The View From Here

This Sunday: We'll talk war, economy, and politics

This Sunday on MTP a packed lineup to discuss the ongoing challenges that face our country: the two wars, the economy, and even a little politics.

I'll have an exclusive talk with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen. What does the Wikileaks incident mean for the military, the Obama administration, the country? With July being the deadliest month for U.S. troops in Afghanistan since the war began, where do we go from here?

We'll shift to a conversation about the economy with three prominent voices on the matter: New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg (I), former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, and Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell (D). The Commerce Department announced today that U.S. growth has slowed to 2.4%. What should we expect from the stock market? Is this recovery? What about the tax cuts that are set to expire? And where are the jobs?

Plus a roundtable with Presidential Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin and msnbc Senior Political Analyst and Editor-at-Large & Senior Political Analyst for TIME, Mark Halperin. What will Decision 2010 mean for Obama? Their thoughts on Charlie Rangel's ethics charges so close to the election. And, what about the "wedding of the year?"

Here's a few reads that caught my eye today:

• David Brooks writes in his New York Times column, "It should be possible to simplify the tax code, target welfare spending and also build strong infrastructure at the same time."
• Tony Hayward told the Wall Street Journal: "I became a villain for doing the right thing."
• "Iran starts feeling heat," the Washington Post's Charles Krauthammer writes.
• TIME: "The nation's border is actually a safe place."

Scenarios for Arizona?

1. Arizona's new immigration law went into effect today but not exactly as planned. A federal judge put a hault to some of the most controversial elements in the law until the case is fully heard in court. Here are some perspectives from around the Web on Judge Susan R. Bolton's ruling:
   1. Voice of America: "Mexico has welcomed a U.S. judge's decision to block key parts of Arizona's controversial immigration law from taking effect."
   2. New York Times editorial: "We hope this is the beginning of the end of the misbegotten Arizona rules and what they represent."
   3. From the editors of National Review: "Arizona did not deem these people illegal aliens. The federal government did, in laws passed by Congress and signed by the president of the United States. Arizona thinks those laws mean something." 
   4. Time's Kevin O'Leary says: "the legal appeals and political heat over SB1070 will continue to boil Arizona's campaign season."
   5. Arian Campo-Flores writes for Newsweek: "Which party benefits most remains to be seen, but rest assured that we'll be hearing about this issue all the way to November."
   6. View some scenarios for what could happen next, according to Reuters.
2. Ethics hearings start today for Rep.Charles Rangel (D-NY). Bloomberg's Margaret Carlson wonders if Speaker Pelosi is trading Rangel for a chance in the midterms?
3. The Wikileaks incident continues to cause a stir. The New York Times is reporting that The Pentagon is trying to determine if Afghan informants were identified in the documents and if they could be at risk of reprisals. "Thank God for whistle-blowers," writes Robert Scheer of The Nation. And Washington Post columnist Anne Applebaum says that with the release of the documents, "the proprietor of WikiLeaks has made an iron-clad case for the mainstream media."
4. And be sure to catch E.J. Dionne's column in the Washington Post today in which he asks, "Can a nation remain a superpower if its internal politics are incorrigibly stupid?"

To expire or not to expire?

1. The Bush tax cuts are set to expire at the end of the year. Congress is now evaluating the cuts and deciding what to do. What would happen if the cuts expire? Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus says let them expire. But a Los Angeles Times editorial suggests that Congress keep some because, "allowing all the cuts to lapse entirely would be too harsh a blow to the economy."
2. Arizona's immigration law will take effect tomorrow - but does Arizona need the federal government's help?
3. Despite the Wikileaks incident, America's two wars will continue to be funded as the House voted 308 to 114 to provide $59 billion in aid. But a New York Times article says the vote reflected "deepening divisions and anxiety among Democrats."
4. Talking about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the "BP Squad" is starting its criminal probe into the disaster, according to the Washington Post. What does BP's future look like? And Thomas Friedman of the New York Times asks: "Want the good news first?"
5. Not a fan of the Electoral College process come presidential election time? Move to Massachusetts. The state's legislature approved a measure that would award all 12 of its electoral votes "to the candidate who receives the most votes nationally."

