TPMDC Saturday Roundup

Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Obama: Government And Business Each Have Obligations
In this weekend’s YouTube address, President Obama trumpeted his administration’s support of incentives for research into clean energy and energy-efficiency, which he highlighted during his visit this past week to Penn State University. And he also said that government and business each have responsibilities.

“Our government has an obligation to make sure that America is the best place on Earth to do business – that we have the best schools, the best incentives to innovate, and the best infrastructure…But businesses have a responsibility, too. If we make America the best place to do business, businesses should make their mark in America. They should set up shop here, and hire our workers, and pay decent wages, and invest in the future of this nation. That’s their obligation.

“And that’s the message I’ll be bringing to American business leaders at the Chamber of Commerce on Monday – that government and businesses have mutual responsibilities; and that if we fulfill these obligations together, it benefits us all. Our workers will succeed. Our nation will prosper. And America will win the future in this century just like we did in the last.”

Senate Conservatives Pressure Boehner On Spending Cuts
CNN reports: “House Speaker John Boehner is under new pressure from fellow Republicans in the Senate not to break a House GOP promise to cut $100 billion in spending this year, and do so in an upcoming bill to keep the government running. Eleven Senate Republicans signed a letter to Boehner saying that ‘the total value of the fiscal year 2011 spending reductions in the upcoming continuing resolution should be no less than $100 billion. The American people expect at least this level – which is just one-fifteenth of the FY2011 budget deficit.'”

Palin Says Obama’s Policies Have U.S. On Road To Ruin
Reuters reports: “Republican Sarah Palin said on Friday an explosion of government spending and debt under President Barack Obama and his fellow Democrats had put the United States on ‘the road to ruin.’ In a tribute to former President Ronald Reagan, the potential 2012 White House contender said leaders in Washington had lost sight of the values that made Reagan a Republican icon and a hero to conservatives — a belief in limited government, low taxes and personal freedoms.”

Obama Eyes “Dominant Role” For Private Mortgages
Reuters reports: “The Obama administration on Friday said it wants to gradually reduce the government’s support for the U.S. housing market so that the private sector can play ‘the dominant role.’ The goal will help define what is expected to be a feverish debate over the future of housing finance system that could take years to unfold. The Treasury is preparing a series of proposals, which will likely be laid out next week.”

Report: Obama Said To Fault Spy Agencies’ Mideast Forecasting
The New York Times reports: “President Obama has criticized American spy agencies over their performance in predicting and analyzing the spreading unrest in the Middle East, according to current and former American officials. The president was specifically critical of intelligence agencies for misjudging how quickly the unrest in Tunisia would lead to the downfall of the country’s authoritarian government, the officials said.”

No Super Bowl Of Fundraising
Roll Call reports: “The Super Bowl just isn’t what it used to be. At least not when it comes to political fundraising. The big game, it seems, has lost most of its luster as a fundraising venue. ‘The Super Bowl is really cost-prohibitive,’ said Monica Notzon, a GOP fundraiser and partner in the Bellwether Consulting Group. ‘None of my clients are doing any events.'”

Latest DC
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: