Obama: Economy Is Both Crisis And Opportunity
In his weekly video address, President Obama reviews the problems facing the economy, the solutions being offered — and the opportunity to leverage this towards greater success in the future:
“From the day I took office, I knew that solving this crisis would not be easy, nor would it happen overnight,” said Obama. “And we will continue to face difficult days in the months ahead. But I also believe that we will get through this — that if we act swiftly and boldly and responsibly, the United States of America will emerge stronger and more prosperous than it was before.”
GOP Response Warns Of Health Care Becoming Like DMV — Or IRS
In this week’s Republican response video, Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO) discussed health care policy, warning that health care proposals currently going around in Washington would crowd out the private sector and lead to government bureaucracy and rationing:
“Just imagine a health care system that looks like a government run operation most of us are all too familiar with – the local DMV,” said Blunt. “Lines, paper work, taking a number. Or how about another government agency – the IRS.”
Obama Family On Trip To Camp David
The First Family is spending today and tonight at Camp David. They will return to the White House tomorrow afternoon. Vice President Biden is in Florida, and does not have any public events.
Obama To Visit Turkey
Hillary Clinton announced during an appearance on Turkish television that President Obama will be visiting Turkey in roughly the next month, though the exact date hasn’t been established yet. Clinton discussed the importance of outreach to the Muslim world, holding up Turkey as a model example of a secular democracy: “Democracy and modernity and Islam can all coexist.”
Pro-Obama Group Launching More Limbaugh-Themed Ads
The labor-backed group Americans United For Change is launching a new set of radio ads against five Republican House members — Mike Castle (DE), Thaddeus McCotter (MI), Charlie Dent (R-PA), Dave Reichert (WA) and one other to be announced next week — linking them to Rush Limbaugh. An excerpt:
First, Rush Limbaugh said of President Obama: “I hope he fails.” Then, nearly every Republican in Congress followed Limbaugh’s lead – including Congressman Mike Castle – and voted against the President’s recovery plan and against three and a half million jobs.
Well – it passed any way – and it’s already working to create jobs.
WaPo: Limbaugh’s Ratings Impossible To Measure
The Washington Post examines the various claims about Rush Limbaugh’s ratings, and finds that while he certainly has millions of people tuning in, it may be impossible to really tell how many — the show is on at different times and for different durations across markets, and people tune in for varying periods of time. “It’s very hard to come up with an exact answer,” said Michael Harrison, editor of the trade magazine Talkers. “It really reveals the embarrassing state of radio ratings.”
Poll: Minnesotans Don’t Think Pawlenty Should Run For President
A new Rasmussen poll of Minnesota finds that 61% of the state’s likely voters do not think Governor Tim Pawlenty should run for president. This is not to say he is unpopular, though, with an alternate majority of 56% approving of his job performance.
The Hill: Specter In Trouble — Should He Switch Parties?
The Hill takes a look at the math surrounding the expected conservative primary challenge by Pat Toomey against Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA), and finds a huge problem that is now confronting Specter: Between 150,000 and 200,000 moderate voters changed their registrations from Republican to Democratic in 2008, seriously shrinking the base of potential GOP voters in the closed-primary state. Furthermore, Pennsylvania has a “sore loser” law, which would prevent a primary loser from running as an independent — raising the possibility that Specter’s best bet could be to switch parties.
