Obama Going Quiet In Health Care Public Debate
President Obama has decided to lower his public profile in the health care debate, the New York Times reports, moving away from public rallies and towards negotiation in Washington. “I think his time is better spent on this particular issue in conversation with members and in talking to his own advisers and instructing them on how to proceed,” said senior adviser David Axelrod. “That’s the phase that we’re in.”
Obama’s Day Ahead
President Obama will meet at 12:40 p.m. ET with Sen. John Kerry (D-MA). At 1:50 p.m. ET, Obama will announce a package of initiatives to increase credit to small businesses. At 3 p.m. ET, he will attend a Cabinet-level earthquake tabletop exercise. He will depart from the White House at 3:25 p.m. ET, arriving at 4:35 p.m. ET in Newark, New Jersey. At 6:05 p.m. ET, he will deliver remarks at a rally for Gov. Jon Corzine, at Fairleigh Dickinson University. He will depart from New Jersey at 7:25 p.m. ET, arriving back at the White House at 8:35 p.m. ET.
Biden’s Day In Poland
Vice President Biden is spending the day in Warsaw, Poland. He is meeting with Prime Minister Donald Tusk, discussing efforts to promote democracy with a group of civil society leaders, and meeting with President Lech Kaczynski. He will depart from Poland in the early evening, en route to Bucharest, Romania. As he departs from Warsaw, he will also greet Polish veterans who served in Afghanistan.
Poland Ready To Accept New Missile Defense Deal
During Biden’s trip today, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that his country is ready to participate in President Obama’s revised missile defense shield program, which will replace a more substantial version that had previously been planned for Poland. “I want to stress that Poland views … the new configuration for the missile shield as very interesting, necessary, and we are ready at the appropriate scale to participate,” said Tusk.
Poll: Public Split On Afghanistan Surge
A new ABC/Washington Post poll finds continued public division on Afghanistan, with just 47% in favor of Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s request for 40,000 more troops, and 49% opposing it. Only a third of Democratic respondents were in favor, with 61% opposed — including 51% who were strongly opposed — while more than two thirds of Republicans favor it, with 51% strongly favoring it.
GOP Stepping Up Afghanistan Rhetoric
Republicans are intensifying their rhetoric against President Obama on Afghanistan, Roll Call reports. “It appears he’s unwilling to go and make the decision to win,” said Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI). “We’ve seen it before that when you are in war, our troops will go in and do what’s asked of them when there is a clarity of message.”
Plouffe, Schmidt To Work Together On University Curriculum
Former Obama and McCain campaign mangers David Plouffe and Steve Schmidt are teaming up to develop a political communications center curriculum at the University of Delaware, which both men attended but did not graduate. Said Schmidt: “It’s a privilege to get a chance to work with David and the talented women and men at the University of Delaware to help create a center that will help students study our political system and maybe inspire a few of them to participate in our nations political life.”
