New White House press secretary Carney sounds a few familiar notes
President Barack Obama’s new press secretary, Jay Carney, took a few phrases out of his predecessor’s playbook during his first stint at the White House podium.
It turns out that he, like Robert Gibbs, is not an economist. And he doesn’t want to speculate. And he refers you to the (insert relevant department here) for further details on questions that were not entirely on his radar.
Despite those familiar dodges — “I’m not an economist” was a favorite line of Gibbs — Carney did show up prepared on Wednesday.
He called nearly all of the reporters in the first three rows of the press room by name.
He handled questions ranging from Obama’s fiscal 2012 budget to his philosophies on presidential news conferences.
And he called on journalists throughout the room, not just the regulars, in a briefing that lasted a little under an hour.
Asked at the end whether he liked being at the podium better than shouting questions as a journalist, the former Time magazine reporter said: “I like it up here.”
Washington Extra – Early valentine
Even on television from thousands of miles away, the Egyptian revolution was breathtaking. A moment to mark in history.
President Hosni Mubarak gave the protesters an early valentine by stepping down. What had been expected yesterday was surprising today.
President Barack Obama framed the event as one of the monumental examples of peaceful resistance that the world has seen, even though he was talking about the ouster of a strong ally of the United States for the last 30 years.
“And while the sights and sounds that we heard were entirely Egyptian, we can’t help but hear the echoes of history — echoes from Germans tearing down a wall, Indonesian students taking to the streets, Gandhi leading his people down the path of justice,” Obama said.
David Alexander and Phil Stewart have an interesting look at how U.S. officials see the head of Egypt’s military council, Mohamed Hussein Tantawi — committed to avoiding another war with Israel but resistant to political and economic reform.
Obama said a public goodbye to his press secretary, Robert Gibbs, in the White House press room by returning the tie he borrowed to speak at the Democratic National Convention, and with some warm words and a few quips: “Obviously Gibbs’ departure is not the biggest one today.”
Here are our top stories from Washington today…
Washington Extra – Line dance
Here’s something that Republicans might want to hear: the White House is promising that its budget will include serious deficit control.
“The budget will show a very serious path of deficit reduction,” White House Office of Management and Budget Director Jack Lew said in an interview with Reuters’ White House correspondents Alister Bull and Jeff Mason.
While the budget will make “tough choices and tough cuts,” Lew said, “there will also be the question of how far do you want to go in some of these areas and what are the consequences of going beyond a certain line.”
That line and where it is drawn will be scrutinized when Obama releases his budget proposal on Feb. 14 (yes, Valentine’s Day).
Speaking of lines, the United States appears to be taking a tougher one with its ally of 30 years, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. While not calling for Mubarak’s immediate departure, the White House said transition must start right away. “Now means now,” White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.
A senior U.S. official tells Foreign Policy Correspondent Arshad Mohammed that it was clear that someone loyal to Mubarak unleashed pro-Mubarak forces to try to intimidate Egyptian protesters and that Washington believed there was debate in Mubarak’s inner circle about whether he needed to do more on protesters’ demands.
The protesters and opposition forces in Egypt are watching for whether the line gets crossed that would prompt the United States to call on Mubarak to step down.
Washington Extra – Job prospects
The U.S. economy grew 2.9 percent in 2010, the biggest GDP gain since 2005, but still too weak to make a big dent in the unemployment rate which ended the year at 9.4 percent.
Egyptian protesters again took to the streets seeking to oust President Hosni Mubarak from the job he’s held for 30 years.
Rather than risk a fissure in messages, the White House held its press briefing, while the State Department canceled. In the strongest public message so far, the United States warned Egypt it would review some $1.3 billion in aid based on the government’s response to the massive protests.
“We will be reviewing our assistance posture based on events that take place in the coming days,” White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.
Words spoken five years ago by the man who will replace Gibbs in the White House press secretary job are being replayed on the Internet (in the never say never category).
During a 2006 interview on C-SPAN, Jay Carney made the following comment about the post of White House press secretary: “It’s a tricky job. I’m sure I wouldn’t be any good at it.”
Here are our top stories from Washington today…
Guess who’s not coming to dinner with Hu
Usually politicians flock to a high-profile event like moths to a flame.
But we’re learning that isn’t quite the style of the new Speaker of the House.
The White House is rolling out the red carpet for China’s President Hu Jintao with one of the most formal of all events — the State Dinner.
This will be only the third hosted by President Barack Obama during the two years of his presidency — the previous ones were for the leaders of India and Mexico.
But one person who will be a no-show for the dinner in honor of the leader of the Asian economic powerhouse is Republican House Speaker John Boehner.
An aide tells our congressional correspondent Susan Cornwell that Boehner has declined an invitation to the State Dinner with the Chinese leader, but that the Speaker would see Hu on Thursday at a meeting on Capitol Hill. The aide said Boehner rarely attends state dinners.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said he didn’t know why Boehner declined the invite.
American companies are demanding a chance to win contracts in China without offering any partnership agreements. But investors in the Chinese economy are now being forced to share their expertise with the Chinese people. Unless these rules are eliminated the two nations cannot be at peace.
Washington Extra – hello goodbye
She says goodbye and he says hello.
The House Speaker’s (HUGE) gavel changed hands today, symbolizing the transfer of power to Republicans. Outgoing speaker Nancy Pelosi, attacked by Republicans as a symbol of Democratic excesses, took the high road as she repeatedly congratulated new House Speaker John Boehner and his Republican majority.
