|
Washington News
Scandals Said To Be Overshadowing Obama's Message On a fairly slow day for domestic news, media attention continued to be drawn to the Secret Service scandal, with the three broadcast networks giving the story just under seven minutes of coverage between them. Those reports, and many in this morning's newspapers, mention that additional departures from the Secret Service are expected as the investigation continues. There are also several related analysis items on how that story, and two other fresh scandals, are overshadowing President Obama's message as the general election campaign gets underway.
An AP story carried by more than 200 newspapers and websites says that "federal bureaucrats carousing in Las Vegas, the Secret Service consorting with Colombian prostitutes and US soldiers posing with bloody enemy corpses" are distracting the public's attention as President Obama "seeks to focus on difficulties abroad and jobs at home. And they are giving Republicans an opportunity to question his competence and leadership, an opening" for Mitt Romney "in a race so close that any advantage might make a difference." The AP says the events "have overwhelmed the president's agenda."
Likewise, The Hill reports that the scandals have "made it difficult for the White House to get its message out, and Republicans have piled on, pushing a tone of cynicism and disappointment with a government they say needs to be reined in."
Politico says Democrats "doubt the scandals will have a lasting impact on their 2012 chances, but presidential campaigns are all about atmospherics and these are lousy." Republicans "hope that the shadow of scandal obscures Obama's larger message. ... That would be a particular problem for a president whose chief selling point is no-drama competence and ethical purity."
More Secret Service Dismissals Expected As Investigation Continues In the latest on the Secret Service affair, Norah O'Donnell of the CBS Evening News reported, "US government investigators are now on the ground in Cartagena, trying to piece together what happened last Wednesday night -- misconduct so intolerable, it ended the careers of at least three members of the United States Secret Service." House Homeland Security Chairman Peter King: "My understanding is there will be more resignations coming in the next day or so, and perhaps more after that, basically [Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan] has said that as soon as he believes he has sufficient evidence to require someone to leave, he will act."
Kristen Welker of NBC Nightly News adds that White House Press Secretary Jay Carney "was again bombarded with questions about the scandal today but continued to stand by the agency's director, Mark Sullivan. ... Carney reiterated that the President has complete faith in the director. It's worth noting that Sullivan was appointed by George W. Bush in 2006 and he's earned some of the agency's highest awards, but this moment, undoubtedly, one of his greatest challenges."
On ABC World News, Reena Ninan reported, "In Washington, the outrage is growing." House Minority Leader Pelosi: "It's so, what's the word, disgusting, disconcerting -- every 'D' word you can think of."
The Los Angeles Times says that White House officials "have resisted being pulled into discussions about whether misbehavior was tolerated in the Secret Service, or how far up the chain resignations may go." Members of Congress "are questioning whether the incident is part of a pattern at the Secret Service."
USA Today reports House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Darrell Issa and ranking Democrat Elijah Cummings, have called on Sullivan "to furnish lawmakers with summaries of past misconduct by Secret Service officials during overseas trips over the past five years and to answer what lapses in agency policy may have contributed to the incident."
Politico reports, "Notably, Issa -- often a thorn in the side of President Barack Obama -- declined to criticize the Obama administration for its handling of the incident."
House Approves Business Tax Cut The House voted 235-173 Thursday to pass a $46 billion tax cut "that would benefit almost every business in the country," the New York Times reports. Passage of the measure came "after a class-conscious debate that highlighted the gulf between the parties as the sluggish recovery drags on." Republicans "pressed its one-year 20 percent cut to taxes on businesses with fewer than 500 employees." While Democrats "countered with the Buffett Rule, a $47 billion tax increase on the nation's richest households."
The AP says Republicans "rammed" the tax cut through the House, "ignoring a White House veto threat in a debate both parties used to show voters how they would bolster the economy." Bloomberg News said the vote "mostly served to illustrate the differences between the parties' election-year agendas," and noted that it "is certain to be killed by" Senate Democrats.
Politico says house Republicans "sent a clear, election-year message that they're going to make sure taxes are cut -- stiff resistance from congressional Democrats and the White House be damned."
Roll Call notes that the bill "faces poor prospects for being enacted into law. President Barack Obama has threatened to veto the measure, and the Democratic-led Senate is unlikely to take it up."
The Washington Post adds that Senate Democratic leaders "blasted the House proposal as a win for well-heeled celebrities, including Donald Trump and Oprah Winfrey, who operate companies with fewer than 500 employees."
Congressional Democrats Backing Keystone XL Project Noting that President Obama is "increasingly boxed in on the Keystone pipeline fight," the New York Times reports that Congressional Democrats "are joining Republicans in backing the project, which has strong labor support and could generate significant numbers of jobs in economically hard-hit states." The House this week "passed a short-term transportation bill that included a provision that would pave the way for the construction of the next stage of the oil pipeline," by a vote of 293-127, with 69 Democrats supporting it. Obama now "finds himself, for the first time in his presidency, threatening a veto on a significant piece of legislation that enjoys the support of an increasing number of Democrats, as well as the vast majority of Republicans in Congress."
The AP reports that TransCanada has released a new path for the pipeline, and "says the reroute adds about 100 miles to the original 1,700-mile project that would carry oil from Canada to the Gulf Coast."
