We?re live-streaming today’s ABC NewsNOW coverage of the ?Celebration of Life Memorial Service? honoring Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, hosted by Rick Klein and David Chalian, with Colbert King of The Washington Post, plus ABC’s Sam Donaldson.
Coverage resumes around 5:45 pmET. You can watch HERE.
And follow the coverage via Twitter, @thenote.
President Obama became the first sitting president to hit the late-night comedy circuit on Thursday. While he was hoping to soften the mood during a week plagued by economic turmoil and congressional in-fighting, instead the president made headlines with a joke that went awry.
Democratic strategist Chris Kofinis and Republican strategist Alex Conant debate the impact of the president’s gaffe on Friday’s edition of Politics Live.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., was forced to delay a vote on the $410 billion spending bill late Thursday, in a surprise move that highlights how the “omnibus” has become a political football — much to the chagrin of the Obama White House.
“At a quarter to 8 tonight I had 59-and-a-half votes,” Reid said Thursday evening.
With the search under way for half a senator, ABC News’ Rick Klein and David Chalian talked about the delay and its political ramifications with Zach Wolf, who covers the Senate for ABC, on Friday’s edition of “Politics Live.”
(Watch to the end to get Chalian’s take on New York Times columnist David Brooks’ kinder words for the president.)
ABC News’ Lindsey Ellerson reports: With the $787 stimulus bill signed into law, President Barack Obama seems to be change his tune, expressing more optimism in his outlook for the economy. Does the way the president talks about a national problem change the facts ? Or at least the public attitude toward the facts?
Just weeks ago, when Congress had not yet acted on the president’s recovery package, Obama predicted doom and gloom for the economy.
“Failure to act and act now will turn crisis into a catastrophe and guarantee a longer recession,” Obama said during a White House event on February 4.
But, Friday from the White House’s East Room, Obama told more than 70 mayors, better days are around the corner.
“I’m absolutely confident that our people will benefit and people will look back and say that this was a turning point,” said Obama.
Which Obama is the most effective? The president who warns of danger or the one who says everything will turn out okay? Tune into Friday’s edition of Politics Live for more analysis from ABC News’ political team.
The California Assembly reached a budget deal in the 11th hour to address their gigantic $42 billion state deficit. Still, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and many other governors, are looking for a share of the new stimulus bill set aside for grants to the states to help them bridge their deficits.
But, several GOP governors are saying they don’t like the idea, including Gov. Rick Perry, R-Tex., Bobby Jindal, R-La. and Gov. Sarah Palin, R-Alaska.
What is going on? Does this have anything to do with a potential 2012 run for the White House? For more detail, tune into Thursday’s edition of Politics Live with ABC News’ Sam Donaldson, David Chalian and Politico’s National Politics Editor Charles Mahtesian.
President Barack Obama is back on the stump today, just one day after signing the most expensive economic recovery bill in history, Obama introduced his housing plan with a $75 billion dollar price tag.
“By making these investments in foreclosure-prevention today, we will save ourselves the costs of foreclosure tomorrow — costs borne not just by families with troubled loans, but by their neighbors and communities and by our economy as a whole,” Obama told a crowd in Mesa, Arizona. “Given the magnitude of these costs, it is a price well worth paying.”
For more details about the president’s three part economic plan, tune into Wednesday’s edition of Politics Live.
“I responded to all questions that were asked of me by the impeachment committee in the time allotted,” Sen. Roland Burris said at a news conference Monday, insisting that he has always been truthful. “At no time did I ever make any inconsistent statement.”
In an affidavit released over the weekend, the senator — who is filling the seat left vacant by President Obama — admitted that former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich’s brother asked Burris for campaign fundraising before the senator was appointed. Burris did not mention that in his testimony to the impeachment committee in January.
Could these inconsistencies make Burris the next Illinois politician to be accused of perjury? Tune into Monday’s edition of Politics Live for more details and how Burris is being viewed by his peers in Congress.
Republican Sen. Judd Gregg’s withdrawal from consideration for the commerce secretary post adds another hiccup to President Obama’s transition plan.
The New Hampshire senator announced Thursday evening during a press conference on Capitol Hill that he would not be a “good fit” for the Obama administration.
“For me, I just realized as these issues started to come at us, and they started to crystallize, that it really wasn’t a good fit. And that I wouldn’t be comfortable doing this and that it wouldn’t be fair to be part of a team and not be able to be 100 percent on the team,” said Gregg.
So, who is left with egg on his face? Tune into Friday’s edition for Politics Live for more details on what the political stumbles will mean for Obama.
Not everyone is happy with the new stimulus bill, but it does appear to be a done deal. The big question is how many Republicans will vote for it? Both sides of Congress are poised to pass the bill by the president?s desired deadline — Monday.
The agreement was made possible by three Republican senators who broke ranks with their party position, Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine and Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine.
?I thought it was important to be part of a process which could yield a consensus based solution to achieving an approach at this most critical time in our nation?s history,? said Snowe during a press availability late Wednesday on Capitol Hill.
After hours of negotiations, the measure was trimmed from a high of $838 billion to $789 billion in a conference of House and Senate leaders.
President Barack Obama urged members of Congress to act on Friday, adding if the passage of the stimulus bill is stalled for much longer, jobs reports will continue to be devastating.
“At the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, members of the Senate are reading these same numbers this morning. I hope they share my sense of urgency,” said Obama Friday, citing statistics revealing that January brought the worst job losses since 1974.
During Friday’s White House briefing, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs announced that Obama will take to the road to sell his economic stimulus package, making stops in Indiana and Florida.
Tune into Friday’s edition of Politics Live for analysis from ABC News’ political team.
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