http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-white-house-unusually-quiet-before-supreme-court-healthcare-ruling-20120627,0,892899.story
So, a White House that so often pre-spins the news has maintained a studied silence about Obama’s plans. His staff won't even say whether he will make a public appearance or statement Thursday, a day he is scheduled to spend in meetings at the White House.
Full coverage: Supreme Court healthcare ruling
“I cannot speculate on all the various permutations,” White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said.
The administration, like the rest of Washington, was running high on adrenaline with no real reason to sprint. “We’re all hurry-up-and-waiting,” Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) said.
Outside the Supreme Court, its stately neo-classical facade covered in scaffolding for an inconveniently timed improvement project, the scene was eerily serene. A few camera crews staked out spots on the front steps, tourists strolled about and there was no sign of the frenzy to come.
But inside the Capitol, lawmakers and their aides were frenetically drawing up plans to respond to the court’s decision. Welch, after a morning jog on an unusually cool day, headed to his office to work the phones for his Plan B: legislation that would provide Medicare for all.
Throughout Washington, advocacy groups were also running through scenarios. Health policy experts traded predictions on Twitter. A tea party group prepared to live stream its views from the court steps.What the nine justices decide could change the course of the nation’s healthcare system and the fall election. The Affordable Care Act, designed to increase the number of Americans who have access to healthcare, has become one of the most potent examples of how far apart the two political parties are on the role the federal government should play in the lives of Americans.
Democrats and Republicans alike hope to turn the decision to their advantage on the campaign trail.
Thus has Washington been turning longingly to the court for the last two Mondays and Thursdays, days the court could have handed down decisions. CSPAN — the wonk’s ESPN— has broadcast live outside of the court, showing images of protesters, passersby and journalists.
Thursday is the final day the court could issue the opinion this term.
House Speaker John A. Boehner met behind closed doors in the Capitol basement Wednesday, plotting another attempt to repeal the law, or whatever’s left of it after Thursday’s decision.
“Regardless of how the court rules,” Boehner told his troops, according to a source who was in the room, “the law is a huge issue for the American people, and it has to be repealed, completely.”
Democrats have been more muted, perhaps reflecting an unwillingness to acknowledge what may come.
Most Democrats in Congress don’t want to revisit their controversial healthcare votes right before their reelection battles. Liberal Democrats are the exception; the Congressional Progressive Caucus has already booked a news conference outside the court immediately following the ruling.
Democratic Party officials said they were waiting for the White House’s lead. The West Wing and the Obama campaign have already gamed out the options in broad strokes, officials say.
On Thursday, the White House will probably remain silent for at least 45 minutes to an hour, one official said, while everyone studies the opinion. White House lawyer Kathy Ruemmler will take the lead in discussing it with the president. Obama’s intense interest in the decision has been evident. Out of town for the oral arguments, he read the transcripts aboard Air Force One.Despite the wait-and-see mode, some political processes continued to hum.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee invoked the father of healthcare reform, former Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy, in a fundraising pitch. “If he were here,” his son, former Democratic Rep. Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island, wrote, “he would be proud of what we were able to accomplish.”
Republicans also were raising money on the anticipation of the decision. In Texas, the campaign for Ted Cruz, a tea-party-aligned candidate in a tough GOP primary for the Senate, was asking for $27 donations — one dollar for every month the healthcare law has been on the books.
And the Obama team tried to wring out just a little more credit for passing the law. The head of the administration's health reform office posted a blog piece that may have a short shelf life. It was titled: “See How the Health Care Law is Helping People in Your State.”
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/war-words-heats-over-u-gun-walking-case-034703052.html
By Donna Smith and Thomas Ferraro | Reuters – 1 hour 22 minutes ago
http://www.businessinsider.com/eric-holder-contempt-vote-fast-furious-democrats-darrell-issa-2012-6
On the day the House Oversight Committee scheduled a vote to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress, committee Chair Darrell Issa predicted that at least 31 Democrats would join Republicans when the debate came to the floor.
So far, at least five Democrats have confirmed they'll be supporting the contempt resolution: Reps. Nick Rahall (West Virginia), Collin Peterson (Minnesota) Jim Matheson (Utah), John Barrow (Georgia) and Mike McIntyre (North Carolina). Democratic Rep. Steny Hoyer, the Democratic House head counter, said there would be some in his party who supported the contempt resolution.