McClatchy reports that the new routs still goes over the Ogallala aquifer "but it avoids those areas of the Sandhills where groundwater lies under porous grasslands extremely close to the surface." McClatchy adds that if Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman signs off on the new route after reviews by state authorities, "TransCanada would have much of the political backing it needs to win approval from the US State Department for an international permit to build the pipeline."
The Christian Science Monitor reports, "The potential new route is being unveiled just as a Republicans in Congress are considering an attempt to wrest authority for its review from the Obama administration." Although the State Department must approve the permit, the measure passed by house Republicans as part of the transportation bill "would essentially mandate federal approval of any route that Nebraska approves." The Monitor notes that while the Senate is unlikely to back the House language, and the President has said he will veto it, "the moves create a new wrinkle in the election-year political maneuvering by both parties to blame the other for delays in the pipeline's construction."
Campaign News
Romney Up In Gallup, Rasmussen Trackers, Down In Others The latest installment of the Gallup daily presidential tracking poll shows Mitt Romney leading Barack Obama 48%-43% -- little changed from a 48%-44% Romney lead the previous day. The poll surveyed about 2,200 registered voters from April 14-18.
Rasmussen Reports ' daily presidential tracking poll shows Romney leading Obama 46%-45%. The poll surveyed 1,500 likely voters from April 16-18.
NBC/WSJournal Has Obama Up Six An NBC News /Wall Street Journal poll of 1000 adults taken April 13-17 shows Obama leading Romney 49%-43% among registered voters. In a similar survey a month ago, Obama lead 50%-44%.
On NBC Nightly News (4/19, story 6, 2:45, Williams, 8.37M), Chuck Todd said, "The starting gun of the general election truly went off in the last two weeks and it's clear from the results of the new poll, although the President is ahead, Mitt Romney is in a strong position to make this a very close election."
PPP Has Obama Up Three A Public Policy Polling (D) survey of 900 "voters" taken April 12-15 shows Obama leading Romney 49%-46%. Obama leads 52%-43% among independents. PPP says that though Romney's favorability numbers "are still poor," they "have already begun to rebound since it became clear he would be the nominee. In March, only a third of American voters saw him favorably and 58% unfavorably. That is now 39-51." The survey also examines the impact of a number of running mates for Romney on the overall horserace. In general, most cost the Republican ticket several points. However, if Chris Christie is on the ticket, the race is tied at 47% and if Jeb Bush is on the ticket, the Democrats' margin is cut to 48%-47%.
In Ohio, Romney Hammers Obama On Economy The Lorain (OH) Morning Journal reports that Thursday in Lorain, Ohio, Mitt Romney spoke at a shuttered plant, "and his message was echoed by a banner hung behind him that said: 'Obama Isn't Working.'" The presumptive GOP nominee "said he chose the location not because it was Obama's fault that National Gypsum closed, but because it symbolized [President] Obama's failures." Of Obama, Romney added, "He said progress in his view would be measured by good jobs and the ability to pay mortgages with a good job. By his own measure, he has failed."
The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports Romney said, "You know, the other day the President -- I guess it was just yesterday -- he was in Ohio, and he said that this campaign is going to come down to his vision. If you want to know where his vision leads, open your eyes because we've been living it for the last three years. It leads to lost jobs, lost homes, lost dreams. It's time to end that vision and have a vision of growth and jobs and economic vitality.'"
The Los Angeles Times says yesterday's event highlights "the question that will be at the fore over the next seven months: Whether Americans believe the economy is improving."
Romney: Obama "Likes To Attack Fellow Americans" Who've Been Successful The Hill reported on its website that Romney "on Thursday said he won't apologize for the success of his family after President Obama remarked that he wasn't 'born with a silver spoon' in his mouth." Appearing on Fox News, Romney said, "I'm certainly not going to apologize for my dad and his success in life. He was born poor. He worked his way to become very successful despite the fact that he didn't have a college degree, and one of the things he wanted to do was provide for me and for my brother and sisters. I'm not going to apologize for my dad's success."
Politico further quotes Romney as saying of Obama, "I know the president likes to attack fellow Americans. He's always looking for a scapegoat, particularly those that have been successful like my dad."
Obama Appears At Intimate Fundraiser Near White House The AP reports President Obama "was fundraising Thursday about a block from the White House, meeting with about two dozen supporters, each of whom paid $40,000. The gathering is his third fundraiser in two days. Obama raised cash at two campaign events Wednesday in Michigan."
Clooney To Host "High-End Fundraiser" For Obama Next Month. The AP reports actor George Clooney "is holding a high-end fundraiser for President Barack Obama at his Los Angeles home next month and the president's re-election campaign is offering supporters a chance to join Obama and Clooney at the event." Clooney "is saving seats at the May 10 fundraiser for two supporters and their guests. The campaign is seeking donations of at least $3 for the contest, similar to past sweepstakes offering donors a chance to have dinner with Obama." Politico and AFP also have reports.
The Hill reported on its website, "For anyone not lucky enough to win the contest, the price of attendance is a $35,800 donation to the Obama campaign and Democratic National Committee."
|
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
