With the day mostly quiet on the campaign trail and 30,000 kids and family members at the White House rolling Easter eggs on the South Lawn, it could be one of the last somewhat friendly days of this election season.
(Photo by @PBSKids)
Obama Campaign Likes Where It Stands After Super Tuesday
PHOTO: During a January trip to Cleveland, President Obama greets neighbors outside the home of a family who almost lost their home after falling victim to a predatory lender; White House photo by Pete Souza
-TG
The White House helped fund a police surveillance effort of Muslims in the New York City area after 9/11, The Associated Press revealed Monday. The operation, part of a monitoring story that emerged last summer, triggered immediate criticism from civil rights groups.
We will see you next week Tumblr friends.
We leave you with this slideshow of pets in the White House during the holidays.
Happy holidays!
(Photo via White House)
Tax increases are “off the table” because “tax increases destroy jobs.”
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, responded to President Obama’s $447 billion jobs plan Thursday at the Economic Club of Washington. If you missed it watch the full speech.
The Clock Is Ticking on a Debt Ceiling Agreement
As the leaders prepare for their fourth negotiating session in six days, here are your Tuesday morning must-reads:
The New York Times: “Obama Grasping Centrist Banner in Debt Impasse”
POLITICO: “White House thinks it has debt debate high ground”
The Washington Post: “Shifting public concerns in debt limit debate”
The Los Angeles Times: “Boehner-Cantor rivalry affecting debt talks”
The Wall Street Journal: “Romney Silent Over Debt Talks”
Tim Pawlenty’s op-ed in Des Moines Register: “The answer is not more government spending”
The Los Angeles Times: “‘Eat our peas’: Pea growers react to Obama remark” (OK, that’s not a must-read, but it’s a fun one.)
Excerpted from the Morning Line politics dispatch by David Chalian and the politics team- even more here. Subscribe here
(PHOTO: White House Chief of Staff William Daley, Press Secretary Jay Carney, adviser David Plouffe and Communications Director Daniel Pfeiffer listen to President Obama during Monday’s news conference at the White House. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
What Is the War Powers Resolution of 1973?
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, sent President Obama a letter Tuesday claiming that he will soon be in violation of the War Powers Resolution, as the 90-day mark of the U.S.’ involvement in NATO air strikes in Libya approaches.
Boehner reminded the president that is bound by the Constitution to ensure “laws be faithfully executed,” including the War Powers Resolution:
“Given the mission you have ordered to the U.S. Armed Forces with respect to Libya and the text of the War Powers Resolution, the House is left to conclude that you have made one of two determinations: either you have concluded the War Powers Resolution does not apply to the mission in Libya, or you have determined the War Powers Resolution is contrary to the Constitution,” he wrote.
As Politico’s Jonathan Allen reported, Boehner had previously voted to repeal the law in 1995 on the grounds that it excessively hampered the president’s role as commander-in-chief. However, a spokesman for Speaker Boehner said that those views did not contradict the assertion that the president must uphold the laws as they are.
(White House photo)
President Obama is expected to issue a formal response Wednesday. White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said in a statement that they “are in the final stages of preparing extensive information for the House and Senate that will address a whole host of issues about our ongoing efforts in Libya.”
So what exactly is the The War Powers Act of 1973?
Let’s start at the Library of Congress. They offer an overview this way:
“The Constitution of the United States divides the war powers of the federal government between the Executive and Legislative branches: the President is the Commander in Chief of the armed forces (Article II, section 2), while Congress has the power to make declarations of war, and to raise and support the armed forces (Article I, section 8). Over time, questions arose as to the extent of the President’s authority to deploy U.S. armed forces into hostile situations abroad without a declaration of war or some other form of Congressional approval. Congress passed the War Powers Resolution in the aftermath of the Vietnam War to address these concerns and provide a set of procedures for both the President and Congress to follow in situations where the introduction of U.S. forces abroad could lead to their involvement in armed conflict.”
President Nixon actually vetoed the law in 1973, so the war powers act is a joint resolution of Congress, which has most the same legal effects as a piece of signed legislation. However, as the LOC explains, several U.S. presidents have taken the stance that the resolution is an infringement of executive branch powers - so its authority has often been a matter of debate.
(Source: newshour.pbs.org)
In the death of an enemy, any signs of jubilation and partying are vulgar. That must be why, in a White House crammed with sets of china, coffee was served in paper cups.
- Miss Manners, Judith Martin
Several Washington Post columnists weigh in on the meaning of the already famous situation room photo through their lens of expertise. Click through to read more.
Obama: “Egypt will never be the same.”
Full Video if you missed it.
Gibbs on Egypt: ‘We’re Monitoring a Very Fluid Situation’
