State of the Union: Candy Crowley's Crib Sheet for June 20
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/04/04/art.candycribnew0404.cnn.jpg caption="In her Crib Sheet, CNN's Candy Crowley wraps the news from Sunday's political talk shows."]
GAME ON
After an eight-month hiatus from Sunday Morning talk, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel speaks. Despite all the hefty issues floating through the White House, he remains an aficionado of raw politics. Ratcheting up the political noise over Rep. Joe Barton’s (R-Texas) apology to BP, Emanuel said Barton’s now retracted words were “not a political gaffe… (but) a philosophy.”
As close as Democrats try to tie all Republicans to Barton’s remarks, that’s how far away Republicans want to get.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska): “The statement that Representative Barton made was wrong. Absolutely wrong.”
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Kentucky): “I couldn’t disagree with Joe Barton more.”
Coming soon to a campaign trail near you.
MEANWHILE
In the 62 days since 11 men were killed on the Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig, more than 70 members of the U.S. military were killed in Afghanistan. Taking stock of the war, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Chairwoman, Senate Intelligence Committee) called Afghanistan a “difficult situation.” Sen. Richard Lugar says the question is what’s the mission, …”the President is going to have to redefine the plan.
Amid signs that June may be the deadliest month so far this year in Afghanistan and against the backdrop of a U.N. report saying roadside bomb attacks in Afghanistan are up 94 percent in the first four months of this year, Defense Secretary Robert Gates blames the media and argues that people are “losing context.” Gates says the plan to begin withdrawing troops in 2011 still stands.
To all Dads, wherever you are this day, Happy Father’s Day.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) Alaska on CNN’s “State of the Union”
“The statement that Representative Barton made was wrong, absolutely wrong. He has since apologized for it. But for - for the White House, for the administration to be, kind of, running with this as the issue - let's not forget; we had 11 people die. We have an environmental disaster unfolding. We have an economic disaster that is unfolding. Let's not be distracted by saying, you know, Joe Barton made this gaffe or this - this inappropriate comment. Let's focus on what we need to do, which is getting relief to the Gulf, making sure that they have every asset possible, making sure that we've got a claims compensation system that works for them. Let's focus on providing what the people of the Gulf need, not pointing fingers back and forth and saying, oh, you know, what you said was wrong.”
Rahm Emanuel, White House Chief of Staff on ABC’s “This Week”
“The approach here expressed and supported by others in the Republican Party sees the aggrieved party as BP, not the communities down there and the fishermen affected. And that would be the government philosophy. I think what Joe Barton did, was remind the American people, in case they forgot, that this is how the Republicans would govern.”
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R) Minority Leader, on “Fox News Sunday”
“I couldn't disagree with Joe Barton more. BP doesn't need an apology, they need to apologize to us, and they certainly need to cover all of the costs of the cleanup and the economic damages as well, and they're going to.”
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) California, on CNN’s “State of the Union”
FEINSTEIN: “There is one, I think, irreversible truth. The Taliban is on a march. If you lose Afghanistan, Pakistan is the next step. And so what that bodes, is nothing but ill because Pakistan is a nuclear...
CROWLEY: “Failure is not an option is what you are saying.”
FEINSTEIN: “Failure is not an option.”
Sen. Richard Lugar (R) Indiana, CNN’s “State of the Union”
“The President and his plan said that we would begin to withdraw in July of next year, 2011. Now, this was to satisfy in part critics in the United States saying why are we there and how long are we going to be there? Likewise, to reassure the people in Afghanistan, that we were not there permanently, and some didn't like to see us around. I think the President is going to have to redefine the plan, and when the proper time comes for that, he will have to make a decision.”
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) California and Sen. Richard Lugar (R) Indiana, on CNN’s “State of the Union”
CROWLEY: “Jonathan Alter wrote a book called "The Promise," in which he quotes Vice President Joe Biden about July of 2011, when these troops are supposed to start leaving. ‘In July of 2011, you're going to see a whole lot of people moving out. Bet on it.’ Do you bet on it?”
FEINSTEIN: “A nice thought."
LUGAR: “I think that Senator Biden - or Joe Biden has many thoughts about this. Jonathan Alter may have caught him at a moment there, not really fair. Essentially, the vice president is going to follow the lead of the president, and that may mean we have a lot of troops still there after July 1.”
Robert Gates, Secretary of Defense, on “Fox News Sunday”
“People are losing context. This policy, this strategy has been in place and working for only about 4 or 5 months. We have yet to put in a third of the surge forces into Afghanistan. The President has said we'll wait until December to evaluate how we're doing. So I think there's a rush to judgment frankly, that loses sight of the fact we are still in the middle of getting all of the right components into place and giving us a little time to have this work.”
Sen. Joe Lieberman (I) Connecticut, on CNN’s “State of the Union”
CROWLEY: “Does comprehensive energy reform even have a chance this year?”
