Pennsylvania Avenue

By Morton M. Kondracke

Nov. 5, 12 a.m.

Late in the game, Republicans are proposing alternatives to Democratic health care reform, but they’re certainly not being bold.

Wall Street, which supposedly hates uncertainty, was clearly unhappy late last week. On Thursday, in the face of a report showing not just that the economy had stopped declining but that it had actually grown faster than expected in the third quarter, the Dow Jones industrial average rallied by almost 200 points. Then, after a separate report on Friday showed that consumer spending had fallen by an unexpectedly large amount in that same quarter, the market sold off by more than the previous day’s gain as the Dow fell by about 250 points.

The RoseGarden

Obama and His Team Throwing Some Elbows

Nov. 2, 12 a.m.

President Barack Obama, criticized in some quarters for appearing too passive, is projecting a very different aura of late, as he and his aides pick fights all over town while the president transforms himself into the very picture of a wartime leader.

White House

Barbour Attacks Health Care Proposals as Obama Focuses on Fort Hood Shooting

Nov. 7, 6 a.m.

Republicans this week enlisted Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, a former Republican National Committee chairman and a potential candidate for president, to deliver the weekly address.

Obama Going to Camp David After Meeting With House Democrats Saturday

Nov. 6, 9:08 p.m.

After addressing the House Democratic Caucus late Saturday morning, President Barack Obama will travel to the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland, where he will spend Saturday night.

Obama Considers New Steps on Economy, Signs Unemployment Bill

Nov. 6, 12:24 p.m.

President Barack Obama on Friday said he is considering additional steps to boost the economy — including new spending measures and tax cuts — as the Labor Department announced that the unemployment rate has risen to 10.2 percent.

Obama Moves Meeting with House Democrats to Saturday

Nov. 6, 6:52 a.m.

President Barack Obama will meet with the House Democratic Caucus on Saturday instead of Friday to make a last-ditch appeal for health care reform, according to the White House. The White House gave no reason for the change, but the House is expected to vote on the health care bill later in the day or evening on Saturday.

Obama to Emphasize Substance of Health Reform

Nov. 5, 6:41 p.m.

President Barack Obama plans to make a straightforward case for the need for health care reform when he appears before House Democrats on Saturday on Capitol Hill — but he also will mention the importance of simply making some progress on the issue.

DeMint Drops Hold on Nominees, Applauds Obama Moves on Honduras

Nov. 5, 5:38 p.m.

Sen. Jim DeMint dropped his hold on a pair of executive branch nominees Thursday after receiving assurances from the Obama administration regarding the upcoming election in Honduras.

White House Holds to End-of-Year ‘Deadline’ for Health Care Bill

Nov. 5, 3:01 p.m.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Thursday that the “deadline” for Congress to pass health care legislation is the end of the year.

Obama Trumpets Health Bill Endorsements From AARP, AMA

Nov. 5, 1:50 p.m.

President Barack Obama on Thursday made an unscheduled appearance in the White House briefing room to tout the AARP’s and the American Medical Association’s endorsements of the House health care reform bill.

Reid Huddles With Emanuel on Health Care Strategy

Nov. 5, 12:34 p.m.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) met with White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel late Wednesday to discuss how to get a health care reform bill through his chamber by year’s end, according to Democratic sources.

Obama Heads to Capitol on Friday to Lobby House Democrats on Health Reform

Nov. 5, 9:57 a.m.

President Barack Obama is trekking up to Capitol Hill on Friday at 10:30 a.m. to rally support among House Democrats for a sweeping health care overhaul one day before it hits the chamber floor.

Obama to Host Hispanic Members on Thursday

Nov. 4, 9:52 p.m.

President Barack Obama will meet at the White House on Thursday afternoon with representatives of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the White House announced Wednesday evening.

Obama’s Grass-Roots Team Pushes Health Bill

Nov. 4, 1:08 p.m.

Organizing for America is attempting once again to light up the phone lines on Capitol Hill, urging its grass-roots membership to contact House Members to demand their support for the House health care reform bill.

White House: Election Results Don’t Threaten Agenda

Nov. 4, 11:15 a.m.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Wednesday that President Barack Obama’s agenda is not imperiled by Democratic losses in the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial contests.

Obama’s Hill Ties Yet to Fully Pay Off

Nov. 4, 12 a.m.

One year ago today, as the returns came in showing then-Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) had trounced Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in the presidential election, it seemed the world was at Obama’s feet.

Obama to Meet With Lincoln

Nov. 3, 9:45 a.m.

President Barack Obama will meet late Tuesday afternoon at the White House with Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) in a one-on-one session that is likely to focus on health care.

Boxer, GOP Face Off Over Climate Boycott

Nov. 3, 12 a.m.

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said Monday she will not be intimidated by GOP boycott threats and vowed to begin marking up her climate change legislation Tuesday regardless of whether Republicans show up at the Environment and Public Works Committee session.

Axelrod Expects Public Option; Lieberman Defends His Opposition

Nov. 1, 12:28 p.m.

Senior White House Adviser David Axelrod said Sunday that he expects a public insurance option to make it into a final health care reform bill.

As Obama Touts Economy, GOP Talks Health Care

Oct. 31, 6:01 a.m.

After months of largely attacking President Barack Obama’s health care reform initiatives, Republicans in their weekly radio address went positive Saturday, with House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) laying out the GOP blueprint for improving the nation’s health system.

White House Releases Visitor Logs

Oct. 30, 6:09 p.m.

The Obama administration on Friday released a list of hundreds of politicians, private citizens, activists and celebrities who have visited the White House since President Barack Obama took office in January, after months of criticism from conservatives.

Biden Says 1 Million Jobs ‘Saved or Created’

Oct. 30, 2:07 p.m.

Vice President Joseph Biden on Friday said that more than 1 million jobs have been “saved or created” by the economic recovery act so far, claiming the stimulus money has yielded a bumper crop of jobs through a combination of direct and indirect methods.

White House to Announce Stimulus Created or Saved 650K Jobs

Oct. 30, 8:47 a.m.

The White House on Friday will announce that under the stimulus bill passed early this year, some 650,000 jobs have been “created or saved” though Sept. 30, according to administration officials.

Senate Confirms Benjamin as Surgeon General

Oct. 29, 9:52 p.m.

The Senate on Thursday unanimously confirmed the nomination of Regina Benjamin to serve as surgeon general.

Obama Makes Health Care Pitch to Small Business, House Liberals

Oct. 29, 12:46 p.m.

President Barack Obama on Thursday met with small-business owners and officials at the White House, hoping to sell the traditionally GOP-friendly group on his health care reform proposals.

Hagel, Boren to Join Obama’s Intel Board

Oct. 28, 1:17 p.m.

President Barack Obama on Wednesday plans to announce that former Sens. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) and David Boren (D-Okla.) will serve as co-chairmen of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board.

Obama Looking to Main Street

Oct. 28, 12 a.m.

The White House is aggressively courting the small-business community, believing that some on GOP-friendly Main Street can be enlisted in the fight for health care reform and that assistance to mom-and-pop shops is vital to chipping away at the unemployment rate.

Chun: Cyber Attacks Demand Strong Public-Private Response

Nov. 6, 12:35 p.m.

The federal government is increasingly taking a leadership role in improving the nation’s cybersecurity. But, with a threat that is quickly growing and more sophisticated each day, it’s clear that the government — for all of its good intentions — cannot win this battle without a robust commitment from technology companies. Read Full Article