Strategists: 2012 White House Hopefuls Will Bash Any Bipartisan Budget Accord
The Hill reports: “If lawmakers strike a bipartisan deal on the budget, Republicans who are eyeing a White House bid will likely condemn it, according to GOP strategists. While staunch conservatives in the House want any agreement to include a defunding of the healthcare law, that’s not a deal the White House will sign off on. Given that the crop of probable presidential hopefuls have universally derided the law, there is little chance that any of them will fully support such a budget accord.”
Obama’s Day Ahead
President Obama and Vice President Biden will receive the presidential daily briefing at 10 a.m. ET, and Obama will meet with senior advisers at 10:30 a.m. ET. Obama and Biden will meet at 3 p.m. ET with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Biden’s Day Ahead
Vice President Biden will attend President Obama’s daily briefing at 10 a.m. ET. Biden will meet at 12 p.m. ET with Budget Director Jacob Lew, National Economic Council Gene Sperling, and senior advisers to discuss the budget. Obama and Biden will meet at 3 p.m. ET with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Tea Partiers Warn GOP On Dealmaking
Politico reports: “It’s not like Republicans need a reminder of the tensions within their own ranks on government spending cuts. But if they forget what’s at stake, all GOP lawmakers need to do Thursday is walk outside the Capitol, where perhaps hundreds of tea party protesters will be urging congressional leaders to hold their ground on major spending cuts. Reps. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota and Steve King of Iowa — members of the party’s right flank emboldened by a national following of tea party leaders — will fire up the crowd. Indiana Rep. Mike Pence, a national figure among conservatives who is free of GOP leadership responsibilities, will join rally-goers who he says ‘demand that Washington get serious about putting our fiscal house in order.'”
AARP Is Next On GOP Target List
Roll Call reports: “Republicans have launched an assault on AARP, which joins a growing list of groups supportive of the Democrats’ agenda that are being targeted by conservatives. House Republicans on the Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday released a report that accuses the influential senior citizens organization of having a conflict of interest because it will financially benefit from the health care overhaul that the group heavily lobbied for last year. AARP collects royalties from endorsing health insurance policies and other products.”
Bank Bailout Turns A Profit
CNN reports: “The Treasury Department announced Wednesday that the money it gave to banks during the financial crisis has been paid back, and then some. The bank bailout — part of the Troubled Asset Relief Program — is now $6 billion in the black, a profit that might ultimately rise to $20 billion, according to the Treasury.”
