[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIMIvrA0bx8]
Video courtesy of C-SPAN
In an unprecedented 31-minute speech on the House floor done against the advice of lawyers and friends, Rep. Charlie Rangel, attacked head on the allegations against him and the process under which he said he’s suffered unfairly.
Rangel seemed to …
Reuters
–There are a bunch of good races today in Colorado, Connecticut and Georgia. Jay and Katy walk them up.
–The House is poised to approve $26 billion in aid to the states today. Obama will give a gentle nudge.
–Six months ago, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels signed onto a letter asking for more FMAP funds. He opposes …
Ah, the joys of special session. Today 255 House Dems and 178 House Republicans are making their way back to Washington for a 24-hour session of the lower chamber. The reason? A $26.1 billion bill providing aid to the states that the Senate finally managed to push through before adjourning last week — about half of the original $50 …
–President Obama is set to deliver a speech on education policy at the National Urban League’s 100th Anniversary Convention today. He will reportedly call for teacher pay to be pegged to performance, a serious bone of contention with unions.
–Harry Reid’s re-election campaign is getting defensive after Nevada lost out on federal …
David Brooks makes a not-very-convincing, and somewhat confused, case against more economic stimulus in his column today. His argument, essentially, is that since the economy hasn’t boomed in the wake of Obama’s stimulus plan, the plan probably didn’t work. I’m no economist–and, as Brooks accurately points out, most economists are far …
I’m generally in favor of President Obama’s efforts to prevent massive layoffs of public employees at the state and local level. But–you knew a “but” was coming, right?–there have to be some strings attached. I’m not sure Charles Lane is right that this isn’t as bad as it seems. The pain won’t be distributed equally. The districts that …
Official White House Photo by Pete Souza
–BP’s containment cap made some progress over the weekend.
–The administration’s not slapping any backs quite yet. They expect clean-up efforts to last at least through the fall. Thad Allen is on deck for today’s White House press briefing.
—Underestimating risk might be the theme …
The deadtree cover this week is TIME’s annual 100 most influential people of the year. Who’d we miss? Who shouldn’t be on this list? Let the debate begin.
Update:
Even better: TIME’s least influential list. Hysterical.
Official White House Photo by Pete Souza
–Obama worked in an address to the troops and a sit-down with President Karzai in just six hours on the ground in Afghanistan. The brief weekend trip was his first to the nation as commander in chief. Michael tagged along to tell the tale.
–Reuters describes how the entire thing was …
Official White House Photo by Pete Souza
–So health care is done for now. Congress is running off on recess and President Obama is headed to Camp David for the weekend. Everyone could probably use a rest.
–Majority Leader Reid, caught up in the moment, accidentally voted “no” on health care (again) yesterday before …
In the middle of a meeting in the early evening Wednesday on – what else? – reconciliation, the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Terrance Gainer interrupted proceedings to speak with the Senate Parliamentarian. Though neither man would discuss what was going on, reports soon emerged: Tea Party protesters were planning to picket the …
Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy
–That’s what a signature with 22 pens looks like. Here’s who get them.
–Probably the most touted immediate effect of the health care bill, a measure preventing insurance companies from denying children coverage on the basis of preexisting conditions, may not kick in as advertised …
–One of the few areas of comity and cooperation between the parties during the Obama administration has been education policy. The Washington Post reports this morning that Democrats and Republicans in the House are taking a bipartisan stab at rewriting No Child Left Behind.
–It looks like the White House may have a deal on forming …
