First Read is an analysis of the day's political news, from the NBC News political unit. First Read is updated throughout the day, so check back often.
NBC First Read
NBC First Read
Sarah Barracuda is back. She's set set to embark on a whirlwind campaign-style "Going Rogue" book tour that will take her to nearly a dozen battleground states. Oprah Winfrey said, of the interview the two taped yesterday, "there's nothing we didn't talk about" in a video linked to her Twitter account. Oprah said they ...talked about Palin's daughter Bristol's pregnancy, Levi Johnston and the state of Palin's marriage.Read More
NBC First Read Maybe it’s not the worst thing that Obama is going to be thousands of miles away over the next week. First, the health-care debate in the Senate (over the public option and abortion) is going to be messy, as the sausage-making process always is. Second, next week will be Palin-palooza, with her Oprah interview on Monday, her book going on sale Tuesday, and the book tour starting Wednesday.
NBC First Read
President Obama departs on his latest overseas trip -- a whirlwind 8-day, 4-country journey that will take him to Japan, Singapore, China, and South Korea. While some trips have helped bolster his image, that wasn't the case after Russia and Italy, when his numbers started coming back to earth. This is maybe one reaso...n why his Asia schedule is so jam-packed; you can tell the White House wants him to get back ASAP.Read More
NBC First Read
Tom Ricks on Obama's Fort Hood speech: It felt very conventional, a bit rote and obligational, like Reagan on
an off day, doing a state fair stopoff on the way to the Western White
House. What I had hoped for was a passionate, engaged address that
tackled political correctness in the same was as did his race speech
during ...the campaign, which I think was his high point during that time. http://ricks.foreignpolicy.com/posts/200
an off day, doing a state fair stopoff on the way to the Western White
House. What I had hoped for was a passionate, engaged address that
tackled political correctness in the same was as did his race speech
during ...the campaign, which I think was his high point during that time. http://ricks.foreignpolicy.com/posts/200
Source: ricks.foreignpolicy.com
: Passport : Ricks : Drezner : Walt : Rothkopf : LynchThe Cable : The AfPak Blog : Net Effect : Shadow Govt. : Madam Secretary : The Call
NBC First Read What's the better strategy for Reid -- calling the bluff of Nelson/Lincoln/Lieberman/Snowe and seeing how intent they are in filibustering (so Reid can placate those on the left), or avoiding that PUBLIC moment and negotiating behind the scenes? Don't be surprised if Reid goes the public route, then goes back to the trigger to move it out of the Senate. What's Reid got to lose doing that?
NBC First Read
The president doesn't like his options; it's why he keeps asking for more plans. Notice that in his Fort Hood speech yesterday, he was careful to link Pakistan and Afghanistan together. In doing so, the administration is sending the message it is NOT in the business of nation-building. Obama believes the focus of the w...ar effort in Afghanistan should be regional and tactical and about al Qaeda and other extremists.Read More
NBC First Read
As NBC's Savannah Guthrie first reported last night, Defense Secretary
Gates supports a middle option of sorts that gives McChrystal nearly
all he wants -- but not quite. And today’s New York Times adds that Joint Chiefs Chairman Mullen and Secretary of State Clinton also back that middle proposal.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/11/world/
Source: www.nytimes.com
The president’s national security team is coalescing around a proposal to send 30,000 or more additional troops to Afghanistan, officials say.
NBC First Read First Thoughts: The President got 2 new Afghanistan options yesterday, in addition to the other 2 that had been debated for some time, and they all increase trool pevels. On the low end, one option (supported by Vice President Biden) sends an additional 10,000 to 15,000. On the high end is a proposal for the 40,000 to 44,000 troops that Gen. McChrystal has requested.
NBC First Read Per NBC’s Savannah Guthrie, senior White House sources dispute the reports that the president has made up his mind to deploy more than 30,000 troops to Afghanistan. But that doesn’t mean this won’t be the administration’s ultimate decision. The concerted effort to push back has to do with the administration's belief that the focus should be on its new strategy, not on troop levels.
NBC First Read First Thoughts: Obama tries to become the nation’s healer-in-chief when he travels to Texas to participate in the memorial service at Fort Hood after Thursday’s massacre there. These kind of moments are BIG for presidents. Does Obama say anything about some of the reaction we’ve seen to Muslims serving in the military? It would be surprising if he did NOT address this potential firestorm.
NBC First Read
Got a question about Tuesday's election results, or any other political news? Ask NBC's Chuck Todd, who will be chatting live today at 2:30 p.m. ET. Click the link below to bookmark the chat, which will go live at 2:30.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33620159/ns/
Source: www.msnbc.msn.com
NBC News' Chief White House Correspondent discusses politics on Thursday starting at 2:30 p.m. ET.
NBC First Read
Minority Whip Eric Cantor has a Web video -- with big,
orchestral Americana string music -- touting how much smaller the
GOP-proposed House health-reform bill is than the Democrats'
almost-2,000-page bill. So is smaller better? Discuss.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHZsc1Owr
Source: www.youtube.com
NBC First Read Two days after their victories in New Jersey and Virginia and their loss in NY-23, Republicans today are welcoming conservative Tea Party activists to Capitol Hill to protest the Democrats’ health-care legislation. Today’s conservative event epitomizes this challenge for Republicans: How do you tap into a fired-up conservative base but make sure that base doesn’t begin eating its own (which happened in NY-23)?
NBC First Read First Thoughts: By yesterday offering up two top White House aides (Axelrod and Gibbs) to talk about Tuesday's elections, the White House decided to own the results. The seemed to signal that they believe the outcomes weren’t as disastrous as some think, and they don't want to seem thick-headed about losing in a VERY important swing state, Virginia.
