The View From Here

Fall campaign season is off and running

1. The fall campaign season has officially started. President Obama has swung into campaign mode: "neither his audience nor the Democrats who preceded him at the microphone on Monday were under any illusions. Obama is not on the ballot, but the future of his agenda could be riding on the Nov. 2 results."  A new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll furthers this point, saying to get ready for an anti-incumbent wave. "Voters angry at Democrats are fired up to vote, while many who like them are yawning over the coming election," the WSJ writes.
2. Despite the country's overall economic situation, political candidates and their campaigns are managing. According to the AP, "this year's volatile election is bursting with money, setting fundraising and spending records in a high-stakes struggle for control of Congress..."
3. A great deal of discussion is unfolding regarding a decision by a Florida church to burn copies of the Koran this weekend. General Petraeus denounced this act as it may endanger troops, The Washington Post reports.
4. The Los Angeles Times writes an editorial in light of Labor Day that gives some insight into those who do not have jobs: The Unemployed
5. POLITICO's Elizabeth Drew: Enough misleading about Congress
6. John Judis for The New Republic: You say recession, I say depression

Labor Day means kickoff for fall campaign

Labor Day can mean a lot of different things - the end of summer, and for some the end of white pants.  But this year it means that midterm election season is going to kick into high gear.  The voters are back from the beach and the candidates are courting votes for the November election.

Of course the issue for Democrats is that too many Americans couldn't afford to go on a beach vacation.  We used a graphic illustrating the state of the economy under President Obama.  Here are the numbers:

• 9.6% unemployment rate
• 14.9 million unemployed
• 6.2 million long-term unemployed
• estimated 3 million property foreclosures this year

It's hard to convince people that things could be worse.  But that is exactly what the president has been doing, all the while acknowledging that we have a long way to go.  Here's what he said Friday:

 "The key point I'm making right now is that the economy is moving in a positive direction. Jobs are being created. They're just not being created as fast as they need to, given the big hole that we experienced."

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham joined me from his home state of South Carolina - and despite the president's announcement this week that combat operations in Iraq were ending - the economy dominated our discussion.  Graham called the stimulus bill "an absolute disaster."  He called for an extension of all tax cuts, but said there is room for compromise

 

 The South Carolina Republican said the president is governing from the "left ditch" in a right of center road country.  He called the president "tone deaf," and said Democrats are in jeopardy of losing Congress.  An interesting note was that Graham added:

"But from a Republican point of view, we need to bring checks and balances.  Tell the American people, 'If we get back in control, we’re gonna check this Obama Agenda that has no limits.  And we’re gonna bring about balance by controlling spending, relooking at the health care bill, and trying to be more fiscally responsible.'  But a lot of this has to do without people saying-- with people saying no to the Democrats, not saying yes to the Republicans.

 Responding to Graham's "left ditch" criticism was the man largely credited for getting Obama into the White House, David Plouffe.  He was Obama's campaign manager in 2008 and has played a role the Obama administration since the president took office.

Plouffe told me, "when you have a tough economy and you’re in power, you’re gonna have a tough political environment."  He would not commit to whether or not he was going to run Obama's re-election campaign in 2012, but he did dismiss any challenge from Democrats - especially Hillary Clinton.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

 

Plus you won't want to miss our roundtable.  The National Review's Rich Lowry and Washington Post's E.J Dionne have an entertaining debate. You can catch it here.

Enjoy your Labor Day.  Our thoughts and prayers are with Marco Rubio's family.  Rubio's father passed away the night before he was to debate challenger Democratic challenger Kendrick Meek on MTP.

We'll be back next week.  If it's Sunday, it's Meet The Press.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Sunday: new job numbers, the wars, and the midterms

A note about the Florida senate debate between Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-FL) and Marco Rubio (R): due to the unfortunate illness of Rubio's father, the debate has been cancelled. Statement by Rubio's campaign, here.

This Sunday on Meet The Press, an exclusive with Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC). As a leading Senate Republican serving on the Senate Armed Services Committee, we will get his reaction to the end of U.S. combat operations in Iraq. Plus, what's his take on the situation on the ground in Afghanistan? Graham recently returned from the country where he was serving reserve duty as a colonel for the U.S. Air Force.

President Obama's 2008 campaign manager and author of 'The Audacity to Win,' David Plouffe, joins me for a conversation. How does the man who was charged with getting Obama elected feel the country is going? We'll discuss the challenges facing the country, including the economy, the wars, and of course, the upcoming midterm elections.

Finally, a political roundtable with CNBC anchor Erin Burnett; The Cook Political Report Editor Charlie Cook; Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne; and National Review Editor Rich Lowry. Their thoughts on the new job numbers out this week and key races this November. All this and much more happening this Sunday on MTP.

