memeorandum: Obama Uses Campaign Tactics to Sell Stimulus Plan to Congress (Bloomberg)

10:25 AM ET, January 9, 2009

Top Items:

O-bummer — Congressional Democrats are firing a surprising number of unexpectedly sharp brush-back pitches at President-elect Obama and his staff over policy plans and personnel picks, making him look embattled during what was to be a triumphant debut week in Washington.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Political Machine and Associated Press

New York Times:

Senate Allies Fault Obama on Stimulus — WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama's economic recovery plan ran into crossfire from his own party in Congress on Thursday, suggesting that quick passage of spending programs and tax cuts could require more time and negotiation than Democrats once hoped.

Discussion: CBS News, The Hill, Washington Post, Washington Monthly, Gallup, The Politico, TPM Election Central, Wonk Room, TIME.com, MSNBC, Wall Street Journal, Hullabaloo, The Daily Politics, Los Angeles Times, Climate Progress, Balloon Juice, RedState and George's Bottom Line

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

The Obama Gap — “I don't believe it's too late to change course, but it will be if we don't take dramatic action as soon as possible. If nothing is done, this recession could linger for years.” — So declared President-elect Barack Obama on Thursday, explaining why the nation needs …

Discussion: Washington Post, LewRockwell.com Blog, Buck Naked Politics, Vox Popoli, The Agonist and Blog entry

Paul Kane / Washington Post:
Pelosi Urges Obama to Raise Taxes on Wealthy This Year

Discussion: Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, Wake up America, Commentary, The Confluence, MyDD and George's Bottom Line

Andrew Taylor / Associated Press:
Rifts show as Obama urges quick action on stimulus

Discussion: Donklephant, Reuters, LewRockwell.com Blog, Agence France Presse and The Politico

Bloomberg:
Obama Uses Campaign Tactics to Sell Stimulus Plan to Congress

Discussion: The Swamp

CNN:
Key Senate Democrats blast Obama tax proposals

Discussion: Taylor Marsh and The Washington Independent

Greg Hitt / Wall Street Journal:
Democrats Raise Doubts on Obama Plan

Discussion: The Politico and The Moderate Voice

Suzanne Goldenberg / Guardian:

Barack Obama administration ‘prepared to talk to Hamas’ — The incoming Obama administration is prepared to abandon George Bush's doctrine of isolating Hamas by establishing a channel to the Islamist organisation, sources close to the transition team say.

Allahpundit / Hot Air:
Three sources tell Guardian Obama plans to talk to Hamas

Discussion: RBO

Louis Uchitelle / New York Times:

Unemployment Hits 7.2%, 16-Year High — With the recession in full swing, the nation's employers shed 524,000 jobs in December, the government reported Friday, and a rapidly deteriorating economy promised more significant losses in the months ahead. December's job losses brought the total …

Discussion: Firedoglake, Matthew Yglesias and Gothamist

Brian Blackstone / Wall Street Journal:

Jobless Rate Surges to 7.2% in December — WASHINGTON — The final employment report for 2008 closed the books on a miserable year for U.S. workers with payrolls plunging last month by more than half a million, pushing the unemployment rate to a 16-year high.

Discussion: Think Progress, Runnin' Scared and European Tribune

Jonathan Martin / The Politico:

Lei-off: Obama snubs Dean — The conspicuous absence of Howard Dean from Thursday's press conference announcing Tim Kaine's appointment as Democratic National Committee chair was no accident, according to Dean loyalists. — Rather, they say, it was a reflection of the lack of respect accorded …

Discussion: MSNBC, MyDD, The Note, RedState, RBO, Gawker, Don Surber and Reuters

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
DEAN DESERVES HIS DUE.... Someone's going to have to explain …

Discussion: Daily Kos, American Street, The Huffington Post and AMERICAblog News

Joby Warrick / Washington Post:

Jan. 1 Attack By CIA Killed Two Leaders Of Al-Qaeda — A New Year's Day CIA strike in northern Pakistan killed two top al-Qaeda members long sought by the United States, including the man believed to be behind September's deadly suicide bombing at a Marriott hotel in the Pakistani capital …

Discussion: Townhall.com, The Atlanticist, The Long War Journal, Outside The Beltway, On Deadline and BLACKFIVE

BBC:
Pakistan al-Qaeda leaders ‘dead’

Discussion: Neptunus Lex and JammieWearingFool

Wall Street Journal:

Mere Presidents — American leaders are mortal, not magical. — He didn't seem distracted, like he was thinking about lunch, and he didn't seem to be deflecting responsibility, but taking it. This was a relief, and rather unusual in a Washington politician, or pretty much any politician.

