TPMDC Saturday Roundup

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Obama YouTube: Health Care Must Be Fixed
In his weekly Presidential YouTube Address, President Obama discussed his proposals for health care — and the urgency to get a new reform bill passed:

“Simply put, the status quo is broken. We cannot continue this way,” said Obama. “If we do nothing, everyone’s health care will be put in jeopardy. Within a decade, we’ll spend one dollar out of every five we earn on health care – and we’ll keep getting less for our money. That’s why fixing what’s wrong with our health care system is no longer a luxury we hope to achieve – it’s a necessity we cannot postpone any longer.”

Sessions Decries “Empathy Standard” For Judges
In this weekend’s Republican YouTube, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), the lead Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, discussed the pending nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court — and warned against an “empathy standard” in law:

“I hope that the American people will engage in this nomination process and follow it closely. They should learn about the issues, and listen to both sides of the argument. And, at the end of the day, ask: ‘If I must one day go to court, what kind of judge do I want to hear my case?” said Sessions. “‘Do I want a judge that allows his or her social, political, or religious views to impact the outcome? Or, do I want a judge that objectively applies the law to the facts, and fairly rules on the merits?’ That is the central question around which this entire nomination process will revolve.”

Obama’s Day In France
President Obama spent the day in Caen, France. He met with French President Nicolas Sarkozy at 6:15 a.m. ET (12:15 p.m. local time), with a working lunch at 6:50 a.m. ET. At 8:20 a.m. ET, he and First Lady Michelle Obama toured the Visitor’s Center at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. At 9:10 a.m. ET, President Obama delivered remarks to commemorate the 65th anniversary of D-Day. He and the First Lady departed at 11:20 a.m. ET, headed back to Paris.

Biden’s Day Ahead
This evening, Vice President Biden and Jill Biden will attend the Welcome Barbeque at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 17th Annual Mervyn L. & Stephanie Tubbs Jones Memorial Golf and Tennis Classic, in Williamsburg, Virginia. Also, Jill Biden spoke this morning at the Opening Ceremonies of the Global Race for the Cure on the National Mall.

Obama Salutes Memory Of D-Day
In his speech today at the D-Day ceremony, President Obama paid tribute to the troops of that historic battle. “We live in a world of competing beliefs and claims about what is true. It’s a world of varied religions and cultures and forms of government,” said Obama. “In such a world, it’s all too rare for a struggle to emerge that speaks to something universal about humanity. The Second World War did that. No man who shed blood or lost a brother would say that war is good. But all know that this war was essential.”

Hillary Rejects Israeli Claim Of Secret Bush Deals On Settlements
Sec. of State Hillary Clinton is rejecting Israeli claims that the Bush Administration had secretly agreed to expanding Jewish settlements on the West Bank. “We have the negotiating record, that is the official record, that was turned over to the Obama administration by the outgoing Bush administration,” said Clinton. “There is no memorialization of any informal and oral agreements.”

Obama Calls For Tough Response To Iran, North Korea
Speaking to reporters today in France, President Obama called for a tougher diplomatic response from the international community to Iran and North Korea. “We are not intending to continue a policy of rewarding provocation,” Obama said of the North Korean situation, adding: “We are going to take a very hard look at how we move forward on these issues.”

Obama To Call For Stimulus Spending Goals
President Obama will reportedly ask agency heads to lay out goals for stimulus spending over the next several months, in an apparent effort to speed up the pace of the recovery program. Obama and Vice President Biden will meet with Cabinet members on Monday. This comes in the wake of a Congressional Budget Office report last week, finding that only $24.5 billion of the $787 billion had been spent as of May 22.

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