Boehner started off with some levity and humility — “It’s still just me.” And he didn’t disappoint those watching for his now trademark show of emotion when he dabbed his eyes with a white handkerchief while standing behind Pelosi before the handover. Reuters photojournalist Kevin Lamarque captured the moment, you can see it on our politics blog at http://blogs.reuters.com/frontrow/
There were goodbyes emanating from the White House too. President Barack Obama’s spokesman Robert Gibbs is stepping down from the White House press room podium. “What I’m going to do next is step back a little bit, recharge some … I will have an opportunity I hope to give some speeches. I will continue to provide advice and counsel to this building and to this president.”
And another unannounced goodbye to come from Paul Volcker. In an exclusive, White House correspondent Caren Bohan reports that Volcker plans to leave as head of the President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board.
Now we just have to watch for who will be saying hello at the White House.
Here are our top stories from Washington today…
One less New Year’s resolution for Obama
President Barack Obama can cross at least one New Year’s resolution off his list … quitting smoking.
According to White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, it’s been about 9 months since the president indulged in that habit.
Gibbs tweeted last week “POTUS hasnt’ had a cigarette in about 9 months.” (sic on apostrophe placement)
Gibbs told CNN that Obama chews Nicorette and stopped smoking by using “stubborn willpower.”
He told Candy Crowley on CNN’s “State of the Union” that Obama decided to quit after the battle over healthcare legislation. “I can report that it’s been probably about 9 months since he last smoked a cigarette. He has done enormously well in quitting,” Gibbs said.
We imagine the White House has lots of hidden nooks and crannies to sneak a smoke and hide butts, but imagine it would be difficult for the president to run out and buy a pack of cigarettes without anyone noticing…
Gibbs puts foot down (literally) for “the White House Eight” in India
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs has had his share of confrontations with reporters. But on Monday, it was Gibbs who came to their defense when Indian officials tried to limit access to a meeting between President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Gibbs went so far as to risk getting his foot jammed in the door to help gain access on behalf of journalists who were about to be blocked from covering the bilateral meeting.
He also made clear that if the full contingent of eight “pool” reporters was not allowed in, Obama was prepared to cancel the meeting.
Gibbs led the charge to get the White House pool into the Indian Parliament, according to my White House colleague at Reuters, Alister Bull.
The Washington Post’s Scott Wilson reported that Indian officials sought to cut the number of reporters to five from eight.
Wilson, in his pool report, said the U.S. press wranglers “lobbied hard for the eight, but no luck until Gibbbs announced loudly and persistantly on steps of Hyderabad House that he would pull POTUS (out) of bilat with PM Singh unless ‘the White House 8,’ as we’ve come to be known, were all allowed in.”
“At one point,” Wilson reported, “Gibbs literally had his foot lodged in the closing front door, asking if the Indian security officials pushing hard to shut it were going to break his foot.”
Gibbs is now predicting Dems will hold both chambers of Congress
White House press secretary Roberts Gibbs isn’t offering any more words of possible doom and gloom for fellow Democrats on Capitol Hill.
Three months after riling Democrats by saying they may lose one chamber of Congress in the November 2 election, Gibbs said on Sunday that he expects them to keep both.
“Our candidates have done a remarkably good job in a tough, political environment,” Gibbs said. “I think that come election night, we’ll retain control of both the House and the Senate.”
Gibbs made the comments on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” the same program where he angered Democrats last July when he said they faced the prospect of losing the House.
“There’s no doubt there are enough seats in play that could cause Republicans to gain control. There is no doubt about that,” Gibbs said at the time. Gibbs’ remarks in July reflected the findings of a variety of polls. But it still upset Democrats who said he should be promoting their achievements — like passing Obama’s healthcare overhaul — rather than suggesting their possible demise. Despite Gibbs’ upbeat assessment on Sunday, a number of polls show that Democrats;’ position has actually gotten worse in recent months. Republicans now seem headed toward taking the House, and possibly the Senate. Even if Democrats hang on, Republicans are expected to cut deeply into their big majorities in the House and Senate. Senior White House advisor David Axelrod acknowledged this political fact of life on Sunday. “Republicans will have more seats in Congress regardless of whether they have control or not,” Axelrod said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “We’re hoping with that comes a greater sense of responsibility” to work with the White House rather than just opppose it, Axelrod said. “It’s up to us to extend our hand, as we have before. It’s up to them to decide whether they’re going to take it or whether they’re going to do what they’ve done for the last two years,” Axelrod said. This presidential adviser noted: “It takes two to tango.”
For more Reuters political news, click here.
Photo credit: Reuters/Kevin Lamarque (Gibbs at White House briefing)
What’s it like to be the most powerful woman in the world? Michelle knows
Michelle Obama is the most powerful woman in the world. So says Forbes magazine.
Does it mean she can leap tall buildings in a single bound? We’re not sure. But she did jump over women with a decade more experience (an assumption based on age) in the top 5 – Kraft Foods Chief Executive Irene Rosenfeld, talk show host Oprah Winfrey, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Has the designation changed anything in her household, given that her husband is the leader of the free world? We asked her office, but they wouldn’t bite.
But no one at the White House is disputing the title (we assume they wouldn’t dare).
Our White House correspondent Caren Bohan tells us that White House spokesman Robert Gibbs commented: ”It’s a more accurate Forbes story than the last cover.”
We have deduced (OK so we went online to find it) that Gibbs was referring to the “How Obama Thinks” cover story in the Sept. 27 issue about the Most Powerful Woman’s husband.
But it’s clear that President Barack Obama has known for a long time that he’s married to a woman of power.
I have no issues with a wife who stands with her husband, However, I do not believe that President Obama and the present administration have the interests of senior citizens at heart. The cutbacks to Social Security COLA and the curtailments of the new health care bill show that they are not the friends of the older people who have worked and paid to make our nation what it was before these people were even born.
I call on all senior citizens to make a special effort to vote this November to put into office who genuinely care for our concerns.
