44 Obama considers recess appointments

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:49:13 -0500

By Scott Wilson President Obama said Tuesday that he will consider putting some of his nominees in essential jobs without Senate confirmation if Republicans do not end delaying tactics that have held up dozens of his appointments. In his unannounced appearance before the White House press corps after meeting with Republican Congressional leaders, Obama said he would "consider making several recess appointments" because "we can't allow politics to stand in the way of a well-functioning government." Obama made his comments a day after Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) announced that he was backing away from the controversial "holds" he had placed on more than 70 Obama nominees, including some for positions in national security agencies. Shelby placed the holds last week in an attempt to win funding for two programs for his state - an Air Force tanker project and a counter-terrorism center. His office said in a statement that

Michelle Obama on obesity: Time for a wake-up call

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:34:51 -0500

Michelle Obama introduces Let's Move, an initiative to fight childhood obesity at the White House. (Kevin Lamarque / Reuters) After weeks of buzz and buildup, Michelle Obama introduced "Let's Move," her initiative to fight childhood obesity. Surrounded in the White House State Dining Room by a sports star, doctor, urban farmer and, of course, the ever-present students from Bancroft Elementary, Obama outlined her plan, which includes establishing a high-powered task force, improving school lunch and, most notably, allocating $400 million per year to eliminate "food deserts," areas without grocery stores or access to fresh and healthful food. "This isn't like a disease where we're still waiting for the cure to be discovered - we know the cure for this," Obama said of childhood obesity. "We have everything we need, right now, to help our kids lead healthy lives. Rarely in the history of this country have we encountered a problem

Gibbs mocks Sarah Palin's palm-writing at briefing

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:30:47 -0500

Your Browser DoesNot Support IFrames. Updated 5:30 p.m. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs flashed a left palm with notes written on it at the news briefing Tuesday, an apparent mocking reference to former Alaska governor Sarah Palin's use of her hand as notepad during the National Tea Party Convention in Nashville. Some snow-survival essential foodstuffs and the words "hope" and "change" were written on Gibbs's hand where Palin had written "energy," "tax" and "lift American spirits" on hers. Palin had mocked President Obama as overly reliant on teleprompters in her speech to Tea Party conventiongoers Saturday, leading her critics to jump when she was revealed to have written notes on her hand and was filmed appearing to glance at the notes during a question and answer session at the conference. Gibbs began the exchange while discussing some points he wanted to make about bipartisan health-care reform efforts, according to

Obama makes surprise appearance at White House briefing (Video)

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:26:08 -0500

Your Browser DoesNot Support IFrames. President Obama made an unexpected appearance at the daily White House briefing, joking with reporters about making it there despite the snow clogging Washington and saying that Senate leaders are working together, making snow angels. (Source: The Associated Press)

Undetered by snowstorm, Reid plans to unveil Senate jobs bill

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:57:19 -0500

Updated 4:12 p.m. By Ben Pershing The impending snowstorm that shuttered federal agencies and the House hasn't closed down the Senate, where Democrats are nearing completion of what they hope will be a bipartisan job-creation bill. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said that he planned to introduce a jobs measure Tuesday and hopes to have a vote on the package later this week even though many Senate chairmen have canceled hearings and the House has already scuttled its schedule until after the President's Day recess. Reid had hoped to unveil a bill last week but was sidetracked by snow, and the Majority Leader said Tuesday afternoon that the chamber might go out of session Wednesday because of the storm and then return Thursday. "I don't know of any sticking points at this stage," Reid told reporters. "I think we are in pretty good shape." Asked whether the bill would

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Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:57:19 -0500

"Miss me yet?" Bush billboard mystery solved

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:40:21 -0500

(Photo credit: Bob Collins/Minnesota Public Radio) Unhappy business owners have come forward as the minds behind a Minnesota billboard featuring former president George W. Bush waving impishly at drivers along with the message, "Miss me yet?" Minnesota Public Radio's Bob Collins has been investigating the mysterious billboard, which popped up near the town of Wyoming along I-35 in his state. When he first saw it, he thought he was hallucinating. Photos of the sign spread among national political blogs, with some calling it a fake. On Tuesday, Collins confirmed that the sign was real but couldn't get anyone to take credit for having purchased the advertising space. The general manager of Schubert & Hoey Outdoor Advertising told Collins Wednesday: "The Bush 'Miss me yet? 'billboard was paid for by a group of small business owners who feel like Washington is against them. They wish to remain anonymous. They thought it

At wide-ranging meeting with congressional leaders, Obama says he won't start over on health care

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:28:46 -0500

By Shailagh Murray President Obama made a surprise appearance in the White House press room Tuesday afternoon to brief reporters about his meeting with Democratic and Republican congressional leaders. The president's two-hour session with the congressional leaders was spirited, by many accounts, covering health care, job creation, trade and other matters. On health care, the president downplayed Republican concerns that the summit he is organizing for Feb. 25 would amount to little more than political theater, staged in an effort to salvage legislation that stalled when Democrats lost their filibuster-proof Senate majority. Obama said he told House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) that his core goals -- lowering health-care costs for businesses and individuals and expanding coverage to the uninsured -- remained non-negotiable. But Obama said he would consider GOP alternatives that accomplish the same results. He also said he would sign what he considered to be a less-than-perfect bill.

House closes shop for remainder of the week

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:59:27 -0500

By Paul Kane As Washington prepares for the next blizzard, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) has shuttered the chamber for the remainder of the week. The closure will be followed by a planned weeklong break after the Feb. 15 President's Day holiday. Hoyer told reporters that, after closing the House for legislative activities Tuesday, leadership decided to cancel the remaining action for this week. With next week's planned recess, the House will not return to session until the week of Feb. 22. To make up for days lost to snow, the House plans to be in session both Monday and Friday of that week.