The Leak

1. The White House is on the defensive and is attempting to have potentially compromising information redacted from the tens of thousands of secret military documents leaked Sunday by WikiLeaks. A lot of discussion on the leak from the Web: 
   • Richard Cohen of the Washington Post asks if the documents were leaking the obvious?
   • New York Times op-ed contributor, Andrew Exum, says he has "seen nothing in the documents that has either surprised me or told me anything of significance."
   • An editorial in the Washington Times suggests that these documents "produced no bombshell revelations."
   • A Wall Street Journal review asks what else is there to learn from the leak other than that the U.S. classifies too many documents as secret?
   • The leak, "is good for democracy and for our nation," writes Carol Rose in her Boston Globe blog.
2. A new chief for BP - with a promise to fulfill all commitments to help in the Gulf. Robert Dudley, Jr. will take over in October and says, "taking over this role, I will not reduce my commitment in the region.”
3. Looking ahead to the 2012 Republican presidential nomination race? Read about possible runs by Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty or perhaps by South Dakota Sen. John Thune. 

Recovery Summer?

They're calling it "Recovery Summer."  The Obama administration has been pushing their case for November by harping that their policies have turned the economy around.  But no matter how much they talk - and even if we are on the road to recovery - the reality is that unemployment is still over nine percent.  It's no secret that the talking points need statistical proof to give them credibility.  That's got the Democrats worried as we make our way towards the mid-terms.

Here's what Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner told me.  Notice his choice of the word "moderate."

SEC. GEITHNER: This was a recession caused by a set of policies that left us with a $1.3 trillion deficit when the President came into office.  An economy that was falling off the cliff.  Millions of Americans had already lost their jobs.  The recession was a year old at that point. And given that we've been living beyond our means as a country, Americans had been borrowing too much-- and you had a huge growth in risk taking and leverage in the financial system, what you would expect is a more moderate paced recovery than as typical-- and that's what we're seeing.  But again, you are seeing a recovery. 

And while Geithner remained optimistic about where we are headed, I found his answer about our future to be pretty telling.  Here was my question:

But hasn't the world fundamentally changed, and the markets that you simply cannot expect to get the kind of return on investment that you've enjoyed and so many Americans have enjoyed for so many years?

You've heard the theories that the jobs are not coming back.  Geithner did not say that, but he did tell me, "I think the trauma caused by this crisis is gonna be profound and long lasting." What he did infer is that lifestyles might need to change.  As Geithner called it, a "necessary change in behavior."

You can catch the rest of my interview with the Treasury Secretary here. We also hit on the expiration of the Bush tax cuts, capitol gains tax and the ongoing housing crisis.

And while the economy has been the big story, this week we were all talking about Shirley Sherrod.  The story gave of insights about the role of race in politics and the media.  Our roundtable of Marc Morial, Anita Dunn, Rick Santelli, E.J. Dionne and David Brooks gave some perspective.  

There was consensus for the obvious takeaway - that, journalistically, this never should have happened.  As David Brooks recalled the old reporters saying, "If your mother says she loves you, check with two other sources."  There was also a consensus that all groups are comprised of racist entities.  As Rick Santelli pointed out - Democrats, Republicans, Tea Party, liberals - they all have extreme members with fringe and sometimes hateful views.

But as Marc Morial put it, "Mr. Breitbart threw a firecracker into a crowded room."  And reacted, and overreacted, very quickly. 

Between this and the firestorm that was last year's beer summit, you have to wonder why these incidents keep happening to the Obama administration.  He is the first African American president - shouldn't race be the easy part?

Here's how former Obama White House official Anita Dunn put it:

I think that the broader question, though, which is, you know, how is this suddenly Barack Obama's problem?  He has written an entire book about race.  In his book Audacity of Hope, he devotes an entire chapter.  He made the speech in 2008. 

