--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"welcome to dnc2020" group.
To post to this group, send email to [email protected]
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
[email protected]
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/welcome-to-dnc2020?hl=en
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
--- Begin Message ---
---------------------------------------------------------
First Read: The day in politics by NBC News for NBC News
---------------------------------------------------------
>From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro
FIRST THOUGHTS.
*** The Ways Of Washington: When Barack Obama launched his presidential bid in
Springfield, IL, here's what he said: "I know I haven't spent a lot of time
learning the ways of Washington. But I've been there long enough to know that
the ways of Washington must change." The irony? The folks that have caused him
the most trouble in the last two years have old Washington hands like Jim
Johnson, Bill Richardson, and Tom Daschle. If President Obama listened to his
own rhetoric, he would have avoided all three embarrassments. He's been making
the case of changing the ways Washington did business, and NOT relying on old
Washington hands is one of the ways to avoid old mistakes. There is a moment
for Obama to turn lemons into lemonade here -- by sending the message to
Washington and to Congress (in particular) that he's willing to allow a close
ally like Daschle go, then he isn't going to be easily pressured on the
political front, maybe. At least that's the message the administration needs to
sell.
*** Future Of Health-Care Reform: So who will own the big portfolio that is
health care? There is a vacuum now. On the Hill, Senate Finance Committee
Chairman Max Baucus wants to be at the forefront of the debate, but there are a
lot of angry Senate Dems at Baucus this morning (lots of finger-pointing at him
today over the Daschle issue). Ted Kennedy's own health may prevent him from
taking the role he wants to play, but he could pick a partner and go forward.
And then there's Obama. Will he use the same model he had created with Daschle
-- give his health-care person both a cabinet post and a West Wing office? If
Obama wants a big-name person to take this issue on, he'll have to offer the
same structure. An early front-runner is Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. The
idea of a governor, who isn't afraid of the legislative process but isn't a
creature of it, may be exactly what the president is looking for. Other names
on the list include ex-Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber (who may truly campaign for
it); Howard Dean (who will NEVER get tapped but has plenty of supporters who
will force his name on potential candidate lists); and John Podesta (who
doesn't have a gig in the Obama administration, but did help put together the
transition). Then again, is Podesta going to take heat for any of these early
hiccups?
*** Obama's Salary Cap: One reason why Daschle had to go -- he would have
potentially contradicted Obama's message today on executive pay and perks. As
the president told NBC's Brian Williams yesterday, "It's important for this
administration to send a message that there aren't two sets of rules." Per
sources, the president and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner will announce at
11:00 am ET that they will limit the annual salaries of senior executives for
companies receiving large amounts of bailout money to $500,000 per year.
Moreover, any additional compensation will be in restricted stock that will not
vest until taxpayers have been paid back. And all banks will face tougher
restrictions, including restrictions on golden parachutes and "say on pay"
shareholder policies to give a voice to average investors about salary
structures for top executives. Banks also will face tougher transparency rules,
including on expenses such as aviation services, office renovations,
entertainment and holiday parties, conferences and events, and golden
parachutes. The intended purpose of this rollout: to make it politically easier
for Congress to support another financial bailout.
First Read with NBC News Political Director Chuck Todd, every weekday on
MSNBC-TV at 9 a.m. ET.
For more: The latest edition of First Read is available now at
http://www.FirstRead.MSNBC.com !
=========================================
This e-mail is never sent unsolicited. You have received this MSNBC First Read
Newsletter
newsletter because you subscribed to it or, someone forwarded it to you.
To remove yourself from the list (or to add yourself to the list if this
message was forwarded to you) simply go to
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25810725, select unsubscribe, enter the
email address receiving this message, and click the Go button.
Microsoft Corporation - One Microsoft Way - Redmond, WA 98052
MSN PRIVACY STATEMENT
http://privacy.msn.com <http://privacy.msn.com/>
--- End Message ---
