Bloomberg and Goolsbee on Meet the Press Dec. 12

Mayor Michael Bloomberg talks about adult governing. He also breaks the media's heart saying he's not running for president. The media thinks everyone is running for president. Watch his eyes when David Gregory asks him if he's running for president:

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The roundtable on the tax cut-unemployment extension compromise:

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NYC's Bloomberg Refudiates Palin

Sarah Palin continues to entertain.

Obama's Update on Attempted Terrorist Attack - Video

Obama says, once again, an attempted terrorist attack has failed. It has failed because of vigilant citizens and quick actions by authorities. New Yorkers have reminded people how to live with their heads held high, he said. "As Americans and as a nation, we will not be terrorized."

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Obama has called and thanked two NYC vendors who alerted police.
Eric Holder's Statement at about 1:30 am last night on Arrest of Bomb Suspect:

Attorney General Eric Holder on the Times Square Investigation

Earlier this evening, Faisal Shahzad was arrested in connection with the attempted car bombing in New York on Saturday. Mr. Shahzad, an American citizen, was taken into custody at JFK Airport in New York as he attempted to board a flight to Dubai.

Since this plot was first uncovered on Saturday night, the FBI, prosecutors and intelligence lawyers in the National Security Division of the Justice Department and the U.S. Attorneys Offices in Manhattan and Connecticut, along with the NYPD have worked night and day to find out who was responsible for what would have been a deadly attack had it been successful. Over the course of the day today, we have gathered significant additional evidence that led to tonight’s arrest, which was made by agents from Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection.

This investigation is ongoing, as are our attempts to gather useful intelligence, and we continue to pursue a number of leads. But it’s clear that the intent behind this terrorist act was to kill Americans.

FBI agents are working with their state and local counterparts in New York, Connecticut and other jurisdictions to gather evidence and intelligence related to this case. We are also coordinating with other members of the President’s national security team to ensure we use every resource available to the United States to bring anyone responsible to justice.

We continue to gather leads in this investigation, and it’s important that the American people remain vigilant. The vehicle in Times Square was first noticed on Saturday by a citizen who reported it to authorities, and, as always, any American who notices suspicious activity should report it to the appropriate law enforcement agencies.

This investigation is ongoing, it is multi-faceted, and it is aggressive. As we move forward, we will focus on not just holding those responsible for it accountable, but also on obtaining any intelligence about terrorist organizations overseas.

Because of the fast-moving nature of this investigation, I am not able to make any further information public at this time. But the American people should know that we are deploying every resource available, and we will not rest until we have brought everyone responsible to justice. DOJ

Mayor Bloomberg details the Fire Department's role to stop the bombing:

Michael Bloomberg's Third Inauguration Speech

At Mayor Michael Bloomberg's inauguration--his third term--he speaks on the progress of New York, the place of my birth (in case anyone ever has any need to confirm my birthplace. Hee).

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New York, Concrete jungle where dreams are made of There's nothin' you can't do Now you're in New York These streets will make you feel brand new Big lights will inspire you Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York

Republicans Who Are Out for Health Reform

Obama names them in his weekly address:

Transcript

And earlier this week, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg came out in support of reform, joining two former Republican Senate Majority Leaders: Bob Dole and Dr. Bill Frist, himself a cardiac surgeon. Dr. Louis Sullivan, Secretary of Health and Human Services under President George H.W. Bush, supports reform. As does Republican Tommy Thompson, a former Wisconsin governor and Secretary of Health and Human Services under President George W. Bush. These distinguished leaders understand that health insurance reform isn’t a Democratic issue or a Republican issue, but an American issue that demands a solution.

Republicans Speaking Out FOR Health Care Reform

In the past week, a few big republicans and independents (Bloomberg) have spoken out in favor of getting healthcare done. Took them long enough.

Their names carry weight. They include former Senate majority leaders Bob Dole and Bill Frist, a heart surgeon; Govs. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California and Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, a health policy expert; New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, now an independent; and Mark McClellan, former administrator of Medicare and Medicaid from 2004-06.

As former Republican congressman Mickey Edwards, currently a lecturer on public affairs at Princeton, puts it: "The grown-ups are beginning to speak up." Read more at USA Today

Bobby Jindal urges republicans to join in. Jeb Bush is NOT one of those grown up republicans speaking out for health reform. He aims all of his criticism at Obama. But Bush is "pleasantly surprised" about Obama's education efforts.

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Michael Bloomberg Talks About Obama

Here are some excerpts from Newsweek's interview with the NYC mayor:

President Obama has selected a superbly talented team, and I am not just saying that because many of them are from New York. (Though that doesn't hurt: Shaun Donovan, my former housing commissioner, was a brilliant choice for secretary of housing and urban development.) He hired first-rate public servants, including some of the finest minds in finance. Will Americans agree with Tim Geithner and Larry Summers on everything? Of course not. Finance has become like football—we all think we know better than the coach, and we all engage in Monday-morning quarterbacking. That's a healthy thing for a democracy: citizens should have opinions about economic policies. But as we battle our way out of the global recession, we could hardly ask for a more capable team than Geithner, Summers and Ben Bernanke. And the president, like the best head coaches, is directing the game plan but not drawing up every play.