LIEBERMAN: “Yes, it does have a chance. And it needs to be done. And really it needs to be not just a kind of false energy bill, that is one that gets a few good things done, but doesn't change the equation, doesn't break our dependence on oil, particularly foreign oil, doesn't create new jobs, doesn't clean up the environment, and that's the judgment we have. I'll tell you what my count is in the Senate. There are 50 – in my opinion, there are about 50 senators who want to vote for a strong comprehensive energy bill that puts a price on carbon pollution. There are 30 who are set against it and there are 20 undecided. You have got to get to 60 to pass anything in the Senate. We need half of the undecided and we can do it.”
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Is the pledge to start getting our troops out of Afghanistan going to be like the pledge to close Gitmo as of Jan of 2010.This president doesn't seem to know reality from fiction.Must have inhaled some of that toxic oil filled seawater fumes from his recent trip to the Gulf.
The government is the ultimate cause of this catastrophe by not setting deepwater drilling requirements properly and failing to inspect adequately. Many in government are trying to
get us to miss that fact. With illegals, they have chosen not to enforce the immigration laws, with terrorists, they are more concerned about their rights than our safet. With the mine explosion, bank failures, wall street failures, government has failed to do their job.
Same with unfair trade practices, chinese currency manipulation and job losses.
the demo's will say anything do anything to cover for the poor excuse we have as a president.
More than 70 of our bravest killed and their blood spilled in the Middle East within 62 days while all the headline is about an oil spill. I can't wrap my mind around who Americans really are and I'm sure it has a lot to do as to how other countries view us. Remember the World rallied around us during 911 but not on the oil spill. Are we setting ourselves up for future loss of support when it's not about oil?
More than 70troops killed in Afghanistan in past 62 days and not a word from the commander-in-chief to acknowledge the falling for our brave soldiers..................................................................................................!
Republicans have always been like Joe Barton.. Republican representative from Texas.. They all share the same sentiments..They opposed everything for who they call the "small people".. like Social Security .. Medicare.. and the new Health Insurance Law.. They want to keep their health insurance but care less about insurance for anyone else.. And they just love BP Oil company...Afterall they drive a V-8 motored auto don't they?...Meaning the republicans.. of course..
First...the lack of oversight on safety and enviornmental standards for oil companies drilling in our waters has a long history rooted in 35 years of a hands off policy and animosity to regulating corporations and this has led to thet chickens finally coming home to roost during the Obama presidency. The financial meltdown bagan in 2007 during the Bush presidency and the much hated "bail-out" was a policy of the Bush Bush and his Treasury Department....half of that amount was left for Obama to administer so that cannot be laid at his doorstep, Bush dismantled the EPA and allowed the MMS to sink into depravity. Obama's sin in this is in not moving aggressively to right the wrongs. I am hoping that he will learn from this and move more rapidly to restore these agencies to a level of competency.
welcome members of the GO[B]P to the party of oil
While I pray that ALL of our military will be home SOON, I do not think I will see it in my lifetime. The military is the POLITICAL arm of the government, and as in Viet Nam, there is just to much politics, combined with those making vast amounts of $$$ to let them come home. Now that they say there are tillions of dollars in minerals in Afganistan do not be surprised to hear it is in our "national security" to get it! Our great american business's will be fighting tooth & nail for bids, and hire "outsiders" to do the work!
Obama decried the type of politics that used "Sound Bytes" and "Gotcha Moments" in order to score points.
Yet, with their backs to the wall, like the hypocrites they are, they are now using this tactic and it will backfire if anything.
People are sick of this he said, she said type of thing.
#1 – Barton said his remarks were his and his alone.
#2 – He apologized
#3 – The rest of the party has disavowed him.
Now what I'd like to know is, how many democrats have ever done this to one of their own?
Just a week or so ago a Democrat Representative went nuts on a couple of kids, possibly assault and battery, and yet all the Democrats circled the wagons. Of course they couldn't get away with it if the Media was more interested in a hair comment from Fiorina or whatever her name is.
Hey Joe Lieberman- The last thing this nation needs now is another form of tax in the middle of a recession. Small business is reluctant to hire anyone or expand their business now with the Obamacare Cost hanging over their head. Add the state and local taxes that are about to be enacted just to finance those governments and then some phony energy tax, will stop small business dead in it's tracks. And Unemployment will be a longtime fact. The people will be strongly against this........but what else is new.
Interesting Emanuel wants to make a big deal about Barton's apology.
Looks like get the attention .off of the failed Obama. Why isn't he working on something constructive. They don't seem to have a clue.
Oh, what about Obama apologizing all over the world for his perceived inadequacies of our grear country.
62 days? 62 days and Obama and the White House still haven't organized a competent coordinated relief and clean up effort. They aren't even trying to plug the hold, that they've completely left to BP, but they aren't even doing a decent job stopping the oil from coming onshore and doing terrible damage. Obama is still sucking up to the unions and refusing to waive the Jones act so high tech skimmers from other countries could be brought to help! What are Obama and the White House doing? Well Obama's gone golfing, and the White House is spending their time attacking a single republican Congressman that made a stupid statement. That's it!!!! And this from the man that promised us new politics!!!!