Serving as a stenographer to Obama operatives trying to magnify the
import of the President's schedule for the week, CBS anchor Katie
Couric on Monday night trumpeted:
White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel says [1] this will be an 'historic week in an already historic year,' with the Afghanistan decision, the Senate opening debate today on a health care reform bill, and the President's schedule jam packed.
"Jam packed" with fairly pedestrian activities and political
gimmicks, though Couric treated them as consequential, starting with
how "today the President met with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd"
and "later in the week," after Obama "shares his Afghan strategy" which
is of some much-delayed consequence, he'll "host a job summit of
business and labor leaders at the White House."
Then, Couric touted how "on Friday he's taking his message of job creation and the economy directly to the American people, visiting Allentown, Pennsylvania, the first stop on what the administration is calling the 'White House to Main Street' tour." A trip to Allentown is what Couric thinks constitutes an "historic week"?
From the Monday, November 30 CBS Evening News, with matching on-screen graphics for each planned event:
White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel says this will be an "historic week in an already historic year," with the Afghanistan decision, the Senate opening debate today on a health care reform bill, and the President's schedule jam packed.
Today the President met with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. On the agenda: The new plan for Afghanistan. Australia currently has 1,500 troops there. Tomorrow night the President shares his Afghan strategy with the nation in that prime time address from West Point.
Later in the week, he takes on a battle closer to home: job creation. As unemployment hovers above ten percent, the President will host a job summit of business and labor leaders at the White House. And on Friday he's taking his message of job creation and the economy directly to the American people, visiting Allentown, Pennsylvania, the first stop on what the administration is calling the "White House to Main Street" tour.
Now, the President's plans will cost a lot of money, and the question, chief White House correspondent Chip Reid tells us, is how are they going to pay for all of this?
- Brent Baker is Vice President for Research and Publications at the Media Research Center