In Afghanistan, Boehner Assails U.S. Pullout Plan
AFP reports: “US House Speaker John Boehner wrapped up a visit to Afghanistan Wednesday and assailed President Barack Obama’s plan to begin pulling US troops out in July a risk to fragile security gains.’Any drawdown of US troops must be based on the conditions on the ground, not on political calculations,’ Boehner, the White House’s top Republican foe in the US Congress, said in a statement from his office in Washington.”
Obama’s Day Ahead
President Obama will deliver remarks to a DNC event in San Francisco at 12:40 p.m. ET. He will depart from San Francisco at 1:35 p.m. ET, arriving at 2:30 p.m. ET in Reno, Nevada. At 2:50 p.m. ET, he will participate in a “Shared Responsibility and Shared Prosperity” town hall. He will depart from Reno at 4:30 p.m. ET, arriving at 5:45 p.m. ET in Los Angeles, California. He will deliver remarks at a DNC event at 9:55 p.m. ET, and deliver remarks at another DNC event at 10:50 p.m. ET.
Latinos And Democrats Press Obama To Curb Deportations
The New York Times reports: “With prospects for an immigration overhaul looking dim, President Obama is facing increasing pressure from Latinos, Democratic lawmakers and immigrant groups to use his executive powers to offer relief from deportation to broad groups of illegal immigrants. Demands for immediate action by Mr. Obama to slow the pace of the immigration crackdown in Latino communities have not eased since a White House meeting on Tuesday in which the president gathered political, business and religious leaders to brainstorm about how to revive the overhaul legislation, which is stalled in Congress.”
Divided Govt. Hasn’t Paid Off For K St.
The Hill reports: “On Wednesday, lobby firms began to disclose their first quarterly revenue for 2011 as required under the Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA). Records show that most firms’ earnings either flat-lined or fell off when compared to 2010’s first quarter. One reason for the decline is Capitol Hill has not been the legislative factory it was when Democrats controlled both chambers.”
GOP Escalates Demands On Debt Limit
Politico reports: “One day after being named to a presidential task force to negotiate deficit reduction, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor fired off a stark warning to Democrats that the GOP “will not grant their request for a debt limit increase” without major spending cuts or budget process reforms. The Virginia Republican’s missive is a clear escalation in the long-running Washington spending war, with no less than the full faith and credit of the United States hanging in the balance.”
Judicial Nominee Logjam Creates ‘Crisis’ In Some Federal Courts
CNN reports: “In the words of Judge Roslyn Silver, the situation is ‘dire.’ From her chambers in Phoenix, Arizona, the chief judge of federal judicial District of Arizona warns a bulging criminal caseload is being exacerbated by three unfilled bench seats, which the Obama administration and the Senate have, until recently, shown little urgency to address.”
