In 2010, Obama’s Poll Numbers Less Of An Asset For Congressional Democrats
The Washington Post reports on the effect that President Obama’s sagging poll numbers could have on Democratic fortunes in the midterm election – a big change from 2008, when his numbers were high and Dem candidates readily associated themselves with him. “In midterm elections, the presidential numbers serve like a weight on scale,” said an unnamed senior Democratic consultant. “The heavier [or worse] the numbers, the harder it is for any person in the party to get back to even keel.”
Obama’s Day Ahead
President Obama will meet with senior advisers at 10:30 a.m. ET, will receive the presidential daily briefing at 11 a.m. ET, and will receive the economic daily briefing at 12:05 p.m. ET. He does not have any scheduled public events today.
Brewer Condemns Report To UN Mentioning Arizona Law
The Associated Press reports: “Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer demanded Friday that a reference to the state’s controversial immigration law be removed from a State Department report to the United Nations’ human rights commissioner. The U.S. included its legal challenge to the law on a list of ways the federal government is protecting human rights. In a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Brewer says it is ‘downright offensive’ that a state law would be included in the report, which was drafted as part of a UN review of human rights in all member nations every four years.”
Netanyahu Denies Offer Made To Freeze Settlements
The AFP reports: “Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he never told the US administration a settlement freeze would be renewed after Middle East peace talks restart this week, an official said on Monday. ‘We have not presented any proposal to the Americans on an extension of the freeze … the government has not taken any decision on the issue,’ the official quoted the premier as saying at a meeting of his Likud party.”
Boehner To Take On Obama Administration Over National Security
The Hill reports: “Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) intends to broadcast his differences with the Obama administration’s national security policy in his second major policy address in as many weeks. The top-ranking House Republican, who supported President Obama’s request for additional troops in Afghanistan, will highlight his growing concerns ‘about how Washington is implementing the new strategy there,’ a Boehner aide told The Hill. The would-be Speaker will also focus on his differences with the administration’s handling of the broader war on terror.”
Bernanke Manages Expectations For Fed Role
The New York Times reports on how Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has worked to manage expectations of how much he can do to spur a recovery. “Central bankers alone cannot solve the world’s economic problems,” he said Friday, at a symposium in Wyoming.