Discussion: Connecting.the.Dots and No More Mister Nice Blog

Hoystory:

Cover-up continues — Pro-Israel and conservative blogs have been all over the story of CNN peddling a bit of Hamas theater today. As you watch this video, take a good look at the supposed “victim” and the medical treatment he receives. — After the uproar erupted …

Discussion: Pajamas Media and EU Referendum

Adam Nossiter / New York Times:

Sheriff Accused of Stealing Jail Food Allowance — DECATUR, Ala. — The prisoners in the Morgan County jail here were always hungry. The sheriff, meanwhile, was getting a little richer. Alabama law allowed it: the chief lawman could go light on prisoners' meals and pocket the leftover change.

Discussion: Associated Press, Althouse, TalkLeft and On Deadline

Los Angeles Times:

Eric Holder pushed for controversial clemency — As deputy attorney general in 1999, Holder — now attorney general nominee — pressed subordinates to drop objections to clemency for 16 members of violent Puerto Rican nationalist organizations. — Reporting from Washington …

Discussion: Federal Eye, The BLT, Emptywheel and Betsy's Page

Washington Post:

What ‘Yes, We Can’ Should Mean for Our Schools — In 1994, we founded KIPP, the Knowledge Is Power Program, by starting one middle school in the South Bronx and one in Houston. Today, KIPP is a growing network of 66 public charter schools serving 17,000 children in 19 states and the District.

Discussion: Weekly Standard and Eduwonk

R. Jeffrey Smith / Washington Post:

Obama Picks CIA Veteran Brennan as Counterterror Adviser — Brennan Has Drawn Fire on Interrogations — Barack Obama has picked John O. Brennan as his top adviser on counterterrorism, a role that will give the CIA veteran a powerful voice on the government's use of security contractors …

Discussion: The Caucus and TalkLeft

David Cho / Washington Post:

Geithner Preparing Overhaul Of Bailout — Obama Team Broadens Scope to Secure Final $350 Billion for Rescue — Confronted with intense skepticism on Capitol Hill over the $700 billion financial rescue program, Treasury Secretary nominee Timothy F. Geithner and President-elect Barack Obama's economic team …

Discussion: New York Times, TPM Election Central and TIME.com

Chicago Sun Times:

Change in Burris' story? — SPRINGFIELD — A potentially troublesome new detail emerged about Roland Burris' controversial U.S. Senate appointment Thursday after a state House panel voted unanimously to recommend Gov. Blagojevich be impeached. — For the first time, Burris indicated …

Discussion: Hot Air and The Capitol Fax Blog

Chicago Breaking News:
House committee recommends impeachment

Discussion: Chicago Tribune, New York Times, TIME.com and Political Machine

Erick Erickson / Erick's blog:

Mitch McConnell Lost His Testicles and Now Infects the Senate GOP With a Cancer — Allow me to be blunt: — There are some of you who have fallen under McConnell's spell in the same way the lefties have fallen under Obama's spell. McConnell can do no wrong.

Discussion: AmSpecBlog

Charles Krauthammer / Real Clear Politics:

Two Endgames for Israel — WASHINGTON — Israel's leaders have purposely obscured their war aims in Gaza. But there are only two possible endgames: (A) a Lebanon-like cessation of hostilities to be supervised by international observers, or (B) the disintegration of Hamas rule in Gaza.

Discussion: Commentary, Soccer Dad and Betsy's Page

New York Post:

FORMER GOPER MIKE WANTS TO GET BACK IN — Mayor Bloomberg has begun reaching out to city Republican leaders to gauge whether he could run on the GOP line in his re-election bid this year, several sources told The Post. — The maneuvering began in the past two weeks, and sources said the mayor …

Discussion: City Room and Gothamist

David Brooks / New York Times:

The Confidence Surplus — Christina Romer is Barack Obama's choice to lead his Council of Economic Advisers. In 1994, Romer and her husband, David, wrote an essay entitled “What Ends Recessions?” In the first paragraph, the Romers noted that “economists seem strangely unsure …

Discussion: Commentary and marbury

Jennifer Lawinski / Fox News:

High-Profile Doctor in Gaza Called an ‘Apologist for Hamas’ — A high-profile Norwegian doctor who has said the September 11 terrorists were justified in their attack is now treating patients in Gaza and is being accused of presenting “hard-core propaganda” to TV interviewers in his telling of the conflict between Hamas and Israel.

Discussion: Jules Crittenden