Obama begins bipartisan meeting with call for cooperation

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:08:50 -0500

By Scott Wilson President Obama began a meeting with a bipartisan group of Congressional leaders Tuesday with a call for cooperation on jobs-creation legislation and deficit reduction, saying "the American people are frustrated with the lack of progress on some issues." Meeting with lawmakers at the White House, Obama said he hoped the talks would lead to agreement on how to proceed with legislation to encourage small businesses to begin hiring. He said he hoped those bills would begin moving "in the next several weeks." Obama also said he wanted to discuss his proposal for a bipartisan commission to examine ways to reduce the deficit, projected to be $1.6 trillion this year. Republicans have indicated that they do not intend to participate on the commission unless they receive half of its 18 seats. The guest list included Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif) and House

Brennan: Political 'fear-mongering' serves 'the goals of al-Qaeda'

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:00:42 -0500

By Scott Wilson President Obama's top counter-terrorism adviser asserted Tuesday that "too many in Washington are now misrepresenting the facts to score political points" regarding the administration's handling of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the alleged Christmas Day bomber. In a brief opinion piece published in USA Today, John O. Brennan described the arrest and interrogation of Abdulmutallab, defending the administration against Republican charges that it missed an opportunity to gain intelligence on al-Qaeda operations in Yemen by reading the Nigerian his Miranda rights. Brennan, echoing comments he made Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press," wrote that "the most important breakthrough occurred after Abdulmutallab was read his rights." Last week, administration officials said Republican lawmakers, after receiving briefings to that effect, misrepresented the interrogations publicly to portray Obama as being more concerned with legal niceties than keeping the country safe. "Politically motivated criticism and unfounded fear-mongering only serve the goals of al-Qaeda,"

GOP wary of Obama's overtures

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 08:00:00 -0500

By Ben Pershing It takes two to tango, and when it comes to President Obama's recent overtures toward bipartisanship, Republicans aren't sure yet whether they want to dance. Obama will host a bipartisan, bicameral meeting of congressional leaders Tuesday at the White House, just as both Republicans and Democrats are still digesting the president's plan to bring them back in two weeks for a high-profile televised health-care summit. Neither side in the House quite knows what to make of Obama's idea. Roll Call says the proposal "was greeted with suspicion Monday by Congressional Republicans, who vowed to approach the televised Feb. 25 meeting with open minds even as they worried that the White House was using them as political 'props.' Hill Democrats were equally cautious. They welcomed the bicameral leadership gathering -- saying it was the type of presidential leadership that they've been looking for from Obama in their yearlong

Top House Republicans throw cold water on health-care summit

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:31:55 -0500

By Michael D. Shear Leading House Republicans raised the prospect Monday night that they might refuse to participate in President Obama's proposed health care summit if the White House chooses not to scrap the existing reform bills and start over. In a letter to White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (Ohio) and Minority Whip Eric Cantor (Va.) expressed frustration at reports that Obama intends to put the Democratic bills on the table for discussion at the Feb. 25 summit. "If the starting point for this meeting is the job-killing bills the American people have already soundly rejected, Republicans would rightly be reluctant to participate," Boehner and Cantor wrote. Obama proposed the half-day summit on national television Sunday, but in their letter, the two GOP leaders offer their suspicion that the president is not serious about opening a bipartisan negotiation on health care. "

Shelby releases holds on Obama nominees

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:55:34 -0500

Updated 8:35 p.m. By Shailagh Murray Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) has released his controversial "holds" on more than 70 pending presidential nominations, his office said Monday night. Senators, usually from the minority party, often use the legislative tactic on one or a few presidential nominees, usually to protest parochial concerns. Shelby's maneuver, aimed at nearly all appointments awaiting confirmation on the Senate floor, agitated Democrats because it would effectively limit confirmation votes to a handful per month. It also marked a low point in a partisan standoff in the Senate that has forced Democrats to find 60 votes to pass almost everything. Senate Democratic aides confirmed that Shelby had released most holds, but Shelby said he would continue to block other, unnamed nominees. His office issued a lengthy statement Monday night to explain his move: "The purpose of placing numerous holds was to get the White House's attention on two

Snow continues to wreak havoc on congressional schedule

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:54:39 -0500

By Paul Kane With another potential blizzard bearing down on the nation's capital, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) has canceled legislative action for Tuesday night, leaving the week's calendar up in the air. In a note to staff, Hoyer's office announced Monday evening that a series of votes on noncontroversial legislation set to begin at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday would not take place. "Due to the weather affecting the ability of Members to travel to Washington, DC, there will no votes in the House tomorrow. We remain focused on completing our work for the week, but will assess the state of the weather tomorrow and move forward accordingly," Hoyer's office said in a statement. In addition, several committees began abandoning their plans to hold hearings this week. The House Energy and Commerce Committee's health panel postponed a hearing on medical radiation, originally scheduled for Wednesday morning, and the House Appropriations

Patrick Gaspard slips and falls, dislocating jaw

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:14:45 -0500

Updated 6:44 p.m. By Michael D. Shear and Ed O'Keefe A senior White House official slipped and fell Monday morning and is recovering from a dislocated jaw and a concussion, Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry said Monday afternoon. The injury to an unnamed White House official was first revealed by Berry in a Monday interview with Federal News Radio; a White House official identified the accident victim as White House political director Patrick Gaspard. Neither Berry nor White House officials could say where the incident occurred -- whether it happened on the White House grounds or nearby. The White House said Monday evening Gaspard is not in the hospital; a source earlier described him as having been taken to one.