White House Gives Up on Mubarak
Posted in Main Blog (All Posts) on February 1st, 2011 5:33 am by HL
White House Gives Up on Mubarak
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, “seeking to salvage his 29-year rule, made his first offer to discuss reforms with opposition groups, as protesters gathered for a massive march to force him to resign and his Western allies discussed plans for his exit,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“Participants in a private meeting Monday morning at the White House’s Roosevelt Room said a long discussion of Mr. Mubarak’s future left them with the understanding that the White House sees no scenario in which Mr. Mubarak remains in power for long. White House officials said they made no explicit predictions about Mr. Mubarak’s future.”
As the Daily Beast comments, “We’ll look forward to reading the behind-the-scenes account on WikiLeaks one day.”
Bush Daughter Backs Same Sex Marriage
Ben Smith: “Here’s a pretty vivid illustration of the generation divide playing out inside the Republican Party. George W. Bush’s 2004 campaign played same-sex marriage against John Kerry; his daughter’s now a spokeswoman for the cause.”
Whitman Spent $178 Million
The Sacramento Bee reports failed California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman’s (R) spent a record-breaking $178.5 million spent on her campaign — $43.25 for each of her votes in the general election — which she lost to Jerry Brown (D) by 13 percentage points.
Does Carney Lack Clout?
Incoming White House press secretary Jay Carney doesn’t report directly to the president, Lloyd Grove reports.
“He’s not an Obama insider — hardly an advantage when toiling for an insular politician who is naturally wary of newcomers and relies on a tight circle of advisers and intimates. Some White House veterans, including at least one former presidential press secretary, worry that Carney won’t receive the necessary access to Obama, and other policymakers at key meetings, to speak from the podium with the authority that Gibbs unquestionably enjoyed.”
