crist would be the easy favorite to hold this seat, should he decide to run. Crist currently tops Dem Congressman Kendrick Meet by 60%-26%, beats state Senator Dan Gelber 58%-27%, and has similarly huge margins over other Dems — though this is probably to some extent furthered by his higher name recognition. If Crist doesn’t get in, the poll shows other Republicans with narrow leads, and very high undecided numbers.

LaHood Pushing House Republicans On Stimulus
Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood has been making phone calls to his former colleagues in the House Republican caucus, asking them to support the stimulus plan. Republicans who have gotten his calls include Reps. John Mica (FL), Frank LoBiondo (NJ), Steven LaTourette (OH), Shelly Moore Capito (WV), Charlie Dent (PA), and others.

Dem Candidate For Gillibrand’s Seat Debuts New Ad
Scott Murphy, a businessman and the Democratic candidate in the March 31 special election for Kirsten Gillibrand’s former House seat, is already up on the air with this new ad:

Murphy’s challenge in this race is that the Republican candidate, Assembly Minority Leader Jim Tedisco, starts off with much higher name recognition. So it’s important for Murphy to get on the air as soon as possible.

Latest DC
Comments
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: