Obama returned to the Hill today as President-elect:
It’s going to be a few months before I stop pinching myself and just accept that he really won.
Which was more damaging about Bill Richardson’s press conference: his refusal to answer any questions or a national TV feed that looked like an undercover ABSCAM tape?
Bill Richardson has some serious competition for worst press conference of the day, from none other than Roland Burris, who arranged to talk to reporters at Midway Airport in Chicago as he headed to Washington to try to take his seat as Illinois’ junior senator:
From TPM Reader JZ (not that one) …
I thought I’d point something out about the tax cut that hasn’t cropped up yet.
Recall that Obama promised a tax cut for working-class and middle-class taxpayers during the campaign. It was his way of stopping the Reps on the issue. Then the Tax Policy Center (IIRC) came out with their analysis showing that the Obama plan would give more relief to middle-income taxpayers and lower. It seemed to me that this was an effective way of blunting GOP criticism on the issue–although perhaps in this election cycle it wouldn’t have matter anyway.
But now it seems to me that Obama needs to follow through on this promise. Part of the whole GOP branding exercise has been to label the Dems as Those Who Will Raise Your Taxes. It’s nonsense, but it has sometimes been effective. If Obama didn’t come through with it, then it would be playing into the Reps hands “don’t believe the Democrats–remember the Obama tax cut that he promised?” It hurt Clinton in 1993 and 1994, although of course other things did, too.
So one could read this just as a way of fulfilling a campaign promise–one that is also important in realigning the electorate.
At least that’s the hypothesis.
We’re watching the Republican leadership’s press conference on the Stimulus bill. I think I got about all I needed to know watching Mitch McConnell (R) talking and seeing a smirking Rep. Eric Cantor (R) hovering over his shoulder. McConnell’s angle seemed about what you’d expect. Love the tax cuts. We’ll support those. But we’re just starting to demagogue your spending proposals. So good luck on that …
Seems that company tied up in the Richardson grand jury investigation doesn’t exactly have a squeaky clean record.
Prosecutors say Bernie Madoff should be sent to the slammer without any chance of bail after they caught him trying to mail about $1 million worth of jewelry and other assets to relatives in violation of his bail.
From TPM Reader RW …
In regards to Obama’s strategy re: tax cuts, the proper move is to offer a concession so as to split the GOP. If he is able to do that at the get-go, he’ll log-roll them for months. It is going to be really hard for them to oppose any measure designed to make America’s economy get back on track.