 

Storms brewing

1. Middle East peace talks: Israeli and Palestinian leaders begin talks at the U.S. State Department with Sec. Hillary Clinton. Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority, said he came to find a “historic compromise.” There has been ongoing conflict between the two states for nearly six decades. Eli Lake of the Washington Times says the Israeli moratorium is key to these peace talks. "Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has threatened to leave Thursday's direct negotiations if Mr. Netanyahu does not renew the West Bank building freeze," Lake writes.
2. California senate race: U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Republican challenger Carly Fiorina squared off in their first live debate last night. The San Francisco Chronicle reported the debate "was pointed, its tone mirroring the bare-knuckled exchanges the candidates have been trading from afar since winning their primaries in June."
3. Hurricane Earl: The storm remains a Category 4 hurricane as it heads towards North Carolina and up the East Coast. States of emergency, mandatory evacuations, and delayed airlines are all expected for the next couple days. Get the latest updates on Earl, here. And Hurricane Fiona may be right around the corner.
4. Iraq War: A Philadelphia Inquirer editorial, Moving on in Iraq.
5. Sean Theriault of the Huffington Post writes, Gingrich disciples reshape Senate in House’s image.

Turning a page

1. "It's time to turn the page," President Obama said during his second ever Oval Office address, during which he declared the end of combat operations in Iraq. (Watch the full speech here, if you missed it.) Reactions to the speech are mixed: The New York Times editorial gave praise to how Obama handled the situation, writing, "there was no victory to declare last night, and Mr. Obama was right not to try;" Neoconservative writer Bill Kristol said it was "not a bad speech by the president" in the Weekly Standard; A Wall Street Journal editorial wrote "on the "huge price" and burdens of the last seven years, rather than on what our troops accomplished, or on the strategic opportunities that their sacrifice now allows."
2. Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) concedes her GOP race to her Tea Party backed challenger, Joe Miller. The Anchorage Daily News reports that by last night, Murkowski had only picked up 38 votes and Miller's lead was still 1,630 votes. Murkowski marks the seventh incumbent to lose for re-election in a primary this year.
3. The October issue of Vanity Fair features an in-depth look at the world of Sarah Palin. "Even as Sarah Palin’s public voice grows louder, she has become increasingly secretive, walling herself off from old friends and associates, and attempting to enforce silence from those around her," the article's author, Michael Gross, writes.
4. Keeping an eye on the Florida senate race, The Washington Post's Felicia Sonmez writes: Charlie Crist's political gymnastics. Don't forget to check out our MTP debate this Sunday between Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-FL) and former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio. Gov. Charlie Crist (I) was also invited to participate but has not committed.
5. "A hurricane warning has been issued for the North Carolina coast as powerful Hurricane Earl approaches the East Coast," the Associated Press reports. Get the latest updates on Hurricane Earl, here.

Happening tonight: Obama's second Oval Office address

1. President Obama will make the second Oval Office address of his presidency tonight, declaring the end of combat troops in Iraq. But what is the outcome of the war for the U.S.? Eugene Robinson writes in his Washington Post column: "Only one thing is clear about the outcome: We didn't win. We didn't lose, either, in the sense of being defeated."
2. Our debate on MTP this Sunday is picking up steam. Florida's Senate candidates Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-FL) and former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio (R) will join us...Gov. Charlie Crist (I-FL) has declined. Read what the Miami Herald is reporting, here.
3. Will Democrats be safe this fall? A new survey released by Gallup shows Republicans with an "unprecedented 10-point lead," according to the Huffington Post.
4. John McCain's piece in the Wall Street Journal: The Surge and Afghanistan
5. Buzz still surrounds Glenn Beck's rally this past weekend. Jonah Goldberg writes about "Glenn Beck's ecumenical moment" in the Los Angeles Times.

MTP in New Orleans: Five years later

It has been five years since the people of New Orleas had to leave their homes while the rest of the country watched helplessly.  Brian Williams filled in for me today on Meet The Press from New Orleans.  The images and emotions - like Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard's plea for help on MTP in '05 - were a chilling reminder of what Hurrican Katrina did.  For those of us who have not had to live with the storm's aftermath, it is easy to lose perspective on how horrible the it was.

Two of the area's most notable politicians and siblings, Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, sat down with Brian to discuss what New Orleans went through and where it is now.  Did Katrina help prepare this country for the BP spill?

Here's what they said:

On Friday, Brian talked to Brad Pitt about his foundation, "Make It Right," that has been working to rebuild the Lower Ninth Ward.  More than 4,000 homes were destroyed in that area, and Pitt's organization hopes to rebuild 150 of those houses.  Here's what we put on MTP.