Forget the low hanging fruit:

Is he looking for easy victories or taking on the toughest battles? Management gurus love to tell incoming executives to "pick the low-hanging fruit first." I couldn't disagree more. When I became mayor, my administration lived by the opposite maxim: do the hard things first. And so in year one, we raised property taxes, prohibited smoking in bars and restaurants and closed several firehouses to spread resources and manpower more effectively and efficiently. Mr. Popularity I was not, and my approval rating sank into the 20s. But here's what happened: we turned record budget deficits into record surpluses; improved services, including faster response times to fires; increased business in bars and restaurants; and grew the overall economy. And the public came to respect us for making the tough decisions.

I am certain that President Obama has heard from friends or advisers who tell him to hold off on tackling the really big issues. And it is incredibly encouraging that he seems to be ignoring them. He is moving to pass health-care reform—this year. In 1993, President Clinton made health-care reform an immediate priority, but the debate on the plan didn't begin in earnest until 1994, an election year. Everything is harder in an election year. The Obama administration has learned from that experience and is working closely with congressional leaders to expedite the legislation. What shape it will take is impossible to know. But the important thing is that the president is throwing down the gantlet and saying: "The time is now." And he's indicated that immigration and climate change will also be priorities. But can he actually pass any of this? And that brings us to the next question. Read the rest

Obama Talks Education with Newt, Bloomberg and Sharpton

Obama is finding a place for the loudmouths.
I'm talking about Newt, running off at the mouth every chance he gets, complaining about this and that. I don't think I've ever heard him say anything about education. But that's probably the point. If Obama can get Newt to do something productive--he's obviously got energy--maybe he'll stop pining for Ronald Reagan.

Obama meets today with Al Sharpton, Mike Bloomberg, and Newt Gingrich to talk about education, and the latter three will then speak to press on the White House lawn. Politico

Turns out the Newt has lots to say about education. Here's Newt, Sharpton, Bloomberg and Education Secretary Arne Duncan:

Media Took Hillary's Bait

hillary is a sly one indeed.
instead of bringing the party together last night, she further drove her wedge and made it all about her. now the question the media is asking: can obama win the election without hillary as vice president?
yes, yes he can.
all the reasonable supporters of hillary will vote for obama. the hardcore supporters, a minority, will sit on the sidelines or vote for mccain. they're not needed.
here's another thing, superdelegates and party leaders need to be out now in full force rallying around obama.

some named as obama vice president frontrunners:

Evan Bayh: What he lacks in charisma, the telegenic Bayh makes up for in national security credentials, having served on both armed services and intelligence committees in the Senate.


Joseph Biden: A six-term senator who helms the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Biden, could offer the heavyweight foreign policy experience that Obama is often accused of lacking. But at 65 -- and seen as part of the U.S. political furniture -- he could undermine Obama's message of change.


Michael Bloomberg: Since ruling out his own independent bid for presidency, the current mayor of New York has been seen as a potential running mate for both Obama and McCain. For Obama, the media tycoon and former Republican would help mitigate the Democrat's problem with Jewish voters brought on by outlandish rumors that he is a Muslim, but do little to attract the white, working class vote.


Wesley Clark: This former NATO commander, who failed in his bid for the 2004 presidential nomination, was seen as a staunch Hillary Clinton supporter -- a fact that could help unite the party. But the 63-year-old's tough reputation as a no-nonsense soldier is unlikely to win much backing among party activists.


Hillary Clinton: While the "dream ticket" of a Obama-Clinton campaign could help harness Clinton's powerbase of women and white working-class Democrats, the prospect of uniting the two rivals has won mixed support. A non-scientific CNN.com poll said 60 percent of people were not in favor of the move.


Chris Dodd: A long-serving senator with solid foreign policy credentials who was previously considered as a running mate for John Kerry's failed presidential bid in 2004, Dodd presents the same problems as Biden.


Chuck Hagel: A close friend of fellow Republican John McCain -- Obama's general election rival -- Hagel's strong anti-war in Iraq stance has generated cross-party appeal and though an unlikely choice he could be seen as the man to attract wavering Republican voters.


Ed Rendell: As an outspoken Clinton supporter, a Rendell partnership could rally support for Obama and as governor of swing state Pennsylvania, he could help secure key votes, but his popularity is limited outside Philadelphia.


Bill Richardson: The New Mexico governor, who identifies himself as Hispanic, could help sway the burgeoning Latino vote in addition to lending heavyweight foreign policy credentials as a former United Nations ambassador.
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