The View From Here

Some things I have my eye on today...

1. Is Iran designing the warheads necessary to weaponize its nuclear program, or is the intelligence community repeating the mistakes that led to the Iraq War?
2. Are political races in New Jersey and Virginia turning into a referendum on the Obama brand? William McGurn claims that the results in these gubernatorial races could be a bellwether for Obama's political fortunes. 
3. Senator Thomas Harkin (D-Iowa) believes that "a silent majority of Americans" and "a supermajority of senators" will push health care reform through with the help of moderate Republicans.
4. David Brooks argues that while the left and right have been fighting a culture war on peripheral issues like school prayer and sex education, the nation's economic values have been deteriorating for years, and a restoration of traditional American restraint is necessary to right the economy.
5. Former Republican Majority Leader, Tom Delay, fights through injury to compete on "Dancing With the Stars".

Sept. 25: Highlights from this Morning...

1. Is there a significance of the timing of the statement by Pres. Obama and public release of information regarding Iran's secret nuclear facility? Foreign Policy's Marc Lynch analyzes the situation.
2. David Brooks writes of the "illusions" of fighting the Afghan war and stresses the importance of military forces working together with the Afghan people to defeat insurgents in order to succeed in the region.
3. Steven Pearlstein gives praise for the health care reform proposal presented by Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and weighs in on what he thinks is the best way to achieve reform efficiently.
4. Will a government-run insurance plan really make the health care insurance market more competitive? The National Journal's Ron Brownstein gives his take.
5. An analysis of Pres. Obama's address to the United Nations General Assembly this week -- Jonah Goldberg writes for the National Review.

What I have my eye on this morning...

1. Today Pres. Obama addresses the U.N. General Assembly, stressing "international cooperation" and touching upon top issues ranging from climate change, to nuclear nonproliferation, to Middle East conflicts.
2. Thomas Friedman gives his take on U.S.-Iran relations -- talking of the "slight" chance at reaching agreement with Iran on its nuclear program through diplomatic means.
3. The Afghan fight -- Slate's Fred Kaplan gives his opinion on what the strategy in Afghanistan should focus on, how America is going to win not only against the Taliban, but win the trust and confidence of the Afghan people. 
4. In today's Washington Post, Steven Pearlstein weighs in on the state of the economy and suggests "a sustained recovery in 2010 isn't looking very likely". He writes of the struggle between creating "inflatable bubbles" vs. "sustainable economic growth".
5. White House Budget Director Peter Orszag suggests that a health care reform bill will very likely pass Congress within the next six weeks.

A few reads for the day...

1. The mysterious Washington "Whodunit"...After the The Washington Post's Bob Woodward reported yesterday on the 66-page report from the U.S. military commander in Afghanistan to Pres. Obama, the question today is "Who leaked it and what was his/her motive?"
2. With Gen. McChrystal's assessment released, The Washington Post's Eugene Robinson gives his take on where Pres. Obama should go from here on the war in Afghanistan. Should the U.S. send more troops? Should the U.S. rely on strengthening the Afghan government? What strategy is going to work?
3. Gen. Stanley McChrystal suggests that Pakistani and Iranian intelligence agencies are aiding Taliban fighters against coalition forces in Afghanistan. How will this affect U.S. strategy in Afghanistan and our nation's relations with these countries?
4. Pres. Obama is in New York meeting at the United Nations General Assembly to discuss some of the world's greatest problems, including such hot topics as climate change, global finance, and Iran's nuclear program. The president will address the General Assembly on Wednesday.
5. Today the Senate Finance Committee begins reworking the Baucus bill with a main goal of "keeping the final price tag below $900 billion". The committee has a lineup of over 500 amendments to consider to the proposed bill.

What I'm thinking before interviewing President Obama...

Doing some final prep this morning for this afternoon's interview with the President which will air Sunday on Meet the Press.  Some people ask me whether he's overexposed.  I don't really feel like I'm the best one to say since I am happy to interview any president when he wants to take questions.  I think that's great for journalism and the country.  But make no mistake, the President knows the only way he can get health care done is by driving up some support for his plan - a plan battered by conservative opposition and some misinformation this summer.

One thing that's important about the debate over the debate right now is this: as Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn said during a recent interview on my program, a lot of the President's harshest critics feel like government is out of control.  That view can take on extreme forms as we have seen with the President being called a Nazi, or socialist.  House Speaker Pelosi also fears it will lead to violence as it did in the 70's or the 90's with Oklahoma City.

I'm curious to know what the President thinks about this and whether he agrees with President Carter or not about racism fueling his critics.

The challenge for Mr. Obama is to decide what is a distraction and what issues Americans expect him to address.

