Obama, Republicans In Tax Face-Off At White House
Reuters reports: “President Barack Obama faces off with Republican congressional leaders over taxes on Tuesday in a test-of-wills that could foreshadow how the White House works with the opposition party in the coming two years.”
Obama’s Day Ahead
President Obama and Vice President Biden will receive the presidential daily briefing at 9:45 a.m. ET, and meet with the bipartisan Congressional leadership at 10:30 a.m. ET. He will meet with Nobel Laureates at 4:05 p.m. ET, and he and Vice President Biden will meet with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates at 4:30 p.m. ET.
Biden’s Day Ahead
Vice President Biden will attend the presidential daily briefing at 9:45 a.m. ET, and attempt President Obama’s meeting with the bipartisan Congressional leadership at 10:30 a.m. ET. Biden will host a lunch meeting at 12:30 p.m. ET, with Deficit Commission co-chairs Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson. He will meet at 3 p.m. ET with Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), to discuss oversight of the Recovery Act and other federal programs. Later, he and President Obama will meet with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates at 4:30 p.m. ET.
Scarborough To GOP: ‘Man Up’ And Attack Palin
Former Florida Republican Congressman and current MSNBC TV host Joe Scarborough writes in Politico: “Republicans have a problem. The most-talked-about figure in the GOP is a reality show star who cannot be elected. And yet the same leaders who fret that Sarah Palin could devastate their party in 2012 are too scared to say in public what they all complain about in private. Enough. It’s time for the GOP to man up.”
Democratic Senators Beseech Murray To Lead DSCC
Roll Call reports: “Sen. Patty Murray was buttonholed on the Senate floor Monday night by Democratic colleagues, many facing re-election in 2012, who urged her to lead Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee next year. According to a Democratic Senate aide, a host of Members approached the Washington state lawmaker Monday night during a floor vote to encourage her to take over the DSCC next year.”
Dem State Lawmakers Defecting To GOP Post-Election
The Washington Post reports: “Staggering Election Day losses are not the Democratic Party’s final indignity this year. At least 13 state lawmakers in five states have defected to Republican ranks since the Nov. 2 election, adding to already huge GOP gains in state legislatures. And that number could grow as next year’s legislative sessions draw near. The defections underscore dissatisfaction with the Democratic Party – particularly in the South – and will give Republicans a stronger hand in everything from pushing a conservative fiscal and social agenda to redrawing political maps.”
Bush Praises Obama During Facebook Broadcast
The Associated Press reports: “Former President George W. Bush has pledged not to publicly criticize his successor, Barack Obama, but he did offer some praise Monday during a live broadcast on Facebook to promote his new book…The former president responded that he liked Obama’s policy on Afghanistan. ‘I think the idea of putting more troops in was something that I can applaud,’ Bush said. ‘I also appreciate some of the education position. As I understand it they do believe strongly that accountability is necessary in order to achieve excellence in the classrooms.'”
