44 - Politics and Policy in Obama's Washington - February 21, 2010

Obama urges preparation in advance of possible tsunami

President Obama spoke Saturday about the earthquake in Chile and American tsunami preparations.

By Web Politics Editor | February 27, 2010; 2:43 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency
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Julianna Smoot announced as White House social secretary

President Obama named former fundraiser Julianna Smoot as the next social secretary on Saturday, quickly filling the position after the announcement by Desiree Rogers that she is on her way out.

By By Anne E. Kornblut | February 27, 2010; 2:16 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (15)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency, 50 States
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Obama physical set for this weekend

President Obama will get a routine physical this Sunday, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said.

By Anne E. Kornblut | February 26, 2010; 5:21 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency, Barack Obama
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The day in photos

Click to see today's top political pictures.

By Rachel Weiner | February 26, 2010; 4:39 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency, White House
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Sources: Rahm hires OMB official as senior adviser

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel has hired a top budget official to be his senior adviser, setting off a round of musical chairs in the Obama administration.

By Al Kamen and Philip Rucker | February 26, 2010; 2:00 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency, Barack Obama
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Jobs agenda stalled at both ends of the Capitol

Two days after the Senate passed a jobs bill with bipartisan fanfare, Democrats' efforts to boost the economy are now stalled at both ends of the Capitol. An array of House Democrats are balking at the Senate-approved legislation. In the Senate, meanwhile, a lawmaker from Kentucy is blocking measures to extend unemployment insurance, COBRA and other expiring employment-related programs.

By Ben Pershing | February 26, 2010; 9:51 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: Capitol Briefing, Economy
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After the summit, health endgame begins

The morning after The Big Summit, coverage is mixed on the question of which side won and which side lost the substance and the symbolism of the debates. There is broad agreement, though, that nothing fundamental changed about the trajectory of health-care reform. Democrats have the same opinions and plans as they did before the summit, and so do Republicans.

By Ben Pershing | February 26, 2010; 8:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (11)
Categories: Health Care, The Rundown
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Health care summit: Transcripts from every speaker

Missed the health care summit -- or even just a few words? The Post has compiled transcripts from the whole event.

By Rachel Weiner | February 25, 2010; 6:28 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency, Health Care
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Snowe says Obama never gave her an open invite to health care summit

Forget trying to agree on health care. The White House and Sen. Olympia Snowe cannot even agree on whether she had a long-standing invitation to the Thursday summit.

By By Anne E. Kornblut | February 25, 2010; 2:31 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (33)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency, Health Care
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Obama, McCain return to campaign mode at health summit

Sen. John McCain and President Obama had a sharp exchange during Thursday's health care summit.

By Post Editor | February 25, 2010; 1:44 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency
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Follow the #hcr conversation on Twitter

By Web Politics Editor | February 25, 2010; 10:31 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency, Health Care
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Health Care Summit Analysis: Closing thoughts

Washington Post reporters broke down the key flashpoints in real time as Republicans and Democrats shared their competing visions of health-care legislation.

By Post Staff | February 25, 2010; 9:45 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (143)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency, Health Care, Live Blog
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Are summit expectations too high?

The gathering of President Obama and congressional leaders at Blair House has prompted the media to flood the zone, with wall-to-wall cable coverage and nonstop analysis befitting a history-making event. But does anyone think the substance of Obama's health-care plan or the proposals of Republicans will change significantly at the summit?

By Ben Pershing | February 25, 2010; 8:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Health Care, The Rundown
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As health summit nears, more guests, more mishigas

The haggling over Thursday's health-care summit continues. After House and Senate leaders in both parties settled on who will attend the event at Blair House, the White House said President Obama had added two more to the guest list: Sens. Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

By Eric Rich | February 24, 2010; 6:22 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency, Health Care
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Who's invited to the health-care summit

A list of the lawmakers invited by the White House and congressional leaders to Thursday's summit on health care.

By Post Editor | February 24, 2010; 6:17 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency, Health Care
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Top five photos of the day

What happened today? Click here for a gallery:...

By Rachel Weiner | February 24, 2010; 5:18 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)

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McCain ad ties J.D. Hayworth to birthers (Video)

In a web ad, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has lumped his conservative primary opponent in with conspiracy theorists who doubt the president's citizenship.

By Rachel Weiner | February 24, 2010; 2:10 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (91)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency, John McCain
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Kay Bailey Hutchison skips jobs bill vote

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison decided to skip Wednesday morning's vote on the $15 billion job-creation bill as she battles against being dubbed a "Washington insider" in the Texas gubernatorial GOP primary.

By Ben Pershing | February 24, 2010; 12:33 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (35)
Categories: Capitol Briefing
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Cheney discharged from hospital after heart attack

Former vice president Richard B. Cheney, who suffered a mild heart attack Monday, was discharged Wednesday from George Washington University Hospital, a spokesman said.

By Michael D. Shear | February 24, 2010; 11:05 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (59)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency
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Anticipation builds for health summit

Maybe it's just because we Washingtonians don't get out much, but anticipation for Thursday's bipartisan health-care summit at Blair House is building to hyperbolic levels. To borrow the cliche before someone else almost certainly does, "the stakes could not be higher."

