With Barbour Out, New Questions For 2012 Republican Field
The Washington Post reports: “Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour’s surprise decision on Monday not to run for president set off a scramble inside the Republican Party for pieces of his financial and political network. It also raised questions about the challenges the party may face in trying to unseat President Obama. So far, the GOP race has been notable for its slow start and the absence of a front-runner. It has been marked by unhappiness among potential voters. The most recent Washington Post-ABC News poll found that barely four in 10 Republicans and Republican-leaning independents said they are satisfied with the current field of candidates — about 20 percentage points lower than at this time four years ago.”
Obama’s Day Ahead
President Obama will receive the presidential daily briefing at 9:30 a.m. ET, and receive the economic daily briefing at 10 a.m. ET. Then at 11:25 a.m. ET, he will be interviewed by WSB Atlanta, WKYC Cleveland, WTKR Hampton Roads, Virginia, and WXYZ Detroit. He will hold a bilateral meeting at 1:40 p.m. ET with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates, with an expanded bilateral meeting at 2:30 p.m. ET. Obama will meet at 4:30 p.m. ET with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.
Biden’s Day Ahead
Vice President Biden will be in Wilmington, Delaware. In the morning, he will meet via teleconference with senior officials to discuss fiscal policy. He does not currently have any scheduled public events.
Iowa Politics Insider: Exploratory Step Expected By Ron Paul
The Des Moines Register reports: “Ron Paul, 75, the upstart Texas congressman who shook up the 2008 Republican presidential primary with his libertarian leanings, is expected to announce today in Des Moines that he’s forming a presidential exploratory committee, an aide said. Liberty PAC, Paul’s political action committee, sent out a news release Monday that teases the 3:45 p.m. news conference at the Holiday Inn, 6111 Fleur Drive. The release states that Paul will “make an important announcement about his political organization.””
Obama’s Campaign Boss: Make 2008 Look Prehistoric
AFP reports: “Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign chief warned supporters the president could lose next year, unless they built an insurgent political machine that made his 2008 White House run look ‘prehistoric.’ Jim Messina cautioned Obama’s supporters they had to expand the 2012 reelection map, brace for a Republican onslaught, and once again reinvent campaign politics if Obama is to win a second term next November. ‘This is not 2008,’ Messina warned in a punchy video emailed to Obama’s network of supporters.”
U.S. Mulling Sanctions On Syrian Officials
Reuters reports: “The United States is considering sanctions against Syrian government officials to increase pressure on President Bashar al-Assad to end a violent crackdown on protesters, a U.S. official said on Monday. The measures, which could freeze the officials’ assets and ban them from doing business in the United States, would likely come in an executive order signed by U.S. President Barack Obama, the U.S. official said on condition of anonymity. But a final decision has yet to be made and there was no word on whether Assad might be a target, the official said.”
