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- Barack Obama's efforts to win votes for his economic stimulus package from Republicans might have been well-intentioned, but it ought to be crystal clear to the president after today's meeting with Hill Republicans that they are not -- particularly the House GOP -- interested in compromise. If I had the president's ear I would tell him the following: forget the House Republicans. All they want is to tie themselves to your popularity, and make you think they'll back your bill with more concessions to them. Democrats are getting nothing in return for this "compromise" so your time would better be spent trying to get 60 votes in the Senate, where it really matters. Also, House Republicans preview their own stimulus bill.
- While I'm having this imaginary one-on-one with the president, may I ask why, if you're going to make a big deal about the ethics of letting former lobbyists work in your administration, have you approved a waiver for one and announced that a second will be number-two at the Treasury? Was all that talk about transparency and openness just for show?
- The president gave his first television interview with Al Arabiya to start reaching out to the Muslim world and Adam points out the subtle taunt Obama gave to groups like al-Qaeda who offer the Muslim world nothing productive and only promise violence.
- Karl Rove has once again been subpoenaed by House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers in an attempt to get to the bottom of his role in the Bush administration's firings of U.S. Attorneys in 2006. "Change has come to Washington," Conyers said, "and I hope Karl Rove is ready for it. After two years of stonewalling, it's time for him to talk."
- Timothy Geithner was confirmed last night by a 60-34 vote, with Democratic Sens. Harkin, Byrd and Feingold voting no along with Independent Bernie Sanders.
- Apparently a book deal wasn't enough for Sarah Palin. The former VP candidate has launched a PAC looking to capitalize on the Alaska Governor's continuing popularity with the conservative rank-and-file. And speaking of yesterday's news, it appears John McCain's campaign media strategy was to rely upon a shoot the messenger approach that led to serious consideration of banning New York Times reporters from the campaign plane.
- Over at The Corner, Michael Novak calls Obama's lifting of the Global Gag Rule a "relapse into paganism," and Patrick Ruffini thinks hiring Rush Limbaugh as The New York Times' new conservative columnist would "shock the Upper East Side, not reinforce its worldview in subtle ways." In other news, Mike Tomasky predicts that "[i]n the coming weeks, you'll hear Republicans doing two things: Invoking Ronald Reagan, and arguing for more tax cuts." No argument here.
- I, for one, am relieved that Arlen Specter has now had enough time to consider Eric Holder worthy of being confirmed U.S. attorney general. In the future, the Senate Judiciary Committee ought to just preemptively set aside a two month window in order to give Specter enough time to weigh these important decisions before suddenly changing his mind.
--Mori Dinauer
