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DEMOCRATS' TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY: Yesterday, Democrats Abandoned by Obama Were Left Rudderless in A Storm of Defeats
DEMOCRATS' TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY: Yesterday, Democrats Abandoned by Obama Were Left Rudderless in A Storm of Defeats
The Washington Post’s Ezra Klein: “Democrats Did Not Have A Good Wednesday.” (Ezra Klein,
“Wonkbook: A Rough Wednesday For Democrats,” The Washington Post’s “Ezra Klein” Blog, 3/10/11)
• Rep. Cuellar: “[I]t Would Be Nice If We Could Get A Little Bit Of Help From Our President” On
The Budget. “On Wednesday, for instance, he went after the White House for taking a backseat
throughout most of the budget-cut debate. Democrats, he said, are making progress highlighting the
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) Says That Obama Needs “To Expend Some Political Capital.” “That
answer was not good enough for Feinstein, who said that Obama himself needed to expend some political
capital in these budget talks in order to prevent the government from having to continually run this year on
a series of stop-gap spending bills known as continuing resolutions.” (Susan Crabtree, “Senior Democratic Senators To Obama:
Please Engage On Budget Talks,” Talking Points Memo DC, 3/9/11)
• “‘Government is like any company -- you have to have some certainty to operate,’ Feinstein
said. ‘The only solution is for leadership to do what leadership is supposed to do, and that's sit
down and figure this out.’" (Susan Crabtree, “Senior Democratic Senators To Obama: Please Engage On Budget Talks,” Talking Points
Memo DC, 3/9/11)
• But VP Biden Was Unable To Get In Touch With Sen. Reid To Discuss A Path Forward. “The
White House has designated Vice President Biden to lead further talks. Biden, who is out of the
country until Friday night, spoke with House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) and Senate Minority
Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) but couldn't reach Reid from Moscow on Wednesday.” (Lori Montgomary
and Paul Kane, “Senate Rehects Spending Bills From Both Republicans And Democrats,” The Washington Post, 3/9/11)
• “Aides Said No Further Face-To-Face Meetings Have Been Scheduled.” (Lori Montgomary and Paul Kane,
“Senate Rehects Spending Bills From Both Republicans And Democrats,” The Washington Post, 3/9/11)
Press Flak Jay Carney Struggled To Explain How A $1.65 Trillion Deficit Fits
The President’s Message Of Living Within Our Means
QUESTION: “Well, what I’m asking is, what does he mean by [“live within our means”]? Does that mean a
balanced budget when he says we need a government and a budget that helps us live within our means?”
JAY CARNEY: “Well, as a technical matter, beyond the broadly understood sense of the term, which is that
you don’t spend more -- that you spend -- that you manage your budget responsibly, your inflow and your
outflow, and I think as a specific matter, as we talked about in the early days after our budget release, our
budget is designed to get to a point where we are taking in what we are spending. Now, I understand that we
have this huge overhang of a national debt that requires substantial interest payments. But you cannot --
one step in dealing with our fiscal situation, with our deficits and our long-term debt, is to get to a point
• The “Surprisingly Simple” Move Brought An End To The Standoff That Began When The Democrats
Fled The State. “The unexpected yet surprisingly simple procedural move ended a stalemate that had
threatened to drag on indefinitely. Until Wednesday's stunning vote, it appeared the standoff would persist
until Democrats returned to Madison from their self-imposed exile.” (“Wisconsin Senate Advances Bill Opposed By Unions,”
The Associated Press, 3/9/11)
Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) Was Caught Jetting Around The Country
On A Private Jet Using Public Funds
While Talking About Increasing Oversight For Congressional Travel, Claire McCaskill Has Been Using
Taxpayer Funds To Jet Around The Country On Her Charter Plane. “Sen. Claire McCaskill has been
aggressive in promoting oversight and transparency for congressional travel, introducing a reform bill that
cracks down on overseas travel for lawmakers. But when it comes to her own domestic flights, the Missouri
Democrat has enjoyed friendly skies: She’s spent nearly $76,000 in public funds since 2007 to fly on a
charter plane she co-owns with her husband and other investors, a POLITICO analysis of public records
show.” (Scott Wong And John Bresnahan, “Claire McCaskill To Return $88K To Treastury For Charter Flights,” Politico, 3/9/11)
“All Of Those Flights Were Paid For From McCaskill’s Senate Office Budget, Raising Questions About
Whether The First-Term Senator And Her Husband Are Using Public Dollars To Partially Subsidize
Their Aircraft.” (Scott Wong And John Bresnahan, “Claire McCaskill To Return $88K To Treastury For Charter Flights,” Politico, 3/9/11)
• After The Payments From McCaskill’s Senate Office Were Noticed By The Press, The Senator
Said She’ll Send A Check To The Treasury. “After POLITICO contacted McCaskill’s office Tuesday
about this issue, a McCaskill aide said Wednesday that the senator — while stating that the all the
flights were legal, in accordance with Senate ethics rules and actually cheaper than other travel
options — will send a check worth more than $88,000 to the Treasury Department to cover all costs
associated with the flights.” (Scott Wong And John Bresnahan, “Claire McCaskill To Return $88K To Treastury For Charter Flights,” Politico,
3/9/11)