Plus don't miss this discussion with three men who have worked tirelessly to repair the area that means so much to them.  Actor Wendell Pierce, New Orleans radio talk show host Garland Robinette, and historian and author Douglas Brinkley.  They converse about what the disaster meant to them and what it displayed about race.

You can catch all of the show on our website.  I'll be back next week.  If it's Sunday, it's Meet The Press.

This Sunday: We remember Katrina, 5 years later

It has been five years since Hurricane Katrina devastated the city of New Orleans. This week, a special edition of Meet the Press live from the Big Easy. What progress has been made to rebuild since Katrina?

Our guest moderator, Brian Williams, will sit down with prominent New Orleans siblings, U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and Mayor Mitch Landrieu. How is the government helping revitalize the city? We will also talk with the founder of the Make It Right Foundation, actor Brad Pitt, on his efforts to rebuild the area closest to the levee breach, the Lower 9th Ward. And finally, an in-depth discussion with a few dedicated men credited for their efforts to help the city they love: Wendell Pierce, a New Orleans native, star of HBO's "Treme", and President of the Pontchartrain Park Community Development Corporation; Garland Robinette, long-time New Orleans journalist and Host of WWL-Radio's "Think Tank"; and Douglas Brinkley, Author of "The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast." Be sure to watch this special hour dedicated to remembering Katrina this Sunday on MTP.

A few pieces remembering Katrina from around the web:

• Wall Street Journal: Rethinking New Orleans
• Times-Picayune: Katrina rewrites the book on education in New Orleans
• Washington Post: Uneven Katrina recovery efforts often offered the most help to the most affluent
• Time: New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward: Still Recovering from Katrina
• John Barry, Huffington Post: Is New Orleans safe? BP and the 5th anniversary of Katrina
• Rebecca Solnit, The Nation: Reconstructing the story of the storm: Hurricane Katrina at five

 

Breaking from vacation

1. President Obama, who has been spending a little R&R with the family in Martha's Vineyard this week, time yesterday to take care of some presidential duties. The White House announced that next Tuesday, the President will make his second-ever public address from the Oval Office, officially declaring the end of U.S. combat operations in Iraq. Obama also took a look at the country's economic outlook. He phoned his economic advisers, including Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and head of the National Economic Council Larry Summers, "to discuss recent data reports, global markets and economic growth," The Hill reports. The conference call came a day after House GOP Leader John Boehner (OH) said Obama should fire Geithner and Summers
2. The GOP senate race in Alaska remains up in the air. Tea party backed Joe Miller continues to lead U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski. The Anchorage Daily News says, though, Miller's lead has, "slightly narrowed to 1,668 votes with all the election precincts counted Wednesday." A lot of coverage of the race is looking at Sarah Palin's role in the election. The Associated Press calls Palin a "key figure" and that this primary "is an indication of the influence Palin wields in midterm elections as she looks ahead to a possible White House bid in 2012."
3. "The mayor needs to get a grip and apologize to those he has insulted," a Examiner editorial writes, regarding remarks by NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg about the proposed mosque location near Ground Zero. Bloomberg says in a New York Post piece: "In that spirit, let me declare that we in New York are Jews and Christians and Muslims, and we always have been. And above all of that, we are Americans, each with an equal right to worship and pray where we choose. There is nowhere in the five boroughs that is off limits to any religion."
4. Talk about the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico has subsided slightly but a Wall Street Journal article sheds new light on the rig's final day.
5. E.J. Dionne's column in the Washington Post, Tuesday's tutorial: A GOP too far right.
6. Karl Rove's op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal: Honey, I shrunk my approval ratings.

Recapping one of the last major primary days before November

1. Alaska: Republican senate race still too close to call. With 98 percent of election day precincts counted, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) trailed political newcomer Joe Miller by 1,960 votes, the Associated Press reports. Murkowski was predicted to beat Miller, who received backing from Sarah Palin and tea party activists. Final results could take days. 
2. Arizona: Incumbent Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) came out on top in his Republican primary despite a tough race with former Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ). McCain, "took nothing for granted in his bid for a fifth term," the Washington Post reports and, "outspent Hayworth by a ratio of roughly 8 to 1."
3. Florida: A victory for President Obama's candidate in the Democratic senate primary. Rep. Kendrick Meek easily defeated Jeff Greene, a billionaire businessman who spent $20 million on his campaign. But, the Washington Post writes,"the Democratic nominee will start as a distinct underdog in the general election." Meek will face Republican nominee Marco Rubio and Gov. Charlie Crist (I-FL) in November.
4. Plus, check out a few opinion pieces from around the Web: Martin Luther King III writes in the Washington Post about still striving for the dream his father envisioned; an editorial in the Boston Globe questions Mitt Romney's stance on the mosque debate; and The Denver Post's David Harsanyi says, "get ready for the most productive and decent political condition known to man: sweet gridlock."