Archive - January 7, 2009 - The Page by Mark Halperin

The Page

Politics up to the Minute

Stocks Down in Asia, Europe

Bloomberg: "Shares in Europe and Asia fell on speculation earnings will deteriorate as weakening demand for commodities drives down metals and oil prices." Permalink

Burris Expects to be Seated "Very Shortly"

The former Illinois AG holds another presser in D.C., expresses confidence he'll be seated as the Land of Lincoln's junior Senator. Says he had a positive meeting earlier with Sens. Reid and Durbin, following a supportive phone call from Jimmy Carter. "I'm very pleased this afternoon, I'm happy." Jokes about his appointment by Blagojevich: "There was certainly no pay-to-play involoved, because I don't have no money." Click above to watch. Permalink

PRESIDENTIAL LUNCH DATE

Bush, Obama, and former presidents Clinton, Carter and H.W. Bush gather in the Oval Office Wednesday ahead of their lunch. During a photo op, Bush says he and the former POTUS's all wish Obama well and look forward to sharing their experiences with him. Transcript here. Obama thanks Bush for arranging the meeting, calls it an "extraordinary gathering." Pool report here. MUST-WATCH VIDEO: Click here to view. PHOTO GALLERY: See more images here. After lunch: Press secretary-designate Gibbs releases a statement saying the men had "a very constructive conversation." Full statement here. Permalink

Clinton Confirmation Expected to Go Smoothly

Associated Press: Clinton has held lengthy private discussions with leaders of the Senate committee reviewing her nomination for secretary of state. Lawmakers from both parties don't expect serious objections. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will consider her for the position Tuesday. Plus: Hearings scheduled for most cabinet positions. Click here for list. Permalink

House Votes to Require Info on Presidential Library Donors

The House passes legislation Wednesday saying future donations of $200 or more to presidential libraries would have to be publicly disclosed. The bill isn't retroactive and wouldn't apply to President Bush's library planned for the Southern Methodist University campus in Texas. Also votes to make it more difficult for former presidents to stop documents from entering the public domain. Both bills now go to the Senate. Permalink

McCain Starts New PAC

The former presidential candidate announces the formation of new PAC "Country First" to work to promote Republican causes. It will likely lay the foundation for his 2010 re-election bid to the Senate. Permalink

Before Lunch, 43 and 44 Meet

The president and the president-elect chat for half an hour Wednesday morning, likely discussing the Middle East and economy, spokeswoman says. It's their second face-to-face meeting since Election Day. Permalink

Change We Want

Ben & Jerry’s launches a new flavor “Yes Pecan!” offering a blend of “amber waves of buttery ice cream with roasted non-partisan pecans.” Profits for the month of January will be donated to nonpartisan citizen’s group Common Cause. Permalink

Joe the Plumber Heads to Israel

Wurzelbacher will spend 10 days reporting on Israel's conflict with Hamas for a conservative Web site. Permalink

Reid: Burris Won't Be Seated Just Yet

He tells reporters after meeting with Burris that he's "very enlightening," but there's still more to be done before they can accept him into the Senate. Says they're waiting for the court decision on the Illinois secretary of state's certification, Burris' testimony before the Blago impeachment panel. Adds that the final decision of whether to seat him will be made by the Senate as a whole. Permalink

Obama Vows to Work With Burris If Seated

The president-elect tells reporters that he knows the former Illinois attorney general well, calls him a "fine public servant." Declines to comment on whether Burris should be accepted into Congress, calling it a "Senate matter," but says he'll work with him like everyone else if seated. Permalink

Obama Names White House Chief Performance Officer

He picks Nancy Killefer for the newly created position, which will set performance standards for federal agencies, hold managers accountable. Calls the announcement "among the most important that I will make," says she'll help him keep his promise to scour the budget line by line. Click above to watch. Full remarks here. Permalink