But the reality is that it is his problem because it happened on his watch.  I asked Marc Morial what the president could do better in the race department.  He told me that Obama needs race advisers - something he thinks all president's could benefit from.

I'm interested in your take.

You can catch the rest of the roundtable here.  You'll want to hear more of our guests' insights on Sherrod, the economy and politics.

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

 

Economy remains the focus

This week on Meet the Press, I'll talk with U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.  We will discuss the status of the U.S. economy: Unemployment benefits were extended- how effective will they be in jump starting the economy? Will the newly signed Wall Street reform bill really provide needed consumer protection? And, what is the outlook for jobs going forward?

Plus, a roundtable with Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne, New York Times columnist David Brooks, former Obama White House Communications Director Anita Dunn, National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial, and CNBC's Rick Santelli. Who is responsible for the Shirley Sherrod matter? How are race relations playing into American politics? And what about Decision 2010? I'll get their thoughts on these topics and much more this Sunday.

Here's a little reading from around the Web today:

• The cover story of National Journal Magazine by Ronald Brownstein in which he finds, "A contrast in priorities is arising between nonwhite young voters and white, older voters."
• William Isaac gives his opinion in Forbes about how hard it is to restore trust in government.
• My upcoming roundtable guest, David Brooks, asks in his New York Times column, "Where does our sense of right and wrong come from?"
• The Washington Post's Charles Krauthammer says, "Beware the lame duck."

One year later, Dems again sidetracked by race

It's been almost a year since the heavily covered "Beer Summit" at the White House on July 30, 2009.  You'll remember the president and vice president sat down with Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Cambridge, Mass. police Sgt. James Crowley to discuss an incident that happened two weeks earlier.  The white police officer went to investigate a burglary at Gates home and ended up arresting the African American professor. 

In a news conference, President Obama said Crowley had "acted stupidly." A media firestorm erupted that resulted in the summit.

Now the Obama administration again finds itself taking heat over a racially charged incident - the firing of Shirley Sherrod and subsequent apology from the White House.

Both cases were examples of action being taken before the entire story was understood.  And now - like a year ago - Democrats find themselves being sidetracked by an issue they do not want to focus on.

So here is the question: Are we any better off in our national consensus about race relations as a result of these incidents?

Here are some perspectives from around the Web today:

1. Eugene Robinson writes about the political side of the issue: "These allegations of anti-white racism are being deliberately hyped and exaggerated because they are designed to make whites fearful. It won't work with most people, of course, but it works with some -- enough, perhaps, to help erode Obama's political standing and damage his party's prospects at the polls."
2. Here is a Daily Beast interview with Andrew Breitbart, the conservative blogger who posted the edited video.
3. This piece in Slate gives their take on the events surrounding the incident and its ensuing fallout.
4. Conservative commentators seem to have been on a similar page as the liberal voices throughout the controversy.  Here's what Rich Lowry and Eric Erickson have written. 

Some topics from today

1. President Obama signed the financial reform bill into law this morning. He said, "Because of this law, the American people will never again be asked to foot the bill for Wall Street's mistakes." There still remains a great deal of skepticism and opposition surrounding the bill.
2. Plus another success for Obama, the Senate voted to extend unemployment benefits.
3. Townhall's Tony Blankley asks, "Is it enough for the GOP to just say no?"
4. The USDA announced todaythat it is reviewing the agency's decision to ask Shirley Sherrod to resign. Yesterday a controversial edited clipof Sherrod speaking at an NAACP event surfaced on a blog but now we see her full speech.
5. Decision 2010: The Georgia gubernatorial race is headed to a runoff for the Republican nomination. After months of trailing Georgia Insurance Commissioner John Oxendinee, the race's favorite, Former Secretary of State Karen Handelsurged to the front of the field after a late endorsement from Sarah Palin. Handel and Former U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal, who has been endorsed by Newt Gingrich, are the two candidates who will compete in the runoff on August 10.

