Gibbs: Need Republican Cooperation to Close Gitmo
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that since Republicans have made significant gains in the House and Senate, they now have a "responsibility of government" that was absent for the last 18 months. "They can't afford any longer to just simply sit and say no," Gibbs said on State of the Union. When host Candy Crowley asked about the failed campaign promises of closing Guantanamo Bay, Gibbs said it would be "a while" before the prison closes—no thanks to Republicans.
Should Obama Fear the Mama Grizzly?
Valerie Jarrett, senior adviser and close friend to the president, told Meet the Press that Obama is "willing to fight" to end Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans in 2012. Jarrett wasn't as eager to divulge whether Obama should pay attention to Sarah Palin as a political threat, despite host David Gregory's prodding. "I think he shouldn't be distracted by what are perceived as threats," she said. The 2012 presidential race is officially underway.
Coburn and the Debt-Triggered Apocalypse
Republican Senator Tom Coburn, known as "Dr. No" for his opposition to government spending, didn't mince words on Fox News Sunday when he said that the nation will experience "apocalyptic pain" if it doesn't take measures to fix the economy immediately. The senator from Oklahoma said that at this rate, within three to four years, the U.S. will be in the same fiscal peril as Greece. "We're living off our future," he said, "And everybody else in the world that's doing that today is getting punished."
Napolitano: Fail Rate Must be Zero
'Tis the season for holiday pat-downs. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said on State of the Union that the controversial and enhanced TSA security measures will not change in the foreseeable future. While aviation safety has improved in the last year, travelers occasionally still carry weapons past security. Is the government relying too much on the latest technology and not enough on trained officers?
Gibbs: Nothing Shaking in this Cabinet
Those hoping that President Obama's New Year's resolution will be major Cabinet changes may be in for disappointment. "I think we've had a very capable and good cabinet that has helped move the president's agenda forward," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said on State of the Union. While Gibbs hasn't been directly told whether the president plans on seeking reelection he said, "most people are planning for that likely to happen."
Repeated Deployments and PTSD
Gen. Peter Chiarelli, the Army vice chief of staff, discussed the effect of repeated deployments on soldiers on This Week with Christiane Amanpour. Two million American service men and women have been rotated through Iraq and Afghanistan,. This lack of time at home, the general said, has a huge impact on mental health and PTSD.
Larry King's Style Guide
Fresh off his last show on CNN, Larry King sat down with Howard Kurtz on Reliable Sources to discuss criticisms of his interviewing style. So were his "softball" questions a product of poor preparation or careful thought? "My questions didn't take three sentences," he said. "It always had a question mark at the end."
