May 24, 2013

Obama decries military sex assaults at Navy graduation

President Obama decried a recent spike in military assaults - and appeared to criticize turmoil at the IRS -- as he delivered the commencement speech Friday at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis.

As he lauded the grads for their service, Obama called on them to uphold the honor of their service, as he talked about how the "actions of a few" have eroded public confidence in government.

"We need your honor, that inner compass that guides you, not when the path is easy and obvious, but it's hard and uncertain, that tells you the difference between that which is right and that which is wrong," he told the graduates in their white dress uniforms.

Earlier, Obama caused a stir in the Twitter-verse when he walked directly up the steps of Marine One outside the White House without saluting the Marine on duty.

The White House pool report notes he "soon came out of the helicopter, walked down the steps, shook hands with the Marine and engaged in a brief conversation" before reboarding. 

At the grad ceremony, held under grey skies and a persistent drizzle, Obama said that those who commit sexual assaults are not only committing a crime, "they threaten the trust and discipline that makes our military strong. That's why we have to be determined to stop these crimes. Because they've got no place in the greatest military on Earth."

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Gallup: "Ideological attitudes in the country may be shifting"

Economic conservatism has hit a five year low, according to a Gallup poll released Friday.

And, the survey suggests, "ideological attitudes in the country may be shifting."

The poll found that social liberalism is up six points since 2001 and is embraced by about half the Democrats and those who lean Democrats.

"It is possible that Americans are returning to a certain sense of normalcy on economic ideology, while social ideology continues to charter new ground," said a poll analysis.

Here's more from Gallup:

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May 23, 2013

IRS official Lerner placed on administrative leave; replacement named

Lois Lerner, who headed the Internal Revenue Service office at the center of controversy for
targeting conservative groups, was placed on administrative leave Thursday, the second IRS official to face disciplinary action.

Acting Commissioner Steven Miller was asked to resign last week by President Barack Obama.

Lerner is being replaced by Ken Corbin, who will become acting director, exempt organizations,
tax exempt/government entities division.

A veteran IRS official, Corbin was touted by Danny Werfel, the new acting IRS commissioner, for a “track record of leading large work groups.” Those skills, said Werfel, “make him an ideal choice to help lead the Exempt Organizations area through this difficult period.”

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Obama praises Senate for confirming court nominee

President Barack Obama praised the Senate for confirming Sri Srinivasan, principal deputy solicitor general, for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Srinivasan, the first circuit judget of South Asian descent, is the first D.C. Circuit nominee confirmed since 2006. He has worked under both Republican and Democratic presidents.

"Sri is a trailblazer who personifies the best of America," he said. "Now he will serve with distinction on the federal bench. Sri will in fact be the first South Asian American to serve as a circuit court judge in our history. While I applaud the Senate’s action, it’s important to remember that this confirmation is the first one to this important court in seven years."

Obama calls for a review of media targeted by Justice

President Barack Obama, under fire for his administration's crackdown on journalists, announced Thursday that he has directed Attorney General Eric Holder to review the Justice Department's guidelines for investigations that involve reporters.

"Journalists should not be at legal risk for doing their jobs," Obama said in a major counterterrorism speech Thursday. "Our focus must be on those who break the law."

Obama said Holder will report back to him by July 12. Holder's actions are part of an unprecedented crackdown on classified national security leaks.

"As commander-in-chief, I believe we must keep information secret that protects our operations and our people in the field," he said. "To do so, we must enforce consequences for those who break the law and breach their commitment to protect classified information. But a free press is also essential for our democracy. That's who we are. And I'm troubled by the possibility that leak investigations may chill the investigative journalism that holds government accountable."

Student loans and the battle of bill names

The House of Representatives today passed a bill along party lines (221-198, most Republicans for, most Democrats against) that would make federal student loans have market-based rates. The rate would be pegged to the 10-year Treasury note and would be reset once a year, so the rates would change over the life of a loan. (See how they voted here.)

It's another partisan fight. Republicans call it their Smarter Solutions for Students Act. House Democrats call it the Making College More Expensive Act.

President Barack Obama has proposed linking rates to the market but keeping them the same for the life of the loan. In the Senate, where Democrats have a thin majority, there's a proposal to extend the current 3.4 percent rate for two more years.

The White House threatened a veto of the House bill yesterday. Congress has to act by July 1, or the rate for a subsidized federal student loan goes from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent.

Should Obama know everything? Well, Boehner doesn't....

If Republicans are going to target President Barack Obama for not knowing more about the Internal Revenue Service controversy, says House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, consider this:

"Well," she told a news conference Thursday, "The president doesn't know about everything that is going on in every agency of government.  Should Mr. Boehner have known because this is his neighboring district, and since -- Cincinnati, where the IRS office is?

"I don't think you can hold him accountable for what happened in that IRS office."

Asked if Democrats will be hurt politically, Pelosi, D-Calif, noted, "It happened under the appointment of the head of the IRS, who was appointed by President Bush; his length of stay extended into President Obama's stay." She referred to former IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman.

"But," she said, "I think that that points to the fact that why is this, you know, a politicized issue because the -- we all are concerned about how the IRS does what it's supposed to do, supports the law but does not do it in a selective way.  I've said before what they did was wrong.  The inspector general has said over and over it is not illegal."

McConnell: Health care law in the hands of "an agency that's so betrayed the public trust"

The Internal Revenue Service and the 2010 health law? Look out, says Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell.

"Here’s another thing we shouldn’t be doing: handing over the administration of Obamacare to these folks. I mean, think about it. A deeply unpopular law being administered by an agency that’s so betrayed the public trust," he said in Senate floor remarks Thursday. 

“Even the IRS’ staunchest defenders in this scandal describe their actions as a case of ‘horrible customer service.’   That’s the best they can say: ‘Horrible customer service.’ And now they’re going to be put in charge of a new trillion-dollar program?  One that will give them access to all sorts of sensitive, deeply personal information?"

McConnell, R-Ky., warned "that’s just what the Administration and congressional Democrats are about to let happen."

He noted "The IRS is in charge of administering some of the most important elements of Obamacare. And, for many Americans, that’s going to mean submitting to probing questions about their health insurance."

Then he posed some questions. Here's some of the rest of his speech:

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May 22, 2013

Did Obama help kill the same-sex partner amendment he actually supports?

Did President Barack Obama ask the Senate to kill an amendment that would allow same-sex couples to apply for legal status for their foreign-born partners as part of a rewrite of the nation’s immigration laws?

That was the word Tuesday just before the provision was rejected and the bill passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Republicans who support the bill had expressed concerns about the amendment. 

White House spokesman Jay Carney on Wednesday would not confirm or deny the reports.

"I'm not aware of that conversation. What I can tell you is the president supports the amendment," he said.

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Administration says House student loan plan falls short

House Republicans came up with a student loan reform plan they said was along the lines of what President Barack Obama proposed _ let the loan rate change with the market (background story). But it turns out it wasn’t similar enough.

Today the White House put out a statement criticizing it and saying the president would veto if it Congress sends it to him. (Statement of administration policy here.)

The House student loan plan, HR 1911, is scheduled to be considered on the floor of the House this week.

If Congress doesn’t act by July 1, the rate on subsidized federal student loans will go up from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent.

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