BeltwayBlips - Latest Henry Waxman News Articles

Not an ordinary Obama town hall

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:36:14 +0000

SHANGHAI, China (CNN) - It was the sounds of Springsteen in Shanghai that clinched it for me: This was not your ordinary town hall meeting with President Obama. Don't get me wrong, Bruce Springsteen is usually a staple at Democratic events in America, so I'm used to hearing the strands of songs like "Born to Run" blaring out of speakers at campaign events or health care forums back home. But when I showed up a little early for Obama's town hall meeting here on Monday with Chinese college students at the extraordinary Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, the lyrics about New Jersey guys in muscle cars sweating it out "in the streets of a runaway American dream" seemed a little out of place: "Sprung from cages out on Highway 9/Chrome wheeled, fuel injected and steppin' out over the line!" Strange because the audience this time was not eager college students in Sarasota shouting "Yes We Can!" in the Democratic presidential primaries. It was subdued Chinese students in Shanghai ...

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Top White House Lawyer Pushed Out

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:59:40 +0000

TOKYO (CNN) – In the first major shakeup among President Obama's senior staff, CNN has learned that White House Counsel Greg Craig is being pushed out in favor of veteran Democratic lawyer Bob Bauer because of a dispute over the struggle to close the U.S. Military prison at Guantanamo. A senior administration official and a senior Democratic source confirmed the move will be officially announced by the White House in coming days. The sources said it could be announced as early as Friday in Washington while the President will be in Japan starting a four-nation tour of Asia, which would make it likely the staff change will be overshadowed by other events. Reached late Thursday evening by telephone for reaction, Craig told CNN, "I'm not going to comment" before hanging up. Bauer is the husband of outgoing White House Communications Director Anita Dunn, who recently led a so-called "war" on Fox News. Dunn earlier this week announced she is leaving her White House post, a long-anticipated ...

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: Congress, Henry Waxman, Ed Gillespie, CNN

Henry Kimelman, McGovern Aide, Dies at 88

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:14:16 +0000

Mr. Kimelman was the chief fund-raiser for the 1972 presidential campaign of Sen. George S. McGovern and later an ambassador to Haiti.

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Obama announces 'jobs forum'

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:00:03 +0000

A new poll shows bad news for Dodd. Washington (CNN) – President Barack Obama announced Thursday that he will host a White House 'jobs forum' in December. "Millions of Americans... are desperately searching for jobs," the president said in brief remarks at the White House, before leaving for an 8-day trip to Asia. The government has "an obligation to consider" every possible idea to generate new job growth, he said. The forum will include representatives from business, organized labor, and academia, among other sectors, Obama added. Unemployment has continued to climb in recent months, hitting a 26-year high of 10.2 percent in October. Unemployment has continued to climb in recent months, hitting a 26-year high of 10.2 percent in October. The number of Americans filing first-time claims for unemployment insurance, however, fell last week to their lowest level this year. There were 502,000 initial job claims filed in the week ending November 7, down from an ...

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Obama to announce 'jobs forum'

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:25:03 +0000

(CNN) - Senior Administration officials say President Barack Obama will announce a "jobs forum," rather than a jobs summit, in his comments prior to leaving for Asia. The forum will be in December. Unemployment has continued to climb in recent months, hitting a 26-year high of 10.2 percent in October.

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WH denies Afghan decision made, as tensions flare with Pentagon

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:15:17 +0000

WASHINGTON (CNN)– White House National Security Adviser Retired Gen. Jim Jones issued a rare public statement Monday vehemently denying media reports suggesting President Obama has privately decided to send close to 40,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, as tensions between the White House and Pentagon appear to be flaring up over exactly what the president will announce. "Reports that President Obama has made a decision about Afghanistan are absolutely false," Jones, who generally keeps a low public profile, said in a prepared statement Monday night. "He has not received final options for his consideration, he has not reviewed those options with his national security team, and he has not made any decisions about resources. Any reports to the contrary are completely untrue and come from uninformed sources." The statement was issued shortly after CBS News' veteran Pentagon Correspondent David Martin reported that Obama has "tentatively decided" to send four more combat brigades to ...

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WH denies Afghan decision made, as tensions flare with Pentagon

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:11:28 +0000

Washington (CNN) - White House National Security Adviser Retired Gen. Jim Jones issued a rare public statement Monday vehemently denying media reports suggesting President Obama has privately decided to send close to 40,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, as tensions between the White House and Pentagon appear to be flaring up over exactly what the president will announce. "Reports that President Obama has made a decision about Afghanistan are absolutely false," Jones, who generally keeps a low public profile, said in a prepared statement Monday night. "He has not received final options for his consideration, he has not reviewed those options with his national security team, and he has not made any decisions about resources. Any reports to the contrary are completely untrue and come from uninformed sources." The statement was issued shortly after CBS News' veteran Pentagon Correspondent David Martin reported that Obama has "tentatively decided" to send four more combat ...

Find more top political news, videos, and blogs on BeltwayBlips: World, Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Henry Waxman, Ed Gillespie, CNN