Strategy Memo: Hoopster In Chief
Yes, the Major League Baseball playoffs are in full swing. But it's basketball day at the White House. Tonight, President Obama will play on the White House court with four Cabinet secretaries and 11 members of Congress -- nine of them Democrats. He starts his day with morning briefings and then has lunch with business leaders. He'll also drop in this afternoon on a game of hoops played by the National Naval Medical Center Marine Wounded Warrior basketball team. He and the vice president will also hold separate meetings with Secretaries Clinton and Geithner.
Vice President Biden, seemingly always in campaign mode these days, will head to Virginia today for an event with Creigh Deeds. As part of today's economic briefing, Biden will also discuss progress in implementing the recovery act.
The Senate Finance Committee could vote on the chairman's health care bill as early as tomorrow after CBO delivered an encouraging score, at least as Democrats see it. On the floor today, the Senate will resume consideration of the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations bill. Still awaiting House action is the 2010 National Defense Authorization Act conference report. Also scheduled for a vote on the floor is a bill giving active service members a one-year extension on the first-time homebuyers credit, through Nov. 30, 2010.
**President Obama
*AP: "The formal request by the nation's top Afghanistan commander for more troops is now in President Barack Obama's hands, administration officials said Wednesday as the war launched after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks reached its eight-year mark with no end in sight. Obama was not expected to discuss the troop request at a meeting with war advisers Wednesday but was likely to do so on Friday."
*In a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll taken Tuesday, "most Americans embrace U.S. goals in Afghanistan." Eight in 10 say weakening terrorists' ability to stage attacks on the United States is "an important reason" to stay, but they are less certain that progress is being made, especially in establishing a stable democracy. Overall, 48 percent say send more troops, 38 percent say no.
*Washington Post sees the Afghanistan debate as civilians vs. military officials. "With the costs now clearer, some officials at the National Security Council and the State Department who voiced support for counterinsurgency in March have started to consider other options. There is increasing interest in Biden's stance, as well as in a modified counterinsurgency effort that would involve sending more military trainers but not more combat forces."
*What strategy is Joe Biden advocating, anyway? His hometown paper hears from the White House that it's been misconstrued.
*Obama's New York fundraiser on October 20 now includes a separate fundraiser for NY-23 candidate Bill Owens.
*Days before he speaks to the Human Rights Campaign Dinner, Obama nominated David Huebner, an openly gay attorney, to be ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa, Bloomberg reports.
*Here's the list for tonight's White House basketball game: Secretaries Shaun Donovan (HUD), Arne Duncan (Education), Tim Geithner (Treasury) and Ken Salazar (Interior). Members of Congress: Mike Arcuri (D-NY), John Boccieri (D-OH), Brad Ellsworth (D-IN), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Baron Hill (D-IN), Jay Inslee (D-WA), Frank Kratovil (D-MD), Rick Larsen (D-WA), Patrick Murphy (D-PA), John Shimkus (R-IL) and Heath Shuler (D-NC).
**Congress
*AP: "Democrats are breathing a sigh of relief after a positive cost report on health care overhaul gave them a chance to rally around a Senate plan that significantly expands coverage while trimming the federal deficit."
*Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid "said he hopes to combine the bill with a competing measure approved by the Senate health committee and present the result to the full Senate later this month. He will begin to convene small meetings in his office next week with Baucus, Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.) and senior White House officials, including Orszag, Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and senior health adviser Nancy-Ann DeParle," Washington Post reports.
*A new Quinnipiac poll finds voters want a bipartisan health care reform plan, but also want a public option.
*As expected, "House Democrats on Wednesday blocked a Republican effort to force Representative Charles B. Rangel from the chairmanship of the Ways and Means Committee and instead referred the demand to the panel already investigating the New York Democrat," New York Times reports.
*Speaker Pelosi and Reid "emerged from the White House Tuesday with broad, bicameral smiles -- until Reid put his arm around Pelosi to announce that 'everyone' would support 'whatever' Afghanistan policy the president produces. Pelosi doesn't agree with that -- not at all -- and the TV cameras captured the California Democrat rolling her eyes and slightly recoiling from Reid's grasp as he spoke," Politico reports.
**Fundraising
*Jane Norton (R) raised $505,000 in just over two weeks for her Colorado Senate bid.
*Kelly Ayotte (R) has raised $613,000 for her campaign in New Hampshire. Her campaign says they've raised a third of what former Sen. John Sununu raised over six years in just two months.
*The Hill reports that Mark Kirk (R) now has a well-financed GOP opponent to deal with in the Illinois Senate race. Developer Patrick Hughes (R) said "he will report $380,000 in receipts in the month-plus after he entered the race in late August."
*Independent candidate Lincoln Chafee is trailing major party candidates in fundraising for Rhode Island governor, ProJo reports.
*Gov. Bill Ritter's (D) GOP challenger raised $416,000.
**Campaign Stuff
*Much in the landscape mirrors the conditions that led to the GOP's big win in 1994 midterms. But, the Wall Street Journal reports, "there are some little-understood forces that suggest a full repeat of 1994 is unlikely."
*Terry Branstad's decision to seek another term in Iowa has created "tension" among the other Republican candidates. Des Moines Register says there's a debate over "which choice would most boost the party's chances next year: Branstad and his four winning gubernatorial campaigns and 16 years of experience, or one of the field's newer faces."
Meanwhile, Iowa Dems have a funny YouTube video on the Branstad news.
*MA Sen: In a new campaign ad, Steve Pagliuca (D) refers to his role in the Celtics "turnaround" and sells his bio.
*MA Sen: City Year founder Alan Khazei "will formally announce an endorsement by Max Kennedy, the nephew of the man who held the seat for 47 years," Boston Globe reports.
*FL Sen: Ex-Miami Mayor Maurice Ferre "officially launched his upstart bid for the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, banking on political experience and potential appeal in the fast-growing Hispanic community to overtake rivals with multimillion-dollar head starts," Miami Herald reports.
*Joe The Plumber will raise money for Cherilyn Eagar, who is challenging Sen. Bob Bennett (R) in a primary.
*David Axelrod, speaking at the University of Delaware yesterday, said he didn't know if Beau Biden will run for U.S. Senate, but if he does, he and Rep. Mike Castle (R) "would provide an example to other politicians on how to run a 'very civilized race.'"
*State Sen. Robert Hurt (R) "jumped into the deep pool of Republican candidates" challenging freshman Rep. Tom Perriello (D). But his "political pedigree and popularity that could make him the GOP frontrunner and a potential formidable foe," the Roanoke News reports.
**Sports Alert: Yankees got a monkey off their back and won Game One last night, thanks to who else: Derek Jeter. The Dodgers and Phillies also won their series openers. Today, another baseball triple-header. Nothing beats October baseball.
--Mike Memoli and Kyle Trygstad