White House unusually quiet before Supreme Court healthcare ruling
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President Obama campaigns in Atlanta. (Jewel Samad / AFP-Getty Images / June 26, 2012)
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WASHINGTON — As the nation’s capital prepared Wednesday for the Supreme Court’s long-awaited ruling onPresident Obama’s healthcare law, the White House was unusually quiet.The ruling on Obama’s biggest domestic accomplishment could be among the most consequential events in his presidency, but he will learn about it at the same time as the rest of the nation, receiving no advanced warning as he does for such government actions as the release of unemployment statistics.
So, a White House that so often pre-spins the news has maintained a studied silence about Obama’s plans. His staff won't even say whether he will make a public appearance or statement Thursday, a day he is scheduled to spend in meetings at the White House.
Full coverage: Supreme Court healthcare ruling
“I cannot speculate on all the various permutations,” White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said.
The administration, like the rest of Washington, was running high on adrenaline with no real reason to sprint. “We’re all hurry-up-and-waiting,” Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) said.
Outside the Supreme Court, its stately neo-classical facade covered in scaffolding for an inconveniently timed improvement project, the scene was eerily serene. A few camera crews staked out spots on the front steps, tourists strolled about and there was no sign of the frenzy to come.
But inside the Capitol, lawmakers and their aides were frenetically drawing up plans to respond to the court’s decision. Welch, after a morning jog on an unusually cool day, headed to his office to work the phones for his Plan B: legislation that would provide Medicare for all.
Throughout Washington, advocacy groups were also running through scenarios. Health policy experts traded predictions on Twitter. A tea party group prepared to live stream its views from the court steps.What the nine justices decide could change the course of the nation’s healthcare system and the fall election. The Affordable Care Act, designed to increase the number of Americans who have access to healthcare, has become one of the most potent examples of how far apart the two political parties are on the role the federal government should play in the lives of Americans.
Democrats and Republicans alike hope to turn the decision to their advantage on the campaign trail.
Thus has Washington been turning longingly to the court for the last two Mondays and Thursdays, days the court could have handed down decisions. CSPAN — the wonk’s ESPN— has broadcast live outside of the court, showing images of protesters, passersby and journalists.
Thursday is the final day the court could issue the opinion this term.
House Speaker John A. Boehner met behind closed doors in the Capitol basement Wednesday, plotting another attempt to repeal the law, or whatever’s left of it after Thursday’s decision.
“Regardless of how the court rules,” Boehner told his troops, according to a source who was in the room, “the law is a huge issue for the American people, and it has to be repealed, completely.”
Democrats have been more muted, perhaps reflecting an unwillingness to acknowledge what may come.
Most Democrats in Congress don’t want to revisit their controversial healthcare votes right before their reelection battles. Liberal Democrats are the exception; the Congressional Progressive Caucus has already booked a news conference outside the court immediately following the ruling.
Democratic Party officials said they were waiting for the White House’s lead. The West Wing and the Obama campaign have already gamed out the options in broad strokes, officials say.
On Thursday, the White House will probably remain silent for at least 45 minutes to an hour, one official said, while everyone studies the opinion. White House lawyer Kathy Ruemmler will take the lead in discussing it with the president. Obama’s intense interest in the decision has been evident. Out of town for the oral arguments, he read the transcripts aboard Air Force One.Despite the wait-and-see mode, some political processes continued to hum.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee invoked the father of healthcare reform, former Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy, in a fundraising pitch. “If he were here,” his son, former Democratic Rep. Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island, wrote, “he would be proud of what we were able to accomplish.”
Republicans also were raising money on the anticipation of the decision. In Texas, the campaign for Ted Cruz, a tea-party-aligned candidate in a tough GOP primary for the Senate, was asking for $27 donations — one dollar for every month the healthcare law has been on the books.
And the Obama team tried to wring out just a little more credit for passing the law. The head of the administration's health reform office posted a blog piece that may have a short shelf life. It was titled: “See How the Health Care Law is Helping People in Your State.”
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/war-words-heats-over-u-gun-walking-case-034703052.html
Holder faces House contempt vote on gun probe
By Donna Smith and Thomas Ferraro | Reuters – 1 hour 22 minutes agoRELATED CONTENT
- U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder delivers remarks to the Boys and Girls Club of …
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder faces a contempt vote by the House of Representatives on Thursday in a dispute involving a botched gun-running probe, and the chamber's top Democrat, Nancy Pelosi, said some in her party may line up with Republicans against him.
The Republican-led House is to vote on whether to charge the nation's top law enforcement officer with contempt of Congress related to his withholding of documents in a gun-running sting operation on the U.S.-Mexico border code named "Fast and Furious."