A few morning reads...

1. In today's New York Times, Paul Krugman gives his take on the progress of the health care debate on the Hill and asks, "How bad does a bill have to be to make it too bad to vote for?" Details matter this go around and much infighting is to be expected. Stay tuned...
2. After former President Jimmy Carter's controversial comment earlier this week, Eugene Robinson weighs in on the "explosive subject"of race. (Note: Catch Mr. Robinson on our political roundtable this Sunday on "Meet the Press"!)
3. Both Republican and Democratic senators have expressed concern over Pres. Obama's decision to ditch the previous administration's effort to build a missile-defense system in Eastern Europe, saying they were "kept in the dark".
4. Matt Bai writes on "The Truth About Bureaucracy" -- an interesting take on the inner-workings of our nation's government.
5. The National Journal's Ron Brownstein analyzes whether Democrats are struggling to keep their lead in the Mountain West. How will this increasing shift affect the 2010 midterm elections and eventually the 2012 presidential race?

Some reads for the day...

1. Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) unveiled his health care reform plan yesterday -- only to be lobbed with criticism from both the left and right. However, some senators are calling his plan "a good starting point" that "moves in the right direction".
2. In today's USA Today, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) gives his take on the health care debate and calls for Congress to "start over on a truly bipartisan bill".
3. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) writes in today's New York Times offering his suggestion for an amendment to the latest Senate health care proposal -- what he calls the "Free Choice" amendment that would ensure Americans the opportunity to freely choose the health insurance plan that works best for them.
4. All this health care talk can get confusing...so, The Wall Street Journal has created an easy-to-understand cheat sheet comparing the health care bills in the works in both the House and Senate. Take a look! 
5. After former President Jimmy Carter's comment that race is driving Obama's critics, the Obama team is trying hard to keep the nation focused on their Issue No. 1 -- health care -- seeking to keep race out of the debate.
6. The Obama administration has decided to ditch the efforts of the Bush administration to build a missile-defense system in Eastern Europe "to counter the perceived threat of Iran". 

What I have my eye on this morning...

1. On the eve of Sen. Max Baucus's (D-Mont.) revealing of his much anticipated health care proposal, he writes in the the Wall Street Journal today arguing for what his health care plan would accomplish.
2. It looks like partisanship has taken over the Hill on health care, as Sen. Baucus moves forward with his health care proposal with no likely support from the GOP and a little heat coming from his own party.
3. In today's National Review health care blog, Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) breaks down for us the five reasons why Americans may be cautious of supporting the president's health care plan.
4. Former President Jimmy Carter pulls out "the race card" -- saying in an interview with NBC's Brian Williams that those who oppose Pres. Obama do so on a basis of racism. 
5. The New Republic's Michael Crowley asks, "Why is Obama repeating Bush's Iraq mistakes...in Afghanistan?" -- a look into the two presidents' choices and actions regarding today's conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A few morning reads...

1. As Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus is to reveal his much awaited health care reform plan in the next day or so, Senate Democrats are ready to weigh in with their concerns over the cost of implementing the proposed changes -- one senator describing Sen. Baucus's plan as a "starting point" for negotiations.   
2. Conflicts of interest for some health care aides on the Hill? Politico takes an inside look into the "revolving door" of health care reform.
3. Bob Shrum suggests what's next for the president after he signs sweeping health reform into law -- from Afghanistan, to the financial crisis, to energy and climate issues, the list goes on. With plenty of challenges ahead, Pres. Obama will undoubtedly be one busy guy.
4. In today's Wall Street Journal, John H. Cochrane and Luigi Zingales give their take on the lesson of Lehman Brothers -- what it means for the future of our nation's financial system.

Some reads for the day...

1. President Obama writes in New York Daily News on the eighth anniversary of the devastating September 11 attacks. Every year on September 11, "we are all New Yorkers," he writes, and the importance of our nation's security and unity is highlighted today.
2. David Brooks writes on Pres. Obama and his "Dime Standard," referring to Pres. Obama's clear statement on Wednesday night that he will not approve a health care bill that would add a dime to the nation's deficit. But how will this reshape the bills already floating around Congress? 
3. After Rep. Joe Wilson's (R-SC) "You lie!" outburst during the president's speech Wednesday night, The New York Times weighs in on the issue of immigrants and health care coverage--what the bill says and what Dems and Reps are vying for.
4. A growing number of Democrats--including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi--are uneasy about the Afghan War, expressing specific concern over sending more combat troops into the Afghan war zone.
5. In The Wall Street Journal, Fouad Ajami discusses the relation between the attacks of 9/11 and the fighting of the "good war"--the war in Afghanistan. Pres. Obama has some difficult choices ahead.