By Ben Pershing | February 24, 2010; 8:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Health Care, The Rundown
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Harman recuses herself from Toyota hearings, votes

Citing financial ties that she and her husband have with Toyota Motor Corp., Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) recused herself from participating in Tuesday's congressional hearing into the company's response to safety problems with its vehicles.

By Kimberly Kindy | February 23, 2010; 7:21 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency, Capitol Briefing
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Sarkozy, Obama plan low-key meeting

Don't mark your calendars! French President Nicolas Sarkozy is coming to Washington March 30 to meet with President Obama, have a joint press conference and a private dinner for the "two presidential couples." Alas, this mini-summit will not be a state visit, which could include a dinner with a tent, the glitz and maybe the Salahis.

By Al Kamen | February 23, 2010; 3:40 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency, Barack Obama
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Va.'s McDonnell to endorse McCain in reelection bid, advisers say

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) will endorse Arizona Sen. John McCain in his GOP primary battle with former congressman J.D. Hayworth, advisers to the governor say.

By Anita Kumar | February 23, 2010; 3:31 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency
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Cheney suffered his fifth heart attack, spokesman says

Former vice president Richard B. Cheney suffered a mild heart attack Monday, his fifth, a spokesman said Tuesday.

By Michael D. Shear | February 23, 2010; 2:30 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (225)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency
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McCain will attend White House health summit

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced the members of the Senate Republican delegation to Thursday's White House health-care summit, and the list includes Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).

By Shailagh Murray | February 23, 2010; 2:09 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (31)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency, Health Care, John McCain
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Obama backs repealing antitrust exemption for health insurers

President Obama supports stripping health insurance companies of their federal antitrust exemptions, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs announced on Tuesday.

By Anne E. Kornblut | February 23, 2010; 1:56 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency, Barack Obama
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Democrats' happy Monday

On one end of Pennsylvania Avenue, President Obama released a compromise health-care plan that drew almost no criticism from his own party. On the other, Harry Reid muscled his $15 billion jobs bill past a Republican filibuster, paving the way for easy bipartisan passage this week. Given Democrats' recent record, two pieces of good news in one day qualifies as a veritable flood.

By Ben Pershing | February 23, 2010; 8:25 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: The Rundown
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Dick Cheney hospitalized with chest pains

Former vice president Richard B. Cheney was hospitalized Monday after suffering from chest pains, television networks reported.

By Post Editor | February 22, 2010; 7:31 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (540)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency
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Senate advances jobs bill after collecting five GOP votes

The Senate voted Monday to advance a $15 billion jobs-creation measure, giving Democrats a key political victory. Five Republicans joined 57 Democrats in voting to proceed on the jobs bill

By Ben Pershing | February 22, 2010; 6:23 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (89)
Categories: Capitol Briefing
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Scott Brown to back Democrats' jobs bill

Newly elected Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) will vote to advance Democrats' $15 billion jobs bill Monday evening, breaking with his party and giving Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) one of the two votes he needs to move the measure forward.

By Ben Pershing | February 22, 2010; 5:18 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (41)
Categories: Capitol Briefing
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Shakira visits the White House

The White House didn't announce it, but it did not take long for word to leak out: pop star Shakira dropped by to see President Obama on Monday.

By Web Politics Editor | February 22, 2010; 3:05 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency, Education, Health Care
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Fla. Gov. Charlie Crist defends decision to back stimulus

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, who is facing a stiff Republican primary in his bid for the state's Senate seat, said he had no regrets over accepting federal stimulus money or working with President Obama.

By Web Politics Editor | February 22, 2010; 12:49 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (20)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency, Cast of Characters
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Indiana's Mitch Daniels 'open' to a White House run

Add one more name to the list of possible 2012 Republican candidates for president: Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels.

By Dan Balz | February 22, 2010; 11:41 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (22)
Categories: Dan Balz's Take, Republican Party
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Obama calls on governors to help boost educational standards

Saying his aim is to "secure our rightful place as the preeminent economy of the twenty-first century," President Obama kicked off a critical week in his administration with remarks to the nation's governors touching on education, clean energy and the economy -- just as his administration released a health care proposal that could determine whether the effort succeeds or fails.

By Web Politics Editor | February 22, 2010; 11:32 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency, Education
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Bipartisan push faces twin tests this week

A debate over bipartisanship that has been largely symbolic thus far becomes more substantive this week, as Senate Republicans weigh whether to back Democrats' jobs bill and both parties head to the White House for a health-care summit.

By Ben Pershing | February 22, 2010; 8:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: The Rundown
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Powell sees no basis for Cheney's claims

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell said former Vice President Dick Cheney's claims that President Obama's policies are putting the nation at risk have no basis, especially since most of the programs and procedures the Bush administration enacted have been continued or heightened under the Obama tenure.

By washingtonpost.com editors | February 21, 2010; 12:55 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (75)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency, Sunday Talkies
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Schwarzenegger stands up for stimulus bill

Republican California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger came out swinging Sunday morning on the stimulus bill -- but against members of his own party.

By Michael D. Shear | February 21, 2010; 12:23 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (79)
Categories: 44 The Obama Presidency
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44: February 21, 2010 - February 27, 2010