The operation was run by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which is part of the Justice Department that Holder heads.
Speaking at a Reuters Washington Summit, Pelosi called the move against Holder "one of the most irresponsible" acts she has witnessed in Congress, but some Democrats are feeling pressure to vote with Republicans.
The National Rifle Association, which wields great influence with both parties in Washington, has put members on notice that the contempt vote is considered a "gun issue" with repercussions for anyone voting "no."
Pelosi said she tells members that if the Republicans "are acting politically, you may have to react politically."
She said Holder has turned over thousands of documents, but that Republicans are pushing for more merely to try to undermine his efforts to stop voter suppression.
"They want the attorney general to be tied up," she said. "This is such a canard."
She cited a recent hearing in which Republican Senator John Cornyn called on Holder to resign for resisting the House probe at the same time he "blocks states from implementing attempts to combat voter fraud."
Pelosi was referring to lawsuits brought by the Justice Department against some states - most notably Florida - accusing them of violating voting rights laws.
"The whole reason that they want him to resign is because he's looking into voter suppression," Pelosi said. "It's all connected. The Supreme Court decision, suffocate the system with money, suppress the vote, poison the debate."
Fast and Furious, devised by law enforcement officials in Arizona, was aimed at tracing the illegal flow of guns from the United States over the border with Mexico where they were suspected of falling into the hands of violent drug cartels.
"WALK" OVER THE BORDER
The operation went awry when agents lost track of many of the weapons and at least one was found at the murder site of a U.S. Border Patrol agent. The Justice Department initially maintained that there was no operation in 2009 and 2010 to let guns "walk" over the border - a claim the agency later withdrew.
House Republicans say they are trying to determine whether high-ranking administration officials knew the true nature of Fast and Furious but withheld it from congressional investigators.
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is seeking documents which Holder declined to provide after months of negotiations with Republican leaders who control the House, saying he had already turned over thousands of pages relating to the operation.
Holder has said that the additional materials sought by the committee are covered by the doctrine of executive privilege, historically invoked by presidents to protect the confidentiality of communications within their administrations.
Legal analysts say there is little Congress could do to enforce a contempt citation against the attorney general. Normally it would be up to the Justice Department, which Holder heads, to enforce a contempt citation.
Last week, the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, in a party-line vote, passed a measure to charge Holder with contempt of Congress. Democrats have accused Republicans of stoking a scandal for political gain to hurt Democratic President Barack Obama before the November 6 election.
"We'd really rather not be there. We'd really rather have the attorney general and the president work with us to get to the bottom of a very serious issue," House Speaker John Boehner said on Wednesday, referring to the vote by the full House.
Boehner said Republicans have given the administration "ample opportunity" to comply with the committee's requests for documents.
"Unfortunately, they're not willing to show the American people the truth about what happened. It's an unfortunate place where we are," he said.
Besides voting on the contempt charge against Holder, the House also is planning to consider a second resolution to ask U.S. courts to force him to turn over the documents. Some legal experts also doubt courts would want to get involved in the dispute, particularly when it involves a claim of executive privilege.
http://www.businessinsider.com/eric-holder-contempt-vote-fast-furious-democrats-darrell-issa-2012-6
These 31 Democrats Could Join Republicans And Hold Attorney General Eric Holder In Contempt Tomorrow
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Eric Holder
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Now that the House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on whether Holder should be held in contempt on Thursday, that theory will be put to the test.
Issa based that theory off a letter he sent to President Barack Obama on June 3, 2011, signed by 31 Democrats — roughly one-sixth of the Democratic membership in the House. The letter was written by the Democrats to "express serious concerns about the Administration's response" to what's become known as the "Fast and Furious" scandal.
So far, at least five Democrats have confirmed they'll be supporting the contempt resolution: Reps. Nick Rahall (West Virginia), Collin Peterson (Minnesota) Jim Matheson (Utah), John Barrow (Georgia) and Mike McIntyre (North Carolina). Democratic Rep. Steny Hoyer, the Democratic House head counter, said there would be some in his party who supported the contempt resolution.
"Utahns expect and deserve transparency and accountability from government officials, especially when a tragedy such as the death of a U.S. Border Patrol agent occurs," Matheson said in a statement. "It just compounds the tragedy when both sides play politics instead of releasing the facts. The Terry family, the public and Congress deserve answers. Sadly, it seems that it will take holding the Attorney General in contempt to communicate that evasiveness is unacceptable. It is a vote I will support.”
Read the original letter below:
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