Sanford’s Office: He’s Hiking
Gov. Mark Sanford’s (R-SC) office told reporters last night that he is hiking the Appalachian Trail. However, they apparently do not know exactly where is along the Trail, which stretches from Georgia to Maine — but interestingly enough, does not pass through South Carolina. “He’s an avid outdoorsman,” said his spokesman. “Nobody’s ever accused our governor of being conventional.”
Obama’s Day Ahead
President Obama will hold a news conference at 12:30 p.m. ET, in the Rose Garden. At 2:15 p.m. ET, he will meet one-on-one with President Michelle Bachelet of Chile, and they will have an expanded meeting at 2:45 p.m. ET. At 4:45 p.m. ET, Obama will meet with Sec. of Defense Robert Gates.
Biden’s Day Ahead
Vice President Biden will travel to Perrysburg, Ohio, to chair a meeting of the White House Task Force on Middle Class Families. The topic of the meeting will be “Promoting American Manufacturing in the 21st Century.” In the evening, Biden will travel to Boston, Massachusetts, to attend a Democratic National Committee event.
Poll: Declining Confidence In Stimulus
A new ABC/Washington Post poll finds that confidence in the stimulus program is declining, though it still does represent a majority opinion. The poll found 52% of Americans saying the package has succeeded or will succeed in restoring the economy — down from 59% two months ago. The falloff has been most pronounced in the Midwest, falling to below 50% from a 60% figure two months ago.
Poll: Public Approves Of Obama On Iran
The new ABC/Washington Post poll also shows a majority approving of President Obama’s performance on the situation in Iran: Approve 52%, Disapprove 36%. Many Republicans have attacked Obama’s approach as too timid or even tacitly helpful to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, but so far the public agrees with his cautious take on it.
GOP Senators To Begin Campaign Against Sotomayor
Roll Call reports that Senate Republicans are set to begin making their case against the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, with Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) and others making floor speeches outlining their objections. Their grievances against her will reportedly include her involvement with the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, and her overall judicial philosophy.
Hillary Cancels Trip Due To Elbow Recovery
Sec. of State Hillary Clinton has cancelled her upcoming trip to Greece and Italy, due to her continuing recovery from surgery to fix her broken elbow. Clinton had been scheduled to meet with foreign leaders to discuss the matters of Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Middle East peace process, and the tensions between Russia and Georgia.
DOJ Meeting With Gay-Rights Activists
Justice Department lawyers are set to meet today with gay-rights activists, in the wake of serious objections by the LGBT community over the Obama Administration’s legal brief defending the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act. “We feel like it needs to be talked about face to face and hopefully the points will be driven home,” said Kevin Cathcart of the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund.