What I've been reading today

1. Elena Kagan will face the first vote on her nomination to the Supreme Court today, according to the AP. Will Republicans support her? A USA Today editorial says republicans won't - despite the fact that Kagan deserves bipartisan backing.
2. Richard Cohen in the Washington Post asks, "Who is Barack Obama?"
3. Jobs, jobs, jobs: The Wall Street Journal says if jobs can't be created, pay people not to work. Rich Lowry writes in the New York Post that it's the Democrats who are causing unemployment. But unemployment benefits may be extended today if Democrats can get another vote.
4. The Tea Party Caucus. Who's in and who's out? Jonathan Allen and Jake Sherman write in POLITICO that Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Mn) is asking House Republican leaders this very question. Bachmann even said she invited Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Ca) to join her caucus. The Washington Post's E.J. Dionne writes, "the fallout begins."

Four Congressional leaders join me to talk Decision 2010

The last time the four congressional campaign chairs were on Meet The Press was election time 2006.  Today, the four men who currently hold those positions joined me for their first interview as a group. 

Sitting down with me were the four leaders charged with achieving victory for their party in both the House and Senate this November: Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), Chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX), and Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD).

The partisan spirit was certainly high following Robert Gibbs comments last week that Dems were in jeopardy of major loses in the House.  He caught a lot of flack from within his own party for that statement, and we led the show with a spot describing the fallout throughout the week. 

There is usually a summer lag in the political arena, but that hasn't been the case for the past two years.  Last year, we were talking about whether Congress could pass a health reform bill before the August recess; we also had a Supreme Court nominee.  Both things kept eyes trained on Washington more intensely then is typical for July.  Now, in a midterm year that is continually being compared to the GOP takeover in 1994, interest continues to peak about what's going on in Washington. 

I was interested in asking the four chairman how their parties are going to approach November.  Are Dems going to shy away from Obama and his sinking popularity?  Or do they want him out on the stump - which he has been recently in California and Michigan. 

Will the GOP run on a platform of repeal everything? I asked both Sen. Cornyn and Rep. Sessions about health care.  Cornyn said, "I think repeal and replace it with common sense solution that will bend the cost curve." 

And here is our exchange about financial reform:

DAVID GREGORY: Would you repeal financial regulation?  Yes, no, or maybe?

 

SENATOR JOHN CORNYN: Well, I think-- I mean, this is a 2,300-page bill that not even Chris Dodd, the principle Senate author knows-- said, "We don't know exactly how this will impact the economy or our financial system for some time to come."  I mean, that's part of the problem, as Pete [Sessions] said.  Passing legislation with unintended consequences.

 

And for the Dems, I wanted to see how the DCCC chair viewed Obama.  He said the president is "absolutely an asset" for the party. 

 

Then, of course, I couldn't let them go without getting some predictions.  I tried to get each of them to give me a specific number, but they are politicians.  Here's what each of them told me.

 

Rep. Sessions:

REP. PETE SESSIONS: I think our candidates are gonna take us from good to great to victory.  And I think Republicans can win in November.

 

DAVID GREGORY: How many seats?

 

REP. PETE SESSIONS: I think we're gonna be slightly over 40.

 

Sen. Menendez:

SEN. MENENDEZ: Democrats in the Senate will be a majority-- after this election.  Despite midterm election history and-- headwinds. 

Rep. Van Hollen:

 

REP. VAN HOLLEN: I think these guys are poppin' the champagne-- bottles already over there.  But the fact of the matter is-- the Democrats will retain a majority in the House. 

 

Sen. Cornyn:

SEN. CORNYN: We've got almost 100-- a little bit more than 100 days to go.  And-- it's anybody's guess.  But-- we're looking for a pretty good-- November 2nd.

 

Plus, check out a live blog of the show here.  And view the complete show here. 

 

If it's Sunday, it's Meet The Press.