Iraqis Gain Control Of Cities As U.S. Troops Pull Back
U.S. combat troops have officially pulled out of Iraqi cities and towns, handing control over to the Iraqis. “This day, which we consider a national celebration, is an achievement made by all Iraqis,” said Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. At the same time, there was a significant increase in violence over the last few weeks, in the run-up to the pullback, leaving questions as to what the future will hold.
Obama’s Day Ahead
President Obama will speak at 2 p.m. ET from the East Room, highlighting innovative nonprofit programs from across the country. At 3:15 p.m. ET, he will meet with Sec. of Energy Steven Chu.
Biden’s Day Ahead
Vice President Biden is spending the morning in Wilmington, Delaware, and the afternoon in Washington, DC. In the afternoon, he will receive a national security briefing, a Recovery Act implementation briefing and an economic briefing. He does not have any scheduled public events.
Firefighters Case Unlikely To Hurt Sotomoayor’s Chances
The Washington Post reports that legal and political experts say that the Supreme Court’s decision yesterday in the Ricci case, overturning a prior decision by Sonia Sotomayor, is unlikely to have a real detrimental effect on her confirmation process. “I don’t think it will persuade anybody who is inclined one way or another to change their views about Sotomayor,” said Tom Goldstein, a professional Supreme Court litigator and writer of SCOTUSblog.
Poll: Wide Support For Troop Withdrawal — And Expectation Of Violence Going Up
A new CNN poll finds that 73% of Americans favor the plan to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraqi cities, while also leaving other combat troops in the rest of the country. Only 26% are opposed. At the same time, 52% expect violence to increase after American troops withdraw, to 15% who expect violence to decrease and 32% who think it will be the same.
Poll: Americans Don’t Want To Intervene In Iran, Think Obama Has Handled It Right
Another CNN poll finds that 74% of Americans do not think the government should intervene in the Iranian election crisis. The poll also finds that 56% say that President Obama’s criticism of the Iranian regime has been about right, with only a third saying that he has not gone far enough.
Cheney Worries That Iraq Drawback Will “Waste” U.S. Sacrifices
In an interview with the Washington Times, former Vice President Dick Cheney expressed his doubts and worries about the partial drawback in Iraq. “I hope the Iraqis can deal with it,” said Cheney. “At some point they have to stand on their own, but I would not want to see the U.S. waste all the tremendous sacrifice that has gotten us to this point.”
Dems’ Ideological Diversity Poses Challenge For Obama
The Washington Post points out how the close vote this past Friday on the energy bill shows how despite the large Democratic majority, the internal ideological diversity of the Democratic Party poses a whole set of challenges for President Obama. “It’s like you have a big umbrella and you’re trying to fit 10 people under it,” said Rep. Dan Maffei (D-NY), who picked up a long-time Republican seat in 2008, “but if you move it in one direction, you’re going to leave some people out.”
