Beer Summit Goes Down Smoothly, Participants Agree To Have Lunch
The “Beer Summit” of President Obama, Harvard Prof. Henry Louis Gates and Cambridge Sergeant James Crowley appeared to conclude successfully yesterday — with the three of them agreeing to meet again for lunch at a later time. Gates gave this very memorable line: “We hit it off right from the beginning. When he’s not arresting you, Sergeant Crowley is a really likable guy.”
Obama’s Day Ahead
President Obama will meet with business leaders at 12 p.m. ET. He will meet with Vice President Biden and Sec. of State Hillary Clinton at 3:30 p.m. ET. Obama and Biden will host a meeting with member of the Cabinet at 6:15 p.m. ET at Blair House, and they will return to the White House at 10 p.m. ET.
Biden’s Day Ahead
Vice President Biden will be in Chicago this morning to address the “2009 National Urban League Conference: The Path to Power,” at 11:30 a.m. ET. He will return to Washington in the afternoon, for the other meetings with President Obama listed above.
Obama: “I Am Thankful To Professor Gates And Sergeant Crowley”
President Obama released the following statement last night, after the “Beer Summit” had concluded: “I am thankful to Professor Gates and Sergeant Crowley for joining me at the White House this evening for a friendly, thoughtful conversation. Even before we sat down for the beer, I learned that the two gentlemen spent some time together listening to one another, which is a testament to them. I have always believed that what brings us together is stronger than what pulls us apart. I am confident that has happened here tonight, and I am hopeful that all of us are able to draw this positive lesson from this episode.”
Key GOP Senators Resisting Deadline On Health Care
The Washington Post reports that key Republican Senators are resisting any August deadline on health care talks, in an apparent effort to slow down the talks. “We’re being rushed. Deadlines in this thing should be irrelevant,” said Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY). And Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) said: “It’ll be a lost opportunity if Democratic leaders in Congress and the administration force action on health-care legislation that’s not ready because of the complexity of the issue and the high stakes in getting it right.”
Dems Plan Vote On Sotomayor For Thursday Next Week
Roll Call reports that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid plans to begin debate on the Sotomayor nomination this Tuesday, with a final confirmation vote scheduled for two days later. If this plan works out, this would give Sotomayor an easy confirmation right before the August recess.
Cantor To Lead GOP Delegation To Israel
House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) will lead a delegation of 25 House Republicans on a trip to Israel during the August recess. Cantor explained: “This trip comes at a time when relationships between our government and Israel are really, I don’t want to say at a new stage, but they certainly are seeming to change or having change given where the White House is coming from, so it’s probably going to be a very interesting time to be there.”
