The Presidential Planner
EmailFrom Sunlen Miller:
President Obama will meet today with Sen. John Kerry one-on-one in the Oval Office. This follows the Massachusetts Democrat’s five-day trip in Afghanistan where he played a central role in brokering an agreement with Afghan President Hamid Karzai to accept a new presidential runoff election. On Tuesday, Obama said the senator was “extraordinarily constructive” and “very helpful to the efforts.
In the afternoon, the president will visit a small business in suburban Maryland where he will announce a package of initiatives that will increase credit to small businesses.
“The proposal will increase the caps for existing SBA loans and give smaller banks better access to TARP funding to encourage more lending to small business,” the White House says.
Then — preparation time: the president will participate in coordinated Cabinet-level exercise focused on the immediate aftermath of a “fictitious catastrophic earthquake” in the country.
“The exercise will examine the federal incident management policies and practices for the response to and immediate recovery from an incident of this magnitude,” the White House says of the exercise, which is planned to take place at the Department of Treasury.
In the evening the president is scheduled to once again hit the campaign trail, traveling to Hackensack, N.J., to help boost the reelection campaign of New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine.
The president’s planned appearance is the second for Corzine, and he is one of a long list of Democrats who are out on the stump this month to help the incumbent governor in a race that polls indicate is a dead heat. Vice President Biden has appeared at two events for Corzine this month. Former President Bill Clinton and Caroline Kennedy are also scheduled to make appearances for Corzine this week.
Today marks the second day in a row the president is making campaign appearances for Democratic candidates.
– Sunlen Miller
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Good boy Kerry now we have a good excuse to delay any decision on sending more troops WHILE OUR YOUNG MEN and WOMEN DIE over there. COME ON!
Posted by: earl | October 21, 2009, 7:50 am 7:50 am
“we have a good excuse to delay any decision on sending more troops”
earl | Oct 21, 2009 7:50:12 AM
You do realize that Obama has already doubled the number of US troops in Afghanistan, don’t you?
Posted by: jhw539 | October 21, 2009, 9:07 am 9:07 am
Trying to spin another set-back as ”success” – The administration actually wanted Karzai to step aside but instead he will be a candidate in run-off elections. The Karzai gov’t. is corrupt, inefficient, unpopular.
Posted by: Terry | October 21, 2009, 9:09 am 9:09 am
Hey, if the administration is so busy fixing all these evils left behind by GW Bush–then how does Obama have time to send his minions onto every talking head show to bash Fox News??
Posted by: Ministry of Truth | October 21, 2009, 9:15 am 9:15 am
“Trying to spin another set-back as ”success” – The administration actually wanted Karzai to step aside”
Terry | Oct 21, 2009 9:09:01 AM
Another mind reader from the Right Wing I see. The US has never given any indication they want Karzai to step aside, and was taking flak for appearing to support him and showing indications of preferring him – the evil they know – over a legitimate election. The runoff is the best outcome we could get. A legitimate Afghan government that can control the country and keep the Taliban out of power is the endgame that brings our boys home.
Posted by: jhw539 | October 21, 2009, 9:15 am 9:15 am
Republicans are digging deep for something….anything….and ironically they keep digging themselves deeper into the 22% mire that they created. LOL. Most Americans understand Republicans and their evil, corrupt, lying ways and have voiced themselves loudly in the last 2 elections. Of course President Obama already increased troup levels in Afghanistan higher than Bush ever did. It was Bush that started the way and abandoned it and left our soldiers in harms way and forgot about them. No matter how much you weasals try to spin it…the facts are the facts. Bush started the war, allowed Bin Laden to run free, then neglected the war and let the entire situation deteriorate. Facts are Facts. President Obama increased troup levels by 30,000 earlier in the year. How much did Bush increase troop levels? ZERO that’s how much!
Posted by: Robert | October 21, 2009, 9:35 am 9:35 am
I really do expect that someday over the rainbow I will hear that this Administration has “done the right thing” rather than continuing to do the “politically correct thins.”
Posted by: justj joey | October 21, 2009, 10:41 am 10:41 am
Is the president EVER in his office preparing or making decisions?? EVER?? Hes constantly campaigning!
Posted by: Shawn | October 21, 2009, 10:52 am 10:52 am
Yo Jake, not sure what you were thinking in trying to defend Fox News at yesterday’s WH press briefing, but Media Matters explodes your credibility (credulousness?)
Posted by: Pinson | October 21, 2009, 11:12 am 11:12 am
I must have missed the fact that the previous administration left the troops in Afghanistan for 8 years, under supplied, without any strategic plan to win while they invaded Iraq for no good reason other than potential oil revenues, prop up the defense industries, and, to feel good about themselves because they’re ‘tough republicans’
who love to start wars.
Posted by: Oh Yeah | October 21, 2009, 11:14 am 11:14 am
hen how does Obama have time to send his minions onto every talking head show to bash Fox News??
Posted by: Ministry of Truth
maybe he’s smarter, better, and gosh darn it , people really like him, that’s why he won the 2008 election.
Posted by: Oh Yeah | October 21, 2009, 11:16 am 11:16 am
Obama’s dithering and foot dragging over sending help to our troops has probably worn out the patience of many Americans.
I hope those still willing to ‘give him time” are starting to wake up.
He’s never had to make tough decisions before–what a great way to get experience.
Send help or get them out!!!
Posted by: tyler | October 21, 2009, 11:48 am 11:48 am
It’s encouraging to see that Obama is sinking in the polls.
Could be any number of reasons why.
Was Anita Dunn’s praising mass murderer Mao in front of high school kids the last straw–another radical appointed by Obama.
His stalling on what to do in Afghanistan while troops die?
Or maybe his rediculous war with Fox News. Which looks like an enemies list and a way to stop free speech.
Obama wants to keep us uninformed.
But it looks like that isn’t working anymore—thank God.
Posted by: hank | October 21, 2009, 11:58 am 11:58 am
Continuous campaigning all the way until 2012–and we’re paying for it.
Obama is doing what he does best–reading speeches off TOTUS.
Govering, leading, making tough decisions?
That’s Rahm’s job.
From ballerina to secret president!
Posted by: luke | October 21, 2009, 12:03 pm 12:03 pm
“Govering, leading, making tough decisions?
That’s Rahm’s job.
From ballerina to secret president!”
luke | Oct 21, 2009 12:03:03 PM
Once again Republicans are projecting. Now they are imagining Rahm, who services at the will of the President, is just like Cheney, who could not be dismissed at will by the president.
Posted by: jhw539 | October 21, 2009, 12:40 pm 12:40 pm
nothing sweeter than ‘righty’ whining ..
only 20% of americans will even admit to being republican… the republican circular firing squad grows smaller….
Posted by: Oh Yeah | October 21, 2009, 12:45 pm 12:45 pm
“It’s encouraging to see that Obama is sinking in the polls.”
__________________________________
Talk about delusional.
“The poll (CNN/Opinion Research Corp – conducted Sunday) also found the president’s approval rating remains in the healthy mid-50s. And two-thirds of Americans say he has the personal qualities a president should have.”
In case you don’t get it, ‘two-thirds of Americans say he has the personal qualities a president should have’ means 66% of Americans believe that – almost 7 out of every 10 people.
Posted by: julieterra | October 21, 2009, 2:12 pm 2:12 pm