A blog hosted by the Center for American Progress, headed by top Obama ally John Podesta, is blasting the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for its tangential ties to the Egyptian government while ignoring the extensive lobbying activities of John’s brother Tony Podesta for the Egyptian government. (more)
President Obama hastily scheduled an afternoon press conference at the White House Tuesday, seeking to head off growing anger in his own party over compromises to Republicans in a tax cut deal announced Monday. (more)
Two leading environmental groups are calling for increased government funding of international climate change initiatives. (more)
President Obama invoked the name of former President Ronald Reagan Thursday as he continued to push Senate Republicans to approve a nuclear arms reduction treaty with Russia before the end of the year. (more)
The head of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce issued a loud and fiery challenge Wednesday to President Obama and the Washington bureaucracy, vowing to ramp up the organization’s fight against excessive regulation and “government harassment” of business’ ability to participate in the political system. (more)
Former President Bill Clinton’s chief of staff John Podesta, now the head of the Center for American Progress, called on President Obama to push forward with his agenda using federal agencies and executive branch power Tuesday, even though Democrats were dealt a blow in the recent midterm elections. Podesta said the American people want the president to move forward with his agenda. (more)
President Obama should refocus his administration to concentrate on executive actions he can take independent of Congress, after two years in which voters have become disgusted with the “sausage-making” of legislation, according to a report released today by a liberal policy group. (more)
For House Democrats, 2011 is likely to be the year of the progressives. (more)
President Obama on Monday admitted he made a mistake last week when he referred to those who disagree with him as “enemies,” but argued that Republicans are misinterpreting his remark. (more)
President Obama has repeatedly voiced his opposition to extending the Bush tax cuts for “rich Americans,” though he favors extending the Bush tax cuts for individuals making less than $200,000 and families with incomes below $250,000. His persistent class warfare and continued demonization of the successful is hurting the recovery. (more)
Politicians have been boasting about their commitment to energy independence for years. Many voters, they understand, detest the idea of buying oil from regimes hostile to the United States, even as they worry about the effects of fossil fuels on the environment. “Energy independence” makes a useful talking point. But it has other uses as well. The move from oil also has the potential to make some of its advocates very rich. (more)
So, things didn’t work out quite like they were supposed to for White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. His status as the right-hand man to the philosopher-king destined to save the United States largely resulted in “Rahm-ing” through both a stimulus package and a health care “reform” bill that proved wildly unpopular with the American people (including one quite memorable scene involving Rahm in the Congressional gym shower). Moreover, Rahm’s generally moderate and pragmatic thinking never meshed well with the West Wing FDR ideologues surrounding Obama. These are the same individuals who believe the stimulus, health care and financial reform didn’t go far enough. (more)
John Podesta is a distinguished Washington insider. He is currently the president of the liberal Center for American Progress, and previously served as co-chair of Barack Obama’s presidential transition team (2008-2009) and White House chief of staff for Bill Clinton. Podesta is also a visiting law professor at Georgetown. (more)
BREAKING NEWS BULLETIN: John Podesta, the president of the Center for American Progress, supports UFO research. According to the Weekly Standard, (more)
The press wasn’t the only group in Washington obsessed with how Bill Clinton, just reelected in 1996, was going to build a lasting legacy. So was Clinton and his staff. (more)
There is an “emerging consensus” that we are headed for a value-added tax (VAT) in the United States. But the more optimistic among the experts and pundits believe it won’t come until after the 2012 election and then only if President Obama is reelected. There is no doubt that something will have to be done about the financial crisis and the federal debt—even if ObamaCare is repealed—and many believe the “hidden” VAT is the politically viable solution. Many openly say that the VAT, with its costs hidden in the price of commercial products, is the only way to get the money to pay for ObamaCare. (more)
Imagine that you’re the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar, publicly owned company and that you’ve been invited to testify before Congress along with several other of your fellow CEOs. Further imagine that, while you’re delivering your testimony, protesters are allowed to physically approach, disrupt and humiliate you—and no security personnel are there to intervene. And then they get away scot-free. (more)
The White House distanced itself from comments made last week by one of its top economic advisers in support of a new national consumption tax — yet others close to President Obama have similarly spoken in favor of a Value-Added Tax in recent months. (more)
It’s standard practice for the White House to issue short statements to the press about conversations that the president has with other world leaders, in what is typically called a readout. (more)
Taking a cue from Orson Welles infamous radio prank “War of The Worlds”, a 1938 broadcast of H.G. Wells’ story in which Martians invade the United States, the Georgian government-endorsed television station, Imedi, broadcast a mock news bulletin Saturday night with footage showing Russian tanks booming into the capital city of Tbilisi and reports that President Mikael Saakashvili was dead and former Speaker of Parliament Nino Burganadze was now interim leader. (more)
